The contestants in Day 6 of Food52’s Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks caused a squabble at my table of fellow Piglet fans.
With “The Art of Flavor: Practices and Principles for Making Delicious Food” by James Beard Award-winning chef Daniel Patterson and artisan perfumer Mandy Aftel, we loved the cover design but were disappointed by the lack of imagery and flimsy food-absorbent paper inside.
“I need to know what this stuff is supposed to look like when I’m finished,” one friend put it. “Just imagine how this paper would suck up anything I spilt on it!” declared another.
“Night + Market: Delicious Thai Food to Facilitate Drinking and Fun-Having Amongst Friends” from popular LA chef Kris Yenbamroong had us discussing the inclusion of pole dancers and a recipe for “strip club fried rice.”
“This isn’t what I want to see when I open a cookbook,” explained a friend.
Yet, as our night went on and more bottles of wine were opened, food to “facilitate drinking and fun-having amongst friends” seemed like just the sort we might enjoy. “Night + Market” wasn’t glorifying any one aspect of Thai culture, unsavory or otherwise, but presenting an open conversation on foods that meld “hiso” (high society) with “loso” (lo society) and Thai with American.
“The Art of Flavor” seemed reserved by contrast. An investigation into what we taste, Patterson and Aftel seek to explore the range of flavor and aromatics available within a plant or food and how these unique qualities can work as part of a whole.
Recipes didn’t feel like the main attraction in “The Art of Flavor,” rather the education that leads to ingredient investigation and recipe creation. The lack of art may be an intentional exclusion from “The Art of Flavor,” forcing us to use our other senses and imagination to prepare a dish, but we struggled to see it as a cookbook instead of food lit.
“Night + Market” was a more compelling candidate. It’s energetic, friendly to Thai cooking newbies and alluring: bright colors, bright lights, big food.
I chose “Night + Market” for the win.
Carrots roasted with coffee beans
From the book: “Carrots have a quiet, grounding aroma, while coffee is uplifting and sharp. Cooked together, the two flavors merge into one new flavor. It is essential that the beans be freshly roasted and of good quality, as the carrots will take on their flavor.”
Whole young, fresh carrots
Vegetable oil
Salt
Dark-roasted coffee beans
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Scrub the carrots but keep the skins on. Toss them with just enough oil to coat and sprinkle them with a pinch or two of salt. Place a layer of coffee beans in a heavy, ovenproof pan with a tight-fitting cover, just large enough to hold the carrots, and arrange the carrots on top of the coffee beans.
Cover the pan and roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the carrots are fully tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. Roasting them fully brings out all their sweetness. Discard the coffee beans and let the carrots cool to room temperature, then slice as desired and serve.
Note: Because of their sweetness and the coffee flavor, these carrots sit between sweet and savory. Combined with yogurt, granola and drizzle of honey, they make a fun and sophisticated dessert.
Poached celery with mustard dressing and Parmesan
From the book: “If you have crisp, flavorful celery from the farmers’ market, consider making this salad with shaved raw celery. But if your vegetable has been languishing in the back of the refrigerator, proceed as directed; the added umami will make it delicious.”
1 head celery
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3-4 tablespoons neutral-tasting vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or canola
6 anchovy fillets, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Separate the celery into stalks, and wash, trim and peel them. Simmer them in salted water until tender. Drain and chill the celery in the refrigerator. While the celery is cooling, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, oil and anchovy, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
To serve, line up the cooked celery, drizzle it generously with the mustard dressing, and top it with the Parmesan.
— Reprinted from “The Art of Flavor: Practices and Principles for Making Delicious Food” by Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel with permission from Riverhead Books.
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