The Art of Flavor

June 5, 2017
In their second collaboration (after Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Foods and Fragrance), Patterson, a Bay Area chef and restaurateur, and Aftel, a perfumer, reunite to explore the elusive concept of flavor. The authors reference experts from Apicius (first-century author of a Roman cookbook) to Harold McGee (who currently writes about the science of food) as they explain the process of heightening and balancing tastes and explore the chemistry behind culinary pairings and techniques. Though the writing is solid, the book as a whole is a lofty exercise. Thankfully, the intellectual analysis is broken up by more than 70 recipes illustrating the authors’ ideas. In contrast to the sophisticated concepts, the recipes are rather simple: salted cucumbers are made just as the name of the recipe implies. A recipe for red lentils simmered in cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cumin, and cayenne pepper doesn’t break new ground, even as it illustrates how “heat intensifies spices.” Other dishes push the boundaries more intently: carrots (which have a “grounding” flavor profile) are roasted on a bed of coffee beans (“uplifting and sharp”); mushrooms are fermented in the style of sauerkraut. This cookbook will be fascinating to anyone interested in the science of cooking, but not always helpful to those who need to get dinner on the table.

Narrator John Lescault's voice is well matched to the task at hand as Daniel Patterson, a Michelin chef and restaurateur, Mandy Aftel, a renowned perfumer, take a deep dive into the concept of flavor, including its aroma components. The writing is articulate, considered, and balanced, but the effort as a whole is a rather pompous and dry treatise. Lescault's narration is as dry and unadorned as the text itself. His genteel, brisk, and clear delivery cannot redeem the thoughtful but yawn-inducing history and discussion of flavor's components and its delicate balancing act. There are points of interest along the way, but for the long haul this is not an enticing listening experience. W.A.G. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine