In a previous post, I mentioned that I had NO idea how to combine flavors. Marcy suggested The Flavor Bible which I was able to find at the library. I was amazed. This is exactly the part of my culinary education that has been missing.

The first part of the book covers the language of food, from aroma, mouth feel, taste and what they call the “X Factor”: what is going on in your other senses including memory, heart and spirit. Of course, we all have those foods that taste like home or vacation, and this is part of that equation.

I learned, for the first time, about balancing flavors. Of course I knew that some dishes are just too salty, but never knew that adding sourness would help bring that saltiness down. I’ve never learned why creamy guacamole is so good with crunchy chips, it just is. Now I know that it is because crunchy and creamy are complementary in the same way that in painting, placing complementary colors next to each other brightens both (think of a red apple on a green tree.)

The chefs interviewed for the book are unanimous in their insistence on seeking local, seasonal food for the best results. This, too, is something I’m growing into for the first time in my life. Of course, in a home kitchen, I don’t have access to a nearly unlimited variety of seasonings and oils to bring out this flavor or that, but having a reference to tell me that a seasoning I do have will accomplish a similar result to the one I don’t have is very valuable.

Reading through the affinities listings woke something up in me. As I read the list of foods that pair well with apples, for instance, I dreamed up combinations that would have never come to me otherwise. So, our breakfast custard this week will have a touch of apple cider, fresh apples and cheddar cheese instead of just apples in cream and egg. I know, it’s a common pairing and not anything earth-shattering, but for someone who has relied on written recipes for each and every meal for decades, imagining a food pairing well enough to taste it in my mind is revelatory.

The affinities listings in The Flavor Bible contain other information as well, like a listing of foods associated with a certain regional and international cuisines, seasons of the year, foods that are warming or cooling, etc. Some ingredients have menu items in which they are used from the interviewed chefs’ restaurants. It is from one of those that I put together tonight’s dinner: Braised Short Ribs on Mashed Potatoes with Green Beans. You will need to adjust to your size family and meat-eating preferences, of course. We don’t eat a lot of meat in one sitting, so one rib per person was enough for us.

Braised Short Ribs
8 short ribs
2 tablespoons tallow
12 ounces double chocolate stout beer
4 ounces chopped onion
2 ounces each chopped carrot and celery
2 tablespoons butter

Start by making the mirepoix: saute the chopped onion, carrots and celery in butter in oven-proof roasting pan. Remove from pan, add tallow and turn up heat. Sear ribs on all sides. Add beer and mirepoix back to pan, cover and cook in a slow oven (300°) for three and a half hours. You really want the meat falling off the bones.

While the meat was in the oven, I also baked some potatoes until they were soft. I added whole cream and butter, salt and white pepper to the potatoes and whipped them to a fare-thee-well. I used the potatoes as a “base” to hold a rib with a little of the braised veggies and juice on top. I tend to use olive oil only in salad dressings, but it was a strongly suggested pairing with green beans. So, when it came time to make the green beans, I steamed them until just tender, then sprinkled them with some roasted onion and drizzled olive oil over the top.

The depth of the flavors was a surprise to me. The potatoes were more potato-y than those I’ve made from boiled potatoes. The green beans were much more savory drizzled with olive oil and onion than tossed with butter, which makes them sweeter. The amazing thing was in the combining. The ribs alone were good, the potatoes were good, the beans were good. But piled on a fork together created something new and amazing, savory, rich and wonderful.

You’ll have to forgive me, not only am I only learning to cook, but learning to write about food as well! The Flavor Bible just moved to the top of my Christmas list. But until December 25, don’t bother looking for a copy in the Nashville Public Library system because I’ve renewed my loan!

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