The Elements of Taste

by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky

Book Overview

Four-star chef Gray Kunz has teamed up with food writer Peter Kaminsky to put together a cookbook that looks precisely at what taste is. From aromatic to floral herbal to picante, they have identified the 14 basic tastes in the chef's palate. Each of the book's 130 recipes teaches the reader how to use these fundamental building blocks, establishing basic principles so that the reader will have not only the means for creating his or her own masterpieces,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316608742
• ISBN13: 9780316608749
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 3.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.9" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

4 Star Recipes That Can be Easily Executed

I am a huge fan of Gray Kunz and was worried at first that many of these recipes would take days to prepare - but not at all. The first recipe I tried was the oven-crisped chicken with maple vinegar sauce and it is by far my favorite chicken dish i've even tasted or made (followed closely by Cook's Illustrated's fried chicken). I also love to read cookbooks and, if you do as well, you will see that Kunz actually has quite a sense of humor. The title of this book is perfect given that his recipes have so many flavor profiles and textures. I am also a sucker for showing pictures of the finished dish next to the recipe (a la Barefoot Contessa) and he has provided beautiful pictures. He also gives recipes for sauces and glazes that you can use in your own recipes. I highly recommend this book - you won't be disappointed!

the science of cooking

i have been frustrated when trying to learn more about, i have to say it, the elements of taste. what makes a dish taste good? what ingredients compliment each other, which do not? i am a novice cook but i have reached the point where i want to be able to understand why i am cooking something the way the recipe calls. or why i am using certain ingredients. i am shocked at the lack of books out there about this topic. if you want to learn to appreciate and develop your taste buds, this is a prefect starting point. the book discusses the many elements of taste. it then delves into recipes specific to those aspects of taste. and then, the best part, it sums up what you should look for when eating the dish (salty taste at first, giving way to sweetness from the aroma of caramelized onions, the texture, etc. etc., then the finish). this book explains taste, allows you to create a dish, then explains what the dish does to your mouth. i am very satisfied with the book and believe this is an excellent launching pad for me to learn to create my own dishes. i would also recommend "culinary artistry". it is more textbook-like, however, it has a HUGE appendix telling you what foods compliment one another.

The best ... bucks you will ever spend!

Not only is it full of WONDERFUL recipes, it is also full of a lot of taste commentary and other information that will help you to design your own wonderful recipes. If you like to cook, or like to eat, this is the book for you!!!!This is an especially great book for meat-eaters, who have over 70 amazing recipes to choose from. It's not so great for vegetarians (25 recipes), pretty poor for vegans (9 or 10 recipes), and downright bad for "no-honey" vegans (5 recipes). Still, the book is about more than just recipes: it is about taste, and the factors of taste.Please note that the recipe count above does NOT include items in the chef's larder: a section filled with 43 recipes for things used to make other things, such as ginger confit, bourbon mustard brine, floral herbal aioli, tomato fennel broth, almond milk broth, bulby citrus butter topping, orange spice mix, cranberry glaze, and crispy rice flake breading. All in all, an excellent book. One of the things I dig about it most is that it considers TEXTURE as a part of taste, and this is apparent in the recipes. The very first recipe in the book, PAN ROASTED SALMON WITH AROMATIC SALTED HERBS, had me convinced. The thing that really says something about this particular recipe is that both my father and I like it. My father adores salmon; I can't stand the stuff, but I like this. Seriously: try the recipe even if you don't like salmon, and especially if you do; it's easier than it looks and tastier than it sounds. Either way, I believe you will be pleasantly suprised.Each recipe includes a section on taste, called "taste notes". These help you to hone in on the different tastes in the mix, and why they taste the way they do together.

Cooking reduced to tastes - delicious

Magnificent book about cooking. Instead of fancy recipes nobody can cook, it discusses the different flavours we can distinguish. Similar to component tasting in wine, Kunz and Kaminsky introduce a system to classify food in a mouthwatering fashion.

One of the Best Books on Cooking

Gray Kunz & Peter Kaminsky have crafted not just another book of recipes, they have formated a new way of analyzing taste. They have re-defined the function of flavors into a guide to creating new harmonies and tones with their new definitions of taste. If you are truly passionate about food and cooking buy this book.