I have been following the Food52 website for a while now and my favorite part of the site is the genius recipe section. Here are unique recipes that transcend the normal. In here is the amazing Mushroom Bourguignon from Deb Perlman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, the inspiration for my Mushroom Cacciatore. Catching my eye was Shrimp Grits from Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock, a unique spin on shrimp and grits. There is an interesting article on the technique for creating poached scrambled eggs by Daniel Patterson. One of most amazing soups that I have ever had is Paul Bertolli's Cauliflower Soup which I have added to my repertoire. The ingredient list is simple, olive oil, onion, cauliflower, water seasoned with salt and pepper but the result is truly restaurant quality. With my wife urging me to add more veggies to my diet, there are a lot of options - I am going to try the Onion Carbonara from Michel Richard next. It looks great! Pick it up, you won't be sorry.

When Karen Page and Andrew Dornenberg updated the well received "Culinary Artistry" and brought out "The Flavor Bible", I was first in line to get a copy. As I have stated before I am not drawn towards cookbooks with just recipes. I expect a lot more, an insight into the creative process, a introduction to an new cuisine, a new and exciting insight into technique, or in this case a indispensable reference tool. No matter how much experience you have, any good chef will benefit with a reference that lists flavor affinities with other ingredients and cuisines. Each section starts with a short section detailing the seasonality of the ingredient, taste, weight, volume and cooking techniques. Following is a section of ingredients and/or cuisines that identify typical pairings, with bold and uppercase signifying a stronger affinity. At the end of the section there may be a listing of flavor affinities detailing possible flavor profiles and suggestions for dishes by well-known chefs. Also there may be quotes by well known chef offering advice on the ingredient under discussion. I like to first research an ingredient taking under advisement the flavor  affinities section, then studying the dishes section. When I look for possible ideas, I note the differences with the affinities list and the dishes section, to get ideas how to bridge items together on a plate. This is one book I keep on going back to formulate new ideas. It deserves a place on any serious chef's book shelf.