> Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a must-have.
I love McGee, but we only tend to pull it out when we have a history or science question, not so much when we're cooking.
A book we lean on heavily is 'The Flavor Profile Bible', Dornenberg and Page. The bulk of the book is an index of ingredients, listing ingredients/herbs/spices that pair well with each ingredient. We've profited from the videos mentioned here and we have our favorite cookbooks, but when we go to spice up the routine, this is the place we turn most often.
I love McGee, but we only tend to pull it out when we have a history or science question, not so much when we're cooking.
A book we lean on heavily is 'The Flavor Profile Bible', Dornenberg and Page. The bulk of the book is an index of ingredients, listing ingredients/herbs/spices that pair well with each ingredient. We've profited from the videos mentioned here and we have our favorite cookbooks, but when we go to spice up the routine, this is the place we turn most often.