How to Taste

I have to say that this was one of the most informative books I've read in a while, and at the same time it was pretty engaging. And it comes in a compact size that's easy to travel with.

Yes, there were a few recipes, but that's totally not the point. The point is to learn how to taste things so you can adjust your cooking for the best result. Which is maybe why Becky Selengut named it How to Taste.

Of course, "best" can be a bit subjective. But even so, when you taste your soup and you know there's something missing, this book can help you unravel the problem so you can add that pinch of salt or splash of lemon juice that takes it from "Okay for lunch" to "Yeah, I'd serve this to company. Fancy company."

The book starts with salt and explains things like where on your tongue you should taste things when the salt amount is correct, and it wends its way through acids and texture and pretty much everything that goes into making a dish the best it can be.

While the recipes here are designed to illustrate particular points about cooking and eating, there is one recipe I've bookmarked to make later, because it sounds so interesting: Mustard Caviar.

If you're interested in learning how to use your senses to improve your cooking and adjust recipes that are a little out of whack, this is the book for you.

I received this from the publisher at no cost to me.