Culinary Artistry

by Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page

"In Culinary Artistry...Dornenburg and Page provide food and flavor pairings as a kind of steppingstone for the recipe-dependent cook...Their hope is that once you know the scales, you will be able to compose a symphony."   --Molly O'Neil in The New York Times Magazine.

For anyone who believes in the potential for artistry in the realm of food,  Culinary Artistry  is a must-read. This is the first book to examine the creative process of culinary composition as it explores the intersection of food, imagination, and taste. Through interviews with more than 30 of America's leading chefsa including Rick Bayless, Daniel Boulud, Gray Kunz, Jean-Louis Palladin, Jeremiah Tower, and Alice Watersa the authors reveal what defines "culinary artists," how and where they find their inspiration, and how they translate that vision to the plate. Through recipes and reminiscences, chefs discuss how they select and pair ingredients, and how flavors are combined into dishes, dishes into menus, and menus into bodies of work that eventually comprise their cuisines.

Genres: Cooking, Cookbooks, Food, Culinary, Nonfiction, Reference, Food Writing

448 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 1996

About the author

Andrew Dornenburg is a James Beard Award-winning author whose influential work in culinary literature has helped shape modern American food writing. Alongside his wife and writing partner, Karen A. Page, Dornenburg has co-authored numerous acclaimed books, including Becoming a Chef, Culinary Artistry, The Flavor Bible, and What to Drink with What You Eat. Their books have garnered numerous accolades, including honors from the James Beard Foundation, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. A former marathon runner and Culinary Institute of America honorary ambassador, Dornenburg is known for his thoughtful approach to the intersection of food, flavor, and the dining experience. Despite living with dyslexia, he has built a celebrated career in publishing. Dornenburg and Page live in New York City, where they continue to influence chefs, sommeliers, and home cooks around the world.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

On page 7 of this book is a description of three kinds of chefs. First, there is the Burger Flipper, who cooks to fill the hungry stomach. "I'm full" is the desired response. Then there is Accomplished Chef, who wants to please the hungry stomach. "That was delicious" is the desired response. And then there is the Culinary Artist..."Life is wonderful".

You don't have to be a Culinary Artist to make the most of this book. nor even a professional chef. You do have to enjoy cooking and want to take your meals to a new dimension. You cook creatively, and you rarely cook the same meal twice in exactly the same way. You look at recipes as guidelines.

The core of this masterpiece is the food matching: what flavours go with what. And if you have two entirely incompatible tastes, can you bring them together with a mutually compatible flavour?

Scattered throughout the book are excerpts from famous-name menus. There's even an occasional recipe.

But really, the idea of this book is to change the way you look at food. If you're always on a search for inspiration, this is a book to do that for you.

[nick padilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the book you go to when you find something really good at a market and want to make up a dish that features it. Its also the book you go to when you are a cook and you want to convince yourself you're an artist. Best book about food ever written, in a three way tie with McGee On Food and Cooking and Escoffier.

[Robin Tobin (On the back porch reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a “have to have” if you are serious about food... It is not about recipes.... It pairs up what spices, vegetables or other ingredients go with what item (be it a vegetable, meat or seafood) you are cooking with.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first, let me say that Chez Panisse and French Laundry are on my bucket list to experience. After reading this book, I believe I’ll have an even greater appreciation of the experience. This book starts off by walking the reader through the universal agreement of what flavor combinations work together and the importance of seasonality. It then takes the reader through several contributing chefs’ artistic journey in their careers, menus and personal approach to their culinary artistry.

Loved this book!! Although a bit dated, is still a great read for any food lover.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you love to cook adventurously (without recipes)... this is the BEST COOK BOOK EVER. get your hands on it immediately. simply contains long lists of alphabetized ingredients - and what other ingredients compliment them. and some loosely suggested combinations and dishes. so very incredibly helpful and fun!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the reasons I went to culinary school. My copy is dog-eared, written in and generally falling apart. Nearly eight years out of the CIA and I still consult this book constantly for inspiration.

[Victoria Oldemburgo De Mello]

Ever find yourself cooking something unusual and wondering, ‘What on earth pairs with this?’ Then this book is for you. It’s packed with pages of ingredient pairings that'll make you feel like a pro in the kitchen. It’s basically the cheat code to good flavor. A chef’s kiss in book form.

[Tad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book speaks to the heart of my culinary journey. It's all about growth and development and finding my way to the expression of my soul through cooking. I identify with so many of the great chefs in this book and I feel I'm standing alongside them in their kitchens. The thoughtfulness and preparation one must have for each dish drives me to explore various flavors and technique.

Culinary Artistry is all about understanding that which confronts the thoughtful and caring chef, though not because it's daunting. I believe the book opens the mind to what is possible. Like any talent one excels in, you must first learn and master the basics. From this point one is able to explore the many varieties and levels of excellence.

It is through books like this one that I'm developing an understanding of what is possible. It strengthens my opinion about what makes great food and it acts a looking glass reflecting a image of what I love about my connection to cookery and cuisine.

[Juneau Public Library]

Not sure what to do with that huge Costco flat of pears, or the freshly-caught halibut you just brought home?

This cooking book isn’t as visually appealing as some on our shelves - no beautiful, full-color photos of tasty dishes - but it is packed full of information for enthusiastic (and creative) cooks. It includes sample restaurant menus and information about building your own menus, plus recipes from some well-known chefs, but the best part, in my opinion, is the alphabetical index of ingredients, and what other ingredients go well with them. If you’re a creative and confident cook ready to branch out from the world of cookbooks and create your own dishes, this book is an invaluable resource to help you combine complimentary flavors and ingredients. The authors list classic combinations, but also pairings you may have never tried, as well as suggestions for methods of cooking, such as baking, sautéing, steaming, etc.

Recommended by Catherine

[Eliel Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting insights into how some chefs interpret their styles and reasons behind their work. There are also alot of tables and recipe ideas as well.
Early on, I came away with a few ideas (literally) on how to interpret my future presentations which also re-affirmed the direction in which they were headed.
There are also several views on the way chefs present their own personal touches to a dish. I especially liked what Chef Rick Bayless had to say on his style and technique and the reasons for it.
Of course with so many varied opinions, one will have to explore this tome for themselves and see if there might be some interesting ideas that might be useful. Worth exploring.

[clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

hands down the best food/flavor guide book...

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was expecting pictures and plating ideas - they weren't there. Pretty much the same as The Food Bible, which I think is better.

[Alan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A formative book for me.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gem
No serious foodie should be without this

[David Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a game changer. A must have in a serious chefs library.

[Митчел Сталин · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reference resource for finding flavor combinations. I've been getting use out of this book for well over a decade now.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

How famous chefs think through the development of a menu, and of a specific dish. Tables of foods and spices that complement a protein or central ingredient. Mini biographies of well known US boutique eateries.

[Daniel Laufer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so hard to capture and explain the aesthetic side of the culinary arts. It's something you develop over time, if you even "have it". This book does a good job of trying to explain it, but is also a great reference for flavor combinations.

[David Brinkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always used this book for the lists. I finally got around to reading the entire thing. The Chefs of that era are such heavy hitters, it was a talented generation. Most of the things they were doing then are just as relevant today.

[Fares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gooood

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg (with Karen Page) is a groundbreaking guide to flavor pairing and creative menu design. Drawing on interviews with over 30 top chefs, it blends practical flavor-match tables with thoughtful insights on how culinary artists compose dishes, menus, and seasons .

[JavierC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like and enjoyed the book. It's a book that anyone can read, anyone interested in cooking, in knowing more about a kitchen, in knowing the history behind a dish, in learning more about a passion which should be cooking or anything related with it. The book is really complete, is one of the few books I know that the title DO goes into the information inside the book. Shows everything that is necessary in order to learn how and what to cook; I know that if a beginner reads this book before starting to cook will get more information that he would get in any other place just because of the good and excellent information "Culinary Artistry" has.
I'll totally recommend this book to anyone that wants to be successful inside a kitchen or someone that wants to know more about it because this book is make for both of them.
The book defines what culinary arts is, and it explains it. Tells everything, tells history, tells techniques, tells recipes, tells tools, tells whats more efficient to do, tells what to do and how to do it. And citations inside are awesome. It has a kind of medium-hard text but the author explained it so well that is easy to get what he is saying. The very first page is so good it instantly got me, as soon as I turn to the next page I wanted to know more and more and see what else I can learn from the book. It has a lot of valuable information to be honest, it is so complete, there is more information inside this book that in one person, why? because I'm assuming the author didn't took the whole book on his own, he obviously did some research and ask a lot of people and read a lot of books too.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, I guess. Explores the idea of cooking and/or food as art. Includes many quotes, rather than formal interviews, with chefs you probably have heard of a few of, a handful of recipes, and a large section - which is what I bought it for - of lists of flavor pairings, identifying what goes with what, including both familiar and strange combinations.

The pairings are interesting, and the whole book a fine idea, really; other than the fact that I was not familiar with about 1/3 of the chefs involved, it feels like a solid project. The main trouble I have with it is that it's so, well, painfully dated. As I read the recipes and combinations, I couldn't help thinking, "Oh geez, how 90s!". I suppose that if you'd read this when it came out, or, if you live in the sticks somewhere, or haven't been out to eat much in the last 15 or 20 years, this would be tremendously exciting. As it is, well, it'll go on that reference shelf with the Norton guide to English Lit before 1500 - I'm glad I have it, but I don't expect to refer to it very often.

[Clintweathers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting a copy of this book in my 3rd year of culinary school nearly caused me to drop out.

This is because reading the book caused me to totally rethink everything I'd been doing in the kitchen, realize that I wanted to completely rebuild my cuisine from the quarry tile up, and stop cooking boring food.

Dornenburg and Page are great writers, and the book should be required reading for all 2nd year culinary students -- it'll shake up their ideas, help loosen some dogmatic crap, and help them broaden their palates.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a chef with over 25 years of experience, Culinary Artistry has been an essential part of my journey. When I was first starting out, the incredible lists of pairing options and sample menus opened up a whole new world of creativity for me. Over the years, I’ve noticed that all of my favorite chefs keep a copy in their offices, too — and for good reason. This book is a timeless resource that continues to inspire and guide chefs at every stage of their careers. Absolutely amazing!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first I've been able to find that actually has a comprehensive starter list of food pairings. Very helpful for when you have a hundred ideas, and not too sure where to go with a meal. Also, as with their other books, there are features on leading chefs, and these are great reading, small gems from their experience.

[Jeffreylmt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book, but only for those who already have a lot of basic cooking knowledge. This is not a beginner book by any means. That being said, the information in here is top-notch. There are many famous chefs throughout giving their ideas on many different cooking styles. I found it very inspiring.

[Rune · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What's hard about it is that degree of sacrifice. It's not so hard. Anybody could do it for one or two nights, for a week. It's mustering that energy and dealing with the other areas of your life that you have put on hold that you wish you could develop--like seeing a movie this year, maybe? it's the constancy--it's almost hysterical."

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for every culinary enthusiast, as this book unassumingly teaches and guides the reader on both well-known and obscure techniques, foods, tools, etc. To help graduate yourself to the next level, I recommend this book for anyone who can do far more than boil water. GREAT BOOK!

[Serge Pierro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.... an amazing book. A MUST read for anyone seriously interested in cooking - either at home or professionally. The book covers food pairings, menu planning, how a chef thinks etc. Outstanding! The listings of what ingredients go best with others, is alone worth the price of the book.