Bitter
Subtitle: a taste of the world's most dangerous flavor, with recipes
By: Jennifer McLagan ; photography by Aya Brackett
Contributors: Brackett, Aya, photographer
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 263
ISBN-13: 9781607745167
Subjects: Cooking; Bitterness (Taste)
Description: "The champion of uncelebrated foods including fat, offal, and bones, Jennifer McLagan turns her attention to a fascinating, underappreciated, and trending topic: bitterness. What do coffee, IPA beer, dark chocolate, and radicchio all have in common? They're bitter. In this deep and fascinating exploration of bitter through science, culture, history, and 120 deliciously idiosyncratic recipes, award-winning author Jennifer McLagan makes a case for this misunderstood flavor. Biologically-speaking, the taste of something bitter--unlike sweet, which can indicate a nutrient-rich food, and salty, which indicates the presence of needed minerals--can signify a poison, so an appreciation for bitterness must develop with age and experience. Bitter is a known appetite stimulant and is often just the thing to add dimension and balance to a dish. While some culinary cultures, such as in Italy and parts of Asia, have an inherent appreciation for bitter flavors (think Campari and Chinese bitter melon), little attention has been given to bitterness in North America: we're much more likely to reach for salty or sweet. However, even in North America, bitter is making inroads with increased interest in cocktail bitters, craft beers, and artisanal coffee; and consumption of bitter salad greens and chocolate is growing. In the capable hands of McLagan, bitterness will emerge from the shadows of the culinary underworld and get its deserved place in the spotlight"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-256) and index.
Table of contents: title: Born to be bitter; title: Liquid bitter; title: Pungently bitter; title: Subtly bitter; title: Surprisingly bitter; title: Dark, forbidden, and very bitter.