How to Taste: The Curious Cooks Handbook to Seasoning and Balance, from Umami to Acid and Beyo ndwith Recipes

This book taught me so much about food and cooking, and kept me laughing the whole time. Informative and very easy to understand!

As a personal chef I buy cookbooks to make better, tastier food, and actually just ordered 6 cookbooks - this was one of them. I have to tell you that of ALL the cookbooks I’ve read, this is (I dare to say it!) the only cookbook I literally can not put down! It’s a wealth of information that is written so wonderfully you just do not want to stop reading it! It covers everything from salt (just wait, you’ll know why this book is so amazing just from this chapter alone!) and every taste, flavor, spice, herb, and more that she explains in her fun and conversational style. Beautifully written and deceptively informative ... this book, in my opinion, is the best, most informative, easy to read cookbook I’ve ever owned. This is a book you’ll want to buy as a gift for anyone who wants to amp up their understanding of flavors ... so many surprises all throughout this book! Honestly, this is THE book for anyone who wants to understand flavors. Amazing book. Love it!

There are two things I learned right off the bat from reading Becky Selengut's new book: 1) It's for everyone - home cook and professional alike; and 2) I'll be referring to it over an over again. Becky has hit a home run again with this book, helping us all discover how to really taste and adjust the food we cook. From her dedication to her wife (which made me laugh) to the accompanying recipes, Becky lays it all out like an instructor - which she is. I was happy to hear her humorous voice again because she makes the reader laugh, feel at ease and want to jump into the kitchen to cook - all at once. As a pastry chef and instructor, I deal with the flavor subject, but not quite as much as culinary instructors. Although I know a lot of these principles, a book like Becky's only reinforces and reminds us how much we can learn from someone who has really explored a subject and then taken the time to write it all down for us to enjoy.

This is a perfect gift for the serious cook. I bought it for myself to take my cooking skills to the next level. Lots of very valuable information . I will refer back to this little gem often!

I read this book in one sitting and learned so much. I now have the tools to fix my (many) cooking mistakes, from under-salting to my poor use of spices. I learned that I am a "tolerant taster" as well as many fun facts about food. I now know why Nacho Cheese Doritos are so addictive and how Coke counterbalances the three tablespoons of sugar (!) in a 12 oz can so people don't keel over from the sweetness. Recipes and 'experiments' look great (I was so happy reading book I haven't tried any of them yet but I will). Becky is a fantastic writer and the book will hook you from the first page. From "Fun Facts" to the cute avatar of Becky "teaching" there's plenty of variety. I'm recommending it to you, and will recommend it to everyone I know that cooks. I'm already planning who's getting a gift copy.

I borrowed this book from the library and decided that I would be buying my mother a copy for Christmas before I was even halfway through. While I don't care much for the casual, conversational style that the book is written in the information is excellent and is presented in a way that is both easy to understand and memorable. The author's passion and expertise are obvious on every page. This was written for a novice but I am an experienced and fairly skilled/knowledgeable cook and I got a lot out of it. I'm especially excited about the "experiment" recipes in each chapter that are designed to let you experience first hand exactly what she is writing about. It's an approach that I have never thought of and I think it is a fabulous idea! I'm even considering inviting some friends over and making a party game out of it.

This is a must read cooking theory staple. I haven't learned so much about cooking since I first came across Cook's Illustrated issues and books as a teen. Sure, most people know how to correct a dish that's gone a little awry, and those who love cooking or cook professionally have figured out a lot through trial and error. This book takes it so much further by first teaching you how to tell what is "off" in a dish, and then what is needed to fix it, along with suggestions for how to correct different types of dishes.I picked this up at a little shop, read it in one sitting, and promptly ordered 5 more copies for friends and family. Everyone who's read it was blown away, from those just starting to learn to cook to the most seasoned (har har) chef.

I am learning so much from this book! I'm discovering how to balance flavors, how to test for what is lacking, what the "problem" is when I'm not satisfied with something and what to do about that. Chapters on the different elements of taste are a new way to think about the overall structure and outcome of a dish to me. Now I know WHAT I'm tasting, or not tasting. Ms. Selengut is informative and funny and has included some wonderful recipes I hope to try. I am going to order this as a gift for several friends who love to cook.

If you've ever taken a bite of food and thought, "This is okay, but it is just missing a little something" but you don't have the vocabulary to express what your mouth needs, then this book will give you what you seek.Each section is clearly laid out, with explanations as to what is happening when you add salt, acid, fat (etc) to food and how it effects the taste of a dish. These are followed by great little experiments you can try at home to directly see the influence each these elements have on what you taste. Like sprinkling a small amount of salt into some dark coffee and tasting it reduce the bitterness. At the end of each section is a recipe or two that really takes advantage of one of the 'tastes' you've just learned about. Also given is useful advice on how you can bring balance to a dish that has too much of one of these elements.All written in a style that is both personable and transmits knowledge clearly. The art and visual style of the book is quite pleasing as well. Would recommend to anyone keen on knowing how to make good food.

Great book

Ich kann das Buch sehr empfehlen. Es liefert sehr viel Information, ist übersichtlich gestaltet und mit viel Humor geschrieben. Es hat mein Verständnis fürs Würzen auf jeden Fall verbessert und steht als Nachschlagewerk immer bereit.

The BEST book for peopleWho love shows like master chef and want to truly explore how they taste all the dishesEasy to read and step by step guide

as axpected.