This newsletter may contain some affiliate links. I only recommend things I personally use and enjoy—if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hello Reader
This week's email is a little early because I'm traveling for the book.
Sometimes a recipe begins with a kind gesture you never forget.
The last time I was at Book Larder in Seattle, a longtime follower named Jaya Shree came to see me with friends and brought me a box of homemade Indian sweets. I’d been traveling through the festive season and wasn’t able to celebrate Dussehra or Diwali at home. She wanted to make sure I could have a small piece of that celebration anyway.
I carried that memory home with me. Those sweets eventually inspired the Raw Date Fudge (Khajoor Burfi) in Fundamentals of Flavor — and Jaya Shree gets a mention in the book, too.
I love that about writing cookbooks: you never quite know which encounter or act of generosity will eventually find its way onto the page.
And now I’m returning to Book Larder this Tuesday, October 6, this time with my friend J. Kenji López-Alt, to talk about Fundamentals of Flavor, food science, cooking, and all the unexpected places recipes can begin.
From Seattle, I head to San Francisco for my talk at Omnivore Books with the person who gave me my first big start in food media, Paolo Lucchesi. Paolo brought me on at the San Francisco Chronicle as a food columnist, giving me a place to write and develop recipes—and changing the course of my career. Join us October 8 at 6:30 pm, and bring your questions. [Details here].
For additional tour dates and upcoming events in the United States, London, and Australia, visit my events page below.
First, Melissa Clark gave Fundamentals of Flavor a shoutout in The New York Times .
Nigella Lawson called me a “triple threat” in her review of the book, which is something I’m still not quite accustomed to hearing.
And then there was even more good news!
I also just learned that my show, In The Test Kitchen, is a finalist for the Signal Awards in the Food & Drink category. If you’ve enjoyed the show, I’d love your vote. Voting is open through October 15. [Vote Here ]
Inside Fundamentals of Flavor
Over the past several weeks, I’ve taken you behind the scenes of the six years it took to make Fundamentals of Flavor—the ideas, experiments, joys, chaos, and a few things that never made it into the book.
If you missed any of it, you can catch up on the entire series here:.
And if you already have the book, make the Golden Garlic + Citrus Roast Chicken. It’s dinner-worthy and shows how fermented dairy can help create a juicier, more flavorful roast chicken.
One Small Favor
If you have Fundamentals of Flavor and are enjoying it, would you leave a review? It doesn't need to be long—tell people what you cooked, what you learned, what surprised you, or simply what you thought of the book.
Thank you for getting Fundamentals of Flavor here. Now let's help it find its way to even more cooks. xx
