The Flavor Files
Get my weekly newsletter to unlock the secrets of food science and create more flavorful, effortless meals at home. I host the food science cooking show, Flavor Forward on America's Test Kitchen
A Pantry Dinner That Doesn't Taste Like Cat Food
A Pantry Dinner That Doesn't Taste Like Cat Food Plus bánh chưng, internet monkeys, and a full-circle moment NIK SHARMA Feb 23, 2026 Happy Lunar New Year! Last weekend, I took my very first bánh chưng class at Alma Backyards in Compton with my friend Rie McClenny, hosted by the Bánh Chưng Collective, to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Until now, I’d never eaten bánh chưng—let alone tried making it. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a Vietnamese steamed rice cake filled with sticky rice, mung beans,...
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A Love Letter to Okra
A Love Letter to Okra On bhindi, gumbo, and the quiet brilliance of a misunderstood vegetable NIK SHARMA Feb 08, 2026 • PAID Hello Friends, I’ve always wanted to write a love letter to okra. Today felt like the right moment. Dear Okra, You are misunderstood, unfairly maligned, and deeply loved by those who know better. I grew up with you on the table—softened by heat, slicked with spice, caramelized just enough to catch the light. In Indian kitchens, you are bhindi—often called lady fingers:...
The Cover
The Cover A book years in the making NIK SHARMA Feb 01, 2026 The secret is out…I have a new book! I’ve been working on this book since 2019. Writing a cookbook means beginning years before you’re allowed to talk about it. Much of the work happens quietly, at my desk, in the kitchen, staying just ahead of the science as research evolves, testing and refining recipes that not only work but also explain why they work. This book has lived through years of thinking, testing, rewriting, and...
I Have Chocolate on My Mind
I Have Chocolate on My Mind Cookies in the oven, cookbooks on the floor, and a Netflix debut around the corner NIK SHARMA Jan 25, 2026 The other day, I found myself sitting in my office, pulling cookbooks off the shelves in search of every volume I own on chocolate. I usually keep my dessert books neatly sorted—pies in one place, ice creams in another, baking in its own tidy cluster—but for reasons I still can’t explain, my chocolate-focused books were scattered everywhere. My copy of...
Returning, Remembering, and Cooking Forward
Returning, Remembering, and Cooking Forward Notes from Australia, intentions for the year ahead, and a soup for winter nights NIK SHARMA Jan 11, 2026 Happy New Year and Welcome Back! I’m freshly back from Australia, where I celebrated my cousin’s wedding, spent time with family in Melbourne, escaped to Tasmania, and rang in the New Year in Sydney. Every time I visit, I somehow fall a little more in love with the country and the people. It’s becoming a pattern. A very pleasant pattern. My...
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A Sweet, Crunchy, Citrus-Scented Goodbye to the Year
A Sweet, Crunchy, Citrus-Scented Goodbye to the Year Rocky Road science, Buddha’s hand tequila, and a warm hello from Australia NIK SHARMA Dec 14, 2025 • PAID Hello from Australia! I’m down under for a very special reason. I’m spending time with family and celebrating my cousin’s wedding, all in the middle of summer. Which means, yes, there has been a lot of ice cream. I don’t get to see my family nearly as often as I’d like since we live so far apart, so anytime there’s even the slightest...
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A Little Holiday Joy from My Kitchen
A Little Holiday Joy from My Kitchen Big news from Boston, my favorite 2025 cookbooks, and a brand-new chai cookie NIK SHARMA Dec 07, 2025 • PAID Hello, I just spent a few days in Boston on my most recent trip to ATK, where I learned the most incredible news: Flavor Forward has been renewed for a second season! I truly could not contain my joy when they told me. Hosting my own cooking show has already been such a gift, and I have made peace with whatever the future holds. But to hear it has...
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The Ultimate Thanksgiving Menu Is Here
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Menu Is Here My Top Mains, Sides, and Desserts + A New Sweet Potato Recipe You’ll Love NIK SHARMA Nov 23, 2025 • PAID Hello from Washington, D.C.! It’s been eight years since I was last here, and it feels good to be back, even if just for a quick stop before I head to Virginia to spend the holiday with Michael’s family. I’ve been catching up with friends, soaking in the city, and squeezing in a bit of downtime — which for me means getting lost in a good book. Right...
Blame the Storm: I’m Starting Thanksgiving With Sweets
Blame the Storm: I’m Starting Thanksgiving With Sweets How a Friendsgiving dessert turned into this year’s must-make Thanksgiving finale. NIK SHARMA Nov 16, 2025 Hello from Palm Springs! I kicked things off with dinner at Workshop Kitchen & Bar, where the non-alcoholic drinks were so good I briefly forgot they were non-alcoholic. And because my ongoing quest for the world’s best potato pizza never takes a day off, I ordered their wood-fired sourdough topped with potato confit, braised leeks,...
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Smoke, Spice, and the Science of Flavor
Smoke, Spice, and the Science of Flavor This week’s menu: the chemistry of color, the magic of salt, and the spice blend I can’t stop using. NIK SHARMA Oct 27, 2025 • PAID I can’t remember where I saw it or who wrote it, but they aptly described the weather in LA right now. It’s autumn in the morning, summer in the afternoon, spring in the evening, and at night winter sets in—all four seasons in one day. I never know what to wear, so I end up taking a jacket everywhere I go, just in case. And...
Get my weekly newsletter to unlock the secrets of food science and create more flavorful, effortless meals at home. I host the food science cooking show, Flavor Forward on America's Test Kitchen