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Lisa
Messinger's
Cookbook Corner
 The
Anatomy of a Dish
by
Diane Forley with Catherine Young (Artisan)
Botanist or chef? In the case of Diane Forley, the distinction
is one delicious fine line. The acclaimed chef/owner of
Manhattan's popular Verbena
doesn't do her field studies in the field, but the kitchen.
"As a chef, I was drawn to the possibilities of better
understanding the culinary world through a study of botanical
classification—a system that identifies physical relationships
among plants," writes Forley in The Anatomy of a
Dish, a tour de force that teaches cooks how to beautifully
and innovatively build dishes from the roots up.
"It is a complex and evolving system, and authorities
in the field don't always agree on the finer points. However,
the general relationships that it provides prompted me to
ask myself, why not explore culinary relationships from
this perspective? I came to realize that exploring the connections
between flavor and structure and bridging the gap between
the culinary and botanical languages, were key to retrieving
a sense of the interrelatedness of the natural world. Shared
anatomical characteristics identified in the botanical world
offered a way of understanding how to cook."
To
illustrate her points throughout, rather than photographs
of dishes, Forley offers charts and diagrams akin to a botany
textbook. In a "Flavor Chart for Chenopodiaceae,"
for instance, we learn that the beet (also known as Beta
vulgaris and best in spring, summer and fall) is best used
for its sweetness; quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa; fall) for
its mildness and sweetness; spinach (Spinacia oleracea;
spring, summer and fall) for its mildness; and Swiss chard
(Beta vulgaris; summer and fall) for its mildness and bitterness.
This
is part of our learning curve as to why Forley's recipes
(Pickled Beet Salad with Oranges and Taleggio Cheese; or
Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings in Broth) are so smashing.
This is a book full of standouts; close your eyes and you
will believe you are in the middle of a chic, packed New
York darling of an eatery when you are feasting upon Parmesan
Broth with Sauteed Greens; Spicy Green Salad with Strawberry
Vinaigrette; Eggplant and Garlic Stew with Merguez Sausage;
or a dessert of Cinnamon Toast with Grapefruit (strips of
sweetened/spiced bread soaking in the juices of spiced,
broiled grapefruit).
Like
a good teacher who makes their lectures riveting, Forley
may just have your rapt attention long after the closing
bell of the kitchen timer quiets down.
RECIPES:
LEEK
AND APPLE HASH
CINNAMON
TOAST WITH GRAPEFRUIT
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