I love cookbooks, and you will come to find that I will be recommending many of my favorites on the blog.

As I am brainstorming new menu items for the fall dessert menu at Emeril’s Delmonico, I have yet again pulled my trusty old copy of “Culinary Artistry” from my bookshelves. This book has been an inspiration to me since its publication in 1996. My copy of “Culinary Artistry” was given to me by a dear friend in the beginning of my culinary career; it is signed, “Cook, Eat, Share, Live!!” by the authors (Dornenburg and Page). I have yet to stop following their advice.

It isn’t their advice that is most inspiring for me, but the content of the book itself. It is jam-packed (pun intended?!), with many menu items from famous chefs, flavor combination indexes for every ingredient imaginable, anecdotes from chefs on signature dish item composition, theories on flavor pairings, and even biographies on many of the contributing chefs. I use it to jog my brain for new ideas and to help me think outside of the box when pairing different flavors. Many times, I find myself coming up with flavor combinations that are not listed in the book; I like to jot my ideas down in the book’s index for future reference.

“Culinary Artistry” is an essential guide for any professional chef, and a wealth of knowledge for any aspiring chef or home gourmet. Of all the cookbooks I own, this is the one that I reference most. I hope you find it as stimulating and enjoyable as I have over the years!

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