I read a lot of cookbooks. I don't buy a lot of cookbooks books, but I read a lot of them.

Yesterday I went to see Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg speak about their latest book, The Flavor Bible. Before I give you all the details, you'll need a little background information. In 2005, David and Anna Kasabian released their book, The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami. In order to introduce a new taste, it makes sense to define "taste". It is important to understand that taste is not flavor, even if the terms are often used interchangeably. The Kasabians defined flavor as "taste plus aroma". I saw them at a stop on their book tour, enjoyed their talk and bought the book. However, after reading the book, I felt instinctively that something was missing from their definition of flavor; I just couldn't put my finger on exactly what that was, until yesterday. After an hour with Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg at the 92nd Street Y in Tribeca, I swore that The Flavor Bible would be added to my culinary library.

Karen and Andrew had my full attention right away based on a single line item in the agenda they handed out:

Flavor = Taste + Mouthfeel + Aroma + "the X Factor"

I knew before they even started talking, that not only did they truly understand the subject of flavor, they understood how to share that information. As they explained each part of this equation, it became clear the book had a lot to offer. Anyone, beginners to professionals, could elevate the quality of their dishes just by mastering this formula.

While listening to Karen and Andrew, I realized that the seed for this book started to take root during the process of writing their first book, Becoming A Chef, in 1995, and grew as they co-authored Culinary Artistry, Dining Out, Chef's Night Out, The New American Chef, and What to Drink with What You Eat. The Flavor Bible is their 8th book with a truly unique concept . Though The Flavor Bible doesn't contain a single recipe, for anyone who likes to develop recipes, The Flavor Bible is the recipe for culinary success!

I took a lot of notes during the hour I spent with Karen and Andrew. The first several drafts of this blog post included all the details from my notes, but while editing, I realized that you would get more more from buying the book and if at all possible, spending your own enchanted hour with this delightful couple. Karen and Andrew's appearances are listed on their website: Becoming a Chef. To subscribe to their newsletter, send an email to CookbookRave@aol.com with Subscribe in the subject.