flavor is built, and better able to perceive
echoes and harmonies among different
ingredients. Such perceptions enrich the
experience of eating, and can help us become
better cooks. All aromas come from particular
volatile chemicals, and I sometimes name
those chemicals to be as specific as possible
about the qualities of a given food. The names
may look foreign and incomprehensible, but
they’re simply names — and sometimes make
more sense than the names of the foods
they’re in!
This survey of vegetables begins
underground, with the plant parts that sustain
much of the earth’s population. It then moves
up the plant, from stem to leaf to flower and
fruit, and finishes with water plants and those
delicious nonplants, the mushrooms.
Roots and Tubers
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava —