Sorry. I really wanted something that would guide me to understand patterns, create new templates, visualize & predict what's likely to work or not. But the author and I do not organize ideas in complementary ways, and we taste and eat very differently. I could not study the 'color wheel' as I could not process/ understand it, and I am not motivated to read all the fine print stories interspersed with the lists of pairings. It really is most akin to an American Heritage dictionary, in that it's mostly lists, with the odd illustration, chart, or usage note (but in the cookbook, those additions are just text).

One idea caught my eye for chicken: the author paired it with sweet bell peppers, and is impressed by the rich saucy dish those two ingredients can make. Excuse me Niki, but you correctly specify to leave the skin on chicken thighs. You have three ingredients, the additional being chicken fat... and of course it's delicious! So, yeah, between my lack of respect for her understandings of real-life cooking, and my disinclination to use anchovies, lamb, truffles, etc.... I'm done. ( )

Wonderfully useful. ( )

niki has a bold, fun, creative vision, but doesnt quite follow thru

the flavor families r all rather disappointing, rarely inspiring, and often just messy or confusing

and the reader is not exactly encouraged (or even suggested, beyond the title) to swap or substitute flavors like one would words from a thesaurus; false promises! ( )

Beautifully produced
Superficially "analytical" jizzfest for the university privileged set
In fact utterly conventional with nothing new to say
Value added: zero

But makes a beautiful gift and on your bookshelf makes you look like you may know about food or be creative in a certain way coveted by the university privileged set

About the author: "background in marketing." It shows. ( )

Wonderful reference book that gives me lots of ideas for new improvised recipes. ( )