[Bengalilol]

+1.

On a side note (and maybe off topic), I am thinking about food pairing which is based on the idea that two ingredients sharing volatile aroma compounds or certain molecular families may have a potential sensory compatibility (broccolis and strawberries for example). I'd love to test those ingredients and find some unknown food pairings. But .. time is what it is (for now).

[foobarian]

Wouldn't it be great if we had a simulator like the MIT violin simulator [1] but for cooking ingredients! Then you don't have to throw out pounds of perfectly good ingredients just because broccoli doesn't go with Nutella.

[1] https://news.mit.edu/2026/mit-engineers-virtual-violin-produ...

[dheera]

I think it's a lot simpler than that. A common pattern for sauces is fat + acid + salt

- (Mexican) avocado and lime/lemon + salt

- (Chinese-southwestern) chili oil and vinegar + salt/fermented bean paste

- (Italian) olive oil and tomato + salt

- (Turkish) olive oil and lemon + salt

- (Thai) coconut milk and lime + salt

...

[esafak]

https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/

This book was an eye opener for me. Obvious in retrospect; I wondered how I did not notice it myself.

[SoleilAbsolu]

I was gonna post the same, as a lifelong cook (and eater!) Samin Nosrat's book/show was essential for giving me the confidence to improvise in the kitchen while retaining authenticity to regional cuisines.