Bitter

There’s a lyricism to Alexina Anatole’s advocacy for bitterness. “Sweetness is all butter-wouldn’t-melt, saltiness is powerful, sourness is fun, and umami—well, he’s the popular kid these days. Is it any surprise that bitterness gets picked last for the team?”

Bitterness adds complexity that enhances almost any other flavor element, and Anatole, a former finalist on the UK’s MasterChef, offers a five-fold path for employing it in everything from salads and tacos to breakfast porridge, cheesecake, and cocktails.

Her recipes are arranged into ten chapters, each focused on a distinct bitter ingredient, like grapefruit, tahini, beer, coffee, cocoa, and liquorice.

You can ease your way in with a flourless coconut and marmalade cake or pork with tomatoes and chipotle espresso butter.

Or dive into the deep end with liquorice miso-glazed eggplant, kale and grapefruit salad, or coffee and walnut baklava.

A thoughtful, perspective-shifting book for cooks looking to break out of a rut.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.