CHERRIES, DRIED, esp. SOUR
Flavor: sour, with a chewy texture
Volume: moderate–loud
apples and apple juice
baked goods, e.g., biscotti, breads, pastries
cereals, hot breakfast
cheese, e.g., goat
cherries and cherry juice
chocolate, e.g., dark
compotes
dates
desserts
fruit, other dried, e.g., apricots
ginger
grains, e.g., quinoa, wild rice
granola
greens, e.g., mesclun, salad
lemon, e.g., juice, zest
muesli
oats
oranges
pears
pilafs
popcorn
quince
salads
sauces
stuffings
trail mix
vanilla
vinegar, e.g., balsamic
walnuts
Flavor Affinities
dried cherries + apple juice + ginger + quince + sugar
CHERVIL
Season: spring–autumn
Flavor: slightly sweet; aromatic; with notes of anise, licorice, parsley, pepper, and/or tarragon
Volume: very quiet
Tips: Chervil is best when used fresh (not dried). Add at the end of cooking, just before serving.
Botanical relatives: caraway, carrots, coriander, cumin, parsley
almonds
artichokes
asparagus
basil
beans, e.g., fava, green, white, yellow
bouquets garnis
bulgur
butter
carrots
cheeses, e.g., chèvre, goat, pecorino, Romano, soft white
chives
cilantro
cold dishes
couscous
cream
crème fraîche
cucumbers
dill
EGGS, e.g., hard-boiled, and egg dishes
FINES HERBES
FRENCH CUISINE
grains, whole
greens, e.g., dandelion, salad
leeks
lemon
lettuces
marjoram
mint
mushrooms, e.g., morel
mustard
nuts
oil, olive
parsley
pastas
peas
pestos
potatoes, e.g., new
rice
salad dressings
SALADS, e.g., egg, green, potato
sauces, e.g., creamy
shallots
sorrel
SOUPS, e.g., creamy, potato, vegetable
spinach
stuffings
tarragon
tomatoes, tomato sauces, and sun-dried tomatoes
vinegar, e.g., champagne, white wine
zucchini
Flavor Affinities
chervil + chives + parsley + tarragon (fines herbes)
CHESTNUTS
Season: autumn–winter
Flavor: sweet, with earthy notes of nuts, smoke (esp. roasted), and/or vanilla, and a creamy, rich, starchy texture
Volume: quiet–moderate
What they are: nuts
What’s healthful about them: low in fat versus other nuts
Nutritional profile: 92% carbs / 5% fat / 3% protein
Calories: 55 per 1-ounce serving (peeled, raw)
Techniques: bake, boil (15–40 minutes), braise, candy, dry, grill, mash, pressure-cook (5–20 minutes, depending on whether fresh or dried), puree, roast (400°F for 15–20 minutes), sauté (about 20 minutes), steam (about 10 minutes)
Tips: Must be cooked and peeled. If dried, they can keep for years. If you’re a fan of cream of chestnut soup, also try Jerusalem artichoke soup.
apples, apple cider, and apple juice
baked goods, e.g., cakes, pies
bay leaf
beans, e.g., white
brandy
bread crumbs
broccoli and broccoli rabe
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
butter
cabbage, e.g., red
carrots
casseroles
cayenne
celery
celery root
cheese, e.g., blue, Fontina
chickpeas
chiles, e.g., chipotle
chocolate
cinnamon
cloves
coffee
Cognac
cranberries
cream
currants
DESSERTS
dips
eggs
farro
fennel and fennel seeds
garlic
ginger
grains, whole
grapes
greens, bitter
honey, e.g., chestnut
Italian cuisine
kale
leeks
lemon, e.g., juice
lentils, e.g., French, red
madeira
maple syrup
milk
mirin
mushrooms, e.g., button, porcini, white
nutmeg
oil, e.g., canola, grapeseed, olive, sesame
onions
orange, e.g., zest
parsley
parsnips
pastas, e.g., gnocchi, pappardelle, tortellini
pâtés, e.g., chestnut-lentil
pears
pecans
pepper, e.g., black
“pestos”
pine nuts
plums, dried
puddings
pumpkin
purees
raisins
raspberries
rice, e.g., glutinous, medium- or short-grain, wild
risottos
rosemary
rum
sage
sake
salads
salt, e.g., sea
sesame seeds, black
shallots
sherry
soufflés
SOUPS, e.g., chestnut, butternut squash
Spanish cuisine
SQUASH, WINTER, e.g., butternut, kabocha
stir-fries
stock, vegetable
STUFFINGS, e.g., corn bread
sugar, e.g., brown
tarragon
vanilla
vegetables, root, e.g., beets, celery root, turnips
vinegar, e.g., balsamic, sherry
wine, red, e.g., dry or sweet, e.g., port
Flavor Affinities
chestnuts + black sesame seeds + rice
chestnuts + broccoli rabe + garlic + olive oil
chestnuts + Brussels sprouts + squash
chestnuts + butternut squash + garlic + sage
chestnuts + celery root + tarragon
chestnuts + cinnamon + garlic + pumpkin
chestnuts + Fontina cheese + pasta + white truffles
chestnuts + lemon + parsley
chestnuts + pasta + rosemary
CHIA SEEDS
Flavor: notes of nuts and/or poppy seeds, with the texture of tapioca pearls (when soaked)
Volume: quiet
Who says they’re healthful: Joel Fuhrman lists it as a top-10 “Super Food for Super Immunity.”
Nutritional profile: 53% fat / 36% carbs / 11% protein
Protein: 4 grams
Tips: Sprinkle ground chia seeds over breakfast cereals. Use to thicken soups, as the seeds become gelatinous in liquids. Stir ¼ cup chia seeds into ⅔ cup water, and then refrigerate for 10 minutes to achieve a pudding-like consistency.
Factoid: Chia seeds can hold 12 times their weight in water.
Botanical relatives: mint, sage
apples
baked goods, e.g., biscuits, breads, cakes, cookies, muffins
bananas
beans, black
berries, e.g., blueberries
carob
cereals, breakfast
chili, vegetarian
chocolate and cocoa / cacao
cinnamon
coconut, coconut butter, and coconut milk
dates
drinks, e.g., limeade
flax seeds
ginger
goji berries, e.g., dried
granola
honey
kale
lemon
lime, e.g., juice
maca
mango
maple syrup
milk, e.g., cashew, coconut, hemp seed
mint
nutmeg
nuts and nut butters, e.g., Brazil
oatmeal, oats, and oat bran
pears
pecans
porridge
PUDDINGS
raisins
sage
salads
smoothies
soups
squash, spaghetti
sugar, e.g., coconut
tofu, silken
vanilla
veggie burgers
walnuts
yogurt and frozen yogurt
Flavor Affinities
chia seeds + almond milk + apples + buckwheat + cinnamon
chia seeds + cashews + coconut + dates
chia seeds + cocoa + honey + silken tofu + vanilla
chia seeds + ginger + pear + pears