I’ve been experimenting more and more in the kitchen and trying not to rely on recipes. Reading Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking has given me a good start in that direction. Ratio also includes a lot of classic flavor combinations like the quartet of parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil. Now I’m looking to expand my own arsenal of flavors with the help of online resources. (photo by marcelgermain)

One strategy that has turned up good results is using the website Recipe Puppy. Entering a favorite ingredient in the search bar finds all recipes that include that ingredient.  What I look at closely is the suggested ingredients on the right side of the page. For example if I start a search for anise seed several complimentary ingredients show up in the ingredient list. If I refine my search by selecting fennel seed, the top result is Chinese Five-Spice powder, a versatile mixture.

Adding and removing ingredients to the list will result in more unusual combinations. Changing my list to anise seed, basil, and lemon, came up with one resulting dish Grilled Sirloin Steak with Anise Basil Butter. The description reads:

The combination of anise seed and basil in the following recipe may seem unusual, but it enhances the faint licorice flavor in basil.

“Unusual”, exactly what I was looking for.

If you have had any success with finding interesting flavors using other methods, please comment. I would love to add your ideas to a followup article.