Flavor Matrix

James Briscione is a chef, author, Food Network personality, and pioneer in culinary AI. As Director of Culinary Development at the Institute of Culinary Education, he created the school’s Modernist Cuisine program and led its collaboration with IBM on Chef Watson, the world’s first generative AI for recipes. He is the bestselling author of The Flavor Matrix and three other cookbooks exploring food science and flavor pairing. A four-time Food Network champion, James has appeared on Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and The Kitchen. He now leads CulinAI, an AI platform designed to enhance professional culinary creativity and innovation. Brooke Parkhurst is a cookbook author, wine director, culinary instructor, and hospitality consultant whose work spans food, wine, and lifestyle storytelling. She is the co-author, with husband James Briscione, of four cookbooks including the bestselling The Flavor Matrix. Brooke has appeared on NBC’s Today, Fox & Friends, CBS New York, and in People. An award-winning wine director, she is known for creating thoughtful, approachable hospitality experiences. In 2019, she and James opened Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano in Pensacola, Florida, earning statewide acclaim. Today, Brooke advises restaurants, hotels, and hospitality brands on guest experience, beverage strategy, branding, and concept development.

"The food-pairing bible you never knew you needed." —Smithsonian Magazine   "Do chicken, mushrooms, and strawberries go together? What about banana and chili sauce? In 2012, James Briscione the Director of Culinary Development at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York had the opportunity to work with IBM’s supercomputer Watson. Drawing on a wealth of data, the computer would generate a list of ingredients, often ones you wouldn’t think would go together, for the chefs to make a dish with. The results were surprisingly good. But, as Briscione points out, few people have access to Watson. Briscione took the ideas from his time with the supercomputer and offers a scientific look at how flavors break down and pair up. Using a modified color wheel for foods like brassicas and crustaceans, he reveals unexpected pairings, offering recipes to prove his case." —Food & Wine, "The 18 Spring Cookbooks We're Most Excited About"     "Unlock[s] a whole world of information about why flavors work together...Full of detailed infographics, this book also includes Briscione's original recipes." —Epicurious, "Spring 2018 Cookbook Preview: The 37 New Cookbooks to Buy This Spring"   "A fascinating collection of matrices that break down the best flavor combinations to make main ingredients shine...Visually, this book is stunning, like a science text for foodies, with a particularly helpful introduction...[The Flavor Matrix] is a treat for gourmands and food science geeks." —Library Journal   "Briscione, director of culinary research at the Institute of Culinary Education, along with cowriter and wife Parkhurst, will delight food nerds with this scientific exploration of flavor profiles of common ingredients...Professional chefs and home cooks who enjoy experimentation will welcome this insightful new approach."  —Publishers Weekly   "Flavor pairing is a fundamental building block of what separates the cook from the chef.  The Flavor Matrix will help you think like a chef." —Madeline Puckette, co-author of Wine Folly   “A gifted and creative chef, James Briscione puts the algorithms of taste to use in this wonderfully researched new book. The Flavor Matrix uses science to expand our universe of possible ingredient combinations, and in the process points the way to the future of cooking.” —Frank Stitt, author of Frank Stitt's Southern Table and Bottega Favorita   "This comprehensive book is a great tool for any student looking to strengthen his or her knowledge of ingredients, flavors, and textures. The opportunity to study and understand the science of these elements is a great advantage to today’s generation of cooks. They should all make use of it!" —Daniel Boulud, author of Letters to a Young Chef and Daniel: My French Cuisine     “The Flavor Matrix isn’t just a high quality cookbook filled with delicious recipes and insights. It is that. But more importantly, it’s sure to be a requirement for the professional and passionate home cook alike.” —Richard Blais, author of Try This At Home and So Good     “The Flavor Matrix is full of interesting insights into the way chefs build dynamic relationships between ingredients. Whether professional chefs or home cooks, we can all use these diagrams as a starting point for endless c —