What’s For Dinner? “Flavorbomb” Has The Answer

The universal question that can be heard ‘round the world every afternoon is “what’s for dinner?” 

And now that most of us are prepping and cooking 3 meals a day, this question sometimes comes with dread. Even professional cooks and food writers occasionally drag their feet when it comes to cooking for themselves. When I am inspired, I love cooking. When I am feeling lazy or bored, it’s something that I must force myself to do—or eat cheese and crackers for dinner—and I don’t think I am alone.

I think it boils down to two reasons.  Lack of inspiration and/or don’t really have a taste for anything, which really is lack of inspiration!  Without a tasty vision, it’s hard to be motivated to get into the kitchen and cook.  If you are like me and looking for tasty visions, a new cookbook entitled Flavorbomb: A Rogue Guide to Making Everything Taste Better (appetite by Random House) and written by Bob Blumer offers just that.  It’s 253 pages of mouth-watering motivation and all the tips, tricks and hacks for making the best tasting food you’ve ever had at home. 

_{Cookbook author, television host and culinary adventurer Bob Blumer was inspired to write “Flavorbomb” as the long answer to a frequent question his dinner guests would ask him.  Pre-pandemic, Bob would typically host 3 – 4 dinners at his home each week.  His guests often wondered aloud why Bob’s home-cooked food tasted better than their home-cooked food.  He would smile and politely point out a couple of tricks he used to coax the maximum flavor out of his food. And then it occurred to him that he should put all these tips and tricks, and time-tested recipes into a cookbook, and that cookbook is “Flavorbomb.”}

I experienced this phenomenon myself one night while he was still writing the book.  Bob is part of my kitchen cabinet, we wrote a cookbook called “Pizza on the Grill” together, and he is a good friend.  I was in LA on business and found myself at Bob’s house for dinner.  I asked him to make me his favorite meal from his work in progress.  His wife Kate chimed in and suggested the Puttanesca pasta which is her favorite.  I was game because I have always thought the story behind Puttanesca pasta was way more interesting than the pasta.  To me, this was a perfect test.  It was either going to be the same-ole lackluster pasta or it was going to blow my mind. Bob loves a challenge, so he was up for convincing me that this dish deserved a place in the book. Each recipe had to have three criteria to be included in the book, it had to be packed with flavor, quick to prepare, and easy for the home cook to make.

Holiday Tip: If you still have gifts to buy, Flavorbomb will make any cook from novice to professional happy and well-fed all year long.

Bob turned the music up high and started cooking.  He was dicing and slicing, boiling, browning and frying. In less than an hour, we each had a bowl of beautiful pasta topped with crispy, toasty-brown breadcrumbs.  That alone was a genius move.  The breadcrumbs added much needed texture to a soft pasta situation.  And, then the sauce. The core of the classic Puttanesca was there.  There were anchovies and capers, tomatoes, garlic and spice.  But there was so much more.  Bob used anchovies and the uber-concentrated anchovy oil that the anchovies are packed in to flavor the sauce. (It’s worth noting that most people discard this precious oil.)  He also used shallots to support the garlic, chunky cherry tomatoes, harissa instead of chili flakes, lemon zest for freshness, thick, syrupy aged balsamic vinegar for acidity and depth of flavor, and more raw garlic at the end for a sharp kick.  This wasn’t the same tired Puttanesca that I was used to.  It was literally exploding with flavor, dimension, texture and satisfaction.  I ate every bite. Needless to say, this recipe and 74 others are in the book for you to browse through and cook at home.  To accompany these addictive recipes are photographs that you wish would jump off the page and onto your plate styled and shot by Blumer’s long-time photo collaborator, Suzi Q. Varin.

Besides the recipes, this book is a “crash course in cranking up the heat, seasoning with wild abandon, and making every bite count.” Blumer explains, “I’ve spent the past 30 years eating my way around the globe, and learning the tricks of the trade from the likes of street stall vendors, gumbo champions and Michelin-starred chefs. Once you understand how to harness all of the information I share in the book, you will be able to up the flavor ante of anything you make.” It also includes a guide to terminology, shopping, building flavor, and using all parts of your food with the goal of zero food waste which is Blumer’s pet peeve/pet project.  

Flavorbomb: A Rogue Guide to Making Everything Taste Better is sold wherever books are sold and has a suggested retail price of $30.00.