Need your help: Seasoning, Layering Flavors

Please recommend a book or something where I can learn to use seasonings(fresh and dried), layer flavors, use compatible flavors to prepare good, solid, healthy food.

Also, I would like to learn how to lighten dishes but still use traditional cooking techiques.

Thank You for your help.

[eclecticsynergy]

Good advice in this short web article by Sandra Bowens, "Season In Layers." This was something of a revelation for me when I found it.

http://www.apinchof.com/layers1020.html

[Bliss149]

Paul Prudhomme's recipes often call for fresh onion and garlic ALONG WITH garlic powder (or granulated garlic I don't remember which) and onion powder.

He also will use green onions on top of that - often at the end of cooking - which is partly a flavor thing and partly a texture thing I believe.

He also uses a mixture of red pepper, black pepper, and white pepper for rounder flavors.

In his "diet" cookbook, he says that using a mixture of different artificial sweetners gives a better taste than just one.

Hope this helps.

[ipsedixit]

Read Chowhound's Home Cooking Board.

[todao]

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-t...

[seiun]

I realize this is an old question, but I thought I'd add a recommendation in case anyone finds it years later (as I did today). I highly recommend The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. It's a great book to fire your culinary imagination.

I don't own the book, but it sounds like you might want to look at New Way to Cook, by Sally Schneider. I think she addresses the exact questions you are interested in, with recipes included.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASI...