Because we eat hundreds of different plants, and countless varieties of them, these surveys can only be selective and sketchy They’re meant to highlight the distinctive qualities of these foods, to help the food lover appreciate those qualities more fully and make the best use of them These chapters give special attention to two features of our plant foods One is family relationships, which tell us which plants are related to each other, and conversely how varied a given species can be Such information helps us make sense of similarities and differences among particular foods, and may suggest ideas for interesting combinations and themes The second feature emphasized in the following pages is flavor chemistry Fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices are the most complex foods we eat If we know even a little bit about which substances create their flavor, then we become more attuned to how the flavor is built, and better able to perceive echoes and harmonies among different ingredients Such perceptions enrich the experience of eating, and can help us become better cooks All aromas come from particular volatile chemicals, and I sometimes name those chemicals to be as specific as possible about the qualities of a given food The names may look foreign and incomprehensible, but they’re simply names — and sometimes make more sense than the names of the foods they’re in! This survey of vegetables begins underground, with the plant parts that sustain much of the earth’s population It then moves up the plant, from stem to leaf to flower and fruit, and finishes with water plants and those delicious nonplants, the mushrooms Roots and Tubers Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava — ... more sense than the names of the foods they’re in! This survey of vegetables begins underground, with the plant parts that sustain much of the earth’s population It then moves up the plant, from stem to leaf to flower and. .. volatile chemicals, and I sometimes name those chemicals to be as specific as possible about the qualities of a given food The names may look foreign and incomprehensible, but they’re simply names — and sometimes make...flavor is built, and better able to perceive echoes and harmonies among different ingredients Such perceptions enrich the experience of eating, and can help us become better cooks