Odd couples: Enjoying the art of food pairing

Published 4:22 pm Friday, February 24, 2017

Some foods go together like a wink and a smile — peanut butter and jelly, Champagne and strawberries, wine and cheese — while others are somewhat more unconventional, even dubious, but just as delicious. You just need an open mind and eager palate.

“Rules are meant to be broken,” said Eric Wallace, executive chef at Pittsburgh’s Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, even when it comes to food and flavor combinations. Coming up with unusual yet tasty food pairings requires a lot of brainstorming, creativity and experimenting.

There’s a long list of ingredients at our fingertips, and possibilities are endless. “There’s no limit to what you can come up with,” Wallace said.

Not everyone is adventurous when it comes to food, but drawing from past experiences and deciding what one likes and dislikes is helpful. Also, it provides a good starting point for trying creative dishes and mixing flavors to bring another dimension to a plate, said Don Winkie, chef at Pittsburgh’s Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar.

Additionally, a lot of trial and error goes into creating a dish that highlights peculiar tastes. “We make a lot of mistakes,” said Sarah Walsh, owner of Pittsburgh’s Caffe d’Amore. Walsh’s lavender lemonade, one of the most popular drinks on the shop’s menu, was coined out of an initial mistake of making too much of a too weak lavender syrup that she didn’t want to waste.

Pairing beets with chocolate, for instance, might seem unusual at first glance, but it works beautifully in a cake. “It gives an extra bit of complexity to something that’s already amazing,” said Ally Slayden, baker and owner of Pittsburgh’s The Butterwood Bake Consortium. The beets add an earthiness and make the cake dense and moist.

Chocolate and bacon make a wonderful pairing that’s getting more mainstream and showcases the playfulness of sweet and salty.

In terms of frozen treats, cucumber ice cream might sound intimidating, but it’s refreshing and creamy and provides a cleanness without being icy, said Katie Heldstab, co-owner of Leona’s Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Other odd pairings are dill pickles in ice cream, black sesame ice cream and even ice cream with capers and salmon.

On the savory spectrum, Winkie favors a dish of braised boar with orange juice, orange zest, cumin and oregano to which he also adds onions and raisins for an extra level of spice and sweetness.

He also likes mixing fruit sauces such as mango with seafood and tossing in some chipotle for heat and roasted garlic for smokiness.

Cheese and seafood also can produce wonders. Although the combination might not appeal to some, pairing Parmigiano-Reggiano with shellfish or blue cheese with Dover sole fish can turn out stellar results.

Flavor, texture, spice and balance are important aspects to keep in mind when mixing unusual flavors. “All of it goes into play,” Wallace said. “It’s like a piece of music.”

Ingredients such as olive oil or ricotta cheese also can add texture and complexity. For instance, they can make a cake moist and sturdy.

We eat with our eyes first because the way a dish looks influences if we will try it, Heldstab said, so color is key.

In addition, avoid combining ingredients that are too different or too similar. Turmeric and ricotta cheese would not bring anything to each other, Slayden said. Similarly, pork belly and oysters might be too mushy, said Winkie, but crispy bacon and oysters might be wonderful.

Some combos such as oranges and ketchup just don’t work together. Grapefruit ends up being bitter in ice cream, said Heldstab, while fresh ruby red pomegranate arils turn an ugly brown color when mixed with cream. Also off-limits are anchovies in cake. “There’s a line that you don’t cross,” Slayden added.

It’s best to see items that complement each other. The playfulness of salty and sweet enhances a cake or a drink, while crunchy and chewy ingredients offset the creaminess in ice creams.

In terms of proportions, “there is no true formula,” Wallace said. But it’s paramount to taste, so adjust spices and seasonings as you go along.

Unique flavor combinations allow a cook to learn and grow to be creative and daring. “Food isn’t as intimidating as some people might think it is,” Winkie said. “It can be fun to be surprised by food,” Slayden added.

At the end of the day, food is extremely subjective, Wallace said, and one’s palate is the ultimate judge. “Art is in the eye of the beholder,” he added.