Differences

My friend says, and I agree with him, that black olives, delicious alone, have a totally different taste when they are sliced. How can this be?

Maybe it's like the difference between regular salt and fleur de sel as described in The Book of Salt:

"There is a development, a rise and fall, upon which its salinity becomes apparent, deepens, and then disappears. Think of it as a kiss in the mouth." (p. 98)

This is the kind of thing I try to talk about in my new book, Provençal Cooking: Savoring the Simple Life in France, out in November with Pegasus Books.