Since the age of three, I have been a reader. Books have always been my favorite escape, a place where everything is as different from my world as black is from white and where a great story can make everything else in the world disappear. Not surprisingly, I tend to be a verbal thinker; I don’t see movies and images in my brain the way that Alex does. I think in words, using them to construct the images and textures in my imagination. When it comes to books, I read everything. I read biographies and romances, literature and science fiction, cookbooks and business writing, mysteries, thrillers, and poetry. I will open up just about any genre as long as there is a great story or stories involved. A poorly written book is a waste of my time. It doesn’t take me anywhere or teach me anything. If a book doesn’t engage me in the first few pages, I’ll never open it again. The only exception to that rule is a reference book. Dry facts are somewhat forgivable, although a wonderfully written tome is a thing of beauty.
Thinking about this today, I realized that what makes a great book is also what makes a great meal. It’s the concept, the flow, the characters, and the attention to detail. It’s the execution of every writer’s inspiration that makes for great writing. In our world, every dish tells a story. The ingredients, the prep work, the cooking techniques, and the composition of a plate all come together to form a cohesive whole. Every menu we write has a beginning, middle, and an end. If the components do not flow together to create something that is much more than the sum of its parts, then we have failed in our execution. In cooking, as in writing, it is the attention to detail that makes all the difference.
We’ve been somewhat lax in posting our menus lately. Here are two from last week to illustrate our ideas of a story in five courses.
November 25, 2005
1. Cornbread Crème Caramel: maple vinegar, celery leaf, smoked keta roe
2. Molasses Hamachi: date-espresso, celery root, young marjoram
3. Glazed Lamb Belly: rice beans, smoked tomato, preserved yuzu
4. Petite Comté Panini: apple salad, celery leaf, manni olive oil
5. Chocolate Decadence: peppermint sweet cream
November 26, 2005
1. Mushroom Stew: chicken of the woods, shiitake, earl grey tea
2. Fluke: banana-horseradish, sweet and sour squash juice, ground olives
3. Monkfish Mosaic: grape-chipotle, morel mushrooms, tuscan kale
4. Robiola di Capra: marinated matsutake mushrooms, pear pickle, epazote
5. Bananas Foster: frozen chocolate cream
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