The movement of ingredients in a dish, a menu, or even in a fluid concept is exciting. To us, the idea of interchangeable parts is really quite compelling. Once a framework is formulated, or perhaps a technique is adjusted to calibrate the act of exchanging one ingredient for another to create either a completely new dish or a modification of an existing one, you have created a real tool to work with. This is the result of viewing the world with a flexible eye and an understanding of the benefits of change. The concept that one, two, or even three ingredients or ideas may easily be substituted for one another may seem frightening to some, and to others, it can be equally exhilarating.
While working aboard the ship, we are often faced with substitutions. It is not easy to run out to the store or even order an ingredient for the next day’s demonstration. Even with months of preparation, if an ingredient is not available when a ship is in port, that ingredient will not make it on board and into a class or demonstration.
What question starts the conversation? It can be water or stock, what will be the best aromatics to complement the main component, what the best cooking technique is, or why something is not normally done? These queries and many more like them allow us to break down walls of stagnant thought and return to our constant quest to refine tasty food. The use of interchangeable parts in cooking is essential for our evolution. We believe a greater understanding of the concept that looking at the parts of a working mechanism from a different angle often allows for a breakthrough and an “ah ha” moment which might have previously been overlooked.
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