Where we had this:
First things first: a delicious cocktail, with chili, avocado, lime and egg whites? Uh-huh. Yeah, just that drink, in and of itself, was a damn good time.
The food was what I expected: delicious, thoughtful, seasonal. And now, I'm about to delve into the magical combination of food, alcohol and good people.
My friend was freaking out a little too much about attending such a foodie-centric event. While we were standing in line, she shared her fears with me:
Natalie, I'm nervous about my inability to discuss food intelligently... Maybe I could try drawing ties between the presentation of a dish and a major historical event? I know about history.
And what I told her next goes for everyone else "scared" of the food scene, or those who might find it "snooty:"
Tell the chefs you like their food. That's it. The fact is: those chefs know more than the average foodie, who might be prone to wax poetic about the acid content of ceviche, or have a penchant for the word "unctuous." But that's me, largely digressing.
But sometimes, it really is that simple.
As a culinary student, I understand the importance of dissecting a dish; of analyzing and speaking like a "foodie." This might mean I'll comment on the acid, bitterness, sourness, sweetness or savory umami characteristics of a dish. If I'm dining alone, I take notes with my Catch app (for the record: I love dining alone as much as I do with others). Yet some of my more memorable eating experiences have come when I was dining and drinking on happy autopilot. A four a.m. meal in Kreuzberg, at Hasir: braised lamb swimming in a lovely, paprika-heavy tomato sauce that was easily lapped up by fladenbrot and rice. But I was tipsy, and my friend so very gone she dribbled that delicious sauce all over herself. Or how about a Winter dinner of roast meats and greens in a Berlin suburb, with American exchange students and a German family, preceded and followed by a round of egg liqueur and puh-lenty of beer? And don't forget the Abendbrot! Oh-oh-oh, the charcuterie in Germany. I wasn't analyzing any of these meals. I was focused on enjoying myself and my lovely friends, in lovely settings.
The beautiful thing for me is that if I came across those flavors again, I would be able to place them. I'm convinced it's because the memories of those meals are positive, fond and, most importantly, so fond they're recalled on a regular basis.
Which finally brings me to my main point. At the end of our SF Chefs romp, my friend said something that made me happy for days:
I never knew you could experience food like that. That you could taste all of the components and appreciate a dish so much.
Ah. And to think she nearly wanted to run away before entering the tent. I have a feeling that experience provided a revelation because it was so fun. Our night was the perfect combination of friends, food and drink.
Culinary students can learn from a little bit of enjoyment, too. If we can happily recall an experience, we're more likely to remember it, and therefore more likely to remember why we liked it so much.
I drank at SF Chefs; I was certainly not drunk, but I definitely had a good buzz going. Alcohol, in addition to numbing your other senses, also numbs your palate. Yet I remember that my favorite dish was the scallop crudo with sweet peppers and ginger; that I enjoyed it so much because the ginger gave it a bit of much-needed zip; I remember learning something new about poke from Chef Alexander Ong; and I remember learning that liquid nitrogen will keep the Thai basil in a Thai basil daquiri from oxidizing, which keeps the flavors pure and the drink cold without watering it down with ice. I'll remember these things because I will probably reminisce about this night more than a few times.
Culinary students are going to be in the business of providing enjoyment. Shouldn't we understand what it means to thoroughly enjoy food? I will still use the words acid, bitter, sour, sweet, umami and even unctuous. I might even share extensive tasting notes with my Internet audience. But there's more to food than picking it apart.
Note: I will put together an album for this event, showcasing the beautiful food. It'll appear in an update.
No comments:
Post a Comment