(no subject)
"Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demiglace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living." By Anthony Bourdain from Kitchen Confidential, p. 70.
Something about this just tickles me pink. I've been reading an immense amount of food literature lately, and Mr. Bourdain simply puts things in a turn of phrase I love and respect. If only everyone had this passion for food, in spite of their differences, imagine the possibilities of the creative mind within the field. And I too worked for a baker once who would play nothing but punk rock in her kitchen - I really cannot imagine the blandamonium that would come out of a kitchen where schmaltzy music was allowed to reign. Punk is surprisingly apropo in the kitchen.
For our wedding, our contact at the restaurant was thrilled when we began discussing the cheese course. Why would a cheese course be so thrilling, you might ask? Because she said that most people ask for things like brie and cheddar to please their less palate conscientious relatives. To hell with them I say! My only requirement is a cheese that is made by monks in France and aged in walnut brandy giving it the most distinct flavor (well, aside from maybe a jetost... or is it getost?) that I've ever tasted in a cheese. I said, "The more pungent the better." She nearly clapped in response.
I cannot stop thinking about food. I wonder, "Am I in the wrong field?" "Could I really stand up to the heat of a kitchen?" and "Why can't I just make up my mind already with what I want to do with my life?" And that just brings me back to the sage words of Auntie Mame - "Life is a banquet, and half of these poor suckers are starving to death!"
Oh Mame! Your words have permeated my being more thoroughly than I can possibly express. I promise to never, ever let you down... on more levels than one would imminently see at the surface. At least this way, I know my life will never be boring.
I am left only to wonder what it's like to know what it is you want and where it is you wish to go from an early age in life... and to smile with satisfaction that I have never, ever had that problem. Bon apetit!
Something about this just tickles me pink. I've been reading an immense amount of food literature lately, and Mr. Bourdain simply puts things in a turn of phrase I love and respect. If only everyone had this passion for food, in spite of their differences, imagine the possibilities of the creative mind within the field. And I too worked for a baker once who would play nothing but punk rock in her kitchen - I really cannot imagine the blandamonium that would come out of a kitchen where schmaltzy music was allowed to reign. Punk is surprisingly apropo in the kitchen.
For our wedding, our contact at the restaurant was thrilled when we began discussing the cheese course. Why would a cheese course be so thrilling, you might ask? Because she said that most people ask for things like brie and cheddar to please their less palate conscientious relatives. To hell with them I say! My only requirement is a cheese that is made by monks in France and aged in walnut brandy giving it the most distinct flavor (well, aside from maybe a jetost... or is it getost?) that I've ever tasted in a cheese. I said, "The more pungent the better." She nearly clapped in response.
I cannot stop thinking about food. I wonder, "Am I in the wrong field?" "Could I really stand up to the heat of a kitchen?" and "Why can't I just make up my mind already with what I want to do with my life?" And that just brings me back to the sage words of Auntie Mame - "Life is a banquet, and half of these poor suckers are starving to death!"
Oh Mame! Your words have permeated my being more thoroughly than I can possibly express. I promise to never, ever let you down... on more levels than one would imminently see at the surface. At least this way, I know my life will never be boring.
I am left only to wonder what it's like to know what it is you want and where it is you wish to go from an early age in life... and to smile with satisfaction that I have never, ever had that problem. Bon apetit!