Inviting a person for dinner requires that you care for his happiness. J. A. Brillat-Savarin (1755–1826) Passion and Care in the Kitchen As a teenager I used to play guitar. When no one else was in the house one of my favorite things to do was crank up my tiny Fender Amp, turn up the distortion and rock out, playing power chords. I was a rock star in my own basement. That was until the day I listened to the guitar playing of Bernard Butler from the band Suede. His playing was both intricate and raw. In that one moment, his playing redefined what I thought of as rock guitar. For a short period of time I continued to practice but soon became frustrated, thinking, “How could I possibly ever attain that level of proficiency?” Not long after, I stopped playing guitar entirely. Great artists should not discourage us in our pursuit as artists. Instead of comparing ourselves we need to ask a question: how did he/she become better? How can I do that? When it comes to food I want people to realize that good food is both doable and accessible. Creating beautiful dishes may seem mysterious and “complicated” but in fact knowing fundamental steps and adding your own flourishes one can create “cooking-show” worthy dishes in their own kitchen. I always tell young cooks that come into our kitchen that everything that I do, you can do. There are no secret recipes, no magical techniques. We follow a set of techniques, be it braising, roasting, sautéing, etc., to achieve a calculated result. These are fundamentals that have been passed throughout the generations that anyone can learn. We as artists are passionate about what we do but it’s important to have care; from the manner in which we keep our workplaces clean and proper, to the precise way we take our time to perfect our brunoise. The quality of the result is predicated in the manner of which one approaches the preparation process. Passion is the fire inside that drives us. It is what pushes us to challenge ourselves. Passion is visceral. We make decisions that at times we can’t even explain to ourselves. Care is the rhythm of our actions. It is precise and controlled. Care is mindfulness. It thrives upon the rituals of our daily lives. Passion is enough to do something well once, but to repeat it hundreds of times afterwards, again and again, takes care. - Chef Ryan Su Gastrunamy I The Art and Science of Delicate Eating
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 16:00:01 +0000
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