The Color of Food, Part I

"Obey your tongue!" 

(Dean Wendel)

Welcome to a three-part exploration of food. I begin this week with reflections regarding a Netflix documentary series entitled "Chef's Table." The series follows the unique world of culinary excellence through the lens of six world-class chefs. Each has devoted their life to experiencing the rich nuances of food. These chefs, from various parts of the world, Sweden to New Zealand, Italy to the Patagonian islands, seek to provide an unparalleled sensual opportunity for their patrons.

These men and women are not simply cooking food, they are creating works of art. The dishes they design are intended to envelope the diner's sense of smell, taste, touch, and sight. Every plate is stunning in presentation, evocative in aroma, piquant to the tongue.

"Cook with passion,

purpose and intensity,

or don't cook at all."

(Jared Dellario, Executive chef at Casa Bolero)

The intention of food prepared from this perspective is to slow us down so that we are completely present to the experience. Every aspect of the meal is meticulously scripted. Ingredients are carefully sourced, locally as much as is possible, and every item is absolutely fresh. These chefs visit, and sometimes own the farms from which their dishes find their birthing. From earth to plate, each step is a brush stroke in a culinary masterpiece.

“There is no love sincerer

than the love of food.”

(George Bernard Shaw, )

The meal unfolds over time. Some courses are no more than a mouthful, an explosion of flavors and textures, fleeting and near-ethereal; the entire meal may be more than a dozen such dishes. Wine is paired perfectly to the delicacies on the plate. This is not a stuff-your-face gorge-fest, nor is it eating simply for the sake of calories and survival. Consumption at the chef's table is an incarnational indulgence, a journey of awakening of the pallet.

"A great chef is an artist that I truly respect."

(Robert Stack)

There are correlations to other body/life interactions. One may walk for pleasure, a leisurely stroll solely for the sounds, sights, aromas, and textures of the landscape. Like the chef's table it is an indulgence, an awakening of the senses purely for the sake of joy.

There are, however, other ways to walk. Fleeing an attacker may save your life; walking to work or on a treadmill improves your health; striding with your hound keeps both of you vibrant. One may walk for pleasure alone, or because it is a necessity in life.

So too the eating of food. For some in our world food is plentiful enough that the chef's table is an extravagance far beyond survival. For hundreds of millions, though, there will be no meal today, and possibly no meal for many days. For them the chef's table is out of reach. Some walk for pleasure, some to save their lives. We live in a world of extremes, of seemingly polar opposites. And yet, regarding food one thread is woven through all of these stories - food is life to us. Whether it be as simple as a boiled potato or as grand as Chef Niki Nakayama's exquisite kaiseki cuisine - food gives life.

Next week we look at food from the grower's perspective. Until then I leave the last word to Wolfgang Puck:

A chef is a mixture maybe of artistry and craft.

You have to learn the craft really to get there. 

(Wolfgang Puck)

The color of food...sensuality of the palate.

close your eyes

breathe

and taste

open your eyes

see

and taste

open your hands

touch

and taste

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet." (Proverbs 27.7)

- From Buddhism: "
At the openings of ant hills
Please have trustworthy men
Always put food and water,
Sugar and piles of grain.

Before and after taking food
Offer appropriate fare
To hungry ghosts, dogs,
Ants, birds, and so forth.
(Nagarjuna, Precious Garland 249-50)

- From Sioux wisdom: " The buffalo, as the source of food, clothing, and all life's necessities for the Sioux, represents Mother Earth herself." (Sioux Prayer)