My interest in food preparation began in earnest one Easter break during medical school at the University of Michigan. I was caught up in my studies and just on a lark purchased a Betty Crocker paperback cookbook with standard recipes. Perhaps my motivation was to make tastier pancakes, or to just spend my time doing some cozy indoor activity when the weather was quite nasty.
Regardless, I soon learned to bake well, and, as a result of living with roommates from around the globe while in graduate school, I obtained an appreciation for the spices and preparation techniques that characterize several cultures.
The world of cheese was another area open to both examination and experimentation. I learned to enjoy many varieties and, in particular, acquired an appreciation for how to use cheeses in main dishes, as dessert with fruit, bread and wine; and as savory appetizers.
In time I learned how to create dishes in my mind, rotating and displaying the finished product in a virtual world whose standards for superior taste and quality were fixed by years of experience in what combinations of ingredients would go well together, and in what proportions.
Although obvious that tabasco pepper sauce does not go well in vanilla ice cream, did you know that good aged parmesan cheese ("parmagiano regianno") complements salmon dishes quite nicely? Or that basil with rice, stewed tomatoes and butter go remarkably well together? As do mint, lime juice and glass noodles (as in many southeast Asian preparations). It is these realizations which allow one to parse out menu ideas in advance of their actual purchase, let alone preparation.
The first times that I actually presented food to a general audience was as a doctoral student in Chemistry at the University of Michigan. For example, I presented an elegant white fruitcake at my thesis seminar. Rather than use the standard mix of candied orange, grapefruit, lemon, pineapple and cherries, I used dried figs and dates. Pecans stood in for the nutty component.
As a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology I hosted a lunch for my research group on a monthly basis at my apartment. Located closer to the Chemistry building than the "Athaneum" where we enjoyed a weekly lunch (an on-campus staff only full service dining facility), it was a pleasure to prepare interesting, and hopefully delicious food, for my friends. Sample menus are available for examination.
Since my employment in San Diego at Biosym, and later at MSI, I have provided various dishes to an audience of fellow workers, usually on a weekly basis. I have, by this means, freed myself from the burden of serving food and attempting to eat it simultaneously, as at group lunch while attending Caltech. I have also absolved myself of cleaning the pots, since the janitors have that responsibility.
By providing food at work I have found that the best sell occurs with dessert, particularly when based on chocolate. Less favored items include anything not instantly recognized by the more or less Anglo clientele I have attempted to enlighten. It also helps to cut the food into separate portions so that people, being the lazy creatures they are, do not even have to lift a knife.
I am cynical here with good reason - I have convinced myself that only a fraction of people truly appreciated my efforts, with some even viewing my activities as "odd". To these latter folks I confidently state that I will never, ever fit into their conception of what is normal, as far as food goes. Indeed, to me the average American lacks refinement in his choice of food and I refuse to be brought down to his level. He would rather "eat and run" to "get back to work" rather than eat for its own sake. What other country would have come up with fast food?
FOOD IS NOT MERELY FUEL FOR EXISTENCE: IT IS AN END UNTO ITSELF.
There are many, many schools of thought regarding the relative importance of various aspects of food preparation and presentation.
One view is that the very freshest ingredients are essential, which, combined with a stunning visual display, affords a feast for the eye as well as the tongue. Japanese master chefs aspire to this end.
Another view is that depth of flavor should be achieved through skillful use of temperature and cooking technique, applied to very simple raw ingredients.
Levels of flavor are "built up" in a dish by continually tasting and refining it as the preparation proceeds. This is yet a third aspect.
Contrast, as sweet and hot, or as soft and crunchy, lends another means of achieving a pleasing dish.
Subtle flavors are enjoyed by some, with hints coming through beneath a stronger tone given by a main ingredient.
All of these aspects are not mutually exclusive, and it may be said that the hallmark of a particular cuisine, or even of a particular cook, is how expertly these various aspects are blended to enhance the overall enjoyment of food.
I am a devotee of strong assertive flavors; contrast of cold with hot and of sweet with salty/hot; and of rich food paired with raw vegetables and fruits. Freshness is paramount only when the dish is extremely simple, such as a plate of cut melon.
If actions speak stronger than words, then my philosophy regarding food and drink is best described by my eating habits.
I have found that my best work is done when well fed. In particular I require carbohydrate to think efficiently. This has a basis in fact - the brain is the only organ that requires glucose to function. All the remaining body tissues can use fat stores to obtain energy. But not the brain.
As such my main meal is at lunch, since the energy so gained is then available for the remainder of the workday. I do not make breakfast a big issue for at least two reasons. First, I awaken around nine in the morning and it makes little sense to eat a big breakfast around ten when lunchtime is around the corner. Second, the variety of foods available at breakfast are quite limited in comparison to lunch. Variety is the spice of life. In my case, variety IS life.
My emphasis on sweets is based in part on this need for carbohydrate. This includes my love affair with ice cream. Indeed, given two otherwise identical brands of ice cream with the same number of calories per cup, I will purchase the one with more sugar content, and consequently less fat, since I know from experience that I simply feel best when I have a lot of carbohydrate.
For example I purchase Ben and Jerry's nonfat cappuccinno frozen Yogurt rather than Haagen Dazs vanilla, since the former derives nearly all its calories from the sugar I need, and since the latter derives more than half its calories from fat. And I do not care how skinny one is - fat is good for nobody. The sole exception may come with climbing Denali in Alaska, an item on my climbing agenda.
Incidentally most folks are unaware that several items normally thought of as sugary snacks are in truth at least half fat. For example, a Hershey's chocolate bar provides 230 calories of which only 92 are carbohydrate. The difference is, apart from a very modest amount of protein, completely fat. Muffins available from the coffee shop or the vending machine are loaded with shortening used to give them a nice cake-like texture. They are certainly NOT healthy for you by any stretch of the imagination.
All of this being said, my first and foremost criterion for selecting food is taste. Unfortunately taste and health commonly clash with one another. There is no doubt that a bowl of fettuccini alfredo prepared in the traditional manner is considerably more pleasing than, for example Healthy Choice "Fettuccini alfredo" with 240 calories and only 5 grams of fat (quotes added). The list of such dichotomies goes on a very, very long way.
In such a dilemma I base my choice on a cost/benefit analysis. How much flavor and texture do I gain at the expense of the fat? If the product is bland, as mayonaisse (which is 100 % fat), then it will not be used. In this case coarse grained dijon mustard is far more flavorful and has no fat calories, should a sandwich require enhancement. If the product is hugely tasty and full of zest, as roquefort cheese, then it will used liberally in all manner of preparation, and quite often. Here the "amount of taste" per "unit calorie" is large indeed. For mayonnaisse, or for a beefsteak (without adornment) this ratio is too small for me to consider more than once in a blue moon.
In the latter regard a cut of meat BY ITSELF (unless marinated overnight) has little flavor compared to most cheeses. Hence my fascination with the latter. The exceptions lie with various imported sausages, such as Italian pancetta (a type of unsmoked bacon); herb-crusted dry sausages from France (available at Trader Joe's); smoked fish of all variety; and liver pate (especially with garlic or black peppercorn or chopped almonds / pistachio).
I do not eat food unless it is properly spiced to my taste. As such I do not go to an ordinary restaurant without an array of spices laid before me at the table. For example, a plain hamburger is beyond my ability to enjoy all by itself. However with some Cajun seasoning, or with crisped bacon and dressing made from real blue-veined cheese and diet mayo (NOT artificial cheese flavor and normal mayo, cf discussion above regarding ratio of taste to fat content), I have no problem. Speaking of ordinary eateries, I cannot understand the American taste for french fried potatoes. WHERE IS THE FLAVOR?? To enjoy reasonable fries, you either go to McDonald's OR do all the following:
I do not eat cookies, cakes or pie without something to drink at the same time. The beverage complements the dessert enormously. Same favorite pairings include:
The only, repeat ONLY dessert that I find goes well with soda is molasses ginger cookies. Here the two tastes complement one another. Molasses ginger cookies are sometimes available at Starbuck's coffee stores. I cannot stand to see company meetings in which the only drink available is, apart from water, soda pop. The dessert is usually a tray of dried out chocolate chip cookies. G-d help the catering service.
In reference again to taste/calorie ratio, I use Equal to sweeten drinks and other items, rather than sugar, because the same amount of sweetening power is available with far less calories. Besides, I get enough calories from the desserts I enjoy. Which is the preferred scenario: two molasses ginger cookies (150 calories) with a diet coke, or just a regular coke without any cookies? Both snacks have 150 calories, and yet I dare say that the diet coke deal is preferable. As such I drink only diet soda.
So why do I worry about calories? Is not fat the culprit? As well as sodium and cholesterol? The bottom line is that food high in fat content TEND to be high in calories, and, in the case of meats and cheese, high in cholesterol as well. So in being concerned about calories, one puts the real problems, namely fat and cholesterol, in check automatically.
There is something else operating when I make the choices outlined above. I love to eat so much that (and this I have demonstrated time and again) given free sway I will eat all day long. This is at the expense of every other task. Without even trying to indulge I consume 5,000 calories every day.
Most people stop eating when their physiological need for calories is met. But my criterion is different. How interesting would it be to have THIS spice on THAT entree? Or this guava jam with that white chocolate? And, if the latter seems pleasing, why not have the jam/chocolate pair FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS:
And I will not stop this madness UNTIL ALL CONCEIVED PERMUTATIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED. So not only do I end up eating far more than my physiologic need of, say, 2,500 calories per day, I end up taking a very long time to eat!
Since I have no intention of overeating consistently over the long haul (a rough calculation reveals that a 5,000 calorie diet eventually results in an equilibrium weight of about 300 pounds), I have to consciously limit how much I eat to a reasonable amount. It is within this ceiling on how much I allow myself each day, that I base my food choices. Hence the Equal instead of sugar.
The self-imposed quota is not a means of controlling weight. It is my remarkably successful way of establishing a form of control over what would otherwise result in obesity. I continually am holding back. And yet I know that it is for my own good. I always, repeat ALWAYS want to eat. And so I absorb myself into work with a zeal few can match, since in so doing I forget about food.
It is difficult for me to relax after eating. My mind races a mile a minute and my preference is to do some intellectually stimulating activity at that time. Since it is important to have free time, I do not eat supper until the last act of the day. It will emphasize everything except carbohydrate, since the latter will keep me awake.
I do mindless activities, such as paying bills and shopping, when I am low on energy, e.g. mornings on "A" days and late afternoon on "B" days (see below for a description of these). My efficiency at these tasks is unaffected by energy level. I also prefer to drive long distances when I have not eaten since the feeling of confinement to my seat is accentuated by sugar in my system.
The most analytically demanding tasks are performed right after lunch, such as deriving mathematical formulae and planning tactics to implement scientific methodology. Next comes coding and debugging as well as understanding research papers. By days end I might turn to reading Chemical and Engineering News and reading newsgroups.
When I have gone a date, I go the a movie FIRST and THEN have dinner. Again, it is nearly impossible for me to enjoy a moronic activity, such as the lastest film, unless I am either low in energy or quite drunk.
When I eat supper at, say, six PM, I feel like working the whole evening and will just not go home. After happy hour on Friday I work all night on occasion. And so to allow time for relaxation, and as noted above, I do not eat supper until bedtime. Furthermore the anticipation of eating a meal is half the pleasure. My fixation on food is so complete, that as soon as I convince myself that I have filled the day's quota, I become depressed and feel there is no longer any purpose in staying up. Hence I eat as the last act of the day, even to the plate of morsels by my bed when I actually lie down, reserved from supper two minutes earlier.
I usually work six days a week. The day I take off is always the "B" day on the weekend (see below), and, owing to the odd number of days in the week, alternates between Saturday and Sunday. I would work five days except that, again, I will not eat if I do not work. Hence I will come in simply because I reward myself with plenty of food once I arrive. This ploy effectively keeps me at work longer than most, since the alternative is to go home and eat nothing until bedtime (I cannot go to bed hungry).
On climbing and camping trips with other people who are used to eating dinner at a normal hour, I eat a snack at bedtime as something to look forward to, in addition to dinner. Usually just a candy bar. I also eat breakfast if I wake up early enough (such as six or seven).
On airline flights I tote an array of condiments and, if hungry when the food is served, will liberally adjust the seasonings to my taste. If I am not hungry I carefully pack up the food and save it for when I am home or in a hotel room. It makes no sense to me to eat simply to sit on one's behind and gaze at the latest idiotic film. It DOES make sense to save the food until I am truly hungry.
In a similar vein it puzzles me why Americans prefer dinner as their main meal, and it is likely that this habit contributes to the increasing fraction of people who are overweight. It is noted that most cultures have a large midday break when shops close and all enjoy a large meal. From a health perspective this makes more sense to me. However, I must admit that eating supper and then immediately going to bed is completely contrary to any of these statements. It is a definite flaw in my eating pattern.
It is somewhat restrictive to have a daily quota since it does not allow for, say, a half gallon of ice cream or a whole barbecued chicken with all the trimmings. To get around this dilemma I have a LONG TERM BALANCE SHEET in my mind. If I eat 7,000 calories one day (which I have done no less than three times in the last four weeks alone), and I estimate my metabolism at 2,500 calories for that day, the difference of 4,500 is taken out of a "surplus" of calories I have accumulated over months and years. If the surplus was 15,000 calories, it then drops to 10,500. I simply try not to let the long-term balance go below 0. This self-control is essential to PREVENT FOOD FROM OCCUPYING MY ENTIRE DAY, and in no way has as its principal goal that of being skinny. In the latter regard my metabolism is somewhat high, and even though I eat a decent amount (as a long-term average), I have always been very, very thin.
I have a two day eating cycle rather than the one day cycle other people seem used to. On my "A" day I overeat 1000 calories intentionally, and then USE THE STORED GLYCOGEN the next day, my "B" day, to carry me through the day. To ensure compliance with my long term balance, the "B" day involves undereating 1,000 calories.
I maintain this two day schedule because it appears to enhance my work efficiency. It takes me two hours to eat lunch and doing this every other day is more acceptable. Besides, on "A" days that barbecued chicken is a more realistic possibility.
The human liver and general musculature can store up to 1,500 calories of carbohydrate as glycogen. This is instant energy available for marathon runners ("carbohydrate loading"), or, in my case, for working the next day, through the lunch hour, without hunger.
One effect of caffeine is to stimulate release of glycogen. As such, on my "B" day I subsist (until the late afternoon) on hot coffee enhanced by additions of chocolate chips, molasses, Equal, cocoa powder, dry milk, and marshmallow creme in assorted permutations by analogy to the guava and white chocolate description above. With perhaps a small cookie or two.
If I overeat 2,000 calories on the "A" day I know from experience that I will not get hungry the entire NEXT day, until after I run late the evening of my "B" day (I do not run on my "A" day since it is difficult to exercise after eating heavily). It is depressing for me to get out of bed on my "B" day and realize that I will not eat the entire day. Hence I stick to overeating "just" 1,000 calories, so ensuring that I will have an appetite by 4-5 PM. A sugary meal at that time and I go back to work.
I cannot have two consecutive "B" days without suffering from immense hunger on the second day: this is consequent to the inability of storing more than a day's supply of energy as glycogen as noted above. And so the cycle begins again, "A" following a single "B" day in lock step. Were I to have more body fat I would not get so hungry.
On climbing and camping trips I dispense with this schedule since it is not the sociable thing to do. Living alone, however, I have no problem with it.
I enjoy the whole world of food with some self-imposed restrictions on the TYPES of food (in contrast to resctricting the AMOUNT as described above). Thus I consider it too strange to have, say, fried cockroaches or chitterlings (pork intestines, a dish of the deep South). Or pork feet. How can these things possibly taste as good as that traditional bowl of fettuccini alfredo?
One reason I have a large variety of food (with a recycle time often measured in several months for a given dish) is because I was extremely restricted as a child to observing the Jewish dietary laws, e.g. being kosher. It is a form of "teenage rebellion". A rebound phenomenon.
Nevertheless I honor my parents in their presence by being kosher in their home and when I eat out with them. In the latter regard my preference is to NOT eat out with my parents since I feel restricted to the small fraction of the menu which is kosher. So I prefer to not visit my brother when my parents are there as well: Dale treats me to the fanciest restaurants and I cannot allow such a singularly special experience to be ruined by keeping to 15 % of the menu.
So therein lies my "philosophy" regarding food. It will continue to evolve as time goes by. Should I decide to climb Denali this summer, I will throw away my quota system since I must lift weights to become stronger, and this cannot be done without intentionally overeating. And nutritious food too - not simply ice cream (although I have tried protein powder inside ice cream and it lends a rich albeit chalky texture).
The broadest categorization I have for describing food is to separate all dishes into sweet and not sweet ("savory"). The following is a brief compilation of my favorite sweet and savory dishes from around the globe.
It is impossible to do justice to the enormous variety of dishes, both simple and elaborate, within just a few paragraphs. In general, and owing largely to cultural preference, I tend to prefer Western dishes in contrast to Eastern dishes.
What an explosive question! How can one POSSIBLY compare dishes of completely different genre, as, say, a spicy Indian vindaloo to a cheesy stuffed potato? Or smoked eel sushi roll, perfectly complemented with wasabi horseradish and pickled ginger, to an open face (Danish style) sandwich of pumpernickel, Canadian bacon, and blue cheese butter (one part Stilton or gorgonzola to two parts butter)?
Perhaps my very favorite dish, setting aside all concerns about health, fat and calories, is a plate of
When I visit my brother Dale in Pebble Beach he usually treats me to a barbecue. Since he eats no pork we cook beef ribs rather than the more traditional pork ribs. I have some two pounds and then wait another half year for a return visit.
This is surely a bias which was aided in my childhood by the fact that it is nearly impossible to keep kosher at a Chinese restaurant. My family ate out extremely often (for reasons I cannot disclose). We observed the Jewish dietary laws known to most as "kosher". It is relatively easy to enjoy Italian food and be kosher, as a large array of pasta sauces contain no meat. Antipasto is ordered without the salami, and pizza can be a vegetarian special. And dessert is nearly always kosher (who puts pork or shellfish in dessert?). Hence another reason for my love of sweets.
I dare say that what Americans recognize as Italian cuisine may be my top choice for ethnic fare. Please be aware that REGIONAL Italian cuisine is a far more sophisticated and relatively unknown affair to Americans.
Southern Italy abounds in excellent tomatoes, world class olive oil, and wine, all of which makes for a different meal than what is enjoyed in Northern Italy. There you will find rich cream sauces, as the famous alfredo sauce, and generally heartier fare. The diet of southern Italians, and perhaps the isle of Sicily in particular, is quite healthy with less than 15 % of calories deriving from fat. (The diet of many Chinese has even less fat expressed as a fraction of the total caloric intake, e.g. perhaps 10 %. Meat is used sparingly, typically as a topping for the bowl of rice which serves as the main event at any meal.)
I cannot eat an Italian dish without garlic in a least a good portion thereof. Fresh garlic is best since garlic salt and powder do not capture the full depth and aroma of real garlic. I keep a bottle of garlic salt permanently in my office should there be leftover pizza from a meeting. It goes with me on every trip.
Anchovies are common throughout TRUE Italian cuisine, and it amazes me that Americans in general despise these salty fish on pizza. My all time favorite pizza is with garlic and anchovies. Once I visited my brother Dale in Minneapolis while he was a resident in Neurology. Saturday night he ordered in just such a pizza, and followed it up with a half gallon of mint chip ice cream. With a bottle of creme de menthe liqueur I became very happy indeed! Incidentally, I am the only person I know who can get drunk on ice cream.
Pesto pizza (one with the green pesto sauce containing olive oil, ground pine nuts, basil and parmesan) is excellent, as is (try it!!) pizza with blue cheese, crisp bacon and olive oil. The blue cheese, in order not to overwhelm the remaining ingredients, is used in perhaps one-fourth the amount of the regular pizza cheese, e.g. mozzarella.
Please do not eat mozzarella cold as in a salad. It is somewhat bland UNLESS you can obtain true buffalo mozzarella from a cheesemonger. The latter has a unique fresh taste and texture that is not approached by the mozzarella we are all familiar with.
I must admit I love to enhance any tomato-based pasta dish with plenty of grated cheese, in particular aged parmigiano or romano.
Remarkably I understand that in Italy many frown upon adding cheese to a tomato-based pasta! But then again they also frown upon adding cheese to any fish preparation. I find that provided the match is carefully made, fish and cheese CAN go well together:
I must note (and again this is due to our upbringing), my brother Dale has some favorite dishes. They include fetuccinni alfredo (I once mailed him a gallon Federal Express) and tuna melt. I tell my folks that in being kosher they are not missing much, for how can anything taste as good as that traditional bowl of fetuccinni alfredo I keep on coming back to?
Few would argue that the French have raised cooking to an art form. Their influence on the world of "haute cuisine" has been pervasive. The traditional French table is full of rich and buttery foods, the avante garde view of moderating fat intake seemingly unrepresented.
A new style of cooking has arisen, with California as a prime center for its development, known as "noveau French" cuisine. The emphasis is on pairing traditional French cooking technique with very fresh ingredients, including, in its most eclectic statement, spices from around the Pacific rim.
I adore this cuisine because it combines flavors of the Orient with ingredients a westerner recognizes as both tasty and filling. One local restaurant which features this style is Cafe Japengo in La Jolla. Some examples from their menu suffice to DEFINE this cuisine:
Let us now compare this innovative fare to that of a restaurant serving traditional French food:
CASE CLOSED.
Most of us are familiar with hummus, filafel and the like. Here are some treats which are absolutely delectable.
I may serve a variant of baklava at my housewarming party next month. It might have a "creme fraiche" with a taunting hint of brie, mixed with dried figs, served chilled.
Please do not be confused by the American interpretation of Mexican food such as found at El Torito and Taco Bell. Although these bean and cheese joints serve very delicious and filling fare, it is not traditional Mexican food! Some examples of the latter may be found in reading my description of travels in Mexico this last Thanksgiving.
Nevertheless I must admit that a good cheese enchilada, and, better still, a SEAFOOD CHIMICHANGA, makes my head spin. By the way, "chimichanga" simply means the burrito has been fried. I love big meal-sized taco salads, particularly with ranch dressing on the side. (Now everyone knows how to treat me if not by ice cream!)
Another area wide open to suggestion is Latin American cuisine. Here native ingredients are combined in unique and piquante ways best exemplified by this selection from the menu of Berta's in Old Town (the first set are Tapas "appetizers"):
Most Jews that immigrated to America originated in central and eastern Europe, including Russia and the Ukraine. As with all immigrant groups they brought their culture, including food.
Therefore food associated with Jewish culture tends to be based in the dishes of Poland, Russia and the Ukraine, and therefore does not have any characteristics peculiar to itself with one glaring exception, namely, that it is kosher.
The Jewish dietary laws specifically forbid consumption of pork products and seafood (e.g. shrimp, lobster, crab). Fish with scales and fins are allowed, such as salmon, tuna, halibut, and in general that which we colloquially refer to as "fish".
A meal with dairy products cannot also have a meat dish, and vice-versa. Thus a cheeseburger is not allowed, nor is veal parmagiana. Certain foods, including vegetables, fruits, and eggs, are neutral and may be eaten with either milk or meat products. Fish is considered in the neutral category, although chicken, veal and beef are "meat".
For meat to be kosher the animal must have been raised in captivity and slaughtered with a minimum of suffering. The entire process must be certified by a rabii, and as such the majority of beef and chicken is unkosher even though it is not pork. Kosher meat is available in most large cities, and, as hot dogs, polish sausage and knockwurst, is found in most American markets under such brand names as Hebrew National. Because no pork is mixed into these sausages, most people I have talked to, including gentiles, claim them to be tastier than other luncheon meats.
After a meat meal one waits up to five or six hours until a dairy product is consumed, even something so simple as creamer with coffee. The converse is not true, and I have drunk egg nog at my parents home immediately prior to the Thanksgiving meal (which, featuring roast turkey, is based on meat).
Despite what has been said above, there are some dishes that are peculiarly associated with Jewish culture:
In my opinion there is very little in Jewish cuisine that recommends itself from a purely culinary perspective. There is nothing innovative, spicy or particularly excellent to be found. When I prepare or in general have any of the above, it invariably is with an array of condiments to make it worth my effort. I have served matzoh brei at Biosym, but with chopped vegetarian sausage and hot Indian lime pickle in the mix. It has precious little flavor otherwise.
There is a large variety of cuisine under this broad category, as befits a nation with more than a billion people. The southern part of China eats rice as the major source of energy while in the north, as in Beijing, wheat serves this function.
The Chinese meal differs from its western counterpart in that a large bowl of rice is at stage center, and all other foods serve to complement and provide contrasting tastes and textures. There is a balance of sweet with hot; of soft with crunchy; and all of this sometimes within the same dish.
I am reluctant to generalize, however an emphasis is placed on fresh ingredients. Szechuan food is hot, and Hunan cuisine may be overpoweringly so.
In my view the Chinese have brought cooking to a level of refinement equal to that of classic French cuisine, and without all the rich sauces that are certainly bad from a health perspective. Meat is used sparingly, almost as a condiment, and the average Chinese diet may contain as little as 10 % fat. This appears to be an ideal situation - relatively healthy food that is tastfully prepared.
I make no effort to cover the whole of China in a few paragraphs. Here are some highlights from my view:
Except for the noodles, all the above would be served with much rice. Tofu is a soy-based product high in protein that seems to fill the niche cheese does in the west. When fried it is excellent, particularly with chilis in a vegetable stir-fry.
I enjoy adding a small amount of teriyaki sauce to barbecued chicken pizza. The rich cheese topping and sweet heat of sauce complement one another.
Sesame oil adds a great amount of flavor in a small volume. Being expensive, it should be added at the table and not for frying the food itself.
The only thing I miss in Chinese food is some decent dessert. However chocolate and the like is not part of their culture. Fortune cookies don't cut it, and I imagine this is healthier than Western custom. But I won't have it.
I suspect that my enjoyment of this food comes principally from the expert blending of hot and sweet flavors in many of the region's dishes. There are obvious Chinese and Indian influences in this part if Asia, and the combination is often quite pleasing.
Although there are definite variations from one country to the next, the above generalities hold for Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma Malalysia and Indonesia. Thai cuisine in particular comes to mind, and this might in part owe to my familiarity with the local Spice's Thai Cafe in Del Mar.
Here are some of my favorite dishes -
As with China there is an enormous amount of variation within the Indian subcontinent. In general a gradient exists with the spiciest food in the south. This is a worldwide phenomenon since bacteria grow best at elevated temperatures and various spices act in a preservative role.
I am most impressed by the expert use of spices with Indian dishes. Cumin, turmeric, ginger, Indian black pepper, garlic (of course), and others are masterfully blended to excellent advantage. Curry powder is a mix of some dozen basic spices, and derives its yellow color from turmeric. Curries are quite varied and it is a pity that this single phrase has come in the West to signify may dishes.
Galangal is a spice key to some authentic Indian dishes and is available in specialty stores.
Chutneys are condiments comprising cooked fruit with added sugar and vinegar. They may be hot, very hot, or sweet, and complement many dishes. I particular enjoy mango chutneys, tomato chutney with raisins, and tandoori paste (see below).
Lentils are important, as is rice, and are used in an untold number of ways. Dahl is based on lentils and ranges greatly in its properties.
Foods are roasted in a very hot clay oven, the tandoor, so giving a beautifully orange-colored breast of chicken.
Some of my favorite dishes include:
I enjoy experimenting with combinations of Indian-based sauces and western dishes:
This rather broad category includes much of what arguably are the most irrestistable foods around. The range of sweetness level varies considerably as does the extent of preparation.
Most people consider an apple to be sweet, and would have no problem eating one all by itself. I find such a proposition boring and not sufficiently sweet to my taste. If handed an apple and be told to eat it, should I have no kitchen available I would at the very least slice it up and have it as an open face sandwich with lots of peanut butter, honey and Equal (this is dessert, so let it be SWEET!). Ideally I might saute the apple in butter, add brown sugar and cinnamon, and serve as a hot filling to a crepe with vanilla ice cream on the side.
So you can imagine what I would do with a chocolate bar!
Perhaps my attitude may be summed up in a short story. At my recent housewarming party I offered the finest Tequila available, Silver Padron at $40 a bottle. Upon sipping it for the first time ever, my first thought was "gee, that would be great as a hint inside a lime cheesecake with shaved coconut".
For G-d's sake, if you want a good dessert do not eat that apple plain - life is short, enjoy it!!
I enjoy most all of what Americans would recognize as the fitting conclusion to a meal. The main difference here is that I nearly always insist on contrasting the dry dessert with a partner. The latter may be milk, coffee, tea, pudding, or ice cream depending on the specific dessert. Some combinations have been listed earlier in this document, and one must learn from experience which are the best. Baklava does not go nearly as well with anything but hot tea. Pecan pie is superb with coffee. And so it goes.
Here is where I let loose all my inhibitions and experiment with the limit of what is possible in sweets. Most permutations of ingredients will be known in advance to taste great together, simply from years of experience.
One nice addition to an otherwise ordinary dessert is a hint of some tart ingredient. As of recent it has been brie or blue cheese. These add a marvelous contrast in a fruit-flavored cheesecake, and is reminiscent of the time-tested combination of fruit with cheese.
A hot taste is sometimes wellcome, as in the jalapeno cheesecake. It is essential to add a small amount of heat lest the dish be ruined!
This notion of sweet with hot has in my experience its origins in several Indian dishes which are not intended to be dessert, e.g. hot mango chutney perfectly complements fried eggs with garlic and onion. Taking this Indian motif, and noting the tartness of aged cheese, virtually any Indian dish, vegetarian or otherwise, takes on a whole new flavor with the simultaneous additions of brie and a sweetener as fruit jam or Equal. Again this has precedent in the dish "brie en croute with mango chutney" seen at many gatherings (including the recent MSI holiday party).
So the next time you enjoy black coffee try the following (as I do on my "B" day):
Various liqueurs add a special touch to many desserts:
Some does and donts -
Click here for a list of foods served at Biosym, then later MSI, over the span of some four years. The emphasis is on entrees and desserts since that is what folks enjoy the most.
Click here for a garlic page!
Click here for a balsamic vinegar page. Aged vinegar is a far cry from the cider or wine vinegar most are familiar with. Please check this page out to learn about this delicacy.
Click here for sample menus served at my apartment on special occasions.