Aperitif 2004

December 14, 2004

I had a mild taste of adventure this past weekend. I went to dinner and though the food was familiar, I had no idea what was being ordered. I started to lose track of all that arrived, and I couldn't recognize some of the ingredients. It's all a blur. Yet fear not, I was in trusted hands. What I ate was good. The unusual thing about this experience which seems to be a new trend is that the restaurant started getting pushy. Fifteen minutes after our arrival, they promptly told us that our table would be needed and that we had about an hour left to order and eat. When did this trend begin? I don't remember this being acceptable before. Where has good service gone? What if I kept eating during the entire time I was there and had intended to be there for several hours? Alas, corporate eating has now come down to limits imposed on our time. Will future experiences involve placing a timer at the table so that we'll know how much time is left? I protest.

November 12, 2004

It's interesting how certain regions only have certain ethnic foods available. In Sonoma County, you can find Chinese food, but it's not authentic Chinese food. In Malaysia, you can't find Mexican food. What's even more intriguing is that you can actually find decent Asian food in Sonoma County - in recent years, there has immerged several Vietnamese and several Thai restaurants, and they're actually pretty good. So why isn't there good Chinese food? Why is Japanese food in Sonoma County so high priced? How many Mexican/Spanish people live in Malaysia? Someday, we can hope to find authentic food all over the world, showing the true melting pot and migration of peoples.

October 19, 2004

I just saw the film Supersize Me. What an interesting film. I was especially fascinated with how children who eat freshly prepared foods in school behaved so differently from those that were eating reconstituted or frozen food. Psychologically, it's also interesting to think of the effects of knowing food is frozen versus freshly and lovingly prepared by another human being rather than a machine. Think about it - would your brain react differently to a meal you knew was made by a loved one versus something stamped out by a machine? An interesting topic to ponder.

August 14, 2004

Food nutrition. Food is just amazing. That the combination of lemon and honey can soothe a sore throat, or that a salsa made of tomatoes taste so much different with cilantro than without. And that cilantro can also soothe a sore throat if boiled with the correct ingredients. The scent of lavender and vanilla calms our minds. Food: natural medicine that affects mood, energy, and so much more. I am in awe of God's design. August 1, 2004 Why worry about it? If allergies is not a concern, the question is why worry about it? There seem to be a lot of folks who want to know the ingredients of a dish. Not because they don't recognize it, but there's just something about knowing. The worst experience I had happened long ago. After giving a friend some coconut custard to try out, she ate it and said it was terrific. After finding out it was made from coconut, she spit it out mid-bite - after chewing mind you. What a scene! I can understand the question when you have allergies or want to figure out what that mysterious or somewhat memorable flavor is, even if it's just curiosity, but sometimes it's just ridiculous. Why ask what? Just enjoy. Don't fret. Who knows. It could become your favorite food.

July 9, 2004

Service. It's amazing how the same restaurant can produce such different experiences depending on your server. A good server maximizes your dining experience. In both situations of excellent or poor service, you may have unforgettable memories. Excellent servers are to be greatly rewarded - just like the acronymn says - TIPS - to insure prompt service. I'm reminded of that Third Rock from the Sun episode where Dick, the head of the alien household, goes out on a date and puts money on the table. With each good thing the server does, he adds a dollar. With each point of dissatisfaction, he deducts a dollar. It's a hilarious episode, but it's actually pretty true...after the meal, we review the service and adjust accordingly. How television so often reflects our lives in a humorous manner.

June 12, 2004

Food balance is essential. If you have too much deep fried food, your body cries for balance - you start to cough, feel a sore throat coming on, or maybe feel indigestion. Food balance isn't just about health. It's about each individual dish. Flavors need to be paired such that they complement one another. Sometimes, it's about a seasoning bringing out the natural flavor of an ingredient (salt seems to be the simplest example - salt makes everything taste better), sometimes, it's helping to make a dish balanced on its own (an example is bok choy being cooked with a slice of ginger - the yin-yang theory), and other times it's just food pairing (lemon juice on any type of fish). Food balance and flavor balance - the foundation for excellent food.

May 15, 2004

If you haven't noticed, I try to stay away from writing about restaurant chains unless it's a local chain. The thing I do like about restaurant chains is that they provide that familiarity when you're far from home. You know you will see the same menu and virtually the same setup no matter where you go. The thing I don't like about chains - the food quality is standard, the variety is minimal with limited specials and changing food with seasons, and it deters people from trying local fare. That can be the biggest problem since you miss out on so much when you don't allow yourself to take that risk and be a little adventuresome. So the next time you're in an unfamiliar area, ask a local where you should go. Then maybe you'll discover something new and wonderful and maybe even local to the area.

May 2, 2004

You can be good at some things, but you can't be good at everything. Most restaurants fit in this category. A great example is top restaurants. They like to stay in a realm of cooking, and when they fuse it with something else, it turns out interesting, but reach too far outside the realm and the magic can be lost. A great example is cruise food - as in food on cruise ships. Large cruiselines typically have excellent European food, but when they attempt to do a sushi buffet, well, presentation can be lovely, but they just don't have the right touch. A gentle reminder to keep at what you do best, don't be afraid to stray outside of your normal arena, but if you reach outside and it doesn't work, don't use your customers as guinea pigs. Perfect it on your own time.

April 8, 2004

Family gatherings and events with friends typically are surrounded by food (at least that's the case in my life). It's interesting how across cultures, you can see family photos and general gatherings involve some sort of food. Examples include the Last Supper, Passover, Thanksgiving in America, Cinco de Mayo, and who can forget the feasts we see in movies like Soul Food, Martha, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Eat Drink Man Woman, and many other movies. Food is a common bond that we have. Live to Eat.April 2, 2004Food Television is amazing. Remember the days when food tv was limited to PBS? It's a wonderful food revolution that we can have television shows talking about such a wide array of topics from food history to new creations. It's a welcome sight to see.

March 15, 2004

The news has been talking about potential lawsuits aimed at companies who sell food in portions that are particularly large. I shudder to think...when will people take responsibility for the food that they eat and the choices they make? Will this mean the end to ice cream parlors as we know them today? It's a scary thought for sure. Eat wisely.

March 9, 2004

Well, it was only a matter of time before this section appeared. The first topic of ranting is listing the grade of a restaurant in the window. What grade you may be asking? It's the health inspection grade. Los Angeles already has it. And it's being proposed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Imagine what a C rating would do to business. Or the fear of closure if your rating is worse than that. Certainly effective. I like it. What you don't know can hurt you, and at least this way, you would know. :)