About Me
I'm a Melbourne boy, hailing from St Kilda with one ex, one current wife and four kids. Love the outdoors and making new discoveries. I cook a lot at home (cheers from wife) and do some preserving, mostly jams, pickles and fruit liqueurs. This is the diary of a cooking journey.

My Complete Profile

Recent Posts
Monsters Attack!!!
The Great Souvlaki Debate
Speck
Artichokes with Asparagus and Broad Beans
Preserved Artichokes
Milk, Two Ways
Once Were Cooks
Dear George
The Quiet Hunt
The Good Mustard

Links
1001 Dinners 1001 Nights
A Few of My Favourite Things
Abstract Gourmet
Apellation Australia
Becks and Posh
BurgerMary ATX
Cook (almost) Anything at least once
Cooking Down Under
Cook sister!
Cooked And Bottled In Brunswick
David Lebovitz
Deep Dish Dreams
Chef Paz
Chubby Hubby
Eating Melbourne
Eating With Jack
essjay eats
Food Lover's Journey
Gosstronomy
Grab Your Fork
I Am Obsessed With Food
I Eat Therefore I Am
Iron Chef Shellie
Just Desserts
Kalyn's Kitchen
Kitchen Wench
Lobstersquad
Matt Bites
Melbourne Gastronome
My Kitchen in Half Cups
Nola Cuisine
Not Quite Nigella
Nourish Me
Seriously Good
Souvlaki For The Soul
Stone Soup
Sunnybrae
Syrup and Tang
Steve Don't Eat It!
That Jess Ho
The Elegant Sufficiency
The Perfect Pantry
The View From My Porch
Thyme for Cooking
Tomato
Tumeric & Saffron
tummy rumbles
What I Cooked Last Night
where's the beef
WhiteTrashBBQ
Vicious Ange

Food Blog Resources
Food Blog S'cool
I Eat I Drink I Work
Kiplog Food Links

Food for Thought
Autism Victoria
Autism Vox
forget me now
Lotus Martinis
MOM - Not Otherwise Specified
St Kilda Today

Monday, October 19, 2009
Fancy Chef
Letter from Your Turn in The Age supplement, Good Weekend.

'Your article on the world's best restaurants by Matt Preston (September 26) stimulated my palate. It must be an honour to travel the world tasting the likes of "strawberry rose air" or "beetroot on earth", but I don't know if my stomach could handle all those exotic dishes and there's not enough on the plate anyway. No offence, but give me a good, old fashioned baked dinner any day.'

Lea Pustetto
Malabar, NSW

It's hard for me not to have empathy with this writer's sentiments as this letter betrays my attitude towards the rarefied echelons of modern dining in its present pretty form.

What the world's best restaurants have in common is a highly technical approach to cookery with results that can only be achieved in a commercial kitchen with the most up-to-date gadgets, some of which seemingly belong in a well equipped laboratory.

Right there is where my problem lies. Some of these dishes seem more like the triumph of science over inspired culinary talent, in which a degree in food technology is more important than anything a catering college could teach an aspiring chef.

Never has the gap between top end restaurant kitchens and anything the home cook could plate up been as large as it is now. It is virtually impossible for even the most gifted home cook to attempt many of the dishes that define those restaurants at the top of the world rankings.

But what is it about those dishes offered by the best that drives us to such a frenzy that six billion or so email hopefuls apply for a mere handful of sittings at the acclaimed El Bulli? Is it anything more that the opportunity to be amazed? Is it really about the food?

Given the propensity for dishes that are barely a mouthful, it hardly seems likely. How does one get into the groove of enjoying a dish when it's gone at first bite? Could one really eat (and enjoy) flavours and textures that are either overly intense or overworked if in a larger serving, or would the palate become tired and jaded before the end was reached? If the wisp of foam was an ocean, or the dirt a mountain.

I suspect not.

Restaurants of this ilk are more about mastery of food than its inherent taste, why else would one deconsruct a pea and then make the result taste like one, what is the point?

Give me a rare steak, bearnaise sauce and chips - call me a neanderthal if you want, but I know what I like.







 
  posted at 8:51 pm
  8 comments



8 Comments:
At 1:25 pm, Blogger Thermomixer said...

I guess for me, as I can cook a good steak and bearniase, and often better than what I am presented with in restaurants (and often with bad service to boot) - then I am happy to have the theatricals in the top restaurants. Just as long as the flavours do go together and are not insipid and lacking (as has happened in a couple of restaurants).

But when I do venture out I prefer to be amazed at what is on the plate and hate restaurants with dim lighting.

But have a majority of friends who just want bulk and don't worry about quality.

Wouldn't call you a neanderthal and admit that I love the brasserie.

 
At 5:27 pm, Blogger Zoe said...

I read that article, and think I remember some comments about the constrast between the egg-head culinary nerd wow-factor and the places his missus liked best ;)

I have small children, and don't eat out much as a consequence (time and money), but when I do I go for somewhere like Pulp Kitchen, which is friendly but clever and makes yummy things with techniques beyond me, including lots of offal.

 
At 7:44 pm, Anonymous Elliot said...

Almost anyone can dance or play a few notes on the piano but the theatre and the concert hall offer something special. It may not be to your taste. Modern haute cuisine bears some similarity. It can be really exotic and unique but it is an experience and, perhaps, the more you try it and learn about it the more you get to enjoying it.

 
At 8:58 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I tend to agree with Elliot here. There is a place for these restaurant experiences as they are the height of skill, technique & discipline & of course pure theatre. Indeed they are competing for our dollar with theatre, music & art. However I think like all innovations, the immitations are not far behind, sullying the wake. Also I am beginning to detect 'an emperors new clothes' syndrome with some of the combinations as they push for ever challenging dishes. It dosn't surprise me that readers of that article are suffering from 'spherification fatigue'

 
At 2:02 pm, Blogger Maria@TheGourmetChallenge said...

I can see both sides of the argument here. I love simple food, and when you're hungry there's nothing better than a big old plate of something homely. But the whole excitement of something new, that I could never do myself is always appealing...maybe not everyday, or even once a week, but on the odd occasion when I want to be wowed and intrigued - top chefs where food is more like an art is where I want to be.

 
At 6:33 am, Blogger Katie Zeller said...

We lived within driving distance of El Bulli for 7 years... Never went. I would have liked to, just to see what all the fuss was about, not to eat so much as just to see... but I'm afraid I'm with you on the steak.
My idea of a great restaurant is when you can cut that steak with a fork...

 
At 4:24 pm, Blogger 3 hungry tummies said...

Well we had something like that at Fed Square (no name mentioned) a while back didn't we? I think we are all curios creatures but at the end of the day you are correct! A good piece of meat cooked to perfection is what we need :)

 
At 1:31 pm, Blogger WhiteTrashBBQ said...

I agree with you. I much prefer simple ingredients paired and cooked well.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home



Search


Recipe Categories
Soups
Salads
Vegetables
Poultry
Pork
Beef
Cakes & Desserts
Miscellaneous

Archives
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
May 2009
June 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
July 2012

Miscellaneous
AUSTRALIAN FOOD BLOGGERS
Prev ~ List ~ Random ~ Join ~ Next
Site Ring from Bravenet


Site Feed

counter easy hit

Credits
Blog Design by:


Image created by:
Ximena Maier

Powered by:


Photos, Original Recipes, and Text - (C) Copyright: 2005-2010
At My Table by Neil Murray, all rights reserved.
You may re-post a recipe, please give credit and post a link to this site.

Contact Me
Neil Murray

Follow messytable on Twitter