Quote: (09-21-2016 01:00 PM)debeguiled Wrote:
Awesome post, Veloce. I could get into something like Japanese food when I get a solid recommendation on a couple books instead of having to wade through all of this on my own.
One question. I have heard it said here and there that Chinese food is the most creative of all cuisines. Would you steer someone towards Japanese food over Chinese, and if so why? (That is if there are other reasons besides moving towards lighter eating.)
I wouldn't necessarily say it's the most creative. I'm by no means any authority on Chinese food, you'd have to get Global Entry into this thread or Suits. But Chinese food, like many foods across the globe, is hyper regional. Like other international cuisines, you also have to clearly differentiate between home cooking (peasant cooking) and cooking for royalty. You have to factor in China's geography and immense population, you have to figure in China's poverty and the fact they'll pretty much eat anything. You could summarize Chinese cooking as "Ginger, Scallion, Soy" but in order to learn the depth of the cuisine you'd have to spend some serious time delving into Cantonese dishes, Sichuan, Peking, Hunan, etc etc. When I think of creative cooking, I think of trendy chefs that push boundaries and keep this industry moving forward (like Noma and new nordic cuisine). I talk a lot of shit about 99% of it, but every once in a while there's a breakthrough that makes the rest of us chefs better because of it.
My impression of Japanese cooking is that it's just better quality than most Chinese cooking. After spending a few weeks in China, I don't necessarily trust their commercial food products and Japan seems to have a higher awareness of organic and quality food production.
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One final question.
Veloce, what is your opinion about Molecular Gastronomy?
Fad or real deal?
Like any trend, a bit of both. Molecular Gastronomy was huge about 10 years ago, with many chefs screwing around with spherifications, fluid gels, liquid nitrogen, glass transparencies, etc. Basically you had a few leaders like Grant Achatz and Wiley Dufresne at the front of the pack and a hell of a lot of mediocre copycats. 10 years later, many chefs still utilize these techniques but in a more pragmatic way, so molecular gastronomy left some good things behind. Liquid nitrogen ice cream is probably the best way to make ice cream. The most popular fluid gel is a little condiment called ketchup; if you understand how to make ketchup you can make some really interesting and cool sauces/condiments. I mean really think about ketchup; it's perfectly smooth, homogenous, it mimics a solid when it's dormant, but when it's agitated it pours like a liquid. Pretty incredible really. There are other good tools like making hot custards, foams, emulsions that would normally be impossible without these hydrocolloids and techniques popularized and refined by Ferran Adria.
The new trend is foraging and flowers. And in a similar vein it's 99% bullshit. However some flowers and wild herbs add a legit punch to your cooking. Try adding a few raw nasturtium leaves or flowers to a salad, or borage flowers or chive blossoms or sea beans. [/quote]