Friday, December 15, 2006
let the answering begin...Question 1
I've decided to break up these answers into individual posts, so I can take more time to answer them. Our first question comes from Scott aka SRH (Under Construction). Scott asks:
What is the absolute worst meal you have ever had to eat? One where you were expecting better, not some soggy trail mix in the rainy Pac NW story either. Who prepared said meal, and what was the unfortunate occasion?
Well Scott, that might be hard for me to answer, since I am probably the most non-complaintive person with regards to food that most people have ever met. I never turn down a meal, especially free meals. This is, to be sure, one of my downfalls, and one of the reasons I'm in the shape I am today (pear shaped, that is). I am being completely honest when I tell you that I'll try anything. I've had squid, alligator, gnu, seaweed, zebra, snake, and I even had squirrel and dumplings once. Don't dare me to eat something, you'll lose.
I do, however, have comments to make about food. I am not simply a caloric compactor, I do discern taste, smell, texture, and a wide array of flavors. Ah..flavor. That's the point of food, is it not? Flavor says it all. Flavor gives you the 'message' of the item in question. Flavor tells the 'story' of the food. Indian food is spicy, and speaks to the herbs and spices available in India. It's the same with Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, or even Mexican food. Therefore, when I encounter food that has very little discernible flavor, I can honestly say that it is less than adequate. For, if there is no flavor, I may as well be eating a calorie cube.
I recently attended a holiday party where there was a marked lack of flavor to many of the dishes. I've noticed, since moving here to the Inland Pacific Northwest (Spokane, to be exact), that it seems to me that Inland Northwesterners are literally 'afraid' of flavor. "Not too much pepper please, it's too spicy." Huh? Black pepper too spicy? Oh, then I'll just throw the Cayenne out the window, shall I? Yes, I think I shall.
But still, flavor isn't all about spice, is it? No. It's about...well, flavor. I noticed several dishes that seemed like they didn't even have salt added. Salt dehydrates food slightly, and draws out the moistures from within that hold in the true flavor of the food. Too much salt, and you've ruined the dish, not enough, and it's still bad. A good dish shouldn't need any salt, but should be spiced just right.
Let me be perfectly clear that there were some dishes with plenty of flavor at this party. It just seemed that an inordinate amount of dishes were, well, bland. Tasteless, and indeed, unfortunate. Perhaps those who made the dishes, the attendees of the party (it was a pot luck), were just poor cooks. But I'm just not sure. It seems that many of the potlucks I've attended here in the Inland Northwest have had several dishes of the bland and tasteless variety. It's more than coincidence, I fear.
So...there you have it. Question number one has been well and truly answered, I think.Labels: answers
