Saturday, March 17, 2007

A little bit about me, Porthos

I'm a traditionalist, and awed by names like Escoffier, Careme, Brillat-Savarin, Robuchon, Bocuse, Beard, Pepin and Child.
I like things done the old fashion way.
So when I see guys like Dufresne, Andres, and Adria do their molecular gastronomy in their laboratories, I don't know what to think. I’m definitely intrigued and extremely curious, but to me, the essence of cooking comes from honing ingredients from nature and crafting them in your kitchen to highlight their natural flavors. Your connection with the earth and relationships with your farmers is sacred, and should be cherished and respected.
I prefer a painter who mixes his own colors and paints the Grand Canyon, to a Polaroid picture any day.
The same goes with food. A chef who starts his day by roasting bones in order to make his own stock is definitely revered over a man who runs a chemistry lab so that he can thicken his gluten count or solidifying an emulsion so that he can “deconstruct” a classic carbonara.
Then again perhaps I just don’t know enough about molecular gastronomy to give it it’s due. There’s so much to learn and so much to try. But being in NY is trully a blessing because here, we have it all.
I believe we are currently living in a food renaissance in the States, and it’s only fitting that guys like us take on this challenge to document all our savory adventures and share them with you. So rest assured, even if it’s 20 below or 90 degrees and humid outside, Porthos, Athos and Aramis are out there trekking the streets of NY, eating, and firing away with our digital cameras all in the name of foodies everywhere.

2 comments:

Porthos said...

Wow, did I write that?

For the most part, I still hold what I said to be true.

I love old school methods and I really think there's very little that can be gained by cutting corners in cooking.

But when it comes to working harder,I agree with people who prefer to work smarter.

So if you can extract flavors using better equipment, or temper items with unconventional techniques, I'm all for that.
I've tried some of these newer dishes using molecular gastronomy... and if I can still conceptualize the plate for what it is,I feel it was a success.

There is absolutely tremendous benefit to being adventurous and creative in the kitchen. So if Molecular Gastronomy is the medium fueling our generation, I'm all for it.

Peter Park said...

Long time reader. I've noticed you guys visited some of my local spots here in Fort Lee/Palisades Park, NJ. Just wanted to let you know a new Yakitori spot called Raku was opening up on Main St, Fort Lee later this month. It is on the intersection of Lemoine and Main. Down the street from Hiura, where you guys previously did a review.