Seduction....

Don't freak out! I haven't gone of the deep end, I am not going to tell you what you think!

From time to time I hear people say, "I hate America(ns) for : x,y,z" reasons. I do not. I have lived abroad a few times and while I love things about Europe and the U.K. and many other places, I love America. However, there are a few nice little adjustments that could stand to be made. Seduction, -in reference to food! hold on to your jaw!- is one of those. Let me explain. Last month I was in Utah and along with my trusty chef companion Leland, I set out in search of new culinary delights. Communal was the most referred spot to our snobby duo, so off we did trot for brunch. Biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict, and a chorizo/egg pot.

Biscuits: C+ beautiful, great size, great flaky texture, then you realize those suckers are pure crisco, no buttery notes! not so lovely at all. The after taste of baking soda slapped me so hard I swear I saw the arm and hammer.

Gravy: A- the sausage was divine, the pepper didn't over power the simple herb choice. The only reason it is not a + is because they committed the common gravy sin of over salting, if the sausage is already salted be careful how much salt you put in the gravy.

Eggs Benedict: B- cook the whites all the way please! Even though I realize they will not make me sick, even though I know they carry all the anti-microbials needed to protect the yolk from getting attacked, they still make me dry-heave when they are all gelatinousy/mucousy in my mouth. And gagging at brunch is such a faux-pas! And watch the lemon juice in the hollandaise. I prefer a light lemon kiss at the end, something that is so subtle it almost leaves me questioning its' very existence. I was once again slapped by an ingredient that should have wooed me.

Chorizo/egg pot: B flavor of the chorizo was superb! A+ for you. but the rest left me wanting. The concept was good but not carried out as successfully as it could have been. The flavor was sadly reminiscent of canned tomato sauce and the egg drop soup appearance of the egg was a little uncomfortable for my eyes. The charred crouton was genius and lent a spot on touch. Not enough to compensate for the rest of the dish.

And here is where seduction comes into play. In America we are a bit rushed, we are new, trying to "find" ourselves amid cultures that have been around for thousands of years. We try our hand everything and have made some truly remarkable successions. Food is not our strong point. When you look at food in its carnal form: on a vine, in the dirt, high in a tree, it is seductive. The color, the shape, the feel, the smell alone! what wonderful stuff. Some are easy to acquire, others not so much; they must be finessed (work with me here I mean pealed/shucked you get it now?). So miraculous and then we go and throw it on a plate and all of its' carnal beauty is lost. It is consumed so fast it is hardly a fleeting memory. "What did you have for breakfast" is so often followed by, "I don't know." You don't know because you weren't seduced! You used food as a means to an end versus a means to imagination. You added so much salt or pepper or whatever you add to "fix" things, you completely changed the identity. Other cultures use initial flavor as the central focal point and add just enough to peak your interest. I suppose it is like a woman (yes I went there), alone she is beautiful but add a hint of pink to her cheeks, a touch of red to her lips, and a bit of DiorShow mascara :) and some divine smell and she is remarkable, the same, but slightly more je ne sais quoi...

That is how I love my food. No mystery at the beginning but as time goes on I am intrigued and I question what exactly enhanced my dish so perfectly without changing the integral flavor structure that God provided. I love to have notes of citrus or rosemary, cardamon, or anise softly whisper as they grace my palate. I HATE being slapped by flavor. I love to be in question of what made something so simple, jump. I love to have my pupils dilate when a bite hits my tongue. I love leaving wanting more yet knowing what little I had was just enough.

As a "new" presence on this earth we want to be seen as strong, brave, bold. Those choices are ever evident in our food. Meat and potatoes, Manwhich, rare t-bones on the grill. We eat on the fly consuming our food from parchment sheets while listening to the daily news at 65 miles per hour. We do not have time to be seduced, we have places to be, people to see, things to conquer. I have only one quip today about America, I am tired of not being seduced!! One bite vs. 1 lb, plain vs. blackened, hint vs. slap in the face, simplistic beauty vs. halloween costume disguised food.

and if you are in Utah try Communal, I hear it has better days. and A few of my oldy but goody favorites are: Tuile Bakery in SLC, Bombay House in Provo,