Sunday

Lunch:
hearty bowl of ramen and vegetables

Dinner:
Linguine (not mine) with lamb ragu
Steamed corn
sourdough

I heard a photographer last night speak about tension and flow in a composition, and, as I am wont to do, I immediately associated this with flavors in a a perfect dish. A single flavor doesn't make for food; even Jello has a complex flavor, no matter how unrefined. True taste artistry requires a principled blending of tones, very similar to chord structures in a musical arrangement. Think of salt (and crushed black pepper) as a bass note, an anchor. Think of citrus or vinegar acidity as timber or reverb or the highlights in an image. Think of the Maillard caramelization reactions as gamma values that temper the blandness of individual raw proteins and sugars in the target food. Think of texture as musical timing, allowing you the ability to listen to the Beer Barrel Polka OR Take Five by Dave Brubeck. This is what separates dining from eating and cooking from microwaving. This is where the secrets of the universe are kept. Be good to your taste buds. Live through them. Don't limit them.