Mi2Sweets – Simply Put?

01/09: Simply Put?

In hard economic times, we gravitate towards things that warm the soul and make us feel secure. Comfort food is one of those things–chicken-fried steak with gravy, buttermilk biscuits, strawberry rhubarb pie, po-boy sandwiches, ribs. We know what we’re eating and it makes us feel gooood. There is still a place for fine-dining indulgences, like an exceptional caviar or a beautifully prepared foie gras. It’s just getting harder and harder to justify spending what would amount to a day’s or even a week’s pay on a meal made up of dishes that are more vanity project or science experiment than food to be savored and enjoyed. If you have to ask what the heck is that when the server sets the dish in front of you, then you are having a culinary arts nightmare. As my friend Irene would say, “that’s no bueno.” Pushing the envelope can be a good thing…except when the contents have exploded onto your plate like a Jackson Pollack painting.

I’ve been known to do a “take” on a familiar dessert, like a cheesecake sundae. I’ve used quotation marks to indicate that it is being presented perhaps in a nontraditional way. It’s only fair to the guest ordering the dessert to know in advance your being a little cheeky. However, I think it is downright cruel and inhumane to lead the guest on–not to mention charge them up the whazoo–for something that in no way shape or form resembles or tastes anything like what they are expecting. Just because you think it is a cool idea doesn’t mean it will taste good or that you should expect the guest to get your point. When creating a new dessert, I always ask myself one very important question: What do I want to eat? Okay, granted some us have esoteric tastes, but I think what we crave is always a good starting point.

On the flip side of the dessert spectrum, is stark minimalism. Don’t get me wrong, a lovely slice of perfectly-baked pie with a scoop of ice cream is a wonderful dessert– in a low-key, casual place like a cafe or diner–not so much in a more sophisticated dining room where the average price of an entree is over $25. An $8 or $9 dessert better have something more than two things on a plate (and I’m not counting that dusting of powdered sugar as a component!). I love ice cream, but I wouldn’t pay seven bucks for two scoops in a bowl, no matter how wonderful the flavor, because in the end we enjoy the meal with our eyes as much as with our palates. Otherwise we’re just not getting our money’s worth.

Posted January 9th, 2009

Comments

One Response to “Simply Put?”

Carissa says:

July 9, 2009 at 10:47 pm

An old cooking school teacher once used blueberries and scallops as an example of a unique food/flavor combo gone wrong. I always try to remember that maybe there is a reason you’ve never heard of a specific combo… maybe it just wasn’t meant to be!

Candy bars and cocktails… amazing, familiar flavor combinations and known commodities! Not that known is always a good thing, just that it makes an adventurous dessert a bit more approachable (ANY dessert that combines chocolate and peanut butter – done, I’m ordering it!).

Side note: If I see powdered sugar or mint on one more dang dessert I’m going to flip my lid! Seriously people! Venture out! 10x has its place, but come on garnishing a dessert doesn’t have to be that hard!