I`ve never met anyone who didn`t say he or she liked to eat. But strangely, few people are truly aware of just what that means.
That`s probably because we don`t draw much of a distinction between feeding and eating.
Feeding is something that is done to stay alive. Eating, at least to professionals, implies an appreciation of food as an art form that also satisfies the physical/emotional requirements of food for survival.
It is somewhat similar to architecture: some structures provide merely basic shelter while others transcend that basic need becoming highly satisfying art forms as well.
Feeding versus eating
When I was growing up we had a wonderful black cocker spaniel who was quite content to eat the same type of food every day. I once worked for a man who ordered a steak and baked potato every time I went out for a meal with him. In my opinion, both were ”feeding.”
But how far is it from feeding when the weekly menu falls into some similar pattern, varied by a simple factor of seven: perhaps meatloaf every Monday, pasta on Tuesday, chicken on Wednesday, etc. Though members of this family may think they enjoy ”eating,” they are not much different from my cocker spaniel.
Food is possibly the world`s second greatest sensual experience, and for most of us one that we partake of more than once a day throughout our lives. Though never will everyone be an aficionado of any single art, surely fine food appreciation should be the leading candidate.
Here are some ideas for improvement for those who wish to be eaters (the current ”in” word for them being ”foodies”) rather than feeders.
The American dilemma
The great cuisines of the world usually have one thing in common: they began out of necessity, people had to eat anything or everything available in order to survive. Thus it is not hard to understand why Chinese, French, Italians and others tend to eat so many ”weird” things.
But when our ancestors came to this land of plenty they no longer had to eat anything but the best. I recall my father telling me that when he was a boy the butcher would give his family liver and kidneys for free to feed the cats and dogs. The effect of this was that younger generations grew up eating only a very limited variety of foods. In large cities today caterers often complain that they end up serving only chicken, veal or shrimp.
I find that most people unashamedly say ”I don`t eat this or that” as though they were born that way, not realizing that it is entirely cultural. A person seriously interested in fine food saying something like that would be similar to an English major in college saying he didn`t like Shakespeare. We may not, but we know we should be doing something about it.
There are two interesting questions that emerge from this. First, is it possible for a civilization to create a great cuisine without its roots based in necessity?
The second question is are we interested in developing a great cuisine at all?
Are you a true foodie?
It is important to be aware that a true foody has or is well on his or her way to developing an appreciation of most foods. If you could invite Julia Child for dinner and serve her something that she had never eaten before you would definitely make her day. In my observation, those with well-developed palates rarely turn down anything and are most eager to try the unknown. That, of course, is in stark contrast to the feeder.
How do you rate?
So the question arises, do you really like to eat or are you just fulfilling your basic needs? You may wish to take the short test that accompanies this column to see how you fare. Though hardly scientific, we use it for our professional cooking students to give them an indication of how they rank with other food professionals. When this test was developed it was not intended to be one listing your favorite foods.
Why develop your palate?
The question might validly be asked, if someone is happy with the food he is eating (feeding on), why should he try to develop a taste for foods he never liked?
The answer might be the classical Plato quote: ”An unexamined life is not worth leading.” But of course many people don`t know that and go contentedly on with their lives.
With food, the experience, as stated previously, is sensual as well as artistic and fulfilling of a basic need. It probably is possible for everyone to get more sensual pleasure a heightened appreciation of fine food-as well as more satisfaction, some of which is surely intellectual, from the experience as an art form. That makes it worthwhile for anyone to attempt. Besides, developing your palate quickly turns into a fun experience, both socially and sensually.
Developing your palate
To expand your taste range is not difficult. The next time you go to a good restaurant, not necessarily an expensive one, instead of selecting what you have enjoyed before, try something you have never tasted or never enjoyed. What happens if you don`t like it? Don`t worry about it. Wait six months or a year and try it again at another restaurant.
About 20 years ago I decided to try tripe at a restaurant in Paris that specialized in it. I didn`t like it. But several months later I really enjoyed a dish of tripe in Florence. Soon I had tried and loved tripe done in the Nicoise manner (from Nice), New Orleans` style, and Mexico`s menudo. Only two years ago I went back to the Parisian restaurant and discovered I still didn`t like the way it was prepared there (it was reminiscent of old gym socks), but I knew I had learned to love tripe.
One of the greatest advantages that home cooks have over the professional, is that it is conceivable they never have to repeat a dinner. They can cook endless different variations of a seemingly unending number of dishes.
The possible variety is truly stunning. The potential for unrivaled novelty is all there. An ”examined” food life, represented by an adventurous palate, is certainly a worthwhile and attainable goal.
MARCELLA HAZAN`S TRIPE WITH PARMESAN CHEESE
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 3/4 to 3 hours
Yield: 6 servings
This is a magnificent version of tripe cooked in the Florentine style. It may be cooked well ahead and reheated. It also freezes well. From ”The Classic Italian Cookbook” by Marcella Hazan (Knopf, $25.).
2 pounds frozen honeycomb tripe, thawed
1 small carrot and 1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 small onion and 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 stalk celery and 1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary
2/3 cup white wine
1 cup canned Italian tomatoes, with their juice
Ground pepper, 8 to 10 twists
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup canned beef broth and 2/3 cup water
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Rinse the tripe thoroughly under cold running water and set aside.
2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with the whole carrot, onion and celery. Add the tripe, cover, and cook at a moderate boil for 15 minutes. Drain and place the tripe in a bowl with enough cold water to cover. Soak until the tripe is thoroughly cool, then cut it into strips 1/2 inch wide by 3 to 4 inches long. Set aside.
3. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
4. In a heavy casserole put the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the butter and the chopped onion, celery and carrot, and cook slowly over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have slightly wilted. Add the crushed garlic, parsley and rosemary and cook just long enough to stir everything well two or three times.
5. Add the tripe, stirring it into the vegetables and seasonings and cook it for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and raise the heat to medium high, boiling the wine for 30 seconds.
6. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the pepper, salt and broth and bring to a light boil. Cover the pot and bake in the middle level of the heated oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Look in on the tripe from time to time to make sure there is sufficient liquid in the pot. If the liquid is drying too fast, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Taste the tripe for doneness after 2 hours. It should be very tender but pleasantly chewy and easily cut with a fork.
7. When done, remove from the oven and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated cheese. Serve piping hot.
