Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I’m watching Chef’s Table on Netflix, but there are similar shows, and I find myself annoyed. This show is about Michelin star chefs and the food they create. I get that it is art, and their medium is food, but I don’t want to eat it and I don’t want to pay for it, even though I respect how talented they are.
I guess my annoyance is that I think food should be about nourishing the body, and the rest is pretentious. I cannot get excited about an artfully arranged carrot topped with a poof of smoke.
If I want theater, I’ll go to the theater. If I want art, I’ll go to a gallery. If I’m hungry I’ll go to a nice steakhouse.
I agree with you that some of this food art is way over the top and I'm not paying for it either.
However, I do think food isn't just "nourishing for the body." It's also nourishing for the soul. Nourishing for social connections and interactions. It's one of life's pleasures, not just a requirement to sustain life.
Does it taste good, and is it a sufficient serving? That's all I care about.
If "artsy presentation" means two stalks of asparagus with a quarter teaspoon of balsamic cranberry almond reduction drizzled over it in a spiral pattern and a few thin tendrils of orange peel perched atop, and that is my "seasonal vegetable side," then, no.
When you talk about food as art, it's a very apt analogy. My boss goes for very simple, rustic/primitive folk art (P. Buckley Moss) and his idea of a great meal is a relatively cheap large slab of meat surrounded by gobs of potatoes all awash in jus, forget an appetizer or coursing.
I like post-impression art (Van Gogh, Sargent) and love wonderful food, beautifully presented in small portions so my taste buds don't wear out getting through one course before moving on to another of many courses.
We're both happy with our choices and we're both right. But I don't try to make him eat my way or vice-versa.
To answer the thread title, I think it is stupid and a waste of time and effort.
I once had a meal at a highly pretentious and well reviewed restaurant in Minneapolis. As I told my husband when I got home, the single scallop that arrived on my plate was so delicious, I could have eaten two of them. I am not into "experiential" dining. I would rather just eat.
I don't see why you can't have food that is both attractively presented AND a normal serving size.
Does it suddenly become less artful if there is more on the plate than a single lamb shank dusted with herbs and a zigzag of mint sauce, with a dab of potato puree to one side? Can a full meal not look well-plated?
I don't see why you can't have food that is both attractively presented AND a normal serving size.
Does it suddenly become less artful if there is more on the plate than a single lamb shank dusted with herbs and a zigzag of mint sauce, with a dab of potato puree to one side? Can a full meal not look well-plated?
The thing about such presentations is that usually they are a part of a multi-course meal. So while it may be a small presentation on the plate, you're probably getting 8 or 9 plates. You won't enjoy it if you go into the meal expecting a single entree.
I’ve eaten at places like Alinea and WD-50 and El Bulli, so yeah, I am into the concept of food being more than just sustenance.
Do I want to eat like that every night? No. I know a lot of chefs and can’t imagine any of them do either. Am I still intrigued at the way restaurants of that ilk can completely re-imagine the familiar, as is the basic tenet of molecular gastronomy? Absolutely.
Well, my point was more that one can plate real, human-sized portions well, despite the trend of artful plating leaning more toward dabs of food with drizzle and sprinkles and scatters.
But, whatever...I got chastised earlier for the suggestion of eating a whole hamburger, so it is pretty clear that there is a market for child-sized portions for adults.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
