THE PERFECT DISH... DOES IT EXIST?!
Is there such a thing as a "perfect" dish? Have you eaten one? Have you cooked one? What was it?
OK, so in the interest of total disclosure, I'm lifting this tweet directly from Linecook at NOPA in SF. I thought it was such a great question of the week my brain damn near locked up thinking of an answer.
My answers in short are NO/NO/NO and NA
What may be perfect for me, may not be perfect for someone else, I think perfect is what we strive for but is never attainable in the cooking/ eating world. But that's what makes this thing we do so wonderful... perfect is always there, calling to you, daring you to go just that much further.
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17 Comments:
I think my "perfect dish" is any one that my little girl or little boy cleans happily, stating, "Mom, that was really yummy." Yup...just about perfect.
juliebugsmama at 8:54AM on 09/03/09
Why are you shouting?
My answer is...nothing is perfect. But when it comes to food, anything that I have loving memories of eating is notable. It's also usually something that I can't recreate, for whatever reason. So...it stays in my mind and heart forever...perched up on a pedestal.
arm1970 at 9:05AM on 09/03/09
lol@arm1970, seriously-i had to cover my ears.
michael ruhlman tackles this question in his series of books: making of a chef, soul of a chef, & reach of a chef. you'd probably dig them.
it's a rather ambiguous question to be sure.
gastronomeg at 10:40AM on 09/03/09
I've attempted making the perfect chocolate chip cookie and tested many recipes. In the end, the one I stuck with was perfect to me. But there was always someone who like cakey or someone else who liked crisp because that's the way their mom used to make them. So when something tastes good, that might be pretty clear...but perfect, I think, goes into the subjective.
bigfatmouth at 1:21PM on 09/03/09
Of course it's subjective, and that's also WHY there are many, many perfect dishes...Mine is an incredible veal Marsala served over a wonderful polenta at a restaurant about 20 miles west of my home; I drool to think of it and never order anything else when we go there...And then there is that insane Osso Buco served at another place about 20 miles in the other direction...Oh! And their rack of lamb is perfect, too, always...Notice I don't prep any of these; I have made a perfect meal a few times, but never the same one twice. Perfection to one's taste is precisely why fine dining exists, IMHO.
BobbieAnne at 2:56PM on 09/03/09
Culinary perfection happens every time you satisfy a craving; every time you flavor a dish impeccably; every time a smile appears after just a taste.
It happens every day, everywhere, and at any time. It happens to novice cooks and trained masters.
smallkitchen at 3:52PM on 09/03/09
i agree with smallkitchen. perfection does not mean everyone appreciates it. people who aren't eating it don't count.
blizcheetah at 4:58PM on 09/03/09
Thanks smallkitchen, I was going to say that but in a much less literate way =)
I cannot really think of anything to add to that.
AyeEat at 5:10PM on 09/03/09
smallkitchen NAILED IT!!!
happyeats at 6:34PM on 09/03/09
@gastronomeg... already read and enjoyed all of Michael Ruhlmans books, except for perhaps Elements of Cooking.
Pavlov at 8:24PM on 09/03/09
BTW, I always cap all titles.
Pavlov at 8:26PM on 09/03/09
I'm with smallkitchen.
dhorst at 8:37PM on 09/03/09
I think there can be a perfect-for-the-moment meal. So if you're cold and tired and lonely and you come home to a hearty chicken and rice soup, with crusty bread and your favorite face on the other side of the table, viewed through a perfumed steam...well, that's the perfect meal.
However, if I had to sit down to hot chicken soup tonight, I would simply wilt. Too hot. Tonight a meal all alone, something cool and light, probably would have fit the bill (can my children scream ANY LOUDER?).
But no one meal is ever going to fit all moods and weather and situations.
Kiwords at 10:09PM on 09/03/09
The perfect dish? Of course there is. It's freshly picked, juicy watermelon from the farmer's market after a 15 mile run in the hot sun. It's al dente pasta served family style at a table with friends. It's a warm bowl of steel cut oats in front of the computer at night. If that's not perfection, then I don't care about perfection...I'll take my imperfect meals and enjoy them while the doubters search for their holy grail.
cycorider at 10:31PM on 09/03/09
Take a nice quality French bread, crusty enough that you knock and it makes that beautiful sound.
Slice it.
Mince some garlic. Appreciate the way the smell rises to your nose.
Dab quality, unsalted butter on each slice. Spread the garlic on that.
And lastly, grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top of each slice.
Stick under heating element, to render butter melted and cheese to sink slightly into the the white crevices of the bread.
Eat. Observe perfection.
msbojangles888 at 11:54PM on 09/03/09
msbojangles888 I so agree. Do you have a 1800 number for this sort of light porn lol? I agree with the craving and getting the craving solved (for now) . I hate that "The perfect ...", if that person finds his/her perfect (fill in the blanks) whether at a restaurant or at home through trial and error and found it that is great, but it may not be everone elses "perfect".
pjracz10 at 6:15PM on 09/04/09
Perfection, for me, tonight, was a doctored Dr. Oetker "Casa Di Mama" Ultimate pepperoni pizza! I fried a little bacon with green onion & mushroom, mixed in some capers, a little Parmesan, S & P, and added them to the boxed pizza with some thinly sliced fresh garden tomato & Spanish olive oil drizzled on top- it took me all of four minutes to prepare and the result was indeed wonderful. Hubby and I have been babysitting our three grandchildren all week, one is too young to take your eyes away for a second, another one is slightly high maintenence and is homesick and the third one wants to be boss of the other two - it has been a long and exhausting week and I did not have any left over energy to make a meal, thus the pizza - and, oh, the ice cold beer didn't hurt either! Indeed perfection is in the eyes of the beholder!
bareneed at 6:46PM on 09/04/09