"Dimitri" > wrote in message
...
>
> "ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> The Julia thread (and a few other recent threads) got me to thinking
>> about this...
>>
>> Do you think that one can become an acknowledged "expert" at cooking
>> authentic cuisine(s) from other countries/regions without actually
>> living and/or studying a particular cuisine in the applicable
>> country/region of origin?
>
> No - not really.
>
>
>>
>> Would taking a course (in your home country) or being taught 'how to' by
>> a relative/friend who came from that country/region do the trick?
>
> Any thoughts?
>> --
>> Cheers
>> Chatty Cathy
>
> It's just not enough - IMHO the ofactory (smell ) of ethnic plays such an
> important part, no class or classes can ever cement the taste and smell of
> street food.
>
> I also believe the Street foods amd such an important part and that can
> seldome be learned.
>
>

Agreed. One also needs to be born with the innate ability, same as being a
natural athelete or having an ear for rmusic... all the piano lessons in the
world won't help one bit when one has a tin ear. Anyone who admits that
they had to reach middle age before feeling confident that they could
diverge from a recipe I'm positive can't cook a lick. One needs to be born
with the ability and then serve an apprenticeship from the time one could
walk. Taking cooking lessons as an adult is a total waste, makes as much
sense for a forty year old to begin ballet lessons... real cooking is indeed
a ballet. Chefs like Pepin and Yan are naturals and served a formal
aprenticeship from since they were young children... Julia Child was an
important TV personality in the culinary entertainment world but she had no
natural cooking ability and could barely follow a recipe, she was a paint by
numbers kind of cook... Julia's only claim to culinary fame is that she was
first... and even that was arranged for her by her influential husband
because she was bored. I never enjoyed watching Julia Child, watching her
play in the kitchen was like watching ringers play the Three Stooges.