Harlequin wrote:

>
> I am not a cook, and this post is not about cooking, but it is about
> food and its appreciation.
>
> This may sound a bit daft; but growing up, I didn’t particularly
> pay much attention to the food I was eating. Nor did anyone in my
> family; being on the eating-to-live side of the spectrum rather than
> the living-to-eat. As I have grown up, however, I have begun to enjoy
> food, eating, and the entire culture surrounding it; but my knowledge
> is superficial, and I really want to explore and learn more. There is
> a lot of scope for me to do so - so much is new to me at this stage.
>
> I had these questions:
>
> 1. How to identify and appreciate a well cooked dish? To know the
> various parameters to judge - flavour, texture, etc. To know when they
> are done correctly/done well. Including the understanding of the
> subtleties in the dish.
>
> 2. In traditional cuisines, to know how a dish “should”
> taste; what its flavour or texture should be like.
>
> 3. To know the things the chef did to make it that way: the ideas
> behind the dish, perhaps even the relevant technical aspects of
> cooking behind it.
>
> 4. The above three points in particular relation to traditional
> cuisines; but: In addition to traditional cuisines, appreciating the
> work of a chef who comes up with new things, pushes the boundaries or
> breaks the rules.
> As aforesaid, I am not a cook, and I am not actually interested in
> cooking myself; I wanted to ask this question from the point of view
> of someone who eats (and admires) food.
>
> In a sense, my question is about how to understand and appreciate good
> art, rather than how to be an artist yourself.
>
> Does this knowledge come only with eating out and trying a lot of
> things? Or cooking a lot? Are there any books which can help with
> this? Does reading books on cuisines, and recipe books, help? Any
> good websites or other resources on the Internet?
>
> Any answers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Ask them, theyre here
--
The real Dr. Bruce posts with uni-berlin.de - individual.net