cshenk wrote:

> Harlequin wrote:
>
> >
> > I am not a cook, and this post is not about cooking, but it is about
> > food and its appreciation.
>
> Actually it kinda is as we read down.
>
> >
> > 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.
>
> My Mom wasn't much of a cook so there were a lot of things I'd never
> had when I moved out. Within my poor student putting herself through
> college budget, I'd make it a point to get 'something I'd never tried'
> every grocery trip.
>
> Initially it was all in the vegetable and fruit section. I got a
> cheap cookbook at a yardsale and I'd bring it with me to the store.
> Not everything was a success but enough was, to keep plugging at it.
>
> >
> > 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.
>
> It's more a matter of do YOU like it? If you do, it's good. Most
> dishes don't have that much subtelty
>
>
> > 2. In traditional cuisines, to know how a dish “should”
> > taste; what its flavour or texture should be like.
>
> You get a feel for it in time. Eventually you can tell if you will
> like a dish just from the recipes used.
>
>
> > 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.
>
> That you will find in many cookbooks. I have a small 3 shelf bookcase
> in the kitchen and all 3 are filled with cookbooks. One of them is
> 'Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet' (He disappears after accusations of
> sexual misconduct with minors but the books were fine). He tells a
> bit of history and background in them with the dishes.
>
> (snip)
>
> > 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.
>
> For every cook, you need an 'eat' to enjoy the food.
>
> > 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?
>
> It can come with eating out but you seldom know what exactly you are
> eating that way,
>
> Peruse the random messages with recipes here (many but not all will
> have a picture too).

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Ask them, theyre here. "You can stop saying that now. Thank you."
--
The real Dr. Bruce posts with uni-berlin.de - individual.net