Think back to when you first started cooking. Baby steps, right? Totally stuck to the recipe on the box, instructions on the bag or the method you read on the internet. You cracked out a pre-portioned, meticulously measured and determined method the chefs at Kraft or Mr. Noodle wrote down after multiple panels, blind-tastings and series of approvals. You ate it, and it was good! Holy shit! Move over Chef Boyardee. There’s a new gun in the artillery. I’m not making fun of you. I was you. We’re laughing together here.
The Internet Killed Cookbooks.
The internet is still the cool place it was in it’s infancy in regards to food. Before social media made it the cesspool it is now. One thing you can count on being non-partisan is sites and columns like mine being predominantly non-partisan because it’s about food. Another incredible, subconscious effect this cyber landscape had was exposing us to cuisine from around the world on our screens. Pre 1990s, you were gastronomically pigeon-holed primarily to Grandma’s “secret recipes” or Mom’s “Famous Whatever-the-hell.” This isn’t a knock on them at all. It’s an observation of what you were exposed to. The chances of you eating Baba Ghannouj, halwa poori, Sarson Ka Saag or even a Gyro were considered EXTREMELY exotic.
But, The Internet Was A Blessing For Opening Our Palates
Outside of a few exceptions like immigrant friends and in-laws, you had no frame of reference where the food was from. Smells, tastes and textures were literally foreign to your regionally-handicapped palate. You were so consumed by the foreign aspect, you probably allowed your hesitation, mixed with a pinch of novelty to distract your brain from processing the data that you’re eating one of the most delicious things you’d ever eaten thus far. This is exactly what happened to me with sushi. The mere thought of touching raw fish, let alone eating it admittedly fucked me up.
My dear friend, and recently ‘Freedom 55’ retired Hamilton City Councillor Sam Merulla (congrats bro!) was the man responsible for my current sushi addiction. I reluctantly attended an impromptu lunch with Sam and one of our friends, Al. 2/3 of this group laughed at Sam as he devoured the raw slabs of salmon, tuna and mackerel. Al and I poked fun at Sam while we ordered tempura and teriyaki dishes. Thankfully, Sam powered through our taunts and mocking tones, forcing us to at least try what we were unfairly judging. Unconvinced in the moment, we left that lunch with our sneers and terrible dad jokes.
Fast forward a few weeks, and I’m convinced this was by design, Sam asked us both to lunch again at the same Sushi joint. I was running late and arrived to find Al, absolutely devouring a plate filled with sashimi. He barely glanced at me, muttering something about us being totally wrong. I agreed, wholeheartedly and began liberating salmon and wasabi from his dish while waiting for my own. The addiction begun.
I brought my daughter, Kaylee along with me on this addiction to simple, yet delicious delicacy known as sushi. I fondly reminisce of the days they charged me according to her birthday.
Barbeque & Grilling = Passport to The World In Your backyard
The word “barbecue” is thought to have derived from the Taino Indian word “barbacoa,” which referred to a method of slow-cooking meat over an open fire. This practice was eventually adopted by Spanish settlers in the New World, who began cooking whole pigs in this manner. In time, “barbecue” came to refer not just to the cooking method, but also to the social event centered around the cooked meats. Over time, barbeque spread throughout the world as different cultures added their own twist to the cooking method. In America, for example, pork became the meat of choice for barbecuing thanks to its abundance in the southeastern states where barbeque first gained popularity. Nowadays, almost any type of meat can be barbecued as well as vegetables, fruit, and even cheese! I’ll be doing an entire post on smoking soft and hard cheese soon! Winter is the best time to do this!
What’s your point, Ryan?
The point is simple. If you open your palate first, you can let it satiate your soul and educate your mind. You can allow it to unlock those unconscious gates. Visit a restaurant that the mere idea of intimidates you. Break that mental barrier. Order the “weirdest” thing. Listen to the stories behind the food. Talk to the chef about the dish. Get to know the servers and staff. Most importantly? Bring your kids or a friend. Take a chef’s tour on Google and realize that we all gotta eat. We all can come together over a plate of food. One thing that transcends cultural barriers is our instinctual need to ensure we are all well-fed.
Pro tip: Steal all the recipes you can as well. Bring them home and try to recreate them. You may realize your “Secret Recipe” or “Famous What-ever-the-hell” might be something, for the intentional lack of a better word, “exotic.”
Barbeque may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.
- Anthony Bourdain
