Food is Love, Wisdom, and Tradition. Oh, Fantasies Too
Gotta give it to the Italians
We credit artists and writers. We should credit every creative chef.
That’s Chef Nicholas Olivas in action. The Chef de Cuisine checks out his new Konro grill after an intense session in the kitchen. Whatever is going on that grill will be fabulous. That, I know. I’ve watched him commanding the kitchen a few times. Culinary passion in his every muscle, coursing through his every vein.
I’ve fallen in love with the food fantasy world he and his team constantly dream up. He blows my mind again with his langoustine and crustacean gelée.
The fragrance of spring is upon us. Can you sense the sprouting? Between the green pea puree in the bottom and green pea shoot on top, layers of flavors happen — ash blue lobster, blue prawn, succulent langoustine from the scenic waters of Faroe Islands, Kristal caviar (sprouting season, someone says), and chives. The green pea shoot makes it SOOOOOOO refreshing! The taste of spring lingers.
Now now, don't be condescending on the speck of edible gold leaf ever-so-lightly gracing the plant. This evokes the elements and enlivens the visual. Gold, the symbol of life, purity, devotion, and perfection, is kind of nice.
But food transcends gold. People all over the world congregate for food to celebrate, comfort and show solidarity.
I’ll say food stands for wisdom too.
Say, how best to taste the ever-so-rare Perigord black truffles — look at those gorgeous, marbled white veins — the parcel that evokes romantic visions of Riviera chateaux, imparts a luxuriously musky aroma unearthed from forest floors, and boasts of a robust garlicky, peppery, and nutty flavor profile?
By the way, it hasn’t always been exclusive. Allegedly before the French King Francis I of the 1600s liked it, everyone nearby could get their hands on this oh-so-umami (yes, a contemporary term) gourmet growth to flavor their eggs and pasta. It then became noble until modern days, though still rare.
Now the wisdom. When is it desirable to eat something as is, when to preserve, and when to apply heat? How? How hot? How long? Culinary geniuses got it all figured out.
See that tagliolini, Piedmontese style, smothered in Perigord black truffles and rolling in gorgeous Parmigiano Reggiano?
Love is never far from an Italian dish. Tajarin is the Piedmontese term for tagliolini, the long, thin pasta —the Italian King Victor Emmanuel II’s infatuation. His lover and later wife Rosa Vercellana hand-made it for him. And allegedly, a pasta sheet is best when flattened by a woman’s bottom instead of a rolling pin. Allegedly!
Indulged in 84 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano, I’ve “swooned” before. Swooning now.
That’s right, brined with Mediterranean sea salt and aged 7 years.
Someone carefully turned over the 84-lbs wheel of cheese every 7 days, so the white crystals make the cheese willingly crumble on the palate… Aging 24 months is gourmet. Aging 7 years is out of this world…
Oh, that wonderful warmth goes all the way through our bodies and touches our hearts. The pasta that parts our lips, nothing can replace.
Chef Nicolas even adds a black truffle sauce (with chicken stock, butter, and a bit of egg yolk) to the bottom, just to bring in that extra flavor.
Out there in the gardens, fresh spring is in the air. Ahh, the lovely green pea shoots reappear with the incredibly tender grilled guinea fowl breast (such magic with the Konro grill), and leg mixed with truffles and cream.
Every dish is a creation Chef Nicholas and his team can be proud of. Much more than plating, food is a chef’s language.
As pickled mustard seeds cheerily pop in my mouth, I savor the last Perigord black truffle. The winter truffle season is over by March. Summer truffles are coming. You see, nature caters even when we want more. Abundance incessant, we share the chef’s passion with nature’s passion.
A wise member of my family reminds me:
Food is Love. And that IS tradition.
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© Pseu Pending (Seu) 2022
