Culinary Artistry

(Spring)

WATERCRESS oranges walnuts
oregano
beets parsley puree
chicory thyme
eggs vinaigrette raw
endive
mustard

YAMS (See also SWEET POTATOES) (Winter)

apricots persimmons maple

butter

YOGURT honey radishes
mint raspberries
apples nuts, especially hazel- strawberries
bananas watercress
blueberries nuts
carrots oats
coconut OnI o ns
cucumber peache,
granola

194 A

ZUCCHINI and Ricotta (Spring- Summer)
cilantro
anchovies cinnamon parsley
basil cloves pesto
bread crumbs cream pignoli
butter dill rosemary
cayenne eggplant sage
cheese, especially Feta, garlic salmon
hazelnuts tarragon
Gruyere, Parmesan, lemon thyme
marjoram tomatoes
vinegar
mint walnuts
mushrooms
bake
.olive oil fry

omans saute
oregano

Tinga de Verduras: An Earthenware Casserole of Grilled Zucchini and
Woodland Mushrooms with Smoky Roasted Tomato Sauce, Fresh Cheese,
Avocado, and White Rice-Rick Bayless
Sauteed Zucchini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes-Susanna Faa

Baked Eggplant, Zucchini and Parmigiano Tort'no-{v1lchael Romano

Parmesan-Fned Zucchini with White Bean Hummus-Lyd a St -e

1

---S-E-A--:S::-:O::--:N~I::N:-:G~M;-A;:T;'Cr.:;H-';E~S:MMA D E -, N- H E AVEN

ACHIOTE meat, white rice
pork
chicken
fish

ALLSPICE grains spinach
lamb squash
beef meats stews
beets onions sweet potatoes
cabbage pumpkin tomatoes
carrots rabbit turnips
corned beef soups
fruit pies
game

ANCHOVY pizza puttanesca
tapenade
Caesar salad potatoe~
pissaladlere

ANISEED caulitlower melon
... _ert sauerkraut
heet seafood
breads fl h
cabbage
carrOb

BASIL omon~ hellfish, especially crah

cheese, e pecially pa ta ~auces and shrImp
Mozzarella and peto soups
Parme an pimiento sweet peppers
pizza tomatoes
chicken pork turtle soup
duck potatoes veal
eggplant rabbit vegetable , especially
salad green ,
egg Mt..Jiterranean
especially dandelion vinegars
fish and rocket zucchini
lamb
liver
olive oil

If I had to choose Just one plant for the whole herb garden I shou d be c •

tent WIth basIl Bast! enhances almost anythmg WIth wh ch t s coo ed
-E zabel Da d

196 yA

I

BAY LEAF pates soups
stews
reans potatoes terrines
game risotto tomatoes
grains shellfish
lentils shellfish

BEANS, FERMENTED BLACK tomatoes
fish poultry
soups
CAPERS omons turnips

fish rIce
qUd,h
CARAWAY pork ,wcerme..J{'
potatoes
bread, especially rye sauerkraut peas
cabbage sausage, rewed fruit
cheese, especially
po[,)wes
Muenster
rlU.'
CARDAMOM lentils
meat ~arJmc
chicken
coffee pea, tomatoe
currIe,
duck

CASSIA cou_cou,
apple,
chocolate lentil,

CAYENNE fi,h
chee e JlIce~
Corn lob,ter
crah onions
pepper
'grlJnt

CEl ERY SEEDS peas stuffing,
potatoes tomatoes
eggplant
eggs soups
fish spinach
tomatoes
CHERVIL fish veal
peas venIson
asparagus potatoes
carrots salads
cheese sauces
chicken
eggs

CHILES corn pineapple
fruit, especially CItrus nce
bananas ketchup
heans

chutney~

CHIVES ... alad~ sole
hdlfl h 'ours
fl,h
p(.ratoe)

CHOCOLATE, BITTER

roultr~

game rar! It

CILANTRO (CORIANDER LEAVES)

avocado m,,~unnal'C aha.,
chicken ,hellfi,h
fhh pcpper tl101at(}Cs
pork
Ice cream nee Y°l!urt
lamb root vegetable
lentils salads

I ve used fresh leaf conander. which IS vaguelyamsey. m fce cream

w th a fig tart It s a very mce combmatlon

d 6'f S (;r

1

CINNAMON coffee oranges
custards pears
apples fruit compotes rice
tea
at'goiemono lamb zucchini
mulled wine
berries
chicken
chocolate

CINNAMON BASIL fruit veal

creme anglaise

I use cmnamon basil to flavor poaching liqUids for frUlf.-Llndsey Shere

CLOVES lamb tea

apples mmcemeat tomatoes
beets pumpkin walnuts, candied
game sausage wine, especially mulled

ham fruit ~tuffing

COCONUT orange~ tomatoe-

chicken lamb turke~
lentils
custard pork potatoes
nee
CORIANDER lamb -ausages
lentib soups
curry peas tew
pickles
fish pork - mud next
ham

CUMIN

beans
chicken
couscous

CUlT)

eggplant

fl h

CUMIN (continued)

Anyone who loves the food of MeXICO loves cumm which IS usually com-
bmed with chiles and peppers in that country In Colombia and other parts 1')/

South America, you'll see cumin combined with cilantro and scallion If)

Morocco. you 'll see it with cinnamon. red peppers. and saffron. And In India

you 'lI see it combined with cardamom and coriander.
So one spice can take you to many countries, depending on what you do

with It It becomes a question of where you want to be what country you
want to be m. when you cook with that spice.-Lydia Shire

DILL cream sauces scallops
eggs seafood
beets fish sour cream
breads lamb tomatoes
cabbage pickles veal
carrots potatoes
chicken salmon
crayfish
cucumbers

011115 not an herb I m crazy about. so I don't like chopped dill In a dish. But
/'1/ cook something like salmon on a bed of It. and the fragrance It Imparts IS

enough.-Dan e BOJlud

FENNEL herring sauerkraut
lenub sausage
boUillabaz se pork sea hass
mackerel seafood
cabbage olives soup
chicken pork suckling pig
cucumher poultry
duck red mullet tomaroe~
eggs alami
figs veal

fish

goose

FENUGREEK legumes rabbit
potatoe
chicken
curries

A

GARUC beets rice

beans cabbage ehelIftIh

beef chicken .pnach

eggplant to'DatcM'"

fish zucc:hini
lamb

lentils

mushrooms

pasta

pork

potatoes

GINGER ham pumpkin

caaOll ice cream rice
melon
chicken tometoe'
onions
cbaco'are
pork
fruit
giIiFlbread

Each mgredient does a different dance. Each dish das, a .~ dE __

u"iNne anglalS6 with ginger does a soft. dreamY waltz. When , .hlnk d •
m...s'Bpa~iccBhy onpIothreksr.sdatiorn-idfnrygsuawdirdtheBagnliIneygnbesrrr.egasIktgiiCnegtdaoannuCtIrieInJtIOIwgBitthh0e1tihraeobwgitgnttIdiCtInIItI»fdIcIohoIf
will ,.,.. d
I. - J-..~""IkS"

HorIIat van Aken

ahuji H.

LAVENDER lamb stew
rabbit
fruit shellfish
ice creams veal

LEMON fish soups
oysters
chicken stews
desserts stuffings

LEMONGRASS pork mushrooms
shellfish
chicken oups
tew
fish veal

LEMON THYME , pumplcms
ribs
carrots potato puree
eggs rabbit
lamb ;,alad

LEMON VERBENA lamb

dessert up
ice cream

LOVAGE haricot bean
pork
chicken potatoe
cream cheese rabbit

f1 h soup

green

MAPLE SYRUP ham
omons
carrots
desserts

fruit



NU MEG lamb sausages, c'ipcClally
mutton blood and pork
brocco li pasta
cabbage potatoes souffles
carro ts pumpkin spinach
cauliflower raIsIns stuffings
cheese ricotta cheese veal
custards
eggs nce quail
fruits rabbit
sausage
OREGANO mushrooms tomatoes
pasta veal
artichokes peppers zucchini
beans pl::a
chicken pork shellfish
eggplant potatoe· strogdnoff
fi"h and fhh 'Oup' veal
lamh
nee
PAPRIKA ~ ula h
~cofooJ
cauhtl \\;cr 1mb
chICken snalb
cr. b ne romatoe
fish tC\\ :ucchinl

PARSLEY mu hr In shrimp
mu el
chi ken
eggplam p ta
egg
fih pe
game
lenni potatoe
poultry

PEANUTS noodle

beef
chicken

rc PER, BLACK pork steaks
poultry strawberries
cheese roast beef tomatoes
eggs veal
fish salad
game sausages rice
lamb sausages
pfefferniiesse soup
walnuts
PISTACHIOS leeks

asparagus pasta
chicken
ice cream pates

POMEGRANATE SYRUP

beef game
duck lamb

POppy SEEDS fruit nce
noodles
breads
curries

ROSEMARY lamb poultry
mushrooms salmon
beans, especially dried ontons spinach
and fava oranges steaks
peas veal
chicken pork suckling pig
fish, oily (e.g., macker- potatoes

el, sardines)

game
grains

I remember makmg a rosemary and muscat wme sherbet almost twenty

years ago -lindsey Shere

ROSEWATER fruit salad ice creams
strawberries
cream cheese ICe
cu tard

SAFFRON mussels shellfish
bouillabaIsse paella soup
chicken nce tomatoes
curries risotto
fish sauces roasts
lamb stuffings
offal tomatoes
SAGE peas tuna
duck pork veal
eggplant poultry
fish ravioli peas
game poultry, grilled
goose lamb rabbit
liver legume- soups
lentil
SAVORY meat , gnlleJ shellfish
tahini
beans
chicken liver soups
egg stuffings
goat chee
potatoe
SESAME SEEDS fi h
halvah
bread lamb
chicken noodle
chickpe
eggplant

SORREL meats
poultry
egg shellfl h

fih fruit

lentil

SOUR CREAM

borscht
caviar

A

STAR ANISE leeks poultry
pastry pumpkin
chestnutS pears scallops
duck pork shrimp
eggs
fish kebabs lentils

SUMAC lamb pears
lentils poultry
chicken peaches nce
fish

TAMARIND

chicken
curries
fish

TARRAGON fish, especially salmon salads
ole
artichokes lobster spinach
beamaise sauce meats, white stuffings
carrots mushrooms tomatoes
chicken onions veal
crustaceans, especially potatoes
rabbit
lobster
eggs

THYME goat cheese pork
lamb potatoes
beef lentlls soups
carrots onions tomatoes
chicken peas venison
figs
fish

TURMERIC lamb paella
lentils nce
beans meats, white shellfish
chicken
curry

D 20

V NILLA fish plums
fruit shellfish
apples ice cream souffles
aprico ts
chocolate
custards

VINEGAR, BALSAMIC

steaks st rawberries tomatoes

You can get tIred of balsamIc vmegar-It's one of those overused mgredl-
ents. Many trendy restaurants use a lot more balsamIc vmegar than any
Itahan restaurant ever would.-Mark Pee'

WASABI sushi

sashimi

- - - --- - ---------------- - - -- -
AROUND THE WORLD WITH FLAVORS

If you'd like to cook with flavors and ingredients inspired by a certain part of the
world, refer to this list:

AFRICAN garlic peanuts
grains of paradise
chiles
cumin

ARGENTINIAN chorizo cumtn
com nce
beef
chiles

ARMENIAN yogurt

parsley

AUSTRALIAN shellfi h tropical fruits and
vegetables
fish
meats

AUSTRIAN paprika poppy seeds

cream cheese garlic rice
omons limes scallions

BRAZILIAN pineapple~ romatoe

beans, black hot ~auce
eafood
chtles
cilantro

CAJUN

chll

eray£: h

209

CANADIAN

maple

CANTONESE pork shark skin
scallions soy sauce
ginger
mushrooms pineapples
nuts plantains
pork
CARIBBEAN glI1ger rum
gua\'3S seafood
allspice Jerk sligar
lime.; sweet potatoes
avocad()~ mace tomatoes
vanilla
hananas mangot.:~
beam, e~peCially red seafood
chile· mlI1t
cilantro nutmeg tomatoe~
clI1namon okr.l
clove papa)Ol hnmp
coconut pa ton fruit now pea
curry soy auce
garlic star ani e

CHILEAN onion tofu
orange
cllantw plmlent< vlOegar, nee wane
crn wine, rice
garit nee
meat

CHINESE g.mger

bll hOI \I1
bean prout
bok choV mushroom
cardamom nce
c la scallion
conander se ame
garlic hmake

oA

Susanna Foo on Cross-Cultural Ingredient
Substitutions/Enhancements

In Americanizing her Chinese cuisine, Susanna Faa learned to make sub-
stitutions of readily available ingredients that were in many cases of better
quality and flavor than the authentic ingredients available.

Ingredient Substitution/Enhancement
bamboo shoots
dried leaf cabbage artichoke hearts
hoisin sauce
oyster sauce sun-dried tomatoes
peanut or sesame oil hoisin sauce enhanced with brandy
rice vinegar
oyster sauce enhanced with onions
nee wme
soybean or corn oil; olive oil (in salads)
S:eehuan peprers
soy sauce balsamic vinegar (in salads and stews)
cider vinegar (in sauces)

brandy (with rork)
gin (wIth fish)
Madeira (with red meat and game)
vermouth (wIth fbh, shellfish, ;md whIte meat)
vodka (with fi~h, "hellfi"h, ,md white meat)
whIskey (with rork)

t-lexlGm ancho chIles

Kikkoman 0\ sauce

COLOMBIAN ontons tomatoes

coconut rlmiento~
com
o\t\'cs
CORSICAN

BrocclO cheL'Se
emu frUI

po

CREOLE okra seafood
pineapples spices
alcohol rum to ma t o
bananas
chiles cream potatoes
dill tarragon
DANISH
seafood saffron
butter turmeric
chives curry
mint potatoes
DUTCH Worcestershire sauce
"arne
fish mu tan'! saffron
-esame
EAST INDIAN 03 \'antlla

aromatics gmger
coconut JunIper heme
coriander mu tard
nutmeg
ENGLISH poppy eed

bacon mushroom
chec e
cucumber

dill

EUROPEAN

caraway
cmnamon
clove
coriander
fennel

FINNISH

milk

212 A

FRENCH cream parsley
eggs stock
apples garlic tarragon
butter herbs truffles
cheese olive oil wine
chervil
chives

White wme, cream, and the delicate herb known as tarragon are three of the
foundations for classic French cuisine.--Craig Claiborne

GERMAN mustard sorrel

caraway seeds pepper thyme
vinegar
dill poppy seeds

juniper berries

GREEK marjoram parsley
nee
cinnamon mint
spinach
clove olive oil
garlic olives thyme
goat cheese orepno
honey tomatoes
lemon OUZO
yoeurt

HUNGARIAN mushrooms

bacon onions
beets
caraway seed. paprika
penley
dill

IIIiIe f Mel ...,EM'"

. e' M p i s -1 , _, I > 1,

INDONESIAN cumin mint
curry peanuts
basil garlic nee
brown sugar ginger soy sauce
chiles lemongrass sugar
cilantro lime
cinnamon yogurt
coconut rice
saffron rye
IRANIAN
spinach
almonds tomatoes
aromatics vinegar, especially red

IRISH oysters wtne
potatoes
cabbage pepper
oats
ugar
ITALIAN olive oil vinegar, rice
oregano wasabi
basil pancetta wine, rice
cheese, e pecially rna • pasta
r emary
carpone, Mozzarella

and Panne an

garlic

JAMAICAN jerk

all pice
gtnger

JAPANESE scallions
sesame
garlic shiitakes
gInger soy sauce
nce
salce

14

A

oregano peanuts

marjoram soy sauce

KOREAN sesame potatoes
nee
brown sugar
chiles lemongrass

LATIN AMERICAN corn parsley
garlic tomatoes
achiote
beans, red plantains pork
chiles nce
scallions
LEBANESE sesame oil tomatoes
vanilla
bulgur

MAL YSIAN chiles

cardamom
coconut

MEDITERRANEAN garlic
olive oil
anchovies
coriander

MEXICAN com
cumm
avocados
beans epazote
chiles
chocolate garlic
cilantro lime
cmnamon peppers

21

p ng

MIDDLE EASTERN fenugreek pomegranates
garlic poppy seeds
anise h oney saffron
chiles lemon sesame
ci lan t ro mint sumac
cinnamon olive oil tahini
coriander oregano tamarind
cumin parsley tomato
dill pignoli yogurt
eggplant
fennel mint
olives
MOROCCAN cumm onions
eggplant saffron
almonds fruit tomato
chickpeas ginger
cilantro harissa
cinnamon lemon, dried
coriander
couscous

NORTH AFRICAN garlic mint
gram of paradise
conander lemon rill el hanout
cumm
fenugret:k saffron

NORWEGIAN hernng sour cream
almon
cod
dill

PAKISTANI nce spices
tomatoes
fruit lime
legume omons

PERUVIAN
chiles
com

PHILIPPINE soy sauce vmegar

garlic sauerkraut
rice sour cream

POLISH mushrooms potatoes
potatoes nee
dill
fish cod plantains
kielbasa eggs
garlic tomatoes
PORTUGUESE olive oil
potatoes
cabbage sour cream
chiles
chorizo pepper
cilantro potatoes
vinegar
PUERTO RICAN lime

achiote
ginger

ROMANIAN root vegetables

garlic

RUSSIAN dill
mushrooms
beets parsley
cabbage
caraway seeJs

SCANDINAVIAN dill
horseradish
butter mushrooms
chives
cream

c p sn a 217

SCOTTISH potatoes scallion s
t u r m e ri c
oats coconut
onions fruits, especially tropical
SINGAPOREAN garlic
rice
chiles
cinnamon red curry

SOUTH AMERICAN chorizo
coriander
allspice com
beans
chiles

SOUTH SEAS gmger

coconut

SOUTHEAST ASIAN gmger scallions
lemongr turmeriC
chtle nutmeg
curry leaes
garltc

SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES

chile clove nuts
amse cumin
nce
caJeta fruit • especially tropical
cinnamon age
Jumper bernes

SPANISH coriander oranges
cumin
almonds prIic: papnka
anchoVies nuts parsley

beans olive oil peppen
pork
capers olav
nee
chtles OOIQI05
chocolate
cinnamon

saffron sweet peppers turmeric
tomatoes vanilla
seafood
cinnamon reindeer
SRI LANKAN
sausages
cardamom
pomegranates
SWEDISH juniper berries
peanuts
dill
gravlax Szechuan pepper

SWISS chocolate
meats
bacon

cheese

SYRIAN pistachios
peppers, especially red

pignoli

SZECHUAN ginger

chiles leeb
fathlaUCC

prlic

mint

....peanua

pewer

,.,.,ind

umeric:









a single song but rflther the
entire concert. Still , a menu IS
more than merely a hst of <.il hes.
At its best, it communicate a
chef's personality and point of
view, and offers a significant
opportunity for artistic expres_
sion. The writing of a menu can
be approached as poetry or liter-
ature, with the aim of ChOOsing
words that impart meaning to

the expen.ence f the dish or heighten diners' expectation of it , or amuse
.'
0,

t hem W.ith a humorous or clever twist on looking at It. A menu should eXcite
the palate, starting with the very words chosen to describe the dishes. A

menu can tell a story, just as a theater or opera performance can, such as the

story of an ingredient, a region of the world, or a tlme In history. The phYSI-

cal menu itself should also be aesthetically pleaSing. Menus in history, In fact,
have sen'ed as showcase_ for the artistic talent of the likes of Manet and

Picasso.

However, the art f camp ing a menu i~ too often overiookeJ. For

example, the food media frequently place mllch more emphasis on the recipe
for and pre entation 01 a Ingl I h th n on It, rldce In the pruce '~Ion of a

menu that tll!!h It. And con umen 111 hd re ulre I m "h.lw-it-your-way"

expectatlon on the p rt of r taur nt dmer who now count on ha\'lOg the

freed m to rder \\hat vcr the} "ant whenever the\' want it Unf rtunatelh

diner - ha\e thereb robbed (hem elve 01' th» expeneme of culinary .utl t '

full expre Ion of their ( lent through the coml ed mcnu which ilrc the

be t exem la of (hclr cUlm. Chez Pam e 1 alone among leadmg rbtau-

rants In It pollq of offenno a 10 Ie menu-"lth lit cholces--tO alii JlII-

er, ahhou h other n: taurant m ffer chef' t rmg menu that I deter-

mmed at the ch f' JI retlon,

The pnnclpl com 10 ' a menu tern from the dire t) m IXlffilZe

[he Impact on both the palate and the per n over contmuum of time. How

can rhe} bes en) ) a ene f ta tc and texture ? The Ide of gradmg i.lnJ

equence-pr gr 109 10 a meal from lighter to hca\ ler JI he and from "hlte

to red .... m ,for example-t\o!\'e from thl de lTe. What the palare hex!' -

nenced 10 the pre\ IOU dl h" III 10 fact ffeet it) enjoyment of (h current n

(A .... eet dl h eaten after a "eeter ne" n't t te W et a .... h nth

e are o;ened 10 the feVe~ rdef, £ rex mple.) And h ).... n
e~penen e he be ten) ) ed' Cenamly It helps ( ha\C Wcl I

t at I ppealmg t ) all the n ,with the )(x! n d n pi

4

-hll1,l, n b.:'anuutrtatutleusrusrrtoougnedthinegrss,erpveerhaaspts11ewciothn appropriate music. Of course,
1d tro11m' g rlorces W h 0 ensure th at
l_

-h.:b ,111 'rte1s,tal experience IS as pleasurable as POSSI'ble.

L -,
h.: dmJu.:srt:, appreCl'ab le I' mpact
asl a fra.me will have a subtle but on how we
t

' ting within it, so do the accoutrements of a meal affect our aes-

\.j.:W, the pam'.:nce of it. The appointments of the table-from the centerpiece
rhetle exren'are-affect our reception of the food that is served in its pres-
w~g~I Weven the eating utenst"ls, whICh may range from polt'shed st'iver to
el1ee, as ddachopsticks. (We were once pleasantly and memorably served just a
la,cquerhe of a fragrant broth in flat Ch.mese-style'white spoons as an amuse-

SiP eae
ule by Manhattan chef Ed Brown!)

gue This is not to say that composing a menu applies only to twelve-course

, gs I'n fine surroundings. Imagine the same level of thought and care
arapsptltined to a lunch break or a weekend picnic! The art of composing a menu
has to do with making the most of the food experience, no matter how brief

or modest. It has to do with designing the overall food experience-not only

through a series of dishes but through thoughtful attention to each compo-

nent of a menu {which may also include such items as wines, specialty teas

and coffees, bread, and cheese} as well a~ its pre,~enration (whether in a pic-

nic basket or on Bemardaud china~). The purpoe of provlJing some of the
principles of menu composition I~ not to put chef~ into ,tralt)nckct" of rule-

following but to liberate their creath'e Imaginari n through a m re complete

understanding of cui mary C3U"e and effect.

The Menu as Shared Experience ·'\Y./e've I r rh t en~e

oi the menu. a com-

position." says Mark Miller. "The Idea of a holt tic exrertcnce, a hared per-

ceptual experience. as opp eJ to 'orJerinu omething'-I think that' part oi
what food has lo~t. 1t\ becl me commercial. Women ch fs In particular are

much more attached to menu:>. The' are, I believe, much more concerned

With creating a eme of family,

the bonding of food and [he

SOCial rroce" and the menu

Itself and how thmgs How from

One thmg to the other. There's

an emotional quotient to food

that I thmk women understand

better than men."

In the earl) day~ of Che:
Pan , M, I'ller recall, "It wa

mc.e because e\ el)one came for

p aM 22

. h b' l' t order. There wa~ this feeling of shared (intlcl_
paamtL,OenaI-, without t e acomI Im,tyg d'Idn't actU:1IIYknow
110 eople m'0 t someth ing where they
P, 0 the room, you'd ee
"
h hey were gomg to get, he says, "Looking across d

w at t 'h thing and everyone be ing surpnse ,and everyone
everyone eatmg t e sa m e , , h h'
'Ch Pan isse experi en ce rather t an t elf own expeTl_
being athpeal'rrt 0f a date,eztheir own famil y, the ir own busm' ess meeti'nTg. hey
ence- own

were part of a larger whole."

Menu Planning in World History

China cold hot dishes

France entree salad
cheese dessert
Germany
Great Britain,S feu: or no hors d'oellvres
Iud) , U. S.
Japan des:ert cheese course

alad entree

mIld spicy dishes

The principles behind menu

The Principle of the Thing compo ition are useful to under-

-tanding how to de ign a meal for maximum effect. Even if doing so involve

breaking the rule put forward, at lea tit' bemg done with con dous inten-

tion In tead of haphazard whIm, with the hoped.for result being the maxi·

mizatlon of plea ure on the part of the dmer.

orne of the key factor underlymg menu compo luon mclude the

season, both for it Impact on the Ingredients that are at thear peak and the
usual daily weatheT/temperature; the guests; the OCCasion or theme; and the

availability of time and other resource . Grading (an ascension of flavors and
texture from Irghter and milder to heaVier and stronger), conmuCS (m
color, texture, and temperature, for example), and the non...,.epttUIO" of
ingredient and gaml hes {unless for COnsciOUS effect} are all Important
Gue ts should leave the table tWled, never hurriedly ruahed nor unc

fortably full.

Examples of Grading Principles in a Menu

light rich textures
delicate full-bodied consistencies
strong flavors
subtle simple flavors
complex brown meats
dark breads
white red (more complex) wines
white dark chocolates
white (simpler)
light

'Tis the Season "Menu planning is something that people do
at home, for themselves and when they're

cooking for family and friends," notes Altce Waters. "It's very, very impor-

tant to understand the principles, I think. And a complex thing to do." For
Waters, there's no question where the process start. The first factu, m ,.,Jttmg together a menu is the

"Obviously, it's what's in the market, what' eason- season. With Its particular produce and style of

a!. That's number one," she says. "I jmt go and look, cookmg the season provides the keynote for the

and I really don't decide before I look. What If what whole meal
I wanted wasn't ripe, or wasn't there! I have orne Currc SKy
ideas, of course; when you get used to domg thl , YOU look through boob

and get Ideas, and then go to the market.
"When I'm doing a menu, I'm thtnkmg about what kind of day It is,

what I feel like eating. If it's cold, do 1feel like eatmg some w(lrm oup, or If
it's hot outside, do I crave something \'ery ,irople hke a tomato ~alaJ? Then

Immediately I think about what ete need~ to be with that," a):, Waters.

Once cheL know the larder L)f ingredient that are

The Audience availahle and of the bbt quality, they mu~t rrive to

present them in ways that Will be~t plea_e their cu~tomeL. "The compO~ltlon of

a menu should ret1ect who you are aHumg the menu for," ay· Dante! Boulud.

Charlte Palmer belie\'c;s that chefs hould undeNanJ how their client

feel and know \\ hat they like, and not assume that everyone in the arne party

ha Imllar preferences. "For example, one of our good customer lo\'e~ to ~tart

u; With fme gras and Sauterne. It' perfect for huu," say Palmer, "but hi
W1ile w uld prerler a I.mpIealad, ~erved with ~omethmg aCidI.C. Our .Job.I to

r ea e each cu tamer."

CHEFS ON TH

(:arnru- Cumumkv E""fficl' .1(1/>,l1IC "

colJ entrt-c kai"'k, 1
(or salad)
()y~h' rs or ll1ll ku ~ II
vegetable hot entree t:,itv.ar or
soup ( ,11\ ;l SS(
or soup slI\oh'd salm -
roasted or Iln or hnl 01 IIlly
braised fillet
hors d'0(,IWT(,5 ,lIe ,klt
of beef with
IjOIlI' s('f\ '~d 1
lazedvegera
bles or rice SOliI'
andjILs

poached or fish fish .s"shimi

patineed fish
or fish stew

sorbet relevc.s

HE ORDER OF A MENU

~ CicOTgt.? (]enll0n Terrance Terrance
Brennan Brennan's
111<'<11 and Jo/llmnl' comments
amuses, e.g.,
I kc /('{l"cn smoked salmon You want it to be interesting,
or scallops, but nut to take their
( 'rlllll' l\l (1))1II.ll·' ·gHl'ltles , hearts of palm breath away.
salad
cl.,b"r- SlIl' h ,h pa,'l,LI
soup or
e a ,' ,,',, ) Iwr.l d ' Ol'ltt'Tl" appcti zer,
1"11 h s"h~ c.g. , oysters
..,'r "C'PI'UllIllO
foie gras
"H'P'

:Int'I""'",
....g.. \, ~" hd

I he lighter
prep'Harioll uf
pasta ur rtsotto

rhe heaVIer
preparation of
pasta or risotto

i fish, light (sea You want to progress with
bass, hali but) flavors, serving the more

to heavy (cod, delicate fish first, followed hy

salmon, tuna) the stronger fish. YclU could

start with sea has" in a

vinaigrette, follouoeJ by

scallops u'ith black [ruIIk,.

followed bv salmon u'ilh

hOTserLuitsh

n. \~'S I ("'..1 knd 111.1111 C. Hlr~l' III (.'111 n.'c:-; grilled I
"'u h \-Cl.!cr ... hles
I'llUltl \, 1ll\';1f rill' di.,
l' .g. ,,,,
g ..lli" tl1h~
TllI'" '''
pasr JI (,,,1.1,1\ n ';1~1 tHt.':\(
it lilt
<,II,hl lll" g~une
tt', \
~" la,1

\"'g"t:lhlc~

(,lit I,'IIW!"

, hl'l'~"S

(k . ." , l t d,'s'l'l t d,'$~l:1 t

(/>(11/\$,'11<'. Ill'

c'1l';11lI III hllitl

Ct .Ik,', j'c'flll

t~I\OI, .mel
ell< leI ,1.It"~

IiqUl'urs and 'flirt!'

Inc..·~'t nl~in cour~e, rneat or If po"ible, 1 like to leave It

t'.~., rneat galne up to tile guest to select wltat

tlley want-beef, lamb, (yf

game.

,ll cheeses May be served in a fruit soup.
,hi wrbet
dessert
'liP

dessert

coffee You want guests to have
petits fours something sweet with their
coffee.
chocolates
At the very end of the meal,
it's another little surprise
that allows you to surpass
all expectations.

In order to meet the needs of his customers, Daniel Boulud ensure~ that

the lunch and dinner menus at Restaurant Daniel provide reduced-calorie
selections, such as the following:

Appetizers

Artichoke Stuffed with Leeks, Beets, and Horseradish VinaigTette
Lobster Salad with Cucumber, Tomato, Romaine Lettuce

and a Yogurt Mint Dressing

Sliced Sea Scallops Steamed v.'ith Lemon Grass and Vegetables

Main Courses

Warm Chicken Salad tlith Young Spinach, Artichokes, Tomato,
and Q Shallot) us

Gnlled Salmon m a Fennel, Citrtls, and Star Anise Broth
Roasted Free-Range Chicken WIth Hcer and Sour Lemon Sauce,

Gla;:ea Carrots. and Yoan,!; Scallions

J c G ld tcm ree that chef: hould try to know who they're cook-

me for. "Bee u th n )OU can e luc them~" he l.mghs. "If you know they

t k ~ nd rfu1 trI to Greece I t ) e.lr, you (em reawaken their memories
b, f\ 10 a Gre -10 plred menu. Or VOU l-cm Imply cook them a favorite
dl h th t u kn (urn them on, nd et It in front of them without saying
a \\ rd. Feedm e pI I h·c ndm them a lo\e letter."

Ih t J ,01 tem h p for in re pon e! "When a plate I set

do~n m front th m, I \\ant their e)e [0 light up and for them to say,

o Joh" II he a . AnJ on e the) ta te it, I want them [0 smile and ay,

'Ahhhl' "

Th omeflme a particular ingredient serves as the
enu emes theme for an enure menu. Ahce Waters was partie-

ularl m plred by a meal he'd had 10 a Japanese restaurant. "I had a ftsh that

\\a aitve, th t they hUed on the pot," he remembers. "They took the filet

ff ne Ide nd grilled It. and the other id was hced for sashlml ri8ht on

th c unter And the bone were deep-fried It a great idea for

und tandmg that fISh. and an Inspiration for menu

- Rick Bayless

FRONTERA GRIll and TOPOlOBAMPO
Chicago. llJinOO

M menu works well, I believe, because it unveils snapshots of personalities, histoties, and emotions from a
~ place. There is a vivid Oaxac:m melody that runs throu~ the whole, staning with the brash and smoky
c;hilts pasi/las oamquenos. stuffed With shredded pork, nestled mto tangy greens, and soothed with 80ft and

saUCy black beans· All the fire and tang resolve into the comfort of creamy, luxurious squash blossom soup,

then the flavors begin to swell with the charcoaled shrimp. roasted vegetables, and tender little dumplings, all

<foused with the COOCerltrated verdant herbiness of the classic Oaxaca green mole. Black mole captivates all

the I1C1I8eS with its inky rich complexity over the savoriness of roast lamb and the sweetness of nut-austed

pIanIIIin wrta. giving twO backgrounds against which to enjoy it. Dessert, I feel, after this thrill of t1avon,

sbouId bring you to a restful spot-but not one that is totally recognizable. The homey, comforting texture of

the trifle is perfumed with orange and the almost-known tropical flavor of mamey. Springing from a pool of
ailMOD prickly-pear sauce, the duscrt combines both what we're hoping fot and where we'd like to be.

Quacan Fiesta

I)inner at the Beard House in April 1996

Coctel Marimba A blend of metcal. grapefnm jIda. sangrita. and lime.
~ Oomcan Metcal from Encantado

PaIHround appetUen

...__ de AmIril1o-Cnae" {mit mtIS4 a.movm filled UIida cJoesic ,eh mole,

sIa..Mrd cItiden. and hoja santa

.'1au,.daI en Miniatura Tot1iDas crisped (MJ' an otJen jiTe.

liffWir:l tuich Oa·.. an serine c:Itt:eK, dtorito. and x....aoIe
"*" ...~~P.7" g'n pled tuich ,. diIe w,rnbleund"""'"
M ..- cAne

Dinner

IS.-",,"'"_~S..,o."'""'''I': d·'rjilW .... sIa,dW,..r-
_M,+hr iF

. .iHI.........../r8. . u 'J. _ _

-- -

Joadlllll l'liCh,\1

PATIN A
Los Angeles, C altfonua

Both special menu offerings were designed with the tastes and desire5 of
Patina's Los Angeles clientele in mind. When we first opened for lunch, we
had a lot of people who came constantly-they'd have three lunches here in
a row. When you do that on a day-to-day basis, you want to eat light. You

can't just eat things full of butter and calories.
Some customers see angel hair pasta with tomato and basil as light. I

think of broiled fish or vegetarian dishes as definitely light, and maybe more
satisfying. The Garden Menu was developed to highlight the best available
produce, while the Crustacean Menu was a way to offer a lighter menu which

did not rely on vegetables alone.
I've been a consultant to Canyon Ranch, a spa in Tucson and the

Berkshires, and when you're trying to come up with three meals for 1000
calories, that's a big challenge. There's no dairy, no salt, no high-fat dishes.
Most of the meal are chicken, and most of the time you enhance the food
from a pa tandpoint with onion, leek, scallion, lemongrass, vinegar, mus-

tard, and a lot of different herb.
When you're cookmg for a pa, everything you think about cooking you

can't think anymore. But at Patina, 1 do whatever 1 want. There are no

re trictions, so we often enhance the natural flavor of ingredients with a lit-

tle butter and cream.

"I guess that' a lot of what we do at Olez Panisse celebrate one veg-

etable or meat or another," says Waters. "WIth spnng lamb, you'll think about

a menu that goes around that lamb. 111 think about what' growing at the same

time that that httle lamb was, and probably end up With asparagus and spong

onions. I always look up classic prql8f8t1Oll1 c:llamb and how people cook It In

the spring-baking It m the hay, for exampIe-to inlpare what we might do.-
c:I place. Daniel Boul..d
Other malU thanea are inIpired by •

recalls a wild game dinner he evolved &om (!CIIIIOIIlIDi to pili

a small game bUd 10 a cI hairY

'7ocontanue

Joach m Spi hal who collects Dlblraoac"f-aI1Cf.l"'!f8

ph og aphy, be leves outltide "*1fW8f11

ng



. h ther or nctaoobmtleimt'swogneocirnaengmtba.orrkebaeIkchdueolatwur'rnaabltlhoyeucstoermfreeyacrtmf.ueIltnstuour.rtnPosefoObpUlat~~rfthl>ea'Irit,',
oI.tuI.tSwboercrayumsgeiw1ereeta the
amo,ng us. It's the IDOSt
'This is unlike any menu I'm used to see mg, and 1can t make up my mind.' And

I'll say, 'GoodI Come back again.' "

To begin a menu , Daniel Boulud like

The Pacing of Courses to begin with a soup. "1 love soup," h:

says. "In the summer, I'll start with a cold soup, and in the winter, a hot one.

My restaurant menu will typically have twO or three soups ,~n it, and some.

times I run as many as twO or three soups as dally specials. Next, typically,

might come a salad. "Salads offer an opportUnity for different compositIons

and styles," says Boulud. "In the spring I like doing a crab salad with mango

and cucumber served with mint and coriander dressing and crushed peanuts.

It's healthy a•n~dasreedfreshing." "1 certainly have the French and Italian way of

The palate should be e c. h

surprised. excited ttJroughoul a mea looking at a menu," says Alice Waters. "I like a llttle

_p. rd 0 ey .omething w begin. I'd put fish before a meat COurse,

probably. But I'm not ngid about that. I could imagine putting an appeti:er of

sliced pro ciuttn and melon before a gnlled piece of fish with an olive sauce or

something. And I \\ould eat a alad hdnre the entree as a first coure, or if I were

hadng a lmle longer meal, I'd eat It ,lttcr. And <;()metimes I eat it with, these

day~. I kind a like the Idea (t ,1,1LI \\ Ith ,1 me, t Jlh. It help~ to prov ide a little
contrast "nd cut the rrdll1e~ of the me t, til ha\'e ""lad with vmalgrett~.

"\ Itke m 11 rnon. Or I Itke people tn he ahle to help themsehel
from a plJtter an I take wha the~ wOllllltke; th,H'~ Ideal for me," ~ays Waters.

"I don't wanr people to end up bcmg tull- ,Ltl~ticd, ye~, but not full. "

L)dia hire agrc:e that the ~Ize of portiun~ can he very unpurtJOl.

"Certam thlOgs hould be erved 10 deb Ite .lmounb," ~a~ Shtrt:. "L fren,

\\ hen \ order head chee e, It come 10 too thIck a slice and 10 e It Jpreal.

Or \\ hen I've had rabbit pace on my menu, ometime , cook \\ ould hce It

too thick, which I hornhle.

"On the other hand, I love thmg that arc meant to l"-e huge," he Cl un-

ter . "Like the ew York teak hou e th, t gnll thrce-pollnd lob re \\hen

they know you'll never be able to fml h them, or the big ~teak the\ e(\e
And [the Manhattan restaurant) Chn t Cella 1I ed to serve .1 whole he J f

broccob!"

me chef control portion ize through the numl"-er f c ur c:

"Our gourmand menu h an extended format-It' nlnc ((llJTC"'--

allow more freedom and flexlblltty In the con tru tlOn t eh f th

e",ay Wayne I h.' The problem Ith three-cou t nn t I rh

ba;·,ica IIY. J.a mming all of the food
those three courses.
groUps Into have an extended
Wh.en ymOUenu, you can spread
rastlng( d groupS out over f·lve,
[hose.rOeOcourses, and make each
six'.n.ldn I course more spec l.aI as
adrIainytn.'@rsdeealnaVlsmm1VuIsIo.toltrOusohaatnafJntmbaicepceeiaannnntgpe,asbaoreebafdlpledeur,ixetsousmp. erlsyani.aymtm.aelptud.giIxorI.fueinyn--.f.ashIOn.
Sometimes a dinner will have so many courses

"What I mean is that If you get m, say, fresh lan- that it's overwhelming.

. to serve it as an entree, you've probably got It's lIke you're being set for slaughter
oous nnes,everal
on the plate and add a sauce and a -Mar~ Peel
o
ro put speC.ialness
stareh. And it all takes away from the of that langoustine. But in

a multi-course format, you put that langoustine on a plate in its unadorned

beauty, the specialness that it has, that God gave it, and maybe it only

requires a little sauce to complement it, or some herbs. You're no longer

forced to crowd the plate with really extraneous things that are demanded by

the customer," says N ish

Gary Danko say!>, "Sometimes I'll get teamed with other

Contrasts chefs to prepare a meal fOf a "peCial event. In accepting, I

say I'll do so on the condition that we really work on the menu so that It flows

beautifully. I don't want to ha\'e a spicy roo~ter gumbo opening up that meal

when I'm planning to serve a delicate fillet of ,ole, r-ecause you're not going

to taste the sale. Your palate is going to be anestheslzed by all those spices."

Daniel Boulud believes it's important that dishes on a menu not over-

lap in l1avor, taste, or texture. "Each one should have its own identity, its own

character and ta te," he says.
When dNgnmg a menu, Lydia Shire sets the goal of achle\'ing a bal-

ance: "I look to see what can playoff the other elements, whether it's spicy

rer,us sweet, hot versus cold, crunchy ver~m :>oft, astnngent ver'>us fatty. In

transitionmg from one cour'e to another, you probably wouldn't want to

lerVt two meat cnur.. es in a row, or two rich cour es 10 a row. You want one

sensation and tlavor to play differently agalmt the next."
Becau e her eclectic cui,me incorporates "uch disparate influences, she

add, "I don't think I'J do a menu that rook you from France to Japan to

uth Amenca, for eXdmple--dt once, then can be toO much. J think you

hould~alT) through with a whole regional theme, But that doe n't mean you

235

Examples of Contrast s

Between Courses in a M enu

brown meat/white meat
cold/hot

cooked/raw
creamy/crisPy

dry/sauced
heat'y/tight
mild/spicy
savory/sweet

c a n ,t moder n I' e:I'·t' FlJr e.xamp le, "au m ight s erv e one Japanese Ji~h, anJ the
next Indian or Th ai-but we an y dishes u~lI1g cream (which
I ~' er\'e

wouldn't

is not native to A,ian cui,ine) a" part of that menu."

Alice \Vater, belle\'e~ that c~)mbinll1g multicultural influence. wlthm a
single menu I, JlffICult, "I thmk it' very hard to put a menu t~lgether when

you have dl he .Ill over the menu th,lt are fr'lIn Llifferent cui,me<' 'lay

Water. "The all m,} be t bt m n I of them,e\ve,. Rut I keep trYll1g tll ru h

the cook- [at Che: Pam eJ, telbng them, ,It y lu're 111 Itdl), 'ltd) in Ital). Make

dL he- 111 the plflt l f the Iubdn ,'"

Water iee\ trongl} ahout mtcgrclting ltfferent texture~ within a

menu . "I d n't bke ever} thll1g t I be of( of pureed. If one til h IS "cry

~mllorh, ltke a Ilk) II h \\ Ith, lUCC, I'd mIke the next cour e l:ontra tin ,

like Imle fned p tar erved \\ Ith gnlled duck. I like Juxtapo ltIon . And

alway omethlOg refre hm H the end.

"I ah\a~ thmk ab ut texture and wi r. I thmk that' one thmg I bn

to the menu till-\\hen I'm CTiuqumg the menu here, It alway ends

being a LOlor Call! Ideratlon. I pick that up, where other peapl d n t

much,"a) Water. "Adn I \\ant them to be very aromatlc. Oth r peop
~hmking about other thlOg , like { te, but I hke a kmd of Itvelan t

tood from one COur to another."

Rick Ba} Ie believe that creatm menu hould
oalance nd parameter "y,ou Want v net f ( xtur

oft, a well a me fre h c mponent

y . Whtle nearly every au e h

me are heaVIer r light rIOt

heat 'Y u want t ) bUIld

236

something that's very hot, and
then cool down with something
that has almost no chile in it,
before coming back up to some-
thing hot again. And it's impor-
tant to never put too many fla-
vors on the table-there
shouldn't be more than four
courses served," says Bay tess.
"You want people to leave with

. d memory of the meal. Because these flavors are very bold, more than
a \"1\"1
. tOO much for the palate."
t hat to be broken, which I think that the repetition of certain tastes withm a
I,

Rules are sometimes meant

explains the appeal of a menu that features the same menu-corn in the hors d'oeuvres and corn m

ingredient in more than one course or, 10 speCIal or the soup, and the grilled flavor of peppers

whimsical cases, in every course-whether potatoes, or recalled by grilled fish-can be surprisingly effec-

tomatoes, or truffles. "While classically you'd never five and unifymg as a recurring theme

repeat any item in a menu, if an ingredient is in sea- -Alice Waters

son. I don't mmd having or serving it more than once," says Terrance
Brennan. "In corn season, one might ~er..e two dlshe~ featuring corn, or an

all-com menu."
"It's po.;siHe to create a real array of tcl"te~ with one ingredient," attests

Dame! BouluJ, \\"ho~e restaurant nnw offer a ,electIOn of such ta tings with
ad\'ance notice. "At the Beard Hou,e, I once cooked , ~e\'en-Cl)ur,e menu

based on tomatoes. ~\)metimes cu~tomer" will < k me to come up with a truf-

He menu durmg truft1e season. It':, part f the eXCItement of a great menu to

be able to achte\'e thi,."

AWay With Words \Vlllie it'.- fine to haw fun, one of the mo~t
Important thlOg~ on a menu can be < ccuracy.

Thmk of the times you'\'e heen excited to order a dLh, only to have the real-

It)' ot It provoke dt,appointment. ", h n )oU write a menu, you want to
deli\<:r the food that )oU prombe," ~a\ Terrance Brennan.

Mark Peel add~, "1 ltke for eople to get a httle more than they expect.
A,nu I\e read man') menu~ where omethm!! oundo gre.H, and you get it anJ

It not qUttt! \\hat it ounded ltke. Or It\ le- than It ;,ounJed like. AnJ that's

\ery dISapPOinting. And I \\oulJ rather th, t there be a little morc, that there's

a htde urpn e there. I don't ltke menu th t read like ;"hopping Ii t."

But , '10(\ :'Ih enon point ut that there are thmg that }Oll can't

y e off· MF r example, \OU \\' ulJ ne\er urpn e omeboJ~ \\ith \\alnut,.

J ne\ r urpn e lmebod~ \\ Ith om n, I Jon't thmk." Peel add, "Or
It e \I

27

Marrymg the elements of a meal correctly so as to o~Lydia Shire believes it's important til hrin

ach eve that eluSive eqUilibnum reqUires an under- humor into a menu . "The way you descrihe a di h
standmg of each separate course and ItS Impor-
tance Within the overall structure of the menu. the menu sh ould be fun !" she says. "I'm proud that We
-Alice Waters were the first to put on our men u such -anJ-!\uch a JI h
'with expensive caviar.' People sh ould have a playful

attitude toward food ." Her menu at Biba h as featured lamb's tongue paired

with lamb's lettuce, a play on both words and flavors.
"Chefs shouldn't hesitate to play with words on the ir men us," encour_

ages Joachim Splichal. As a case in point, his menu features a dish of Chicken
Wings with Unorthodox Chicken Liver. Splichal says, "If every menu read

'Broiled Chicken with...,' it would be unbearably boring."
While humor can be an effective device, the goal of menu descriptions

should be to get the customers excited about the food. "Anything on the
menu must sound attractive," says Charlie Palmer. "It sho uld make the eu -

tamer think, 'I've got to try this dish!'"

George Germon & Johanne Killeen

Al K>R 0
Prondena , Rhode I land

Lageder w a vegetanan, we used very little meat on his menu. Also, the

wines had extremely clean, clear flavors, we knew they'd be perfect

vegetable . In the fIrst coo ,the whIte bea add a creamy texture to

salmon, while the grapefruit pICked up the acidity of the wine. The anti..

to was a nes of dIfferent thmgs. mcludmg egplant and zucchml and a

creamy cheese that went well WIth the WIne. whICh

tough match With WIne (althoulh )

the glass of the - -
added aueam

and The

diIh; lOUIe wae . ._

Even if the table is a tap, and the food aad wine play
tarring roles, the performance of a m:at would not be

che . . ..,uhout its supporting players. If any of the playen are out of sync,
JuIft &he efl'ect of an entire performance. An ill<hoeen first course-

...thIIt 100 spicy, for example can ruin a delicate entree. Mismatched

- .... {ood nun our enjoyment of them both.

... In phlnniDI menus, it's important to consider the special role of various

......lII.' .... accompaniments. While dearly not every menu one writes will
c

r#* IoaIt multiple course feast, coming to recognize the flow of well-written

lbJeIf'"'- .Jany 11C_I1dj. ... cn.ta'corul to masten•ng tiLler art of compOS.I.tion.

'The pogtzrion c1 wines served during a meal should provide its

QIftI pera1lel. harmonious symphony to that of the food. Wines

• ..,w O • .,.,..,ent me food with which they are served. as well 81 the

giL

. .ao ,.,.. Alaia 1'1 ' .....

ww.S ' IS' ...... BerIns and OrlOfCli ,., VmllCl-

Ptnoc 0:W· .991

rea rIze t "It's important to pair food to wine, ano not vico
to be complementary "
Although few J, . versa," says Jeremiah Towe r. "A bottle of wine
(;1"
IS in itself a compltment "
change like that, but ingred ien ts are more 5table."
_MFK Fisher

Joyce Goldstein agrees. "I always ask for the wines be~~re coming up

W.Ith a menu tr:or a wine dinner' so that I ca.n taste the.m fI rs't, she says. ,,I\V,I).
I,S a sammell'er, and wine is important m our famIly. Wmes surprise "ou'
son
1,

wm, es can change, even over the course of a year. '
"Too many chefs don't taste the wines before creatmg a menu for a wine

and food dinner. I was recently preparing a menu for a special event and Was

planning to serve lamb. But after tasting the red wine that was going to be

accompanying it, which was pruney, 1 reahzed It would h ave made the lamb

taste toO muttony," she said. "In the end, 1 decided to revise my menu to serve

beef instead, which was a much better match with the wine, In another case,

one wine I tasted was over-oaked, and I could only pair it with potatoes,

which helped to neutrali:e that, Other chefs' egos are sometimes too big,

thinking that the food IS more important. But wine and food should make

each other look good."
Jimmy Schmidt concurs that when creating a menu for a wine dinner,

the wine them;;elves are the tarting point; he also develops dishes that make
the most of their paIring with the particular wines. "The personality of the

wine will !.!I\'e vou dIrection to ,hare the dish in a way that will enhance the

t1avor of the wine," heay .
Franc;oi P,l)arcl recall, bemo a ked to crecite a desert to be erved with

Ch-teau d'Yquem. "It ,"ould h, ve been a crime to serve it with a chocolate
de~ert," he ay. Becaus of the frultlne ~ of the Chateau d'Yquem, Payard

decided to en e, m, ngo ,oup made with fre h mango puree and coconut
mIlk, "If you know," me, )OU kno," it won't go with chocolate, which is bit,

ter and powerful," a) Payard. "But ometlmes port can go with chocolate.

becau e It' aged and piCler."

A fruit compote can be served with a great de rt wine, as long as the

compote i not too weet. "If It'

too weet, the wme WIll taste

our," note Jeremiah Tower.

Tropical fruit best lend them,

elve to palTlng with dessert
wines, he add .

On the other hand, "a nch,
weet chocolate dessert will oblu,

erate the wme," accordmg to
Tower. .. WIth chocolate, coffee

hould be served-or nothing."

2

, .'th wine is the best because In matching food with wine, you
tI'ILI..:1 reint,orcement
\,\'NkU11l ncellatlon and of flavors. For example:

do <1 !elt 0 I

, h 'e a wine that has a lot of tannin in it, you want fats and salts
• It yt1U <1\
.
' d )f rake the edge off the tannm.
to k111 l

• It, , 'e got a lot of herbaceous qualities, which I'm not terribly fond of
,
yOU. \ ",ou can use green thll,1gs lt.ke parsley or greener-flavored herbs

In \\'1I1e, I .I
'nto the sauce at the last second to Strip away a lot of those
m'lrIed
l

herbaceous qualities in the wine. You'll associate the herbaceousness as

'no ml)[e from the narsley than from the wine.
C01111 '" t

• If [he wtne i, high in acid. your sauce can come up right to that acid

level; then there wouldn't be much contrast between the two acidity

levels, so it's not going to seem ,'ery acidic. On the other hand, if you

go higher in acid on the sauce, then the wme will seem bnd of Hat, If

you go ron Iowan acid in the sauce, then the wine will seem very acidic,

• In terms of bod)' and fla~'OT. If it's really a \'t'f) light \\me, the cnncen-
tration of the sauce can kIll It if ~ecome. l) powerful th,lt the wme

seems watery.

• In tenm (If [nat leveb, if you've ~ot a I t III [he Wtnt.: and there' none

in the S:luce, the ,auce will be tlat. ~o vou've ~ot to brmg lip 'Clme of
the reJ flavor, m the ~auce-red wme reductlon, the a lditi n llf re I

frult puree hke cranberr). The \\ me will t.1 te frUHler Ii) u've l!ut lOb

of red tlw r in the ~auce than if you don'c Your mmd will read the re 1

in the ~auce .1' part of the wine, \\ hen really It' part 0 the tlll,-e.

• There are ome \\'ine~ thelt ha\'c a lot of!!o d earrh\ ch, factefi~tlcs-
~
they're tlmry anJ -uch. You can u e thc dner 'pice~ like curie nller that
rem to come off a, more of an earrh}-t)'re tlavor or rnmeral-t'ype tla-

vor.

~~1I )OU can either hUlld eli he, [0 runfofu: them, which i., t" get

tho'c flavor, c.lo,e, of \UU dn .,epar.lte them qUIre cI hit for contfa r ,lOll

~tnp them. YOli C~1n kill a wme re.llly e.\Stl~, or you can reall~ parallel lip

next to It. With a \\ me, )OU ha\ e ,1 perceIved IT te-then you take out of
the \\ me )Our o\\n perception II the t te of the \\ ine\ Jlfferent flavar"
nd then )Ou de Ign the JI,h ,lfUun I It, With f1<l\,llf that \\ til coar,ltn.lte
r all welL

o p "9 M 241