Balance

Well friends, It's time for something a little different. No dish that I prepared this time. No restaurant review. I guess you can call this one an editorial. Or you can sum it up to a bitch session. Call it whatever you want. Point is, I got some stuff on my mind I wanna get out. I'll try not to bitch too much, but I'm not promising anything.

Now, the main point I'm going after is balance in food. But to get to that point, I gotta start with something else.  Trust me, it will all come together.

First up to bat: Food Trends.

Food trends come and go just like other trends. Some are gone before you know it. Some catch on, and inspire new ideas and techniques. And some......you just want to find who started it so you can beat the hell out of them. Case in point: Cake Pops

Simply put, I can't stand these fucking things. How is shoving a stick in a truffle so damn popular? I really don't get it. When searching for a pic to put up, I saw some really insanely detailed cake pops. Some looked like elves, dogs, cats, mr. potato head, all kinds of crap. So much detail for something so small.

But why the need to put it on a stick? Why is the stick so important with this? I don't remember people going this far with your average chocolate truffle. But shove a stick in it, and people will spend hours decorating it. I don't get it.

Not all food trends mystify me though. Take for instance cupcakes. Personally, I don't care for cupcakes that much. If I want cake, I want a slice of cake. But I understand how people like them though. Small, easy to handle portion. Lots of flavor options and quickly brings up fond childhood memories. They really sell themselves.

The next trend that has me a little concerned is about the top picture for this post. Salted caramel. Not just salted caramel, but salted desserts in general.

Now, let's get a couple things straight. I like the taste of salted caramels. I think it cuts through all that richness just right.

Another thing is that I was taught the yin and yang of cooking. For something savory, a pinch of sugar. For something sweet, a pinch of salt.

But this salted dessert thing is starting to go too far. In a cooking magazine, I saw some recipe for salted brownies. Another for salted chocolate truffles. Really???

My main issue is that everyone is scrambling to get a salted caramel dessert on their menu, all the while knowing that this is a country knee deep with HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE!! We get more than enough salt from all the other foods we consume. Now we gotta start topping our desserts with salt?

My belief on this push for salt has to do with this new, unrealistic idea of what balance in food is. The salted caramel works. It does balance all that sweetness. But this new idea of balance that food network and shows like Top Chef push is insane. They expect every single taste sensation and every single texture type in one single bite. It just can't happen. If it could, it probably would taste pretty bad.

Theses assholes in the above picture are a prime example of what I'm talking about. Everything they try, they always say, "This needed more acidity" or "This was missing something". I'm sorry, let me go cook a steak that's salty, sweet, spicy, tangy, and full of umami that is soft, firm, AND crunchy. Oh yeah, you want that medium rare?

One my favorite desserts is a New York style cheesecake. I can't imagine taking a bite, then saying "This would be great, but it's missing something really crunchy and needs umami.".

See, I told you it would all work out in the end. With the holidays here, I'm going to take a short break from this. Next post won't be here until after Christmas. Probably a week from now. In any case, you'll know on Facebook.

Thanks for reading my short rant. YES, this is a short rant. I could go on and on about those damn cake pops. Anyway, Happy Holidays and have a great time with those closest to you.

Take Care,

J. Miller