At First Sound

“Opposites attract,” they say. But they also often make a beautiful pair.

A school friend of mine once told me how they used to bake with their Latin teacher in class. It was an ancient cookie recipe from Rome. … Of course, the recipe was ancient, not the cookies. And my friend was really impressed because the ancient Romans mixed honey, chocolate and …. Chili.

That baking adventure was a long time ago, but I still remember the story sometimes when I invent a new dish. I think a dish should have an unusual component. Something unexpected that makes you feel like ‘yeah, that’s what was missing’. I’m actually always looking for that certain something that makes a dish complete.

Sometimes, of course, it’s not just one dish, but the combination of two parts. For example, the combination of something sweet and sour with something salty. The classic tango number of fruit and cheese. Or the mambo of chocolate and basil. You’ve never had this before? I’ve written that down a few times in the score sheets of my recipes.

Anyway, in my cooking, the different rhythms and harmonies of food preparation have taught me that you always have to be ready for something out of the ordinary to happen. But you must never take it for granted.

Like dancing, the end result may look quite elegant, but it takes a while of stepping on toes to get the rhythm flowing.

And you have to be brave enough to fall flat on your face when you try. For every delicious new ensemble I’ve discovered, I’ve completely flubbed another parade. Luckily, I know (by now) how to fix almost any food disaster.

But I also know that if I don’t really try, the food I make will be uninspiring. And every time a new dish captivates me right away, I know it’s going to be a wonderful dance.

Like dancing, the end result may look quite elegant, but it takes a while of stepping on toes to get the rhythm flowing.

Side Notes:

• I’m still thinking about creating a category called “The Disasteria”. Because you can always learn from mistakes, right? And as in real life, you just have to keep dancing.