THE GRUB REPORT: Friday Night Mega-Bites: Foodpairing
Getting out the door quietly should be the easiest part of my morning routine, but my complete lack of fashion sense causes me to fail this objective time and again. Because I have next to zero confidence in my wardrobe decisions, I constantly have to stir my snoozing spouse to weigh in on such perplexing quandaries as, "Can I wear this belt with these socks?" or, "Is it okay to wear a striped shirt with this sweater?" I'm sure it's aggravating, but I have a perpetual fear of arriving at work in a mismatched ensemble that'd make Emmett Kelly blush.
It's not that I'm incapable of dressing myself. I'm not a 30-year-old in desperate need of over-sized Garanimals. It's just that I'm not always confident in my ability to pair individual pieces together to make a cohesive "outfit."
Creating one new thing from a collection of smaller pieces can be a pretty daunting task, and it is with this in mind that I present this week's Mega-Bite, Foodpairing, a site designed to help make sense of the endless combinations that stare back at you each time you open the refrigerator door.
It's not that I'm incapable of dressing myself. I'm not a 30-year-old in desperate need of over-sized Garanimals. It's just that I'm not always confident in my ability to pair individual pieces together to make a cohesive "outfit."
Creating one new thing from a collection of smaller pieces can be a pretty daunting task, and it is with this in mind that I present this week's Mega-Bite, Foodpairing, a site designed to help make sense of the endless combinations that stare back at you each time you open the refrigerator door.
The site essentially plots food items in a web based upon the number of shared flavor compounds. The shorter the strands between items, the closer the flavor profiles of the foods.
For example, if you click on a relatively innocuous foodstuff such as roasted chicken, you are presented with an additional thirty items that exist within the same general area of the flavor spectrum. Sure the obvious choices (broccoli and potatoes) are there, but more interesting are the seemingly "out there" combos that pop up. I mean, I've never had roasted chicken with chocolate or black tea, but now my mind is working overtime devising different ways to combine them.
Make no mistake. This site is not a recipe site. It's not the place to turn if you're looking for a quick recipe to get on the table in an hour. Instead, this is one for the culinary Miles Davises out there. It's for those willing to improvise in the kitchen and push the boundaries and expectations of the audience. Foodpairings gives you a key signature, a context to work within, and it is up to you to bring the style and artistry to the table.
The Web site: Foodpairing
Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on November 30, 2007 11:22 PM
Comments
At December 1, 2007 9:35 PM, Bill Lewis said...
Steve, the eternal question has always been what to do with leftovers? After spending time in France I'll admit to a certain French bias in my cooking. (Most of my cookbooks are pre- "nouvelle cuisine" French). Their historic solution to leftovers is to include them in either an omelette or crepe. (Legend states the reason for the invention of the crepe was to accommodate leftovers).
Obviously some leftovers, for example, mashed potatoes or parsnips, would not be suitable. However, many seafood, poultry or vegetable dishes would make an excellent filling.
Leftover mashed potatoes can be made into "potato pancakes". They are referred to as "latke" in certain parts of the US and Europe. Usually you form the remaining potatoes into patties and fry/sautee them in oil/butter.Delicious!!
At December 1, 2007 10:42 PM, Bill Lewis said...
Personal note: I'm aware that foodpairing, and my comments concerning leftovers, may not be exactly "on track". But I think the foodpairing procedure is very relevant for determining what to do with leftovers.
At December 4, 2007 5:55 PM, Shannon White said...
I'll be sure and check out your socks tomorow at work — When in doubt, "brown is the new black, you can wear white any time, and if you can see your panty line ... they're too tight".
At December 5, 2007 11:24 PM, Steve Gibson said...
Bill, with just Tricia and I in our household reappropriating leftovers is the MOST important application of food pairing for us. It's what keeps me from having to eat the exact same thing for multiple meals over multiple days.
The omelette is indeed my go to player a lot of the times, but now you have me itching to break out the ole' crepe pan and get busy. If only I could keep from slathering them with Nutella and scarfing them down while standing over the burner I'd be in business!
For example, if you click on a relatively innocuous foodstuff such as roasted chicken, you are presented with an additional thirty items that exist within the same general area of the flavor spectrum. Sure the obvious choices (broccoli and potatoes) are there, but more interesting are the seemingly "out there" combos that pop up. I mean, I've never had roasted chicken with chocolate or black tea, but now my mind is working overtime devising different ways to combine them.
Make no mistake. This site is not a recipe site. It's not the place to turn if you're looking for a quick recipe to get on the table in an hour. Instead, this is one for the culinary Miles Davises out there. It's for those willing to improvise in the kitchen and push the boundaries and expectations of the audience. Foodpairings gives you a key signature, a context to work within, and it is up to you to bring the style and artistry to the table.
The Web site: Foodpairing
Originally posted to The Grub Report by Steve Gibson on November 30, 2007 11:22 PM
Comments
At December 1, 2007 9:35 PM, Bill Lewis said...
Steve, the eternal question has always been what to do with leftovers? After spending time in France I'll admit to a certain French bias in my cooking. (Most of my cookbooks are pre- "nouvelle cuisine" French). Their historic solution to leftovers is to include them in either an omelette or crepe. (Legend states the reason for the invention of the crepe was to accommodate leftovers).
Obviously some leftovers, for example, mashed potatoes or parsnips, would not be suitable. However, many seafood, poultry or vegetable dishes would make an excellent filling.
Leftover mashed potatoes can be made into "potato pancakes". They are referred to as "latke" in certain parts of the US and Europe. Usually you form the remaining potatoes into patties and fry/sautee them in oil/butter.Delicious!!
At December 1, 2007 10:42 PM, Bill Lewis said...
Personal note: I'm aware that foodpairing, and my comments concerning leftovers, may not be exactly "on track". But I think the foodpairing procedure is very relevant for determining what to do with leftovers.
At December 4, 2007 5:55 PM, Shannon White said...
I'll be sure and check out your socks tomorow at work — When in doubt, "brown is the new black, you can wear white any time, and if you can see your panty line ... they're too tight".
At December 5, 2007 11:24 PM, Steve Gibson said...
Bill, with just Tricia and I in our household reappropriating leftovers is the MOST important application of food pairing for us. It's what keeps me from having to eat the exact same thing for multiple meals over multiple days.
The omelette is indeed my go to player a lot of the times, but now you have me itching to break out the ole' crepe pan and get busy. If only I could keep from slathering them with Nutella and scarfing them down while standing over the burner I'd be in business!
Labels: food, grubreport, mega-bite
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