When it seems that all I read (or write) about is heavy issues like Iraq, the WoT, John Roberts, etc, it is very refreshing to read about somebody's simple pleasure. Aaron at Partial Transcripts posted part of a WSJ op-ed about the oranges of Seville and one Welsh writer's love affair with them. It reminded me a bit of George Orwell's essay about the perfect cup of tea, which was one of his simple pleasures.
I think that many people's simple pleasures involve eating or drinking. Mine certainly do (which accounts in part for my girth). It seems to me that we Americans are always in so much of a hurry, however, that we miss out on the true pleasure of eating a good meal. Thanks to health regulations and competition among grocery stores and restaurants, most of us are accustomed to eating food of good quality. However, we are not accustomed to eating WELL. There is an important difference.
Naturally, one can hardly have an excellent meal without good food. It must be made of high quality ingredients, preferably fresh, cooked properly, served attractively, eaten at the right temperature, and served with the proper sides.
Atmosphere is also of considerable importance to an excellent meal. The diners should be comfortable. This typically means that they are not crowded around the table or otherwise jostled by other dinners (a problem in many restaurants). Even if the diners all smoke, they should NEVER do so while eating as the smell of smoke and the taste of tobacco ruin the flavor of the food and mask its savory smell. Noise is also highly undesirable, whether it is from loud music, too much (or too loud) talking, or simply too many people at the table or in the room. Polite conversation is a pleasant accompaniment to an excellent meal, but it should NOT detract from enjoying the food. Some light music is a nice accompaniment to an excellent meal, but it should not be so loud as to distract the diners from each other or the food. It goes without saying that TV has NO place while people are at the table.
The table itself should be nicely set. Good china, flatware, and glassware as well as some modest decorations such as candles or a small flower arrangement add to the pleasure of the meal. They should not make the table crowded, however, or block the view so that people have to duck and bobb and weave to try to talk to other people. A tablecloth and linen napkins greatly add to the elegance of the table. Naturally, they should be spotlessly clean and pressed.
Menu planning is vital to an excellent meal. The dishes should compliment each other, and they should also meet the taste of the diners. Special dietary requirements also must be considered. For those who like wine and understand its proper selection (I do not), selection of the correct wine(s) to accompany the meal are also a very important part of menu planning. Please note that an excellent meal need not be an expensive meal. Roasted prime rib is delicious, but so is a simple pot roast.
Once the menu is established, buying the best ingredients is the next important step. A less expensive meal made with high quality ingredients is far more palatable and pleasant than a lavish meal made with second-rate ingredients. If at all possible, meats, vegetables, and fruits should be purchased THE DAY OF THE MEAL. Meat should NEVER be frozen, and indeed should only be refrigerated for a short time. If possible, produce should come straight from the garden or fields. This will assure that they are fresh.
A note about appetizers: Most people confuse finger foods with appetizers. They are NOT the same thing. As its name implies, an appetizer is a light food served before the main meal, the purpose of which is to whet the diners' appetite for the dishes to follow. Finger foods are intended to be most of a meal in themselves, to be eaten in a relaxed atmosphere such as a party. They are usually heavier than an appetizer and, if served with a full meal, will make the diners too full to enjoy the rest of the food. For an excellent meal, a light soup or small salad is generally sufficient. One appetizer I had at a restaurant in New Orleans that sticks in my mind was brie cheese baked in a pastry crust and served with toasted rounds from a baguette and fresh slices of pear. It was excellent and not so heavy that it spoiled the rest of my meal.
Cooking the meal is perhaps the single hardest part. Not only should the food be prepared properly, it should also be scheduled precisely so that all the dishes are ready on time. This takes considerable practice. Again, a simple meal cooked well is better than a more lavish meal cooked poorly. To best avoid problems, the cook should only prepare dishes with which he has considerable experience. While he may have an enticing new recipe, until he is CERTAIN that he can prepare it with no problems, he should try making it for himself a few times before trying to cook and serve it for guests.
Organization is the key to successful cooking. The cook should know ahead of time where all his pots, pans, and ingredients are and have them ready to hand while he's cooking. Premeasuring some ingredients is a helpful idea. Some ingredients must be prepared before cooking: meat may need to be trimmed or seasoned, fruits and vegetables may need to be peeled or chopped, spices may need to be ground, etc. Good cookware, a set of good kitchen knives (no serrated edges!) kept quite sharp, and one or more cutting boards are virtually indispensible. The meal must be well underway before guests arrive unless the cook is not a diner. Assuming that the cook is also a host, this will give him time to start cleaning the kitchen, make any last-minute preparations to the table, and clean himself up before the guests arrive. Even if the cook is eating alone, I recommend this because a nice hot shower and change of clothes before sitting down makes the meal far more pleasant than it would be if the cook sat down while still tired and sweaty from his preparations.
A note about bread: In my opinion, no meal is complete without bread of some sort. Many good grocery chains have their own bakeries and it is almost always possible to get good, fresh rolls or loaves of bread.
Once the guests have arrived and everyone is seated, serving can begin. While many people are accustomed to serving themselves, the diners should NOT have to move from their places. The meal can be paced to some extent, allowing the diners to enjoy their appetizer (if any) and pleasant conversation before the main course. The cook must take into account that the dinner may be ready before the diners, and have plans to keep the food at the correct temperature until the diners are ready to be served.
My boss is a German and he introduced me to a good saying: when dining, the eye eats too. An excellent meal can be botched by poor presentation of the food. Food should be placed on the plates or in the bowls without slopping. Meat should be cleanly sliced, not hacked apart. Small portions are completely acceptable to keep from overloading the plates. Garnish is a good idea, but again, the plate should not be crowded. No dishes should be on the table itself unless this is unavoidable. Rather, they should be on a sideboard or in the kitchen. This avoids crowding the table. At most, a bread basket may be on the table, along with butter, salt and pepper. Any other condiments should be on the table in small bowls or containers (for the love of heaven, DON'T plunk a bottle of Heinz ketchup down on your white tablecloth!) The host should fill his diners' plates and glasses and be attentive to their needs.
A note about serving dishes: If the food is placed on a sideboard or on the table, it should almost NEVER be served in the same dish in which it was prepared, but rather should be transferred cleanly to another dish. Garnishing is highly recommended.
The progress of the meal is really up to the diners, and here I depart from the duties of the host / cook and discuss the guests. If they are in someone else's house, or even eating at a restaurant at somebody else's invitation, it is incumbent on them to exercise some manners. For example, it is almost completely inexcusable to be late to dinner. There is little more insulting to a host than to have people late to the meal he has so carefully planned. The diners should not hurry through the meal, and the host should not press them to do so. Taking time to enjoy the food and company is really what the meal is all about.
The dinners should make an effort to try all the dishes, or at least be ready to offer a polite demurrer. Compliments to the host / cook are always required, even if the meal isn't quite to the diner's taste. This is especially important if there has been some catastrophe and the food has somehow been botched: the meat is overcooked, the vegetables and undercooked, something has burned, etc. The host will undoubtedly feel terribly humiliated, and a few words of encouragement and thanks for his efforts will go a long way to salvaging the situation. Common table manners are also required.
A note about children and adolescents: I dislike children very much, and generally do not want them within a mile of me while I'm trying to enjoy my meal. They generally make too much noise, are awkward with their food, and often are rude. Parents should always instruct their children in common table manners and reinforce these lessons immediately prior to eating. It is also wise for the host to let a parent serve his child, as they know best what the miserable little bastard child will and will not eat, and so unfortunate and irritating incidents are avoided. It may even be necessary for the cook to prepare special dishes for picky children.
Once the meal is finished, the host should clear the table as quickly and unobtrusively as possible. It is best to escort the guests to another room where they can be made comfortable. Drinks and / or coffee should be ready at this point. Dessert may be served now or later, depending on the situation and the diners' preference. Some entertainment, such as a movie or even a party game, is a pleasant way to pass the time while enjoying coffee and digesting. Naturally, any games should not require a great deal of activity!
The excellent meal is a great deal of trouble, but it is usually worth ever penny and effort put into it. It provides a pleasant atmosphere for a group of family or friends, and gives the host something to be proud of. It also brings back a little old world civility into our hectic lives.
A couple of menus that I like:
Pork loin sandwiches (good summer menu)
- Roasted or grilled pork loin, sliced very thin and served on fresh Kaiser rolls with sauteed red peppers and onions, deli mustard, and provolone cheese
- Redskin potato salad
- Spicy pinto beans or cucumber salad with yoghurt and sour cream
- Sweet iced tea
- Chocolate and peanut butter pie
Fried chicken dinner (fall or winter)
- Fried chicken (dredged in Kentucky Kernel flour; accept NO substitutes)
- Mashed potatoes with cream gravy
- Green beans
- Sliced tomatoes
- Cantaloupe
- Apple pie
Prime rib dinner (fall or winter holidays)
- Italian sausage and potato soup (appetizer)
- Roasted, beer-basted prime rib
- Twice-baked potatoes
- Italian-style green beans
- Cheesecake
Bon apetit!
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