Balance

There’s one word…one concept, sensation, feeling…that I continually return to with my cooking…balance. I strive for balance in everything I make, every recipe I create. Whether it’s a savory sauce or a decadent dessert, my goal with the first bite is to make the eyes close with pleasure, make the corners of the mouth curl up into a satisfying smile, elicit an almost silent groan of gratification deep from within, and have the sampling slowly disappear, leaving only an insatiable hunger for more.

No, that ain’t happenin’ with every dish, but it certainly is the genesis from which each of mine is born.

To me, the antithesis of balance in cooking is when I hear people say, “Ooh, I can taste [this or that ingredient]!” or when I experience the same. That is not balance.

I seek to create not only balance in what I prepare, but flavors that meld and dance on the tongue…unique inclusions, combinations, and blends that not only bring enjoyment and satisfaction to the senses, but a sense of the unexpected, which elevates a dish to a different level of delight.

In recent years, I’ve learned a lot about flavor layering and deepening which, literally, deepen the experience and enjoyment of a dish. When I am able to achieve this, it brings me great joy.

On a recent flight, I caught an episode of a TV cooking series I’ve been aware of that has piqued my interest since its inception not too long ago, but I’ve never seen (I don’t watch TV at home). I enjoyed it immensely, identifying ingredients and culinary tenets as they were presented. I found myself subconsciously nodding in acknowledgement and understanding with so many of them. In one clip, a chef was discussing his process and offerings. When he vehemently and simply exclaimed “Balance!” I almost burst out of my seatbelt to applaud. It was as if my core purpose had come full circle in validation.

Pursuing balance in my cooking is what keeps me going, what keeps me thinking, and what helps me to keep things fresh, unique, exciting, and enjoyable. It fuels my passion and inspires my creativity.

It does occur to me that there is a fundamental analogy between the balance in cooking and the balance that many strive for in life. While that’s not something I’d get into here, it is, most literally, food for thought. In my world, that’s a very good thing.