fusion food

[cookM]

No, I wasn't kidding when I wrote about the Yorkshire pudding with fish essence.
What do you serve it with? A garbage can, as far as I'm concerned.
There should be a smiley (or disgusted!) face projectile vomiting...

[This message has been edited by cookM (edited September 02, 2000).]

[cape chef]

I have not seen kunz book yet but it should be a great read. P.s watch out how you spell Kunz shroomgirl........lol

[UniChef]

Fusion is a reflection of our American Heritage, that's what American cuisine is. Look at our people, and our resources.

We have such a diverse make-up of people and product that we will naturally combine a lot of it.

------------------
Mike Bersell, CEC
unichef@unichef.com

[cape chef]

yuck, That mahi sounds disgusting, What cost 30$ a # though sisi? I hope not the mahi!! anyway fusion has become quite the rage and I agree less is more. I think some of the chefs that where successful we're gray Kunz formilly of lespinasse in the St.Regis in Manhattan example Sauted shrimp with marinated spaghetti squash and curry cilentro vinaigrette.it has beets,papaya ,ginger,curry,cilentro ect. But man does it work because he understands and respects all the nuiances of the ingredients I also think that Jean-georges Vongerichten is a pioneer in this type of aproach to cooking, just in his infused oils and fresh vegetable juices you see a abundece of fuision,how about beet juice and caviar with black bass?
sounds funny!! taste great. he was one of the first to do tuna tartare.cod cakes with orenge-basil oil..I quess what im saying there is a place for fusion. but we must know what we are diong to give justest to that cuisine

[shroomgirl]

OOOOPPPPSSSS! My apologies.

[m brown]

Please do not beat me with a stick, Fish Sauce, yes that liquid that smells like a homeless mans feet ( If you've ever been in the subway in NYC after hours or AM you KNOW what I'm saying.) When used in the perfect measure adds a special something and it isn't a fishy thing more of a briney thing. I could see it in Yorkshire Pudding.

I remember having a Sage Infused Creme Brulee, it tasted like sausage. Some herbs are best suited for the job they do best.

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[Jim]

Originally posted by Katherine:
It's a waste for me to pay a premium to be some would-be chef's taste tester.

Here, here!

America certainly is the 'tossed salad' of the world, keeping in mind that moderation is everything.

[cookM]

No stick beating allowed!!
Really? You can see it in Yorkshire pudding?
It wasn't fish sauce that they put in or over it...Some fumet.
I agree with what you said about herbs. I once had a grapefruit sorbet with basil. Had to order it just to experience it. It was really good.

[This message has been edited by cookM (edited September 03, 2000).]

[Katherine]

Myself, I have at times substituted fish sauce for salt in dishes in need of depth, or for soy sauce when I don't want the dark color.

I once had a Thai-inspired salad of grapes and apple pieces with a sauce of fish sauce and raw garlic. The grapes were probably ok, but the apple cubes absorbed so much garlicky-fishy flavor as to be inedible.

I don't mind fusion cuisine in principle. In practice, though (around here anyway) we seem to get dishes with inscrutably long lists of ingredients. It's impossible to predict which will predominate in the finished product and which will be undetectible. It seems like a real chef would have the judgement to do his experimentation on his own time, and not on the customers who are paying top dollar. It's a waste for me to pay a premium to be some would-be chef's taste tester.

[chefjohnpaul]

I agree with that taste tester comment. That's where I think some try to fuse to be hep. Like the herb infusions in dessert items, although I don't think of that as fusion, I do think of it as bandwagon material. Dessert should be dessert, I can see basil, mint, perhaps even thyme or pepper contributing to some items, but the chef has got to know what is going on and be in control. The sage creme brulee sounds trendy but I can't picture it being any good. Hey, I'll take the vanilla bean in my creme brulee thank you.

I believe most people have missed the point of fusion style cooking. Good fusion food is as good if not better, than any one type of cooking be it- French, English , American, etc...

Perhaps the blame should not be on the style but rather the chef that prepared it.

I as you may well have guessed, think that fusion food is the best and I have experienced some food that will leave you mind blown at the end of your meal.

Australia is a great exsample of this sytle of food perhaps because the lack of its own culture and that it has had to relie on the imput from other cultures. But also their
is great exsamples throughout the world a few that come to mind is a resturant in San Fransisco call the blue (something)and about a dozen in Edinburgh, Scotland UK.

But the most important thing to remember is that you should experiment with everything and most importantly be able to acknowledge when something doesn,t work and party when it does

Please give fusion a chance

------------------
chef

[cookM]

Originally posted by marshal B Gliddon:

But the most important thing to remember is that you should experiment with everything and most importantly be able to acknowledge when something doesn,t work and party when it does

Please give fusion a chance

I would happily give *fusion* a chance. I've been reading Charlie Trotter's books, and I think he does a type of fusion, but it's just well grounded and thought out. I'd never turn down a chance to eat there. I just can't stand that "con"fusion.

[Nick.Shu]

what i find works well with fusion is your own instinct.

I.e. ive served a grilled perch fillet on stir fried vegetables and egg noodles with a orange and ginger glaze - works well.

Amongst other things i have trialled, is a dessert roulade of couscous with roasted nuts and smoked honey. Works well too.

i personally think that fusion relies on several factors
1) knowledge of methods and ingredients
2) Instinct
3) Knowledge of flavors

[m brown]

Nick,
Please, what are you binding that cous cous with? I am a pastry chef at a fairly wild restaurant and that sounds like a groovy way to present a cous cous dessert.
Some of my desserts fuse classical desserts with eachother and other cultures.
ie: bananas foster bread pudding with hot buttered rum sauce and fried plantain.
or almond cake topped with taquilla soaked berries and sour cherries (spanish and south of the boarder influences) lest we forget pumpkin creme carmel with cayanne and ancho chile.

PS I need some new ideas and have found some right here at chef talk.

[Isa]

I have to agree with you CookM Charlie Trotter's style of cuisine doesn't appeal to me either. I think too many flavour is like too little you can't taste anything. I don't care how many time you reintroduce it (his favourite word) you can't taste anything. What can come out of a dessert made with chocolate coffee ginger and orange?


Sisi