hello all! and here is my first need from all you foodies

[Shimmer]

Forgive me. I lived and breathed (and practically ate!) music when I was in college. I even did a paper on the connection between sound and color.

So if you play things in certain keys, the foods should match the colors of what you hear. The most heavenly and enlightening key is A# minor, if I remember right (Scriabin thought in sharps rather than flats, oh well), and the relating color was purple. I think gingerberry tea would do nicely. Not that I've had it lately, only at an Epiphany party at one of my professor's homes three years ago.

I would play Debussy with the salad, because his music is mostly green and brown. And the fluidity of his pieces means no abruptness, which seems necessary toward the beginning of the meal.

Mozart goes well with dessert because his endings make sense, or with the main course because the music has a natural beginning and end. Too bad his symphonies were four movements instead of five, otherwise Mozart would just work well in general. But he goes better with Jane Austen than Shakespeare.

I would not suggest a meal with Beethoven's later music, or with Scriabin or anyone past Aaron Copland in American classical music.

I guess you could pair the courses with progressive music, but then the dessert might not match post-post-modernist electronic random music. =)

Am I making sense to anyone? You have got me really thinking now.

Ernest Bloch seems to go well with either soup or cocktails. Particularly the more Jewish-influenced violin pieces.

But the best dessert music always and forever would be the adagio from Samuel Barber's string quartet. It's the most luxurious melt-in-your-mouth piece you will ever hear.

Well, sorry if I lost you, but don't I have a cheery avatar?

~~Shimmer~~

[Anneke]

Shimmer, what can I say... It actually does make sense. That's really brilliant!

[Kimmie]

Symphonie de crevettes et d'agrumes aux parfums d'Orient!

4 kumquats, cut into quarters, or 1/2 orange unpealed, thinly sliced
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 c. teaspoon ground chilis (or to taste)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 red peppers, julienned
24 large peeled shrimp, uncooked
3/4 lb cooked linguini, kept warm
black pepper and salt to taste
fresh basil, for the decoration

(serves 4)

Recipe available upon request.

[nancya]

That sounds wonderful Shimmer....I will happily eat at your place anytime.

A feast for all the senses.