Then, Now, and the Future.

[Lord Michael Lewis]

If one accepts there is a culinary 'then' and 'now', what of the future? Do you envision a trend of even greater pursuit of the culinarily improbable, or will chefs eventually reach an impasse and return to 'Go'. Or, alternatively, is all good cuisine (no matter how much it reflects the gastronomic zeitgeist), based on the same constants?

[chefg]

LML:

Cuisine is defienately not constant. I think Ferran summed it up best when he said he would not be satisfied until he could serve a seemingly bare plate.

It will be just like now, there will always be chefs that think beyond, some day the cuisine of Trio with be considered "passe". And people will be executing it like people are executing "dated food" now. Doesn't make that food not good, just not "of the moment". Food will continue to evolve as people evolve, it is our nature.

[A Scottish Chef]

If one accepts there is a culinary 'then' and 'now', what of the future?

I offered a lift to a young Chef yesterday who was on his way to work. He tell's me the hotel chain (a british national chain) he works for move him around all over Scotland. Naturally I asked how he was getting on, what sort of thing he was up to, about the qaulity of his training and the standards he was expected to aspire to.

He's making pastry from pre-bagged mixes. Frying breaded frozen haddock. Serving up bought in desserts. Having worked in eight different establishments, the most difficult thing he has had to make from scratch was a cheese sauce for macaroni cheese.

It was quite depressing to hear.

Brake Brothers march appears to be relentless. I hope this isn't all of the future, but I suspect it will be the majority of it.