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When less is more


Ellen Shapiro

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Yup. Raw onions in salad. Occasionally burgers or sandwhiches too, but it's mostly in salad that they bother me. I mean big chunks of regular onion. Doesn't happen often (maybe just in Japan), but when it does it just brings tears to my eyes. Literally.

Sweet onions? They have them here, at least red onions. Bring 'em on.

Wasabi is not provided as a condiment for sushi in Japan. All you get is what's already in the sushi. And you'd think sushi chefs in Japan would be able to get the amount of wasabi in each piece of sushi right, but in many cheaper kaiten-zushi places each piece will have a different sized smear of wasabi- seemingly at random. Or maybe (shudder) to mask the flavour of fish that's past its prime?

The lesson here, obviously, is to not go to cheap sushi places...

My eGullet foodblog: Spring in Tokyo

My regular blog: Blue Lotus

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To take this in a slightly different, but related, direction there are also cases where two or three ingredients are all thats necessary for an eating experience. That's another form of "less is more".

I'll use the example of a good high quality pork chop, enhanced with only a bit of salt and a nice coat of fresh ground black pepper.

Jon Lurie, aka "jhlurie"

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Good example.

How about strawberries? You can make them into jam or ice cream or eat them with cream or dipped in chocolate. But strawberries are always best just as they are. Preferably eaten right there in the field.

And scallops. Sauteed in butter with a little salt and pepper. How could you improve that?

My eGullet foodblog: Spring in Tokyo

My regular blog: Blue Lotus

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To take this in a slightly different, but related, direction there are also cases where two or three ingredients are all thats necessary for an eating experience.  That's another form of "less is more".

I'll use the example of a good high quality pork chop, enhanced with only a bit of salt and a nice coat of fresh ground black pepper.

I think you nailed a major issue for me lately. I made blackened salmon tonight, yesterday now, and remebered how much I like the stuff..I haven't made the dish in years, then it dawned on my why. It got to a point everything was drowning in spices and goop, or cajan, etc., and it all started to taste the same. I also found out that kids don't like heavily spiced things, well not all the time. So I had to go back and seriously re-tool how I was doing things. It was a great and humbling lesson.

I made a decison to go the direction of french and eastern foods to get balance back into my cooking. Having regained my balance a bit I am starting go back to spicy faovrites of the south and middle east and italian food. I find my dishes are better for it. My kids are also starting to eat what I cook rather than the chicken strip mac and chesse diet. "shudder" :shock:

I love any kind of food but in dialing back how often I make dishes and the level herbs and spices I use I'm much happier with the end results. I don't like bland but it is nice if you are going to eat fish to actually taste it.

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Ah, it's been way too long since I did a butt. - Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"

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One summers evening drunk to hell, I sat there nearly lifeless…Warren

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