Amuse Bouche

‘Have you seen this guy’s foam shit?’ I asked, talking about Ferran Adria’s restaurant of the minute, El Bulli, in Spain.

‘That foam guy is bogus,’ he smirked, ‘I ate there, dude - and it’s like...shock value. I had seawater sorbet!’

….

I wanted to know what he likes to eat, ‘You know, after hours, you’re half in the bag and you get hungry. What do want to eat?’

‘Beef bourguignon,’ he said right away.

I’ve found common ground. Red wine, beef, some button mushrooms and  a few pearled onions, bouquet garni, maybe some broad noodles or a simple boiled potato or two to go with it. A crust of bread to soak up the sauce. Maybe I’m not wrong about everything.

All cooks are sentimental fools.

And in the end, maybe it is all about the food.

from Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain