Jamies summer food rave up!!!!

[joker smoker]

When I first saw Heston Blumenthal's work I was impressed and even bought his first book. The more I saw of him , however, I began to realise that there was something missing from his food. Everything made perfect sense and was technically correct but his cooking came from the head and not from the heart. It is good to understand the science of cooking but not absolutely necessary. The food I am most interested in comes from the soul and without that special ingredient it is more of a scientific experiment than a social interaction. The ingredient that Blumenthal constantly fails to add to his food is love and without love there is no nourishment.

[Pecker]

When I first saw Heston Blumenthal's work I was impressed and even bought his first book. The more I saw of him , however, I began to realise that there was something missing from his food. Everything made perfect sense and was technically correct but his cooking came from the head and not from the heart. It is good to understand the science of cooking but not absolutely necessary. The food I am most interested in comes from the soul and without that special ingredient it is more of a scientific experiment than a social interaction. The ingredient that Blumenthal constantly fails to add to his food is love and without love there is no nourishment.

Can't agree with that at all, but I'm happy to agree to differ.

Steve W

[aris]

When I first saw Heston Blumenthal's work I was impressed and even bought his first book. The more I saw of him , however, I began to realise that there was something missing from his food. Everything made perfect sense and was technically correct but his cooking came from the head and not from the heart. It is good to understand the science of cooking but not absolutely necessary. The food I am most interested in comes from the soul and without that special ingredient it is more of a scientific experiment than a social interaction. The ingredient that Blumenthal constantly fails to add to his food is love and without love there is no nourishment.

I somewhat agree. While the science is interesting, and I do learn something, I wouldn't make any of his food myself.

[joker smoker]

I have eaten at The Fat Duck and also at El Bulli in Spain yet I have enjoyed the food more at mom and pop diners, French farmhouses and even small guest houses in England. Molecular gastronomy may well teach us how cooking works but I don't believe it shows us how to enjoy eating!

[Pecker]

I have eaten at The Fat Duck and also at El Bulli in Spain yet I have enjoyed the food more at mom and pop diners, French farmhouses and even small guest houses in England. Molecular gastronomy may well teach us how cooking works but I don't believe it shows us how to enjoy eating!

I agree with that about Heston.

And about any other cook on the planet.

Knowing how to enjoy food is about what you take to the proceedings, and that's as true at The Fat Duck as it is in your back yard stood over your Weber, or at a competition.

Steve W

[thelawnet]

When I first saw Heston Blumenthal's work I was impressed and even bought his first book. The more I saw of him , however, I began to realise that there was something missing from his food. Everything made perfect sense and was technically correct but his cooking came from the head and not from the heart. It is good to understand the science of cooking but not absolutely necessary. The food I am most interested in comes from the soul and without that special ingredient it is more of a scientific experiment than a social interaction. The ingredient that Blumenthal constantly fails to add to his food is love and without love there is no nourishment.

The issue with Heston is it is essentially chemicals for him. He would grow meat in a lab if he could.

This is his menu of April 2010:

http://web.archive.org/web/201004101436 ... ting-Menu/

And this is the menu in July 2012

http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/The-Menus/Tasting-Menu/

And at Dinner:

http://www.dinnerbyheston.com/menus
http://web.archive.org/web/201107101307 ... .com/menus

I would rather he went out to the market and chose the best of what's there then just churn out the same thing every night.

But of course he's not going to do that because he no longer cooks in his restaurants, it's now just a well-tuned money-making empire. He owns all the pubs in Bray; the last he bought, the Crown, was absolutely appalling when I went there - order at the bar, they charge for bread, charge for vegetables, £27 for chili con carne, £15 for fish and chips, £23.50 for steak,(http://www.thecrownatbray.com/dinner.htm) added on service charge without asking, and the food is basically an expensive version of Cafe Rouge, or Cote, with probably a similar degree of skill/experience in terms of chefs, just a much higher price tag.

[esselle]

When I first saw Heston Blumenthal's work I was impressed and even bought his first book. The more I saw of him , however, I began to realise that there was something missing from his food. Everything made perfect sense and was technically correct but his cooking came from the head and not from the heart. It is good to understand the science of cooking but not absolutely necessary. The food I am most interested in comes from the soul and without that special ingredient it is more of a scientific experiment than a social interaction. The ingredient that Blumenthal constantly fails to add to his food is love and without love there is no nourishment.

AMEN!

[keith157]

I think there is a difference between loving food and putting your soul into it. I think he does love food, but in it's perfection rather than it's flaws. I've never eaten in restaurants of that class (the numbers haven't come up yet) but I have eaten in some good ones. You can certainly tell the chef with a passion for his ingrediants and what he can do with them, from the chef with a passion for success. Sadly they don't always go hand in hand, the best restaurant food I've ever had was at the "Pot Kiln" Mike Robinsons place. Just about everything on his menu comes from around his pub, the Pot Kiln Brewery is in his back yard, you can see it from the door. Last time we went the specials board had "Muncjac liver (shot at 1030 today)" on it the man has passion for his ingrediants and food and IMHO it shows.
Oh the best bacon butty in the world came from the "Duck Inn" under the railway bridge in Leabridge Road Leyton, until he got ill and his son took over who washed the frying pans out
As to the popularity of sous vide, Lakelands sell them now

[Pecker]

The issue with Heston is it is essentially chemicals for him. He would grow meat in a lab if he could.

He has!

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/890758-chef ... grown-meat

But you're wrong that "it's all about chemicals". These are a means to an end.

You don't get to the standard he has without putting your heart, soul, and the kitchen sink into it.

Steve W

[thesmokingpenguin]

I have eaten at The Fat Duck and also at El Bulli in Spain

You lucky bastard!

Although I have to agree with your point - whilst Heston cites his childhood memories for the creation of most of his dishes, they are his memories and I have to say that my memories are from the sort of places you mention, places I go back to time and time again, such as Prejeans, Mothers, local gastro-pubs, etc etc (even the Worlds End )