Don't Complicate It; Just Cook!

Tasting Notes - Shared Language; Shared Experience

In this episode we'll be talking about taste; specifically how we should think about talking about taste. We'll look at this through three separate topics: the language of appreciation, objective vs subjective taste and using taste to discover the connectedness and wonder of Creation.

Don't Complicate It; Just Cook!

Are recipes and planning getting you down?  Lets look at recipes in this episode but maybe not in the way that we usually do.   What is the purpose of a recipe?  I'd argue that there are three main reasons for them to be: * Connect to tradition * Learn a skill * Spark an idea With that in mind, how can we use recipes to grow in the craft and cooking and make our everyday dinner a little more enjoyable (both in the kitchen and at the table). To cover these topics, we'll compare the examples of boeuff bourgignon and Monday night supper and then go through a great way to take the pressure out of recipe reading.

Sursum Corda! The Importance of Beauty in Times of Strife

We live in a crazy mixed up world.  I don't think anyone would argue against that.  So what should we do about it? We'll look briefly at the battle for your attention (and soul) and ask whether the world is actually worse (or if we're just more aware of it.  Then (finally) we'll get into what to do about it.  How ought we to consider the job at hand and how do we go about getting started? The goal is nothing less than the restoration of culture yet nothing more than starting at the table. Sursum Corda!  Lift up your hearts!

On Charity and Cheesecake

What is the purpose of improving our tastes and levels of etiquette?  How do we respond to food that may not be to our preference (whether in taste preferences or in food types/quality) when dining with others? We'll let an brief (well...kinda brief) review of going out to dinner up up to a conversation about the real purpose of eating together and how charity ought to be the true end of all we do. Plus... pears!

The Law of Diminishing Returns

Let's sit down and talk about ways to have your meals get better with every bite! I'm not satisfied with the Law of Diminishing Returns when it comes to my food.  I don't want the first bite to be the best and then to spend time over eating in search of flavor and nourishment. Let's make meals and time at the table better, more nourishing and more pleasurable the longer we sit.  Let's linger over good bites and find a few key ways to bring the benefits of a multi course meal into the practicalities of today.