Today's ROP (May 1st!) reflect my belief that food, like so many things in life is about creativity. Herbs, spices and special sauce matter. Creativity, daring, and red hot 425 degrees of going for it matter more! From Van Gough's still life fruit at the Met, the Louve to the Food Network's never ending recipe for sharing never ending recipes, food has been at the center of man's creative universe since the Cave guys discovered fire and before the Vikings (the people, not the grill) "expanded" culturally.
People have always been creative with food. The French may have started and even continue to own the high ground, but now food is popularist. Food is everyone's domain for expression, for fun, for whatever they make out of it. Just like creativity has "opened up" or has become democratized given technology and other tools, same with with food culture. Foodies are not "new-voe", they are the newbie voice. And, given the economy, their voice can be heard more from homes and parties than from restaurants and seatings. Restaurants, like going to the theater or to a movie is about someone else serving up the experience (more passive, than active); where as, trying new recipies or just doing old favorites with new touches and twists- let alone serving it up to friends and family- is creating, owning the experience. Both can be very rewarding, but they are different.
If there are but two thruths today they are: Number one, everyone's gotta eat. That's been pretty consistent for most living things for a while here on earth. The second, the notion of "it's in the experience" is more true today, more real today than ever. Hey, i love fast food especially breakfast, but their is little experience, unless you have a child with you- Happy meals and happy kids can be the best experience. But honestly even Mickey D's experience is changing- screens are poping-up. People crave experience- we've become wired for it. Be it walking around our favorite store that sells our favorite stuff, we want dynamic voices talking and exciting images appearing. The Food Network is always revamping their "store shelves" with fresh product...before becoming dated, let alone stale. Stale TV, like sour food is never exciting, creative or anything else but disposable.
Creating experiences with food is really experiencing creativity with food. And, as three year olds, we were all master painters of this experience! Returning to this age of "experiencing creativity" (however/whenever/where-ever) never gets old!
BTW, I'm meeting a High School friend and his family today visting NY from Atlanta regarding his daughter's upcoming wedding- i have not seen him in 30 years! Given we will be near the Chelsea Market maybe we can do a walk through...talk about an expeience! (Chelsea Market in NYC's Meat Packing District- 14th St. and 10th Ave was an original Nabisco plant almost 100 years ago and converted into a wonderfully "relic and real" office center and food mall-plus it's where the Food Network is located and tapes some shows!!!