One of the benefits of the recent December holiday, coupled with the restrictions of a resurging pandemic, was lots of free time to stay in and catch up on my TV viewing. One of the series in which I indulged was The Chef’s Table.
It took me a long time to tune in. I thought it was just another cooking show, so I ignored it until last year. Then I caught one episode in Season 3 featuring Jeong Kwan, a South Korean Buddhist monk who is the cook at her monastery. Actually, she is a culinary master in the healing art of “temple food.” Western chefs and noted food critics vie for the chance to attend one of the rare occasions she prepares a meal outside the monastery.
Jeong Kwan’s respect for the traditions of her ancestors, and her reverence for the soil, sun and seedlings in her garden, with the delicate care she takes in peeling, stirring, brining and steaming, turns the preparation and presentation of vegetables, grains, herbs and soy sauce into a visual meditation.
Several other episodes also stayed with me. There was Asma Khan, who eschewed a law practice to start a career as a chef, and with a circle of South Asian nannies and maids launched what is now one of London’s top Indian restaurants.
Francis Mailmann resurrects the outdoor cooking methods of rugged Patagonia at the far coast of South America, bringing the natural wildness of earth, sea and fire into each bite.
When married chefs Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones, launched their organic restaurant Bo.Lan in Bangkok, they had to traverse the countryside to find farmers and artisans practicing the sustainable and authentic growth and cultivation methods from Thailand’s culinary past.
Real-life is happening, too.
Undocumented immigrant Cristina Martinez fled her abusive husband and in-laws to earn money for her daughter’s education, accompanied only by her lifelong skill in barbacoa – traditional Mexican barbeque. Over a decade later, she still has no green card (despite having wed an American), and her daughter (whom she has not seen in person all these years) is now a nurse. But she also runs one of the top taco restaurants in South Philly, providing a taste of home for an ever-expanding community of fellow immigrants.
One chef, Sean Brock, an innovator in new Appalachian cuisine, ruined his health running multiple restaurants in the pursuit of culinary excellence.
Another openly acknowledged his temper in the kitchen, and its impact on the staff, behavior that directly contradicts his commitment to organic, slow growth farming which requires patience and a deep respect for nature.
After several more episodes centering on the personal lives, challenges and culinary evolutions of the chefs, some themes emerged, metaphors for living.
- Food is a path to self-knowledge, integral to understanding the unity of body, mind and spirit that allows for full creative expression.
- Food connects us to ancestry and culture, viscerally linking us to the ancestors.
- Ingredients must be authentic, natural, and sustainable for the planet. Collaborating with local farmers and artisans creates community around the table and in society.
- Being versed in the precise use of cooking utensils and the scientific composition of foods is vital. (Many of the chefs trained in France, the world capital of sophisticated cuisine.)
- However, implementing regional traditional cooking methods makes for dishes that are delectable to the taste, nourishing to the soul, respectful of history and resonant with promise.
- Surprise and delight must also be part of the experience. “Keep the tradition; break the rules.”
- The purposeful interplay of colors, textures, flavors and proportions in the dish is the apex of the dining experience.
- It takes long hours, hard work and steadfast dedication, especially in the early years, to build a successful enterprise.
- It doesn’t matter where you are. “Bloom where you are planted.”
- Self-care is paramount. The preparer promotes health and contentment on the plate by example. One need not sacrifice personal, familial or staff well-being for some greater commercial success.
Bon Appetit!
