Food is more than just something to eat. Food is art, science, health, culture and so much more including entertainment. Whether you’re toasting marshmallows around a campfire or dipping hunks of bread into the bubbling cheese of a fondue pot, enjoying the process of making food becomes the experience. This is what entered into my mind when I popped a panipuri into my mouth at the Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta. Panipuri, a traditional Indian street snack, has two parts. The puri is a hollow crisp, and the pani is the flavored liquid you pour into the puri. Then you quickly place the whole bite-sized creation in your mouth and enjoy the crunch and the exciting tastes of whatever the cook decides. Newly appointed executive chef Ramesh Kaduru, who is originally from India, created an elegant vegetarian panipuri. Who knew small portions could be so much fun to eat?
Experiential tastes
Recipes with multiple components combined to create a unique experience are livening up restaurant and bar menus. Shapes of ice – from cubes to shards to perfect globes – are chosen specifically to complement a drink. Flaming aromatic paper or citrus peel over the glass may be a finishing touch.
Benjamin Yabrow, bartender at Umi Sushi in Buckhead, said, “Experiential is a big side to the Japanese style of cocktails.” He thinks about four elements when building a cocktail: the base liquor then three flavor profiles including sugar, acid and bitter.
Yabrow said, “Some overlook the importance of the bitter side of things. Bitters are the salt and pepper of the cocktail world.” The resurgence of the craft cocktail is connecting the kitchen to the bar with a shared emphasis on fresh ingredients and perfectly balanced flavors. Case in point: the Moscow Mule, a popular summer drink of vodka, ginger beer and lime. “At Umi, we peel, chop and puree fresh ginger root and strain the juice to make our own ginger beer to control spice levels in our Moscow Mule,” said Yabrow.
Variation on a theme
Once you’ve got a recipe down, why not stick with it but switch it up a bit by varying ingredients to keep things interesting? That’s what executive chef Franck Steigerwald, at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, does with risotto. One night it might be cauliflower risotto with fried garlic and ricotta cheese and the next it’s a risotto with peas, mint and hazelnuts. Stay tuned for the short rib risotto with black peppercorn. Now that’s entertainment.
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