Cooking by Design
Alright, alright, I’ve been remiss. Apologies for the extra-long pause in posts. First work took over, then applications took over, and now, in this new year, I hope to be somewhat more consistent about putting thoughts to page.
During the winter months I tend to turn to cooking as a way to warm up (hot oven!), relax (great smells!), and hang with friends and family (who doesn’t love a home-cooked meal?). Recently I was cooking for a friend and told her, quite naturally, that I cook by color. What I didn’t realize is that this is not the way everyone thinks. Loads of people cook by recipe, and while I think that recipes are fine guidelines and excellent teachers, it’s far more interesting to cook by taste and by look.
Cooking by color, or by design, works best with things like salads where the ingredients are kept fresh. Bright cherry tomatoes, crisp bell peppers (in three colors, swooooon), and creamy-green avocados dance together to make a gorgeous, playful visual. The saddest dish by far, color-wise, has to be cream of mushroom soup. While I love the stuff dearly, it’s next to impossible to forget that depressing gray tone.
One of the best parts about cooking by design is that no one dish needs to be color-perfect– an assembly of parts can make for a visually (and gastronomically) satisfying meal. A well-browned meat, dark leafy green vegetables, light saffron rice, and a cheeky fruit juice or wine is more than enough to make a square meal. Often when I feel that a meal is missing something essential, I look to the colors to show me what’s lacking. And often it’s the green that is falling down on the job.
So when you’re next in the kitchen, think about your meal and how it will look once on your plate. Even if it’s a one-dish concoction, like pasta, make it hearty with tomatoes, zucchini, shrimp, and parmesan to give it some real color. Top it off with a sprig of parsley and you’re ready for anything. Both your eyes and your stomach will be pleased.
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