By C. Patterson
noun \’fwä-’grä\: the fatted liver of an animal and especially of a goose usually served as a pâté
Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way it’s time to learn more of the awesome tastes and rewards of fine tuning your palate.
Sure we as descendants of cave-dwelling heavers of pointed sticks at saber-tooths want to sit around and eat things with our bare hands while being serenaded by the sweet analysis of Chris Berman but alas we must evolve. Fear not, brave carnivores, the world beyond wings and nachos is a great one filled with the beef, poultry, fish, and some amazing thing called a fondant.
The change comes in upgrading from simply eating to dining. There is no downside to being able to impress your in-laws by knowing how to pronounce the 1982 bottle of Château Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan and why it’s worth every penny of its $600 price tag, but if you’re in a pinch a Silver Oak 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will due. Also brush up on which wines go with which meals to enhance the flavor.
We all love steak right? Now take a moment to chew on this – the nicer restaurants actually try extremely hard to make sure that they cook the absolute best steaks imaginable, which translates more times than not to a better tasting steak for you. Seasoned, seared, and served to perfection with your total satisfaction in mind. Sure, the plate may be intimidatingly decorative, but they are artisans of their craft and want to impress you. It just so happens that they thought topping it off with a bit of the aforementioned foie gras would make you truly understand that you were about to partake in a culinary masterpiece. Think of it as an end zone dance on your plate.
Don’t shy away from the unknown either; however, take calculated risks if the menu is new to you. If you like chicken and don’t mind a bit of spice find a dish like a Tikka Masala. This way you are out of your comfort zone yet still in the realm of your toleration range. Should you be dining with a table full of guests (especially ones that either control the fate of your relationship and/or employment) avoid being so adventurous that you order something containing an ingredient that you dislike – for the sake of this argument let’s say goat’s milk. You order said dish with goat’s milk even though your entire life you have done nothing but hate the very existence of the secretion of that four-legged creature. Now that look of disgusted dread will be on display and broadcast on your face for the whole world to see. Always put your self in a position not only to win but also to enjoy what you are having.
So go forth and live my friends. Explore the earth with your taste buds, have gelato instead of ice cream, tartare tuna instead of tacos, crepes instead of cakes and digest life the way it should be.
