ideas that taste good

Cuisine as genetic code

November 2, 2014 by antdina

Luc Besson gives us a story about Nature’s true survival instinct in his movie Lucy. Billed as an action SciFi thriller, promoters sell a provocative idea: the full use of the brain can be unlocked by a drug. It’s the overdose of the toxic potion which turned a frappy girlfriend, named Lucy, into a Neo-like heroine. Beneath the veneer of vigilante bravado, lies a curious premise: all living things are designed to pass along information from one generation to the next. It’s a redux of the […]

Categories: Chef Talk • Tags: Daniel Espinoza, Dinner Lab, Luc Besson, Lucy, Mexican

If cooking was like comedy, this would be stand up

September 7, 2014 by antdina

According Jonah Weiner, Jerry Seinfeld’s success stems from audience intimacy. It’s about making small things appear big. And it’s about obsessing over details like building a Japanese cricket cage. Jonah is not defending the architecture of Seinfeld, the popular nineties sitcom. He’s talking about dying while standing up. Because to live is to stand up to failure. The NY Times Magazine profile showcases Jerry’s obsession with joke refinement. An exercise which might take years to accomplish. Akin to the mastery of a violin. An intricate process […]

Categories: Food Finds, Pioneer • Tags: Dinner Lab, Ek Timrek, hamachi, Jerry Seinfield, Jonah Weiner, Kao Soi, NY Times Magazine, Seinfeld, shrimp and grits, stand up, Thai, Tom Kah, tom kha gai

A timeless story told with a Japanese tongue and German wit

August 24, 2014 by antdina

Now when they found a little brook leaping brightly over the stones, the brother was going to drink out of it, but the sister heard how it said as it ran, “Who drinks of me will be a tiger; who drinks of me will be a tiger.” Then the sister cried, “Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild beast, and tear me to pieces.” The brother did not drink, although he was so thirsty, but […]

Categories: Food Finds • Tags: Barlata, beets, Fairytale, meat and potatoes, Nobuo, Phoenix, sushi, tuna tataki

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Some assembly required

August 10, 2014 by antdina

Ikea represents more than a big box retailer at the edge of town. It’s more than an ode to Sweden or contemporary design. Or the continuously cost-cutting enterprise flagged in yellow and blue. It’s the firm that put the buyer into their factory. You might argue that unassembled furniture is much more compact. And that efficiency of space lowers the cost of goods sold. But an artist’s mind is at work. By inviting it’s customer to join in on production, they […]

Categories: Design • Tags: appetizer, bahn mi, cheese, Dahlia Lounge, Pieous, salame, salami, sampler, self service, South Congress Cafe, tuna tacos, Zocalo

Language of love

August 3, 2014 by antdina

Some day, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you a service. But until that day accept this justice as a gift on my daughter’s wedding day. — The Godfather, by Mario Puzo In that chilling scene, the godfather, portrayed by Marlon Brando, agrees to fix a problem for someone else. It begins with a lesson about respect. About using the proper title for a man who carries the most influence in an organization. THE godfather. And while the tuxedo clad Sicilian-American indicates […]

Categories: Communication • Tags: A16, Cotogna, gift, language of love, Pizza, Pizzarie Delfina, Second, Serious Pie, The Godfather

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The ketchup tree

July 27, 2014 by antdina

We crave embellishment. The lace on a dress. The cornice where the wall meets the ceiling. The violins swelling as the most memorable line of the movie is uttered. The same remains true for the architecture of a meal. Would that fish and rice stand solely as nourishment, we’d have no use for tartar sauce or soy. Our hot dogs and hamburgers would lie plain. And we’d savor that protein tidal wave from the Summer grill un-aided by condiments. And yet […]

Categories: Design • Tags: 11 Plates, apple, citrus, Dahlia's Lounge, ketchup, Lupa, Mario Batali, peaches, pear, pickle, pickled peaches, pork, Salty Sow

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Forget the taco salad. And remember the salad taco.

July 15, 2014 by antdina

The year is 1999. Federal courts declare Microsoft a monopoly. George “double-yah” rises as the top Republican hopeful. Brittnay Spears is still a child and not having children. And Bud Light captures our attention with Real Men of Genius on the radio. In that advertising campaign, agency DDB Worldwide to took careful aim to lampoon our obsession with indulgence. In this radio spot they expose irony of a 1200 calorie taco salad. Complete with an edible, deep-fried tortilla shell. The music overlay […]

Categories: Design • Tags: 11 Plates, Elizabeth Street Cafe, fritters, larb, lettuce, Qui, Real Men of Genius, red fish, salad, taco

A salad which might pickpocket expectations

June 29, 2014 by antdina

She comes in the room without an invitation. Her face warming, bright and punctuated with sparkling green eyes. Decked in a flower dress and curly auburn hair. Her gaze changes the party. Guests shed jackets and formalities. Lips no longer hold back smiles. The icy wind leaves. And the promise of clinking glasses signal the start to a season of laughter. Her name is Summer. She does not wait for the longest day of the year. She joins when she damn […]

Categories: The Taste Lab • Tags: cucumber, mint, nectarine, salad

We elephant when we eat

June 22, 2014 by antdina

The world loves team sports. Most of which involve a ball. A ball which passes between players in the pursuit of a goal. Through the hoop, into the end zone, or in the box. We count points. We hold our breath. We cheer for victory or groan in defeat. Skilled players see the ball with their hands. They pass effortlessly among their team. It’s a conversation between cohorts. Message in. Message out. When play is good we witness the flow of energy. […]

Categories: Communication • Tags: elephant, Lacrosse, low mein, mouthfeel, noodles, pappardelle, pasta, pici, spaghetti

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Dining from the garden of an artist

June 16, 2014 by antdina

Can’t see the forest for the trees. Consonance and dissonance. “Let there be spaces in your togetherness….” (Khalil Gibran, The Prophet). An expression. The mechanics of music. And recommendation by a poet. These all signal the duality which forms the human experience. They speak to perspective. From the ground, people of the sky lack context. From the heavens people of the earth lack context. Both are true. Hieronymus Bosch painted with a symbolic hand. The Garden of Earthly Delights show fantastical […]

Categories: Storytelling • Tags: Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch, Michael Bras, painting, Qui, salad, vegetables, Willem deKooning

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