GMARKET CHEF

     It has been said that a prerequisite of being a mother, not withstanding the caregiving of children obviously, is to have at least one equally delicious, as it is secret recipe. The exclusiveness of this formula of flavor has prompted such responses as, when asked for the recipe, "I could tell you the recipe, but....". To the select few who have been granted access, the secrets often lie in the most unsuspecting places. This, the third of a short series on flavor combinations ( GmarketChe f Blog ) is meant to broaden the way that we think about food combinations and hopefully provoke the development of your own secret recipe.       There are fewer "job positions" in which resourcefulness is a more valuable characteristic than that of a mother; it is perhaps for this reason that the cooking tactics follow the same amount of opportunism. In any case, the three focus points for the moment are texture, sweetness and aroma. As all three of these characteristics

   The all too common feeling of dread when the question is posed: What's for dinner? Frantically flipping through recipes in books or web pages, the grocery list that results is nearly as daunting as the decision of what dish to make. After having purchased a myriad of ingredients, with dinner time drawing near, the race against the clock begins to reach its conclusion. While the resulting meal prepared may be exactly as the recipe intended, flavors perfectly mimicking the writers vision, the extra time and money spent can be truly exhausting. When did cooking become a chore, a list of requirements sans creative spontaneity? Especially after the afterglow of the holidays has passed, how can the enjoyment of cooking be reinvigorated?    In order to take apart the reasons for why dinner preparation has become such an arduous task, let's toss the recipe book to the side for a few moments. While the recipe book is on the table, walk to the fridge, open it and imagine so

   In the world of modern fusion restaurants and conceptual cuisine, it is common for diners to leave such establishments scratching their heads. For those who prepare and develop these dishes, the task has become seemingly little more than a blindfolded exercise of "pin the flavor on the plate". Heavy laden with a cacophony of flavors and buzzword techniques turns simple pasta /soup or salad dishes, for example, into a confusing experience that begs the question: Why fix it if it isn't broken? Have we gone too far in our efforts to keep food preparation full of fresh ideas? Is it possible to keep the spirit of experimentation and playfulness alive without stretching the palate beyond its ability to differentiate flavors?    For the home cook to the executive chef, regardless of the intended dish, these are questions that have exciting answers:    While the idea of "umami" is not new, it has become a thoughtless term that's tossed into every dis