There are so many blogs out there that are totally dedicated to food and cooking. Many of which I am a fan. So instead of writing about food in the same way, as I have no where near the same expertise, I want to use this space as an extension of all of the love, commitment and passion that people put into their blogs to look into why food is so important to so many of us. So, it is my hope that this will be a space for me to write about not only things that interest me, but also to explore how people relate to others and create identities through the food they prepare. I am very interested to hear about how other feel about food and whether what I have written is of interest to them and made them think about their own associations to food.
Here I will be looking to explore topics of interest and hopefully give some insights into people's relationship with food and how this translates and transcends in everyday cooking. I have been interested in cooking and food since I was little. Spending time in the kitchen with my mum and dad was always a great time to get to know them… and of course learn about one of my favourite things - food! Cooking has always been a very personal expression for me, it's the reflection of the styles and preferences of my parents, my loved ones, my travels, my friends and of course my aspirations. I really enjoy cooking for family and friends and find it really satisfying to prepare them something which I know they would love. I also have a real fondness of spending time browsing through cooking websites (particularly Gourmet Traveller, Donna Hay and BBC Food) and spending a lovely Sunday afternoon flicking through my very much loved, although unfortunately not as much used collection of cook books!
As I am based in Sydney Australia I thought that a good way to start this off would be to look at contemporary Australian cuisine and see how it has been influenced by different cultural traditions which have settled on these shores. It really is a bit of a melting pot, but I wanted to start off with the concept of Salty, Sweet, Spicy & Sour. This four flavours are the basis of many South East Asian dishes. I will be looking at each of these in a bit of detail and in particular look at how the Australian palate has been influenced and changed by the introduction of these flavours. I also want to explore the connections that people have to their food and how the introduction of different cuisines and flavours has helped people become more adventurous and also more willing to use their food as a medium of self expression.
The four flavours of salty, sweet, spicy and sour on their own, it can be argued enhance the taste of a dish. Giving your taste buds a bit of a 'wake up call'. But it is when they are combined together do they create something special, not unlike the amalgamation of cuisines in Australia. If I look at these flavours in the context of European cuisine, they have been used in varying forms and with different techniques for a long time. For instance use of salt in preserving food in Scandinavia and the Mediterranean, the use of sugar in Patisseries through Europe, the zing of horseradish in English mustard and the use of lemons in Spanish and Greek dishes. These flavours have been used for centuries through Europe, but never to my knowledge have they been used together in the same dish. The introduction of South East Asian flavours to the Australian public I imagine would have been concurrently exotic and familiar.
Anyway, I don’t want to overload you right now. So keep a look out for my next posting!
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