The Dancing Tongue

To play off the metaphor...

Food and beverage is like a dance on the tongue, in the eyes and in the soul. The chef's expression is his time in the proverbial 'battle circle.' Her chance to show you what she has- her take on the universal truth of taste.

It's not such an abtruse association. Why else do we dine with music in the backround? The two truly do compliment each other. The communication of the theme relies upon all of the senses.

With that in mind, I pose these questions:

What culinary styles do you think work with what cuisines? What doesn't work so well? What are your ideas of pairings that are, well, unexpected? (that one interests me most)

To illustrate what I'm talking about, some easy ones...

New Age Music (Vangelis or Enya) - Dim Sum
Speed Metal (Pantera or Slayer) - Hot Wings
Spanish Guitar (Franz and Farrah) - Ceviche or Paella
Classic Rock (Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix) - Comfort Food, like fried chicken or pot roast

Now to be a bit more creative with it (I'm letting the music be the guide in these decisions, not the food)...

Lounge Nouveau (Air or Filla Brazillia) - Sui Mai or Falafel
Classic Metal (lron Maiden or Dio) - Goulash, Paprikash or Menudo
Hip-hop (like Jay-z or Lil Wayne) - (hmmm...trickier) - dishes with aspirations, maybe? like Ethan's work? Cassoulet? Soulfood?

This is where I am stuck, What are some good contrast pairings? Or the unexpected?

Maybe I'm looking at it wrong. Perhaps the food needs to be considered first. Like:

Sushi- Spanish Guitar?

Hmmm... nuff of my rambling, picking at the fruit before it's ripe. Feedback would be appreciated, though!

EDIT: Oh, and if it can be done on the plate, it certainly can be done in the glass! It's simply easier to focus on one discipline.

I've also been thinking about BPM- beats per minute. Resonance. Used with association pairings in mind.

This is where words kind of fail. Ummm... think the resonance of ambient vs that of speed metal. Then think of the resonance of High French cuisine vs that of Cajun.

Get my drift?

Now, imagine eating High French cuisine while listening to speed metal. Disconcerting, no? But maybe in a good way???

classical music = Prokofiev and tappenyaki!

classical music = Prokofiev and tappenyaki!

I'm seeing it! Like a concert pianist or ballet dancer (or small bites on the end of a skewer) Light, playfull and appearing to be suspended on the tips of one's fingers!

Oh no, I'm getting at it...

At the subatomic level- the point at which particles become energy, physicists have developed a particular language for the 36 (identified, so far) particulars. Generally, they will describe a particular aspect as being 'up' or 'down.' Yin or yang. Even neutrons have an up or down status.

All of nature resonates with this Tesla- described resonance. The hum of the planets, the voice of the universe. The food you place inside the temple. Nay- you. The bionutritve concept is valid, I'm simply extrapolating and looking for a deeper, more sound meaning than 'wind washes rain.' I think I may be onto something here. Kind of like scientists being able to explain the shaman's cure for psoriasis by 'analyzing and identifying the fatty acid (x)'...

We all resonate. We all are insignifigant parts of the greater whole. The breath of the universe happens in a pulse, on a number of different planes. Dogs can hear things we cannot. We can see things they cannot. I think people are like this as well. No two people look at the same painting. Yet, one can pull at the very resonanance of human being- our common pulse, so to speak.

Sounds freaky, huh, well let me illustrate with something we all have experience with, umm- mashed potatoes!

When one looks at the band of frequencies, one will realize that sight and sound are two different ranges within this same spectrum. Resonance energy, all of it (per Einstein.)

Mashed potatoes, I think, would lie on the cool (or yin) aspect of the visible light spectrum. In the light yellows. Now to pair this with a sound device complimentary...

'Wishing on a Star' by The Cover Girls

Soft, rounded and giving, like a well-used pillow. Exactly what good mashed potatoes are supposed to be. The music makes one percieve this depth of experience, I dunno- as it should be experienced like you were in heaven!

You no longer taste a thing just because it passes your lips, but you feel that thing because of harmonic resonance!

lmao, OK, I'll let it be...

Hip-hop (like Jay-z or Lil Wayne) - (hmmm...trickier) - dishes with aspirations, maybe? like Ethan's work? Cassoulet? Soulfood?

Waaaay off course.


But I Loooooove this topic.



The past few years my work has been heavily inspired by art and music.


I listen to a lot of varying types of music (everything from ambient instrumental progressive metal to alt-country) while writing menus, researching, reading cookbooks, prepping the elements of the dishes, etc.

I highly recommend these incredibly creative and inspiring artists:

(the top 3 have been in heavy rotation for me almost exclusively when writing menus/researching/prepping... They're entirely instrumental and less distracting. Gets me in "the groove")

Russian Circles
Pelican
Red Sparowes
Isis
Open Hand
Cave In (in particular, recordings after 2000)
Three
Chuck Ragan
Thrice (in particular, recordings after 2005)
Hot Water Music
Faith No More
Lovage
Rush



On a similar note, I suggest checking out pastry chef Jordan Kahn's dishes inspired by art pieces by Laurie Maitland.

Lovage - "Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By" is an amazing album, orchestrated by a DJ named Dan the Automator and featuring Mike Patton's vocals. Dan also paired up with rapper Del the Funky Homosapien on a revolutionary album called Deltron 3030. If you like rap music at all, get it. It's the hip-hop equivalent of an Abbey Road or Dark Side of the Moon.

And related to the original topic, tonight's dinner at Seviche was paired well with some great oldies music, I believe I heard Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and a few other greats. The volume was just right to fade away during conversation and stand out when we were quiet(eating)

I'm surprised someone recognized Lovage.

You pretty much have to be a Mike Patton or Dan "the Automator" Nakamura aka Nathaniel Merriweather fan (he also produced/contributed to Gorrillaz and Head Automatica's debut albums) to stumble across Lovage.


I myself am a HUGE Mike Patton fan, and discovered Dan the Automator's talents through Lovage.

Handsome Boy Modeling School is some fun music that Dan is responsible for too.


On the subject of Mike Patton, Peeping Tom is some incredible music. Patton has described it as his pop band. Soooo good.

Yes yes yes. Every album you named is awesome. New Gorillaz can't compare with old Gorillaz IMO. You da man, Ethan.

well, thanks man.

Random sidenote:

Mike Patton did the voice of "the Darkness" in the video game of the same name.

Familiar with it or played it?

He did the voice for the character with the use of no effects or devices. Just him and a microphone.
If you've heard any of the audio of the voice he did... it's unreal. Truly insane there are no audio effects.


He captures the voice of evil far too well.

You bring up a very point of topic Stephen. Because I'm not a music-phile of any degree I cannot contribute anything to the conversation. I will say that I strongly believe your thought has merit. I do know that just as some music can contribute or enhance a meal, other music can distract. Both my daughter and I have synesthesia (an overlapping of senses) Sarah refuses to eat at a very popular Japanese restaurant here in town. When I asked her why, she said, " I can't taste anything there because of the music."

Jack Johnson goes really well with ice cream.

Mike Patton gave the servers a copy of "music to make love to your old lady by" when I was at Globe years ago. Those were seriously what I regard as "the days"! Foodies and musicians eating well and drinking/tipping heavily.