No Reservation

Did it ever occur to you that the moment you open a bottle of wine, or slice into a wheel of cheese, it starts to die.  Before you touch it, before you make the decision to devour it as part of a meal, girl's night, or making dinner, its a living organism, still developing its flavor, its aroma, and its essence.

This is a wildly fascinating idea I collected while watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation.  Have you watched his show before?  He's a gritty, smoking, cussing New York chef who travels the globe, experiencing the cuisine of the neighborhood, city, or country he's visiting.  Great show.  Really raw.  But truly edgy because its a chef who really indulges himself in a country via its food.

I wonder if you we all viewed food and wine with no reservation, assuming it to be alive, growing, breathing, developing, would you still open that bottle of wine or slice into the cheese wheel?  I would think yes.  I would think in some ways its all the more appealing.  The down side being the moment the bottle is open, or the cheese sliced, it starts to die.  It starts loosing its flavor, its aroma, and even its essence.

Think about that bottle of wine from yesterday.  Is it really a good glass of wine?  Or now is it better for cooking?  I don't know about you, but the next day its already cooking wine.  Its aleady lost its flavor and its aroma.  The same is true of veggies, fruits, and even cheeses.  As soon as you slice into them they start to change, to decompose, to lose their colors, their flavors, and again their essence.

I don't mean to be so down on food and wine, saying that we are killing it.  I'm not a food and wine activist, against any harm coming to a good bottle of Silver Oak or a fresh cheese wheel from Parma.  I'm all for opening the bottle or cutting into the cheese.  I'm also all for finishing that opened bottle of wine.

What I'm suggesting is taking a look at your food as more than nutrition; more than something you put on your plate and serve to your children.  Take some time to consider that the life you take when you drink that wine or eat that cheese is now adding to your life.  Its enhancing that romantic dinner with your husband; its a topic of conversations for a group of friends over for dinner; its a story to tell your coworkers when you have a success in the kitchen using a new ingredient.