Thoughts from a working cook about ... Moderation. Applying that to parties and everyday life!

Moderation and balance is the key to happiness.

 Too much of anything is usually bad and causes unbalance … well all know this.  More to the point with regard to food and cooking … sometime the simplest things are in fact the best.  If you are able to get Wild line caught King Salmon don’t mess with it.  Just cook it.  Moreover, don’t buy 10 lbs. because you will not think it is that awesome the fifth time you prepare it.

There is a story there, about over indulging in Salmon.  Many years ago at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach I had an opportunity to eat fresh, line caught, King Salmon everyday for pennies … and guess what I did?  That’s right!  I ate it nearly every meal for a month.  The specialty and beauty of it soon wore off and to this day, I hardly ever get a desire for wild Salmon.  This isn’t entirely what we mean about moderation with cooking, although it is a good point.  Specifically what we mean is that cooking takes patients and moderation is the best beginning for that learned journey.  Moderation in cooking is like moderation in life.  While we don’t want to get existential or ‘fussy”, we do want to impart to you that moderation is a key ingredient in cooking.  We think, when you are deciding on what to prepare, you need to consider all the variables.  What type of event, dinner party, who the guests are, what they mean to you, what their experiences are, what their expectations are … and also your ability to create and pull off the feat.  Have you ever been to a party, or hosted one, where the host is stuck in kitchen for most of the evening?  Sure you have, we all have.  Now, if you have guests who like to cook then invite them in and cook for them, or even with them.  If you have “non-foodies” then just make really good simple dishes that can be prepared ahead of time.  What we mean is Moderation can also mean making good decisions prior to the party but always through the cooking process.  An example of this is; if you are working all day and do not have much time to prepare a meal for family or friends think about your menu in more simple terms … in moderation of your time.  Another example is; you have planned a dinner party for several friends who can cook, then get them involved in the the experience of cooking together, which is  wonderful because usually everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway.  This example is even more stated with the regular family meal for ... Tuesday.