I’m not a good cook. I can’t taste the difference between good wine and bad. I don’t have a keen pallet that can discern hidden spices and ingredients in the sauce. I don’t have the patience of marinating for days and cooking for hours.
But I still enjoy cooking. Cooking for me is almost painting… What do I mean by that? Let me show you an example: This is how I prepared for our dinner tonight!
I start with what I find in the fridge. Kabocha squash, asparagus, and hakusai (nappa cabbage). I like the color combination of the three vegetables. Especially the bright yellow of kabocha and fresh green of asparagus. How can I let these colors stand out?
Selection of the plates is the key! I pick out bowls and plates that go with the vegetables. The white plate in the center has an interesting shape. how should I display the veges? That’s a challenge.
Notice none of the plates and bowls have the same design or color. Different colors, shapes, and textures. Yet you want to achieve some kind of harmony. The dark brown bowl is made of wood and coated with Urushi lacquer. Ideal to keep miso soup warm.
Sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin (sweet sake), salted seaweed, and garlic. That’s all I use as spices today.
The one on the right is dried seaweed, and the one on the left is dried fish. I always make broth for miso soup using only these two ingredients. I simply put them in a pot of water and simmer it (don’t let it boil!) for 10 minutes.
I normally put dried wakame and also dried tofu (called Koya Tofu) for miso soup.
Here it is! The one on the left is rice, 50% white and 50% brown. Rice and miso soup are must items for a Japanese meal!
As you see, my cooking is 30 % taste and 70% presentation. Which plate to use? How to place the veggies on the plate? Thinking about it and executing accordingly is the fun part. Oh, hopefully, everything tastes good enough.