We built this city … on 4 ingredients (How a basic foundation of notes and ingredients make beautiful food and music)

For those of you reading the early posts on this website (Like our spice primmer), it may sound pretty rudimentary. That is because it is. We will get into more advanced stuff later. But, the purpose of these early posts is to build a strong foundation based on common ingredients and practices. If everybody has the same basic ingredients and tools in their kitchen, following along will be easy and won’t require multiple trips to the market. Our goal is to make your life easier. We want to empower you to create for yourself.

In short order, we will have articles outlining base ingredients. You will learn how to stock your kitchen and maintain an inventory with little effort. Most of the recipes, ideas, and techniques we will have will be based on this common set of elements. How many times have you read a recipe and said, “what is ras al hanout?”(I know I say that all the time, just randomly, walking down the street. People look at me and say, “Shouldn’t you be talking to Elvis?”) We don’t want you going crazy trying to find some off the wall spice or ingredient. You should already have everything you need to make dozens of dishes with little effort.

“We want to empower you to create for yourself.”

Think of it like making music. We aren’t trying to be Mozart. But, we don’t want to wallow in chopsticks. There are 12 notes in a scale. The scales just repeat in higher or lower pitch. So, whether it’s Mozart or Flock of Seagulls everything is based on those 12 notes. The songs sound completely different, but they come from the same set of “ingredients”. So, if we have the same ingredients and basic techniques, we can create something that is pleasing to the ear, or palate if we leave the music metaphor.

But, we aren’t quite done with the music metaphor. I see recipes as a musical score. The ingredients are the notes and chords. If you want to play Stairway to Heaven, The Ride of the valkyries, or Wake Me Up before you go go you follow the sheet music. It makes you happy to imitate your favorite song, or sad that you butchered it. But, what if you could make your own music (or food)? Wouldn’t you feel more pride in making something uniquely your own?

If you listen to the music of the 1950’s you will notice that many of the biggest hit songs are all based on the same 4 chord progression. The duke of Earl, Dream Lover, Heart and Soul, the Wanderer, and 80% of Dion’s songs are all pretty much the same song. But, each is unique and individual in its own way. I wouldn’t trade that falsetto in duke of Earl for anything. The point here is that you can take the same “ingredients” and make something unique and enthralling. The same applies to the kitchen. 4 ingredients: Protein, starch, vegetable, and sauce. Endless variations.

I know a lot of people learn how to cook from recipes and many find their specialty niche in baking. When you are baking, you need to follow a recipe to a T. Any variance results in a fallen cake or a dry cookie. With some experience, you learn to go off recipe a bit by adding a pinch of nutmeg or a dash of cinnamon. But, you cling to the central recipe. In cooking, though, there is a lot more latitude. You can follow precisely or you can let it flow like Jazz. Stick with us and we will teach you to recognize what is enough vs too much and how different ingredients interact with one another. You will be making your own music (and wonderful dishes) before you know it.