By Tisa Conway-Cunningham
Food and music — two of my favorites. They go together like peanut butter and jelly and complement each other with just enough finesse to help the other shine. Both use a tapestry of intermingling selections that pair together to tell their perfect story. Combined, the two work together to create an everlasting experience that nurtures the mind, the body and the soul.
Music is everything. It is the sound, the beat, the rhythm and the melody. It is the tapping of the drums, the stroke of the keys, the plucking of the strings and the tooting of the horn. It is the soprano, the alto, the tenor and the bass. In everything that is life, music.
Think about it. If you could put together any sounds to create nature’s soundtrack, what would it include? The swishing of wind as it sweeps leaves from the tree across the pavement. The chirping of birds calling to each other as they sing their songs of seduction to attract a mate. Maybe the roaring of thunder marking its path in an oncoming storm. Whatever the choices you make, big or small, each leaves an indelible mark on the brain forever, marking its place in your natural soundtrack.
Food is the same way. When I think about my childhood, I will forever think of the first time I sucked on a honey suckle straight from the bush surprised by its sweet taste. My memories will carry me back to all the days I came home from school excited because of the delicious smells that engulfed my nostrils everyday after school.
Mom worked morning and night, but somewhere in all her hard work caring for the elderly, she always found time to fix my sisters and I a hot meal. The sizzle of chicken or chops in the frying pan; the clanging of pots as she mixed in flavor to her mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, peas and carrots or any other of the nights delicious accompaniments. Before Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), food was already writing its story in my brain.
Music and food make me happy. They do something to my psyche that wakes me up, washes over me and speaks to my soul. I am a singer, and music has always been a part of me. It helps me to feel, express, interpret and experience life. When I have no words, music is my words. When I struggle to express how I feel, music helps me to deliver my message. If I am struggling to understand something, music paints the picture in my head that helps me to navigate through my epiphany of understanding. Music is life and music is me.
Growing up, my mom loved spinning her records as she worked her way through cleaning the house, washing clothes and of course cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. We would wake up to music and fall asleep to music guiding us to our dreams. While the food filled our bellies, the music filled our souls. Perhaps that is why both play such a significant role in my life.
Sweet. Salty. Sour. Bitter. Umami or Savory. On average, 10,000 taste buds, each with 50 to 150 taste receptor cells, encompass the human tongue ready to receive the perfect bite. It’s sweet and spicy, bitter and sweet, sour and umami, sweet and salty, or any combination of flavors, perfectly balanced to deliver that perfect experience. Food, like music, delivers its own story.
At the table, the menu highlights the program. Each dish in this symphony, a separate movement, combining to tell a story bigger than itself. Appetizers. Small Bites. Soups. Salads. Main Entrees. Desserts. Every bite plays a role. Think sight, smell, taste and mouth feel. Complimentary colors catch the eyes. Spices, herbs and aromatics introduce each dish to your nostrils.
At first bite, each flavor greets your tastebuds introducing itself. The palate searches for flavor combinations, textures, smell and temperature, recording its experience. Like an orchestra playing in unison, each additional bite adds to the masterpiece dancing across your tastebuds delivering a complete performance.
It’s Goodwood’s buffalo cauliflower. Dipped in beer batter, deep fried, then sauced with a slightly spicy and buttery buffalo sauce, accompanied by pickled celery, blue cheese crumbles and a creamy ranch. The soundtrack playing on your tastebuds is spicy, salty, buttery, creamy and umami. It’s temperature, hot. The texture, slightly crunchy, toothsome cauliflower, soft and creamy blue cheese, with a silky ranch dressing that cools the spice and balances out the flavors. At first thought, one might question the validity of the pairings, but this starter provides an experience that plays on in your memories, reminding you every time to order this deliciously constructed work of art.
It’s Thai Smiles’ curry puffs. A mixture of chicken, sweet potato and curry pocketed in a wonton wrapper, and deep-fried golden brown and paired with a sweet and tangy sauce. Salty, sweet, sour and savory flavors play on the tongue. Served hot, this crunchy exterior, followed by a soft dumpling style interior, provides an experience that wakes up the palate with notes of curry and other bold yet balanced flavors.
It’s The Evergreen’s chicken salad. Oven roasted chicken breast, mayo based, mandarin oranges, cranberries and chopped pecans. Savory, meets sweet, sour, salty with a hint of bitterness on the backend. The temperature, cool. The foundation, a creamy base, tender bite, bursting citrus, and sweet cranberry, finished with crunchy, salty goodness. This simple dish is heightened in experience because it greets all five zones of your taste buds, each balanced to create a harmonious performance in your mouth.
Enjoy it solo with a spoon, on a soft buttery croissant or with crackers or chips. Hands down, this is one of the best chicken salad recipes I have enjoyed. My wife does not like chicken salad, but the exception is this one.
It’s Hoggy’s coconut almond chip ice cream. Creamy vanilla base, meets coconut, chocolate chips and almonds. Its sweet, salty, bitter and umami. It’s creamy, textured bits of coconut, dark chocolate chips and crunchy almonds, tickle the tastebuds with its exotic, yet familiar flavors. Enjoy as a scoop, on a waffle cone, on a sugar cone, in a waffle bowl, in a sundae or take your banana split to another level with a scoop, of this delicious treat. It is worth the try, but if this is not your cup of tea, Hoggy’s showcases 20 plus flavors to try. Dole whips (this season, it is pumpkin spice), soft serves and several toppers to create the ultimate ice cream experience. So, create your own masterpiece.
Food and music are all about the experience. On their own, they tell their stories, but together, food and music accompany and accentuate the other to tell a new story. If it is a story that you enjoy, then you have added to your new favorites list. Everyone’s soundtrack and food journeys are different. See it. Smell it. Try it. Taste it. The adventure is in finding those gems that add to your personal program and accompany you to create your own culinary soundtrack.
Crab cake poppers by Lauren Miyashiro
Ingredients:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 pound lump crab meat
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon finely chopped chives, divided
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Grated Parmesan, for garnish
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Ingredients for the aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Directions:
Make the poppers in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice, Old Bay and Worcestershire. Mix until smooth, then fold in crab meat, mozzarella, garlic, 1 tablespoon of chives, and ¾ cup bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Roll mixture into small balls (about 1 inch), then coat in remaining panko. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make aioli in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay and remaining chives until smooth. Season with pepper.
In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil. Working in batches, add crab cake poppers. Fry until all sides are golden, using tongs to gently turn balls, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel–lined plate. Garnish poppers with Parmesan and parsley, and serve warm with aioli.
