I watched The Taste of Things, a lovely French film about a decades long romance between a noted gourmet in the late 19th century and his cook. At Cannes, Anh Hung won the Best Director award for the film.
I keep thinking about a scene where the main character, actor Benoit Magimel, asks Pauline, the 10-year old niece of the cook, if after tasting a Bourguignotte sauce they had made recently in the kitchen she could name all the ingredients.
The young girl nods and says, “Short ribs. Smoked bacon. Red bell peppers. Mushrooms. Fennel. Tomatoes. Oranges. Wine. Parsley. Thyme. Bay leaf. Cumin. Juniper berry. Clove.” “Bravo,” responds Magimel.
This gentle scene made me realize how often I miss noticing all the ingredients that comprise a plate I might eat in a restaurant. For each ingredient adds something unique to the experience, and if we miss recognizing its distinctive contribution, we can too quickly become tourists moving to the next item on the list. And of course, this doesn’t only apply to a Bourguignotte sauce.
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