The contemporary
definition of “epicure” would upset poor, old Epicurus. The father of
philosophical materialism, Epicurus did stress the attainment of pleasure, but
to him that meant tranquility, not constant gratification of the senses. Ah,
well.
           These days, an epicure means a gourmand, or, “one with sensitive and discriminating tastes”
(Merriam-Webster). To many, the word is synonymous with “snob.” Of course,
“sensitive and discriminating tastes” tend to be in the senses — or mind —
of the beholder.
           I prefer the sound of vinyl to
digital music. My friend, Carl Pultz, can discern the
difference between a good turntable and a better one. He says his boss at the
Analog Shop has still more discerning ears. There are analogies for every
sense.
           There is also a great deal of
charlatanism in “epicurean” behavior. Mark Twain bought cheap cigars, put
expensive bands on them, and encouraged his guests to wax poetic on the virtues
of the “fine” smokes. One wonders about wine aficionados. Some “epicures,”
surely, can discern subtle differences, right?
           My lawyer friend, Bill Smith, is a
food and wine epicure with some self-consciousness about this. So, when Bill
suggested that we taste-test “Delta-grown” versus hydroponic
watercress, it seemed like a fun entrée into this broader
subject. Matt Hudson, chef de cuisine at Tastings,
prepared us a series of dishes all featuring watercress, one portion of each
using Delta-grown cress, one using the hydroponic
(from Freshlink).
           Tastings
is not my style of restaurant. With all of Danny Wegman’s
money and the Pittsford Wegmans produce behind it,
it’s hardly playing on a level field with other local restaurants. But I had a
fantastic meal there a month ago, and executive chef Russell Ferguson is a
great guy. He runs a tight ship, but more than that, he’s down-to-earth and
extremely helpful, giving his time, recipes, and advice freely.
           Bill feels the most impressive thing
about Tastings is how good it is when Russell isn’t
there, and our watercress tasting proved that point. Hudson, who now runs the
restaurant (Russell’s been put in charge of all prepared foods at the Pittsford
store) served a meal every bit as fine as the other I’d had. Kudos to everybody
involved.
           First, we tried a few leaves of each cress, unadorned, and we passed muster, correctly
identifying the varieties. The Delta-grown cress was stronger, with more bite
and a longer finish, really hitting home in the back of the throat. The hydroponic was very good also, with a brighter bite, and
larger leaves with more texture. For people who find watercress bitter, the hydroponic might be a better choice.
           This whole venture had me nervous.
After all, a food critic ought to be able to discern such things. “Super tuna”
sashimi with ponzu sauce, Thai-ginger-infused hot
oil, sesame seeds, pommelo (related to grapefruit),
and cress dressed with lime-leaf-infused oil presented a serious challenge.
Bill was sure which was which, and after some discussion, I agreed. We were
right, but the effort was already becoming annoying. This dish was fabulous,
with some of the best sashimi I’ve ever had — the super tuna is frozen
immediately to -50º — and here we were focusing on a barely detectable
difference in a garnish.
           Next came a
seared scallop in concentric rings of parsnip and watercress purées, with red
grapefruit sections. This proved beyond us. It seemed, maybe, that one cress
purée was smoother-flavored, and therefore blended better with the tart
grapefruit. We guessed that one to be the Delta cress, but it wasn’t. We
salvaged our pride by saying we had correctly identified the characteristics of the different
cresses, but had then guessed that the one we liked better must be the Delta
cress. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
           By the time the
house-blend-curry-rubbed leg of lamb came, sitting in cauliflower purée and
lamb jus reduction with wilted cress, we didn’t much care which was which. We
got it right, though, based upon the denser texture of the hydroponic
cress (better, perhaps, for wilting). The lamb was fabulous, and the balance of
the dish was extraordinary.
           Conclusions?
First, Russell, Matt, and the Tastings crew put on a
terrific show with excellent food. Second, we like watercress, and though in
raw form the Delta-grown is more intense than the hydroponic,
it doesn’t make a hill-o-beans of difference in most
contexts.
           Less conclusively, I wondered
whether the emperor (me) has indeed got a fork, to mangle a cliché. My
credentials go little beyond having eaten three meals a day for nearly 40
years. This, of course, we all have in common. Nothing
could be more subjective than taste, and, proverbially, there’s no accounting
for it. Nevertheless, with the help of sweet, loquacious folks like Bill Smith,
I shall, as City Newspaper film
critic George Grella said recently, endeavor to
persevere.
Tastings, 3195 Monroe Avenue, 381-1881. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Food tip
Two sisters opened
Julienne several months ago next to Premier Pastry at 429 South Avenue (232-3290). Like Savory Thyme and Ly-Lou’s Pearl of the
Orient nearby, Julienne offers only takeout or delivery from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
Monday through Friday. Give a call and check out its freshly made soups, wraps,
salads, sandwiches, and desserts.
— Michael Warren
Thomas
Tune in Michael on
Saturdays for gardening, restaurants, and travel (9 a.m. to noon), and on Sundays for Toronto restaurants and wine (10 a.m. to noon) on WYSL 1040 AM. Visit his website at www.SavorLife.com
for a peek at Julienne’s menu.
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2004.
