For me, one of the greatest pleasures of cooking is coming across a new flavour. I sometimes associate a flavour with my first experience of it. Some people open up an old photo album to reminisce. I like to open up a cookbook and remember when and where I was when I first tasted something.
Growing up, my mom cooked nutritious but simply prepared food and I didn’t get a lot of exposure to tastes from around the world. I think she must have been inspired by her mother’s way of cooking, which was to simply cook the food that the farm produced – there was no need to add a lot of fancy or rich sauces because it was so good just the way it was. We rarely went to restaurants, so we only ate the foods that were part of my mom’s repertoire. It was always delicious, but my palette had a lot of room to grow...
The sense of smell is highly linked to memory (because the part of the brain responsible for our sense of smell, the limbic system, is related to feelings and memory). But along with smell, each new taste experience adds something to my mental map and to the growing collection of stories about the food I eat.
Some examples…
Green Peppers
When I was in grade one, my teacher created a game where we had to reach into a bag blindfolded and identify the fruit or vegetable. I had never tasted a green pepper before, but I remember being completely blown away by the sharpness and the juiciness of a raw green pepper.
Brussels Sprouts
These poor little veggies get a bum rap. Do kids in real life squirm when mom serves them a plate of brussels sprouts, or is that only in movies? I felt privileged never to have been subjected to these green little monsters, but also complicit in their blacklisting. So, finally living on my own, I marched myself down to the grocery store and bought a bunch. Delicious! I'm sorry, but anyone who doesn't like them is crazy.
French Tarragon
I lived in France for one wonderful year and there are several foods that have the power to bring me back there. Along with small tasty French lentils, the predictable Brie and Camembert cheeses, chestnut spread, anything made with black currents, Nutella crepes and many more, the delicate, distinctive taste (and smell) of tarragon says to my brain: Oh la la…you are now in France.
So why not take a little vacation and make this fresh French-style potato salad? Tarragon is key. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite.
French Potato Salad
Serves 4
2 eggs
10 asparagus spears
6 medium white or yellow potatoes (choose ones that are smooth skinned and new)
2 tablespoons of tarragon
2 tablespoons of chives
1 tablespoon green onions
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon old fashioned Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ tsp each of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Hard boil the eggs and set aside to cool.
Wash the asparagus and remove the ends. (To do this, start at the end opposite the spear and just apply gentle pressure as though you’re trying to bend it, until you get to a spot where it snaps. Discard this short woody end.)
Grill the asparagus at 300 C, lightly brushed with olive oil until tender crisp.
Scrub the potatoes, removing any eyes or blemishes, then cut into thick slices. Cook in boiling salted water, until a knife slides through them easily. In the meantime, make the dressing.
Chop the following finely and put in a bowl: tarragon, chives, green onions, garlic and Dijon mustard.
Whisk herbs together with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
When the potatoes are done, drain and run under cold water just briefly to cool slightly. Peel and chop the eggs. Chop the asparagus into large pieces. Put potatoes, asparagus and eggs in a large bowl and very gently toss everything with the dressing.
Cool to room temperature before serving, or refrigerate until cold. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
