Title Change

I've decided to change the title of the blog.  I always intended the original blog title to be temporary.  I chose Hungry Ghost because it resonates with where I am right now in my culinary pursuits.

Hungry ghosts desire, but cannot attain what they seek.  I think this is true for any creative endeavor.  I think there's a constant struggle to identify the spirit of a dish or ingredient and bring that forth as clearly as possible. The idea is always more perfect than the execution, but perfection is elusive.

Another reason is that I want cookery to be more than about food as a creative and sensual outlet.   There is great satisfaction from "simple" foods.  Likewise, there is excitement when a dish engages one's intellect.  The problem I'm sensing (vaguely) through my exploration of The French Laundry and Keller's approach in general, is that food can be really tasty, but lack the engagement with the mind, while food that is intellectual, technical, and precise can often lack soul.

 I think I want to pay due respect to my "ancestors" in cooking.  Those hungry ghosts, the cooks and dishes that have built a foundation and a canon of not only tasty foods, but those which have lasted through time.  They have something deeper that allows them to be a springboard for interpretation and creativity.  I think this will not only be an exploration of traditional cuisines, but an archaeology of what my experiences have consisted of up to now.