Food Philosophy #2- Never Turn Down a Taste

 
You know that trickle of ice that runs down your spine when someone asks you a question and you instantly realize you screwed up? You know the only answer you can give them is unquestionably the wrong one. Deceit is out of the option, and all you can do as you stand there horror-struck, is eventually reply with the exact words you know the questioner does not want to hear. That was me as I stood before my Baking and Pastry Chef-Instructor, a gorgeously browned baguette between us.
“Did you taste this baguette?” 

The question hung in the air between us as I wracked my brain to find some way of not responding with no. My Chef ignored my dismay, or rather matched it with his own.

“And yet, you expect me to taste it?” 
I had known this next sentence was coming, as it was always the follow up every Chef asked of the poor, dumb student that dared to bring an untasted dish up. “I wanted to present to you the whole loaf without a bite missing from it,” I offered up lamely.The Chef looked even more taken aback if possible. 

“Of course you wouldn’t present a baguette with a bite missing! You should have tasted the dough!” 
This answer was like a lightening bolt- a suggestion that had never occurred to me. “Cooks taste everything in a kitchen!” My Chef continued, “be it raw dough or raw chicken, nothing is more important than knowing the taste of your dish, inside and out.” (Not even salmonella, apparently).  

My entire view on tasting things (and on life!) had been completely rearranged. Being able to decipher what a recipe is missing, or has too much of, is imperative to becoming a good cook, and the only way to get there is by tasting. Taste your dish at every step in addition to the finished product. For example, try tasting the same recipe five different times, only changing it each time by adding a bit more salt. You will be amazed at the difference.
Don’t just taste your own dishes, taste everything and anything you can get your hands on. Every time I hear a cook refuse to taste something I want to scream! Tasting shouldn’t be about preference, or even enjoyment, it should be about learning. About expanding your horizons and teaching your palate the nuances of the thousands of ingredients out there, regardless of whether you personally like those nuances or not. To turn down a taste is to turn down an opportunity to develop as a cook, period. 
Similar to in the kitchen, turning down the tastes of life can stunt your development as a person. Sure, turn down a few opportunities, ones that could lead to jail time for instance, but in general never miss out on trying something new! As the saying goes, you often regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did. When my current boyfriend of five years asked me to go with him to Europe a few months into our relationship, I refused him for reasons that seem ridiculous now. But you better believe I will never again turn down a taste, be it a romantic trip with a great guy or a taste of raw chicken. Until the next bite, Jenn PS- If you were left wondering what was wrong with my baguette, the answer is nothing. He just knew. They always know.