We are living in a changing world. To deny changes would be to deny realities. I'm using the plural on purpose, for I feel that to deny certain realities is the option of intelligence-in other words, being experienced enough to make distinctions. We finally know so much of history that we can bear witness to the vicissitudes of culture, the ebb and flow of civilization, over the course of the past twenty centuries and more! Mankind has lived both a pastoral existence and a frenetic one, sometimes side by side. The "art of eating," as Brillat-Savarin termed it, has had to respond to the pace of changing man over this evolutionary parade.
If I hear the message correctly, most people want less food in their lives than did their forefathers. This makes perfect sense. I despise regimentation. I hope that throughout this book, you will be inspired to participate in the creative decision-making process of cooking. The designation appetizer would seem to indicate that another course must follow. This does not have to be the case! But I have yet to think of another satisfactory term, so "Appetizers" it will be.
You can develop any appetizer into your main, or only, course. The rather modern term being used in the newspeak of culinary jargon is modular. It refers to interchangeable courses-like having a tiny, cold oriental pasta dish with grilled duck breast and a vinaigrette, followed by baked figs stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese. A more refined predecessor to this modular cuisine, born of a similar notion, is the menu degustation that probably evolved as a reaction to the seeming overindulgence of the "grande cuisine" of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some of the more notable three-star chefs of France such as Michel Guerard and Joel Robuchon present small, precisely orchestrated "mini" versions of certain of their a la carte menus, executed in a progression that harmonizes the whole experience of dining.
Another interesting new development has been the success of such restaurants as Menage a Trois in London and Primi in Los Angeles. At these places, the entire menu consists solely of appetizer-sized portions. This allows a much less structured dining experience that fits the life-styles of many people today. Tapas, dim sum, and grazing are all permutations of this global phenomenon. As you read and experiment with the recipes in this chapter, please use them as best suits your pace and appetite.
1EXAS GULF SHRIMP STEAMED IN DIXIE BEER with Southern Slaw and Creole Remoulade
Obviously, the title of this dish is supposed to conjure up visions of everything from Scarlett O'Hara to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. In a way, it's my answer to the ubiquitous red-sauce-and-crushed-ice shrimp presentation I waded through in my youth. I offer this recipe as an appetizer, but you can add two dozen more shrimp and some more slaw and sauce and call it a main course, if you like.
Serves 4
SLAW
4 cups julienned vegetables such as carrots, '/2 cup sour cream
sweet peppers, red and green cabbage, 42 cup Creole mustard
celery, seedless cucumbers 44 cup tomato juice
% cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
% cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon paprika
'/2 teaspoon sea salt Cracked black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1. Toss the vegetables together in a bowl.
2. Mix all the remaining ingredients. Add just enough of this dressing to the vegetables to coat them. Chill for at least 30 minutes.