Chopped quince was put on a separate plate. A time of 20 minutes is enough to make a salad. Spring. There are a few new vegetables, but they are. Green radish. Shir Ali cleverly washed her and cut off her peel. But the first time I couldn't cut it. It was still necessary to train the skill of cutting with a knife. For a boy of 8 years in the desert, the ability to cut vegetables quickly survived envy. But for the capital, his skills were still weak. Even for advanced lovers like his grandmother. She knew how to cut off all the peels from vegetables and fruits at a time.
The path of culinary Tao for Shir Ali has just begun. He had a lot to learn!
He wanted to be not so much a cook like a gourmet. But to be an excellent gourmet, you need to be at least a good chef.
When he was cooking, his grandfather suddenly fell into the kitchen, and then a minute later his father. They sat on chairs near the table and silently watched him for a while.
"Well, what did pilaf decide to cook?" Grandfather noticed yawning.
"Aha!" threw Shir Ali over his shoulder.
"Well, there's no strength to turn around to answer grandfather?" grandfather began to troll the grandson.
"I cook, so I can't get distracted," replied Shir Ali.
"Here it is ?! For you, pilaf is more important than your grandfather, yes?"
"Yes! Pilaf is the basis of the basics! You yourself taught this," the grandson still said with his back.
"Hm, well, well, well, what else do you remember the words of my grandfather, and thank you so much!" grandfather remarked frowningly.
"Well, what is your dream, who do you want to be, a cook, huh? Your father graduated from two universities, your mother has three universities, I have one school and two academies. And my grandson will have secondary education, a cook in my quarter! How great!" grandfather spoke with irony.
"No, grandfather! I do not want to be just a cook, I want to be a gourmet!" Shir Ali said at ease.
He had already sliced the radish and sprinkled it with saltwater. Layout nicely on a plate.
"Wow, my grandson, and does not want to be a cook, but to become a parasite on the neck of his grandfather and father!" "There it is!" grandfather didn't stop mocking with sarcasm.
"Do you know what it means to be a foodie? Do you know that you have to study?" grandfather did not let up.
"Yes, I know, a foodie is one who loves delicious food, he is a glutton!" the grandson said happily.
"AHA" !!! "You don't know anything, my stupid grandson! Why did I buy you a cafe then! Teach the material part, grandson!" !!! cried, grandfather.
"I tell you ... you ... now ... I'll tell you what a gourmet is!" said the grandfather.
As his grandfather, who tried different foods, different peoples and cultures, told him.
"Just being a gourmet is not enough! You need to understand the gourmet philosophy!"
"And it is able to evaluate with your instinct, sense of smell, language, use all 5 senses to understand the taste, aroma, texture, design, and serving of both food and drinks.
So, you must be able to understand and in table water "!
"Not so easy, my friend" and his grandfather patted him on the head.
"Gourmets are different, there are those who love the taste of food, someone is obsessed with ecologically clean products, someone chooses an exotic taste, according to a unique recipe, and someone chooses recipes for long-washed dishes. But for this, gourmets want exactly those products that were before, that is, the original ones of the time when the dish was cooked! This is a very expensive direction for a gourmet tourism "! Grandfather, exhaled heavily.
"Wow, you give grandfather!" He was interrupted by Mir Ali, "you know, son, I've been to Paris more than once, so the real gourmet, this one, first comes to a cafe or restaurant and looks at the atmosphere. What level of service. Are the cutlery and plates clean? Then he admires the environment of the restaurant. Its atmosphere. This is his first assessment. "
"The second assessment, he admires the design of the serving of the food, it's serving, whether the plates, cutlery, glasses for food are successfully selected."
"The third assessment, he looks at the cook's technique for slicing food and cooking, he must understand at first glance how this dish was prepared."
"The fourth assessment, he looks at the color of the food, enjoys its aroma, which determines which spices were added, which grade of oil was used."
"The fifth grade is already the sample of the dish itself, it is eaten in small portions, biting off small pieces. Chewing everything thoroughly to use all the mouth receptors. It relishes the taste, determines the texture."
"Sixth grade, the foodie looks to see how the chef managed to combine the taste of the products with each other so that one taste does not clog the other."
"Plus, son, the cook must cook the food so that it does not lose its structure, should be a little dense, not completely cooked ."
Shir Ali caught the main idea! A foodie is one who knows how to enjoy and understand the taste of food and unusual combinations of tastes, in small portions!
"And then those who like to eat well, who are they?" he asked naively.
"Well, they are Gourmets, too, but there is a graduation, those who value food for its taste and artifacts, it catches the buzz from tasting small amounts of food, and those who like to eat well and satisfying"! summed up the world of Ali.
"ahhhh" handed Shir Ali ... how difficult and confusing it is, yes, it will take a long time, he thought! I love to eat delicious food, I love to make money on it! And here you also need to be able to evaluate with your eyes, ears, hands, nose, tongue, sky, all this food! Not so easy!!!
"Ah, you fool, son, though you traveled around Paris, but you didn't tell my grandson the rules of this gourmet!" rebuked Feruz Mirzo.
"Well, father, you will not remember everything!" began to protest Mir Ali.
"Did you decide to object to your father? !!! My grandfather got very angry, he screamed, so that a person who was not familiar with Firuz Mirzo would have had his heart sank.
Indeed, from the outside it looked like this - a man under two meters, big, black, with gray, disheveled hair, a small bristle two days ago. His eyes bulged and they are red! With a formidable roar, he jumped up from his chair and waved his fist! Yes, and put everyone sitting in a strong, abusive word!
Fearfully!
"No, father, you're right!" The world of Ali himself was from this command - administrative system! He was a small cog in a large machine of totalitarian suppression of the Second European Empire. He knew what subordination and hierarchy are! Blind submission, to those who are older in rank, in position! Sagging under the strong, the clan system also worked, and they were all its products.
But Shir Ali, he didn't like this state of affairs, although he was only 8 years old! Therefore, he wanted to quietly leave the room. However, he was stopped by the imperious cries of his father and grandfather.
How could a naive boy escape from the claws of two cadre scouts ????
"Where are you going! Sit down, happen what the elders tell you!"
"There are gourmet rules that before going to a restaurant to be hungry, with a clean mouth, then its receptors in the mouth and other senses better perceive new tastes, perceives flavors, subtle smells, and aromas, tastes.
You as a gourmet should be able to relish food, do not swallow it immediately. And chew thoroughly to feel the whole gamut of food and after taste sensations.
You are like a foodie, first, you evaluate the environment in a restaurant or cafe, then you look at the design of the dish and its serving. Is it appetizing or not?
You should be able to evaluate each del food based on all the above characteristics.
That's what a real gourmet is, and not a lazy glutton " Grandfather looked reproachfully at his grandson.
Ali also wanted to join in with moralizing when he froze, looking in surprise at his frightened grandfather, following his gaze, he saw his mother in the doorway. Grandfather, fell silent, then said - "well, Shir Ali, get ready, I'll go to sleep!"
And he quietly walked past his wife and went to sleep. Under the stern look of his mother, Mir Ali shut up and also quietly retired.
Grandma smiled at her grandson and also left.
The kitchen was quiet again. And Shir Ali could already do the serving. The pilaf was almost cooked!