Delicious Food at the INDYpendence Day Lunch

In the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Jiro Ono asserts, "In order to make delicious food, you must eat delicious food." Amen to that. It's one of the reasons I love attending food-centric events - besides the obvious; they are wholly inspiring. The 4th of July INDYpendence Day Luncheon at the Henry Miller Library was just that: an inspiration.

Will travel for good food. Jake and I happily day-tripped down the coast to Big Sur while the boys wrapped up their week at Kayak Kamp.

Beneath the redwoods, on a portable propane burner, Chef Matt Millea and others worked some pretty outrageous culinary magic. I was there, writing for Edible Monterey Bay, so I won't tip my hand too much about the event. But I'll share some of the edible goodness...

Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are akin to culinary fairy dust. They add that delightful je ne sais quois to dishes, adding dimension and freshness. I watched Chef Matt chop fresh thyme, dill, and more. I think if more people used herbs liberally, they could get away with so much less salt in their food.

Fresh Flowers
If fresh herbs are fairy dust, flowers are the fairy skirts. They add flounce and grace. Chef Matt had an entire tray of hollyhock petals - icy pink with flecks of bubblegum - ready for sprinkling over a tomato bake. It was as lovely as it was delicious.

Fresh Veggies
Okay, I do know that tomatoes are actually fruits, but we utilize them as veggies most of the time, don't we? This line-up of carmine tomatoes and sunny summer squash drew me over to the table. What is it they say? Something about food's appearance adding to its overall appeal? I'll buy that...though I have made my share of unphotogenic but delicious fare.

Like the Summer Heat
They said that these were poblanos, but the poblanos I've cooked with are larger and deeper green. They looked like shishito peppers to me - in shape and color. But they were larger than any shishito peppers I've ever gotten. Whatever these were, they were prepared simply - panfried until they had a slight charring. Like the summer sun on your skin, the warmth of these peppers is inviting, enveloping you in a delightful warmth.

That's all I'll write about for now. Once my post is up, I'll share it.

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