Please don’t post any spoilers.
I wish Netflix had put up one show a week instead of the whole thing at once.
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@Clayfu and unverified max talk caviar, watering the head, overrated restaurants, and play “who is a bigger wino drunk fuck.”
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YES. Can’t wait to listen.
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Looking forward to the wine comp. That need to happen.
It was a bunch of softballs ha. Except for one, that max got right and I 100% would have not had an answer for.
After seeing the cheesecake post on the Anajak thread, I had some thoughts/questions about caviar.
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Does the proliferation of caviar (esp locally) affect how you eat/view caviar? At what point does it stop being something special that you elevate a dish with and become somewhat of an excess ingredient that people use to “force it” in some ways?
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The bump. Whether it’s rooted in traditional ways of sampling caviar or just a “fun” way of mimicking the debachery that comes with bumping substances, it’s everywhere. Does this take away rather than add?
Personally, I find the recent caviar use/consumption in dining to be a bit weird. It used to be something that marks a special occasion or somewhat of a treat that I share with family/guests, but I just don’t feel the same way about it now. I guess the same could be said of other premium ingredients that have made their way into homes in recent years, especially during the pandemic.
I’m all for these types of ingredients being accessible and affordable, and respect all the companies that are able to offer such high quality ingredients to the masses. Is it then up to to the consumer/kitchen to be responsible stewards in some ways? Maybe this is more of a topic about “respecting” ingredients rather than the ingredients themselves and their availability.
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It’s an interesting topic for discussion. Foods that are now considered rare or special weren’t always that way. For example, in the 1700s, lobster was so plentiful it was plowed into the ground as fertilizer, or fed to slaves and prisoners as “poor man’s chicken.” Did it taste any different then than now? Would we have enjoyed eating it back then? Centuries ago caviar was also considered humble food and was eaten by the bowlful with porridge in Russia. I remember a dinner I had some years ago at the “invitation-only” restaurant Yamakase, where there were copious amounts of luxury foods served, and I didn’t enjoy it that much–it was all a little TOO much, and though I thought at the time that the quality of some of those ingredients was lower than I’d have liked, perhaps it was also that my taste buds were becoming jaded by excess…Are we primed to think that something is delicious because it is rare?
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I would think so. Lobster, truffle, uni, caviar, wagyu, etc. all have a certain stigma around it ESPECIALLY in the digital age where for many people, taking/posting pictures of said ingredient may be just as if not more important to them than actually eating it. Uni is another example of an ingredient that was really inexpensive a couple of decades ago and now its revered as luxurious and expensive.
I think that societal norms are a major factor in how we view certain foods and affects our taste-buds.
What foods we appreciate or think highly of depends heavily on geography, culture, price, etc.
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Do you remember what happened with blackened redfish? As I remember, redfish was “poor food” until Chef Paul Prudhomme got ahold of it and popularized the recipe, then demand–and prices–skyrocketed and availability plummeted… And this was well before the digital age!
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I’m probably a bit of a scold or moralistic but find the caviar bump thing, at least its proliferation on social media, to be corny, however ironic and self aware the gesture. Like, you can’t escape the conspicuous consumption aspect even if you’re nodding to and acknowledging it.
I do really appreciate Astrea btw and buy their caviar as a treat for family and friends. So glad they’ve helped make this delicacy accessible. Maybe I’m a hypocrite idk…
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What the hell is a caviar bump? Please don’t tell me people are snorting it…
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That would be better lol… Gift article.
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I don’t drink champagne just to celebrate. I drink it whenever I feel like drinking it.
I don’t think people should just eat caviar for special occasions. It’s another ingredient to a great eating experience for me. At Astrea I STRIVE to present caviar as something approachable. Not just to the general public but to chefs as well. I am ultra transparent (I promise you you will never find another caviar purveyor as transparent about our farm, our process, and the detail of our process) because I want people not to be scared of the ingredient. Please note I speak for myself and our marketing beliefs only - many many other purveyors want the opposite of what I want. They want to shroud it in mystery, to keep a mystique and keep it expensive.
I want everyone to understand that caviar isn’t just a decadent treat you need to revere. How people incorporate caviar as a flavor enhancer into dishes is so different from how it was 5 years ago let alone 2 years ago.
Honestly, in the end, great caviar is basically fish oil and umami. Who doesn’t want more umami in what they eat? Who doesn’t like a small dash of oil to pull additional flavor on your palate?
When you have to eat as much caviar as I do, it gets a little tiring, but I get so re-invigorated when I try new applications and flavor combinations that really spark joy
I don’t want to gate-keep anything.
re: Caviar bump - I get so excited when people tell me they hate caviar or they’ve never tried caviar. And to break the ice - I make it playful and I give them a caviar bump. And everyone loosens up. It gets the conversation flowing about caviar etc.That’s the real reason I encourage it.
Also you’ve never really lived till you’ve done a caviar bump with John Wick. ;D
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You should start a thread: Ask Clayfu anything about caviar…
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i already feel like i’m shilling a bit much so that would be overboard ha
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I disagree.
Most folks don’t know a whole lot about caviar outside of it being luxury and fish eggs. The folks here are more sophisticated, but I think education only makes us wiser as we dine out. @Clayfu has taught us a lot.
Also, I’m a fan of Astrea. It was delightful and complex.
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