Symphony Space: Selected Shorts

Going in to this performance I didn’t know what to expect, but knowing that Mario Batali was going to come out got me excited for the event. When the event started I remained fully engaged to understand what exactly the subject of the performances would be and how they were going to execute, turns out what they were basically going to do was present stories about food and its impact on their lives. I thought this was very interesting because the stories seemed like something you would tell your friend over a cup of coffee or on the phone. The fact that there was a whole magazine and performance dedicated to this subject made me appreciate its importance. I noticed it sort of integrated the beauty of story telling and the passion people have for food in to one, which I enjoyed because it’s something people would easily dismiss, but in fact can hold an importance in your life.

My favorite story was Mario Batali’s The Perfect Moment because of what he emphasized about cooking. To create these culinary masterpieces you have to make sure that you tend to it and pay attention to it in order to capture all the flavors into one perfect moment. His vivid description on the fennel bulbs actually encouraged me to try to cook that vegetable, I’ve always been hesitant on using it because of its complexity, but I’ll try to capture its perfection over the break.

Another story that I really enjoyed was Pan-American which was read by David Cross I believe. The story itself revolved around a different aspect of food, which was the instruments used to make it and how it can hold a sentimental value for anyone who cooks in specific pots and pans. I can sort of relate to this story because my family has a grinder that takes spices and grinds them in a fine powder and from generation to generation we have never washed it because it holds a musky aroma that brings a sort of nostalgic feeling, and the flavors are just so concentrated that it would be a crime to wash it. So I really enjoyed that story. All in all, I would definitely go to this event again. It’s something I might do on a boring Friday night if it just so happens to come up, because I loved the casual atmosphere, and just the fact that everyone’s coming together for one purpose, the appreciation of food and storytelling is something I really enjoy.