Flavor, what flavor?

Where has flavor gone? It is amazing to me that in the self proclaimed melting pot- the amalgam of history, immigrants, and "search for the American dream- a country such as ours- with so many talented chefs and great restaurants- the food available to average Americans is “garbage”. Is it the search for new foods or just the “almighty dollar” (not so mighty now) that drives our diets? Hamburger with less meat than chemicals, engineered tomatoes, crunchy and mealy but ripe looking on the outside, or “free range” chickens that are able to leave their tumultuous, scat laden coops for 15 minutes a day (the door is open, but in fact, they are paralyzed to move).

The push for tighter regulations, better labeling, fat removal, “all natural”, “organic”, we are still obese and unhealthy. We are unaware and uninformed. How is it , that Europeans, in particular, the Mediterranean Countries, eat more, drink more, smoke more, lots of fats and cured meats……are healthier and live longer.

As a chef/food writer, someone who is impassioned with all culinary aspects: hunting, fishing, foraging, growing and seeing all foods from the tiniest whitebait, the creamiest blue cheese, the best favas, peanut-sized-bejeweled tomatoes- I love food!

Food is in the eye of the beholder, you can feel it, know it- whether you are speaking to a chef, farmer or the little boy, who shells his father’s peas.

No where is this more apparent then in Spain, which used to be the “red headed step-child” of French food. The regions, topography, micro climates are all conducive to premiere food stuffs, but what really drive the Spanish palette? Only France and Germany garner more Michelin stars, and that is quickly changing. There have been many food revolutions here, the old school- new food of Juan Mari Arzak and his petite, undaunted daughter, Elena or the intrepid, Daliesque food chemist, gastro-genius of Ferran and Albert Adria are relative newcomers to the pure essence that is Spanish food scene. Is it an inherent lifestyle? An extra food “gene”? Or simply the fact that the multitude of perfect, natural, untouched, unmanipulated products grown, raised or made here, leave no option for bad cuisine?