A Melting Pot: Emotion, Inquiry and Gastronomy

PREFACE

From comfort dishes that bring us joy when we’re feeling down, to memories of meals shared with friends and family – not to mention the more complex physical and psychological links we develop with certain situations and choices. Our relationship with food is much like “a melting pot”; rooted in our personality, surroundings, and subconscious traits. By extension, this relationship is greatly dictated by our psyche. While some psychological traits grow dominant to define an individual’s personality, we’ve found that some of these deeply affect the way we perceive food and gastronomy. Take fast food as an example: for some, it invokes a rush of unpleasantness based on unhealthy eating habits or past experiences, while others find solace in the same restaurant due to fond childhood memories. Each individual’s response can be valid and it’s important to consider that everyone has their own unique relationship with food, much like a melting pot. Considering how subjective the act of “ordering at a restaurant” is, we decided to delve into how each trait of the psyche would react if they met up at a fast-casual restaurant. 

Act 1

Fingers tap spasmodically across a dust muttered plastic veneer. A rather frail figure seems to be heavily shaking a leg as their fingers seem to drill a hole into the slick, yet sticky surface. Dressed in a rather baggy plaid shirt over a black top, the busy pace of their surroundings do not seem to faze their deep gaze at the front door. 

Five figures enter through the door and a slight smile cracks the rather troubled visage of this individual. Readjusting and leaning forward, the figure sheepishly raises their hand to gesture their presence to the group.

Enthusiastically leading the party towards this table, eagerly approaching is a woman with neatly cropped hair, an oversized jacket and glasses dangling halfway down her nose sprouting a wide smile as she grabs the individual at the table into a tight hug screaming. “INTUITION! It’s been soooo long!! How are you?”. 

“I’ve been better, Emotional Intelligence (from now on, E.I.), but please stop crushing my windpipe.”, Intuition croaks out while trying to break free from this unexpected grapple.

“I told you not to glomp Instinct. They don’t like much physical contact. It’s pretty rude to not do as people say E.I.”, a scrawny tweed jacketed figure chimes in from behind E.I. 

“Oh hey Intellect, E.I. is probably going to subject me to this torture anyway.” Instinct pipes up; “Work is going okay? I remember you mentioned you’ve been swamped recently.”

“Hey Intuition, interesting choice for the meeting place. I do understand why you chose this but that lot seems to have some opinions. I’ll try to hold them off though.”, pointing to the individuals trailing slowly towards the table, whispering into each other’s ears. 

Intuition instinctively pipes up, “Hey everyone, it’s been a while since all of us got together for a meal and some conversations.”

With slicked back hair, a leather jacketed figure with tattoos covering their arms does a nondescript salute while saying, “Yo. If you wanted burgers, you only had to pick up the phone and let me know. I would have made them much better back at the restaurant.”

Intuition responds, “Um, I only thought we shouldn’t have to keep meeting at the same place every time Ego, this time is not your turn to host.”

“Seriously, a fast food place doesn’t fit my vibes, I actively just want to leave.. but like.. it’s a repulsive place that doesn’t suit people associated with the food industry. It’s everything that’s wrong with the food system.”, says a rather somber looking fellow wearing an oversized parka, some neatly cleaned sneakers and large hoop earrings that drop down to their neck.

“You seemed to have no problem wolfing down 8 burgers a while back when doing one of your weird videos Instinct.”, the last figure finally speaks up, while fidgeting with a talisman around their neck, draped in a rather old faded shawl adorning big and thick rimmed glasses on their face. “Though I do honestly feel a bit creeped out by coming here like I told you Instinct, I just feel like every time I go here, something bad happens in my life.”

Intellect, almost as a reflexive action, immediately retorts with, “Oh shush Superstition. Don’t let your anxiety control you. I keep repeatedly telling you that the last time your drink fell was because you were being clumsy, and not because the universe was sending you some random sign.”

Intellect: “Oh this place reminds me of when my mom used to bring me here on random Saturdays! It’s such a warm and fuzzy feeling coming here after all these years. The menu and interiors have changed a bit, but I think they still have some of the classics.”

Emotional Intelligence: “This is a nice change of pace actually. Easy, laid back. No wait staff coming to bother you every so often. We can chat forever here. No one will kick us out.”

Superstition: “I mean, other than the clumsiness our dear chef Ego has mentioned, I actually do come here a fair bit even today, when I need a quick or cheap meal when I really have no time to cook at home.”

Intellect: “Oh my. I just realised, I think my mom got me here whenever she was too bored to cook at home… that… I feel old.”

Ego: “I really don’t appreciate you talking shit about wait staff. I train my staff to ensure they don’t bother our guests unless they’re dropping off and explaining the dishes. There’s a lot of privacy when people come to dine with us since most dinner services take 2-3 hours.”

Intuition: “Yes, but the general populous doesn’t dine at your restaurant. We go to other restaurants where the wait staff asks you how the meal is right as we take the first bite.”

Ego: “Then stop going there, jeez. I keep telling y’all. Cheap restaurants are vile, nobody should be going there. Just like this place”.

Instinct: “Fast food is a capitalist agenda that is ruining the world okay? By making us come here you’re being a part of the problem, Intuition.”

Noticing Intuition retreating into their seat, Intellect slams her hands onto the table, quickly gets up. Rushing to the aid of her friend, she decides to take the reins of the flow of conversation.

Intellect: “Change of topic please guys…”’

Superstition: “To what?” 

Ego [smirking]: “To something she probably wants to talk about.” 

Feeling an exceptional amount of contempt yet politely smiling, Intellect attempts to stare down Ego’s blatant attempt to gaslight the group yet again and the irony in Ego’s statement as Ego disregards her work.

Intellect: “Anyways.. speaking of signs, I’ve been working on a new book”.

Intellect shyly avoids eye contact with anyone. A slight shrug seems to suggest she just wants another conversation, but not be in the centre of it.

Emotional Intelligence: “What is it about?”

Intellect [aggressively]: “I said I’m working on it, not that it has taken shape.”

A big silence takes over the crowded table…

Emotional Intelligence: “Didn’t mean to touch a nerve.” 

Intellect: “Sorry, I’m a bit disquiet.”

Emotional Intelligence: “Why?” 

Intellect: “Because I don’t know what to write about. Food is the topic, but then what? What focus should I give it? What should be left behind? More emphasis on? Too many questions…”

Emotional Intelligence: “Seems to me you’re a little bit ahead.”

Intellect: “Ahead of what?”

Emotional Intelligence: “In the search for breadcrumbs that haven’t even been placed yet.”

Intellect: “It’s just the way my brain works, guidelines are needed for me. I’m a manual kinda person.” 

Superstition: “Like… what? Give us an example, please.”

Intellect: “Hmm… For instance, I was thinking of writing about other cultures and whenever I try to approach it I’m torn between certain notions. What exactly is local? What is and or should be the role of an outsider? What about food colonialism? Is there a true meaning behind authenticity? I don’t know.. the list just goes on.  The thing is, when I’m trying to write my book all of these questions start turning against me because I feel the need to take them into consideration but it overtakes me. It’s too much to juggle with.”

[She gasps and continues…]

“With my writing I don’t want to impose a way of thinking, rather describe one. And this type of communication, in order to be effective, needs some response and work from the other side. In short, I believe the audience should not be passive.”

Ego: “Do you even know what a non-passive audience is? You’ve clearly never worked in the restaurant industry. It’s like I can smell it.”

Intuition [Intrigued]: “Smell what?”

Ego [Aggressively]: “The blindness of people that hide behind the books.”

Superstition: “What do you mean by blindness exactly Ego?” 

Ego [Smirking, and later gesturing to E.I., Intuition and Intellect]: “Let me say it better. It’s these people who are casually unaware of their privilege.”

Intellect: “What privilege?”

Ego: “Are you seriously not aware of your academic privilege? Your main source of income comes from your ideas and writing. The fact that you use your brain to develop something from scratch and sell it and that it gives you enough to sustain your way of living… that’s gold. And nobody wants to talk about it. I understand the industry is expanding, that more light is being shed on people that work in other “subgenres” of the gastronomy itself, but still not much has changed for us in the kitchens.” 

E.I.: “Don’t you think better policies are being implemented and that, at least from the audience, there is more recognition regarding the conditions the restaurant industry still has to endure?” 

Ego: “You mean the fact we’re the slaves of the 21st century? I do, but it’s not enough. Still, a lot of things need to change radically.”

Intellect: “Like what?”

Ego: “You seek participation from your audience, I eschew from it. They can’t appreciate what it is that I work on.”

Superstition: “Why?”

Instinct: “I guess they’re afraid.”

Intellect: “Of?”

Intuition [Noticing a vein in Ego’s temple bursting jumps in to intervene]: “Afraid is a very loose and imperfect term. I think the customer has way too much power. Chefs are seen as a group that, just like doctors, cannot make mistakes. I don’t know. Restaurants aim at standardisation for example, and I get it, but at the same time I’ve always thought this utopia for machinery work is impossible, at least in food made by humans. Flour is different regarding the harvest, for example. But most of all, I am different too. It’s human hands building this, of course sometimes the croissant isn’t going to be perfect. But, does it need to?”

Instinct: “Be perfect? Not necessarily but at least good. I mean, we’re paying for it.”

Intuition: “Then I could use your argument against your point of view, and say that the food here is pretty good, considering the cheaper rates that are available here. It’s a melting pot on multiple levels. I mean, if you want a quality product, you can be sure to find a decent burger at any location, no matter where in the world it is.”

Ego: “You have some serious nerve suggesting that this piece of crap factory has better quality food than my Michelin starred restaurant? Where I source the highest quality of ingredients, take incredible precaution in the way I prepare things, and make sure everything is balanced in the meal a guest eats.”

Instinct: “To add to what ego is saying, this place isn’t exactly healthy. They push all these hyper processed foods on you in order to cut costs. It’s a capitalist machine that only believes in profit. They don’t do anything for sustainability, nor do they care about what is happening in the environment. The carbon footprint of flying ingredients all over the world is ridiculous.”

Intellect: “Wait wait wait! Many points being brought up here. So Instinct, firstly, Ego herself has mentioned that her ingredients are the best quality ingredients. And from our past visits there, I do know that Ego also ships their ingredients from all over the world. Sometimes on a high priority basis for the VIPs right? Is that sustainable? Is that not included in the conversation of carbon footprint conversations?

Secondly, the larger corporation has done outrageous things in the name of capitalism, yes. But isn’t that because our government has left super corporations untouched for far too long? I think that is an issue of corruption and human greed, which is the actual basis of the free market and capitalism. While they are bad, no doubt, they also provide jobs to those down on their luck, to those who want to earn their way through education, and many other circumstances.”

Intuition: “Also, did you know there was a recent lecture given by Dani Garcia, the Spanish chef. Hmm anyways, and he was talking about how Mcdonald’s had made him question the system’s work ethic.

Around the time the conversation took place Dani was working on a partnership with the brand to co-create various types of burgers and… when the moment came for him to present Mcdonald’s his creations the chef was actually surprised by the feedback he received.

He stated Mcdonald’s works with certain limits when it comes to its processes and use of ingredients. When Mcdonald’s people tasted the sauces, they immediately confronted  the way he had prepared them. Dani was confused and mentally questioned them, stating to himself that what he presented came from base recipes he used for dishes in his establishments.

Why was Mcdonald’s, a fast food chain, the summation of what capitalism consists of, debating him? More specifically, he wanted to know what they had seen.

As Dani presented his doubts in a more democratic way, he was told the fat matter  percentage in his sauces exceeded the limit of the company’s own policies… and not only that, Mcdonald’s said to the chef that the fact he used bovril as a base for his preparations presented a sign of alarm…”

Ego: “Where are you going with this?”

Intuition: “I have this in my head: How many calories does a Mcdonald’s Burger have?”

Ego: “600.”

Intuition: “How many calories does a burger in a Michelin level restaurant like yours or Dani’s restaurant have?”

Ego: “Less than that…” 

Intuition: “900, I checked. How many calories contain a tasting menu experience in a three star house?”

Ego [Looking increasingly frustrated]: “Around 3000.”

Intuition: “And what about the added wine pairings?” 

Ego [silently grumbling]: “Easily more than 500.”

Intellect: “So, Isn’t there something inside you that makes you wanna compare and contrast the food here with your own food to reach a conclusion? You blindly trusting your own skills rather than actual hard data is telling me that this is just your bias making decisions for you.”

Emotional Intelligence: “Okay guys, I get that you two have some really valid and rational points, but there’s no need to invalidate the skills, time and effort that Ego has put into making her restaurant what it is today. There’s no need to dunk on her.”

Intellect: “Okay so this also bothers me. Why does the Michelin star chef who is doing the same things this larger corporation get everyone’s sympathy? Just because of the class of people they cater to? or because Ego is a public face, as opposed to the multiple faces of a fast food chain?”

Superstition: “While this conversation is becoming interesting, I do feel that we need to take a small break. let’s go get some food, so we can cool off some of this hangry-ness.”

Instinct: “Yeah, I think food is necessary at this point. I mean… I think I can make a few more arguments once we have the food in front of us. Though I’m not going to be eating too much here. I’m still wary of the amount they process their foods. I see your points, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to like this place.”

Tabling the conversation, the group heads towards the counters to order their meals for the night, while some people recalibrate their judgements, others are just pondering on thoughts that might prove to be great arguments for their points in the next set of conversation.