As I always do in a new restaurant, I scan the menu to see if the chef knows how to create a menu that gives him the reputation of great and still be healthy. Most chefs get carried away with the creation of an array of tastes, which then also means more ingredients. That in itself is not unhealthy. What this however also often seems to mean is adding bulk. And bulk tends to come in the form of a starchy carbohydrate such as pasta, potato, or rice. I believe this is a very important point to health that we have not yet grasped in America. Food combining.

As busy as the restaurant was, I was still able to alter my dish, as I wanted it. Granted it often means spending a little more money on a side dish, if the restaurant is not willing to substitute. What was most amusing to me was that everyone around me asked which dish I was having. It looked so good to them they wanted it too. They either wanted to order the same or were confused they had not seen it on the menu when making their selection. I pointed out I had chosen the local fresh fish, omitting the gnocchi and added cooked leafy collard greens instead, which I had seen was in another dish. The response was that was why they had not chosen that dish, the gnocchi.

To me, a menu is a list of available ingredients with the chef suggesting how to put them together in tasty dishes.

This is then where the issue of health comes in. The desire to woe the eater often ends up in excess on the plate. The land of plenty is living up to its name. Simplicity seems to be considered either foreign and gourmet, or just plain and too little food. Presentation does have something to do with this of course, which is probably why most people find the small arrangement of food on a plate to be extreme for the prices.

When I choose to dine this way I look beyond the presentation and look for the love of the food that goes into it. Knowing that what is on my plate is enough and the ingredients have been selected, cooked, and placed on my plate with a sense of thought, care, and yes love. Then that is what my meal consists of beyond the physical content, ingredients, and its flavors. To me is all adds up to nourishment.

This may also be one of the secrets why the French do not seem to get as fat as the Americans. The nourishment of the food goes beyond a big plate of it. Simplicity is really ok. It can still give us food of great taste and health.