this is for this week’s writing exercise. it draws from my experience visiting morimoto, which i previously blogged.
i behold the clean, white plate before me upon which rests the slab of chilean sea bass. the plum sauce surrounding it is dark; the color contrast between it and the pure, pristine whiteness of the fish, revelatory.
the sharpness of the shaved ginger and scallions tickled my nose even before their color met my eyes. yet all of that serves to turn my attention back to sea bass.
there’s no crust—it clearly wasn’t broiled or sautéed, nor does otherwise appear to have been exposed to flame, yet it’s clearly been cooked. not a single thing mars the incredible purity of color that i am seeing and it takes long moments to hit upon the idea of steaming—that must be the method of preparation!
having taken a few moments to feast upon this item visually, a more thorough inspection must now be made.
chopsticks easily remove a small morsel and i am careful to get some of the scallion and ginger. with a trembling hand, i slowly guide this bite to my mouth, carefully placing it on my tongue. in this cathedral to the glory of food, this is my communion wafer.
i am struck first not by the flavor, but the texture: the fish is dissolving on my tongue, carrying its flavor around my mouth. the plum sauce—a far cry from the sludgy paste one often finds in restaurants—is refreshingly light, and contrasts beautifully with the ginger and scallion, buoying the actual taste of the sea bass on a gently rolling wave.
i put down the chopsticks and smile, knowing that i have tasted perfection.
finis
silverwhisper posted on Sep 08, 2007
| views: 267
Comments
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lfbno7 said on Sep 08, 2007....
i ate a hot dog with ketchup. -
wakingharmony said on Sep 08, 2007....
Lennie~Only you~~ You have nuts on that hot dogs too lol
SW~ That was great writting. I have had those same emotions at time when food is prepared in such a way, and when the expectation is so tremendous, you are almost afraid to taste it, because there is no way the taste can surpass the aroma and beauty...everything is there. then as you dare disrupt this beautful perfection, to taste it...afraid of the beauty to disapper once it touches your lips. But.... It doesn't! it surpasses all that was before it and can only be compared to may a Great Climax.
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rightwingwizard said on Sep 08, 2007....
I'm not fond of sea bass under the best of circumstances and detest fruity sauces on any fish. You have however left me longing for one bite, just one bite.Only one word in this piece left me somewhat cold. You figure it out!rww -
wakingharmony said on Sep 08, 2007....
rrw~ I'm guessing...communion wafer? -
rightwingwizard said on Sep 08, 2007....
walking: That's two words, and they fit well with the image of a food worshiper, no?rww -
wakingharmony said on Sep 08, 2007....
I would think so but I was trying to guess someone.. I dont really know hehe Which isn't always a great idea some times...hope I didn't offend you..I would never intentionaly do that. Sometimes I just can't get out what Iam trying to say... But, I am trying .... -
wakingharmony said on Sep 08, 2007....
Im sorry ...I just about said what silver said....hmm maybe I should log out and come back and start over ...lol -
wakingharmony said on Sep 08, 2007....
sludgy: and thats an opinion not a guess hehe -
rightwingwizard said on Sep 08, 2007....
walking my dear, you have not offended me in the least. You offered a guess to which I responded. I didn't intend to hijack this post by making a game out of guessing the one word I thought did not fit. Oh the meaning of the word fits well, just not the word itself. It doesn't fit my image of the author. And of course I wasn't being critical. The author chooses his words carefully in order to project an image. The image was recieved and appreciated. I simply would not have chosen that particular word. A matter of preference, no?I have a habit of looking at the language one chooses and re-writing in my mind the scene using words with which I am more comfortable, words that make the scene or even a single sentence flow more freely for me. It is an exercise I rather enjoy, but is never meant to be critical. The author, not I, chose the words that he feels best moves the story along.rww -
wakingharmony said on Sep 08, 2007....
everything A-OK here .. ;-) thanks SW~RWW..
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silverwhisper said on Sep 08, 2007....
lbf: with ketchup? [blinks] sacrilege!
WH: o wow, that was really well done! i think you should take a whack at this writing exercise!
rww: my bet is it's the word "sludge" that's giving you problems. i wasn't sure about my decision on that, to be honest--it detracts from the flow.
thanks, guys! and do check out trav's and rww's writing exercises, too!
ed -
wakingharmony said on Sep 08, 2007....
SW~ I do think I will take you up on that. I have been told since I was a little girl that I should write. I have always loved it and had expressed myself best.. until a few years back. Now I am slowly getting my brain to function at some level of understanding. It is a previous comfort I once had, and would like to have back. Thanks -
silverwhisper said on Sep 08, 2007....
good--i'm looking forward to it. :>
ed -
ZsuzsiO said on Sep 09, 2007....
hmmmmm! love me a good sushi. We are talking about sushi, right? -
travelr712 said on Sep 09, 2007....
silver - i don't usually like fish, but i find myself pining for just one taste of that heaven you described. to me, that's the true mark of a writer, can they make the reader experience it for themselves. well done, my friend. -
silverwhisper said on Sep 10, 2007....
zsuzsio: um...not really, no. sushi after all isn't cooked, and the chilean sea bass most certainly was. :>
trav: thank you, sir. you're too kind. but surely there were flaws in it? i do like to get criticism on my writing.
ed
Comment on "writing exercises (food): morimoto"
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