As a rule, I avoid reviews of books I intend to read. So is it odd, then, that I love to peruse them after the fact? With the recent publication of ¡°Klara and the Sun,¡± Kazuo Ishiguro added another eerily relatable work of science fiction to his catalog. James Wood¡¯s in The New Yorker spotlights why such stories are so poignant: In writing from the unaffected perspective of artificial intelligence, our own biases are laid bare.
In the culinary sphere, ¡°molecular gastronomy¡± broadened attitudes in much the same way. While this oft-maligned moniker became synonymous with pretentiousness, one of its positive spinoffs was to spearhead a re-evaluation of incorporating overlooked ingredients into dishes. When Ferran Adria reinvented the beloved Spanish omelette with potato chips, foodies were equal parts offended and inspired.
If you¡¯ve ever tried to adapt a Western recipe for the Japanese kitchen, you already know it is necessary to shed your preconceptions. Often, such fusions aren¡¯t worth repeating. Sometimes they just work. Evolved, the dish may bear only a passing resemblance to the prototype but, if you¡¯re anything like me, identifying why you¡¯re cooking what you¡¯re cooking is as important as the end result.
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