Dentrassi: I like Mr. Prudhomme's aesthetic a lot. His books are good fun, too. One of my great early culinary revelations was his 3-pepper theory of seasoning. I can't remember where I read it, but the idea is that white pepper bites early, and at the front of the palate; black pepper blooms and fills the mouth with heat, and red pepper sneaks in at the end and provides a lasting, satisfying burn. He advocates seasoning with all three, and it is a great trick, especially when dealing with the complex chords of Cajun cooking.
However, I was sorely disappointed when I went to K-Paul's a couple of years ago. The sauces and proteins were well-cared-for, but the starch and vegetable (the same on every plate, a black mark in my book), showed no care whatsoever. Every entree got average-to-watery mashed potatoes, and totally undercooked and underseasoned mixed yellow squash and zucchini. You know how summer squash can squeak between your teeth when it is really badly undercooked? It was like that, and had almost no salt or butter to dress it. It was a shame to see such well-prepared fish and sauce fall victim to such slip-shod starch and veg. A dish is only as good as the worst thing on the plate. I still like Paul's books, but his restaurant, not so much.

comment left Aug 26, 2008