Today's Rocket: A memory log.

Salmon fume. Sorry Salmon Fuuuuuume. Think about it. You are in a nice little french bistro , you know the one across the street from Athropologie and Barnes and noble. You've placed your order. You are excited. You keep your attention to your cup of coffee, waiting. You glance at the kitchen doors, every time they swing open you hear the clink and clatter of the kitchen staff hard at work on your salmon fume. Salmon fume, a wonderful mix of smoked salmon, poached egg and hollindaise sauce, draped over a perfectly toasted English muffin. There is something so perfect about it. Its all you can think about, all you want. Then finally you hear a small commotion behind you and out it comes. You look up and follow the plate as it comes to its final resting place... right. in. front. of. You. The waiter will tell you the plate is hot , so caution is advised, do you listen? Hell no. you grab the sucker and pivot it, those two plump English muffins cradleing the eggs and upgraded special sauce. Then you wake up and realise you are in Africa and that goat guts, chicken innards , and things called Bors Woors grace every menu .. at least twice. You are ok with it. Infact you are proud of yourself for broading your culinary horizons. Even if they strecth as long as a chickens intestine as you pick it up and let it slip back onto your plate. I gnawed on a Goat head yesterday and scooped it's brains out with my right index and middle finger. Its actually moments like these that I want to say, "eff off salmon fume." I wasn't going to get full off of you any ways. Africa is a great place because it you consume as much as you can in one sitting. Left overs are ok but you sure as hell better eat them tomorrow. There are only two other places I think that I can actually leave feeling like I have successfully eaten my share of amazing food and don't feel guilty about it,the Odima's and my Mother's house.
My Mother's house where some insane cooking/ experimenting/ pluses and minues happen on a regular basis. I was always the weird kid with weird things like egg plant in his lunch box. Try trading that for a snack pack. I was always wanting a taste of what ever thing my mother was eating. My mother used to say it has a 'grown up' taste. I never understood that but I envied it. I wanted my taste buds to be that advanced. To distiguish and accept odd and intruiging flavors. I whole heartdly place my discearning palate on my mother creations. Its funny what happens when your family leaves beef behind. My mother is probably the reason my obsession with food has lasted this long. It was always encouraged and nurtured. I remember watching her take left over pie crust throwing some butter, sugar and cinnamon in it, wrapping it up and throwing it in the oven. Amazing. I suggest you try it. Either way you look at it nothing beats your mother's cooking.
The Odima's make such wonderful food from the simplest ingredients …. it amazes me . I never could grasp the simplicity of a soup with rice until I started eating there. The fascination I had with the simple grilling of meat and the consuming of that meat with only meat and maybe some potato chips. Its authentic and true. Meat. Mr Odima would sit there on his stool and grill. We should all be greatful for fire. Its a beautiful thing when you can create something so simple yet so G-d damn amazing that you wouldn't trade it for anything else …. well besides your mother's turkey, rice, onion, yellow raisin stuffed red peppers. Don't get me started on her other witty cookbook/ self made creations. Shrimp diablo anyone? For some reason I've come to miss food. Good food, greasy food, home cooked food, food from target even. My fondest memories can be categorized by what we were eating at the time. Food I've found is the language of every culture (especially fried chicken. I hope that it is still $4.99 at Target... I don't give a shit about what is pumped into it... comfort food for the homies and cheap).
The photo I attached inspired this ode/rant. It was two poached eggs, over two pieces of grilled tomato, over a bed of rocket, on two lightly buttered pieces of whole wheat toast. Smashingly good and so simple. The perfect way to start off any day. I whole heartily suggest you all go out now to your local super markets buy the ingredients and make the damn thing.... eat it for me.... please.
Cheers and stuff your face with something tasty.

P.s ... Can I p.s on a blog? I'm going to travel two hours tomorrow so I can have a cheese burger... Seriously. Be thankful for what you have.
Michael Akshay