My Humble Palate Turned Bougie

Here’s the thing. The idea for this column has always rested on how great food can be enjoyed at any price point.

The cost of land of origin doesn’t matter, there are ways of making seemingly far-to-reach recipes and food experiences in the comfort of your very own kitchen. The problem then comes when from somewhere you get the opportunity to experience the real stuff, and then have to go back to what you knew before.

Get ready for some shade to be thrown in this one.

I love Italian food. Its simplicity, directness and, above all, communal nature makes it one of the most-favoured cuisines around the world. So I had an idea of what Italian food was supposed to taste like after visiting a few eateries in and around the various cities I have called home, as well as my own attempts at recreating food from Italy.

But people are playing and robbing us out there. I mean, the idea with Italian food is simple – fresh ingredients brought together into a culinary symphony that leaves your stomach full, your heart big, your mouth messy and your brain in awe.

I am still to have that experience at any Namibian ‘Italian’ diner. Some have come close, but then again, in retrospect, that was me thinking it was the best based on my limited knowledge.

After my culinary escapades in Italy and France, I promised I would not settle for anything less than the best, or close to the best. It wasn’t the fact that they prepared anything different or mind-blowingly opposite to what we make here in the name of Italian food, but the care and time made with each process.

I had the Spaghetto al Pomodoro, which in essence is spaghetti in tomato sauce, and at first thought to laugh it off as a kiddies meal until I tried it. Mamma Mia! What was mind blowing was the fact that there were only five ingredients, which you can get at any store right now; spaghetti, good quality tomatoes, olive oil, basil and sea salt.

As a comparison, I tried one at a local eatery and it seemed like I was fed overcooked spaghetti dipped in ketchup and then heated in the microwave. The hubris.

Eating out is already expensive enough, with fewer people making the effort – and I don’t need someone taking advantage of me and my hard-earned money in a bid to make a quick buck.

It’s time people cooked food well. This is why I’d rather etch it out in my own kitchen, at least at the same time I am developing a skill, not just sitting there having my order delayed in a bid to have me spend more money on wine.

Some countries put their heart and soul into their food because they know it is one of their calling cards. I feel we are still to really define our food identity and map the fabric of our cuisines in this nation. Hint, hint to grant givers out there!

As one of my favourite foodies of all time, the late Anthony Bourdain, said: “Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.”

Food must go beyond just a chore and a daily “must-do” but evolve into an experience. Even when it is a normal family dinner, no two dinners should be the same, and before you come for me in the non-existent comments section, you have the ability to change the experience.

Remember, food is more than ingredients thrown together, it’s the heart that unifies those ingredients.