On Tue, 25 May 2004 20:32:27 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
> wrote:

>"Loire21" > wrote

>> The older I get the more I realize that as far as food is concerned,
>>simpler is
>> better. Classic dishes are classics because they're already perfect on
>>their own.
>
>I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments but not your prescription.
>Remember, today's classics were once someone's experiments!

Indeed. Cooks and restaurants can screw up simple things as well as
complicated or innovative ones. Food also swings between extremes
according to fashion. Nouvelle Cuisine was an reaction against rich
French cooking with elaborate sauces, and became a ridiculous exercise
in producing tiny portions of elaborately-arranged ingredients in
unlikely combinations. The eventual result, however, was a greater
appreciation of fresh, seasonal ingredients and simplified
preparation. Recent 'architectural' presentation will doubtless linger
as a way to tidy up the plate a bit and stick some garnish on top ifor
a pleasing appearance. Fusion cuisine, too, is new (and sometimes
extreme) to the ethnic traditions it marries, but is no reason to
prohibit rice-stick noodles from appearing with a non-Asian dish.

The OP mentions 2 desserts as examples of her point of view, but
"traditionally,* desserts are where the most elaboration and
innovation happen. Sometimes for good, and sometimes evil in the
extreme. One might as well say no one has ever improved on chocolate
ice cream and refuse to try New York Super Fudge Chunk. :-)