Amuse What?

AMUSE WHAT?


Ah, yes, Amuse Bouche, the French teaser that translates as “mouth amuser” or “pleaser”. In France, These bite-sized hors d’oeuvres are also called Amuse-gueule. But, gueule is actually slang, and translates literally as an animal’s mouth. So, you will not find this written on menus of fine restaurants. In fact, you probably would not find either written on a fine menu in France, because they began as gifts of the chef to special patrons, leaving others at adjacent tables most curious and, sometimes, infuriated at not receiving the same amenity. But, in order to understand Amuse Bouche and its predecessor, Tapis, one must explore a short history of food trends that have taken place in our own time.

In response to the exorbitant portions of food served in the 1950s, there came a movement known as Nouvelle Cuisine. The revolution began in the early 1960s from within the Michelin-starred restaurants in France with a group of young chefs attempting to lighten established heavy sauces of elaborate haute cuisine. Among these novices who had been trained in the traditional, painstaking method of French cookery were Alain Senderens, Jean and Pierre Troigros, and Alain Chapel Michel Guerard, led by Paul Bocuse, a legend in his own time who might well go down in history above Carême and Escoffier as the world’s greatest chef. The first characteristic of Nouvelle Cuisine was the rejection of excessive complication in cooking. Secondly, the cooking time for most foods was reduced to preserve natural flavors. Paramount to the movement was the emphasis on absolutely fresh ingredients. This metamorphoses was immediately embraced by upcoming chefs in the United States looking to distinguish themselves.
But, like so many revolutions throughout history, by the time it caught on in the big cities of America in the late ‘70s, something had gone wrong. Upscale restaurants had expurgated the food as well as the sauces while, at the same time, increasing their prices two-fold for the privilege of dining in elegance to “see and be seen” by their social compatriots. The emphasis then shifted from décor of ingredients to the décor of the establishment. During this time, I was writing for a national magazine that requested an article about Nouvelle Cuisine. We went to a newly acclaimed posh Florida/French Bistro in Coral Gables. We were a party of six. With reservations secured, we were ushered through gargantuan arrangements of fresh flowers and velvet opulence to our table, where each of us was rewarded with more velvet in the form of little stools on which to raise our feet while reclining in oversized chairs fitted with luxuriant cushions. I ordered our local fish, Red Snapper, which at that time was abundant and also less pricy as compared to other selections on the menu. It arrived a meager repast, alone and lonely on octagonal ceramic ware, sans vegetable or potato or garnish. The industrious owner, ever mindful of the comfort of his patrons, asked, “Are you enjoying yourselves?” Before I could stop myself, the words were already formed, “Couldn’t the chef have put a sprig of parsley on the plate”, to which he replied in a manner that clearly indicated I was Bourgeoisie, “Madame, this is Nouvelle Cuisine. It is not the quantity, but the quality that we stress in this restaurant”. As we departed, each of the three ladies was presented with a long-stemmed red rose that mimed the velvet décor. Still hungry and substantially poorer, we walked two blocks to the newly opened trattoria, Baci (Translated as “kisses”. Its marvelous counterpart, Caffe Abbracci, “hugs”, remains one of our favorites) We ordered giant plates of pasta that we divided and affordable wine that we devoured. The demise of Nouvelle Cuisine and the restaurants that did not understand the concept coincided with the early 1980s commercial for Wendy’s®, “Where’s the Beef”.
As Nouvelle Cuisine in America wilted with the roses, a phoenix called Tapas rose from the ashes. According to legend, the tapa tradition began in Seville, Spain, when Castile’s 13th century king, Alfonso the Wise, recovered from a grave illness by drinking wine while nibbling small amounts of food between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered the taverns to serve food with their wine. However, Tapas actually translates as the word, “cover” and , according to The Joy of Cooking, the original tapas were slices of bread or meat that sherry drinkers in the taverns in Andalusia covered their glasses with between sips to prevent fruit flies from falling into the sweet wine. Clever bartenders offered salty ham or chorizo as a gift for this purpose, knowing it would increase their patrons’ thirst. But, Tapas is essentially a style of eating rather than a reaction. The very word denotes sociability with friends and family while drinking and nibbling on lovely little bites of delicious tidbits.
In Spain, dinner is usually served between 9:00 and 11:00 pm, and sometimes as late as midnight. The expanse between lunch and dinner necessitates a snack. And, naturally, a snack in Spain is always accompanied by drink. It became common for a bar or small local restaurants to have 8 to 12 different kinds of tapas in warming trays to please the men on their journey home from work. The choices included seafood (mariscos), anchovies, sardines, a selection of olives, and fresh breads. In northern Spain, these tapas were also called pinchos (spelled pintxos in Basque) because there was a toothpick through them to keep the bread attached. Hispanics living in Miami in the 1980s embraced Tapas, making it their own innovation, with confidence it would never become a “trendy” fad soon to be replaced and forgotten. There are innumerable restaurants and bars in the Miami area to choose from: Calle Ocho, the Grove, Coral Way, and, on out to Bird Road. And, oh yes, SoBe on Miami Beach. And, would you believe, Aventura? Tapas is Fun. Tapas is In. Tapas is everywhere.
Where did we begin? I remember: It was Amuse Bouche, the elegant offerings of great chefs who are expressing their newest, big ideas in small bites as offerings to those who will appreciate de rigueur (current fashion). Are we having fun? Absolutely, because Amuse Bouche is the latest –newest generic of our gourmet vocabulary. And, it may just last because it requires imagination, intensity, and inspiration. And, in order for the restauateur and chef not to be boiled in their own oil, Amuse Bouche must also be prepared in sufficient quantities to be offered to all their guests, rather than a chosen few. Watch for it to be listed on the menus – with a price attached.



Tune in Comcast Channels 22 & 199 to watch host, Valerie Hart, interview chefs in their kitchens in "The Back of The House"