The Single Most Important Ingredient

As a celebrated feast-maker, I spend considerable time researching, selecting, and musing about ingredients.  From squeezing avocados to sniffing pineapples, I can make quite a scene—so, my children inform me.  

All of this study finally paid off as I have made a discovery.  One ingredient holds the key to a successful feast.  In the wild, it blooms unpredictably, but often.   At peak harvest, it flavors the bland and trumpets the flavorful.  Its moments are short, yet in the hands of a skilled feast-maker, it can be stretched and rekindled, indefinitely.  

And now, without further adieu, Marrow & Nectar is proud to reveal this rare and treasured ingredient:

drum roll, please…

Enthusiasm!

And when it comes to enthusiasm, you cannot top a youthful fishing weekend —especially, if one member of your party is celebrating his eighth birthday!

Here is the story of a feast seasoned with copious amounts of enthusiasm and a few tips on making the most of this special ingredient.

Go where it grows

Enthusiasm grows abundantly in some places for certain feasters. For instance, enthusiasm thrives for a group of boys on a fishing weekend at a cabin in the woods. 

Focus the menu for it

Much ink is spilled by culinary gurus on planning balanced menus.  But when it comes to coaxing enthusiasm, I suggest purposeful imbalance.  Imagine how our youthful fishing party responded to the announcement of this wild game focused menu:

Creole-Battered Frog Legs 

Fire-Roasted Fish in Butter Sauce(the catch of the day -perch and bass)

Wild Game Fry (deer, duck, and pheasant) served with white rice and gravy

Smoky Baked Beans seasoned with Brisket Burnt Ends, Onions and Peppers.

Inject it during preparation

Let enthusiasm be a part of the creation.  Feasters are naturally inclined toward more enthusiasm after they dip their hands in the batter.

Celebrate it—and other things

Enthusiasm doesn’t appear on a schedule.  When you sense it, celebrate and savor it.

And now a lesson in perspective.  When asked how it worked out the birthday boy caught the biggest fish, he responded matter of factly, “the fish wanted the honor of having been caught by the birthday boy.”  Indeed.

Season your feasts with enthusiasm and a dash of perspective, my friend.