What is the determining factor, aside from taste, that makes foods compliment another? For example: grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup or steak and potato, and so on.
Why does cheese sauce go with macaroni, as opposed to chocolate sauce? Or why does burgundy wine go with blank while white wine doesn’t? etc
WAG, there has to be something, on a “chemical” level, that influences what goes with what, and what does not.
Check out last month’s Scientific American their article on the modern diet was a real eye opener.
Is this the Scientific American article you speak about? http://www.sciam.com/2000/0800issue/0800wonders.html
I don’t know about food per se, but I do know that there’s certain things that will make your wine taste horrid. It’s hard, for instance, to pair wine with artichokes or asparagus. Each of those vegetables contain something that will make just about any wine taste like crap. Also difficult to pair a wine with vinegary type of stuff.
On the flip side, there are certain combinations that enhance the taste of both the wine and the food. Certain dessert wines will embrace chocolate or lemon flavors like they were made to go together. Scotch and cigars enhance each other’s taste as well. They just pair well.
NO! the article i refer to is not online. It has to do with why we eat the kinds of dishes we do and how it changed in the late middle ages.
I think it’s more based on culture and experience than anything else. I’m sure there’s a chemical element to it somewhat, but if you eat tomato soup with a grilled cheese all your life, then you develop a taste for the two together. In my household we always put ketchup on French toast (sans cinammon and powered sugar, of course). Most people in the West would wretch at the thought of this, but I’ve been eating it that way so long, I couldn’t imagine putting honey or powered sugar on it in the same way I would never put the latter or former on scrambled eggs. If you look at Asian cuisine, they mix a lot of flavors Westerns wouldn’t consider putting toether, pineapple and apricot with sour or spicy flavors, like vinigar or chili pepper.
Chief Crunch, you mean that you can put something other than Ketchup on French Toast? I’ve eaten it that way all my life. It’s basically scrambled eggs or an omelette with bread in it - isn’t it?
hmm ketchup on french toast… i gotta try that
however honey mustard goes with everything edible
Um, has anyone else ever had ketchup on chocolate cake? Not, um, that I ever have, either, or anything… And even if I had, it would have been so long ago that I wouldn’t remember anymore.
Ketchup on French toast sounds a bit odd to me, but I suppose it’s no odder than, say, turkey gravy on waffles, which is delicious. I’ll have to try it sometime.
Weel, I have a couple of desserts that I make with pasta. Neither of them has chocolate sauce but I make a black cherry ravioli and I also make a version of peach melba with shell pasta–they’re both very good but my dad cannot eat them just because they are made of pasta and “pasta isn’t for dessert!”
I imagine that alot of it is because that’s what we’re used to!
When James Barber had a cable TV show he loved to say “What grows together Goes together.”
This can tie in MSK’s OP with Chief Crunch’s culture observation.
Of course, this echos another Barber favorite “Do the best you can with what you’ve got.”
We’re comfortable with food combinations that we’re familiar with. Why are we familiar with those combinations? Because we’re used to 'em!
Is that circular logic?
Our parents likely served up those combos, and they were served those combos by their parents,etc. At some point we’ll finally run across our great-greats who had no choice in the matter…this is what you had and you made do with it.
I have found that contrasting tastes often go together well. For example, I love the salty-sweet contrast of a sweet white wine like Sauternes with Roquefort cheese or a good port with Stilton.
As for chocolate cake and ketchup, I’ve seen a recipe for chocolate cake made with tomato soup. I haven’t tried it but have known people who swear it’s good. Is that close enough?
Hey, you put your chocolate in my peanut butter…
Yer pal,
Satan
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The idea of certain foods going together actually has evolved over the years, as people, cultures, lifestyles, and the world in general changes.
Generally speaking, foods that go together compliment each other in flavors–complimenting, meaning that the flavors blend well, and provide a good contrast to each other–instead of two strong flavors that battle each other. Certain combinations are considered classic: Lamb & rosemary; pork & apples; beef & mushrooms. Usually, they go together because it is a perfect combination of taste and texture that work perfectly. Some of the best combinations balance certain flavors, so they meld well on the palate. But, as the world does get smaller, we are exposed to new cuisines and flavors, and new combinations form.
You could ask a chef this same question, and many will answer, “you just know” (gee, thanks), but, in a way, it’s true. How many times have you experimented in the kitchen, and come up with something awful–just something wasn’t quite right–the balance of flavors were off, etc. You know when a food is too salty/sweet/bitter/spicy, and, you know when one thing goes well with the other–like a Coke & French Fries or caviar & vodka. Just remember–just like art, taste is also subjective–don’t feel bad if a certain combination turns you off, even if it’s “classic”. Not everyone likes everything, and the same goes for you.
There was a thread here that covered this awhile back and the vast majority concluded that putting kecthup on French toast is disgusting. I tried a search, but couldn’t find it. When I went to college I was suprised to find everyone at breakfast dipping their French toast in honey, so rather than become a lunchroom pariah, I pretty much stuck to omelettes after that. 
Lasagna noodles are great with sweetened ricotta
cheese (toss in dried fruit if you like) and
chocolate sauce as an unusual dessert. I bring it
to parties to amaze people.