The Best Cuisine

One of the hobbies that I (and a lot of other people) have developed during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic was cooking. I decided to set to music some of the recipes (created by my friend and colleague Carl Dupont) that I tried and mastered during this difficult time. With each recipe, I chose to use a different musical style. While musical style is not directly related to the cuisine, I wanted to use different genres to represent how truly different each recipe was for me to cook. This commission has been made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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i. Grace

Dear Lord, we thank you for this food that we are about to receive.
Please bless the hands that planted, plucked, and prepared it.

We ask that you allow it to nourish our bodies and our souls
Lest we forget those starving, stranded, and struggling,
Who desperately want to be made whole.

We ask all this in your holy name,
And in every name, you are the same.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
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ii. Salmon with Kale

Preheat your oven,
And rim your baking sheet.
Toss kale and cabbage
With oil, don’t be discreet.

Season your salmon,
Nestle it in greens,
Bake for ten minutes,
It’s time to get obscene.

Whisk zest of limón
And juice and dill and mustard.
Add the remaining quarter cup
Of oil. Do you feel the heat?

Remove the salmon from the heat,
And have your guest approach their seat
Now drizzle dressing as they eat,
What a fabulous treat!
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iii. Mac and Cheeze

One pound of macaroni;
Two Yukon potatoes;
or spuds of any kind.

One large carrot peeled and diced;
or not. Baby, take your time.
Two-thirds a cup of onion;

Please don’t forget the SALT.
Dont forget!

Canola, grapeseed, peanut oil,
whatever’s slick suffices.

Two garlic cloves, dry mustard and pepper,
a dash of everything you’ve got
But don’t forget the SALT.

Now boil it and bend it, toss it and blend it.
Spread it and smooth it, stretch it send it
Into your oven that’s hot and ready,

Sprinkle it with those crunchy crumbs,
Laissez les bons temps rouler ma chérie.

Just don’t forget the SALT.
you’ll thank me later, as will your gums.
Go ahead and sprinkle that little salt on it.
Just sprinkle it.
Just don’t forget the SALT.
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iv. Roux

Heat, stir, pour, sizzle,
Turn, dash, sprinkle, drizzle,
Scrape, scoop, snip, dry,
Sauté, simmer, scatter, fry.

Mix, mash, mince, move,
Grind, grate, grease, groove,
Dice, slice, slit, throw,
Cut, melt, garnish, Go!

Peak, ogle, drool, dribble,
Lick, taste, savor, nibble,
Suck, slurp, slurp, chew, chow,
Swallow, gulp, pat, WOW!

Burp, smile, laugh, love,
Sip, swish, swirl, glove,
Wipe, wash, rinse, spray,
Stack, close, sit, stay.
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v. Healthy Ramen

You can make your ramen healthily,
If you really dare to try.
But it takes a bit of patience, courage
and you better be hungry too

You can make your ramen healthily,
If you really dare to try.
But it takes a bit of patience, courage
and you better be hungry too

Leeks, scallions, and bok choy.
Sauté each aromatic herb
Stir in the onion and the cloves
Of garlic you keep handy.

Then sprinkle it with curry,
A whole lot of curry
A whole lot of curry

Add anything that’s green.
(Any weed will do nicely)
If you know what I mean.

Add just a little more curry,
Then just add a little more,
Then let that curry pour!

Now bring your broth to a boil,
Sink your ramen to the bottom.
Add some garlic, salt and vinegar
Sprinkle that top with oil.
And serve it. Serve. And serve it! Now, you’ve got’em!

serve that ramen!
That healthy ramen!
Ramen , ramen, ramen!

That healthy ramen!

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