Delos Diary

"The more I studied both music and cooking, I began to realize how alike they are" … a quote from famous chef Emeril Lagasse, reported recently in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. It seems that a "Family Concert" to be given by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and guest conductor Alistair Willis will feature chef Lagasse "preparing food on stage while the symphony orchestra is performing." This statement produced an immediate flight of fancy. Who gets to eat the food being prepared… the orchestra or the audience? Will the completion of the cooking be timed to coincide with the finish of the music? … or will Emeril have to present his culinary masterpiece to an empty house?
Why not save money by choosing a conductor with cooking as well as conducting skills? Place a range in front of the podium, give him a chef's toque and apron and let him loose. He could prepare a slow-cooked casserole during a Bruckner symphony or a quick and airy soufflé while tossing off a bit of Poulenc or Offenbach.
The low carb crowd might enjoy something meaty while listening to a Brahms symphony while on another night the vegans in the audience could spice up their wan fare savoring music by Delius or late Stravinsky.
Consider three Delos recordings to be played while cooking at home: Respighi's Rome (DE 3287) DePreist/Oregon Symphony — great with pasta; Vodka & Caviar (DE 3288) Orbelian/Philharmonia of Russia — the name tells you all you need to know; and Baby needs Mozart (DE 1605) — play it while steeling yourself to mix a Gerber's concoction for the little one wailing nearby.