We are Annie and Connie Wu, twins inspired by the Ratty’s culinarily-crafty diners and obsessed enough with food to create Ratty Gourmet — a blog where we showcase original recipes that use ingredients from Brown’s dining halls. We’re here to share with you some of our opinions about food, including our philosophy that food is a form of art.
As we cruise from Comfort Foods to Tastes of the World, searching for the perfect meal, we realize that it’s hard for the Ratty to satisfy so many diverse, demanding taste buds all by itself. It can’t give each of us precisely what we want, but there is one thing the Ratty really does well. It gives us options. The design-your-own burrito, nacho, and Asian noodle bars (not to mention the panini presses and microwaves) invite us to indulge our culinary creativity. Given so many choices, there is always a way to leave the Ratty a happy diner.
When you eat at the Ratty, does it ever strike you that food at a restaurant always seems to taste better than whatever is on your tray? Maybe it’s because the restaurants do three things:
One: They make you wait. Hunger is the best spice, and restaurants give you ample time to salivate.
Two: They create a particular mood. Lighting, flowers, tablecloths, and even other diners give the subtle hint that what you are about to eat is special.
Three: They try to surprise you (in a good way). Every time diners order something they’ve never ordered before, they have in their mind a picture of the dish. The restaurant knows that the dish the waiter brings must exceed the diners’ expectations, or they’ll be disappointed. This can be accomplished by A) making the portions gigantic, B) making the food extra delicious with fresh, quality ingredients, or C) presenting it artistically. Option A is costly. B is difficult and costly. But option C doesn’t cost a dime.
Presentation can make or break a meal’s success. In the Ratty, you’ll notice gobs of food heaped haphazardly on some plates, and beautifully arranged panini sandwiches and salads on others. Some diners eat soft serve in a random cascade in their bowls, while others artfully swirl the ice cream into a cone. Our stomachs can’t tell the difference, but our eyes sure can.
Food is art, with a few extra “dimensions.” We’re not just talking about spatial dimensions here, but more importantly, sensory dimensions. Visual Art usually takes advantage of just one of these: the eyes. With food, you get the Visual dimension, along with Smell, Taste, Touch and sometimes even Sound. Think about what it’s like to create a cheese panini at the Ratty. First the bread hits the grill with a soft sizzle, and within minutes a nutty smell emanates from the sandwich. The panini press opens to reveal dark, even grill marks and gooey, melted cheese; a light crunch accompanies the first bite, and taste buds dance to the flavors of savory, cheesy goodness.
The next time you step from the frigid elements of College Hill into the warm and comforting belly of the Ratty, consider how you treat your food. Do you ladle your soup lovingly into your bowl, neatly cut your perfectly grilled panini into elegant triangles before devouring it, and give due attention to the diverse sauces and spices that populate the flavor counter? Do unto food as you would have it do unto you; trust us, and you will be rewarded.
Check out Annie and Connie’s culinary creations at rattygourmet.blogspot.com!
