Bitter Melon [A]side/[In]side
New Consumer Initiative
November 11, 2006
Bitter Melon [A]side/[In]side was a 70 people-banquet event created for Grantsmakers in the Arts pre-conference in collaboration with P-Town Parties. The chef was challenged to develop dishes that, while incorporating a significant amount of Bitter Melon, do not have a bitter taste. These specific dishes, developed by the caterer, were accompanied by condiments and garnishes created by the NBMC.
Garnishes can be as extravagant as these food sculptures or as minimalist as minced parsley sprinkled on a plate edge. Gaudy or simple, they are key aesthetic elements to the food and dining experience, but not often noted in the list of ingredients on a menu description. Their lack of visibility implies inferiority compared to the main element of the dish, though they can actually, through flavor or aesthetics, add character that distinguishes or completes the sensory experience of the dish. What happens if the featured ingredient in the new garnish is the bitter flavored green gourd Bitter Melon?
Bitter Melon [A]side/[In]side featured the power and potential of these small, ‘hidden’ culinary additions, to form or change the meaning and significance of the dining experience both literally and poeticly. When the garnish packs the potent flavor, does its significance outweigh that of the main ingredient?
This project was also about the layered relationships among the locations, communities, and institutions involved in the GIA. "Secret" ingredient Bitter Melon appeared in every dish but be hidden within the hierarchy of flavors. The incorporation of Bitter Melon in the meal, as an overt aside as the garnish and as a covert ingredient inside each dish, reflects on GIA, Provincetown, and the NBMC itself. How are each [A]sides and [In]sides to the others? And how does the final flavor of the event change as a result of this mixing of ingredients
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