Condiments are the accessories of the food world. Bear with me as I explain. If a beautifully aged rib eye is an Armani suit, what you serve with it is the watch, scarf or scent you layer to create interest and texture. Condiments add another dimension to any meal. Like perfume or aftershave, they say something about our intentions, who we are, and what we stand for. That might seem overly dramatic and pretentious, but if you think about the thought and individuality we put into the scented alcohol we spray on ourselves before we leave the house, then it seems less ridiculous. Why would the mustard or tomato sauce we eat with the steak or lamb shoulder we have sourced from a specialty butcher and smoked for 12 hours be any different, or less worthy of our time? There is nothing more heartbreaking than searching out amazing ingredients and thoughtfully preparing meal and have a guest request tomato sauce. I’m not saying that there isn’t a fine place for the supermarket brands – if you’re eating a sausage in a piece of white bread after sport on a Saturday – but not with a beautiful piece of meat. Sacrilege! But…
For my husband’s 40th (he wanted a BBQ) I made Heston Blumenthal’s tomato sauce from his “In Search of Perfection” TV series. It involved cooking down the jelly-like substance on the outside of the tomato seeds for maximum umami. Five kilos of tomatoes made about a cup of sauce but it was literally the most amazing flavour and something you would not hesitate to serve with even the most highly prized meat. I’ve never made it again, because I’m not that crazy and scooping out the insides of that many tomatoes and throwing away the outsides was an insanity that doesn’t bear repeating. However, it does go to show that even the most pedestrian of condiments can reach unimagined heights.
For years now, I have perused markets and small producers, almost squealed with delight at finding a good provider with interesting relishes and home made jams, only to be dashed with disappointment when I couldn’t find them again. Or eaten something at a friend’s house, tried to remember the name, and promptly forgotten. So many farmers have access to produce we can only dream about and make the most flavoursome of sauces but struggle to compete with the bland, easily accessed and mass-produced jars of blah. This site is about trying to find them and connect them with the discerning consumer. We do this for the joy, not for profit and everything we recommend is in our pantries too.
The Curated Condiment 