At the table, when cost is no longer a component of a decision, one’s power for taste and flavor diminishes. Having everything, all the time, for any whim takes away the pleasure of anticipation, and dulls the mind towards adventure. It is the budget that brings out a person’s skill for discernment.
One must be forced to weigh the choices.
Going out to eat with the intention to splurge a little, in calories, time, and hard-earned cash, is what sharpens the tastebuds. Uni over utilities. Caviar over capital gains. Perhaps not that extreme, but that’s the idea. If there is only so much butter to spread on the toast, and you have to choose which section will bring the most butter-to-crisp enjoyment. Will it be on the crusty corner? Or in the softer center? Maybe you always choose the center and want the novelty of exploring the edges. Choices must be made. Sacrificing one for the other makes your choice all the more valuable, and thus enjoyable.
These choices are what makes the tasting more intense, and brings us closer to comprehending ourselves as well as the menu.
