Contrasts

Gary Danko says, “Sometimes I’ll get teamed with other chefs to prepare a meal for a special event. In accepting, I say I’ll do so on the condition that we really work on the menu so that it flows beautifully. I don’t want to have a spicy rooster gumbo opening up that meal when I’m planning to serve a delicate fillet of sole, because you’re not going to taste the sole. Your palate is going to be anesthesized by all those spices.”

Daniel Boulud believes it’s important that dishes on a menu not overlap in flavor, taste, or texture. “Each one should have its own identity, its own character and taste,” he says.