Simplicity and Complexity

Simpler is usually better. Some cooks mistakenly think that adding more ingredients is always preferable to adding fewer. But the more flavors you combine, the harder you have to work to balance them all. Further, the more competing flavors you have, the more you have to take care that the primary flavors of the main ingredients aren’t lost.

This is true whether you are planning the ingredients in a single recipe or the components on a plate. Some cooks are tempted to put too many things on a plate. When you have a meat item perched on layers of three or four vegetables and starches, with additional garnishes and two or three sauces, the result is often a confused jumble.