How to Create Menus That Flow
I ask you to think about the meal as a journey. Sometimes it’s a very short journey, all on one plate. Sometimes there’s a bowl followed by a plate. And sometimes there are multiple bowls and multiple plates, one after the other. Envision the dishes. See yourself lining them up in a row, and see that this line of food has a beginning, a middle and an end. This isn’t just a meal. This is a journey you’ve been leading people along.
Since food ignites all the senses, the journey of the menu is meant to be a sensual one. Think about how you might like to embark on a sensual journey into the unknown. Do you want to be bombarded, or do you want to be seduced? (Seduced!) Imagine a sip of something delicious or a light bite or two that say hello and welcome. An now, skip directly to the end of the meal, Do you want to end this sensual journey with a feeling of deep satisfaction, or do you prefer to feel like you have to go home and fucking die because you ate too much?
It’s not generous to overfeed your guests! You’re playing into people’s lack of self control, including your own. Instead, consciously plan out a menu that leaves everyone just full enough, relaxed, and happy.
Rules for a Balanced Menu
Don’t overcarb. You can call out my Los Angeles roots here, but the truth is, no Italian would ever order pizza and then pasta, as Americans often do in Italian restaurants. In Italy, pizzas aren’t even served in the same restaurants as pastas! One is ordered in a pizzeria and the other in a trattoria.
Carbs are sticky. They taste delicious, but eat too much and you’ll enter a food coma. Think about how many times you serve carbs throughout the meal. I advise no more than twice. For example, if you serve crostini and then pasta, then cut carbs right there, don’t serve potatoes with your main dish, and choose a no-carb dessert. If instead you know you want to serve cantucci for dessert and bruschetta as a starter, then use a recipe from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Pasta! for your primo.
Go for smaller portions. Pasta in Italy is a three-ounce portion; that’s less than a fifth of a box. If that’s the main dish of the meal, you might serve more. But, if you serve it as a primo, before a main course and perhaps after an appetizer or two, go with even smaller portions. The more courses or plates you serve, the smaller your portions should be. That goes for steak and fish and chicken and potatoes and dessert; don’t force huge portions of on people. We don’t need to compensate for our grandparents’ experience of the Great Depression anymore. Nobody can eat that much and still enjoy themselves afterwards, except maybe a boy of bar mitzvah age–and who wants to hang out with bar mitzvah boys?! Just chill out. There’s going to be plenty of food.
Go plant heavy. Vegetables are light on the system, so serve plenty of them.I place the salads and the vegetable chapter before the mains, because they’re as important as the meats. I love a huge salad next to a smaller piece of meat.
Use foods that aid digestion. As Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine said, “Let food be thy medicine.” Fresh lemon juice and zest help break down fats. Herbs aid in digestion. It’s no coincidence that so many of my recipes have lemon and/or fresh herbs like parsley, mint, and basil. In case that’s not quite going to cut it, have a Caffé Corretto, as both coffee and grappa are foods that aid digestion!
Things that grow together, go together. Italians are very conscious of topography when it comes to food. For example, they don’t pair cheese and seafood, because for most of history, these weren’t available in the same region. In Italy, cows come from the flat grasslands of northern Italy and that’s where the best meat sauces come from, while the best seafood pasta comes from the rocky shores of southern Italy. So don’t serve seafood followed by meats and cheeses, and vice versa. Mixing and matching too many types of ingredients will likely leave you bloated and overstuffed. Stick to one general region, like the seaside or the countryside.