Notes, News, and Nerdiness from JKLA World HQ

Did you know that human ears can detect vibrations ten times smaller than the size of a hydrogen atom? That with just 400-odd olfactory receptors, our noses can help us map trillions of different smells—even if we don’t have words for all of them? Or that what we see and hear can change what we taste?

If you came to Tasting Notes at Town Hall in Seattle on Thursday night, you saw all of that and more demonstrated live on stage.

I’m breathing a big sigh of relief on this beautiful sunny weekend in Seattle after an intense week of preparation, rehearsal, and last-minute tweaking, alongside a truly brilliant group of collaborators. This was the first Tasting Notes show of the season, and I couldn’t be happier with how it went.

This is the third season of my experimental stage show that combines live cooking and musical performance, and it's been my favorite version yet. On Thursday night, a few hundred folks gathered at Town Hall in Seattle while my dear friend and mentor Ed Levine, my devastatingly skilled partner Tessa Lark, and I took the stage and invited the audience to participate in demonstrations that explored the physiology of taste and sound.

I’ll admit: I was nervous leading up to it. Tasting Notes has been a passion project ever since its debut a couple years ago at the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Summer Festival, and “experimental” is probably the most accurate way to describe it. Like any new idea finding its footing, it’s been a long, occasionally messy, but deeply rewarding process. This week, it finally felt like it found its voice (overtones and all).

It's true: this iteration of the show has far more audience interaction, deeper discussion, more intimate music and cooking, more effective visual demonstrations, and more tastes, smells, and sounds than ever before.

But I think the real magic was in casting. When Ed, Tessa, and I had a cross-coast zoom meeting to brainstorm, what was meant to be a one-hour meeting stretched to nearly three. We kept finding connections between our worlds—music, cooking, perception—and realized the real challenge wouldn’t be coming up with ideas, but deciding what to leave out.

What we landed on was a show that began with the astonishing sensitivity of our ears and noses (yes, you really can detect compounds from star anise at parts-per-billion levels). From there, we explored how sight, sound, touch, and taste interact to shape our experiences in surprising ways. We looked at how musicians and chefs use this technical knowledge and learned skills to become more expressive. And finally, we explored inward, asking how those tools can help us find our own voice.

The day before the show at a table aread, Ed gave me the best advice I could have heard: As long as we are having fun on stage, the audience will be having fun along with us.

He was absolutely right.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Thursday night than talking about food and music—two of the things I care most about—with two of my favorite people, and a room full of curious, engaged strangers who quickly didn’t feel like strangers at all.

I hope everyone who was there had a great time as well.

A huge thank you to the folks who helped make it happen: our incredible technical producer Jeff Francis, who has been with Tasting Notes since the beginning; Lena Davidson and Erin Kelly, who are two of the best collaborators I could ever hope for; Book Larder for running the post-show signing (you can get personalized copies of my books here year-round!); and Chengdu Taste for sharing their excellent mapo tofu with the crowd.

And of course to Farestart whose work providing culinary training and job placement for folks facing barriers to employment continues to inspire me. All artistic proceeds from the show, along with a portion of ticket and book sales, will go directly to support their mission.

Tasting Notes Continues!

The experiment isn’t over. Just like cooking or playing an instrument, there’s always more to explore, refine, and discover.

The next two installments of Tasting Notes this season—one in New York City with my old friends Colin and Eric Jacobsen and their chamber orchestra, The Knights, and another here in Seattle with the musicians of the Seattle Chamber Music Society—will take things in another new direction: full, multi-course, sit-down dinners where live cooking and performance are woven together into a collaborative meal with a lineup of world-class guest chefs.

Stay tuned for tickets and details. And don’t worry—you Frienjis will be the first to know.

For now, I’m off to enjoy a rare meeting-free Saturday with Tessa and Chen the Wonderpup in this perfect early spring Seattle sunshine.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend.

— Kenji

Recipes for an Easter Brunch

If you’re an Easter brunch type of family, this bundle of recipes is for you! These dishes come together easily to feed a crowd in the morning hours and include some of the fresh flavors of spring. 

Brunches of Fun:

Poach to impress. This technique makes poached eggs for a party easy work, with runny yolks every time. 

Eggs Benedict for a crowd doesn’t have to be a herculean effort. Using the same poached egg approach mentioned above, and this foolproof hollandaise, you can get it on the table in under thirty minutes. 

For something a bit different in the egg department, try these scrambled eggs with pine nuts, parsley, and sumac. The bright, herby and acidic flavors are smoothed over by the rich flavor of eggs and extra-virgin olive oil. 

Behind every successful brunch party is a large batch of something that’s easy to make while you focus on the finer details. Let this baked bacon for a crowd do some of the heavy lifting for you.

It’s hard to go wrong with a classic: Mix up a big batch of the lightest, fluffiest pancake batter and pull out the griddle for some hotcakes. 

Spring Into It:

Spring has sprung—as has seasonal veg! It’s currently peak asparagus season. Here are all the basics you need to know before buying, prepping, storing, and cooking asparagus, and one of our favorite ways to preparing it.

This steak and asparagus meal is putting the lunch in brunch, but we’re not mad about it. Step outside and heat up your pizza oven, if you have one, and give it a try. 

It’s hard to go wrong with a big batch of pasta at a party. Try this spring vegetable-inspired gnocchi or paglia e fieno with peas and pancetta.

Crisp lettuce, biting radish, and cool cucumbers bring these egg salad sandos to another level. 

Are deviled eggs traditional Easter brunch fodder? They should be, if not. They work with any meal of the day and can incorporate seasonal flavors while adapting to the tastes of any picky guests. 

Ready for More?

This Monday, April 6, we'll be offering all Frienjis here on Patreon a look at the Cookbook Club—the nerdiest, most dedicated book club in the foodie-verse. Keep a close eye on your inbox for some new recipes from Kenji's upcoming cookbook and a survey to provide your feedback on the dishes.