Much of the wisdom that I might impart finds its origins in a kitchen. Food was ever a large portion of my life, far beyond a measure of necessary calories for sustenance. Some of my earliest memories, precious few that they are, hearken back to a kitchen. I remember the simplicity of a shredded wheat breakfast with my grand grandmother, the shared dinners with my grandparents, cooking for dinner parties as an adult, sharing the kitchen with my wife, and eating new things in strange places. Through each of these moments, certain smells or flavors trigger memories and gain a power, a magic, that - for me – only music rivals. Of these two forms of mortal sorcery, only with cooking am I remotely adept.

Power, colonialism, and the spread of culture are core areas of sociology and have been massive interests of mine. This week, I was privileged to turn those interests into a case study - an exploration of fine dining that I had never before attempted. What you’re about to see is an exploration of the sociology and history behind French haute cuisine, done in collaboration - my first! - with The Temptation, a French restaurant in Da Nang blending classic techniques with local Vietnamese flair.