The Ghost of Foodie-Speak Past

Back in the ‘70s, when people were just realizing how important a creative chef can be to a restaurant, reviewers started referring to the “signature dish.” This was not exactly a chef’s masterpiece, but more like his hallmark or calling card: the dish that symbolized his style and signaled his presence in the kitchen to knowing restaurant-goers.

But the word “signature” had a fatally high-toned and stylish sound. Today, when a cookbook can subtitle itself “Signature Meals for Entertaining or Any Occasion” and there are frozen “signature dishes,” “signature” has basically come to mean “we think it’s elegant.”

Waste Not

Wow, sorry we missed this one. On Oct. 12, the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco served 300 guests dishes made from recipes submitted by City Council members all over California. The event, called Food Fest, was sponsored by Waste Management Inc.