Perfection

I was given a great cook book one Christmas by Heston Blumenthal called Perfection. In total is has 8 recipes, each meticulously researched and put together. The lists of specialist equipment, vast ranges of ingredients and intricate preparation details are amazing to read by themselves, as well as extremely daunting.

The recipe for the perfect burger has 6 pages packed full of ingredients and precise instructions. But, is this amount of detail really needed? Would you be able to taste the difference between a normal home made burger to this one? Why is there a desire to make something so perfect? What would happen if part of the instructions were ignored and the cook let instinct take over? Would this be possible to make without the standard kitchen technologies i.e. food mixer, measuring jug, weighing scales? Let alone the special equipment needed i.e. digital probe and meat grinder?

I'd like to explore the desire for perfection in the everyday, the dependencies new technologies impose and the impact this has on independence and creativity.