Progression to the Pinnacle
If we cannot believe in God then can we, at least, believe that we are slowly (even if only very, very slowly) becoming more spectacular, sophisticated, specialised and clever. Please? Perhaps some of us might even be allowed to believe, just a teeny little bit, that we are becoming more enlightened. To prostrate ourselves before the voice of reason and accept that perhaps our nature is not that of fallen angels, is one thing. To lose all hope of progress is a dark place to be.
Yet, Stephen Jay Gould, geologist, biologist and bringer of bad tidings argues, sadly, very compellingly, for the fact that we are deluded to think of our existence as anything but a happy accident. Or unhappy, depending on how you look at it. Either way ‘we’ are recent and nearly insignificant. Nope, says Gould, evidently not all trends are for the better. Not the trend of continued human existence nor our ever important continuing culinary tradition (he doesn’t actually say this - but we know he would have if he had thought of it).
It seems to make no difference how our gastronomic sciences have deepened and how culinary technicalities have evolved. Cuisine for this species (by this species), taking the form of fast food franchises and mock mastery, is cruder than it has ever been.
Let us hope that a large comet puts an end to all of it before we poison, or disappoint, ourselves to death - forever immortalised as the most aesthetically challenged species ever to have walked the face of the earth.
In the meantime, do come and taste something, thankfully, behind its time at the Corner Post Restaurant and Bar. We guarantee enlightenment and a joyous lack of ‘progress’.
Featuring on the menu this week
- Chilled Spanish tomato soup
- Avocado, bacon and baby spinach salad with poached egg
- Rocket, baked tomato and olive salad with shaved parmesan
- Cold poached, stuffed free-range chicken with salad, toast and chutney
- Thai steak salad
- Grilled quail, semolina gnocchi, shitake mushrooms and rocket
- Brinjal, mozzarella and basil lasagne with salad
- Poached ox tongue with split peas and mustard sauce
- Norwegian salmon with pasta rice salad and aioli dressing
- Roast rack of Karoo lamb with baby potatoes, roast garlic and basil
- Doughnuts, hot chocolate sauce and ginger ice cream
- Creme brulee
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