The smell of garlic and onions sautéing in olive oil often brings back memories of being in Grandma Leo’s kitchen. She was actually my uncle’s mother who lived in the same town as we did. My dad and I would often stop over and help out around the house, as my uncle and aunt lived an hour away.
There was always something cooking in Grandma Leo’s kitchen and it always smelled so good. Her way of thanking us was to feed us. As a growing boy, I rarely turned down food, at least not until the third or fourth helping. Her food was delicious! And she may have been partly responsible for me becoming a foodie.
It was not until was years later, after I had become a pretty good cook myself, that I realized what I liked so much about her food. She kept to simple ingredients and really worked to bring out the flavor in them.
In contrast, my mother cooked lots of casseroles. While most were quite tasty, they included things like cream of mushroom soup, cheese and breadcrumbs. The essence of each food was not the focus. She followed the recipe and did not explore what each ingredient could become.
While it was definitely an evolution, I have gone a route much closer to Grandma Leo’s in my cooking. I keep things simple, and really try to bring out the flavor in simple foods. There is nothing like cauliflower roasted with olive oil and garlic. Yum! As a matter of fact, my kids usually eat their vegetables first :)
While many marketers focus on a more casserole approach: you are not entirely sure what is in it, and it may not be healthy for you, but it tastes good. I prefer to keep things simple and make the most out of each strategy I apply. You know what you are getting, each component of the marketing plan stands on its own, and it is probably healthier for you...
Sticking to the basics allows me to be much more authentic. I know what I am offering and my clients know what they are getting.
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