The Art of Simple Food: Less is More

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I’m about to wrap up a 10 week travel adventure with the bulk of my time mostly spent in Europe, and while I could write a lot more than one blog post about all of my food discoveries there, I’d like to discuss the Art of Simple Food: Less is More in today’s post.

I’ve taken note of this on previous trips to Europe, and yet again this visit solidified the theory I had — that food is Europe is simple. Simple, yet done very well.

I’ve learned to appreciate more simple dishes over the years. I use to adopt the more is better philosophy in the kitchen — adorning all my dishes with every spice in the cupboard. Sometimes this would even lead to me ruining a dish because I just didn’t know when to stop when it came to spiciness! I’ll still do that from time to time but now can welcome a clean, uncomplicated plate of food more than before.

Here are some examples of simple, yet satisfyingly delightful meals I’ve tasted during my recent travels.

Salted cod loin served over turnip greens and potatoes (Lisbon, Portugal)

There was plenty enough salt from the cod and the olive oil provided some counterbalance to the salt. Greens, protein, and some starchy carbs — what more could you ask for?

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Grilled sardines with boiled potatoes and salad (Lisbon, Portugal)

Potatoes seem to be the preferred form of starch in Portugal. Pictured here: grilled sardines (probably cooked in olive oil) with boiled potatoes and a simple tomato, carrot, and onion salad.

This dish, in my opinion, was almost too simple! It needed some olive oil drizzled over top of everything. When flavor is lacking for me, I always go for EVOO!

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Grilled octopus with olive oil and vinegar and Cretan greens (Athens, Greece)

This meal was perfect! I’m still fantasizing about it a month later. I’d be content eating this meal at least once a week. The octopus was cooked perfectly (not overdone and chewy) and the olive oil and vinegar that was drizzled on top soaked right in — relishing each and every bite. Cretan greens are nutrient-rich wild-picked greens that were most likely steamed and lightly sautéed with fresh-squeezed lemon added right before indulging. Once again, there’s nothing that detailed about these dishes.

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Greek salad (Santorini, Greece)

This Greek salad pictured here actually was more complex than many others I enjoyed while in Greece. Most just were comprised of cucumber, feta cheese, tomatoes, and bell pepper. This one had some olives and capers added. I think what makes the Greek salad a great Greek salad is good olive oil and high-quality feta cheese.

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So what are your thoughts on eating less complicated meals? Can you find beauty in the art of simple food and fathom that less really is more?

For me, I’d rather have a clean meal (no junk added: free from gluten byproducts, soy, corn, flours, artificial additives/preservatives) because not only can they taste good (which I’ve demonstrated), but they are much healthier than meals that contain many ingredients.

Next time you’re feeling “stuck” in the kitchen or lacking inspiration for what to cook, try to embrace this principle. Maybe you’re new to cooking and have just a handful of go-to dishes that you can master. Nothing is wrong with that! Keep it simple!

There’s no need to buy a bunch of fancy spices, or learn fancy cooking techniques to produce high-quality, tasty and healthy meals. A lot can be done with less. More is not always a better thing!

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