What is a "SENSORY EATER"?

I define myself as a "sensory eater" because whenever I can, I decide on what to eat with my senses, and I choose foods and beverages that appeal to the most amount of senses. I have cravings not only for certain foods but certain smells and feelings, and especially when I cook, I look to satisfy those. There are days when I open my eyes desiring a slightly grainy buckwheat pancake flipped over a still soft egg yolk oozing out when cut, coating the wonderfully salty ham in between, to be accompanied by a slightly sweet grapefruit juice and cafe au lait. Or a perfectly buttery warm croissant, slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, topped with a good berry jam that still carries the aroma of the forest, and accompanied by a strong flat white through which you can feel the intense flavor of the tropics as well as the pasture where the cows were raised. I crave for earthiness of cumin, the smoky heat of a chipotle, or the fire of a habanero at times, combined with tender beans, slightly earthy grains, or luscious eggs bringing me a breeze from the desert, mountain, or ocean. Sometimes I crave for colors wonderfully combined in a soup bowl or arranged on a salad plate, and sometimes I crave for a more subtle dish beautifully dotted with specks of color (like risotto with peas) or adorned with combination of colors (such as pureed red lentil soup dotted with a dollop of yogurt, and finished by specks of smoked paprika and dried spearmint). 

Food is never just food for me, and unless I am terribly starved and ready to faint, I refuse to choose food in order to satisfy just hunger. It needs to appeal to all my senses, take me to places, and bring me closer to the moment I live in (very rarely, it can also stop the time) as well as nourish and enliven my body. It needs to stimulate my brain, and invigorate my senses. Otherwise, why bother? Life is too precious to eat bad food, drink bad coffee, and choose products that don't even come close to their original forms. And once you have the best, it is hard to accept anything less. This blog (in combination with my travel blog) is a documentary of the search for the best flavors, scents, and feelings through food and beverages, and when possible, at the best possible places.