simple is most probably best

yeah, it turns out they're not

The old adage “simple is best” is one that chefs and cooks - as well as designers - can often be heard saying, but follow irregularly. I remember many instances of falling into this trap myself. Once I spent all this time working out a new steak sauce, and I was so excited about it that I ended up putting it on thick on some burgers I had just made for some friends. To my horror (although in hindsight, not surprisingly) the reaction ended up being a lackluster, “it’s ok, but I wish I could taste the meat more”. Covering up the main ingredient in the burger – the patty – I’d sort of killed the part that should have been speaking for itself.

Ken over at www.onlyknives.com made this travesty

It’s important to let ingredients that can already talk say their part, and pick out things that help flavors along rather than smothering them out. I think in the current generation we’re all working to get better about this. Fancy techniques and special effects have never been able to beat good solid basics, but it seems like everyone's been realizing that in a big way lately.

Photoshop filters proved this one a long time ago. I’m also pretty sure the Star Wars movies proved it (and a lot of recent movies besides); layer after layer of special effects with less and less meaning behind each one. We all have to ask ourselves – is what I’m doing adding to the situation? Whoa, sounds like one of those motivational speeches.