The time is all but gone, when we hunted for what we would later have for dinner. 

We had a reverence for the animals we digested and for many there was a ritual first.   Now it is a quick trip to the nearest supermarket or out to a restaurant. 

With our imagination, we were able to invent the tools we needed to get to this point in time.

One of my favorite pastimes is dinning around the world.

New Orleans, San Francisco, and New York City, had some of the best cuisine in the late seventies and early eighties.

Commanders Palace in New Orleans’s was the grand place to go for a Saturday Jazz Brunch. The tastes left fond memories for a long time to come. The older jazz musicians who had played since childhood, came to every table. Each room of the restaurant had its’ own décor. The Garden room had beautiful views of the foliage and the party room filled with balloons.

Among the many other rooms, was the bar in the kitchen, where you could wait, while viewing the chefs at work. It was like going to a new restaurant each time.

There were a great many good places to dine in San Francisco, but there was an Oriental one, that stands out among the rest. It had approximately six tables and ten counter seats. It was near but not part of the China Town section. There was always a long line around the block waiting for a seat.

Recently in the area, I noticed it had expanded to three times the size. The food now served much faster, and with less artistic imagination, made it unnecessary to wait. There is no longer a reason to have a line.

Top of the Sixes, the four Seasons, and the Plaza Hotel Restaurants, was where you would find me in New York City.

Most of those no longer exist, but there are many others just as fine.

Of course, in Thailand and Sweden it would be very difficult to get anything but the best dishes, just about anywhere in town. It seemed as though only those with imagination that loved to cook, did.

There was a man in the French Quarter that would come around with a platter of his cookies for sale. He had faith in himself and his baked goods. Later, he became known, as Famous Amos. His cookies are called Famous Amos Cookies. What a great imagination. Believing in what you do and loving it makes success easy.

I hope you have been moved enough to let your imagination take you to some of the places around the world for the best experiences in dinning or into your own kitchen tonight to explore your culinary talents. I suggest you try the two recipes in this article or something new of your own.

The most important concept to remember is that imagination will take you where you need to be, just let it flow naturally.

Here are two easy main dishes:

Japanese Salmon over Bean Sprouts

Ingredients

• l lb Farm raised or other Salmon Plastic food wrap
• 4 tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce Heavy microwavable paper plate
• Or oven pan. (for microwave only, no clean up.)

Method

1. Wash fish, pat dry, put on heavy microwavable paper plate with 3 tablespoons or more of Teriyaki sauce on top. 
2. Cover with plastic food wrap, cook in microwave for a couple of minutes. The secret is not to over cook.  Leave it almost raw. You can always add to the cooking time if need be.
   Or bake in oven pan a short time, about ten minutes or less, then give it a try, you can always add time. (No plastic wrap or paper plate, when using the oven.) 
3. Add fresh bean sprouts with another tablespoon of Teriyaki sauce on top and return to microwave for 30 seconds.
4. Serve salmon over bean sprouts.

Coq Au Vin (French dish of Chicken in Wine)

Ingredients

• I-3lb Chicken 
• 1 teaspoon Thyme
• 1-lb Carrots
• fresh  garlic
• 1 lb Mushrooms
• 2 cups of Dry red wine (burgundy)
• 3 tablespoons Flour
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 2 onions cut in four

Method

1. Brown chicken in oil and remove. 
2. Brown carrots, onions and mushrooms and sprinkle with flour, while gently stirring. 
3. Slowly pour in wine and then add all ingredients together and cook on low for 1-1/2 hour.

Serve hot.