Column: Hearing the music in your meal

Yesterday, Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” had two very special guests.

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys picked up Bourdain in an El Camino van and drove him to a barbecue joint.

The Black Keys discussed eating while on the road, where they would limit themselves to $5 a day for food in the teaser trailer.

I can only assume that Auerbach no longer needs to save his $5 to buy wonton soup. The Black Keys have become a huge success since their beginnings in 2002.

Hailing from Akron, Ohio, this blues, rock drummer-and-guitarist duo has gone from playing basements to Madison Square Garden.

As a fan of the Black Keys, I am enthralled by their popularity and newest installment on “No Reservations.”

To my roommates and myself, bringing together food and music is nothing new.

My roommate Erin is one of the greatest cooks I know, and as a disc-jockey at WIUX, she also happens to be a big music lover. Between the three of us, the smell of food and waves of music linger in our apartment constantly.

Cooking is an art form, but what some people might not see is its direct relation with food. As you cook, you mix together and test different scents, tastes and textures to deliver a meal people want to consume. In a recording studio, you experiment with different sounds, layers and tempos to deliver a song people want to consume.

It is not all selfless, either. Music and cooking are both expressions that form deep within one’s self.

What food you make depends on your mood, and music can help fit the scene. But the importance of music and food’s relationship is highlighted while eating.

Matching music to food can enhance the eating experience, turning a good meal into a great one. It allows the senses of taste and hearing to blend together in a deliciously rocking meal.

This concept is one that Bourdain explores by having the Black Keys guest star on his show. Next time you’re cooking, think about what sounds complement the meal. It might even end up being the Black Keys.

­— bafinkel@indiana.edu