Music and food critics, scholars, and the general public make the similarities between the consumption of music and food casually and surprisingly often. These analogies will be discussed and then further used as a thought experiment to test if the fundamental tenets of food science can refine the aesthetic of programming and conception of contemporary music concerts. Also, the apparent difference in public perception between the culinary arts and contemporary music will be discussed. One area that is problematic for performers of new music is our lack of empathy for guests, a problem for which avant-garde chefs may have a solution