The Sotheby's Cafe Cookbook
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Food and art are two subjects that many people are passionate about, and in the Sotheby's Café Cookbook these passions are celebrated together. The book is both an anthology of recipes from the renowned auction house eatery and an exploration of the relationship between food and art.
The Sotheby's Café in London's West End serves fresh, contemporary food to people browsing the world's oldest fine art auction house. Head chef Laura Greenfield takes her inspiration for the menu not only from seasonal produce but from the auction calendar, occasionally recreating dishes from paintings on display. For the book she has chosen 40 of the best recipes from her changing menus, which have been matched with wine notes by the head of the Sotheby's wine department.
Interspersed between the recipes are a series of conversations between experts on both food and art about the relationships between their fields. The topics they discuss range from the history of food writing to the café culture of the Impressionists; the development of the dining room to the use of food as a subject in modern art.
Fittingly, what makes this book special is its artwork. Each recipe is either illustrated with beautiful food photography or paired with a piece sold by the auction house, the style of the page matching the work of art in question. Cumin & Coriander Marinated Chicken is matched with an illustration from a royal Ottoman manuscript; Sautéed Squid with Artichoke, Rocket Salad & Chilli Jam is teamed with a science fiction rocket from Frank R. Paul; Trio of Chocolate is paired with Vik Muniz's seminal photograph of Jackson Pollock painting in Bosco chocolate syrup.
In a visual feast for lovers of food and art alike, this book whets the appetite for the pleasures that both can bring.
Interspersed between the recipes are a series of conversations between experts on both food and art about the relationships between their fields. The topics they discuss range from the history of food writing to the café culture of the Impressionists; the development of the dining room to the use of food as a subject in modern art.
Fittingly, what makes this book special is its artwork. Each recipe is either illustrated with beautiful food photography or paired with a piece sold by the auction house, the style of the page matching the work of art in question. Cumin & Coriander Marinated Chicken is matched with an illustration from a royal Ottoman manuscript; Sautéed Squid with Artichoke, Rocket Salad & Chilli Jam is teamed with a science fiction rocket from Frank R. Paul; Trio of Chocolate is paired with Vik Muniz's seminal photograph of Jackson Pollock painting in Bosco chocolate syrup.
In a visual feast for lovers of food and art alike, this book whets the appetite for the pleasures that both can bring.
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