Art on a plate

   I've just bought the most beautiful book on food I've ever seen.

This is Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by René Redzepi, a look at the work of his restaurant Noma in Copenhagen (currently the San Pellegrino Best Restaurant in the World).

   Published by visual arts specialist Phaidon, the photography - by Ditte Isager - is just stunning. I've been gazing at the images, so taken by the beauty of the food and the way it and the accompanying context pictures have been shot.

    This is no household cookery book, though, and although I've yet to read all the recipes, there are few so far that I'd attempt; many require unusual ingredients, specialist equipment and more expertise than I possess, but nevertheless, the dishes' apparent simplicity (I use those words advisedly) and the ethos behind them are very appealing.

   The picture at bottom right is not tiny vegetables in a pot of compost, as it appears; it is long radishes seasoned with sea salt and inserted into a thick herb cream. Sprinkled around and over them is 'malt soil', recipe here.

Comments

[Dark Puss]

The next time I have the pleasure of eating your cooking I will look out for edible soil! I had a look at the Isager web site, some I liked but I wasn't so impressed with his fashion shots.