I can't remember how I first came across this gem of a book but I've been eyeing it for quite some time now. Art of food? Food of art? It's gotta be love!!! By some probable misguided intervention of the divine, I lucked out for once and found that Strand had a copy in good shape and at a very reasonable price, so I went for it! It really wasn't in my power to resist such a beautifully designed large hardcover art book, lavished with a striking gold-foiled embossed jacket – generously showcasing Dali's unadulterated obsession with his food and his woman.
It's the stunning combination of gaudy 1970s opulence, abundance of ornate silverware and cutlery, extravagantly tacky table settings, morbid usage of taxidermy, and over-the-top sculpturing and plating of some of the most bizarre/frightening/delicious collages of foods, that allows for this spectacular glorification of one man's gastronomical insanity.
It's over 300 pages of a literal smorgasbord! Full of paintings, drawings, photos, collages, sculptures, philosophies, recipes and food! The shamelessly bad photographs I threw together honestly can't even begin to depict the variety of wackiness you will recoil from or laugh at or drool over.
Stuffed Artichokes? Yes, we are gonna stuff the hell out of these artichokes and stack them atop each other like a phallic monument. Then we're gonna erect (ha!) it inside this grandiose silver trophy cup filled with a cement of mashed peas, peeled avocados and pate de foie!
Calf Kidney in a Shell? Ooh, brandy marinated kidney goes into a soft quiche dough, then baked in its own marinade juices. Simple and delicious – just don't forget to shape your quiche dough into a, what else, kidney! Crucial step in full enjoyment of this kidney-kidney pie!
Dali, Dali, Dali...
Oh, such fruits borne of overindulging a hungry madness!
I especially dig the section titles of the meats and the aphrodisiacs
Dali & Co.
The other good death to die
Anatomy of our brains here at Death by Drone
Fancy chicken dinner
"Oasis Leek Pie"
"Bush of crayfish in Viking herbs"
"Veal cutlets stuffed with snails" and "Frog Pasties"
"The Breast of Venus"
Eat on! Eat strong!
