Tag: food

Food as Art:  Caroline Hobkinson and Experimental Dining

Food as Art: Caroline Hobkinson and Experimental Dining

Caroline Hobkinson creates experimental dining experiences in both gallery, public and private spaces. She works with food as an artistic medium and explores both the ritual and spectacle of eating.  In her projects, she orchestrates fully immersive multisensory dining experiences and food performances where the diners cease to be diners but become performers in a culinary ritual.

In her works smell, culinary instruments, flavors and textures, and manners that we use are all used to create unique experiences.  On her site she writes, “How we eat- the context and emotion has the strongest impact on how we perceive taste. Whether its suspended from the ceiling or whether we eat with alternative dining instruments like spearing our food with a tree branch, the long prepared Christmas feast, the birthday cake…  Eating food is the most intimate way to interact with our environment.”

Her projects are one time events, and have been done in gallery, public, and private spaces.  She uses food as an artistic medium, and with food as performance and social commentary.  Some of her favorite “ingredients” include fishing wire, helium, and liquid nitrogen.  She had created experimental feasts for the Royal Academy, Salone Milano, the Barbican, Gwangju Biennale, and other places.

On her site, Stirring with Knives, you can check out some of her projects.  One recent project called LOOK. LISTEN.  SMELL. TOUCH.  EAT! was a fully immersive sensory dining experience done by Hobkinson in collaboration with experimental psychologist Professor Charles Spence.

the feast consisted of various courses and activities which included a dish of eating warm caramelized goats cheese while blindfolded. At the same time, the scent of roast peppers and rosemary was released so diners would taste and smell pepper and rosemary.  For another course, people would eat super crunchy bread rolls while wearing earplugs, thus “internalizing” the crunch.

For another course, called Dialing the Taste, diners were given a number and were asked to press 1 for sweet, 2 for bitter. Specially composed sound frequencies were played to alter the taste experience..

The diners were given a menu that also had directions for the event.  This is printed on the website, and gives a full overview of the event and the courses.

The menu reads:

LOOK. LISTEN. SMELL. TOUCH. EAT!
AMUSE BOUCHE

Insert your earplugs
Devour the freshly baked Bread roll without the use of your hands
Neuroscience has revealed a deep ‘cross modal’ connection, sounds can actually
change how we perceive food experiences.
Can you hear the taste?
***
SIGHT
Blindfold yourself
Your waiter will describe the dish to you
A Cracker bread is placed in front of you
The Smell of Roast Peppers and Fresh Rosemary is distributed
Remove your blindfold
Can you see the taste?
***
SMELL
Salmon Sashimi accompanied by a Syringe filled with Ardbeg Ten Years Old.
Revered as the peatiest and smokiest Single Malt.
Inject the Salmon with the Whisky and eat it
Reconstruct the taste of Smoked Salmon with the Smokey Scent
Taste sensations are picked up chemically by our tongue.
The sensation of flavour is a combination of taste and smell. Most of flavour is smell.
Can you smell the taste?
***
TOUCH
Palate cleanser
HENDRICK’S Gin infused Cucumber Granita
Slurp with texture treated spoons with
Rose Water Crystals and Maldon Sea Salt
TOUCH
Main
Saddle of Venison with foraged Prunes, Chanterelles and Wild Cherries
Grab the hand carved long tree branch and spear it
Can you feel the taste?
***
SOUND
In collaboration with Condiment Junkie
Sonic cake pop
Please take your phone
Dial 0845 680 2419
Research at Oxford University proved that by changing a sound alone we can change a taste from Bitter to Sweet.
A low note brings out the Bitter, a high pitched sound brings out the Sweet flavour.
Can you dial a taste?

Images and updates of her projects can be seen on her website, Stirring with Knives.

Image Source:
http://www.stirringwithknives.com

 

Links:

http://www.stirringwithknives.com

 

 

 

SolarQue:  A New Tube-shaped Solar Cooker

SolarQue: A New Tube-shaped Solar Cooker

This past summer something shiny caught my eye at the Ingenuity Festival in Cleveland, OH.   The SolarQue, a new lightweight tubular shaped solar cooker, was being demonstrated at the festival. Lots of people were interested in the design of the cooker, and also in eating the free food samples that were cooked in the cooker.

The SolarQue is shaped like a small pop-up projector screen and has a unique shape.  Its design was born out of a technology that is used to heat water,  the “evacuated tube.”  The cooking tray, which slides into the tube can hold up to 3 pounds of food. The unit is made of pyrex and gets as hot as 600+ degrees in the full sun.  It can heat up wherever there is light, even in freezing conditions.

I talked for a little bit to Ohio inventor behind the product who is a veteran solar designer and has experience in off-grid living.  He found the shortcomings of many solar ovens and appliances and worked to create the current design.  Many solar ovens take a while to heat up, and also are fairly heavy.

What is nice about the SolarQue is that it is less that 3 pounds and can cook up to 3 pounds of food in the tray.  It takes about 10 minutes to cook hot dogs, and about 20 minutes to make scrambled eggs.

I tasted some of the potatoes that were cooked in the SolarQue.  You can order a unit from their website, and the patent for the device is currently pending.  Got sunshine? Why not cook with the sun?

Image Source:
http://www.solarque.com/

 

Links:

http://www.solarque.com/

SolarQue – Youtube video

 

Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook – Making a Comeback and a Vegan Version

Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook – Making a Comeback and a Vegan Version

This year a historical Betty Crocker book was republished called the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook.  I know about the book because I somehow ended up the publisher’s email list, and I got a email about the book for every week until I took the time to get off the list.

It did perk my interest about the excitement about the republishing of the book, so I did a little reading about it.  The cookbook came out in the 1950’s, and the title made cooking sound easy, and the color photos were helpful for new cooks to follow.

Some of the recipes in the book include Pigs in the Blanket, Mock Duck, Emergency Steak, and Chicken Tomato Aspic (note:aspic is like a meat jello.)  There also are lots of cookie recipes, and a Home Front macaroni recipe that was developed during World War II to help families stretch their meat.

After I got the email about this book week after week, I almost ordered it – but since I have a restricted diet, I could  not bring myself to pay the  $20-30 dollars that the book was priced at.

In looking up the book, I found someone that did a unique project, of cooking every recipe in the book, but making each recipe into a vegan version.  The project inspired by the Julie and Julia movie, and the woman behind the project got the Betty Crocker Picture cookbook, and worked to “veganize every recipe.”

The project was called “The Betty Crocker Project,” and each recipe cooked was written about and posted on the project website.  From what I can tell from the website, most of the recipes were made.  Some recipes I checked out include Baby Olive Garlic Knot,  a Chicken Skillet Dinner, and a Maple Glazed Holiday Roast.

The project inspired a new cookbook that is available for presale, called “ Betty Goes Vegan” which has recipes inspired by the Betty Crocker Cookbook, and also many original new recipes.

Image Source:
The Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook – Rodale Books
The Betty Crocker Project

 

Links:

The Betty Crocker Project

The Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook – Rodale Books 

Food Font Design Tool : an Update from Development

Food Font Design Tool : an Update from Development

Recently a couple of messages have come in from people who are excited to use the Food Font design tool and do events in the future.  Some people also have been asking when it will be ready to use.

Food Font is an interactive art project where people can make alphabets out of food, take pictures of each letter, and later use these and other food alphabets in a fun, free, interactive online design tool. The project supports dialogue and builds community around food, health, and sustainability. Currently the design of the interactive design tool is underway.

One person contacted us last week and wrote, “I am so excited about the launch of the design tool! I\’m a community nutritionist and am forever trying to make flyers look interesting, so this will be a fantastic way to do that! Thanks so much for doing this. I think I might pull my camera out and try and make some food letters out of Christmas food!”

Another person who helps markets organize activities and community events wrote,”  I have been the manager for the Vashon Island Farmers Market for the past year, and in that capacity was always looking for food education opportunities, especially one that is as engaging as this I will figure out a way to organize a FOOD FONT day for our summer season (when the variety of foods is at its greatest.)”

The official launch date for the Food Font interactive tool is Winter 2013.  An exact date?  There is currently not one, since development time can vary.  I can report that the design document that outlines all functions and visual componants of the tool is in the work.  This tool is then given to the programmer that we are working with – who then does the programming and assembly of the tool.

With my Winter break, I am able to dedicate more time to the project, so I will be posting some in-progress images as they are in the works.

Just imagine, by this time next year everyone will be able to send, print, and post holiday messages out of food!

Links:
www.foodfont.com 

Kellohalli:  A New Active Foodspace in Helsinki

Kellohalli: A New Active Foodspace in Helsinki

In Helsinki, a building that was once a slaughterhouse became the “Kellohalli,” a food venue that hosts events, food festivals and workshops.  The site is at the core of the food and cooking revival in the city and integrates local food, urban gardening, and pop-up restaurants.

The center is part of a urban revival initiative by the City of Helsinki.  In the new Kellohalli, any businesses that make and sell food can find a home, and groups that want to try out new food related ideas are encouraged to use the space.  This Fall a series of food and design events were hosted in the space as part of the World Design Capital Helsinki  2012 event, where events related to design happened in the city throughout the year.

In the Kellohalli, there has been a “pop-down” restaurant, a food eatery which was located 1000 feet below ground in an old mine.  Food in Helsinki often is comprised of mushrooms, fresh herbs including dill, salmon (the most fresh fish I ever have eaten) and many other ingredients that grow in the woods.

As part of the center’s programming, there is a courtyard where flea markets, plants swaps, block parties, and exhibitions were held this past year. The city has a “food culture strategy, ” which includes a goal that 50 percent of the food at the city’s day-care center are local and organic by 2015.

Last weekend at the Kellohalli, there was a Farmer’s Market and “Culinary Treasure Market” At the market, food from twenty food producers were for sale including mushrooms, jellies, cheeses, condiments, juices, breads, vegetables, knives, wool and Christmas trees.  At the Culinary Treasure Market, everyone in the community was welcome to sell things food-related which could be recipes, pans, pots, cups, aprons, and food treats.

Next time I am in Finland I plan to check out the Kellohalli, and nibble on mushrooms and berries maybe at a event, exhibition, or in the pop-down restaurant.

Images:
http://www.teurastamo.com/en/kuvagalleria.html

 

Links:

http://www.teurastamo.com/