A Material Menu

2016 Book of Details

Design and food: two subjects that inspire an almost religious fervour, especially when the home kitchen has become the immersive, experiential platform where food creation, dining and design harmoniously meld to create an ideal multi-sensory experience.

A Material Menu: Designs for the Culinary Aesthetic is an exploration of the connections between materials, aesthetics and design, including eight conceptual recipes based on the four elements of earth, air, fire and ice.

“It’s about all of the senses coming into play: The sonic snap of a crisp pancake; the visual delight of slicing into a blackened cake & discovering its pure, white heart; teasing the taste buds with alternating sweet & salt flavours; the fluffy, sticky texture of meringue – each recipe is a story for the body & the soul,” – Francesca Sarti, Head of Italian food design studio Arabeschi di Latte.

Earth

Deeply warming, comforting and homely of all the elements. These recipes for Stones Sandwiches and Italian Testaroli pasta are a witty expression of the very nature of earth and some of its ground-dwelling inhabitants.

Air 

Invisible, uplifting and essential for life, air also serves as the elemental structural ingredient in the following recipes for Egg Tower and Snow Soup. Air may seem like nothing, but without it, these recipes – and life itself – would simply not exist.

Fire

Fire is a mesmerizing and fascinating element, mystically transforming many unpalatable foods into highly delicious treats.

Sage smoke adds an aromatic note to the often disregarded cauliflower, crowned by roasting to achieve a nutty taste. Meanwhile, the sweet goat’s cheesecake, Torteau Fromager, elicits a delicate kiss of bitterness when lightly charred.

Ice

Water is the basis of life on earth. In its natural state – sea or freshwater, liquid or frozen – it always contains some dissolved salt. This fact – and the coolness of ice – inspired the recipes for Salty Lemonade and Icefish Fritters to represent this refreshing and essential element.