Food as an Art Medium For many school age children, a favorite craft was using dry pasta as a medium—with their little hands they create necklaces, beads and other sorts of hodgepodge. With maturity, that seed of an idea sprouts into a high-concept form. With their larger hands, these artists create impressive works—portraits with red wine, sculptures of butter, mosaics of beans. The Significance of Food in Art Food not only provides needed sustenance but like fine art, provides immense pleasure. Also, food helps define a culture and allow expression in preparation, making the presentation of foods a creative outlet. Therefore, it is no surprise that food has been depicted in art for centuries. The Art of the Plate Have you wondered how certain dishes make the cut and onto a restaurant’s menu? It can be a daunting, but well-planned process. A chef will often test recipes for months, sometimes years, before presenting the final dish to their customers. The goal is to ensure each ingredient works in harmony with the other, creating a heightened sensory experience. As humans, we eat with our eyes as well as our tastebuds, right? Take a look at some of the world's most notable chefs turn food into art. Recipe of the Week: Vegan Apple Bread Pudding + Easy Coconut Caramel Sauce Conventional bread pudding is heavy on eggs and dairy, so it seems like it would be a tough dish to veganize, but it's not. I used a mix of full-fat coconut milk and almond milk in place of the dairy. Feel free to substitute your favorite non-dairy milk for the almond milk, but I recommend sticking with the coconut milk if you can, as it adds richness to your pudding base. Egg replacement? There are so many ways to replace eggs in vegan baking, but for this recipe I used good old cornstarch! Cornstarch thickens your base, just like eggs would in conventional bread pudding. Start by heating your coconut milk, along with some maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a bit of salt. While those ingredients heat up, mix some additional non-dairy milk with cornstarch. Make sure the milk is cold, otherwise you'll end up with cornstarch lumps in your pudding. T Once the mixture on the stove starts to simmer, add the cornstarch mixture. Let it continue to simmer for a minute or two until the pudding thickens. Want to re-create this recipe? Download the complete recipe HERE With compliments, Regina |
AuthorRegina Thomas Dillard is a certified chef, founder of Inner Sanctum Wellness, Regina Cooks Culinary School and the author of FEED: Living Food Recipes to be Made and Eaten with Love. Available softcover, digital download and Amazon. Archives
December 2023
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