Like Water for Choclate uses Magical Realism to capture the transformative qualities of everyday food and drink into something more. Also consider reading (and enjoying) Joanne Harris' amazing Chocolat.
Well, we should correct that title - actually Carl Warner'simaginative landscapes, crafted entirely from edible foods, are absolutely eye-catchers year round.
And his stunning images created from piles of cheese and pieces of bread more than prove that point. Trained as a photographer, he uses silver fish fillets to create a simmering sea and bacon to reproduce a country waterfall.
Add in a skilled support staff at his London studio and the latest in digital imagery software and results are those that any chef can envy (and want to duplicate).
If you are inspired, check out his recent book, Food Landscape - it is truly amazing and can reminds us all that true creativity is boundless and exciting.
Why not then create something different this holiday season and truly put your culinary talents 'on display'?
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011
All things Spanish will only get hotter with the premiere of DreamWorks new movie Puss in Boots, starring Antonio Banderas as the elegant voice of the utterly unforgettable feline purrr-fect hero.
With lines like "I smell something familiar. Something dangerous. Something - breakfasty" and "I hate Mondays", what chef can't relate to this noble gato?
Add in magic beans and golden eggs and, well, this movie is sure to be a big hit worldwide with everyone be they child, parent or chef.
That said, innovative chefs everywhere know a great theme when they see it. And this year (and next), it is going to be all things Spanishbut with flare and surprise (Puss would so approve).
And speaking of breakfast and golden eggs, why not create exactly that with the amazing edible food spray from The Deli Garage. Applied with style (oh so Spanish), it's sure to create a never to be forgotten a la Ferran meal worthy of any chef's knowing smile.
Shouldn't we all then say "Ole!" and tip our hats to a great (and very funny) new DreamWorks film. Just don't forget your toque and BOOTS!
Post Note, October 28, 2011: Here are several additional great lines fromPuss in Boots that are truly worth of Chef and supportive staff...
"Is it hot in here? Or is just ME?"
"Fear me, if you dare."
"You made the cat (substitute the word 'chef' here) angry. You do not want to make the cat (chef) angry." - followed by a swip by something sharp and great personal embarrassment.
Post Note, October 30, 2011: If you still doubt that things Hispanic will be a hot trend in the coming year, check out the well dressed Japanese business men dancing their away across Mexico in Genki Sudo's World Order viral music video. The tightly choreographed moves are almost equal to any performed by the staff of a well run kitchen. Bravo gentlemen!
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011
In a case of art imitating life, London’s GV Art Gallery is currently hosting a unique exhibition by Ken and Julia Yonetani featuring sculptures made from salt and sugar.
Entitled Sense of Taste, the show has delighted visitors as they marvel at an underwater world crafted from sugar and at an elegant feast carved from salt.
Ken, who was born in Tokyo and studied under the Asian pottery master Toshio Kinjo (son ofJiro Kinjo, honored as a National Living Treasure of Japan), met his wife Julia in Australia where they now live and work.
Their joint creations mirror the art heritage of Kyoto as well as an appreciation for the natural beauty of Australia and also a deep understanding of classic European art. In “Sweet Barrier Reef” echoes of Japan’s famed Zen rock gardens can be seen. While “Still Life: The Food Bowl” captures the heart of a Dutch still life painting, all in detailed salt sculpture.
And though beautiful, each piece is also designed to ask gallery viewers to consider both the wonder of food and the environmental destruction that results from improper harvesting. Currently many Australian irrigation systems are dramatically increasing the salt level of ground water while the run off from sugar production centers are endangering the coral reefs.
The stunning appearance of the displays are now prompting many chefs worldwide to consider carving in salt or sugar as an alternative to ice, which melts and has to be replaced and replaced and replaced. A single sugar or salt sculpture not only will stand the test of time, it also offers the carver an opportunity to share both values and beautywith the property's guests.
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011
No one doubts that our industry is rapidly changing. Today iPhone apps join printed menus and reservations have often moved online. Here, for your consideration, are three of the newest trends affecting us all:
Nextism
We live in a world where consumer expectation has created a guest group that believes the “best of the best” should be theirs in every dining experience. As a result, there is a constant demand for new products and unique experiences.
Known as members of the “Expectation Economy”, these diners look for the novel, the enhanced in both service and cuisine in order to experience what they define as a more stimulating and interesting life.
Statusphere
While some individuals define their dining as a statement of social status, another group of guests are now viewing their culinary experience as an opportunity to achieve new skills, connectedness or eco-commitment.
Entitled “Considered Consumerism”, this approach is interested in source, fair trade and mutual involvement through cuisine and knowledgeable choice.
ComfortConsumption
Still another group of diners is interested in change BUT within known boundaries. These guests are secure within their sense of status, yet desire an ever upgraded experience without the risk of worry.
Often very loyal to the known, they now look for comfortable innovation within that safe zone as this provides them a sense of enriched stability in a world of too rapid change.
Commonly called “Re-Commercers”, they enjoy change gently positioned within the known, be it classic or regional cuisine. They seek to be delighted, never shocked or startled.
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011
It only takes a look at the photographs that captured their evening out at the Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia to see that this is a couple dedicated to each other.
That mutual commitment is mirrored by the restaurant's owner Chef Cathal Armstrong and his beautiful wife and professional partner Meshelle, both hailing from Ireland. Their esteemed 50 seat restaurant is named after their first child, Eve.
Chef Armstrong trained in France but has always maintained his commitment to source and quality that reaches back to his Irish childhood.
With multiple stars awarded for excellent as well as a deep loyalty to sustainability, Chef Armstrong’s Restaurant Eve was a perfect choice for the First Couple who have provided to the nation an active role model for healthy eating.
Yet as every professional in our industry knows, style, elegance and stars-awarded don’t just happen, just as great marriages don’t just happen.
It takes work, commitment, dedication and skill. When it’s done well, it only looks easy – a lovely picture, a dinner served with grace and charm.
Perhaps there is no more perfect example of the ease of expert expression than the new Air France ad airing global. The dancers are subtle and graceful, gently hinting at a mystery only revealed at the end, yet always capturing the elegant essence of the Air France experience.
But before the dance (or dinner) comes the endless and very necessary preparation. In an amazing double release, Air France has also documented the efforts involved in the “staging” of the magic.
And while many of the televised foods shows have opened a window for consumers to glimpse the working wonder of a professional kitchen, it is only a brief image of the steam and strain.
What is not captured are the years of training prior to mastery, the untiring eye seeking perfection, the effort to discover the ever new while never forgetting the richness of the past.
Like any great marriage, it requires that one focus every day on the values expressed through medium of everyday life. It requires caring; it requires simply truly Loving what we do and deeply respecting all those we share our day with.
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 2:11PM 
