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Recipes of the Rockies |
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A Feast for the Eyes By Barbara J. Avery (Originally
appeared in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel) People like illusion food.
A grilled cheese sandwich that bore the likeness of the Virgin Mary’s
face sold on E-bay to Golden Palace.com, an online casino, for $28,000.
Some images are either natural flukes of browning or nature.
The Runaway Bride toast now has three listings on E-bay, each of which
has an amateur’s rendition of what is supposed to be the bride’s face
scratched into them. No bids yet.
Go figure. If you have an
illusion food find, especially in your Chalupa from Taco Bell, you can post a
picture of your treasure in the Wanting to see our food as more
than just edible is far from new. In
medieval times, foods were designed to fool the eye or the palate.
According to Gode’s Cookery, “These foods filled a niche between
everyday food and extravagant creations, usually with a touch of humor.”
The illusion food was for both sustenance and entertainment.
Examples of this type of cuisine are Hattes, small meat-filled pastries
shaped like medieval hats, and the Cockentrice, a fanciful creature that was
created by taking the front end of a suckling pig, and attaching it to a capon. Today, we dress up dinner
plates with intricate garnishes that add color and texture to the meals.
The Japanese garnishes that turn fruits and vegetables into flowers and
fabulous creatures are some of the most remarkable. You can create your own
“not found in nature” foods based on creations found in the book Play with
Your Food by Joost Elffert. Cherry
ants make a fun picnic food garnish. Cherry Ants Based in photo in Play With
Your Food Makes one, but can easily be
multiplied to make a whole colony. Materials: 3 cherries of graduating sizes
(grapes also
be used) 1 round toothpick 6 cherry stems Method: |
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