World’s Most Beautiful Dishes

I’ll admit it – I am a self-professed food geek. I like the long, novel-y menu descriptions (yes, I want to know what farm something came from!). I consider the presentation just as important as the taste. And, yes, I’ve elevated some chefs to rock-star-esque celebrities.

So you can imagine my delight when I came across this Food & Wine article on the World’s Most Beautiful Dishes. It wasn’t just the plating or the remarkable molecular gastronomy. No, it was about how something as simple as an oyster could become a piece of art.

Rather than bore you with the specifics (“Swoon! Eric Ripert did this!” or “That clever Alain Ducasse!”) I thought I’d let the pictures speak for themselves. For more details, check out Food & Wine’s slideshow.

Gourmet Dirt Cake?

Image by Gabe Palacio for Caramoor, Food & Wine.com

How darn cute is this catering idea? 

Food & Wine has an article in this month’s issue about Earth-to-Table Ideas, with this gem from New York caterer Great Performances.  I immediately fell in love with this clever throwback to the “dirt and worms” of childhood days… 

The terra cotta pots were filled with” ‘Dirt cake’—chocolate pudding … with crumbled chocolate cookies… adorned with sprigs of mint.” (source: Food & Wine)

This is definitely going in a future “to use” folder.