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Spring Cleaning - Food Porn

Found under my bed, a stash of food pornography circa 2001. Issue 1, No. 1 of Gastronomica plus a few other issues from the 2000's. Things like Gastronomica are why Kindle and iPad will never replace print publications: there is something kinesthetically-satisfying about lifting the printed page. Take in Lya Lys caught in a sensuous frame from Luis Buñuel's L'Age D'Or on the cover. Learn how Ferran Adrià makes soup. Where else can you read about Sicilian cheese in medieval Arab recipes along with a page from the original 14th century cookbook?

I'm not sure when I stopped getting Gastronomica. But I have to restart my subscription!

Heston Blumenthal - Black Forest Cake

Planet Green has just started airing episodes of In Search of Perfection, a BBC television series from 2006 that features Heston Blumenthal's search for perfection in various forms of food. Really wonderfully-produced series, and you get the definite sense of the creativity that drives the chef. I'm surprised by his pejorative description of "molecular gastronomy" which he disavows any connection with, "I take a different approach to food. People have called it molecular gastronomy, but I disagree. I just like to think its good old fashioned cookery, but with a bit of science thrown in for good measure."


This week, Heston tackles the formidable Black Forrest Gateau. Of course, this requires a requisite trip to the Black Forrest to sample an authentic cake from its source, after which he reflects, "It might be one of the most difficult things I've ever tried to do, thinking about it!"

The secret: it's all about the Kirsch!