The Gourmand's Egg: A Collection of Stories & Recipes

Review
“A food magazine that looks good enough to eat, The Gourmand matches its beautiful photography and illustration with original, insightful and thought-provoking editorial that explores the intersection of food and art.” ― Stack
“Editorially experimental, visually conceptual, but highly accessible because of the sheer wit of its inventive features, The Gourmand offers surprising delicacies.” ― The Guardian
“A cracking new look at the egg… Culinary, cultural… it’s all collected in this fascinating compendium of all things ovoid.” ― The Financial Times
“Cracked, over-easy or richly symbolic: the humble egg in art.” ― The Observer
“Every food-lover’s favourite magazine ‘The Gourmand’ has begun a series of books dedicated to singular foods, featuring essays, recipes and always beautiful imagery. Scramble to get your mitts on the first, centred on the humble egg.” ― ES Magazine
“The Gourmand’s Egg is the first in a new series of sumptuous art books by TASCHEN, celebrating the connections between art and food.” ― The Telegraph
Poached, scrambled, boiled, whipped into a cocktail, transformed into a painting medium, tossed at an enemy’s house. As the most striking of paradoxes, the egg exists in happy suspension between humble household ingredient and ever-powerful source of life.
One of the most enduring symbols throughout antiquity, eggs were used by the Romans to dispel evil spirits, modeled as priceless artifacts for the Russian nobility, and were woven into Egyptian mythology. In the debut volume of TASCHEN’s series with cult-favorite The Gourmand journal, we celebrate the link between food and culture in a visual and literary exploration of the powerhouse kitchen staple. A collection of original essays and archetype recipes, from the perfect poach to artful desserts, celebrates the diversity of culinary traditions around the world.
The Gourmand’s Egg. A Collection of Stories and Recipes is illustrated with exclusive commissions by acclaimed still life photographers―equal parts sumptuous, absurd, lurid, mouthwatering, and undeniably The Gourmand. Rounding out the volume are works from art history’s titans, including Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney, and Man Ray alongside texts from chef, food writer, and critic Ruth Reichl and writer and editor Jennifer Higgie, and more. “In cooking ― as in almost every-thing else,” Reichl said. “It all starts with an egg.”