Recently in Styling Category
Just when Catalonian chef Ferran Adrià announced that his world famous restaurant El Bulli will be closed permanently, another Spanish chef takes center stage.
During the 8th international gastronomy summit, MadridFusión, world renowned Michelin star chef Juan Mari Arzak of the famous Arzak restaurant in Spain and Philips Design presented a series of concepts intended not only to delight palates, but also evoke emotion and stimulate the senses.
The sensual enjoyment of flavors, the appreciation of harmonies and the recognition of nuances all combine to create the unique pleasure of the dining table. In its latest Design Probe – Multi-sensorial Gastronomy – Philips Design has explored how the integration of light, conductive printing, selective fragrance diffusion, micro-vibration and a host of other integrations of sensory stimuli could affect the eating experience in subtle ways.
Lunar Eclipse (bowl), Fama (long plate) and Tapa de Luz (serving plate) are made from bone china and familiar objects from our everyday lives. However when liquid is poured into the bowl or food is placed on the plates, they begin to shine. A glowing light subtly appears from the bottom of the bowl and plates creating a new sensory dining experience as the senses are stimulated and altered. The series uses bone china and involves the integration of lighting, conductive printing, selective fragrance discharge, micro-vibration, electro stimulus and a host of other sensory stimuli that affect the food and the diner in subtle ways.
Also read this short interview with Juan Mari Arzak on the essential role of design, creativity and innovation in gastronomic cuisine.
Great stories are sources of inspiration. That's one of the reasons we love the 18-minute presentations from the annual TED conference so much. Amazing people telling the most compelling stories.
In 2006, 2007 and 2008, a special set of these great stories was told. Robert Mondavi Winery organized the TASTE
A few examples:
- Chef and scholor Dan Barber relentlessly pursues the stories and reasons behind the foods we grow and eat.
- Master breadmaker Peter Reinhart channels the science of baking into deep, spiritual lessons and dispels stale myths about the nature (and flavor) of good, wholesome bread.
- Journalist and author Benjamin Wallace tells the true story of the world's most expensive bottle of wine.
- Owner and founder of Vosges Haut-Chocolat Katrina Markoff reveals the four steps that leads her to inspired, delicious and creative new chocolate collections.
- Moto Restaurant's Pastry Chef Ben Roche demonstrates the unique dining experience at Moto with his version of Carrot Cake, Nachos and Wine and Food Pairing.
- Chef Jeffery Henderson tells his story from the streets to the stoves and how cooking changed his life.
According to the Taste3 blog, the next version of the conference will be in 2010. Deo volente.
"The atmosphere, the people involved, the stories behind the ingredients, the taste and texture, sound, smell and colour of food and the way it is prepared and served. She explores the intimacy of design that actually goes inside your body and follows the journey of food from seed all the way to poop. Thinking about all this and working and experimenting in her studio and restaurant and by creating eating experiences for her clients she has developed her own unique way of looking at eating from a psychological, cultural and design point of view." says Dutch eating-designer Marije Vogelzang in her newly published book 'Eat Love'.
Marije considers cooking something for professionals.
In its Simplicity Labs, Philips ('Sense and simplicity') collects successes and horror stories of people with their kitchen and during cooking.
VizThink community member and owner of Frog Commissary, Steve Poses is taking visual thinking and cookbooks to the next level. He has just launched the in development version of the companion website for his new book. (...) I can’t wait to see the results of these collaborations when the book and website launches in the spring. My kitchen is already warming up testing recipes! - sez the VizThink blog. - Link
How do you make a chocolate company? Be obsessed. Be very, very obsessed. TCHO is a new kind of chocolate company for a new generation of chocolate enthusiasts. TCHO is where technology meets chocolate; where Silicon Valley start-up meets San Francisco food culture.
Carl Warner paints still lives with light, food and his expensive camera. His catalogue (screaming Flash requirements) contains very cute pictures.
Food stylists and food photographers help us get appetite browsing through illustrated cookbooks. Looking at sites regularly does not urge me to browse further. How do they do it? Foodesigns provides some inspiration. The Tweezer Times is their "e-zine that covers timely and informative news about the world of food photography. It includes articles on food styling techniques, profiles featuring professional stylists and shooters, and reviews of tools and equipment. Content provided by recognized professionals in the business of food photography." - Visual design in optima forma.
Styling seems crucial for food presentation. How to present, shape and form food, meals and dishes determines how our senses process what's in front of us. The Japanese kitchen is the theatre for this type of art. Garr Reynold's knows the best how this works.
What is the best CG representation of delicious food? They know at Pixar.
The visual design of food (called 'food styling') is a trade in itself. Food styling for photography, TV and movies uses the characterics each medium to appetize people. Tagline: "Media food styling from classically trained chefs". Watch their videos for inspiration.
Not only the perspective of the designer but also the perspective of the user is important for experience design. In some cases, it is not as easy as it seems. "How to eat sushi and sushi bar etiquette... that's what this document is about. Its target audience are non-Japanese people who enjoy sushi but aren't familiar with the customs and traditions that make for an outstanding dining experience. If you enjoy sushi, or if you think you'd like to give sushi a try, this document is for you." - By Eugene Ciurana.
