A cultural and culinary history of our favorite household ingredient
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.”
The editor and art director
The Gourmand is an award-winning food and culture journal founded in London in 2011 by David Lane and Marina Tweed that explores the fields of art, design, literature, film, fashion and music through the universal subject of food. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Die Zeit, and Le Monde, among others.
