In food education, we name the programs of study: Culinary Arts. The two-year degree though is called an Associates of Applied Science. So how do we make the connection between “art” and “science?” Often, people say that cooking is an art, while baking is a science. What makes this distinction? Do the two overlap? YES!!!
When cooking, measurements are not always crucial to the final product. A recipe may have the following instructions: a clove of garlic, a bunch of chives, two chicken breasts and “season to taste.” The exact measurements are not indicated as it is up to the chef to determine the amounts, according to the desired result of the final creation. An experienced chef can estimate the proper proportions and predict the outcomes. Therein lies the art of taste! How these creations are assembled on the plate then requires the art of presentation.
During one of the “chapters” in my professional career, I worked as the first mate and cook on a private yacht. The owner of the boat, an attorney, and his wife, a classically trained chef, went out to different restaurants for dinner six nights of the week. On the seventh night, I cooked for them on the boat. Why did they eat out so much? They believed in the art and entertainment of the dining experience. They would examine every component of the meal: how the hostess greeted them, the décor of the restaurant, the eloquence of their waiter, the font of the menu, the feel of the cutlery and the design of the china, and oh yes, the meal itself! The food, though an important part of the meal, was not the only creative medium in the art of dining. The choreography of the entire evening involved many interdependent components. When dining out, how often do we think the food was good, but the atmosphere made the meal less enjoyable?
In the baking and pastry world, we follow formulas. We think of a recipe as a list of ingredients, whereas a formula determines the exact amount of each ingredient with a specific method of preparation (MOP). As we “eat with our eyes first,” initial appreciation of a product relies upon the presentation. We value wedding cakes for their beauty, birthday cakes for their whimsy and sometimes we create sculptures of food for their visual appeal alone. Although the eating of the creation may be a secondary desire, taste completes the experience. So although the ratio of ingredients and the method in which the product is prepared can be considered a science, the art depends on the visual appeal.
I find joy in trying a new recipe, or adapting an old recipe by using the ingredients at hand, making substitutions to accommodate the tastes of whom I am feeding. For baking, I make a rule of following the initial formula as indicated. Then, through my knowledge of baking science (more on that next week!), I may make adjustments to please my palate or alter the texture. When making wedding or birthday cakes, I spend more time at the drawing board, then the actual production of the creation. These are just some of the creative aspects of the food world.
The photos included in this post offer a variety of artistic views of food. Food art can be everything from the natural beauty of fresh picked strawberries, to sugar and chocolate showpieces, to a sculpture of the world’s largest lobster. You can decide, is it art?
How do you “create art” in the culinary realm?
Fresh picked strawberries, nature’s pure art! Very edible!
Chef Ellen Duke’s Fruit and Vegetable Cake. This is edible art!
Chocolate sculpture. Never intended to be eaten, but smells really good!
Sugar sculptures. Again, never intended to be eaten.
World’s largest lobster! (Sculpture and kids, not edible!) Shediac, New Brunswick, CANADA
Toast “painting” of Einstein. Technically, edible. (Ripley’s Believe It or Not Exhibit)
Fresh fruit tarts, waiting to be served in our school dining room. Delicious!
Themed Mini-Cakes from our Advanced Cake Decorating Class.
Cowboy Cake. Edible. In fact, it fed 400 happy guests!
Pastry Peaks 