The Photographer’s Cookbook

Back in the late 70’s, someone had an idea to compile a cookbook from current artists’ photos and favorite recipes, but the project was left unfinished. Rediscovered decades later, we get to see opened a time capsule of the era, revealing a curious assemblage that reveals the artists and the period, in a highly intimate and personal way. You can certainly use this cookbook in the standard sense – sections include “Breakfast,” “Appetizers,” etc. However, it is even better to browse through the photos, studying them with their accompanying recipes. You get a real sense of who the artist was as an individual, inseparable from his or her art, of course, but also with much more depth. Recipes are not at all stuffy or pretentious; these are what these very human artists eat everyday. In one example, artist Ralph Steiner gives us a black and white photo of three eggs, sunny-side up, resting on circles of ham. His recipe? For boiled eggs, of course – and his commentary on the recipe (the only one he knows) is very wry and funny. The whole is witty and fun. This book is a pleasure, a whimsical addition to your cookbook collection.