Stories and recipes book 20x27.9cm 288 pages The Gourmand. Egg. - Taschen

A source of inspiration for Dalí and of nightmares for Hitchcock, this modest ingredient has been prized since Antiquity, as recounted in this captivating cultural and culinary history of the egg. This first volume in the TASCHEN series created with Gourmand magazine celebrates the fusion of art and food through original recipes.

A cultural and culinary history of the household's favourite ingredient

Poached, scrambled, soft-boiled, shaken into a cocktail, turned into a medium by painters, hurled at an enemy's house: the very embodiment of paradox, the egg exists in blissful suspension between humble kitchen ingredient and all-powerful source of life.

One of the most recurrent symbols of Antiquity, eggs were used by the Romans to ward off evil spirits, were elevated into priceless works of art by the Russian nobility, and are omnipresent in Egyptian mythology. In this inaugural volume of the new TASCHEN series created with the cult magazine Gourmand, we celebrate the relationship between art and food through a visual and literary exploration of this staple food. A selection of original recipes, from the perfect poached egg to the most sophisticated desserts, highlights the diversity of culinary traditions around the world.

The Gourmand's Egg. A Collection of Stories and Recipes is richly illustrated with works by great masters, among them Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney and Man Ray, as well as with exclusive images commissioned for this book from today's finest photographers. This body of imagery is complemented by essays from chef, author and food critic Ruth Reichl and from author and editor Jennifer Higgie, among other contributors. "In cooking, as in almost everything else," Reichl reminds us, "it all begins with an egg."