Heston's magic potion

I love food. Really adore it. A lot. 
It's much more than a stomach filler, its a skill, a craft, an art, filled with history, a social activity and not to mention - Extremely important for our survival!! its everything basically...


There is one chef's work which I absolutely adore... and that is Heston Blumenthal. If I may, I'd compare him to Alexander McQueen... Taking magical elements from the past and reinterpreting them into up-to-date, of the minute, palette punching and intellectually challenging dishes - with a touch of romance, brutality and whimsy. 


Like McQueen, Galliano, Lagerfeld... lets say, most other designers who reference the past... (Ghesquière i'd put on par with maybe...Adria?)  Heston Blumenthal is a ragpicker - in Walter Benjamin's sense, elucidating things in the present that echo the past, or reinterpreting the past to create something slightly novel, unheard of in the present. He plays with nostalgia and familiarity to create something awe inspiring and challenging at the same time.

Edible Victorian Garden with bread, anchovy and herb undersoil; olive, grape nut and pumpkin seed soil; tapioca and fried eel gravel path; baby vegetables, potato pebbles and... wait for it, fried insects injected with tomato concentrate "to give a realistic ooze when bitten into". Hahaha.. ok, maybe the insects are too much, but I'd try it just for the insanity of it. Besides, as my father says...it's just protein (after i accidentally swallowed a fly). 

Blumenthal's latest venture Heston's Feasts  explores the cuisine of eras past, but with dishes reinterpreted in a magical, illusionary manner which is his speciality. Chef and owner of the three michelin starred The Fat Duck Restaurant in Bray, Berkshire the UK, his interpretations of British classics like bacon and eggs or sardines on toast into ices, trifles and the like... has blown my mind.  I'd love to experience a meal at his restaurant... even if I were too poor to actually afford it, I'd just sit there and watch someone eat (and take innumerable photos  - which would be creepy.. right? ...) 


... Anyway, back on track... one of the episodes that really caught my imagination in the Heston's Feasts series was the Victorian Feast.  Wonderfully timed in that it coincides with the hype surrounding Tim Burton's interpretation of Alice (which partially inspired this venture), the Victorian Feast drew its inspiration from the impossible food related items in Lewis Carrol's story. Mr Blumenthal speaks of being inspired by these impossible edibles (as it seems he always is)  and attempting and successfully creating, among other things, the 5 flavoured Magic potion (Cherry tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee and hot buttered toast) and the Fob watch and tea which the March Hare happily matches and munches away on in the book. 

Crazy wobbling absinthe jelly (movement powered by a vibrator) ....hahaha




In any case, its awe inspiring stuff... you can read more about it here


Or if you want to see if for yourself: 







Incredible! Someone get me there... I'll happily replace one of the queasy celebrities on the panel. pleasseeee....

Pictures from eatmedaily.com
Video from http://eater.com/