Some of South Africa’s finest chefs will be creating gastronomic art in the Culinary Art exhibition which forms part of this week’s inaugural Cape Town Art Fair. We are told that the Cape Town Art Fair is “where fine food meets fine art” .
Food should appeal as much to the eye as it does to the palate. This statement is the inspiration for Culinary Art, which features four of Cape Town’s finest chefs including Malika van Reenen from the Signal Restaurant at the Cape Grace; Harpreet Kaur from the Bombay Brasserie at The Taj; Jason Franco from Camissa at The Table Bay and Scot Kirton from La Colombe at Constantia Uitsig.
Opulent Living had previously featured and highlighted the work of famous SA chefs and their culinary art through a striking visual photographic medium which was well received and critically acclaimed.
Explains the magazine’s Barbara Lenhart: “The Cape Town Art Fair wanted me to create a culinary art experience with four top chefs from the Mother City. Each day there will be a different chef creating this culinary art experience and the show will also showcase 20 beautiful portraits we took of some of our leading chefs in different contexts which will also be on sale. It’s all about exposing and showcasing the chefs and their food. Every piece of culinary art will be innovative, attractive and allow the chefs to achieve their own vision. It is wonderful that we can bring them outside the environment of their hotels and expose their work through an art show like this one. Culinary Art will cater for the eye as well as for the palate. Each portrait captures the personality of the person in front of the camera.”
The organisers of the Cape Town Art Fair are determined that the Mother City become the newest global art capital thanks to the Fair.
What is important is that the whole experience, including the food served, is of the same high-calibre as the art. Each chef will be creating dishes for purchase on different days during the show. Van Reenen’s menu is a starter of tuna, prawn, scallop, passion fruit, avocado and tomato with the vegetarian option comprising aubergine, chickpeas, red pepper, lemon, miso and cream cheese. Another is Springbok served with guava, ginger, cocoa, chilli and lime while dessert is a three-piece coffee treat.
Kaur will be presenting a trio of “Poori” shells – hummus, olive, spiced potato, yoghurt and chutney with spiced lamb; a mille feuille of peppered and curried prawns as well as Kahlua mousse.
Franco and his team with be preparing rooibos smoked Franschhoek trout served with radish, lettuce, caviar and alfalfa; Karan beef fillet with a bone marrow crust, exotic mushrooms and dauphinoise followed by a blueberry cheesecake with candied lemon. The cost is R50 per dish with three at R125.
WHERE: The Cape Town Art Fair will be held at The Lookout, V&A Waterfront, Granger Bay
WHEN: from 25-27 October 2013.
