gastronomy

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Latest In gastronomy

May 22, 2013

In Bread With: Special Request Magazine

Celebrities Dish Out Their Sandwich-filling Secrets for the Newest Arts and Culture Magazine

Actor John C. Reilly opts for the classic New York bagel with salami and provolone cheese, while songstress Florence Welch prefers a hearty ham and mustard bap in this gloriously kitsch photo story from the inaugural issue of Special Request. An homage to the British snack famously created by the 18th-century Earl of Sandwich, who preferred to eat lunch on the go using his hands, the feature lays out the favorite fillings of model Daisy Lowe, Olympian Jessica Ennis and the GZA, spiritual leader of the Wu-Tang Clan—who leans towards a lean vegetarian option. Taking food culture as a starting point, Special Request aims to dissect modern human culture piece by piece. Creators Paul Sethi, brother Marc—who also photographed today’s exclusive, curated by Sandwich Editor Josh Jones and styled by Nicole Herft—and Tom Viney brought on a top-notch roster of contributors that includes novelist Geoff Dyer discussing American photographer Jacob Holdt, and cultural commentator Jonathan Meades examining the food fads of the 1950s. “We took inspiration from publications such as Wet, released during the 70s, which celebrated water with brash photography and stunning visuals, combined with good, intelligent writing,” explains Paul. “We enlisted the help of photographers who normally work in music and fashion to photograph food, bringing a whole new aesthetic to a journal like this—the whole thing is very pop, colorful and fantastic.”

Blek Le Rat

Pan bagnat from the city of Nice

boule
tuna in oil
radish
tomato
pepper
onion
hard-boiled egg
anchovy

Daisy Lowe

A reuben from Mishkins

toasted rye
salt beef
melted Swiss cheese
sauerkraut
mustard
a big pickle on the side

Florence Welch

wholegrain bread
ham
mustard

"Very specifically, it would have to be made by my dad... he’s got some kind of special touch. Then you steal half."

GZA

rye bread
tomato
cucumber
spinach
mayonnaise
mustard

Jessica Ennis

ciabatta, spread with pesto
fresh roast chicken
rocket
Portobello mushrooms
parmesan-infused mayonnaise

John C. Reilly

open-faced toasted bagel
salami
provolone

"Grilled so the cheese melts."

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Spotlight

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

A Film Sees Tokyo's Preeminent Seafood Chef Revel in the Search for Gastronomic Perfection

Octogenarian sushi maestro Jiro Ono meditates on meticulous prawn preparation, massaging octopi and the importance of consistent innovation in filmmaker David Gelb’s mouthwatering paean, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The proprietor of family run restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro and considered by many the best sushi chef in the world, Jiro works every day of the year from sunrise to well beyond sunset, trawling fish markets for the finest ingredients, rigorously training his employees, and finessing the presentation of each creation. “What I saw in Jiro was not just his culinary technique—he has created an art form,” says Gelb. “His philosophy is to always improve your craft, to always look ahead to the future.” The smallest restaurant to have ever been awarded a three-star rating by the Michelin Guide, Sukiyabashi Jiro is a defiantly humble ten-seat sushi-only restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station. Its fabled year-long waiting lists attest to the devotion of its patrons, many of whom make pilgrimages from across the globe to secure a coveted seat. Underpinned with a melancholic score by minimalists Philip Glass and Max Richter, Gelb’s cinematic hymn to craftsmanship serves to highlight the almost religious reverence for artisanal “shokunin” expression embodied in Jiro Ono's practice, and his eldest son Yoshikazu's struggle to shine beneath his father's imposing shadow.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi opens in New York today.

(Read More)

Spotlight

Stevie Parle: Seasonal Spice

The Dock Kitchen Chef On the Joys of Spring Cooking

From the violent red of crushed sumac to the sandy sheen of fresh turbot, the ingredients treasured at West London’s Dock Kitchen take center stage in Toby Glanville’s photographs. Captured over six months at the pop-up turned permanent eatery—housed in a Victorian Wharf building on the Grand Union Canal—the light-infused images pay homage to the worldly home cooking of chef Stevie Parle. A star graduate of River Café and Moro, Parle scours the globe to source spices direct from plantations, collecting cinnamon from Sri Lanka, wild oregano from South Italy, and saffron from Iran. “What I’m interested in are the stories and context around food,” explains Parle. “It’s great for me to see where things come from and get a better understanding of the ingredient.” As the first wild greens of the year start coming in to his pantry, Parle finds his eclectic store cupboard comes in handy. “It’s brilliant to use a spice likes sumac quite casually,” he says. “In spring I quite often chop raw asparagus, peas, broad beans and thinly sliced fennel, and just dress it with sumac, olive oil and salt.” Here the versatile chef shares an exclusive recipe from the forthcoming Stevie Parle's Dock Kitchen Cookbook.

Chicken Roasted in Mastic and Pomegranate Molasses with Braised Broad Beans

1⁄2 tsp gum mastic
1⁄2 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tsp allspice berries
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
salt
1 large handsome chicken, off the bone
1kg broad beans in the pod
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the chicken
3 garlic cloves, green sprouts removed, cut into little chips
freshly ground black pepper
4 ripe tomatoes
small bunch of coriander

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Grind the mastic with the cardamom and allspice to a fine powder. Rub the spices, pomegranate molasses and some salt into the chicken and lay him out on a large roasting tray.
2. Chop the bean pods into 3cm lengths, discarding the ends. Heat a heavy-based pan over a high heat. Pour in the olive oil, followed by the broad beans and the garlic, season well and add the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and cover the pan with the lid, but leave it slightly ajar. Cook for about 30 minutes, until very soft.
3. Drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil and roast for 20–30 minutes, until the flesh is no longer translucent. Just have a look, it’s easy to tell as the bird is off the bone. Roughly chop the coriander and stir it through the broad beans, then serve with the chicken.