Part Three: Exploring the Intersections of Culinary Art and Other Creative Expressions.

Crab Duet A La Peruana Causa Rellena with Purple Potato, Aji Amarillo, Avocado, Garden Tomato, Diced Egg, Sweet Potato Threads & Flor de Jamaica by Matthew Gilbert, Executive Chef at Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois. 

This exploration delves into the intriguing and multifaceted connections between culinary art and other forms of creative expression, such as music and literature. Although these modalities differ in their techniques and mediums, each is dedicated to crafting an immersive sensory experience that resonates with our emotions and memories.

Matthew Gilbert, Culinary Director at Medinah Country Club articulates this synergy well: ​"An important turning point early in my life was understanding that creating music and creating food is remarkably similar. Notes are ingredients, songs are dishes, menus are albums."

The Symphony of Flavors and Sounds

​Consider the process of preparing a gourmet dish alongside that of composing a musical piece. Each ingredient in the culinary realm corresponds to an instrument within an orchestra. A precise amount of salt can serve as a foundational beat, enhancing the nuanced flavors of a well-cooked protein. Fresh herbs introduce surprises that elevate the dish's complexity. Culinary professionals judiciously balance flavors, such as sweet and savory or crunchy and creamy, to cultivate a dynamic experience analogous to a meticulously arranged symphony. In music, composers orchestrate chords and melodies to convey emotions such as joy, sadness, or tension, mindful of how each note collaborates with others. Both cooking and music rely on a structured framework where creativity and timing converge, eliciting emotional responses and engaging our senses.

This Duck Duck Peach recipe was created by Chef Hannah Flora when she was just 28 years old. In a bold move, she appeared on the cover of Golf Kitchen Magazine with a splashy and very artistic chef expression in September 2021.

"Chefs and culinary artisans construct edible masterpieces that captivate the senses and ignite the imagination. Plates transform into palettes, wherein colors, textures, and forms converge to narrate a story," as noted by Chef Hannah Flora of Hannah Flora Enterprises, who serves as Executive Sous Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club.

Plating as Narrative: The Art of Storytelling

​The act of plating food resembles crafting a narrative. As authors use language to weave their tales, chefs meticulously arrange dishes to create visual narratives. A photograph of a well-composed plate serves as the prologue to a story, where every element—the placement of a garnish, the drizzle of sauce, and the interplay of textures—functions as a carefully selected word or phrase that builds anticipation.

​Authors harness imagery and rhythm in literature to transport readers to new realms. Similarly, an artistically plated meal invites diners to explore its flavors and cultural significance. Both disciplines emphasize attention to detail, guiding audiences through an experience that stimulates the imagination and heightens the appetite.

This New England Clam Chowder recipe, created by Michael Ruggiero at GlenArbor Golf Club in 2018, exemplifies how to transform an ordinary clam chowder into a culinary masterpiece!

Inherent Structure and Creative Freedom

Music and literature frequently adhere to established conventions, such as specific rhythmic patterns or narrative structures. Nonetheless, these frameworks allow for creative expression. Culinary professionals similarly honor traditional cooking techniques while embracing innovation. Chefs may incorporate unconventional ingredients or reinterpret classic dishes, crafting offerings that pay homage to their origins while delighting patrons with surprises.​

This Tomato Water Salad, featuring marinated salmon, baby lettuce, fresh sprouts, and microgreens, is a recipe from Anthony Masas of Casa de Campo, created in 2016. It demonstrates how the artistic placement of ingredients can evoke a sense of luxury, even in a simple recipe.

The Sensual Experience: Engaging All the Senses

The allure of these art forms lies in their ability to engage our senses. A skillfully prepared dish evokes anticipation of its crunch, melt, or burst of flavor. In parallel, a powerful musical composition can elicit a rapid heartbeat, while a poignant poem may transport readers to an extraordinary realm.

Food creates a sense of expectation and excitement, just as an overhead photograph reveals the interplay of colors and textures, prompting contemplation of flavor, aroma, and cooking sounds. Each art form enhances our ability to experience moments more profoundly, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

"Food photography captures this balance of creativity by presenting familiar dishes in novel ways. This practice parallels a writer's ability to reimagine familiar narratives or a musician's exploration of different genres, resulting in fresh yet recognizable creations," as Diana DeLucia, Founder of Golf Kitchen, observes.

Macro photography zooms in on minute subjects to unveil details often elude our notice. This approach reveals textures, colors, and patterns strikingly, highlighting elements such as the vibrant hue of a flower petal, the shimmering crystals of salt on a dish, or the intricate lines of a leaf. Like poetry and food photography, macro photography elevates ordinary objects, encouraging appreciation for their aesthetic and intrinsic value. Observing a macro image allows one to explore the intricate dimensions within the larger world.

A Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue
The parallels among culinary art, music, and literature remind us that creativity transcends boundaries. Each discipline invites us to contemplate the nuances of composition, whether through brushwork, musical notes, or dish arrangements.

By recognizing these connections, we cultivate an appreciation for the world as a rich tapestry rather than a collection of discrete elements. This perspective allows us to perceive how sensory details, emotions, and narratives interweave. Each well-composed plate or carefully orchestrated melody illustrates the multifaceted nature of beauty, revealing layers that await our thorough enjoyment. The potential for creative dialogue is boundless, offering diverse insights into how art articulates our shared human experience.

This classic burrata recipe was developed in 2017 by Zach Bell, a former Executive Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club. Zach, who has also worked with renowned chef Daniel Boulud, has a talent for creating visually stunning presentations that delight both in photographs and for members' enjoyment.