Edible Art: A Matter of Taste

Last weekend I made a silent vow, I am not buying any more clothes for at least a month! I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes, but my closet is pretty packed, so I try to restrain myself, every once in a while. In the meantime, I can get my shopping, and eating kicks, between the pages of Fulvio Bonavia’s photography book A Matter of Taste. In the book, Bonavia combines fashion and food by recreating classic accessories out of edible parts. Among Bonavia’s creations are a pair of chocolate earrings, a blueberry handbag, and a sardine bracelet. It’s an incredibly creative undertaking full of color and humor. I love it! I’ve only included the dessert-related images in this post, but you really should head over to his site to check out the additional photos. The prosciutto (?) ring is a must see . . . although I’m still not certain if it’s made out prosciutto or something else! [Thanks, Cassie!]

Inspiration Board: Thanksgiving

A quick Thanksgiving Inspiration Board for everyone in the States. The holiday season sort of snuck up on me this year. Maybe because of all the warm weather that we've been having. Woo hoo! Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I must insist that you click on the link to the Pies and Tarts slideshow that appeared on the New York Times Web site earlier this week. (See Rye Pecan Pie below.) So many amazing pies for Thanksgiving or any time of the year. I swooned a little bit while looking at it. I want to make each and every one! Happy Thanksgiving!

[Pictured above] Thanksgiving Turkey Cake from Chow. It's the turkey, the sweet potatoes, and the mashed potatoes all in one. Plus, it looks like a cake! It reminds me a lot of the retro sandwich loafs that I wrote about earlier this year.


Thanksgiving Day Cookies by Eleni's ($65). Sooo cute! Check out the texture on the one in the upper left-hand corner.


Rye Pecan Pie from The New York Times. Perhaps, the most beautiful pecan pie ever! The crust is just gorgeous. Be sure to check out the Apple Green-Chili Pie as well for a unique spin on the classic dessert.


Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake from Woman's Day. I love a cake with distinct layers.

Photography: Chocolate Indulgence

These two photographs have a couple of things in common. Not only do they both feature mouths drenched in chocolate, but they both have a sort of creepy, horror movie vibe about them, while at the same time touching on themes of addiction and sexuality. They both show the darker side of chocolate, so to speak. The side that isn’t just sweet and happy. The side that’s a little freaky. The top one by Brittanie Pendleton is definitely a bit vampiresque, while the bottom pic, by photographer Phillip Toledano, actually reminds me a little bit of the Joker from Batman, one part scary, one part silly fun.

This Charming Candy

When Kate and Susan from This Charming Candy first sent me the link to their Etsy shop, my first thought was, hmmm . . . these lollipops sort of remind me of the suckers that they used to have at the doctor's office when I was a kid. They looked so simple and unassuming. But as we all know, looks can be deceiving. It didn't take me long to realize that I had, indeed, been wrongly stereotyping the This Charming Candy pops, once I caught a glimpse of the flavors: Pistachio-Marshmallow? Vanilla-Cardamom? Apple-Anise? These were definitely not doctor's office lollipops!

The more time I've spent looking at the pics of Kate and Susan's lollies on their Etsy site, the more I've come to love their sweet retro charm. I also really like fact that these lollipops are handmade in small batches and contain only a few ingredients, so you definitely feel like you're getting something that's way more fresh and special than, well, doctor's office lollies! To check out the full selection of This Charming Candy lollipops and to shop online, click here.

Salon du Chocolat Fashion Show

The world famous Salon du Chocolat took place in Paris last weekend, the latest stop in the festival's year long jaunt around the globe. Chocolatiers, chocolate producers, and chocolate fans descended upon the city for five days of exhibitions, demonstrations, and oh, yeah, chocolate . . . as far as the eye can see. Oh, course, my favorite part of Salon du Chocolat, whether it's in Paris, Madrid, or Tokyo, is the chocolate fashion show! That's when you get to see models strut their stuff wearing oodles and oodles of chocolate jewelry, hats, and clothing. Seriously, it’s fashion and chocolate. What’s not to love?? My favorite outfit by far was the dress by chocolatier Patrice Chapon (see below). Totally breathtaking!

The Salon du Chocolat fashion shows, are held in major cities throughout the year. The U.S. version takes place in New York November 11-14. You can find more info right here.

If your interested in seeing pastry chefs creating fashion out of chocolate, check out the Edible Fashion episode of Bravo's Top Chef: Just Desserts. A recent challenge featured the chefs creating chocolate outfits and I was super impressed with the results! For more info, click here.

{Photos courtesy of the Salon du Chocolat}