Edible Art: Ad Tempus

I’m always on the lookout for art projects that perfectly capture the whole design and dessert aesthetic, so I was thrilled to hear from recent Parsons graduate Henry Richmond V. Young about his project Ad Tempus. A collaborative effort between Young and Chef Veronica Duboise, the series plays off the symbiotic relationship between food, presentation, and diner. During a three-course dessert tasting, Young combines creative flavors and unusual serving pieces to create a dining experience that is both artistic and interactive. The dishes are so beautiful and I love that every piece is named after a different adventurer in history. It’s a very modern take on dessert. See below for a more complete description on how each dessert works.

1. Toast is an assembly of pain perdu, maple gelée, and pamplemousse sorbet concealed under a crust of white chocolate to be excavated timidly by the diner. (Served on the Carter, named after famed archaeologist.)

2. Milk/Tea is a "soup" course that is created by the performance of two state changes: hot rose milk will be poured over to dissolve a lemon sugar dome to later melt the chrysanthemum sorbet served with pomegranate seeds. (Served on the Hillary, named after famed climber and explorer.)

3. Crémeux is a quasi-deconstructed crème brûlée: pistachio crémeux with chocolate mousse guarded underneath a shield of a clear vanilla sugar tuille to be hacked by the diner. (Served on the Geronimo, named after the fearless Apache Warrior Chief.)

(Still life photography by Martin Seck)