Consider cooking an art? The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University in Dallas agrees. July 6-25, Meadows presents Foodjects: Design and the New Cuisine in Spain, a tabletop display of more than 100 imaginative Spanish cooking and dining implements.
Created by Spanish designers and chefs, Foodjects are designed to enhance appreciation of the textures, flavors, contrasts and aromas of new Spanish cuisine, considered one of the world's most innovative and surprising. The collection showcases inventive serving dishes, utensils and kitchen tools such as:
· Coporrón: Part red-wine balloon glass, part communal wine pitcher so wine can be sipped from the glass or poured into one's mouth via a side-spout.
· Spoon With Pincer: Boasts a clothespin-like handle for holding fragrant herbs to enhance a meal's aromas and tastes.
· Writing Spoon: Features a calligraphy pen-like tip for "writing" in chocolate and other sauces.
· Panera: Uses two steel rings to turn a napkin into a bread basket.
And there's more. You can immerse yourself in Spanish cuisine Thursdays in July by combining the exhibit (free Thursday evenings after 5 p.m.) with these 6 p.m. programs:
· July 8 - Saffron to Shellfish: A History of Spanish Cuisine
Enjoy Spanish food from Café Madrid with Dallas Morning News food writer Tina Danze.
· July 15 - Spanish Wines and Sparkling Conversation
Travel through the regions of Spain during this wine tasting presented by Freixenet.
· July 22 - Creative Musings: Designs to Whet the Appetite
Learn how Spanish tableware has evolved. Then create your own design while enjoying wine and light appetizers.
Costs for the programs vary and pre-registration is required (call 214-768-2765).
Becoming patrons of SMU's Tate Lecture Series this past year has convinced Bob and me that events like these are must-sees. I only regretted missing the university's spring evening with designer Kenneth Cole. (Did I really have to have surgery that day?) Luckily, SUCCESS magazine features Cole in its July issue so I still managed an up-close and personal look at how he made his way to the top of the fashion world.
The Meadows Museum, located at 5900 Bishop Blvd. in Dallas, houses one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Spanish art outside of Spain. For admission costs and other information, call 214-768-2516.