The Mighty Egg
A cultural and culinary history of our favorite household ingredient
Poached, scrambled, boiled, whipped into a cocktail, transformed into a painting medium, tossed at an enemy’s house. As the most striking of paradoxes, the egg exists in happy suspension between humble household ingredient and ever-powerful source of life.
One of the most enduring symbols throughout antiquity, eggs were used by the Romans to dispel evil spirits, modeled as priceless artifacts for the Russian nobility, and were woven into Egyptian mythology. In the debut volume of TASCHEN’s series with cult-favorite The Gourmand journal, we celebrate the link between food and culture in a visual and literary exploration of the powerhouse kitchen staple. A collection of original essays and archetype recipes, from the perfect poach to artful desserts, celebrates the diversity of culinary traditions around the world.
The Gourmand’s Egg. A Collection of Stories and Recipes is illustrated with exclusive commissions by acclaimed still life photographers—equal parts sumptuous, absurd, lurid, mouthwatering, and undeniably The Gourmand. Rounding out the volume are works from art history’s titans, including Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney, and Man Ray alongside texts from chef, food writer, and critic Ruth Reichl and writer and editor Jennifer Higgie, and more. “In cooking — as in almost every-thing else,” Reichl said. “It all starts with an egg.”
A cultural and culinary history of our favorite household ingredient
Poached, scrambled, boiled, whipped into a cocktail, transformed into a painting medium, tossed at an enemy’s house. As the most striking of paradoxes, the egg exists in happy suspension between humble household ingredient and ever-powerful source of life.
One of the most enduring symbols throughout antiquity, eggs were used by the Romans to dispel evil spirits, modeled as priceless artifacts for the Russian nobility, and were woven into Egyptian mythology. In the debut volume of TASCHEN’s series with cult-favorite The Gourmand journal, we celebrate the link between food and culture in a visual and literary exploration of the powerhouse kitchen staple. A collection of original essays and archetype recipes, from the perfect poach to artful desserts, celebrates the diversity of culinary traditions around the world.
The Gourmand’s Egg. A Collection of Stories and Recipes is illustrated with exclusive commissions by acclaimed still life photographers—equal parts sumptuous, absurd, lurid, mouthwatering, and undeniably The Gourmand. Rounding out the volume are works from art history’s titans, including Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney, and Man Ray alongside texts from chef, food writer, and critic Ruth Reichl and writer and editor Jennifer Higgie, and more. “In cooking — as in almost every-thing else,” Reichl said. “It all starts with an egg.”
The editor and art director
The Gourmand is an award-winning food and culture journal founded in London in 2011 by David Lane and Marina Tweed that explores the fields of art, design, literature, film, fashion and music through the universal subject of food. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Die Zeit, and Le Monde, among others.
The contributing authors
Culinary pioneer Ruth Reichl has served as chef, restaurant critic, and food editor for almost five decades. She has authored 11 books, including Garlic and Sapphires, Save Me the Plums, and Delicious! and was executive producer and host of PBS’s Adventures with Ruth. She is the recipient of six James Beard Awards and is currently working on a documentary about the pandemic’s effect on the food landscape.
Jennifer Higgie is an Australian writer who lives in London. She is the author and illustrator of the children’s book There’s Not One, the editor of The Artist’s Joke, and author of the novel Bedlam. Her book on women’s self-portraits, The Mirror & The Palette, was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. She also writes screenplays.
The Gourmand is an award-winning food and culture journal founded in London in 2011 by David Lane and Marina Tweed that explores the fields of art, design, literature, film, fashion and music through the universal subject of food. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Die Zeit, and Le Monde, among others.
The contributing authors
Culinary pioneer Ruth Reichl has served as chef, restaurant critic, and food editor for almost five decades. She has authored 11 books, including Garlic and Sapphires, Save Me the Plums, and Delicious! and was executive producer and host of PBS’s Adventures with Ruth. She is the recipient of six James Beard Awards and is currently working on a documentary about the pandemic’s effect on the food landscape.
Jennifer Higgie is an Australian writer who lives in London. She is the author and illustrator of the children’s book There’s Not One, the editor of The Artist’s Joke, and author of the novel Bedlam. Her book on women’s self-portraits, The Mirror & The Palette, was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. She also writes screenplays.
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