Foodism

Modernism is innovation. It is creativity inspired by future, by technologies and by convergence.
It seeks to revolutionise the 'traditional' forms of art - deeming them not representative of the times.

Restaurant cookery has long been contested as an art form. 'Foodies' will often argue to their blue in the face over the subject. However to many people food is a necessity, a comfort or an energy fix.
The key thing to remember here is that art is subjective. After all, One man’s Picasso is another mans placemat. 

Modernism in food has become a trend in the the last decade. The worlds renowned chefs now rely on their culinary skills and their chemistry skills. Names such as Heston Blumenthal, Rene Redzepi, Ferran Adrià and Andoni Luis Aduriz have become synonymous with a style of cookery incorporating molecular gastronomy.

Molecular gastronomy is described as the practice of employing scientific principles to food and cooking techniques.

Noma, in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a fine example of modernism in cookery. Currently rated the worlds number two restaurant in the 2013 San Pelligrino Top 50 restaurants guide, Chef Rene Redzepi held the coveted number one ranking for three years prior to his usurping by three spanish brothers at El Celler De Can Roca in Girona, Spain.

Redzepi has been described as the pioneer of 'new' Nordic cuisine. His style of foraged local ingredients coupled with precise cooking techniques, and a lot of creativity, has given birth to a food culture which has taken over restaurant scenes all over the globe.

(c) Ditte Isager, p. 136, 2010.

It is the innovation displayed in dishes such as ‘Blueberries surrounded by their natural environment', and a modern interpretation of ‘Æbleskiver’, a type of Danish pancake usually seved as a sweet, show how Redzepi has brought modernism into traditional cuisine, turning it into a worldwide culinary phenomenon.

 

(c) Ditte Isager, 2010

Modernism, as stated by Giddens represents a 'complex organisation of society, technological innovation and institutions unlike any preceding culture, one that aimed at the future, rather than as maintenance of the past' (1998, p. 94).

Modern techniques of cookery have benefitted from technological innovation. Thermal immersion circulators, Pacojet systems and nitrous chargers now fill the kitchens of most top calibre restaurants and are used to present new textures and approaches to recipes and ingredients. 

Ever read a menu and wondered how they make a gel? a foam? flavoured caviar? how they sous-vide?

All these modernist approaches to cookery have changed the worldwide perception of national foods. Traditional nordic cuisine has long been held synonymous with recipes and ingredients such as gravlax, rye bread, herring and root vegetables. Chefs like Redzepi are carrying the flag to revolutionise a long standing stereotype. Google 'Nordic cuisine' now and have a look what comes up. My first link was to 'New Danish cuisine' -  citing Rene Redzepi and his modern interpretation of what he deems to be art.

Further viewing on Noma:

Thanks for reading! till next time...

Reference List:

Giddens, A & Pierson, C 1998, Conversations with Anthony Giddens : making sense of modernity, Stanford University Press, California.

Redzepi, R & Isager, D 2010, Noma: time and place in Nordic cuisine, Phaidon Press Limited, London.

René Redzepi Head Chef Restaurant noma Episode 2 2011, YouTube, Staff Canteen, retrieved 4 August 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuIpDUk8cvs>