Dal�. Les D�ners de Gala

"Les diners de Gala is uniquely devoted to the pleasures of taste ... If you are a disciple of one of those calorie-counters who turn the joys of eating into a form of punishment, close this book at once; it is too lively, too aggressive, and far too impertinent for you."--Salvador Dal�

Food and surrealism make perfect bedfellows: sex and lobsters, collage and cannibalism, the meeting of a swan and a toothbrush on a pastry case. The opulent dinner parties thrown by Salvador Dal� (1904-1989) and his wife and muse, Gala (1894-1982) were the stuff of legend. Luckily for us, Dal� published a cookbook in 1973, Les diners de Gala, which reveals some of the sensual, imaginative, and exotic elements that made up their notorious gatherings.

This reprint features all 136 recipes over 12 chapters, specially illustrated by Dal�, and organized by meal courses, including aphrodisiacs. The illustrations and recipes are accompanied by Dal�'s extravagant musings on subjects such as dinner conversation: "The jaw is our best tool to grasp philosophical knowledge."

All these rich recipes can be cooked at home, although some will require practiced skill and a well-stocked pantry. This is cuisine of the old school, with meals by leading French chefs from such stellar Paris restaurants as Lasserre, La Tour d'Argent, Maxim's, and Le Train Bleu.

Good taste, however voluptuous, never goes out of fashion. In making this exceptionally rare book available to a wide audience, TASCHEN brings an artwork, a practical cookbook, and a multisensory adventure to today's kitchens.The first English edition of Les Diners de Gala was published in 1973 by FELICIE, INC., New York

Ever heard of surrealist fine dining? This must-have reprint of Les diners de Gala reveals the exotic flavors and elaborate imaginings behind the legendary dinner parties of Salvador and Gala Dal�. With recipes from such leading Paris restaurants as La Tour d'Argent and Maxim's, a special section on aphrodisia, and bespoke illustrations from...
"...a surrealist feast for the eyes, a kaleidoscope of weird, captivating, extraordinary, and mind-bending images, with recipes to match."-- "The Boston Globe"
"...a visual explosion of surrealism and outrageous recipes."-- "The New York Times"
"A cookbook like no other."-- "British GQ"
"A look into a lost gastronomic world."-- "The Observer"
"A mammoth tome whose lustrous gold cover hints at decadence to come."-- "Hyperallergic.com"
"Food porn at its most gluttonous."-- "Wired.com"