Slate -- my favorite web site on the internet after Slashfood -- published an article today about the possible decline of Spanish avant-garde cuisine. The article lists numerous factors contributing to the "death" of the movement, including the overuse of foam, popular demand and democracy (meaning the fact that people can recreate the culinary experiences in their own kitchens). It contends that the mainstream has caught up with the movement, rendering it no longer new or exciting.Fortunately for those of us who enjoy this type of food, the article ultimately concludes that Spanish avant-garde cuisine will likely meet the fate as trends like Asian fusion and California cuisines: some elements will fade away, but others (like foam) will simple become part of the "culinary vernacular." Phew! Anyone think otherwise?
Second Helping of Slashfood - June 19
Competitive-Eating Contest to Pit Humans Against Elephants
The Backyard Boom - The Hungry Bride
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-26-2008 @ 8:45PM
Jill said...
I might enjoy it more if it didn't look like something I've seen spit on the sidewalk.
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3-26-2008 @ 11:24PM
alanna.kaufman said...
Yes -- especially since Kitchen Contraptions is NOT my favorite site by any means. Thanks so much for pointing that out.
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3-26-2008 @ 11:24PM
justin said...
your slate.com "link" took me to http://www.kitchencontraptions.com/archives/015349.php
which is most decidedly not slate. perhaps an oversight? just say yes.
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3-27-2008 @ 7:38AM
Beany said...
The whole concept of the 'avant-garde' relates to a vanguard of explorers pushing boundaries, mapping the unknown territory so that society can follow behind.
So if one describes a school of cuisine as 'avant-garde', one has already accepted that it will eventually become subsumed into the mainstream.
It could be argued that the concept of the 'avant-garde' is a modernist hang-up, and that postmodernism has rendered it obsolete by rejecting its implications of constant forward progress.
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3-27-2008 @ 7:48AM
Deeoh1 said...
Can't go away fast enough IMO.
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