Guest post from Nicole Taylor
I’ve got a reputation at JC for providing sweet treats on a regular basis to the team, so it’s hardly surprising that I decided to check out the latest food extravaganza event run by the Experimental Food Society in Brick Lane last week.
A gathering of specialists in everything weird and wonderful from the world of food, the exhibition gave food enthusiasts the chance to taste anything and everything from cakes baked inside quail eggs (taking inspiration from Heston, anyone?!), divine Ecuadorian chocolate and camel milk chocolate, yes that’s right camel milk chocolate.
It was also an opportunity for culinary experts (with some interesting job titles) to show off their skills in cake decorating. There was a curly wurly bar construction of the Eiffel Tower, a levitating Ouija table and even a Dodo cake. We can’t bring them back from extinction, but we can turn them in to cake.
There were also live demonstrations throughout the day with experts taking to the stage to talk about their wonderful creations. A particular favourite was a sketch with 1940s kitchen goddess Myrtle, who pulled innocent bystanders on to the stage to transform a model into a foodie masterpiece. Armed with a variety of fresh produce the volunteers managed to create a vegetarian version of the meat dress as worn by Lady Gaga. I’m not sure if cabbage couture will catch on, but I may have to eat my own words if it turns up the catwalk next year.
Not one to shy away from eating food, and having been blessed with no food allergies, I took every opportunity to try anything on offer including chlorophyll marshmallows! Now, when I think of chlorophyll it reminds me of a kidnapping in a Victorian crime novel and my chemistry teacher repeatedly telling me off for touching chemicals marked with an X, but did that stop me from digging in, no!
From the amazing to the strange there was something to suit everyone’s palates at the event, but even I think eating maggots is one step too far…
