Once upon a time there was a frustrated French chef.
His creations—(green) zucchini, (red) roast beef and (multicolored) cassata — were shunned among promoters of the mousses and terrines popular at the time.
To set things straight, he invited his critics to the restaurant and before serving the first course he turned out the lights.
‘Eat with your palate, not with your eyes!’ is all he said.

One night, in the autumn of 2009, I was sitting in the dark listening to Thelonious Monk—one of my favorite jazz pianists. As I dozed off, thinking about everything and nothing, it came back to me, like a flash in the dark, the story above by Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy-Casares.

What happens if colour exists only in the palate, invisible to the eye?
I turned off the lights.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Tribute to Monk.

Credits: Paolo Terzi

What do I see?
A monochrome of black on black. A vinyl record. The black and white piano keys.
If I look carefully, I can also see a reflection of my fears, my inspirations, my ideas.
The ones that are hard to see in the light of day.

Sitting in the dark with Thelonious Monk on the stereo, I imagined this recipe.
The next day, I asked three chefs—Yoji, Taka and Davide—to collaborate with me.
Like a jazz improvisation, each added a note of their unique sound and cultural background.

Credits: Never Trust An Italian Skinny Chef – Phaidon

A filet of black cod was seared skin-side down on a skillet with carbon ash, blackening it externally.
Squid ink turned fish broth into a deep black reflecting pool.
Vegetables, cut as thin as spaghetti, were placed underneath the cod, like an island in the middle of the sea.
A shiny black broth poured around the fish left only the carbon crust in view.

Monk’s music does not have a nationality, nor does this recipe.
The soul of the musicians and the sound of the chefs, all come through every note and every ingredient.

Monk never let convention get in his way.
He was technically trained and he chose to break the rules anyway.

Every recipe is an opportunity to express a specific moment in time.
A chef cannot improvise Techniques but a chef can improvise Ideas.

What do YOU see?

NEVER STOP QUESTIONING

Credits: Roberto Rabitti