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I was
recently looking through some old issues of the American jazz magazine JAZZIZ
when I came across a series of articles on the theme of jazz and cooking.
The magazine reproduced several recipes from the 1992 book Jazz Cooks: Portraits and Recipes of the Greats, which, according to JAZZIZ, “captures the
essence of the food and music that has moved more than 90 renowned artists,
from Dave Brubeck and Sun Ra to Wynton Marsalis and Roy Haynes.”
These
recipes included pianist Tommy Flanagan’s Shrimp Eclypso, trumpeter
and flugelhorn player Art Farmer’s Chilled Cucumber Soup,
saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom’s Cut-Time Capellini (similar to
spaghetti), drummer Rashid Ali’s Chicken Anise, and Brazilian
saxophonist Ivo Perelman’s Amazonian Duck. However, the
recipe that really caught my eye came under the heading “Jim Hall: Nuts About
Soup.” According to the accompanying article (in JAZZIZ, January
2004), the acclaimed guitarist took a course on “How to Boil Water” (!) after
moving to New York. During this course, he discovered a dish which was to
become his favourite: Ribollita, a hearty Tuscan soup based on
leftover bread. Hall recalled making it for John Abercrombie and his wife
and said: “It was amazing to me to realise that I could just follow a recipe
and it would work out all right. I got over being intimidated by the
whole thing.”
Interesting words from a master improviser. But
I guess that all the greats, both in jazz and cooking, need to get the basics
right first.
So, readers, what dishes would you
recommend? And do you like to improvise in the kitchen? Please
get in touch!
Jazz Cooks: Portraits and Recipes of the Greats by Bob Young and Al Stankus (published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. Cover photo © Stewart, Tabori & Chang.) is available from Amazon and elsewhere. Colin Muirhead.
3 comments :
Well I'm not much of a one in the kitchen but I do enjoy the end product of someone else's efforts and never more so than back in the day when jazz and fine dining were a Monday night treat at the Cherry Tree in Jesmond. I never had a bad meal and rarely, if ever, was the music not first class. Too many to list but I particularly recall Pan Fried Hake with Spiced Parsnip Puree. Shallots & Granny Smith apple. All consumed to the voice of Mo Scott and her band - Shangri-la!
Pan Fried Hake sounds delicious
I like to make a pizza using a large Greggs stottie. It is truly jazz-like as the stottie is an improvisation as well as the toppings. And it's locally sourced and an example of co-operation with others because I got the idea from a friend.
I simply slice the stottie through the middle to get a pizza base, fry onions, spread mozzarella cheese and tomato salsa, onions on top, and heat on the oven shelf, gas mark 6 for about 8 minutes or until cooked.
Delicious, cheap, why buy a pizza when you can do it this way. Listen to your favourite CD as you eat!
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