Red wine, beetroot, cherry juice perhaps? I’m not sure what it is exactly but there’s something rather thrilling about the dark red streak that bleeds down the front cover of Martin Bosley’s new book. It’s an apt beginning to a seriously beautiful publication.
I’ve been raving about it since it was published back in November. Raving, and also floundering to find a way of describing something that’s as much an art book as a collection of recipes. The words ‘serious’ and ‘beautiful’ fit the bill. From the spare cover shot to the moody images of a steely-grey Wellington harbour and the maestro-posed portrait of Bosley himself, Jane Ussher’s photography sets the theme before we even come across a plated-food shot. And here’s the surprise – there are no plates. The food is photographed against a stark white or black background. Sometimes there’s just a single ingredient (the rock lobster tail is my favourite) and sometimes the image is an artistic arrangement illustrating a complex degustation-style dish. It’s all beautifully shot in an upfront style that’s matched by the integrity of the writing. (more…)
