Interview with Frank Fedele, author of The Artist's Palate

In your opinion, what is the nature of the relationship between art and food?
The culinary arts and the world of fine art both utilize texture, visual presentation, and both are created by man’s personal selectivity. The great chefs selects and then adds seasoning and herbs, the fine artist selects and then adds color and form, the great chef adds water, the fine artist thins his paint, the great chef adds a pork chop, the great artist draws a pork chop. Both add and subtract ingredients, both make decisions on how their creation is made, and decide when it’s complete and finally done.


Did you find that the recipes can be compared to the artist’s work? For example, did artists who produce extravagant art have extravagant recipes?
At times it can be compared. Andy Warhol did say that he liked simple things, our accepted standards; Campbell’s Tomato Soup cans, Brillo Boxes, Marilyn’s, Mick Jaggers, and similarly his favorite meal was one which he liked the same way for 20 years—our accepted standard Thanksgiving dinner. The great painter Edward Hooper couldn’t have exhibited more clearly than when he served a lunch right out of his painting “Nighthawks”; Campbell’s soup, Nabisco crackers and Sanka coffee. And the great French artist Arman even created a recipe specifically for the book utilizing the same methods of cutting, slicing, and putting the parts back together just as he does with his artworks.
But who could have painted more extravagant art than Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci, and both were satisfied with the most simplest of meals. Michelangelo was satisfied with a piece of bread, occasionally dressed with a slice of raw onion, along with a glass of red wine (luckily we obtained his hand written grocery list, which Chef Mario Batali has re-created). Leonardo da Vinci had a favorite soup ‘la minestra’, the simplest of pea soups, which was also re-created by master chef Batali. These meals were so simple and yet their art was so extravagant.


What was the most interesting discovery while writing this book?
I found it extremely interesting that so many of the world’s greatest artist’s favorite dishes were founded in their childhood and in their country of origin and were “comfort foods”. Diego Rivera’s Mexican chili dishes, Jeff Koon’s Pennsylvania style apple dumplings his mother served him, and Henry Moore’s English lamb stew among others. Even Mark Rothko’s September birthday apple pie, which a first glance seems to be all American, might perhaps as his son said, “have brought back fond memories of the ‘yublekes’ (apples) of his Russian or more accurately Latvian youth.

How did you get the idea for The Artist’s Palate?
For the past 35 years I have been a fine art dealer and in this capacity have had to view and select artworks for exhibitions. During this process I have visited artist’s lofts, studios, and ateliers where the artist would be cooking some interesting meal or dish, and occasionally would invite me to stay. I had been very pleasantly surprise with their culinary creations and thought it would make a great book.

What did you wish to accomplish by writing this book?
To in some way experience the essence of the great artist other than by viewing his artworks, either through re-creating what the artist has created, by means within our control, as in the kitchen, or by digesting what the great artist has selected and digested. A technique for the layman to feel, taste and experience creative greatness through the recipes contained in The Artist’s Palate.


How long did it take to gather and compile the information need to write the unique book?
It took about 6 years of research, phone calls, faxes, and trips to relatives, dealers, museums, friends, curators, historians, maids, lovers, and cooks and basically turning over every stone found. But I think that the discovery of this until now untold historic information was well worth it.