A collection of stories and recipes

At first glance, the focus of this volume is the disappointingly simple lemon. It is the second collaboration between TASCHEN and The Gourmand, the master of the rich relationship between food and art. The playful yellow orb, once the star of Renaissance gardens in the Medici dynasty, is full of intrigue. In the hands of the mob it became a weapon, on ships it warded off scurvy, and since 600 AD its juice has been used as invisible ink for secret messages. The Gourmand maps the amazingly intricate genealogy of this fruit, exploring its role as a literary device for authors such as Joan Didion, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Wolfe and James Jocye, and examining its particular embodiment of the American dream at the lemonade stand. A favorite object of the old masters, the lemon graced their still lifes and inspired modern visionaries such as Picasso, Matisse and Warhol to their successes. Its presence extends to the applied arts, adorning art and craft wallpaper as well as mythological ceramics. The famous "Bloomsbury Group" even weaves them into literary love stories. Lemons can also be found in the innovative design of Philippe Starck's Juicy Salif citrus juicer and in the unpretentious but revolutionary packaging of Jif lemon juice concentrate for the kitchen. All the citrus-centric anecdotes are accompanied by a foreword by chef and food writer Simon Hopkinson and an introduction by art critic Jennifer Higgie. There are also 60 lemony recipes for every occasion from kitchens around the world - perfect poultry, decadent sauces, classic cocktails and indulgent desserts, photographed by Bobby Doherty.

(Publisher's text - reproduced with kind permission)