Jazz Food

Inspiration for Jazz Food

Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum Food comes in all guises as do cookbooks. The genre of the cookbook can be accused as having been flogged good and proper since the age of the celebrity chef. Book after book, published to a blueprint and added to the growing number of cookbook pulp. It sounds harsh but just spend some time with Anthony Bourdain’s books and series and even then, there was talk of monotony and dullness. Olive oil in Yorkshire puddings being a classic example…really?

This blueprint was though, my inspiration to seek excitement elsewhere. To find my own path and to ditch a bunch of “popular” chefs’ books. Find the quirky and sometimes dangerously simple foods and bring them to life with enthusiasm and imagination. To tilt the trilby and twist a few elements or the whole dish. Always to improve, above all else. To explore and take my 40 years’ experience on a flight of fancy. Culture is at my core and every living minute is given to my cultural learning curve, whether it be a visit to an art gallery, independent cinema, good butchers or just to sit and watch. Always watching and observing in the name of culture. Sometimes a simple sniff as you pass a delicatessen sparks an excitement or watching a double bass player stride up and down the keyboard with apparent ease. Always with class. Chic and classy at the same time.

My love of music has also been ever present in my life. The house is too quiet without it. Sometimes I can blast out guitar blues from Walter Trout and sometimes swim in Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. There is a diverse mix of blues and classical ever present in my life. This, I think is the fuel for a jazz lover. To eventually fall under the spell of jazz needs an experienced ear and a head that understands there are no boundaries in jazz. To hear Coltrane disappear into the world of hurt and depravation with his improvised saxophone solo’s is nearly disturbing but gorgeous at the same time. Listening to his brain waves; his emotions being translated by the sax, used as his voice. Amazing.

My first love and my first steps into culture were at my comprehensive school. My love for the pencil and brush were inspired by my stimulating art teacher. Taking me through A Level standard at 15. Introducing me to art and its historic influences has stayed with me and grown since those first steps. I now paint professionally for a growing audience who seem surprised at my work. It has always been there and was always longing to step up but life just got in the way. The art of portrait is one of my skills and I have taken steps to recreate some oil painting techniques from the masters with some success. The narrative piece of art works for me too. Telling the story visually can be very powerful and I have used this to some effect too. I love my art, my cooking, my music and my poetry.

And so, it seems that my three greatest loves of cooking, art and music should meet in a cook book. Intersperse poems of observational quality and we have a whole new genre of book. A compendium of thoughts and ideas to enjoy in a whole new way. To use as inspiration to either the cook or the artist. Why not?

At least Jazz Food will sit there as a book of integrity and culture. One thing it will not be accused of will be mediocrity.

And thank the lord for that, I say.
Let’s march to the beat of a different drum..
Sean Wilson