We are huge fans of food magazines here at TWR and love hand drawn illustrations, so the alternative food publication, Fire and Knives, ticks all our boxes, as it's full of beautiful illustrations and interesting food features.
Launched as a forum to give established writers a place for work that would not be otherwise published, showcase new writers work and let experts in other fields write about their favourite subject, the first edition was launched in 2009.
None of the writers are paid and editor and freelance food writer Tim Hayward responds to critics by asking them to think of the magazine ' like a blog that someone had the brains to put into print'.
Not content with breaking boundaries in food writing, Tim staged an alternative food event in London this month. Fire and Knives Mixed Grill combined lectures and debate around food in the arts and literary world, food trends, insights into food buying and marketing, live performance and of course eating. Describing it as a live version of Fire and Knives, Tim said he had had designed the day to get 'odder as the day progressed'.
Highlights included ether cocktails specially created by Jellymongers Bompass and Parr, which were somewhat odd, but completely legal and contained champagne, ether and a strawberry, an aphrodisiac mole served by author of food and sex blog The 52 seductions, Betty Herbert, and Dr Morgaine Gaye a food futurologist & senior academic lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, who talked about “Food Trends for 2012″.
She thinks pet food will become more human grade and products like 'Pawrios' and 'Doghnuts' will become more and more popular. Insects will also become more commonplace as snacks and on pizzas. Ball shaped food such as pizzas on sticks and fondue are having a revival, and ice cream sandwiches are the new cup cake.
The speakers only had ten minutes to talk, so only managed to skim the surface of their specialist subject and we were left wanting to hear more.
Dr Gaye is speaking at the V&A on the 29th of March as part of The Experimantal Food Society. The talk is titled 'The Past and Future of Food and Experimentation' and other speakers incude Professor Roland Rotherham, a food historian and Simon Smith, master chef and butter sculptor.
The talk will take guests through the most pioneering and experimental movements in culinary history, demonstrating how they have shaped the present and offering a taste of what the future holds. From early man’s exploration of foods and the ancient world’s earliest epicureans through to the unique ways in which we will experience and consume food in the future.
