Rakowitz has gathered together friends and chefs from around the world – including Claudia Roden, Yotam Ottolenghi, Nuno Mendes, Giorgio Locatelli, Anissa Helou and Prue Leith - in his new cookbook, A House With A Date Palm Will Never Starve, inspired by cooking with date syrup. Iraqi-American Rakowitz sees the cookbook as a way to taste the sculpture, whose empty tins are replenished with the syrup in these pages and – soon enough – in kitchens across the world. The volume (available to pre-order now) spans nine sections and features exquisite food styling and photography – by contributor Olia Hercules and Joe Woodhouse respectively – alongside sketches from the artist himself to illustrate each chapter.
The launch of the cookbook coincides with a major exhibition of artworks by Rakowitz at The Whitechapel Gallery taking place there from 4 June - 25 August. The artist’s debut survey premieres his most important projects from two decades, with eight multifaceted installations drawing on architecture, cultural artefacts and cuisine. Rakowitz is also showing culinary-inspired work at FOOD: Bigger than the Plate at the V&A until 20 October.
