Art may imitate life, and this week at the JW Marriott Chicago, food imitated art.
In conjunction with the global partnership between JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Christie’s, earlier this week JW Marriott Chicago hosted an exhibition previewing paintings that will be available at auction this spring. As part of the event, the hotel’s Lobby Lounge served various small plates and cocktails inspired by the works of art.
For example, a dish of diver scallops (US$9) with ramp pesto, crisp kale and red pepper oil paid homage to the luxurious garden setting of Childe Hassam’s “In a French Garden.”
“I incorporated seasonal ingredients to represent the greenery in the painting — ramps and pesto correspond with the lush vegetation, crisp kale with the leaves and red pepper oil with the colorful flower blossoms,” said Chef Russell Shearer.
To commemorate Edward Hopper’s “Kelly Jenness House,” the hotel’s culinary team created a vegan dish, Chanterelle Fava (US$7), with chanterelle mushrooms, fava beans, a lentil cracker and tangerine gastrique.
“The painting appears simple at first, but upon closer inspection there is great complexity in the shadows,” Shearer said. “This is how I intend the dish to taste, as vegan cuisine is so often associated with bland or subdued flavors. Here, it will be a combination of earthy, rich, crunchy, sweet and sour flavors and sensations.”