Lunch is served!
The best kept secret of the Eating the Archives event was the edible menu that was served to the thirty guests seated at the table. Made of rice paper and tapioca starch and infused with flavours including tomato and feta, the literal eating of an archive provided an unusual and playful introduction to the dishes that followed. Because this event was held in the ‘People’s Space’ in the transformed Perth Cultural Centre many guests shared their edible menus with the surrounding audience, adding to the enjoyment of the occasion.
The four courses served at the lunch were prawn cocktail and turkey and ham, clear soup with marron, saddle of lamb and pea flowers with a side dish of asparagus presented in a jar containing toast smoke and croutons. The dessert of Strawberries Romanoff rounded off the meal. Tasting plates of the food were also offered to those watching the proceedings on the day. All dishes were inspired by a range of State archives, ranging from the menu for the visit of Prince Edward of Wales in 1920, to a planned, but not realised, menu for the cancelled visit of The Queen in 1974.
Note: Photographs by Fiona Hoy and Bohdan Warchomij
