From the Kitchen of: Sora Kim Melting Alaska (14 Feb - 29 Apr 2007)

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For our younger chefs: Remember to ask for help from an adult when completing these recipes, but most of all have fun!

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In 2007 artist Sora Kim presented exhibition Melting Alaska, creating new experiences of everyday occurrences. Through gentle interventions Kim engaged with local communities and encouraged audience involvement.

In her project for BALTIC, the artist explored the possibilities of translating personal stories from visitors into a project for the Café Bar. Visitors shared memories and details about their relationship by answering the following questions:

What did your first kiss taste like?

Where is the most romantic place you have ever been?

Where is the most romantic place you would like to be?

What is the best dinner date you ever had?

What is your favourite love song?

What smell turns you on?

These were interpreted and translated by a number of local chefs into recipes during menu testing workshops. Following this, five menus incorporating eleven dishes were devised. A selection of these dishes were prepared daily by BALTIC chefs and sold (subject to availability) in BALTIC’s Café Bar. Visitors completed the final stage of the project through consuming and enjoying the dishes on offer.

Download recipe book

Ingredients:

For 2 portions of salad:

• 1 bulb of fennel
• 1 pomegranate
• A handful of flat leaf parsley
• 1 long red chilli
• 1 mozzarella ball
• 126g(cut the cheese last minute)

Dressing:

• 1 lemon
• A pinch of fennel seed (optional)
• Salt and fresh ground pepper
• 30ml extra virgin olive oil

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• Bruschetta (grilled bread preferably from a rustic loaf)
• 1 clove of garlicOlive oil for drizzling
• Maldon sea salt

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Method:

1. Wash the fennel. Remove the outer leaf if it looks tough. Holding the root bit down with one hand, slice from the frond end as thinly as you can, back to the root end. Put the fennel in a sizeable bowl. Pick the parsley leaves off the stalk. Add to the fennel. Slice open the pomegranates and remove the seeds; discard the pith which is bitter. Add to the rest.
2. Slice the chillies in half, remove the seeds with a teaspoon and chop into very fine dice and add also.
3. Grind up the fennel seed in a spice grinder. Squeeze the lemons. Add to olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Whisk up to combine and add half of it to the fennel salad. This can keep in a cool place for a few hours quite happily. Keep the rest of the dressing for adding to the plate when assembling.
4. To assemble the dish: Put a handful of salad on a plate. Slice the mozzarella, a cheese per serving. Lay this on the salad. Pour a tablespoon of the dressing over the top of the cheese. Grill the bread on both sides. Lightly rub one side with a clove of garlic, drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle with Maldon salt and serve on the side of the salad.

Find out more about Sora Kim: Melting Alaska here

Recipe by Lisa Armour-Brown