At some point this blog might contain a more reflective and theoretically informed piece on the concept of the culinary. For now, suffice it to say that the thinker I most respect on matters aesthetic uses the term ‘culinary arts’ as a term of abuse for works which rely solely on sensual pleasure.
Now, I accept that there is a distinction to be drawn between such pleasure and artistic experience. Or at least that sensual pleasure cannot fully account for everything that happens to me when I experience an artwork. However, I am by no means an ascetic, and sensual pleasure is no less important simply because it cannot account for everything, and requires further consideration.
Like artistic experience, sensual pleasure is also something I find it difficult to describe verbally. This is partly an attempt to to work through that difficulty.
