Cooking with colour: from our palette to your plate
Meet Marie, the chef behind Arôme Cassis. Originally a pianist and subsequently a music therapist, Marie grew up in Cairo, Egypt surrounded by a mixed Egyptian-Greek family. This blend of cultures bloomed her interest in the intersection between art, food and music, and in 2020 she founded Arôme Cassis, a ‘celebration of sensory experiences’. Initially based around the documentation of a blended universe of food and music, Marie’s culinary artistry has evolved over the years, allowing for endless experimentation, self-expression, and innovation, turning the act of preparing food into a powerful creative outlet, where colour plays a pivotal role. To explore the relationship between colour, cooking, and self-expression, we challenged Marie to create a menu of dishes inspired by our Summer Palette.
Read on to learn about Marie’s relationship with colour and prepare to drool over her delicious creations.
How would you describe your relationship with colour and how has it influenced your craft?
“I’ve always been drawn to the sensory experience of colour, first in music and now in cooking. I remember my piano teacher would ask me, ‘What colour does this part of the piece transmit?’. Being encouraged to think about the relationship between music and colour in this way, about subjective interpretation, has informed so much of my creative process today. I love exploring the way colours in food interact to produce different emotions in us, and a variety of different sensory experiences. But what excites me the most is the unexpected. There is just so much to play with when it comes to colour, endless food pairings each with their unique colour palettes.”
"There is just so much to play with when it comes to colour.”
Marie
Are there certain dishes you enjoy cooking the most?
“I think, for me, food has to be eaten. Some of my core memories are about being fed or feeding others. So for me, it depends on the situation. Sometimes it will be about making a big pot of comforting soup. Sometimes it will be about being a bit more experimental, playing with jellies, collecting moulds and things like that. But generally, I think what I like the most is creating food that people like to eat and that provokes interest.”
Our Summer Palette
A curation of refreshing minty greens and earthy neutrals, our Summer Palette was inspired by hazy summer evenings, transporting you poolside with a cocktail in hand.
Explore the colours
Explore Marie’s colourful menu, inspired by our Summer Palette
Pistachio bread inspired by Green 09
“For Green 09, I decided to make pistachio bread with pistachio cream. A simple combination, but I did feel that this subtle flavour and colour combination conveyed Green 09’s warm, yet uplifting qualities that I just love so much. The comforting nature of the biscuits also complements the green, so I found it to be a great match.”
Panna cotta inspired by Pink 08
“For Pink 08, I decided to make a panna cotta with a layered jelly on top. I just found that the combination of strawberry and cream could not be more perfect for this colour. Pink 08 is vibrant and playful, but also warm and deep. Jelly and panna cotta, to me, have those same qualities”
Crème caramel inspired by Brown 02
“For Brown 02, I decided to make a creme caramel. It’s very simple, but it’s one of my favourite desserts in the world. It’s jiggly. It’s playful. Everybody loves it. I can't think of a more comforting dessert. Brown 02 has that warm, comforting, grounding feel to it as well, so I thought the creme caramel was perfect.”
Banana bread inspired by Taupe 03
“For Taupe 03, I made a banana cake with a Tonka custard, a flavour that I love. I dusted the banana cake in a smoked demerara sugar. When I think about Taupe 03, I think about these warm, smoky flavours. This was the first thing that jumped into my mind. I was like, “For this colour, it must be cake.” And with cake, custard must be served. I just found that to be a very good match.”
Pea and mint ricotta pasta inspired by Green 13
“For Green 13, I made a pea and mint ricotta pasta. This colour is fresh and bright. I'm a big fan of the combination of mint and peas, and when paired with the ricotta, they work together to create a vibrant and fresh summer dish. Of course, red pasta sauces are amazing, but sometimes I crave the more refreshing green sauces made with mint.”
Candied pears and Laious cheese inspired by Beige 03
“For Beige 03, I decided to make candied thin pears which I paired with Laious cheese that's cut in the manner of cutting Tête de Moine. I just find this manner of cutting cheese to be so wonderful and delicate. And I do think that this colour really conveys that delicateness.”
Follow Marie on Instagram for a daily dose of delicious inspiration.