The How Not To Cookbook - lessons learned the hard way was a limited
edition book and art project by Aleksandra Mir. While your average cookbook presents recipes that are designed to facilitate immediate success, they rarely document the ways in which it can fail.

Stemming from an interest in how we are taught, or teach ourselves, through trial and error, Aleksandra's subversive project held educational aspirations beyond the obvious, and entries were collected from around the world. Collective produced a series of events during the project designed to examine how the project may alter perceptions of both public art and public space. Collective hosted a Potluck Dinner at Portobello and a series of cooking workshops with community members from Streetwork Edinburgh.

In addition to collecting stories at these events, Collective staff attended
community centres, residential homes, schools, history clubs, restaurants,
canteens and shops, in an attempt to access advice from the very worst of
the cookery flops, burns, explosions and splats. The resulting volume, an
imperative assortment of culinary titbits, anecdotal ditties and foodie
failures, makes for an invaluable guide for any kitchen while asking us to
assess our relationship to failure and public space.

Launch Event

Break it to make it: giant omelette feast, The Ross Bandstand, West Princes Street Gardens, 5th August 6pm
Break it to make it: giant omelette feast marked the opening of the Edinburgh Art Festival and the launch of the publication. The idea takes inspiration from the role of the omelette in history and the theory that the omelette is one of the only foods which can be found in all cuisines worldwide. During the evening there was guest speakers, live music and DJs until dusk.

Download the project information here

Read about The How Not to Cookbook - lessons learned the hard way in The New York Times, Public Art Scotland and The Scotsman

Related

Archive, Off-site, Events: Portobello Potluck, 18 April 2009, 7—9pm

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