Salvador Dali is one of those rare artists who are nearly impossible to describe in words, as his essence transcends conventional boundaries. Eccentric, histrionic, narcissistic, and delirious, with a personality that teetered between creativity, genius, and madness, Dali was anything but ordinary. He was, without a doubt, a true showman, and he was fully aware of this. Not only did he acknowledge and embrace his madness, but he elevated it to an art form (as his diary, Diary of a Genius, attests). In everything he did, there was an intense passion for life, an effervescence that seemed to inhabit him, animate him, and overflow like an overfilled glass of champagne.
Given this, his love for gastronomy and wine—though less well-known than his art—should come as no surprise. It reflects his zest for life, savored to the fullest, theorized, and sublimated into two books that are a feast in themselves: Les Diners de Gala and Les Vins de Gala. This is where the inspiration for this new beginning of the year comes from.
LES DINERS DE GALA
What do you want to be when you grow up? Every child has been asked this question at least once. Well, when he was little, Dali dreamed of becoming a chef. Almost 70 years later, Dali fulfilled his childhood dream in a different form: through a culinary book titled Les Diners de Gala ("Gala’s Dinners"). For Dali, the love of life, its taste, and its richness were inextricably linked to his love for his wife, Gala. First published in French in 1973, the book includes menus from historic French restaurants such as Maxim’s, Le Tour d’Argent, and Lasserre, enriched by Dali’s artistic genius.
Dali’s gastronomic vision was purely hedonistic: from the very beginning of the book, a disclaimer warns us that all the recipes included are entirely dedicated to the pleasures of taste, and any reader tempted to count calories is sincerely advised to close the book and walk away, as such habits would turn the act of eating into a true punishment.
Dali viewed gastronomy not only as an art but also as the highest symbol and true expression of civilization. Beyond pleasure, Dali attributed both aesthetic and moral value to the act of eating, believing that "the jaw is our most accessible tool for grasping and understanding philosophical meanings." According to Dali’s gastro-ethical and aesthetic principles, when faced with a choice, “man may prefer not to eat at all, but he cannot make the compromise of eating improperly."
“One can choose not to eat, but one cannot accept to eat poorly.”Salvador Dalí
LES VINS DE GALA
Dedicated to gastronomy and the art of taste, LGala's Dinners was followed in 1977 by another book, Gala's Wines, an exploration of the fascinating world of wine that wouldn’t be republished for another 40 years, in 2017. The book is divided into two sections: Dali’s Wines and Gala’s Wines, each comprising 10 selections. Of course, it would be a mistake to expect a simple list of wines. Entering Dali’s surreal universe, the recommendations transcend the ordinary, and wine transforms into poetry, magic, mystery, revelation, creative energy, and a multisensory emotional experience. Beyond the philosophical insights found within the text, the book is also an aesthetic feast, featuring over 140 illustrations by the artist, in his easily recognizable style. Simply flipping through its pages becomes a source of pleasure, wonder, and delight.
“When I was in Madrid with Lorca and Buñuel, we would spend our evenings in impassioned discussions and, since champgne flowed freely, we soon became lyrical when we talked of friendship and love. That prosaic clicking of the tongue which emphasizes our palate’s pleasure sounds like the popping cork of a champagne bottle; they are both the result of that seldom understood feeling: satisfaction.”
Salvador Dalí
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