Search
Design

Pantone’s First-Ever Cookbook Is a Visual Feast

The worldwide color authority’s new culinary tome, Pantone Foodmood, features 56 colorful recipes

By Haley Chouinard
Nine colorful ravioli squares, arranged in a grid on a white surface, dusted with flour.
Beet and pumpkin ravioli from Pantone’s first cookbook, *Pantone Foodmood.* Photo: Tommasi/ACC

Orange book cover with the text "Pantone Foodmood" in bold purple and yellow letters, Guido Tommasi Editore.
The book’s cover. Tommasi/ACC

It’s a well-known fact that we eat first with our eyes. Pantone, the worldwide color authority, has taken that old adage and applied it to its first-ever cookbook, Pantone Foodmood (ACC Art Books, $50).

Organized into eight sections, the recipes are appropriately devoted to specific colors—yellow, orange, brown, red, magenta, purple, blue, and green—to present vibrant palettes and artfully displayed dishes. There is a range of recipes, from salads to entrées and desserts, and an array of cultural influences, with cuisine from Italy, France, and Japan, among others.

Recommended: The Museum of Pizza Just Might Be Brooklyn’s Next Big Art Destination

Pantone provides an engaging introduction to each section, encapsulating the mood evoked by the palette, followed by 56 easy-to-follow recipes. The book aims to show home cooks that they can easily bring more artistry to their meals and that cooking can be a visual art as much as fashion or design.

The book also features 40 suggested menus for combining colors for a variety of occasions (think brunch, a children’s party, or happy hour) plus meals for every season. There’s also an extensive guide for necessary equipment, utensils, and ingredients. Additionally, 50 hand-drawn how-to sketches demonstrate styling and presentation techniques for creating meals that are themselves a work of art.

Square-shaped salad with layers of pomegranate seeds, couscous, nuts, and mint leaves garnished with fresh mint leaves.
Pomegranate and Pistachio Bulgur, an easy-to-make Middle Eastern–inspired dish. Tommasi/ACC

Square pizza with anchovies, grapes, potatoes on top, garnished with chives.
Pissaladiere, a dish from the South of France that consists of a thick dough base, anchovies, olives, potatoes, and caramelized onions. Tommasi/ACC

Orange and white circular desserts with almond slices on a white background.
A beautifully designed mango pudding with a panna cotta center. Tommasi/ACC

A decorative round dish with flower petals, diced ingredients, white dots, and pomegranate seeds arranged artistically.
Sea Bream with Rose Petals. The center is a horseradish cream piped to perfection. Tommasi/ACC

Asparagus tart with puff pastry crust and cheese slice on top, placed on a white background.
Savory Asparagus Tarts with thinly sliced Emmental cheese are suggested for a spring menu. Tommasi/ACC

Colorful fruit-topped sesame brittle on white background with a small orange fruit beside it.
A vibrant take on fruit salad made with grapes, peaches, and apples served with crunchy sesame brittle. Tommasi/ACC

Pantone Foodmood is available worldwide October 15.