Poached, scrambled, boiled, whipped into a cocktail, transformed into a painting medium, tossed at an enemys house. As the most striking of paradoxes, the egg exists in happy suspension between humble household ingredient and ever-powerful source of life.One of the most enduring symbols throughout antiquity, eggs were used by the Romans to dispel evil spirits, modeled as priceless artifacts for the Russian nobility, and were woven into Egyptian mythology. In the debut volume of TASCHENs series with cult-favorite The Gourmand journal, we celebrate the link between food and culture in a visual and literary exploration of the powerhouse kitchen staple. A collection of original essays and archetype recipes, from the perfect poach to artful desserts, celebrates the diversity of culinary traditions around the world.The Gourmands Egg. A Collection of Stories and Recipes is illustrated with exclusive commissions by acclaimed still life photographersequal parts sumptuous, absurd, lurid, mouthwatering, and undeniably The Gourmand. Rounding out the volume are works from art historys titans, including Salvador Dal, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney, and Man Ray alongside texts from chef, food writer, and critic Ruth Reichl and writer and editor Jennifer Higgie, and more. In cooking as in almost every-thing else, Reichl said. It all starts with an egg.