Struggling with what to make for dinner tonight? They Draw & Cook (TDAC) will help you decide while delighting you with dazzling artwork. As the name implies, this website is a massive treasure trove of over 6,600 tasty dishes, desserts, and cocktails from around the world—all completely drawn, painted, or collaged. It’s a fun twist on the traditional recipe card. Rather than simply listing the ingredients and instructions, artists create an entire image that features a colorful, artful representation of the final delicious product. Often, there’s a story told through these illustrated recipes.
TDAC got its start in 2010, and like many great things, it was created by chance. Nate Padavick and Salli S. Swindell, a brother/sister design and illustration team called Studio SSS, thought of the idea while on vacation. Nate was trying to cook a dish—fettuccine with figs in balsamic butter sauce—as Salli was painting a picture of the figs. They then realized “how fun it was to illustrate food,”came up with the idea to create a small recipe book. Though the initial book was never produced, they did put their work on the blog. Word quickly spread, and TDAC now contains an impressive collection of illustrated recipes from professionals and enthusiasts around the globe.
Padavick and Swindell eventually got their illustrated recipe book after all. TDAC has spawned a collection of cookbooks that you can enjoy offline. Their first installment, They Draw and Cook: 107 Recipes Illustrated by Artist from Around the World has sold more than 15,000 copies.
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