What would your last supper be?

You know those books you drool over when they first come out and you decide you must own them or else your library is not complete? Those books you flip through and think to yourself "Why couldn't I have come up with something this beautiful and clever all at once?" Well, when I first got my hands on Melanie Dunea's book "My Last Supper", (pictured at right, Lidia Bastianich, from "My Last Supper") that was my exact sentiment. Her book even landing in my posession was by some fortuitous luck as I had found her work online when I was looking for a photographer to shoot an ad campaign for the last agency I worked at. Not only was her rep randomly located across the street from my office, but she sent me a copy of Melanie's brand-new-not-even-on-the-shelf-yet-book to peruse as well as her full portfolio. I of course had to give the book back. I pondered keeping it and then pulling the "The intern must have taken it" route but decided it bad to mess with the fate that had brought the book in my life to begin with. And now I must wait until Amazon gets more in stock to add it to my collection.

The very simple yet smart idea behind this book is taking the perfect photo to represent each of 50 international chefs and then asking them the very basic but informative questions such as "Where would you have your last supper?" "What would your last supper be?" "Who would prepare it?" These questions glean the most impressive responses because lets face it, these are world-renowned chefs and they know exactly the what/where/why of their final meals. Some may call it slightly morbid; I call it a Divine Dining Declaration.

[Laurent Tourdrel by Melanie Dunea]

[Mario Batali by Melanie Dunea]