This absolutely delicious deck is a real tarot treat.  Composed of 78 true recipes for cooking with, the cards contain the secrets of the universe in edible form.  Each of the delights contained within corresponds to the card of the tarot it takes the place of.  For example, the Magician's Stir Fry Sorcery.  Titles of each card are creative and enticing.  I'll tell you, it makes ME want to get back in the kitchen, and that's no small feat! ( In case you didn't know, I eat out a lot)

The deck corresponds to traditional titles and ordering.  Each recipe card contains the title of the traditional tarot card contained effectively within the recipe title.  Underneath is a small blurb which explains the symbolism neatly of the card itself and how the recipe correlates to it.  Then the ingredients list and cooking instructions follow, just like a normal recipe card.  Recipes are numbered at the bottom righthand corner of the cards in tiny Arabic numerals, 1 through 78.

Recipes in the Major Arcana are inspired by the archetypal nature of the figures in each card and the meaning the card itself takes.  Some of them seem more serious than others, but always fun and delicious.  The Minor Arcana are attributed more along the suit level than individually; Wands recipes are fiery hot dishes, Cups recipes use a lot of foods with water in them, like seafood and fresh fruit.  Swords recipes involve a lot of cutting, chopping, etc.  And Pentacles use a lot of things from the earth, fresh vegetables and hearty meats and potatoes.  MMMMM, I'm getting hungry just writing this!

The back design of the cards is a lovely shadow graphic of a knife and fork on an empty dinner plate, full of anticipation of the coming meal.  Cards themselves are large and white on thin, flexible stock, with room for the user to make plenty of notes on the recipe itself.  I would recommend that once you get the recipe exactly where you are happy with it, that you laminate the cards to keep them from getting food all over them.  I learned the hard way that recipe cards rarely stay nice and neat.  The cards come packaged in a lovely little fabric bag reminiscent of bistro napkins, an excellent touch for a foods tarot deck.  The little white booklet is excellent, explaining how the foods and the act of cooking them can be a meditation in and of itself.  Ruminating on the significance of the card while cooking or eating its food item is a marvelous exercise.

This deck was run in a limited production of only 200 copies.  I am hoping that further printing is planned down the line, they are a wonderful, original, innovative treat.  If you encounter one anywhere, most definitely grab it!  You won't be sorry.

Since this is a textually oriented tarot, I only have a picture of the back here.

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Review Copyright 1999 by Gina M. Pace

Edible Tarot by Corrine Kenner, 1999
published by Two Of Cups Tarot