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My friend Brian Eno has arrived late to my fantasy dinner party. However, I can’t blame him; he just had a private viewing of his generative artwork “77 Million Paintings” with Leonardo da Vinci. Their walk to my flat in Kentish Town took longer than expected.
Da Vinci can’t stop talking about Eno’s creation of ever-changing combinations of painting and music. Eno explains the concept of generative art, where the artist sets the initial parameters through an algorithm and allows the final artwork to unfold itself, much like nature.
Seated around my long dining table, sipping on Peruvian pisco sour, are Herbert Simon, the pioneer of behavioral economics and an AI visionary, and NK Jemisin, the renowned American writer known for her unparalleled ability to imagine diverse worlds, from hardcore sci-fi to fantasy realms that redefine the genre. As I prepare the first course, Bong Joon-ho, the director of Parasite, chats with me in Korean, combining mystery, social commentary, horror, and comedy to create unique and remarkable films.
For this dinner, I’ve taken on the challenge of cooking myself. Cooking for someone is the ultimate act of friendship, and I want to serve a menu that defies boundaries, just like my extraordinary guests tonight.
I’ve named the first course “Acorn Two Ways,” featuring two dishes from opposite ends of the Eurasian landmass. One is dotori mook, a Korean dish of acorn-based vegetable jelly served with raw veggies and soy-chili dressing. It’s made by my wife, Hee-Jeong, whose version is considered the best in the world. The other dish is jamón ibérico de bellota, Spanish ham made from acorn-fed pigs in the final stage of their lives. Both dishes are accompanied by Veuve Clicquot, my favorite champagne.
Da Vinci, an animal-free eater, enjoys the dotori mook and finds the added touch of chili in the dressing new and delightful. Bong also abstains from the jamón due to his research on the meat industry for his film Okja, although he occasionally consumes chicken and beef.
The second course is my take on a North African theme, featuring grilled cubes of chicken (vegetarian substitute for Da Vinci), courgette, onion, and aubergine marinated in harissa and olive oil. I serve it with couscous and Grüner Veltliner, a zesty and delicate Austrian white wine. Eno and Simon engage in a discussion about the banality of AI.
“Humans have always lived with collective intelligence, whether embodied in a machine or not,” Eno remarks. Simon echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that all human systems, regardless of embodiment, are artificial. Jemisin and Bong debate the concept of consciousness, whether it be AI, human, or otherwise. Jemisin’s novel The Trojan Girl explores AI consciousness, while Bong’s upcoming film Mickey 17 delves into the same theme with the same consciousness being transferred to new bodies repeatedly. Da Vinci, being the genius he is, quickly absorbs these new ideas and fully engages in the conversation.
The main course is an Italian aubergine pasta bake with three cheeses and tomato sauce, enriched with basil and garlic. Da Vinci is amazed by the sauce, having never tasted tomato before. I pair the dish with Gran Enemigo Gualtallary, my favorite red wine.
The conversation then shifts to the climate crisis. Eno discusses the role of art in raising awareness about the crisis, while Simon agrees that appealing to emotion, including through the arts, is often the most effective way to instigate change. He explains that attention is often the scarcest resource in decision-making, and evoking emotions is the best way to capture attention. I ask Jemisin and Bong to share how they used their works, such as the Broken Earth trilogy and the film Snowpiercer, to bring attention to the impending climate collapse.
For dessert, I serve apple and rhubarb crumble infused with cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and peppercorns. It is accompanied by Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee and Taiwanese milk oolong (Jin Xuan) tea.
The evening concludes with a relaxed conversation over Korean soju, particularly the exceptional 53% Hwayo, known for its clean taste and intense alcoholic kick. All the guests, who have pushed boundaries and embraced their unique perspectives, agree that staying in intellectual silos will not solve the world’s problems. What better way to break down those silos than by sharing good food and drinks with individuals who dare to be different?
Ha-Joon Chang teaches at Soas, University of London. All these dishes are featured in ‘Edible Economics: The World in 17 Dishes’ (Penguin), published this month
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