When bread goes stale you can tear it up for a hearty panzanella, or soak it in milk for a soft french toast. Or try coating cubes of tough toast with seeds for a savory crouton. But while we here at Food52 repurpose stale bread to render it edible, Japanese artist and former baker Yukiko Morita has another agenda.
Morita developed a line of lamps made from loaves of bread called Pampshade. Surprisingly charming, the bread that she hollows out and paints with resin, emit a soft earthy glow. And while the effect is slightly kitschy, the baguettes, pullmans, boules, and croissants that she stuffs with LEDs look delicately delicious.
The bread lamps perfectly marry her past as a baker and current lifestyle as an artist (with a little electrical engineering thrown in). Some of the light-up loaves are equipped with battery packs, while others require an outlet. In addition to the bread lamps, Morita also developed a naan clock that tells time against the backdrop of the popular flatbread.
I could see the glowing gluten dressing the walls of a kitchen as a playful accessory. Or as a bedside lamp for someone with a culinary bent. Unfortunately, the project is in its early stages and Morita’s creations are only available in Japan and online—at least for now.
You can follow Morita's carby creations as they come out of the oven on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Would you hang a fluorescent French loaf in your house? Let us know in the comments.
Valerio is a freelance food writer, editor, researcher and cook. He grew up in his parent's Italian restaurants covered in pizza flour and drinking a Shirley Temple a day. Since, he's worked as a cheesemonger in New York City and a paella instructor in Barcelona. He now lives in Berlin, Germany where he's most likely to be found eating shawarma.
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