Would you actually cook from it? Who knows. But it’s fun to imagine (and the pictures are fantastic).

Extreme food is like extreme fashion: fun but crazy. Way beyond the average fashionista or food geek. Which is one reason that neither I nor most of my acquaintances owns a copy of Modernist Cuisine, the fascinating six-volume avant-garde cookbook by Nathan Myhrvold, et al, that came out last year. (The price tag of $450 on Amazon, more elsewhere, has something to do with that. ) But now a slimmed-down version, Modernist Cuisine at Home, is to be released Oct 8 for a mere $140, which puts it within striking distance of more people. You can take a peek and pre-order on Amazon or from your local bookstore, many of the big retailers, or from the Kitchen Arts and Letters book store in NYC at 212-876-5550. Speaking of the last, you need to put the store on your must-visit list next time you’re in Manhattan.  Oh, this picture? It’s not in the book (made you look, though!).    Photo credit: chanelimanphotos.