Interview With Food Artist Caroline Sofie
During Copenhagen Fashion Week, we had the honour to collaborate with food artist Caroline Sofie, who created the most beautiful table setting and aperitifs for us. Follow Caroline Sofie on Instagram where she shares her beautiful and captivating universe at @carolinesofie.
We have had a talk with Caroline Sofie about her inspirations, aspirations and lastly she shares her infamous Challah recipe.
First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Caroline Sofie, I am 27 years old and live in Copenhagen. I am currently studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Nutrition in the study programme Food and Management. Besides, I work at REDUCED as Content Creator and have recently started doing some work in my own name. Food is not only my biggest professional aspiration, but also one of the best things I know is to gather with friends and family around a good and hearty meal.
When did you discover your passion for cooking and food installations in the first place?
I have always had a passion for cooking as long as I remember. Food has always gathered my family and my sister, and I have been helping out in the kitchen since we were little girls. My curiosity for food and table settings for various communities has especially increased throughout the past 5 years.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My source of inspiration comes from various places. From nature and its raw materials and expressions, from people around me. From atmospheres, colors, architecture, cultures, historical periods, and lastly of course professionals from the industry. I could mention so many, but the most striking ones are Flynn McGarry, Caro Diario and Barbara Gábová, completely dominating my “saved” feed on Instagram.
What is your significance as an artist?
Tough one! I am still in the process of uncovering what my personal style is. Sometimes it’s a bit messy and fairly unrestricted. Yet, I always return to more simple combinations, both in terms of aesthetic and taste. I find it interesting to retrieve great taste from a few good ingredients, and I like the thought of my work being unostentatious and accessible. Simultaneously, I still want to create something beautiful that feels vivid.
How do you resonate with the aesthetics of LIÉ STUDIO?
I believe that a common denominator lies in how the detail plays a central role. Also, I think that LIÉ STUDIO’s universe is timeless and minimalistic, but at the same time very strong in its expression. It was genuinely exciting to collaborate with them, and I am so grateful for being given this opportunity.
What are your future work endeavors?
To make it concise, I hope that I will get to work with food in a creative way and cooperate with people I find inspring. It is also a dream of mine to create an image book with a few of my own recipes.
Maybe one day.
Maybe one day.
What is your favorite place for eating in Copenhagen?
There are so many great places to eat in Copenhagen. Some of the best vegetarian food I have had is at Baka d’ Busk. Recently, I visited restaurant Pauli in Sydhavnen and the food was perfectly curated both in terms of taste and expression.
- Also, Viet Thai in Copenhagen NV is indubitably a hidden gem. Lovely Asian food and then it is remarkably cheap – definitely worth paying a visit.
- Visit Helges Ost on Værnedamsvej and order a sandwich for lunch and ask them to add in their pickled walnuts.
- Lastly, go visit Morgenstedet in Christiania and order one of their soups for lunch on a more chilly day. It is such a chill place, and afterwards you can go a walk around the lake.
Challah Recipe
This recipe yields 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ dl lukewarm water
- 20 g yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 35 g honey
- 1 egg
- 5 egg yolk (save the egg white for brushing the bread)
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- ¼ dl neutral oil
- 350 g all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Then add sugar, honey, salt, egg, and egg yolk. Mix it well. Add the oil and then gradually add the flour.
- Knead the dough in a stand mixer for 8-10 minutes at medium to high speed. When the dough no longer sticks to the sides but is still soft and slightly sticky, it's done kneading. You can also knead the dough by hand for 15 minutes. Be patient and knead until the dough is smooth.
- Grease a clean bowl with oil and place the dough ball in it. Turn the dough ball so that the entire surface is coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours or until it doubles in size.
- After the dough has risen for 1 ½ hours, divide it into 3 equal parts. You can use a scale to ensure that the 3 portions weigh the same, as this is important for the bread's braid.
- Roll each dough portion into a thin rope. The rope should be thinner at the ends than in the middle. Ensure that the ropes are of equal length and thickness.
- Braiding: Start by gathering the ends of the 3 ropes so they resemble a fan. Press them together and shape them into a point. Now, braid the bread in a classic pattern (you can refer to a video guide on YouTube if you're unsure how to braid). The braid should not be too tight, nor should it have large gaps between each braid. Finish the braid by gathering the ends in the same way as you did at the beginning.
- Let the bread proof for 1 hour in a warm place. Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F, conventional oven).
- Brush the bread with the egg white you saved earlier. Make sure to brush the entire surface and be thorough in covering all crevices.
- Bake the bread on the lower rack of the oven for approximately 50 minutes.
