Manuela Wirth Gifts Husband Cookbook for 50th Birthday
A Cookbook for Iwan, compiled in secret, pairs recipes from the couple's global travels with original artworks and personal notes.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Recipes
Manuela Wirth compiled A Cookbook for Iwan in secret as a gift for her husband Iwan Wirth's 50th birthday. The 372-page volume gathers recipes inspired by the couple's travels around the world.
Why it matters
The book pairs recipes with artworks, handwritten notes, photography, and poetry, presenting cooking as an art object as well as a practical guide. It offers readers a personal, visually rich model for how a recipe collection can document a life and its relationships.
The cookbook runs 372 pages and contains more than 400 illustrations. Its release date, price, and retail availability have not been announced.
The players
Manuela Wirth
Manuela Wirth is the co-founder of the international art gallery Hauser & Wirth and compiled the cookbook as a gift for her husband.
Iwan Wirth
Iwan Wirth is the co-founder of Hauser & Wirth and the recipient of the cookbook for his 50th birthday.
Tom Parker Bowles
Tom Parker Bowles is a British food writer and columnist who wrote the foreword to the cookbook.
The details
Recipes appear alongside original artworks, handwritten notes, photography, and poetry. Tom Parker Bowles wrote the foreword, and artists Guillermo Kuitca and Rashid Johnson each contributed a recipe. Select cocktails inspired by the book are served across Artfarm restaurants, including locations in New York.
Timeline
Iwan Wirth's 50th birthday: the cookbook was compiled in secret as a gift.
Culture Shift
The book reflects a growing trend of gallery-linked publications that blend food writing with contemporary art, letting recipes function as personal and collectible objects. It shows how private, handmade gifts can carry cultural weight beyond the kitchen.
Readers who enjoy cooking from a printed book can look for the cocktail recipes already served at Artfarm restaurants. The 372-page format suggests a volume meant for regular reference in the kitchen.
The takeaway
A personal recipe collection can carry more meaning when it records shared experiences and relationships. Gathering favorite dishes from travels, with notes and images, turns a cookbook into a lasting keepsake.
Further reading
Browse more recipes from across the country.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SURFACE.
