Although the red carpet hogs the spotlight in the Met Gala, the annual sartorial event isn’t limited exclusively to fashion, and features a lavish spread celebrating culinary excellence.

For the 2022 Met Gala, celebrity chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson, who was in charge of the menu for last year’s event too, handpicked three rising women chefs – Amirah Kassem, Melissa King, and Lauren Von Der Pool – to oversee the preparations.

Also read | Kardashians skip court verdict for Met Gala 2022 while Blac Chyna comes up empty

Specialist vegan chef Von Der Pool was tasked with handling the cocktail hour appetizers, and she served her own rendition of the classic devilled eggs, but using Yukon potatoes instead of animal products. Rice cakes with collard greens and cucumber salsa toppings, truffled potato bites, and coconut ceviche were the among the other hors d’oeuvres served at the annual event.

“Each hors d’oeuvre tells a story, essentially about the depth of America, not just the opulence thereof. A lot of your favorite recipes were actually created from scraps, or whatever was seasonal,” Von Der Pool told Vogue.

Also read | Met Gala 2022: NYC Mayor Eric Adams sports ‘End Gun Violence’ waistcoat

King, a Chinese-American queer chef, was in charge of the first course, and prepared a fresh Hamachi, drizzled with sichuan chilli, olives, and citrus. “I wanted to create a dish that embodied the beautiful mix of vibrant cultures and ethnicities of immigrants that make up the DNA of America today,” King told Vogue, commenting on her course.

The evening’s main entree was prepared by Samuelsson, who took it upon himself to showcase American cuisine at its finest. The result was a a barbecue striploin, served with crispy rice, carrots, and cornbread crumble.

Also read | Met Gala 2022: Watch Blake Lively’s dress transform as she channels Statue of Liberty

Finally, the responsibility for desserts fell on Kaseem, a celebrated baker by profession, who prepared teacup-shaped cholocate cakes layered with either chocolate or cappuccino mousse in a tribute to the event’s theme of ‘Gilded Glamour’.

“This dessert is a play on Gilded Age teatime. Tea gowns were popularized during the Gilded Age, and they were intended to be worn indoors with family and close friends during a dinner party. I find it to be so inspiring that not only was there a dress code but an entire garment was created to be paired with tea,” Kaseem told Vogue about her creation.