Feasting on Art

Disaster…the oven is broken! My organisational skills are getting the better of me – I had my next post planned out to the last detail only to be thwarted by my own kitchen! Due to circumstance, the next couple of posts will be devoted to stove-top cooking. I hope to be posting a bit more regularly in the next couple of weeks once my writing job wraps up. There are a couple of exciting collaborations in the works so keep an eye on this space. Sadly I am very far behind with returning comments on blogs and I hope to catch up soon!

Pablo Picasso, Still Life, 1914
Painted wood and upholstery fringe, 25.4 x 45.7 x 9.2 cm, Tate Modern

Picasso began making his relief constructions around 1912 which allowed him to reinforce the idea of a painting as an object by incorporating found materials into the sculptures. The subject matter is similar to his paintings from the same period, with emphasis placed on the geometric shapes found in the glass of beer, wedge of cheese, and sausage. The knife balancing on the edge of the table echos a motif found in traditional still life paintings. Historically, artists included a knife to bridge the space between the picture plane and the viewer’s space and was a way to visually enter the composition. Picasso includes a knife that actually protrudes into the viewer’s space – a tongue in cheek nod to classic painting.

{Chipotle, Chorizo & Dark Beer Fondue}

1/4 c chopped chorizo
1/3 c dark beer
250 g mozzarella
250 g cheddar cheese
1 TB cornflour
2 chiptole chilies + 1 tsp adobo sauce

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, gently saute the chorizo to bring out the fat from the sausage. Once rendered and beginning to go crisp, pour in the dark beer and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, grate or cube the cheese and toss with the cornflour. Once the beer is simmering, add the cheese and stir until melted. Chop the chipotle chilies and add to the cheese mixture with 1 tsp adobo sauce. Season to taste (the chorizo is quite salty so I did not need to add any salt to my fondue). Serve* with corn chips, cubes of rye bread, and pretzels.

*Be sure to keep the cheese hot so it stays in a liquid state, if left to cool it will congeal and become a large lump. I used the remaining cheese (once cooled) as a filling for a very delicious quesadilla.

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1 Year Ago: Giacomo Ceruti – Chicken Tetrazzini