Ken + Julia Yonetani, Still Life: The Food Bowl, 2011, Murray River salt,* dimensions variable (all objects life size), Copyright the Artists and Artereal Gallery, Sydney

* All the salt in this work was obtained from SunSalt, and originates from the Buronga Salt Interception Scheme on the Murray River.

Ken + Julia Yonetani directly reference the water issues of the Murray-Darling Basin in their sculpted still life tableaux, made by forming fruits and vessels from the salt drawn from the groundwater of the region. The Yonetanis began investigating the effects of salinity in the basin during their recent residency at Mildura. Ken Yonetani exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2009 with sculptures made of sugar and it was this casting technique that was modified by them working with salt. Within the context of food production and preparation, salt possesses a dual nature. Historically it was used in the preservation of food, essential in sustaining life. However salt is also a poison. It prevents the growth of flora and the use of groundwater for irrigation. The title of the work suggests life; the produce and sea fare are living entities that have been contained within the sculpture.

The text from this post is excerpted from my article ‘Ken and Julia Yonetani / Janet Tavener‘ originally published in the June 2011 issue of Artlink Magazine.

Ken + Julia Yonetani’s exhibition, ‘Still Life: The Food Bowl’, will be on view at Artereal Gallery from 1 June – 2 July 2011.

{Preserved Lemons}

Yield: 1 large jar

The proportions of this recipe vary according to the size of your jar. I had a 1 litre jar and was able to fit 7 average size lemons and used around 400 grams of rock salt.

lemons
rock salt
large jar

Wash the skin of the lemons well and cut them in to quarters being careful to not fully slice through the end of the lemon. The lemon wedges should still be attached on one end.

Pack the inside of each lemon with salt. Add a layer of salt to the bottom of the jar and then carefully place the salt filled lemons. Fill in the gaps with salt, shaking the jar to ensure the salt is tightly packed around the lemons. Top with a final layer of salt and set in a dark, cool place.

After 1 week, the jar should be filled with juice. The lemons are now ready to cook with and enjoy. Will keep for up to 1 year and if you live in a hot climate, it is recommended to keep the lemons in the refrigerator.

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1 Year Ago: Pablo Picasso – Chipotle, Chorizo & Dark Beer Fondue

2 Years Ago: Giacomo Ceruti – Chicken Tetrazzini

Left: Pablo Picasso, Vase, Bowl and Lemon, 1907,
oil on panel, 62 x 48 cm, Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Right: Henri Matisse, Still Life with Blue Tablecloth (detail), 1909,
88 x 118 cm, oil on canvas, The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Picasso‘s Vase, Bowl and Lemon – illustrated above left – was painted the same year he joined a premoninant Paris gallery that championed the work of Cubism. It is also the same year he completed Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, a painting that is often considered a reactionary work to Matisse‘s Le bonheur de vivre, painted the year prior. Through Le bonheur de vivre, Matisse gained notoriety as a leader of the Modern Arts and although Picasso was 12 years his junior, Picasso gained via Les Demoiselles – according to art critic Hilton Kramer – the “role of avant-garde wild beast.” Considering the two paintings illustrated above, their shared aesthetic is evident. Whereas Picasso applied the techniques of Cubism to his work, Matisse looked to the Fauvists with both artists using a similar palette to construct the blue interior with a simple arrangement of lemons and vessels.

{Sweet & Sour Chicken}

As a nod to the sweet & sour relationship between Matisse and Picasso as well as the aesthetic influences from Asia, this sweet & sour chicken recipe is a modified version of the takeaway classic.

adapted from Chinese Food Made Easy

1/4 cup cashews
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 chicken tenderloins
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup pineapple
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
handful of rocket, to serve

Preheat the oven to 210C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a motor and pestle, mash the cashews with the salt and chili until finely ground.  On a large plate, pour out the nuts and begin pressing each chicken tenderloin into the mixture ensuring that there is an even coating on each piece. Lay the chicken on the baking sheet and once each tenderloin is covered with the nut mixture, slide them into the oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, add the lemon, pineapple + juice and soy sauce into a small bowl. Puree with a hand blender and transfer to a small saucepan. Cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste (you may need to add more pineapple juice if the lemon is particular large to balance out the sourness).

Wash the rocket and place a small amount on each plate. Top with chicken and drizzle over the sweet & sour sauce. Serve warm.

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1 Year Ago: Bartolomeo Bimbi – Sour Cherry Turnovers with Goat Cheese

2 Years Ago: Giuseppe Arcimboldo – Crespelle with Bacon & Mushroom Ragu

Historically, the pomegranate was used to symbolise fertility due to the mythical origins of the fruit. As related by Silvia Malaguzzi in her book Food and Feasting in Art, the god Acdestis, violent and lustful, was “handed over to Bacchus, who got him drunk. Once Acdestis had passed out, Bacchus tied up his feet and genitals. When Acdetis woke up, blood seeping from his genitals formed the pomegranate. The fruit was taken to the nymph Nana, who became pregnant by it and gave birth to Atys” (1). From the outside, the pomegranate is a fairly inauspicious fruit. It was not until I sliced it open, the crimson juice staining the cutting board and splattering on my clothes, that the corporeal aspect of the fruit was revealed. Within the iconography of the Christian Church, the pomegranate represents the blood of Christ. The name is derived from the Latin pōmum meaning apple and grānātus meaning seeded. Beating a section of the fruit with the back of a spoon yields a scattering of round ruby seeds.  The pomegranate is sometimes thought to be the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden, similar to the ‘garden of paradise’ of Qur’an where the ancient fruit with the jewel-like seeds grew (2).

Jacob van Hulsdonck, Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Pomegranate, c.1620-40
oil on panel, 42 x 49.5 cm, The Getty Collection

Jacob van Hulsdonck was a native of Antwerp who spent a large portion of his life in Germany where he began his artistic studies. Upon his return to Antwerp at the age of 27, he joined the local painters’ guild. Van Hulsdonck specialised in still life painting, becoming a master through his carefully rendered details. In Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Pomegranate, the rough texture of the citrons is meticulously depicted. Small droplets of water lay scattered on the table and cling delicately to the leaf of the orange in the bottom right of the panel. According to the Getty Museum, the blue and white porcelain bowl dates from the Wan-Li period of the Ming dynasty (3). Painted from a high vantage point, the majority of the fruit bounty is visible in the bowl, preserving the fleeting life of the natural products.

{Orange & Almond Cake with Pomegranates & Poppy Seeds}

Adapted from What Katie Ate
Yield: 8 servings

1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs, separated
juice of 2 oranges + 1 orange, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
1/4 c almond flakes
pinch of poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 8-inch cake pan with baking paper and set aside. In a large bowl stir together the almond meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in the egg yolks and orange juice until just mixed, being careful not to overwork the batter.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Carefully spoon 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter, folding gently to loosen the batter. Scoop the remaining egg whites into the batter and stir until they are just incorporated. Pour into lined baking pan and slide into the oven for 4o-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and lift out of the pan by the baking paper. Peel off the paper and set aside on serving platter.

Meanwhile, de-seed the pomegranate and set aside. Juice the remaining orange into a small saucepan, adding any pulp from within the orange halves. Stir in the sugar and mix until it is dissolved. Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top of the cake along with the flaked almonds. Add the poppy seeds to the orange juice, swirl to mix and drizzle over the cake, covering the top evenly. Serve warm and keep in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.

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1 Year Ago: John Olsen – BBQ Tikka Prawns

Lin Fengmian, Still Life, 1988
ink and colour on paper, 68.3 x 68.3 cm, Private collection

Born in 1900, Lin Fengmian began his artistic education as a self-taught pupil with his formal studies commencing, after a move to France, at the Dijon National Academy of Fine Arts in 1920. While in Europe, Fengmian travelled to Berlin and was introduced to the northern European painting movement which contributed to his interest in the combination of Eastern and Western aesthetic concepts. Still Life was completed at the end of Fengmian’s life and most likely features a small vignette from his own home in Hong Kong. Although he worked within the language of Western visual culture, his work is uniquely Chinese through the use of the traditional materials of ink and rice paper. Unique to his art is the square format and bright colours and by painting within the Western aesthetic, Fengmian’s work is comprehensible to international viewers.

{Hot & Sour Lime Soup}

Yield: 6 servings

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 green chili, de-seeded and minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 cups vegetable stock
1 stalk lemongrass, quartered and crushed
2 dried kaffir lime leaves
1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1 packet egg noodles
1 block firm tofu, cut into cubes
1/3 cup re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms, cut into strips
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
2 large eggs
small bunch fresh cilantro
3 stalks green onion, finely sliced

In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Stir fry the chili, ginger, garlic and lime zest for 1 minute before adding the lime juice and brown sugar. Swirl around the bottom of the pot for about 30 seconds and add the vegetable stock. Cut the lemongrass into quarters and smash with the side of a knife. Stir the soup well and add the kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass stalk and soy sauce. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat to develop the flavors.

After the soup has reduced slightly and the flavors have become concentrated, remove the kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. Add in the bamboo shoots, egg noodles, firm tofu and mushrooms. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the noodles are soft.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the rice wine vinegar and dried chili flakes to the soup and begin to swirl the broth. In a small stream, pour the egg mixture into the soup, carefully stirring to keep the tofu from breaking apart. Once the egg is incorporated, add the cilantro and green onion and serve immediately.

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The Colour Project

“In the morning, in the soft sultry chamber, sit in the window peeling tangerines, three or four. Peel them gently; do not bruise them…separate each plump little pregnant crescent…Take yesterday’s paper (when we were in Strasbourg L’Ami du Peuple was the best, because when it got hot the ink stayed on it) and spread it on the radiator…After you have put the pieces of tangerine on the paper on the hot radiator, it is best to forget about them…On the radiator the sections of tangerines have grown even plumper, hot and full. You carry them to the window, pull it open, and leave them for a few minutes on the packed snow on the sill. They are ready…I cannot tell you why they are so magical. Perhaps it is that little shell, thin as one layer of enamel on a Chinese bowl, that crackles so tinily, so ultimately under your teeth. Or the rush of cold pulp just after it. Or the perfume. I cannot tell.”

M.F.K. Fisher, Borderland

William Joseph McCloskey, Still Life with Wrapped Tangerines, 1889
oil on canvas, 25.4 x 35.56 cm, Private collection

The American artist, William Joseph McCloskey, was also know by the title ‘Master of the Wrapped Citrus’ as it was a subject he revisited often. The fruits were often set upon a highly polished table with particular attention paid to the texture of the paper and the citrus peels. McCloskey worked closely with is wife, fellow artist Alberta McCloskey, even completing joint paintings together. Alberta studied under William Merritt Chase and his aesthetic appears to have also had an effect upon the work by William Joseph McCloskey. Looking at the earlier canvases by Chase – specifically the paintings produced after studying at the Munich Academy – they feature dark atmospheric qualities with a number of expertly rendered textures among the kitchen goods. McCloskey embraced the trompe l’oeil school becoming a ‘Master of Illusion’ in addition to his ‘Wrapped Citrus’ title.

{Oven Candied Tangerines}

Yield: 4 servings

4 tangerines
1 cup vanilla yogurt, to serve

Preheat the oven to 150C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

Carefully peel the 4 tangerines and divide into segments. Remove any visible white pith. Arrange the segments on the baking paper and slide into the bottom rack of the oven.

Roast for 20-30 minutes until the tangerines are full of juice and the skins are brittle like tissue-paper. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-1o minutes until serving. Serve alongside a generous dollop of cold yogurt.
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1 Year Ago: Frida Kahlo – Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

István Csók, Amalfi, 1937
oil on canvas, 64 x 74.5 cm, Hungarian National Gallery

István Csók was a Hungarian artist who worked all over Europe in the late 19th and early 20th century. Stylistically, he combined the Naturalism and Impressionism of the French after studying in Paris in the 1880s. Amalfi was painted later in Csók’s career the same year he held the solo exhibition Fränkel Salon in Budapest. He is one of the select few non-Italian artists who have a self-portrait hanging in the prestigious Uffizi Gallery in Florence (2). Allegedly, Csók also claimed a position within pop culture history through the 1971 film Countess Dracula where his 1896 painting of the Countess Elizabeth Bathory torturing young women can be spotted in the opening credits.

{Ravioli Caprese}

adapted from the Food Network

dough:
2.5 c flour
1.25 c hot water

filling:
3/4 c ricotta
1 egg
shredded chicken from 1 quarter rotisserie chicken
1/4 c Parmesan, grated
2 TB fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

sauce:
3 TB olive oil
3 TB fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the flour and water and stir until a large ball forms. Cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, combine all of the filling ingredients in another bowl. Stir well and set aside. Divide the dough into four pieces. Flour your work surface and begin to roll out the dough into a long narrow strip, as thin as possible without creating any holes. Once rolled out, spoon 1 TB sized portions of the filling one inch apart down the strip of dough. Fold the dough over the filling and press around it to seal it in the pocket. Cut each individual ravioli from the dough and use a fork to crimp the edges.

Bring a large pot to a boil (but not a hard rolling boil) and carefully slide each ravioli into salted water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the ravioli floats. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl. While still hot, toss with the olive oil, fresh basil and lemon zest. Top with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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1 Year Ago: Mexican Fiesta Menu

Margaret Olley, Still life with mandarins, c.1975
oil on board, 76 x 122 cm, Private collection

As one of Australia’s best known still life artists, Margaret Olley has enjoyed a successful career and many accolades, including the Companion of the Order of Australia. Her compositions are perfectly balanced with rich colours depicting intimate interior scenes. Olley tends to paint the objects from her own home demonstrating an acute attention to detail. She rarely paints a single objects but instead creates groupings of fruits, flowers, and vases. In her paintings the spatial relationships between the objects are as important as the objects themselves. In 1997 Olley was declared an ‘Australian National Treasure’ and a major retrospective was held at the Art Gallery of NSW.

{Orange Grapefruit Marmalade}

makes 2 jars

2 oranges
1 pink grapefruits
1 lemons
1 litre water
1 c sugar

Scrub the skin of the fruit and cut in half removing all visible seeds. Place in a large pot and cover with water (about 1 litre). Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour uncovered.

Remove the fruit from the water and strain out all seeds. Finely mince the fruit while carefully retaining all juices and flesh. Discard any hard bits. Return the flesh to the pot of water and add 1 c sugar. Continue to simmer over medium-low heat for an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, sterilise two canning jars and set aside on clean towels. Once the jam is ready, take it off the heat and carefully ladle into jars. Screw on the lid tightly and overturn the jars on a cutting board allowing the jam to cool. Ready to eat immediately and will keep for several weeks.

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1 Year Ago: Cristoforo Munari – Milano Cookies

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Ginger Jar, Sugar Bowl, and Oranges, 1902-06
Oil on canvas, 60.6 x 73.3 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City

Cézanne’s Still Life with Ginger Jar, Sugar Bowl, and Oranges was painted during a period of turmoil in his personal life and completed in the year of his death, 1906. After an estrangement from his wife, Cézanne purchased a property in Aix-en-Provence where he built a studio and most likely completed this painting. The work from this late period is characterised by a richness of colour and depth. The skilled compositions are an attempt to return to classic modes of representation and the forms attain a sculptural quality with thick black outlines delineating shape and shadow. During this time he focused his attention on the landscape and painted Mt. Ste. Victoire multiple times after climbing it in 1895. It is thought that the sharp peaks of the mountain found their way into the folds of the tablecloth in his later still life paintings.

{Chocolate Ginger Cake with Simmered Oranges}

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, January 2009

2 3/4 c flour
1 TB ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 c molasses
1 c water
1/2 c + 4 TB butter
2 TB fresh ginger, minced
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 bars dark chocolate (85% cocoa), chopped
Greek yogurt
simmered oranges (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a bowl combine the molasses, 1 c water and 2 TB of melted butter. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a frying pan, add 2 TB of butter and the minced fresh ginger. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and the ginger becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and pour into baking dish. Tilt the dish ensuring the butter/ginger mixture covers the entire surface (including the sides) and that the ginger is evenly dispersed over the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream 1/2 c of butter for about 30 seconds with a hand mixer. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the butter becomes light and fluffy (about one minute). Add each egg, one at a time, mixing well between each one. Add the ground ginger, ground cloves, salt, baking soda, baking powder and 3/4 cup flour and mix well. Add half of the molasses mixture and mix well. Alternate between the remaining flour (2 more cups) and the molasses until all of the ingredients are incorporated. By hand, stir in the chopped chocolate and then add to the prepared baking dish.

Bake for about 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool and serve warm with simmered oranges, Greek yogurt and crystallized ginger.

{Simmered Oranges}

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, January 2009

1 lemon
1 orange
1/3 c water
1/3 c sugar

Thinly slice the orange and set aside. Juice the lemon and add to a small pot with the water and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, once the liquid becomes syrupy, add the orange slices and bring back up to a boil. Once boiling again reduce the heat to a simmer and leave for three minutes turning the oranges occasionally so that they are all evenly cooked. Remove from the heat and let cool. Spoon over the cake & yogurt.

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1 Year Ago: Edouard Manet – Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Visit Ozoz’s blog Kitchen Butterfly for a recipe for Pumpkin Ice Cream & Lemonettes.

Willem Kalf, Still Life with a Chinese Tureen, 1662
oil on canvas, 64 x 53cm, Staatliche Museen, Berlin

Willem Kalf was a still life painter from the Golden Age of Dutch art. His work usually features the same subjects, a Chinese bowl (the painting above bears the title of this oft replicated object), damask tapestry, and silverware. The paintings contain a very dark background, isolating the objects on the edge of the table. In the Still Life with a Chinese Tureen the outline of the glass is barely visible, a characteristic of Kalf’s work. Later in his life the artist turned to dealing in art rather than painting. It seemed he always had a business mind because if a composition proved successful he would make multiple versions for clients – perhaps why his body of work is considered to be limited in terms of subject matter.

According to Dutch Culinary Art, Parrot Tongues are “a typical Dutch joke. Actually just leftovers, but presented in a very nice way. The name, of course, brings memories of Roman times when people feasted on tongues of nightingales and larks.” These little ‘tongues’ make for a very delicious appetizer. The sweet pork meat is paired with the sweet flesh of a pumpkin and livened up with fresh lemon juice and vinegary seeded mustard.

{Papegaaientongetjes (Parrot Tongues)}

adapted from Dutch Culinary Art

2 TB softened butter
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c plain flour
1/4 c pureed roasted pumpkin
1 TB chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt

4 cooked pork scotch fillets, cut into triangles
1/2 c canola oil

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and beat in the egg and milk. Slowly add the pureed pumpkin and flour until a smooth and thick batter forms. Add the nutmeg, parsley and salt to season.

Heat the canola oil in a deep skillet. Once the oil shimmers, dip the pork triangles in the batter and drop into the oil. Because the pork is already cooked the Papegaaientongetjes fry very quickly, 20-30 seconds. Flip and cook the other side golden brown and remove from the oil and dry on kitchen paper.

Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a scattering of chopped parsley.

Don’t forget to submit your entry to the recipe contest, only 32 more days until the deadline. The first recipe has been submitted – get in early to get the best spots in the photo gallery!

I planned out this post before I realised its significance as the first on the new blog. Luckily the ceviche combines many of  my favorite ingredients – seafood, fresh fruit, lime, and spicy pickled jalapeños. Ceviche is a seafood dish that originated on the Mexican coast. The seafood is marinated in citrus juices which pickle the meat and effectively cooks it without heat. The flavors are sweet and spicy with a hint of sour from the lime. It is the perfect summer dish and is best enjoyed with a glass of cold white wine and a view of the ocean.

Frida Kahlo, Still Life: Viva la vida y el Dr. Juan Farill, 1953-54
Oil on masonite, 39 x 64.7 cm, Private Collection

Still Life: Viva la vida y el Dr. Juan Farill was completed by Kahlo at the very end of her life as a gift to her doctor. Due to the very heavy handed brushstrokes and clumsy handling of the paint many believe she completed the painting while under the influence of painkillers. The sky is split, light and dark with the tips of a bunch of bananas looking like a mountain landscape. In art the white dove traditionally represents peace and gentle affection as well as the soul as it departs the body in death. Although the theme of death runs throughout Kahlo’s body of work, this particular reference is especially poignant given the painting was one of the last she completed.

{Shellfish Ceviche}

This recipe does not follow the traditional techniques for making ceviche because the shellfish are slightly poached before they are pickled by the citrus fruits. Makes a light side salad or when served in small portions, an appetizer. This recipe was inspired by a dish featured on Bon Appetit.

Yield: 4 servings as a salad and 6 servings as an appetizer

1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 pound scallops
1 pound shrimp
1 orange
1 lime
1/4 red onion, diced
3 teaspoons pickled jalapeños, diced
1/2 cup watermelon, diced
1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely minced
handful of cilantro, chopped

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt, stirring until all of the granules have dissolved. Reduce the water to a simmer and poach the scallops for 1 minute, immediately removing and plunging into a bowl of ice water.

Poach the shrimp in the same pot of water until they are pink and opaque, 2-3 minutes (also plunging in the ice water to stop them from over-cooking).

Slice the orange and half. Juice one half and segment and chop the other into cubes, about 1/2 inch in size. Juice the lime and chop the remaining ingredients into 1/2 inch cubes. Halve the scallops and cut the shrimp into thirds. Mix everything in a bowl and chill for 1 hour prior to serving.

This is the second post in a five part series examining the still life paintings of Frida Kahlo.