Feasting on Art

The period of art known as Pointallism was evolutionary due to the mathematical approach to colour and optics. The art up until the late 1880s was driven by the emotive qualities of colour and location. Pointallism marked a scientific foray into the arts similar to the complex perspecitval theories developed by Renaissance artists. The beauty of Pointallism is its methodical simplicity – small dabs of pure colour are applied to the canvas that are intended to mix in the viewer’s eye. When developing a recipe for this post I sought to embody this principal, two strong flavours that are simultaneously distinct yet blended into an alluring orange-cream beverage.

Paul Signac, Still Life with a Book, 1883
oil on canvas, 32 x 46.5 cm, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany

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The next few posts have been carefully planned to coincide with my parents visiting from the States. I last saw them in June ’08 and I can hardly believe I will have them sitting here with me in my flat tomorrow morning. Needless to say, I am very happy and I decided to make this bread a ‘welcome to Australia’ treat for their arrival. I made it for my friend Cassie when she came to visit me in London and we decided that the lemon glaze is what makes this loaf so special.

Vincent van Gogh, Still Life: Red Poppies and Daisies, 1890
oil on canvas, 65 x 50 cm, Private Collection

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Sometimes it is really nice to just have a box of cookies laying around the flat. There is no better snack and this cookie has everything I love, orange, chocolate, vanilla, almonds, and hint of spice through the addition of cinnamon and pink peppercorns. Did I mention they are in the shape of a moustache?? Could I possibly love them even more!?

Jeff Koons, Moustache, 2003
260.4 x 53.3 x 191.8 cm, polychromed aluminum, wrought iron, coated steel chain
© 2009 Jeff Koons, Serpentine Gallery

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Although I am not a huge fan of meringue I had to make this dessert solely for aesthetic reasons. The lovely yellow lemon curd dotted with blueberries was so striking when I first spotted it on the Gourmet website that I could not stop thinking about it. I am sure my palate for citrus food has become apparent enough over the last few posts where it has shown up in risotto, ice cream, and even a cordial so it should not be surprising that my favorite part of this recipe was the lemon curd. I don’t have an appetite for overly sweet food so the sour of the curd really balances the sugary meringue. If you substitute the blueberries for slices of kiwi it would make a perfect Australia day dessert!

Nora Heysen, Eggs, 1927
oil on canvas, 36.6 x 52.5 cm, New England Regional Art Museum

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First thing is first, happy birthday baby brother, I hope your 23rd year is a happy one! Every now and again the dreary and cold weather here in Sydney is replaced by a brilliant blue sky and sunshine galore. When this happens the last place I want to be is cooped up in my kitchen and so this beautiful orange and grapefruit dessert was the perfect way to end a warm and sunny afternoon. Cutting the citrus segments was the most time consuming part but when assembled in alternating orange and pink stripes the added effort is well worth it.

Henri Matisse, A Vase with Oranges, 1916
Oil on canvas, Private Collection

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