Benjamin Roberts, Still life of plums with a cabbage white, 1862
oil on board, 16 x 21.5 cm, Private collection

Very little research is readily available concerning the British artist Benjamin Roberts. From the date of the painting, one can gather that he was active during the Victorian movement in the United Kingdom. The delicate details of the yellow butterfly, small tendrils on the leaf and the gleaming water droplet upon the plum epitomise the art of this period. The delicacy of the painting is matched in the subtle flavouring in the recipe of the baked custard. With the mellow warmth of the nutmeg and the fragrant vanilla, this simple custard is studded with bright plum slices that are carefully arranged to fashion a purple-tipped flower.

{Baked Custard with Plums}

Yield: 4 servings

2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
200 ml heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 plum

Preheat the oven to 180C. In an oven-proof bowl, mix the eggs and sugar together, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla, nutmeg, cream and milk and mix well. Place the bowl in a roasting pan and fill with water until it is half way up the sides of the pan. Slide into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the plum in half and remove the pit. Slice each half into quarters and divide each quarter into three crescents. Set aside.

After 30 minutes remove the custard from the oven. It should still be soft but beginning to set around the edges. Arrange the plum slices in a circle starting around the outside edge and moving inwards. Put the custard back into the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes until the centre is just set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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The Colour Project

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

I am very excited to announce that I will be curating an art + food exhibition next year at Brenda May Gallery. We are now accepting proposals from artists so please read the exhibition outline below and contact the Gallery with any questions or visit the submissions page for further details.

‘Art + Food – Beyond the Still Life’ – October 2012

This exhibition will consider the representation of food within the visual arts and beyond the standard still life tableaux. The consumption of food is a universally shared experience, enabling viewers to connect with the issues surrounding consumerism, food production and cultural identity, explored by the artists. ‘Art + Food – Beyond the Still Life’ will be on exhibition during the Sydney International Food Festival.
Proposals for this show must be received by Friday 27 July, 2012.

Janet Tavener, Baby Blue No 3, 2011
coloured resin, 12 x 12 x 12 cm, Brenda May Gallery

Janet Tavener is a contemporary Australian sculptor working in cast resin and ice. Her resin works encompass a range of foods from hamburgers and french fries to the jelly molds that appear ironically similar to the real thing. The resin foods call attention to the artificiality of the products in contemporary consumer culture. Tavener exported the familiar shapes and forms of her resin sculptures into ice for her recent exhibition, ‘Melting Moments’ at Incinerator Art Space in Willoughby. The series of photographs display the sculptures as they melt, highlighting the temporality of life and precarious position of the environment as food production increases the demands upon the earth.

{Vanilla & Blueberry Frozen Fruit Mold}

Yield: 6 servings

300 grams blueberries
2 limes, juiced
1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 cup water
whipped cream, to serve

Reserve 1/2 cup of the blueberries and add the remainder to a large bowl. Add the lime juice and with a hand blender, puree the mixture. Stir in the sugar, seeds from the vanilla bean and water.

Pour the blueberry mixture into a decorative mold. Add the reserved blueberries to the bottom of the mold and let set overnight in the freezer. To unmold, dip into hot water for 30 seconds before inverting. Delicious when paired with whipped cream.

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1 Year Ago: Florentine Ricotta, Prosciutto & Walnut Salad

2 Years Ago: Édouard Manet – Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

As a writer with a penchant for fresh oysters and summer tomatoes, this quote fits squarely into my culinary logic. Personally, a weeknight meal consists of little more than a ripe tomato, sliced, salted and layered on buttered dark bread. Inspired by a painting by a Scottish Colourist, I became preoccupied with preserving the range of tomato colours as well as the summer taste as the season began to wane here in Australia. By braising the tomatoes over low heat for a limited amount of time, this recipe for sweet tomato relish seeks to preserve the fruit while maintaining the flush of summer ripeness.

Francis Cadell, Still Life (Tomatoes), c.1920
oil on board, 37 x 45 cm, Private collection

Francis Cadell’s association with the Scottish Colourists stemmed from his early exposure to the French avant-garde movement of Fauvism. Still Life (Tomatoes) was painted while Cadell was living in Enderburgh and by isolating the tomatoes upon the stark linens, he is able to reinforce the saturated colour of the fruit. While in Scotland, Cadell had little contact with the rest of the European arts community and tended to depict the elements in his immediate environment in the vivid colours embraced by the Fauvists and Scottish Colourists.

{Sweet Tomato Relish}

Yield: 3 cups

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon rock salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
handful fresh parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan, add the chopped onion, ghee, rock salt and thyme. Over medium-high heat, saute the onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Simmer the relish for about 20 minutes over medium low heat. Stir occasionally but not vigorously as not to break up the tomatoes completely. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before storing in an airtight jar. Will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

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1 Year Ago: Paul Cézanne – Chocolate Ginger Cake with Simmered Oranges

2 Years Ago: Raphaelle Peale – Orange & Lemon Ice Cream

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

24 days until the Feasting on Art Recipe Contest deadline and the first entry is already in. Be sure to get your submissions started!

Théo van Rysselberghe, Still Life with Plums, 1926
oil on canvas, dimensions unknown, Private collection

As a neo-impressionist painter, Belgian-born Théo van Rysselberghe’s work embraced the ordered application of pure colour. In the painting Still Life with Plums, created the year of his death, van Rysselberghe abandoned his earlier pointillist technique in favour of broad brushstrokes of vivid colour. Against the muted backdrop of browns and golds, the saturated purple of the plums immediately draws the eye to the centre of the canvas. The compositions of his later years were heavily influenced by the atmospheric qualities of light. van Rysselberghe was adept at establishing warmth and heat through the red/gold tones of his paintings.

{Plum Applesauce}

Yield: 2 cups

2 granny smith apples
6 plums
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
chopped & toasted walnuts, to serve

Remove the pits from the fruit, cut each apple into 8 wedges and cut the plums in half. Add to a medium-sized pot with the water, sugar and vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the fruit has become soft, gently stir to mash into an applesauce. Carefully remove the apple skins from the sauce. Serve with a scatter of chopped and toasted walnuts and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Will keep for about a week.

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1 Year Ago: Willem Kalf – Papegaaientongetjes (Parrot Tongues)

“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

Combining the ingredients in Tom Wesselmann’s ‘Still Life #2′ was a natural
marriage, the dark molasses flavours of the whiskey compliment the subtle
sweetness of the pear with the toasty hints in the liquor mirrored in the toasted
hazelnuts of the crust. Cinnamon and ginger continue the warming flavour
palette and provides a sharp-spiciness to the tart – the perfect foil to the cooling
whiskey cream, speckled with vanilla seeds.

I would like to welcome all of the new readers arriving from Design*Sponge. I hope you take a bit of time and explore the site. You can find the entire listing of recipes here and if you are curious about the type of art you can find among the pages of this blog, then head on over to the art index and click on the images that catch your eye.

Tom Wesselmann, Still Life #2, 1962
oil and collage on board, 121.9 x 122.2 cm, Norton Simon Museum

The American Pop artist, Tom Wesselmann, was concerned with consumerism during the postwar era and created a distinct collage style of found art collage. He began working with images from magazines and posters but as his work increased in scale, he looked skyward to acquire used billboard signs. Wesselmann disliked his inclusion in the Pop Art movement because he was less concerned with critiquing  aspects of consumerism and instead focused on the aesthetic use of the everyday. A number of elements in Still Life #2 have been cut and pasted including the bouquet of flowers in the center of the frame.

Click here to view the pear tart with whiskey cream recipe on Design*Sponge.
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1 Year Ago: Johann Christian Berndt – Pear, Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Pizza

Clara Peeters, Still Life with Cheeses, Artichoke and Cherries, c.1625
oil on wood, 46.6 x 33.3 cm, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Clara Peeters, a Flemish artist working at the turn of the 17th century, painted meticulously detailed still life paintings influenced by Osias Beert. Her skill in rendering texture is evident in the rough and crumbly cheese and the smooth cherries. Her work is often thought to contain religious iconography and using the commonly associated symbolic meanings of the food depicted in Still Life with Cheeses, Artichoke and Cherries, the painting moves beyond a simple still life to a complex religious message.

The dominating forms of the cheese and butter shavings denoting motherhood are coupled with a bread roll that references the Eucharist. A trio of cherries reinforce the image of Christ via their iconographic meaning of the Passion. These items are gathered on the right side of the canvas, with a knife – often used to represent betrayal – dividing the composition and the food. The items on the left have negative connotations when contrasted with the icons of Christ and the Holy Mother on the right. The artichoke was considered an aphrodisiac and therefore could be linked with the sin of lust. The cherries on the left of the painting are in opposition to those on the right because they sit upon a mirrored plate. Mirrors were used to reference the sin vanity as well as lust (1). Salt was used to denote wisdom and appears to sit upon a scale – perhaps to suggest to the viewer to lead a balanced life in order to evade the perils of sin.

{Marinated Artichokes}

1 can water-packed artichokes, drained
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest
½ clove garlic, minced
½ c olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped

Mix the white wine vinegar, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl. Add the drained and rinsed artichokes and toss in the vinegar mixture. Set aside for half an hour.

Once slightly pickled in the vinegar, add the rest of the ingredients and toss well, mixing the remaining vinegar and olive oil to create vinaigrette. Serve with other antipasti and cheese.

{Spicy Cherry Chutney}

adapted from Gourmet Magazine

1 orange peel
3 c cherries
1 c red onion, chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
¼ c balsamic vinegar
2 TB cider vinegar
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground pink peppercorns

Carefully peel the orange and slice into thin julienned strips. In a large, heavy pot, stir together all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer, stirring every couple of minutes. After about 35-40 minutes, stir more often and once the chutney has thickened, after 50 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool. Spoon into a jar and keep chilled for up to three weeks. Serve with cold meats or cheeses.

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1 Year Ago: Frédéric Bazille – Prawn Phở