Feasting on Art

Every December disappears in a blink. Between holiday dinners and various projects, my time management skills are seriously tested. That is why I love the idea of brunch – combining meals to save time! I put together this little menu featuring fruity breakfast recipes inspired by Post-Impressionist painters.

If you live in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and you see a Wentworth Courier while out and about then check out my interview on page 30. If you are not a Sydneysider you can read it here. I also had an article published in the December 2009 issue of Ceramics Monthly. As a tangent off of my dissertation, the article explores the work of contemporary artists who incorporate methods of repair and use into the finished product. From Bethan Laura Wood’s teacups that stain as you drink them to the delicate drips of gold lacquer on the Reiko Kaneko‘s pieces the idea of use as damage is disregarded and instead embraced. You can read the article online here.

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 dark and dreary interior of the Potato Eaters is a stark juxtaposition to the colour and the flavor of the sweet potato mash. With Thanksgiving being such an important meal in the North American calendar, I felt it was appropriate to include a painting of a familial supper in this series. The subjects of the painting are peasants and although their entire meal consists of a platter of potatoes, there is no unhappiness apparent on their faces. This is Thanksgiving – being thankful for what one has and celebrating the food on the table. I could not think of a better way to celebrate the simple potato than to spike it with a bit of my beloved chipotle and albeit the food visually contrasts the art, the message is still there.

Vincent van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885
oil on canvas, 82 x 114 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

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I regret to admit that I am not adventurous when it comes to ordering from a menu. I tend to visit a restaurant because I have a craving for a particular meal and so, I cannot be easily dissuaded to impulsively try something new. Since my first taste of Phở I have yet to discover a dish to tempt me away. The savory broth coupled with the sour lime juice and heat from the sliced chili makes for a light yet filling soup that was so readily consumed last March that it is often referred to the period that we were ‘Phoed-out’. The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipe is from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

Frédéric Bazille, Soup Bowl Covers, 1864
oil on canvas, 22 x 35 cm, Private Collection

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When I was a child my hatred for mustard was very well-known. My brother used to torment me by putting it on my bedroom door knob so the smell would be on my hands. It was not until I moved to London and discovered the seeded variety (I only knew of the yellow American kind) that I became obsessed in a good way. At one point I had seven different jars in my fridge (see photo at the bottom of post). I am always looking for new recipes that feature mustard and so I was quite pleased when I stumbled upon this little gem. I made the palmiers for breakfast and they disappeared very quickly. My mother is adverse to mustard (I wonder where I got it from…) and so I made an additional batch with just the ham and cheese which were just as good (but not better!). They would also make a great bite-size appetizer as they are not too filling.

Édouard Manet, The Ham, 1875
oil on canvas, 13 x 16 cm, The Glasgow Museum

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