Feasting on Art

I am so happy to reinstate the monthly collaborative feature here on Feasting on Art. Alyson, the designer behind the website redesign, is also the blogger behind the charming design site, Unruly Things. I visit her blog daily to gush over pretty vintage finds and inspiring photography. In addition to her design company Seventy & Sunny, Alyson runs a letterpress shop called Postal Press where her appreciation for specimen charts manifested into a letterpress calendar. It seemed only appropriate that we would deconstruct a botanical art illustration.

Visit Alyson’s blog, Unruly Things, for the recipe for Pear Almond Sticky Buns.

Johann Christian Berndt, Plate 21, 1809-1812,
colour plate of pear varieties from Johann Ludwig Christ’s book, Vollständige pomologie, Royal Horticultural Society
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Thanksgiving, or Turkey Day as it is affectionately dubbed, is not complete with the glistening roast bird set as the centerpiece of the meal. In 2007 I had the pleasant experience of discovering that the tiny oven in my London flat would not accommodate the giant bird I bought to roast. After a bit of wrestling I managed to sort out a solution but I have since decided that roasting the bird in pieces is much easier and takes a portion of the time. This recipe works just as well with chicken and can either be cooked entirely in the oven or finished off on a grill to enhance the smokey & charred BBQ flavor of the sauce and the rub.

Soren Emil Carlsen, Thanksgiving Still Life, 1891
oil on canvas, 117 x 106 cm, San Diego Museum of Art

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I am very excited to introduce a new monthly feature to Feasting on Art – blogger recipe collaboration. It is a great way to highlight some of the writers and photographers that I follow and who influence my work. Each collaboration will focus on one painting and two recipes – one sweet and the other savory. This week you will have to visit Jamie’s post, Baked ‘Fried’ Apple Pie, for the sweet half of this autumnal German menu. With it being the first week of Oktoberfest I would recommend enjoying the meal with a big stein of lager. Although German cuisine is often thought of as heavy and stodgy, the sauerkraut (German for ‘sour cabbage’) balances the schnitzel, lightened through the inclusion of fresh apple in the breading. Side-note: due to a dust storm (see photo) all of the photographs were shot by candlelight.

Paul Klee, Still Life with Four Apples, 1909
oil and gouache on board, 34.3 x 28.2 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City

Within a blink of an eye my entire week has disappeared. Before my eyes reopened today – a warm Sunday morning – I managed to make a lovely little meal of sangria chicken and radicchio salad. My inspiration this week was a beautiful little etching by Picasso made during a period of art historical reflection. The flavors of orange and lemon are repeated in both recipes and the tender chicken (very sweet) compliments the crunchy salad (sweet, salty, sour, spicy, and a little bit bitter). The roasted grapes were the clincher for me – soft and plump, bursting with sweet juice. Prior to sitting down to eat I received a copy of the feature on Feasting on Art in ARTnews Magazine. I am thrilled to say the least and I hope any readers arriving via the article will pause and leave a comment – I am eager to hear your impression!

Pablo Picasso, Nature morte au citron et un pichet rouge
(Still Life with Lemon and Red Pitcher), c.1955
Etching, (image size) 33 x 40.6 cm, Edition of 300

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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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