Feasting on Art

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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This is a post of firsts. It is my first non-western recipe and painting, it is the first painting by an anonymous artist, the first work to not feature a still life and because of this, the first one to not have a recreation. Beyond all of the firsts, it is an opportunity for me to learn about a section of art history with which I am not overly familiar. Chicken congee is a dish that my partner fondly remembers from his childhood so I was more than happy to make it for him. It is a warm and filling dish that is perfect for the current frosty weather that has recently enveloped Sydney.

Anonymous, Mother Hen and Chicks, Sung Dynasty
Ink & colour on paper, 60.8 x 32.8 cm, current collection unknown

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This week has turned into apple week here at Feasting on Art. This still life was requested by my mother before she knew that my last post would feature an apple recipe based on my childhood memories. Strangely I made it a full 24 years without ever making an omelet and in a way I am quite happy that I held out for this one. It is so wonderfully delicious that I am glad it was my first. Made with homemade dulce de leche, it is the perfect addition to any brunch and with Mother’s Day just around the corner I felt it was an apt time for this lavish breakfast post.

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