Feasting on Art

The autumn now holds a distinct chill in the air so I want to pack the blog with the last bit of fresh veg before the winter produce hits the shelves. The next post will feature beautiful asparagus that I hope to find at the market this weekend but for now I want to share a delicious salad recipe that combines lots of textures and flavours. I adore the sweet/sour/spicy dressing combined with the soft, milky cheese and the crunch of the walnuts. To see what I was cooking, eating, and learning about a year ago, check the link at the bottom of each post to view the entry from 12 months earlier.

Florentine artist, The Flour Bolter of Baldassarre Sauarez, Known as Il Mantenuto, 1650
Florence, Accademia della Crusca

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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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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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This still life was requested by Liz at Zested and what a challenge it ended up being!! I had a very hard time figuring out how to work the cabbage into a recipe with the melon (not to mention stringing up the quince and cabbage for a photo!). I finally decided that although I like a bit of sweetness in a salad, the melon was a bit too sweet and by pickling it I was able to give the curtido an extra vinegary punch. It is not a traditional Spanish dish, its roots are in Latin America, but by including some typical Spanish flavors like lemon, oregano, and paprika I was able to give a Spanish feel to a fantastic dish.

Juan Sánchez Cotán, Still-life with Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber, c. 1600
oil on Canvas, 69 x 85 cm, Museum of Art, San Diego

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I have always been drawn to Frida Kahlo’s work but it was the trip to Mexico City with my History of Art peers that really solidified my adoration. After visiting the space where she worked and her paintings in the Mueso de Art Moderno I couldn’t stop thinking about her art. The colours and textures were what I wanted to capture in a recipe and so by combining a few of my favorite ingredients (chili, lime, coriander, papaya) I tried to create a fresh and interesting salad with multiple layers of flavor much like the depth and emotional layering of Kahlo’s paintings.

Frida Kahlo, Naturaleza Muerta Con Sandias (Still Life with Watermelon), 1953
oil on compressed wood, 40 x 60 cm, Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico

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