Feasting on Art

A fritter can be classified as an ingredient coated in batter and deep-fried. In my kitchen, it typically forms a rough patty, lightly fried in a skillet with a number of ingredients still visible through the crusted batter coating. According to the online etymology dictionary, the noun, not the verb, is derived from the 14th century Old French verb friture meaning ‘something fried’ which in turn is from the Late Latin frictura, ‘a frying’ (1). Precisely because of the double meaning of the word fritter, I am loathe to admit that when packing the little patties away for a beachside picnic, a few pathetic puns along the lines of ‘frittering the afternoon away’ made their way into my discourse.

Nora Heysen, Corn cobs, 1938
oil on canvas, 40.5 x 51.3 cm, Art Gallery of New South Wales

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After a distraction by a rather large mound of butter, I am happy to be posting the fourth installment of the Frida Kahlo series. Although I am a bit mad to even consider baking in this humid heat, I just couldn’t help myself – each little slice is a meal unto itself! The flavors meld perfectly: nutty semolina with the sour/spicy hit of the pickled jalapeños, tang of the sharp cheddar and sweetness of the toasted corn. Before my common sense kicked in I was pulling out my cast iron pot to make a batch of chili, the perfect accompaniment. I stopped short of turning my flat into a full fledged sauna and froze the remaining cornbread to be pulled out at the first hint of chill in the air.

I would also like to extend a thank you to Nikki of Art and Lemons and Dana of Real Food Rehab. Visit their respective sites to find out a bit more about the Sydney food scene, Feasting on Art, and my own personal art/food background.

Frida Kahlo, Fruits of the Earth, 1938-39,
oil on masonite, 40.6 x 60 cm, Coleccion Banco Nacional de Mexico

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