Luis Meléndez, Piece of Salmon, Lemon and three Vessels, 1772
oil on canvas, 42 x 62 cm, Museo del Prado

Luis Meléndez is known for a series of still life paintings that were painted during a twenty year period at the end of his life. Piece of Salmon, Lemon and three Vessels was completed in the later half of this twenty year span and exemplifies his attention to detail derived from an early career as a miniaturist. The composition is dramatically lit, emphasised by the long shadow behind the lone lemon. The edge of the table is tilted to the right giving the impression that the lemon and the bowl are rolling along the surface. As is typical with Meléndez’s work, particular consideration is given to the texture of objects – each nick in the table and dent in the bowl is meticulously recorded. The series was commissioned by Charles III, Prince of Asturias for the New Cabinet of Natural History in the Royal Palace and was described by Meléndez as “an amusing cabinet with all types of foodstuffs that the Spanish climate produces”.

{Baked Salmon with a Dijon-Tarragon Crust}

serves 1

1 salmon fillet
1 TB dijon mustard
1 TB chopped tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200C. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, chopped tarragon and lemon zest. Mix well. Pat the salmon fillet dry and sprinkle salt on the skin side. Pat with oil and lay skin side down in a hot frying pan or griddle for 1 minute.

Remove the salmon from the heat and place on a baking tray, skin side down. Smear the mustard mixture over the top of the fillet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Once the salmon is fully cooked, remove from the oven and serve immediately with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.

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1 Year Ago: Pablo Picasso – Sangria Chicken & Orange and Radicchio Salad

Jean-Siméon Chardin, Still Life, c.1732
oil on panel, 17.1 x 20.96 cm, Detroit Institute of Arts

Jean-Siméon Chardin is an 18th-century French artist notable for his still lifes and interiors. He painted his subjects true to life in a quiet simplicity that was in direct contrast to the opulent extravagance of his Rococo contemporaries. Stylistically, Chardin mirrored his work on that of the 17th-century Dutch artists and enjoyed immediate success after his acceptance to the French Academy in 1728. In Still Life, the objects on the table are softly lit with thick impasto paint which marked a stark contrast to the smooth translucent layers of paint and spot-lit ingredients by the Dutch artists Chardin regarded. As an artist his ‘pure painting’ influenced the work of Cezanne, Manet, Braque and Matisse who copied many of his paintings at the Louvre.

{Leek & Gruyère Soufflé}

adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cooking from the Farmers’ Market
serves 6-8 people

1 stick of unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 c Gruyère cheese, grated
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
2 TB olive oil
4 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
salt & pepper
5 TB flour
2 1/2 c heavy cream, warmed
6 eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and position the rack into the top third. Generously coat the inside of a glass or ceramic baking dish (I used a 9 x 12 inch glass dish) with butter and evenly cover the bottom of the dish with 1/2 of the Gruyère cheese.

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and begin to cook the leeks. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper to season the leeks and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool.

Return the pan to the stove top and turn the heat down to medium. Melt 5 TB of the butter and add the flour, whisking for 1 minute to form a roux. Slowly add the cream, whisking to keep lumps from forming. Keep whisking for 4 minutes, until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Slowly add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring between each addition. Mix in the remaining cup of Gruyère cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan and leeks. Set aside.

In a large clean and dry bowl, beat the egg whites for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Carefully using a rubber spatula, fold a quarter of the egg white mixture into the leek mixture. Once incorporated, quickly stir in the rest of the egg whites so that no white streaks remain. Pour into the prepared dish and slide into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes until the soufflé is golden brown. Serve immediately.

The soufflé was made with the expert guidance of my friend Monica, thank you so much!

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1 Year Ago: Piet Mondrian – Pound Cake

Willem Claesz Heda, Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie, 1631
oil on wood, 54 x 82 cm, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden

As one of the earliest still life painters of the Dutch Golden Age, Willem Claesz Heda is known for his little breakfast scenes called ontbijtjes. Heda’s paintings are dramatically lit with a multitude of reflective trinkets, glasses and bowls. The table, laden with objects, is divided by the white tablecloth with a knife and a key on blue ribbon protruding into the viewer’s space. The objects are tousled, glasses overturned and the pie half eaten, which gives the painting a feeling of action. Heda’s work is similar in composition and colouration to that of his contemporary, Pieter Claesz, another notable Dutch still life painter. Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie is closely related to the painting Still Life (Bodegón with pie of fruits and diverse objects) painted three years later and housed at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. The Spanish museum applied the term bodegón - a kitchen/pantry scene where the objects are arranged against a dark background. The Spanish bodegón scenes were derived from Dutch Golden Age paintings similar to Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie.

{Plum & Blackberry Streusel Pie}

adapted from Gourmet

4 plums
1 c blackberries
2/3 + 1/2 c sugar (divided)
3TB tapioca
2 TB cornstarch
1 tsp lemon zest
3/4 tsp salt (divided)
pastry crust
1 c oats
1/2 c flour
1 stick butter
vanilla ice cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Slice the plums and in a large bowl, toss them with the blackberries,  2/3 c sugar, tapioca, cornstarch, zest and salt.

In another bowl, stir together the oats, flour, 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it forms small clumps.

Place the pie crust in the pie pan and on a large flat baking tray. Mound the fruit into the shell and cover the filling with the crumbled streusel topping.

Bake the pie for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until the streusel topping is golden brown. Let the pie cool completely, at least 3 to 4 hours in order to set. If sliced too soon after baking the filling will turn to berry soup on the plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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1 Year Ago: Fernand Léger – Michelada

I thought it would be so fun to walk in Megan’s shoes for a while, and she agreed to a guest post.  Her father Ed and I quickly decided to make blackberry jelly.  We had made strawberry jam several times together and managed to stay married, so we thought we were up for the challenge.  The difference between jelly and jam is that jelly does not contain seeds.  No big deal, right?

We picked our blackberries along a secret dirt road in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  I’d tell you where the secret road is but I wasn’t paying attention as we bounced along.  We wore jeans and heavy shirts despite the hot weather – protection from the vicious thorns attached to blackberry brambles.  The blackberries in Raphaelle Peale’s still life look misleadingly innocent draped over the silver platter, so unlike their counterparts in the wild.  We were scratched, poked, and tripped by thorny stalks that attacked us as we waded through the thicket.  But we were successful!  After nearly an hour, Ed and I picked about three cups of luscious berries.   One cup I devoured immediately; the last two made it into our bucket.

Raphaelle Peale, Blackberries, c.1813
oil on wood panel, 18.4 x 26 cm, de Young Fine Art Museum

We needed 12 cups of blackberries to make our jelly.  Thank goodness my brother Bruce donated a gallon ice cream tub full of berries that he had picked.  What can I say – my berry-picking skills had gotten rusty.  Ed had never picked blackberries before, and his first handful of berries was full of red clusters.  I explained that the pure black ones were sweeter, and then noticed that he was wearing his sunglasses!  His berry picking skills improved significantly without his tinted Ray-Bans.

To make our jelly, Ed and I pureed and strained twelve cups of berries into 3 ½ cups of juice.  It was hard work, and I managed to drop seeds into our juice on more than one occasion.  After a second straining, Ed was happy with the product, but by then we were no longer speaking and communicated via hand gestures.  Once we actually started cooking the jelly, though, we were back on good terms.  The secret ingredients Ed added smelled so good that we were all smiling and inhaling deeply – and I’m not ashamed to admit that.

{Wild Blackberry Jelly}

12 cups blackberries, juiced then strained to make 3 ½ cups juice
1/3 cup triple sec
¾ cup water
½ lemon, juiced
1 pkg. No Sugar Sure Jell (pectin)
3 cups sugar

Prepare jelly jars and screw bands of 2-part lids by washing them in hot, soapy water.  Let dry.  Prepare flat lids (with rubber seal) by placing them in very hot (not boiling) water.  We used 1-12 oz. jar and 3-8 oz. jars.

Rinse berries in cold water.  We used a blender to puree our berries in small batches.  Strain pureed berries to remove all the seeds and pulp.  Pour blackberry juice, triple sec, lemon juice, and water into large pot.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.  Mix ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl with the pectin.  Stir sugar-pectin mixture into the juice.  Bring mixture to a full roiling boil on high heat.  Stir constantly.  Add remaining sugar and stir.  Return to a full roiling bowl and boil for exactly one minute, again stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and skim off foam.

Ladle into jars at once, before jelly sets up.  Fill to within 1/8 inch of jar top.  Clean jar edges, then cover with 2-part lids, screwing bands tightly.  Turn jars upside-down on a heat-resistant surface for 5 minutes.  Invert jars; as they cool they will seal and give off a distinctive ping.

To determine if jelly has cooked long enough, pour a small amount onto a spoon that has been in the freezer.  If the jelly solidifies on the spoon, it is ready to be ladled into jars.  If it does not solidify, add more pectin and boil for another minute or two.  Repeat test.

This is the second part in a two part series featuring wild blackberries and Raphaelle Peale.

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1 Year Ago: Louis Meléndez – Baby Octopus in Sofregit Sauce

Raphaelle Peale, Blackberries, c.1813
oil on wood panel, 18.4 x 26 cm, de Young Fine Art Museum

Raphaelle Peale exhibited Blackberries twice at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, first in 1814 and then again in 1817. The small painting depicts both ripe and unripe berries in a small shallow bowl. The subject matter is typical for work by Peale who was fond of balancing his still life compositions with everyday items. The audience for the painting was a limited one given the small panel size. Only one person could properly view the artwork at any given time giving the composition a sense of intimacy.  The hovering berries and luminous colour convey the perception of life and movement to the inanimate objects (1).

{Wild Blackberry & Honey Frozen Yogurt}

This is a sour yogurt recipe. To sweeten, double the amount of sugar.

1 1/2 c (300 g) Greek yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
3 TB sugar
3 tsp honey*
3 c wild blackberries

In a plastic tub suitable for use in a freezer add the Greek yogurt and honey. In a small cup, add the juice from the lemon and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon-sugar mixture to the honey yogurt.

Chop the wild blackberries in a blender. Strain out the seeds and add the blackberry juice to the yogurt mixture. Stir well and place in fridge for 3-5 hours or until firm. Once the yogurt begins to firm, remove from freezer and stir to break the ice crystals. This will ensure the ice cream is smooth.

Spoon in a pretty dish and add a couple of fresh berries for a contrast in texture (I used blackberries and thimbleberries). Will keep for a couple of weeks in the freezer.

*I used a really lovely lavender honey my mother brought home from France. Regular honey will work just as fine but it would be really fun to try different flavoured honeys.

This is the first part in a two part series featuring wild blackberries and Raphaelle Peale.

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1 Year Ago: Fernando Botero – Frozen Watermelon Margarita

Paul Gauguin, Nature morte aux tomates (Tomatoes and a pewter tankard on a table), 1883
oil on canvas, 60 x 73 cm, private collection

Paul Gauguin painted Nature morte aux tomates the year he quit working at the stock exchange and devoted his career to art.  The work from this period is closely related to Impressionism – he later broke away from the movement by simplifying his painting and focusing on shape and bold blocks of colour. In the two years before Gauguin painted Nature morte aux tomates, he exhibited at the Salon and formed a close relationship with Camille Pissarro. The short brushstrokes create a wavy texture over the surface of the composition carrying the eye from one corner to the other and reflect Cezanne’s influence over his art. According to the Christie’s catalogue from the May 2009 sale of Nature morte aux tomates, “A still-life with tomatoes, and indeed one composed mainly of tomatoes, is an unusual subject in 19th century French painting. Among the upper classes the tomato still had a lingering reputation for being poisonous to consume, a problem caused when the acids of the fruit leeched into the lead content of the pewter flatware that well-to-do diners preferred to use.”

{Tomato Tarte Tatin}

adapted from the NY Times

4 large tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
5 TB butter
1 TB white balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
1 TB fresh lemon thyme leaves
1 sheet, puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 425F or 220C. Cut the puff pastry 1/2 cm larger than the skillet. Melt 2 TB of the butter in the skillet and add the thinly sliced red onion and a pinch of salt. Stir over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes before adding 2TB of water to lift any bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir for another 30 seconds before transferring to a bowl.

Melt the remaining butter in the skillet very slowly over medium-low heat until it turns golden. Add the balsamic vinegar and a bit of black pepper, cooking until the harsh vinegar smell disappears. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in a pretty pattern and top with the onions. Cover with the puff pastry and cut several long vents in the pastry to allow the steam to escape. Tuck the edges around the tomatoes and slide into the oven. Bake for around 30 minutes until puffed and golden.

Let the tart stand for a few minutes before running a knife around the edge to loosen. You may need to pour out a bit of the liquid at the bottom of the pan – my tomatoes were very juicy and I had quite a bit of excess liquid. Flip the tart onto a serving platter, sprinkle with the fresh thyme and cut into wedges. Serve with fresh goat cheese immediately. The crust will become soggy if left to sit in the juices from the tomatoes and onions.

If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet then simply cook the onions and brown butter in a small saucepan or frying pan and transfer to a round cake tin.

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1 Year Ago: Edouard Manet – Ham, Gruyère and Moutarde Palmiers

Claes Oldenburg, Flying Pizza, 1964
lithograph, 43.2 x 56.2 cm, edition of 200

The Swedish-born artist Claes Oldenburg is known for his sculptures of everyday objects ranging from spoons to hamburgers. The public works are often interactive and were initially scorned before being embraced for their playfulness. In addition to the colossal sized sculptures, the objects also appear in soft-form and were originally sewn together by Oldenburg’s ex-wife. Oldenburg moved to the United States in 1936 and many of his works pay homage to the foods associated with New York City. The pizza in Flying Pizza from the New York 10 portfolio appears twisted and distorted, a characteristic of his sculptures when they are reincarnated from a hard to a soft form.

{Pesto, Cherry Tomato, Mozzarella & Parmesan Pizza}

1/2 c pesto
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 c mozzarella cheese
pizza dough

Roll out the dough with a bit of flour and spread an even layer of pesto. Top with mozzarella, Parmesan and cherry tomatoes before sliding into the oven. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the dough and the heat of the oven. In the wood-fired oven it took about 3 minutes, rotating the pizza once. Serve immediately.

{Arugula, Red Onion Marmalade & Goat Cheese Pizza}

1/2 c red onion marmalade
1/2 c goat cheese
handful of washed arugula, still wet
pizza dough

Roll out the pizza dough with flour and top with the marmalade. Spoon out small globs of the goat cheese and disperse evenly over the pizza. Slide into the oven and when rotating pizza, remove from oven to top with the wet arugula. Return the pizza to the oven to finish cooking, three minutes total in a wood-fired oven.

{Feta, Parsley, Red Onion & Lemon Pizza}

adapted from How to Cook by Lesley Waters

1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled
1 large red tomato, sliced
1 TB olive oil
2 TB red onion, minced
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
pizza dough

In a large bowl combine the parsley, red onion, crumbled feta and lemon juice. Mix and set aside. Roll out the pizza dough with flour and top with the sliced tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and slide into the wood-fired oven for three minutes, rotating once. When done cooking, top with the feta mixture and return the pizza to the oven for 30 more seconds.

{Spicy Sausage & Jalapeño Pizza}

1 fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced
1 sausage, meat removed from casing
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried chili flakes
1 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 c tomato pizza sauce
pizza dough

Pre-cook the sausage meat with the chili powder and hot sauce by sauteing in a frying pan. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towel to draw out the grease and fat. Roll out the pizza dough and spread an even layer of pizza sauce. Top with the mozzarella cheese, sausage and jalapeño. Sprinkle the dried chili flakes over the pizza before sliding into oven. Rotate pizza half way through cooking and remove once the cheese is melted and golden, about three minutes.

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1 Year Ago: Vincent van Gogh – Lemon Poppy Seed Bread & Blueberry Honey Butter

Margaret Olley, Still life with mandarins, c.1975
oil on board, 76 x 122 cm, Private collection

As one of Australia’s best known still life artists, Margaret Olley has enjoyed a successful career and many accolades, including the Companion of the Order of Australia. Her compositions are perfectly balanced with rich colours depicting intimate interior scenes. Olley tends to paint the objects from her own home demonstrating an acute attention to detail. She rarely paints a single objects but instead creates groupings of fruits, flowers, and vases. In her paintings the spatial relationships between the objects are as important as the objects themselves. In 1997 Olley was declared an ‘Australian National Treasure’ and a major retrospective was held at the Art Gallery of NSW.

{Orange Grapefruit Marmalade}

makes 2 jars

2 oranges
1 pink grapefruits
1 lemons
1 litre water
1 c sugar

Scrub the skin of the fruit and cut in half removing all visible seeds. Place in a large pot and cover with water (about 1 litre). Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour uncovered.

Remove the fruit from the water and strain out all seeds. Finely mince the fruit while carefully retaining all juices and flesh. Discard any hard bits. Return the flesh to the pot of water and add 1 c sugar. Continue to simmer over medium-low heat for an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, sterilise two canning jars and set aside on clean towels. Once the jam is ready, take it off the heat and carefully ladle into jars. Screw on the lid tightly and overturn the jars on a cutting board allowing the jam to cool. Ready to eat immediately and will keep for several weeks.

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1 Year Ago: Cristoforo Munari – Milano Cookies

Édouard Manet, Fish (Still Life), 1864
oil on canvas, 32.1 x 73.4 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago

Throughout the long history of still life painting, both French and Dutch artists repeatedly used the motif of the fish. Often an idyllic fish is depicted, its silvery scales meticulously painted as it harmoniously blends with the other objects placed within the frame of the canvas. The still life titled Fish by Edouard Manet is oppositional to this pre-defined way of representation. The large fish becomes the dominating focal point with its mouth gaping open and eye bulging. While gazing at the painting, viewers unintentionally wrinkle their nose; Manet was able to capture with paint the essence of the smell of rotting fish.

{Bouillabaisse}

adapted from Donna Hay

10 green onions, sliced
1/2 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red chili, sliced
1 TB olive oil
2 TB oil infused with chili
10 saffron threads
1 TB boiling water
1 can crushed tomatoes
6 c fish stock
1/2 tsp smoky paprika
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
100 g fresh prawns with the shell
300 g assorted seafood (mussels, calamari, clams, fish)
lemon
parsley

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the green onion, garlic, fennel and chili for about 6 minutes, until soft. Meanwhile, place the saffron threads in a bowl of 1TB boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes.

After 6 minutes, add the tomatoes, fish stock and saffron with the soaking water. Bring to a boil and add the paprika, soy sauce and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add fish and seafood to soup and cook for about 2 minutes, until fish and prawns turn opaque. Remove from heat and top with chopped parsley and a fresh squeeze of lemon. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the broth.
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1 Year Ago: Severin Rosen – Strawberry BBQ Pulled Pork

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Onions and a Bottle, 1895-1900
oil on canvas, 66 x 81 cm, The Louvre, Paris

The balanced composition of Cézanne’s Still Life with Onions and a Bottle alternates between the broad flat planes of the wall and the tightly grouped objects on the table. The linear forms of the table and bottle are juxtaposed by the round onions and scalloped edges. The paint is applied in heavy streaks with the brush and marks a point in the evolution of Cézanne’s work where his palette becomes darker and the surface less smooth. As with Still Life with  Plate of Cherries, the perspective is skewered. The front of the table runs parallel to the bottom of the canvas while the side does not line up with the scalloped edge. It appears the entire table is tilting forward, presenting the abundance to the viewer.

{French Onion Soup}

adapted from a little taste of…France

50 g butter
3 large onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 c flour
3 c beef stock
1/4 c white wine
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
baguette, sliced
3/4 c grated Gruyère
Dijon mustard

In a heavy pot, melt the butter over medium high heat and begin to cook the onions. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally for 25 minutes until the onions begin to caramelize and turn golden brown.

Add the garlic and flour and continue to stir for 2 minutes. Begin to blend the stock, 1 cup at a time and add the white wine. Stir continuously and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for an additional 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Slice the baguette and spread a thin layer of mustard on each. Preheat the broiler in the oven and cover the soup with an even layer of baguette slices. Top with the Gruyère cheese. Slide under the broiler and cook until the cheese has melted and begins to bubble.

Ladle into a bowl and serve with one or two of the baguette slices. Delicious with a salade niçoise

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1 Year Ago: William Merritt Chase – Red Onion Marmalade