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

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1 Year Ago: Bryant Chapin – Strawberry Shortcake with Blueberry Syrup

De Scott Evans, A new variety try one, c.1890
oil on canvas, 30.4 x 25.4 cm, Columbus Museum of Art

De Scott Evans was an American artist, born in 1847 and educated at Miami University. He later moved to the midwest and began painting trompe l’oeil still lifes that were popular at the time. Although it was not a new artistic tradition, Evans incorporated fine brushstrokes with a bit of humor, evident in A new variety try one as well as the similar painting, Free Sample Take One. Evans signed his paintings with a number of aliases including S.S. David as illustrated above. The detail in the wood grain coupled with the illusion of the broken glass and paper note inviting the audience to try a nut, complete the artifice and frame the nuts, giving them depth as they project into the viewer’s space.

I particularly enjoy recipes that can be cobbled together with the odds and ends of my pantry and cheese drawer. Risotto rice is a very handy ingredient because it only takes a little bit to feed many people. I only eat meat on weekends and am always looking for interesting ways to incorporate nuts into my diet for a bit of protein. The crunch from the walnut crust provides the perfect contrast to the extra creamy risotto.

{Baked Risotto with a Walnut Parmesan Crust}

2 shallots
1 clove garlic
3 TB butter
1 1/2 c risotto rice
1/2 c red wine vinegar
5 1/2 c chicken stock
1/2 c toasted walnuts
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
1/2 c Persian Feta
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper

Finely chop the shallots and garlic. In a small saucepan begin to heat the chicken stock. In a larger oven-proof dish, melt 2TB of the butter over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots and garlic about 2-3 minutes until they are soft and begin to brown. Add the risotto rice and toast until the bottom of the pot is dry. Add the red wine vinegar and stir until all liquid is absorbed. Begin incorporating the hot chicken stock, one ladle at a time, stirring often.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a frying pan over medium-high heat until they become fragrant. Finely chop the walnuts. Add to a small bowl and while they are still warm, melt the remaining TB of butter and pour over the nuts. Add 1/3 c of of the Parmesan cheese and mix together well until a clumpy mixture forms.

Once the rice has fully absorbed all of the chicken stock, add the fresh cracked pepper, nutmeg, remaining Parmesan cheese and feta. Mix well and top with the walnut/Parmesan crumble. If you did not use an oven-proof pot, spoon the risotto into oven-proof bowls before topping with the walnut crumble. Otherwise, slide the pot into the oven under the grill for about 5 minutes until the top is golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Notes: Be sure to use Persian Feta, it is much creamer than normal feta and melts into the risotto. Measure the 1/2 c of walnuts after they are finely chopped, not before. Almonds would be a great substitute for the walnuts, and would perhaps make a better version. I find Parmesan cheese salty enough so I didn’t add any extra.

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1 Year Ago: Utagawa Hiroshige – Prawn Dumplings

Pablo Picasso, Still Life, 1914
Painted wood and upholstery fringe, 25.4 x 45.7 x 9.2 cm, Tate Modern

Picasso began making his relief constructions around 1912 which allowed him to reinforce the idea of a painting as an object by incorporating found materials into the sculptures. The subject matter is similar to his paintings from the same period, with emphasis placed on the geometric shapes found in the glass of beer, wedge of cheese, and sausage. The knife balancing on the edge of the table echos a motif found in traditional still life paintings. Historically, artists included a knife to bridge the space between the picture plane and the viewer’s space and was a way to visually enter the composition. Picasso includes a knife that actually protrudes into the viewer’s space – a tongue in cheek nod to classic painting.

{Chipotle, Chorizo & Dark Beer Fondue}

1/4 c chopped chorizo
1/3 c dark beer
250 g mozzarella
250 g cheddar cheese
1 TB cornflour
2 chiptole chilies + 1 tsp adobo sauce

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, gently saute the chorizo to bring out the fat from the sausage. Once rendered and beginning to go crisp, pour in the dark beer and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, grate or cube the cheese and toss with the cornflour. Once the beer is simmering, add the cheese and stir until melted. Chop the chipotle chilies and add to the cheese mixture with 1 tsp adobo sauce. Season to taste (the chorizo is quite salty so I did not need to add any salt to my fondue). Serve* with corn chips, cubes of rye bread, and pretzels.

*Be sure to keep the cheese hot so it stays in a liquid state, if left to cool it will congeal and become a large lump. I used the remaining cheese (once cooled) as a filling for a very delicious quesadilla.

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1 Year Ago: Giacomo Ceruti – Chicken Tetrazzini

In other news, my two wonderfully creative friends Ness & Mel of parliament of two** recently launched their first joint jewelery line. I did a few portraits for them several months ago and am absolutely loving the new collection. The brooches are inspired by medical illustrations and feature quirky titles like this little gem, the snail: pass the salt. Click here to visit their website, shop, blog, and Facebook page. Be sure to grab a brooch before they all sell out!

Bartolomeo Bimbi, Cherries, 1699
Poggio a Caiano, Villa Medicea

The Florentine still life painter Bartolomeo Bimbi (1648-1729) enjoyed the patronage of the Medici family and to this day, several of his works can still be found in the Medici villas (including the painting above). Bimbi worked in a large scale and his paintings are often referred to as “portraits” due to their scientific focus on various botanic species and anomalies of nature, an interest pursued by his patron. He often painted many varieties of the same species upon his canvases which acted as inventory for Cosimo III (1). The idyllic landscape in which Bimbi placed the opulent cherries echoes their iconographic meaning, the fruit of paradise (2).

{Sour Cherry Turnovers with Goat Cheese}

Adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2008
time: 45 minutes, serves 8

300 g frozen pitted cherries, thawed
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp flour
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
goat cheese to serve

Combine the cherries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and let simmer 5-8 minutes until the compote has thickened slightly. Set aside to cool.

Line a tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Use a large glass or small bowl to mark 8 circles in the puff pastry and cut with a sharp knife. On one half of the pastry cut three small holes to allow the steam to escape.

Spoon cherry compote on the half of the pastry without the holes and fold the pastry to make a semi-circle. Press down sealing the edges and crimp with a fork. Line the turnovers on the parchment paper and bake for about 30 minutes until the tops are golden and the juices are bubbling out of the holes. Serve warm with soft goat cheese.

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1 Year Ago: Andy Warhol – Tomato Soup Cake

Adriaen Coorte, A bundle of asparagus, 1703
30 x 23 cm, oil on canvas, Fitzwilliam Museum

The Dutch Golden Age painter Adriaen Coorte was relatively unknown until the mid-twentieth century when a Dutch art historian began publishing papers about his work (1). This may have been because he was not a master in the local arts guild in the 17th century. Coorte is thought to have been an amateur artist, painting what pleased him because he was fined in 1695 for selling his paintings at the market (2).  Coorte often painted the same subject over and over the most common being asparagus and wild strawberries. The composition is minimal, a dark background with the subject perched on a ledge in the foreground. The perfectly lit still lifes retain a sense of calm that have been likened to ‘bodegón‘ works.

{Pickled Asparagus}

adapted from The NY Times

30 asparagus spears
3/4 c white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp dill
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds

Cut bottoms off of the asparagus to make them fit standing upright in mason jars. Fill a skillet with about two inches of water so that all of the asparagus spears are covered. Bring to a boil and quickly remove the spears and place in ice water to blanch them. Set aside.

Combining the white vinegar and 3/4 cup of water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil with the salt. Stir and cook until the salt dissolves.

Place the canning jar in a pot of boiling water with the lid. Lift out with tongs and place on clean towels to dry. Once dry, pack with the asparagus and pour over the vinegar solution to cover the asparagus. Add in the sliced garlic, mustard seeds, chili flakes, coriander seeds, and dried dill. Cover with the lid and place upside down on a cutting block.

After 20 minutes turn the jar back over. The lid should be indented signaling that the jar has become sealed. Place in the refrigerator for about a week before opening and enjoying. Can store for 4 months in a cool dark place.

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1 Year Ago: Giovanna Garzoni – Lemon Risotto with Homemade Stock

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

According to Silva Malaguzzi in Food and Feasting in Art (one of my absolute favourite reference books), this work of art was commissioned by the Accademia della Crusca. It was tradition for each academician “to choose a nickname associated with flour.” The motto translates to “I am not enough by myself,” an allusion to the fact that ricotta “is a humble cheese with little flavor and therefore needs to be eaten with bread.” Like the other examples of flour bolters commissioned by the Accademia, the composition is starkly simple, with the focus on the single subject and motto. Malaguzzi notes that “the custom of bread-related nicknames was established…to express their antischolastic bent and partly because the plainness and purity of bread…mirrored the qualities that inspired the academicians’ language studies.”

{Ricotta, Prosciutto & Walnut Salad with Cranberry Balsamic Dressing}

200 g fresh ricotta
rocket, washed and dried
100 g walnuts
100 g prosciutto, torn into strips
Cranberry Balsamic dressing (recipe below)

In a pan, toast the walnuts for a couple of minutes until they become fragrant. Wash and dry the rocket and place in large mixing bowl. Carefully break the ricotta over the rocket and tear the prosciutto into strips. Add the toasted walnuts before tossing with the Cranberry Balsamic dressing. Serve immediately.

{Cranberry Balsamic Dressing}

3 TB olive oil
3 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pink peppercorns, ground
2 tsp dried cranberries, minced

Mix all of the ingredients in a small jar. Keep refrigerated when not using.
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1 Year Ago: Frida Kahlo – Pico de Gallo

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Ginger Jar, Sugar Bowl, and Oranges, 1902-06
Oil on canvas, 60.6 x 73.3 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City

Cézanne’s Still Life with Ginger Jar, Sugar Bowl, and Oranges was painted during a period of turmoil in his personal life and completed in the year of his death, 1906. After an estrangement from his wife, Cézanne purchased a property in Aix-en-Provence where he built a studio and most likely completed this painting. The work from this late period is characterised by a richness of colour and depth. The skilled compositions are an attempt to return to classic modes of representation and the forms attain a sculptural quality with thick black outlines delineating shape and shadow. During this time he focused his attention on the landscape and painted Mt. Ste. Victoire multiple times after climbing it in 1895. It is thought that the sharp peaks of the mountain found their way into the folds of the tablecloth in his later still life paintings.

{Chocolate Ginger Cake with Simmered Oranges}

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, January 2009

2 3/4 c flour
1 TB ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 c molasses
1 c water
1/2 c + 4 TB butter
2 TB fresh ginger, minced
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 bars dark chocolate (85% cocoa), chopped
Greek yogurt
simmered oranges (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a bowl combine the molasses, 1 c water and 2 TB of melted butter. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a frying pan, add 2 TB of butter and the minced fresh ginger. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and the ginger becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and pour into baking dish. Tilt the dish ensuring the butter/ginger mixture covers the entire surface (including the sides) and that the ginger is evenly dispersed over the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream 1/2 c of butter for about 30 seconds with a hand mixer. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the butter becomes light and fluffy (about one minute). Add each egg, one at a time, mixing well between each one. Add the ground ginger, ground cloves, salt, baking soda, baking powder and 3/4 cup flour and mix well. Add half of the molasses mixture and mix well. Alternate between the remaining flour (2 more cups) and the molasses until all of the ingredients are incorporated. By hand, stir in the chopped chocolate and then add to the prepared baking dish.

Bake for about 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool and serve warm with simmered oranges, Greek yogurt and crystallized ginger.

{Simmered Oranges}

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, January 2009

1 lemon
1 orange
1/3 c water
1/3 c sugar

Thinly slice the orange and set aside. Juice the lemon and add to a small pot with the water and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, once the liquid becomes syrupy, add the orange slices and bring back up to a boil. Once boiling again reduce the heat to a simmer and leave for three minutes turning the oranges occasionally so that they are all evenly cooked. Remove from the heat and let cool. Spoon over the cake & yogurt.

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1 Year Ago: Edouard Manet – Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce