I haven’t written a blog for awhile. I wanted to let everyone know you can bid on a special trio of mini skull paintings I created especially for the Edward Gorey House 7th annual Gorefest Auction. The event – the live auction is happening October4, 2008. For more information go to:
http://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org
The three tiny skull paintings I made were done in a Victorian Gothic style as Mr. Gorey emulated this style in his work. The paintings come with their own wood stand. The money raised from the auction benefits The Edward Gorey House Museum and animal charity they work with. I do not profit from this auction. Like I said in my last blog, The Edward Gorey House Museum in Old Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts was such a fun and artistically inspiring museum.
As summer turns into fall, I find myself going through my vast cookbook collection and searching for recipes online. I love comfort foods in the winter. Well I love comfort foods all the time. I have started making cold food dishes a wee bit early. This week I made ( for the 1st time) a cream of crab, asparagus and mushroom soup. I used fresh asparagus and four different kinds of mushrooms from the Farmer’s market. I did not follow a recipe but I usually don’t unless I’m baking. I am getting ready to try my hand at making bread; specifically sourdough bread that tastes like the kind I grew up eating in the Bay Area. Every Christmas Eve, I now make Cioppino ( which is an Italian fish stew in a tomato broth base with white wine, basil and garlic). My mother would make it once a year and we always had it with Colombo Sourdough bread. Last year I was so desperate for some authentic sourdough bread to accompany my Cioppino I ordered 2 round loaves via Boudin Bakery. It was worth the $30 with shipping for the bread. Toasted with butter, it was the perfect companion to my Cioppino. I will be making my own sourdough starter. I still need to buy a Kitchen Aid mixer with a bread hook. I am happy to say I finally manifested a long-wished for kitchen item; a vintage glass Pyrex double boiler which I found at the Hamilton Porch Sale in Powelton Village last weekend. Yes, I realize I could have easily bought one on eBAY but the one I found was only $4. Now when I make my Grand Marnier Souffles, it will be much easier.
O .k. let me digress to some art crap now. The Mark Dion show which was hyped up to the max at Bartram’s garden ( show runs thru December) was basically an artsy -boho guy who got a huge Pew grant to take a road trip and go thrift stores and flea markets in the South . I already did that 10 years ago but didn’t get any money for it. Still the exhibit is kind of cute and interesting to me as I like specimens that he put in glass jars and opening up the various curio cabinets. The best part of my tour of the exhibit was my substitute tour guide ( I won’t be naming names here). The person ( a non- artist) was hilarious as they told me all the gossip about the show and basically saw the art world for what it is- gimmicks and hype ( the words of the tour guide). Yes I think we are definitely in the age of “Emperor’s New Clothes” in many cultural and political ways. Why is some worthy if they look a certain way, dress a certain way, have lots of money or speak eloquently without a track record or actions to back up their words? I tend these days to look at a person’s actions, not their words. But that’s just me. I prefer being around Buddhists ( or Buddhist minded people) over artists because they are kind and down to earth . I guess this makes me seem like a snob. But to continue with art stuff- I also managed to see the Ernst Ludwig Kirchner exhibit called Berlin Street Scenes and the huge “( Salvador) Dali in Film” exhibit at MOMA. Fantastic, wonderful, full of soul, inspiring, overwhelming- these are a few adjectives that I felt while looking at Kirchner’s paintings and Dali’s paintings and films. After seeing the exhibits, I headed over to Takashimaya and had high tea. I chose the East West Tea service- a combination of British and Japanese delicacies served in such a beautiful way, that the plate was pure art. Takashimaya is to me what Tiffanys was to Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast At Tiffanys”. It is a store- five floors of exquisite luxury items that aren’t essential to ones survival but as a woman with five planets in Taurus, the store represents my ultimate materialistic fantasies of beauty under one roof.
So it is obvious that now as the weather turns colder I become obsessed with handmade wool scarves, sweaters and hats. I continue my my search for the ultimate purse. I love the purse/slouch bag/tote that Michelle Pfeiffer had in the films “FRANKIE AND JOHNNY” and the one she used in “ONE FINE DAY”. They both were huge bags, leather and from the looks of it, Made in Italy.
Tashi Delek,
Katie