The Accidental Wino » Food & Art

Food & Art: “The Natural Cuisine of Georges Blanc”

Thirsty Reader — Fri, 07 May 2010 03:53:24 +0000

While killing some time between meals the other day, I finally turned up a copy of “The Natural Cuisine of Georges Blanc” at a used bookstore in Berkeley. It was a nice find, and one of the best discoveries that I’ve recently made “in the field” (as opposed to trolling eBay for such an item). Originally published in 1987 — just six years after the eponymous author earned his third Michelin star — “Natural Cuisine” earns its stripes for its lavish photography, with the pictures outnumbering the recipes by almost three to one. Although long out of print, the book remains a prescient example of the cookbook-as-coffee-table-book concept, an approach to food-related publishing that has become increasingly popular over the last 25 years. In the case of Blanc’s “Natural Cuisine,” however, the photography itself is rather straight-forward, although maybe that’s actually for the best: Blanc’s classic geometric designs and vivid color contrasts ensure that his plates will shine on their own artistic merit, no outside assistance necessary. Here’s a taste (photography by Christopher Barker):

Zuchini Flans with Sliced Zucchini and Salmon Cream

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Pineapple with Raspberry and Kiwi Sauces and Pineapple Sorbet

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Sauteed Eggplant and Baked Whiting in a Butter Sauce

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Tomato, Red Pepper and Olive Tart

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Pineapple Fritters with Macerated Kiwi Fruit

Label Deconstruction: Ridge

Thirsty Reader — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:41:57 +0000

I was doing some research on Ridge, when I finally learned that Optima is the font that the winery has used as its brand for the last 40 years. I’ve always admired the look of Ridge’s packaging, and the wines themselves have delivered so much personality, they have remained a perennial favorite as well. In an age when a lot of frou-frou and slick packaging can be used to sell wine, Ridge retains a classic look, and offers a lesson in elegant simplicity.

In my recent interview with Aurajo winemaker Matt Taylor (also of Taylor Cellars), our discussion of the Eisele Vineyard led to the mention of the wine pictured to the left. This historic bottling by Ridge was the first to feature “Eisele” on a wine label, and was also one of the first vineyard-designated wines produced in California (even predating such legendary cult labels as Diamond Creek, which made its debut with the 1972 vintage). What really struck me about the look of this label, however, was the fact that it looks like every other Ridge label that I’ve ever seen.

And why shouldn’t it? I admire the fact that, stylistically, Ridge’s wine label has remained the same for all these years. There’s definitely something to be said about getting things right the first time. I’m not sure who was responsible for Ridge’s label design, but I can tell you that the font itself was designed by renowned typographer Hermann Zapf, who created Optima in 1958. To put this particular font into other familiar contexts, it’s the one used on the National Vietnam Memorial, and Estée Lauder has been using it for decades as well.

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In Photos: Tafoni @ Salt Point State Park

Thirsty Reader — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:09:18 +0000

I was hoping that this warmish December weather would tease out a few late-season porcinis at Salt Point State Park this week, but I couldn’t find anything edible today. Mushrooms are often mysterious, but I suspect that once the first frost of winter occurs, porcinis may go dormant for the year (in which case, their off-switch had already been tripped at least two weeks ago). Either way, I was skunked at Salt Point for the first time in 2009, and it will be a long, patient wait before my next fresh porcini. Still, the weather was perfect this afternoon, and I was able to snap some photos of tafoni.

Tafoni is the name given to these reticulate patterns in sedimentary rock, and Salt Point State Park is one of the few places on earth where this phenomenon exists. Although geologists have not fully explained how this unique weathering pattern occurs, the influence of salt crystals is thought to be a factor. All three photos were taken in Gerstle Cove, just a bit south of Stump Beach (which, by the way, does not feature any tafoni).

Ton Kiang Dim Sum & Andy Warhol at the de Young

Thirsty Reader — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:15:56 +0000

My tendency to pair dim sum with trips to the de Young Museum is two-fold: (1) there are some noteworthy dim sum restaurants in the Richmond District, just a few blocks north of Golden Gate Park, and (2) since I have very little will power with dim sum, the de Young is a great venue to wander around while the bloating slowly subsides. Last week, I stopped in at Ton Kiang before heading to the “Warhol Live” exhibit, which began three weeks ago and runs through May 17.

The dim sum at Ton Kiang is exemplary, and while I’m totally content to put up with surly attitudes at many dim sum venues, I’d have to say that the service at Ton Kiang is exemplary as well. In some ways, Ton Kiang represents the bridge between the fancy restaurants with the dim sum carts and those that sell steamed pork buns from behind a glass display case: with Ton Kiang, dim sum is offered on small trays, which often appear in rapid-fire succession.

Back when I was studying Eastern philosophy during my days as a UCLA undergrad, I remember a very insightful text, titled “Entering the Stream,” which borrows its title from an ancient Buddhist metaphor. I’m always reminded of this title when I visit at a restaurant like Ton Kiang, which has so many delicious items circling the dining room, already in full swing the moment you walk in the door. For this, the order in which your lunch arrives is essentially unpredictable.

Most recently, my lunch began with a delicious stack of Chinese long beans with mushrooms, perfectly stir-fried and glistening with a thin coat of oil. After the green beans, the session became more of blur — baked pork buns arrived alongside Chinese doughnuts (addicting), shrimp-stuffed crab claws, slices of roast duck, pot stickers and myriad dumplings. Each item proved to be a worthy example of its type, and together, a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon in San Francisco.

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More on the Warhol exhibit to follow…

Photo: Mandina’s, New Orleans

Thirsty Reader — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:42:43 +0000

Mandina’s is probably my favorite restaurant in New Orleans, at least when I’m in the mood for a shrimp poboy and a bowl of turtle soup. I found this photo online at wikimedia.org, and I really like how the neon pops against the dark background. Following its demise after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the restaurant finally re-opened during Mardi Gras 2007, a week I happened to be back in the Crescent City. Seeing this place up and running was a highlight of my visit.

Food & Art: More Janet Fish Paintings

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:06:28 +0000

Here are a couple more scans from the book “Janet Fish: Paintings” by Vincent Katz. As you can see, Windex bottles were a whole lot sexier in 1972 than they are now (I do realize that, technically, Windex is not food). Jars of mustard pickles, on the other hand, haven’t seemed to change a bit.

As always, I have tried to include scans of paintings that are not widely available on the web. Please click here for my link to other Janet Fish paintings. Or, click this link for even more great work by Janet Fish.

Janet Fish, Windex Bottles, 1972

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Janet Fish, Mustard Pickles, 1970

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Book Review: “A Day at elBulli”

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:18:09 +0000

I purchased a copy of Ferran Adrià’s “A Day at elBulli” today, although I wondered if I even had any business doing so. After all, Catalonia’s famed elBulli restaurant is at the epicenter of the molecular gastronomy movement, and Adrià’s culinary techniques often employ chemicals and equipment that would be very difficult to turn up, even in the most well-stocked kitchen. Liquid nitrogen? Surgical tubing? Sous vide rigs? I consider myself pretty far ahead of the curve, especially when it comes to culinary gadgetry, but I certainly don’t have any of these items at home. And who does?

Considering the level of expertise required to replicate one of Adrià’s dishes, I surmised that few people could actually put the recipes in “A Day at elBulli” to practical use. But then again, how many of these fancy cookbooks actually see any time in the kitchen anyhow? Most of these books tend to be cumbersome and unwieldy in size, and to spill something on a $50 book seems like a sin. To be sure, many of these restaurant-themed cookbooks are no more than coffee table books in disguise, featuring lavish, full-page layouts of exquisitely photographed food (what has commonly become known as “food porn” among many circles).

In the case of “A Day at elBulli,” however, it’s only fair to note that recipes, of which there are but 30, play just a small role within the book’s overall content, so this one was always destined for the coffee table. To wit, Adrià’s book boasts nearly 1,000 photographs, which are spread out over a whopping 600 pages. The title of the book is quite literal, as scenes from just one day in the elBulli kitchen are documented hour by hour. Considering that two million people attempt to procure a reservation at elBulli each year (with just 8,000 getting past the door), a book like “A Day at elBulli” may be the one opportunity for the average gastronome to have a peek into this unique culinary world. From this perspective, Adrià’s book may be a bit more egalitarian than it may seem.

Food & Art Appreciation: Jack Kleinberg

Thirsty Reader — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:53:42 +0000

I don’t know much about Jack Kleinberg, but I found these images while reminiscing over Gene’s Po-Boy the other day. From the date of his work, I assume that Kleinberg relocated to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina. I find it strangely fascinating that one of Kleinberg’s Los Angeles subjects is Tito’s Tacos, which was one of my guiltiest pleasures as an Angelino. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though Kleinberg has an official site for his work, but he does have a gallery, if you click here.

Although Tito’s and Gene’s are nearly 2,000 miles apart, both spots are located just a few blocks from the 10 Freeway…

Jack Kleinberg, Gene’s Po-Boys, 1991-2006

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Jack Kleinberg, Tito’s Tacos, 2007

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Emerson’s Ginger-Mint Julep, New Orleans

Thirsty Reader — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:57:06 +0000

This old wall advertisement for Emerson’s Ginger-Mint Julep features great lettering, great patina, and the drink itself sounds delicious (some of these ads coincide with Prohibition, so this product was more of a soda than a cocktail, as far as I can tell). Isaac Edward Emerson was also the inventor of Bromo-Seltzer, which still exists today under a more benign formula, but which was chock full of bromide-based tranquilizers until 1975. Ah, the good old days…

The mural below is on Decatur Street, right next to the fire station, on the southeast edge of the French Quarter. Other versions of Emerson’s Ginger-Mint Julep ads follow…

Photographer and date of picture unknown

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Promotional notepad cover, date unknown

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Photographer unknown, 1922 (image from the Hartman Center Library, Duke University)

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Food & Art: “Hot Dog” by Roy Lichtenstein

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:52:06 +0000

I’ve always admired the famous “Hot Dog” painting by Roy Lichtenstein. Even though the hot dog itself resembles a logo more than anything edible, I can appreciate the fact that Lichtenstein makes the hot dog appear to glisten and shine. In that sense, the painting is very appealing from a “theoretical taste” standpoint, as if the hot dog was freshly prepared and incredibly succulent. As cartoonish as it looks, it does seem delicious.

The colors of the painting are striking: ketchup red and mustard yellow. I wonder if this was largely a coincidence, or if Lichtenstein was operating on some sort of ironic “foodie” level. Either way, “Hot Dog” remains extremely vivid in its execution. Lichtenstein often borrowed his palate from consumer packaging, incorporating color schemes that featured powerful contrasts. This approach, coupled with his everyday subject matter, helped give rise to the Pop Art movement of the 1960s.

I wonder if anyone ever asked Lichtenstein what condiments he preferred on his hot dogs — I’d actually like to know. Here is a Lichtenstein “Hot Dog” side-by-side…

Roy Lichtenstein, Hot Dog, 1964 (enamel on plate)

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Roy Lichtenstein, Hot Dog (Sketch for Enamel), 1964 (graphite and ink on paper)

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Roy Lichtenstein, Hot Dog, 1963 (oil and magna on canvass)

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