Paul Klee, Still Life with Four Apples (Stilleben mit vier Früchten in Schale vor dunkelgrünem Grunde), 1909Oil and gouache on board, 34.3 x 28.2 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City
Paul Klee was a Swiss painter (born in Germany) who was linked with Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, and Abstraction. His work rarely falls into one movement's classification but always demonstrates his natural ability as a draftsman. Still Life with Four Apples is a monochromatic painting with a focus on the repetitive geometric form of the circle. The perspective of the painting places the viewer directly above the bowl reinforcing the shape and drawing attention to the lack of a specific light source. The tonal variations on the apples are subtle but not consistent and there is a patch of shading in the centre of the bowl that mimics the colouration of the apples. Although colour theory was always at the forefront of Klee's artistic aesthetic - in 1909, the year Still Life with Four Apples was completed, Klee was struggling to balance his domestic life with new artistic endeavours. This personal grapple with balancing life and art is a possible explanation for the household subject matter and disconnected colouration within the composition.
If you are not familiar with the photoblog From Me To You then I highly suggest paying a visit as soon as possible. Not only do Jamie's images from New York City make me rethink my status as an ex-pat, she has the most envy-inducing collection of vintage cameras. You can read a great article that Jamie wrote about collecting vintage cameras here. In addition to the beautiful photographs of her travels and styled shoots for Working Class Magazine, she includes a regular feature called Dinner & a Movie. More often than not I secretly wish I lived in the Big Apple and that Jamie would invite me to share one of her delicious meals - especially one like the South American menu. Jamie's aesthetic is impeccable and her photographs capture the beautiful nuances of everyday life (a favorite being the Bloody Mary in a jam jar). Her portrait series All the President's Girls demonstrates her mastery of the medium by transforming beautiful paintings into photographs with soft painterly qualities. Jamie's blog is a continual source of inspiration and I am so pleased she agreed to be my inaugural collaborator! Thanks so much Jamie!
If you are not familiar with the photoblog From Me To You then I highly suggest paying a visit as soon as possible. Not only do Jamie's images from New York City make me rethink my status as an ex-pat, she has the most envy-inducing collection of vintage cameras. You can read a great article that Jamie wrote about collecting vintage cameras here. In addition to the beautiful photographs of her travels and styled shoots for Working Class Magazine, she includes a regular feature called Dinner & a Movie. More often than not I secretly wish I lived in the Big Apple and that Jamie would invite me to share one of her delicious meals - especially one like the South American menu. Jamie's aesthetic is impeccable and her photographs capture the beautiful nuances of everyday life (a favorite being the Bloody Mary in a jam jar). Her portrait series All the President's Girls demonstrates her mastery of the medium by transforming beautiful paintings into photographs with soft painterly qualities. Jamie's blog is a continual source of inspiration and I am so pleased she agreed to be my inaugural collaborator! Thanks so much Jamie!
{Apple & Red Onion Sauerkraut}
adapted from Gourmet
1 1/2 heads green cabbage
3 tsp salt
3 TB olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 green apple, finely sliced
1 head red cabbage
3 whole cloves
3 TB dark brown sugar
1/2 c dry red wine
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
Finely slice the heads of green cabbage - 1/2 head at a time. Once each half head is sliced, add to a large crock pot and cover with 1 tsp of salt. Mix well and place a plate over the cabbage to compact it into the bottom of the pot. Continue with all of the cabbage ensuring the salt is evenly distributed and fully compacted. Fill a ziplock bag with water and place on top of the plate to weigh down the cabbage. Cover the pot with plastic cling-wrap and then with a towel. Allow to ferment for 10-14 days. You may need to top up the brine if the salt has not extracted enough liquid to cover all of the cabbage. Mix one mug of water with 1/4 tsp of salt and add to the cabbage. Rinse thoroughly before consumption. *There may be a bit of mold on the top layer of cabbage - simply discard.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onion with the cloves until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until tender. Discard bay leaf and serve room temperature. The sauerkraut will keep chilled for two days.
{Wiener Schnitzel}
adapted from Delicious Magazine
2 c breadcrumbs (can be fresh or dried - or a mixture of both)
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 green apple, minced
1/4 c finely chopped parsley
2 eggs beaten
1/4 c milk
4 chicken breasts
1 c flour
1 c olive oil
lemon wedges, to serve
Combine the breadcrumbs, minced apple, Parmesan, and parsley on a large plate. Place the eggs and milk in a bowl and beat lightly. In another bowl, add the flour and season with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken on a cutting board. Slice evenly through the chicken creating two thin escalopes of chicken. Using a meat mallet (or in my case a metal measuring cup) flatten each escalope to a thickness of 1/4 of an inch.
Dip the chicken first in the flour, then the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs pressing the mixture so it adheres to the chicken. Heat the oil in a non-stick frypan and fry the chicken over medium heat for one to two minutes until golden. Turn and cook the other side for another minute.
Drain on a paper towel and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining three pieces of chicken. Serve with a wedge of lemon and sauerkraut.
*************************
Be sure to visit Jamie's blog From Me To You for the sweet recipe, Baked 'Fried' Apple Pie, to complete the German meal inspired by Klee's Still Life with Four Apples.
adapted from Gourmet
1 1/2 heads green cabbage
3 tsp salt
3 TB olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 green apple, finely sliced
1 head red cabbage
3 whole cloves
3 TB dark brown sugar
1/2 c dry red wine
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
Finely slice the heads of green cabbage - 1/2 head at a time. Once each half head is sliced, add to a large crock pot and cover with 1 tsp of salt. Mix well and place a plate over the cabbage to compact it into the bottom of the pot. Continue with all of the cabbage ensuring the salt is evenly distributed and fully compacted. Fill a ziplock bag with water and place on top of the plate to weigh down the cabbage. Cover the pot with plastic cling-wrap and then with a towel. Allow to ferment for 10-14 days. You may need to top up the brine if the salt has not extracted enough liquid to cover all of the cabbage. Mix one mug of water with 1/4 tsp of salt and add to the cabbage. Rinse thoroughly before consumption. *There may be a bit of mold on the top layer of cabbage - simply discard.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onion with the cloves until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until tender. Discard bay leaf and serve room temperature. The sauerkraut will keep chilled for two days.
{Wiener Schnitzel}
adapted from Delicious Magazine
2 c breadcrumbs (can be fresh or dried - or a mixture of both)
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 green apple, minced
1/4 c finely chopped parsley
2 eggs beaten
1/4 c milk
4 chicken breasts
1 c flour
1 c olive oil
lemon wedges, to serve
Combine the breadcrumbs, minced apple, Parmesan, and parsley on a large plate. Place the eggs and milk in a bowl and beat lightly. In another bowl, add the flour and season with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken on a cutting board. Slice evenly through the chicken creating two thin escalopes of chicken. Using a meat mallet (or in my case a metal measuring cup) flatten each escalope to a thickness of 1/4 of an inch.
Dip the chicken first in the flour, then the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs pressing the mixture so it adheres to the chicken. Heat the oil in a non-stick frypan and fry the chicken over medium heat for one to two minutes until golden. Turn and cook the other side for another minute.
Drain on a paper towel and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining three pieces of chicken. Serve with a wedge of lemon and sauerkraut.
*************************
Be sure to visit Jamie's blog From Me To You for the sweet recipe, Baked 'Fried' Apple Pie, to complete the German meal inspired by Klee's Still Life with Four Apples.
September 24, 2009 at 10:44 PM
September 24, 2009 at 11:42 PM
September 25, 2009 at 12:12 AM
I am flattered, excited, inspired, and hungry from our collaboration! Thank you for letting me be apart of your world and conversation.
~Jamie
September 25, 2009 at 12:52 AM
September 25, 2009 at 1:00 AM
I don't care if German food is stodgy (which it totally is). Nothing tastes better in the fall than a really good sausage, some kraut, and whole-grain mustard. A mug or two of beer WOULD be nice too.
Also- I'm liking the candle light photography. Dust storms sound really intriguing, but a complete impossibility here, perhaps the rainiest place in all of Europe.
Looking forward to the next collaboration! -Siri
September 25, 2009 at 2:52 AM
September 25, 2009 at 4:10 AM
cheers,
Rosa
September 25, 2009 at 6:45 AM
September 25, 2009 at 9:58 AM
September 25, 2009 at 4:34 PM
September 25, 2009 at 5:52 PM
September 26, 2009 at 4:09 AM
September 26, 2009 at 5:55 AM
September 27, 2009 at 11:54 AM
September 30, 2009 at 11:38 AM
October 1, 2009 at 12:05 PM
October 1, 2009 at 6:26 PM