Rineke Dijkstra: A Retrospective of Portraits at the NYC Guggenheim + Perfect, Classic Shrimp Cocktail

© Rineke Dijkstra

ART
Rineke Dijkstra's Portraits
show the subtle magnetism 
of average people.

© Rineke Dijkstra

© Rineke Dijkstra

© Rineke Dijkstra

“Self Portrait, Marnixbad, Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 19, 1991.”Chromogenic print, 35 x 28 cm. © Rineke Dijkstra - Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and Paris. 

Rineke Dijkstra is a talented Dutch photographer, shown in a self portrait above. Her portraits, both photographic or video graphic, make an excellent example of how photography reflects the artist behind the lens much more than the mechanical photographic processes and equipment, available to all.

This exhibition, a mid-career survey of Ms. Dijkstra’s work, is currently at the Guggenheim Museum, and was organized jointly with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It brings together more than 70 color photographs and 5 video works. They show the pride and anxiety of youth and the emergence of the self. Time is one of Ms. Dijkstra’s themes, as she photographs the same person over many years.

The example below shows a series of portraits of "Almerisa", a Polish girl who had moved to Leiden, Netherlands. This series progresses from childhood to motherhood. Photos © Rineke Dijkstra, courtesy the artist, The Guggenheim Museum and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and Paris. 

1994

1996

1998

2000

2000

2002

2002

2005

2007

2008

2008

11 photos above

 “ALMERISA", Netherlands

 (from 1994 to 2008)

Chromogenic prints,

courtesy the artist

and Marian Goodman Gallery,

New York and Paris. 

© Rineke Dijkstra

Bullfighter series
Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal, May 8, 1994.

Chromogenic print, 90 x 72 cm. © Rineke Dijkstra

Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and Paris. 

(Sources: All photos © Rineke Dijkstra, courtesy of the artist,  the Guggenheim Museum; and Marianne Goodman Gallery.)

Rineke Dijkstra videos below.

“Rineke Dijkstra: A Retrospective” continues through Oct. 8 at the NYC Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street; (212) 423-3500, Guggenheim.org.

Happy Birthday to art collector
Peggy Guggenheim! Born August 26, 1898.

FOOD

A Perfect, Classic Shrimp Cocktail

This American favorite - elegant, retro and flavorful - is always a hit at parties and for family gatherings. Boiled shrimp is treated like gold when you order it at restaurants, with 4 or 6 shrimp costing $6 -$10. The wonderful thing about boiling shrimp at home is: 2 lbs of raw, shell-on frozen shrimp cost between $12 & $19 which makes plenty for 4 to 6 people.

RECIPE:

Shrimp

2 Quarts of Water

Salt (Salted to seawater level)

Crab & Shrimp Boil Seasoning

2 lbs of frozen raw shell-on shrimp

Shrimp Boil Seasonings:

 Homemade, Louisiana shrimp boil recipes call for abundant amounts of hot sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, bay leaf, lemon, garlic, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and allspice. But I prefer to use the pre-made Old Bay Seasoning packets for seafood, a blend of mustard, paprika, celery seed, bay leaf, both black and red pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, mace and ginger.

Cocktail Sauce

1 cup ketchup

2 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbls bottled horseradish

2 Lemons - Juiced

4 dashes Tabasco sauce +/-

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

- Bring water, salt, and seasoning to a boil.

- Pour frozen shrimp into a colander and rinse in cold water.

- Add shrimp to the boiling water and cook until the shrimp just turn pink.

(do not overcook or shrimp will be tough)

- Remove shrimp using a skimmer into a bowl sitting in ice, or iced water.

- Mix the cocktail sauce and chill.

- Everything can be covered and chilled for several hours in the fridge before being served.

- Allow everyone to peel their own shrimp and dip the cooked meat into the cocktail sauce. 

YUM - An end of summer treat!

(Source: Atkinson Family Recipe)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, is an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness, the Arts and Food." ™ All rights reserved. Concept, Original Art, Text & Photographs are © Copyright 2012 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All gallery, museum, fair or festival photographs were taken with permission. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

Farmer's Market - a photo essay + Remy's Ratatouille, the meal in the movie

ART

Farmer's Market

A Photo Essay

As the summer of 2012 comes to a close, one of the great assets of summer will also end soon - the Farmer's Market. It is such a pleasure to buy fresh produce from these local growers, who sell their products directly to us. These markets are a visual and culinary delight to attend.

For now, enjoy the last, warm days of August and consider buying your produce from the family farmers displaying their fruits and vegetables at your local farmer's market. (Photography for Farmer's Market photo essay by Jack A. Atkinson)

The new "Arts Season" starts in September and ARTSnFOOD is ready for the excitement this new season will bring. 

FOOD

Remy's Ratatouille 

The CD cover art for" Ratatouille"

Anton tastes Remy's ratatouille for the first time!
(Promotional photo © 2007 Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Pixar Animation Studios)

The Pixar animated movie "Ratatouille" is a perfect fit for ARTSnFOOD and I have longed to make a ratatouille which looked, and tasted, as good as the ratatouille dish that won over Anton, the picky restaurant critic, in the animated flick.
(The movie Ratatouille is available for rent or purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Ratatouille/dp/B0049J2CKE/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1345489717&sr=1-1&keywords=Ratatouille)

Ingredients

• 1 med. eggplant, cut in 1/2" thick, round slices 
• 2 zucchini, 1/4" thick, round sliced
• 1 med. yellow onion, cut in 1/2" sliced, rounds
• 4 firm, ripe, red tomatoes, cut in 1/2" slices 
• 2 large red, sweet peppers, diced (stem & seeds removed) 
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic diced
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh basil
• + 1 tsp. salt for eggplants
• olive oil to saute
• 2 eggs, beaten

     • seasoned flour - for dipping eggplant (1/4 tsp. Salt, 1/4 tsp. black Pepper, rounded 1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence, all mixed into 1/2 cup flour)

• Bread crumbs - for eggplant

Directions

Peel the eggplant and cut into rounds 1/2" thick.  Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut into 1/4" slices, rounds. Place the vegetables in a pot of water with 1 tsp. salt. weigh down and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towels.

One layer of the saute pan at a time, dip the eggplant in the seasoned flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs and saute in a 10"-12" skillet, with olive oil seasoned with garlic, until browned. Remove to a side dish. Add olive oil as needed, and more garlic. When finished, remove and drain on paper towels. Wipe the pan and sauté the zucchini in oil and garlic, no breading. When soft, remove and drain on paper towels.

In the same skillet, saute the onion slices until brown and soft.- keep in solid rounds. When finished, remove and drain on paper towels. 

Saute the peppers until soft. When finished, remove and drain on paper towels.

Dice tomatoes and saute them in the same skillet no added oil. Season with salt & pepper, cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. When cooked, remove to a bowl.

In a 9 x 12 casserole dish, build the final ratatouille stacks:

Place an eggplant round on the bottom, place a round of onion, then place a fan of zucchini on top, then a mound of peppers, top with a mound of cooked tomato. Repeat for all six (6) stacks of Ratatouille.

Place the casserole with the stacks into a preheated 350* oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, place a spatula under the stack of Ratatouille and carefully move them to the individual serving plates. 

Sprinkle the top of the ratatouille with a little salt and black pepper, plus some chopped fresh basil and pour a small amount of a vinaigrette dressing on the plate. 

Makes 6 servings. 

(Source: Original ratatouille recipe. Time consuming, but unique, delicious and a real crowd pleaser!)

Synopsis of the animated movie "Ratatouille": Remy is a rat, constantly risking his life in an expensive French restaurant, because of his love for good food and his desire to become a chef. Obviously, this is a rather long-shot of a dream for a rat. But opportunity knocks when a young boy, who desperately need to keep his job at the restaurant, despite his lack of cooking skills, discovers and partners with young Remy. It is up to the two of them to avoid the insane head chef - bring the rest of Remy's family up to his food standards - win his partner a girl and (of course) produce the finest Ratatouille in all of France!

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, an online publication dedicated to "The Pursuit of Happiness, the Arts aNd Food."™ All rights reserved. Concept, Original Art, Text & Photographs are © Copyright 2012 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. All gallery, museum, fair or festival photographs were taken with permission. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.