Working Artist's Hands + FOOD: Stuffed Baked Potatoes

ART
Non-Representational Art 
that says so much!
i.e. The Paint left over on 
Working Artist's Hands!

Art is often a messy business! Anyone who has ever worked at painting with brushes, pastels, or drawing with charcoal knows that much of the medium ends up on their hands. There is true beauty in these unintended artworks, and they represents the effort the artist has applied to their craft. 

Now enjoy the messy beauty of working ARTIST's HANDS!

INKED / HANDS

MISC.

FOOD: 
Variations 
on the 
Stuffed 
Baked Potato!

Basic Preparation of Potatoes:

Options / Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F 

Bake 4 russets for 1 hour

Bake 4 sweet potatoes 50 minutes 

Bake 10 fingerlings 30 minutes

or 

12 new potatoes 30 minutes

Test for tender, then split open, fluff contents with a fork and stuff as desired. 

Various Stuffings:

1. Caramelized Onion Cook 1 large thinly sliced onion in a skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt until caramelized, 30 minutes. Spoon onto baked potatoes. Top with sour cream.

2. Mushroom-Onion Prepare Caramelized Onion Stuffed Potatoes (No. 1). Sauté 2 cups sliced mushrooms in olive oil until soft; add chopped dill and salt. Spoon onto the potatoes; top with the onion, sour cream and more dill.

3. French Onion Cook 1 onion as for Caramelized Onion Stuffed Potatoes (No. 1). Scoop the flesh out of 4 baked potatoes and mash with the onion, 1/4 cup beef broth and 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère. Stuff into the skins, top with more cheese and broil to melt.

4. Cheddar-Chive Scoop the flesh out of 4 baked potatoes; mash with 1/4 cup each butter, sour cream and chopped chives, and 2/3 cup grated cheddar. Stuff into the skins; top with more cheese and broil to melt.

5. Sloppy Joe Sauté 1 chopped onion and 1 bell pepper in olive oil; add 1 pound ground beef and brown. Add 1 cup each tomato sauce and water, 1 tablespoon each brown sugar and cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon cumin; simmer until thick. Spoon onto baked potatoes.

6. Bacon and Egg Top each baked potato with butter, 2 slices cooked bacon and a fried egg. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Pizza Scoop the flesh out of 4 baked potatoes. Mash with 3/4 cup tomato sauce; stuff into the skins. Top with sliced pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and oregano. Broil to melt.

8. Brie-Ham Cook 4 ounces diced ham in olive oil until browned. Spoon onto baked potatoes and top with sliced brie. Warm in a 400 degrees F oven to melt; top with chopped parsley and chives.

9. Ham and Swiss Scoop the flesh out of 4 baked potatoes; mash with 1 cup each diced ham and shredded Swiss cheese. Stuff into the skins, top with more cheese and broil to melt.

10. Ricotta-Pancetta Fry 2 ounces chopped pancetta until crisp. Drizzle baked potatoes with olive oil; top with a dollop of ricotta, the pancetta and pepper.

(Source: foodnetwork.com/stuffed potatoes)

Until later,

Jack

ARTS&FOOD is an online magazine dedicated to providing artists and collectors around the world with highlights of current art exhibitions, and to encourage all readers to invest in and participate in “The Joy of Art” and Culture. All Rights Reserved. All concepts, original art, text & photography, which are not otherwise credited, are copyright 2016 © Jack A. Atkinson, under all international, intellectual property and copyright laws. All gallery events', museum exhibitions', art fairs' or art festivals' photographs were taken with permission or provided by the event or gallery. All physical artworks are the intellectual property of the individual artists and © (copyright) individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. 

Trademark Copyright Notice: ©ARTSnFOOD.blogspot,com, ©ARTSnFOOD,

©ARTS&FOOD, ©ARTSnFOOD.com, ©ARTSandFOOD.com, ©ART&FOOD, ©ARTandFOOD.com, ©ARTnFOOD.com)

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT - MAKE YOUR ART PROCESS LEAD TO SUCCESS + FOOD: New Orleans Speak!

ART

REMAKING YOUR PROCESS

As artists, we are generally undisciplined people, unfortunately relying on self-discipline to make our life's work actually happen. Here are a few pointers to read and execute if success is to be in your future!

• When you say “NO” to unimportant things, you have more time for important things: family, friends and creating the art you were put on this planet to create! Say “NO” more often.

• Love is the essence of Life, Religion and Great Work.

• Complaining is draining. Blaming is draining. Explaining is draining. We don’t have enough inner plumbing for all that draining.

• When gardening, 1% of the seeds you plant will produce 50% of the flowers. Plant lots of seeds.

• You actually do nothing in this world alone.

• Celebrate small successes, overnight success takes 10 to 20 years.

• Enjoy solving difficult problems - if you can find a diamond in a field of mud, you’re going to end up with lots of diamonds in life.

• Make a list of the 25 things you want to accomplish in life. Now pick just 5 and forget the other 20, they will only take away your time from the 5 most important! 

• Write down 10 ideas a day. See what happens. Wow!

• Follow up with people you run into. Send a note or email the next day. How hard is this? In the future don’t be lazy or shy!

• New ideas are often buried in “questions”!

• Improve 1% a day. Whatever you want to improve upon, work to make it just 1% better everyday. Compounded over time you cannot help but be great at it.

• Focus on right now! Both Anxiety about the Future... and Regret about the Past... only steal energy from the Present!

• Sleep is one of the secrets to a great life. Figure this one out.

• Life is lived on a cellular level. Sweat for at least 30 minutes everyday, eat your veggies and limit salt, sugar and fat.

• Remember what you loved as a kid! It’s rejuvenating and creativity resides there.

• Give yourself permission to be wrong, from time to time. Hey "it" happens! 

• STRIVE TO BE EXTRAORDINARY!
– Never be a Perfectionist, it will make your life miserable!
– Never settle for Good!
– BE Extraordinary!  Extraordinary is achievable in all aspects of ART!

Do all of these and be delivered to the "Promised Land of ART!"
STRIVE TO BE AN EXTRAORDINARY ARTIST!

(Source: Adapted from James Altucher: 20 Habits)

FOOD: 
Talk like a
New Orleanian!

When you visit New Orleans for their great food, you need to know how to speak their language. Below is how the locals pronounce words you may not understand.
NOTE: However they pronounce things on NCIS New Orleans, don’t say it like that!

New Orleans = NOO orleens (or NAW-lins)

Orleans Avenue = OR-leens

Étouffée = Et tu, Fay (like Caesar would have said if his girlfriend Fay had stabbed him)

Last Name Hebert = A-bear

Lake Pontchartrain = pon-cha-train

Beignets = Ben-yay (s) (pillowy powdered sugar-coated doughnuts)

Café au lait = Calf-A-OLE’ (the coffee you drink with beignets)

Chartres Street = Charter Street (Don’t go all French on this one! Not "schart")

Rue Toulouse = ROO TOO-loos  (In the French Quarter a street is a Rue)

Esplanade = Xplanade

Vieux Carre = VOO-kar-A

Mardi Gras = MAR-di-GRA

Krewe = KROO (Mardi Gras parade societies)

Tchoupitoulas Street - CHOP-ah-TOO-luh or CHAP-ah-TOO-luh

Foot Long Deli Sandwich = PO-boy

Mayonnaise =  MY-naz or MY-uh-naz 

Muffuletta Sandwich - muff-uh-LETTA or MUFF-a-LOTTA (Round bread with cold cuts and gobs of Italian olive spread)

Thibodaux Louisiana = TIBA-dough (town due west of N.O.)

The Faubourg Marigny neighborhood = MAR-uh-knee (drop the Faubourg, nobody says it)

The Treme neighborhood = TRIM-A

Tujague’s Restaurant  = TOO-jacks (been around for 160 years)

Praline = PRAY-leen (N.O. dialect) or Praw-leen (Southern)

Pecan = P-can (N.O. dialect) P-con (Southern) 

Carondelet Street = Kare-ahn-deh-LAY

Calliope = kal-EYE-oh-P

Burgundy Street = BUH-gun-dee

Ambulance = AM-boo-lance

(Source: From the Times-Picayune Newspaper of Greater New Orleans)

Until later,

Jack

ARTS&FOOD is an online magazine dedicated to providing artists and collectors around the world with highlights of current art exhibitions, and to encourage all readers to invest in and participate in “The Joy of Art” and Culture. All Rights Reserved. All concepts, original art, text & photography, which are not otherwise credited, are copyright 2016 © Jack A. Atkinson, under all international, intellectual property and copyright laws. All gallery events', museum exhibitions', art fairs' or art festivals' photographs were taken with permission or provided by the event or gallery. All physical artworks are the intellectual property of the individual artists and © (copyright) individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. 

Trademark Copyright Notice: ©ARTSnFOOD.blogspot,com, ©ARTSnFOOD,

©ARTS&FOOD, ©ARTSnFOOD.com, ©ARTSandFOOD.com, ©ART&FOOD, ©ARTandFOOD.com, ©ARTnFOOD.com)

Small Treasures at the Met Museum NYC + FOOD: Moroccan Chicken

Theo Van Rysselberghe, (Belgian, 1862-1926) "Intimacy" 1890, conté crayon, (detail)

ART:

Small Treasures 

at the Met Museum 

NYC 

David Cox, British, 1785-1859, "Sky Study of Clouds", watercolor.
Cox manipulates translucent layers of watercolor
to describe these summer clouds.
The dark undersides hint at rain.

Eugene Carriere, (French, 1849-1906) "Women Sewing at a Table", 1894-96.
Oil on canvas
Carriere concentrated on scenes of family life.
The misty effect is characteristic of Carriére's style
and was widely celebrated during his lifetime.

Georges Lemmen (Belgian, 1865-1916)
"Woman Sewing" 1909, watercolor
The artist's colorful style is exemplified by drawing.
The thread she pulls is not drawn,
but is implied by her gesture.

Georges Seurat, (French, 1859-1891)
"Embroidery; The Artist's Mother", 1882-83
Conté crayon.
Paul Signac called Seurat's drawings,
 "The most beautiful painter's drawings that ever existed."

Hendrik Frans Verbruggen, Flemish, 1654-1724,
"Angels" 1690-1710, Oak.
The context of these carvings has been lost.
(ie: altar? organ? or pulpit?)

Jacob Jordaens, Flemish 1593-1678,
"The Presentation in the Temple" 1630-35
brush and brown ink + watercolor with white guache.

James McNeill Whistler, (American, 1834-1903)
"Black Lion Wharf", 1859, etching
At this time, Whistler had moved to London and lodged near the river Thames.
He made numerous etchings in the area.
Notice the cropped forms influenced by early photography.

James McNeill Whistler, American, 1834-1903, etching.

John Brett, British 1831-1902,
"Bonchurch Downs", 1865, watercolor.
A dreamlike stillness on the Isle of Wight.

Joseph Michael Gandy, British, 1771-1843

Paul Signac, (French, 1863-1935),
"The Dining Room", 1886-87,
Pen and Ink on Japan paper, with stippled dots (pointillism)
This drawing records the rigidity of the bourgeois life.

Theo Van Rysselberghe, (Belgian, 1862-1926)
"Intimacy", 1890, conté crayon,
The artist used the same drawing technique as George Seurat

Theo Van Rysselberghe. Close-up detail of the drawing technique used in "Intimacy", 1890.

FOOD: 

Moroccan

Chicken

This Moroccan style chicken is best served with couscous. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed

4 cups mild salsa

1/4 cup water

5 tablespoons dried currants

4 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

(Optional: 1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds + 2 garlic cloves, minced)

Serve with 3 cups hot cooked couscous (use package directions).

DIRECTIONS:

While the couscous is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat until hot. (Optional: Add the almonds and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the nuts from the skillet with a slotted spoon.  Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.) Add the chicken and cook, turning once, for 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.

Combine the salsa and all of the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add to the chicken and mix well. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. (Optional: Stir in the almonds.) Serve with or over the couscous.

(Source: Atkinson Family Recipes, Ann's Moroccan Chicken)

Until later,

Jack

ARTS&FOOD is an online magazine dedicated to providing artists and collectors around the world with highlights of current art exhibitions, and to encourage all readers to invest in and participate in “The Joy of Art” and Culture. All Rights Reserved. All concepts, original art, text & photography, which are not otherwise credited, are copyright 2016 © Jack A. Atkinson, under all international, intellectual property and copyright laws. All gallery events', museum exhibitions', art fairs' or art festivals' photographs were taken with permission or provided by the event or gallery. All physical artworks are the intellectual property of the individual artists and © (copyright) individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. 

Trademark Copyright Notice: ©ARTSnFOOD.blogspot,com, ©ARTSnFOOD,

©ARTS&FOOD, ©ARTSnFOOD.com, ©ARTSandFOOD.com, ©ART&FOOD, ©ARTandFOOD.com, ©ARTnFOOD.com)

Nicholas Nixon Photography, "The Brown Sisters" Baby Boomers Aging + FOOD Individual Mini-Cheesecakes

Photographer Nicholas Nixon
(left to right) "Self, Albuquerque" & "Self, Brookline" 
©  Nicholas Nixon from his recent book About Forty Years.

"The Brown Sisters"  photo series by Nicholas Nixon: Heather, Mimi, Bebe & Laura Year 1975 left & 2013 right

ART
Nicholas Nixon's 
Photography 
"The Brown Sisters" 
Documenting how one family of Baby Boomers has changed over the years.
We can all relate to aging. 

"The Brown Sisters" in years 1975 & 2013 (left to right)

For 39 years Nicholas Nixon took a documentary picture of his wife Bebe and her three sisters. "The Brown Sisters" is the title of this exhibition series. His wife and her sisters were photographed in the same order, from left to right every year: Heather, Mimi, Bebe & Laura. These photographs capture an illusive concept "the passage of time."

Nixon consistently used large, unwieldy cameras, with negatives measuring 8 x 10 inches or 11 x 14 inches to capture the precise, compelling detail of each face. In "The Brown Sisters", his clear-eyed portraits show us a feeling of intimacy only a person of trust could capture. 

As viewers we wonder about the many aspects of life revealed in these faces? As life has progressed what has each of these individuals experienced over the years? One of the great aspects of art is: the viewer is allowed to ask and answer their own questions.

The Brown Sisters, 1975

The Brown Sisters, Cambridge, Mass, 1977

The Brown Sisters, Harwichport, Mass, 1978

The Brown Sisters, Cincinnati, 1981

The Brown Sisters, Ipswich, Mass, 1982

The Brown Sisters, Truro, Mass, 1984

The Brown Sisters, Allston, Mass, 1985

The Brown Sisters, Cambridge, Mass, 1986

The Brown Sisters, Woodstock, Vermont, 1990

The Brown Sisters, Watertown, Mass 1991

The Brown Sisters, Wellesley Hills, Mass 1997

The Brown Sisters, Brookline, Mass, 1999

The Brown Sisters, Eastham, Mass, 2000

The Brown Sisters, Truro, Massachusetts, 2010

The Brown Sisters, Truro, Mass, 2011

                                   The Brown Sisters, Boston, 2012

Nicholas Nixon’s recent book titled: About Forty Years, was published by Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. It features 100 exquisitely reproduced images and well written text about his expansive contributions to photography.

(Source: ARTSnFOOD editor/publisher Jack A. Atkinson saw the exhibition at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts in 2015, photos taken with permission. other photos courtesy of Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, all photos © Nicholas Nixon.)

FOOD

Miniature Cheesecakes 

These delicious and creamy

cheesecakes are perfect 

as individual desserts.

Only 107 calories each!

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Line a 10 muffin tin with paper cups

Blend unti smooth:

1/2 lb. ricotta or low-fat cream cheese

1/2 lb. cottage cheese 

&

1/3 cup sugar

Add and blend:

1 medium egg

Add and blend:

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup sour cream

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour into muffin cups and bake in a large pan filled with water (bain-marie) for approximately 30-35 minutes or until tester "straw" comes out clean.

Chill.

Decorate with fresh fruit and glaze with 2 tbsp. melted red currant jelly, or serve with fruit purée.

Makes 10 Mini-Cheesecakes.

(Source: Safety Harbor Spa)

Until later,

Jack

ARTS&FOOD is an online magazine dedicated to providing artists and collectors around the world with highlights of current art exhibitions, and to encourage all readers to invest in and participate in “The Joy of Art” and Culture. All Rights Reserved. All concepts, original art, text & photography, which are not otherwise credited, are copyright 2016 © Jack A. Atkinson, under all international, intellectual property and copyright laws. All gallery events', museum exhibitions', art fairs' or art festivals' photographs were taken with permission or provided by the event or gallery. All physical artworks are the intellectual property of the individual artists and © (copyright) individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees. 

Trademark Copyright Notice: ©ARTSnFOOD.blogspot,com, ©ARTSnFOOD,

©ARTS&FOOD, ©ARTSnFOOD.com, ©ARTSandFOOD.com, ©ART&FOOD, ©ARTandFOOD.com, ©ARTnFOOD.com)