Favorite Ingredients Painting

Ooh la la I’m excited to share this Favorite Ingredients Painting this week! Why? Let me count the ways. But first, I want to welcome and thank returning and new readers. Welcome! If you’re new, here’s a link with a description of the purpose of this post and blog.

Inspiration

Here’s the inspiration for this painting. It’s a mosaic from hundreds of years ago. And yet, to me, it looks so modern! Check it out. Full disclosure I learned about this from a class I’m taking. This image flashed on the screen during an art history discussion about painting in the Greco-Roman era. To me, this image looks so modern and playful! And yet, it was created in the 2nd century! I have not been able to get it out of my head.

Idea for Favorite Ingredients Painting

Are you getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, too? It’s my absolute favorite holiday! And, one of my favorite dishes to prepare is Maple-Pecan Cranberry Sauce. Oooh la la – it’s so delicious.

Wait! Did you grow up in a Thanksgiving “tradition” where the cranberry relish involves a can opener? Ya me, too. For years and years I ate that canned cranberry jelly relish stuff. All the while, not realizing the deliciousness I was missing.

Before I show you the painting, how about I show you the ‘work in progress’ on my stove. Yummy yum yum.

The Set Up

After the big holiday grocery shop, I decided to create a set up for my painting while thinking about that amazing 2nd century mosaic above. And, I used every single ingredient in the Maple-Pecan Cranberry Sauce recipe. Yes – see if you can find them all: cranberries, brown sugar, maple syrup, orange juice, ginger ale in a can, cinnamon sticks, orange zested with a zester, and last but not least pecans. Here’s what it looked like in my studio this week.

There were a few ‘restrictions’ for this painting. First, each of the objects had to sit in it’s own perspective and not overlap with any other object. Why? Well, because that’s how painters painted frescoes and created mosaics in the Greco-Roman era. Another restriction? I only used primary colors. So this painting is made up of red, yellow, blue and white. Ready? Here it is. It’s painted in luscious oil paints on 9×12 linen panel. It’s for sale for $294 + taxes + shipping. Simply click on the Paypal link below to purchase.

Make Your Own

Hey there’s still time to make your very own cranberry relish so here’s the recipe. Go on make it! It tastes great on turkey, tofurkey, toast and more! Thank you to super chef, Steven Petusevsky, for the recipe:

Maple-Pecan Cranberry Sauce

Cook time: 10 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Yield: 3 cups

1 pound cranberries, washed well
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup ginger ale
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon orange zest
3/4 cup lightly toasted pecan pieces

1. Combine all ingredients except pecans in a 2 1/2 quart saucepan
2. Cook uncovered over medium heat until most of the berries pop open and the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes
3. Add pecan pieces. Cool and remove cinnamon sticks before serving. Or, leave the cinnamon sticks in as a garnish. Mixture can be made up to three days before serving.

Serving size: 167g; CAL 320; FAT 8g (sat .5g); Protein 1g; CHOL. 0mg; SODIUM 15mg; CARB 66g; FIBER 3g; SUGARS 60g.

Thank you and Enjoy

I am so grateful for each of you who take the time to read this blog post! And, here’s a shout out of gratitude to all of you wonderful collectors out there too. You make my heart sing!

How about you gentle reader? Have you got a favorite recipe or dish that you want to share this Thanksgiving? If so, please do tell. I would love to hear all about it in the comments below.