Κροκέτες Μπακαλιάρου


Η συνταγή αυτή (Buñuelos de Bacalao) από το βιβλίο της Claudia Roden “The Food of Spain” είναι πανεύκολη, και γευστική. Μου αρέσει επειδή συνδυάζει το ψάρι με την πατάτα και δεν έχει πολύ αλεύρι.
Υλικά
• 300 γραμμάρια πατάτες. καθαρισμένες και κομμένες σε κύβους
• 250 γραμμάρια υγράλατος μπακαλιάρος, που έχει αφαλατωθεί
• 2 μεγάλα αυγά, χτυπημένα ελαφρά
• 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, περασμένες στον τρίφτη
• 2 κουτάλια της σούπας αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
• Αλάτι και πιπέρι (προσοχή στο αλάτι, μπορεί να έχει ο μπακαλιάρος)
• ½ κουταλάκι του γλυκού σόδα ή μπέϊκιν πάουντερ
• 4-5 κουτάλια της σούπας μπύρα
• 2 κουτάλια της σούπας πλατύφυλλο μαϊντανό κομμένο λεπτά
• Αραβοσιτέλαιο για το τηγάνισμα
Βράζετε τις πατάτες μέχρι να μαλακώσουν και μετά τις λιώνετε.
Αφαιρείτε το δέρμα και τα κόκκαλα από τον μπακαλιάρο, τον βράζετε σε ήπια βράση για 2 λεπτά, αφήνετε να κρυώσει και σπάτε τα κομμάτια σε ίνες με τα χέρια σας.
Αναμειγνύετε τις πατάτες με το μπακαλιάρο σε ένα μπολ, και προσθέτετε αλάτι και πιπέρι.
Προσθέστε τα λοιπά υλικά και ανακατέψτε καλά.
Τοποθετείστε στο ψυγείο για 2 ώρες.


Σε ένα τηγάνι με βαθύ πάτο τοποθετείστε λάδι που φτάνει στα 1,25 εκατοστά βάθος.
Αφήστε το λάδι να κάψει τόσο που ένα κομμάτι ψωμί σκουραίνει αλλά όχι πολύ γρήγορα, χωρίς να μαυρίζει.
Με ένα κουτάλι της σούπας παίρνετε μίγμα και φτιάχνετε μικρά δεματάκια. Καθένα να έχει περίπου 2 κουταλιές υλικό.
Τηγανίζετε μέχρι να πάρουν ένα χρυσαφί χρώμα, γυρίζοντας μόνο μια φορά.
Στεγνώνετε σε απορροφητικό χαρτί και σερβίρετε με μια φρέσκια σαλάτα.

La Mezquita in Cordoba – Part IΙ

In the first part, published some time ago, I presented the Mosque of the Mezquita complex.

In the second part I present photographs of the Christian Chapel that has been built inside the complex.

An earthy dish worthy ten times its cost: lentils with sauteed cauliflower and chorizo

Following the excesses of the holidays, it is time to turn our back to the rich food and enjoy a dish that features the flavors of the earth in all of its simplicity, accentuated by the venerable taste super booster of Spanish chorizo from Salamanca.

The dish is very simple in its preparation.

First you cook the lentils. I am Greek, cooking in Greece and use the lentils from the Thessaly region of Farsala. They are excellent in quality, cook well and do not leave a neutral aftertaste.

lentils_cauliflower_det3.jpg

Place sun dried tomatoes, hot green or red peppers and pickled garlic cloves in a deep pan, cover with boiling water and add a couple of table spoons of olive oil, lentils and salt. Let the mix boil until the water has almost evaporated. This should not take more than 45 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the lentils rest. Taste to make sure that they have been cooked without becoming a mush.

Oil a large frying pan and add sliced fresh cauliflower and a bit of salt and pepper. Turn occasinally so that the cauliflower slices develop a dark brown complexion that is the source of taste and good vibrations. Be careful not to overcook. The cauliflower must be tasty and crunchy at the same time.

lentils_cauliflower_served.jpg

Once the cauliflower is done, lower the heat and add on top of it thin slides of chorizo. I used a piece of chorizo I got from Salamanca. If you do not have chorizo, add some spicy saucage. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, then turn the heat off and let it rest in the pan ultil serving.

I serve the ingredients side by side, and accompany with a bottle of GENESIS ROSÉ 2019 made by KECHRIS WINERY. It is a mix of Gewurztraminer and Xinomavro and i suits the flavor bouquet perfectly.

You might want to sprinkle some apple vinegar on the dish, to increase its acidity. I do it, and it tastes really good.

lentils_cauliflower_det2.jpg

 

 

Bodegones: Spanish still life painting

This post is a short tour of Spanish still life paintings. It is inevitable that I am biased by my preferences and so we will only visit some of my favorite Spanish still life paintings.  This of course does not mean that there are not many more. The presentation sequence has a time orientation, from older to younger, albeit a soft one.

But why Spanish still life? Because it is special. Spanish still life is “rough” and “intense” compared to the still life of the Dutch, the Flemish, the French, or the Italians. One might also call it “austere”, and in some cases “brutal”.  Spanish still life has no bells and whistles, it goes for the “essence” of things.

Bodegon in Spanish is a cheap eating-house, a tavern. It is also the area of the house near the kitchen, where the servants and ordinary people can lay out the food and drinks and munch while cooking, drink, and be happy.

This duality in the meaning of the word has resulted in a duality of the meaning of the term in painting.  Bodegones can thus be still life painting,s but also paintings portraying servants and ordinary people in the house’s bodega, or in a tavern.

A still life typically contains objects like vessels, flowers, dead animals, food, a skull, human or animal, a clock.

sanchez_prado1

Juan Sanchez Cotan: Bodegón de caza, hortalizas y frutas (Still Life with Game, Vegetables and Fruit), Prado Museum, Madrid

1602. Oil on canvas, 68 x 88.2 cm.

Juan Sánchez Cotán puts the food items on a display window, most of them hanging. There is simplicity and austerity in the picture, and a clear disposition to play with curves contrasting the straight lines and 90 degree angles.  A contemporary of El Greco,  Sánchez Cotán is almost materialistic.

Now lets turn to the other type of bodegon, the one depicting a scene from a home’s interior. I start with a Flemish painting and continue with a Spanish one.

beuckelar1
Photo Credit: Museo Prado

Joachim Beuckelaer: Christ at home with Martha and Mary, Prado Museum, Madrid

1568. Oil on panel, 126 x 243 cm.

This is the preparation of a feast. The two women are proud, they practically show off while they display all the food that is can feed an army.This is obviously a rich house, life has a positive outlook, the light is bright, life is good!

velazquez_london1
Photo Credit: National Gallery, London, UK

Diego Velazquez: Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, National Gallery, London, UK

Probably 1618. Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 60 x 103.5 cm.

The two women in the foreground are Mary and Martha at a later date, compared to the date of the scene in the background. The concept to combine biblical subjects with kitchen scenes was invented by the Flemish (see previous picture) and influenced Velazquez. But what a different depiction of the scene has he put together!

Gone are the opulence and glory of the Flemish picture. The house is an ordinary – if not poor – house, the food essential, and the colors are earthy and restrained.  There is no exuberance here. Only the beat of everyday life.

Velazquez used the same color palette on other paintings like the water seller and Aesop.

zurbaran_bodegon1
Photo credit: Prado Museum

Francisco de Zurbaran: Bodegón con cacharros (Still life with vessels), Prado Museum, Madrid

Ca. 1650. Oil on canvas, 46 x 84 cm.

Zurbaran, still life with vessels uses a color palette similar to Velazquez’ s but he is emphasizing the shape of the vessels and the light-shadow contrast more than anything else. Another difference is that judging from the quality of the vessels, Zurbaran’s still life is “upper class” compared to Velazquez’s.

melendez1
Photo credit: Prado Museum

Luis Egidio Meléndez: Bodegón con arenques, cebolletas, pan y utensilios de cocina (Still life with herrings, spring onions, bread, and kitchen utensils), Prado Museum, Madrid

1760 – 1770. Oil on canvas, 50,3 x 36,7 cm

Melendez, a late 18th century Spanish painter is almost unknown outside of Spain. Most of his works are today in the Prado.  His still life with herrings, bread and various kitchen utensils is so direct that I feel I am in the room. A naturalist with embedded Spirit. Like Velazquez, Melendez’s household is on the everyday people’s side.

goya_birds1
Photo Credit: Prado Museum

Francisco Goya:  Aves muertas (Dead Birds), Prado Museum, Madrid

1808 – 1812. Oil on canvas, 45.5 x 62.5 cm.

Goya continues the tradition with his stunning dead birds.

This picture is like an elegy. It is intense, it is sad, it makes you to want to mourn for the birds, for the loss of life, even for a brief moment before their feathers are plucked and they are prepared to be cooked. Goya emphasizes Death. Even it it leads to a good meal, or even better, because of it. Nothing reduces the dramatic nature of the phenomenon. Creatures of nature have to die for man to live.

Goya Still Life

Francisco Goya: Still Life Of Sheep’s Ribs And Head – The Butcher’s Counter. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

1810 – 1812. Oil on canvas, dimensions 62 x 45 cm.

Goya created another painting along similar lines, after a visit to the market in Bordeaux where he lived at the time. The theme of death permeates the painting. Starting from the expression on the face of the sheep, to the naked bloodless ribs.

picasso1

Pablo Picasso: Still Life with Sheep’s Skull, Collection of Vicky and Marcos Micha

1939. Oil on canvas, 50.2 x 61 cm

Picasso picked up Goya’s theme and gave his own interpretation. The head is black and white, announcing Guernica in a sense. The ribs are faithful to Goya’s picture, to firmly establish the link.

 

Black Jug and Skull 1946 by Pablo Picasso 1881-1973
Black Jug and Skull 1946 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Bequeathed by Elly Kahnweiler 1991 to form part of the gift of Gustav and Elly Kahnweiler, accessioned 1994 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/P11365

Pablo Picasso, Le Pichet noir et la tête de mort (Black Jug and Skull)

1946. Lithograph on paper. Dimensions 322 x 440 mm

It is inevitable that we will finish this tour with vanitas, and when it comes from a master of earthly pleasures like Picasso,  it becomes even more important.

Vanitas became common in Spain in the second half of the seventeenth century, and whose evidently moralizing purpose was to emphasize on the one hand the unreliability of sensual pleasure, and on the other the fatality of death, evidenced in the corruptibility of organic nature.

Picasso obviously did not believe in vanitas per se, but being immersed in the tradition of painting and at the same time jumping out of it, knew that he had to acknowledge it and incorporate it in his still life painting, both as a visual and as a cultural component.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurante El Serbal, Santander, Cantabria, Spain

santander

Early in January I visited Cantabria, Spain and I was lucky to have lunch at El Serbal, a restaurant in the city of Santander. The restaurant is on the ground floor of an nondescript appartment complex in the center of the city.

I opted for the tasting menu paired with wines.

Amuse bouche
Amuse bouche

The amuse bouche was a fishball. I could taste the sea, but I would have liked a bit of acidity to break the saltiness and sweetness of the ball.

Fish suquet over prawns and seaweeds
Fish suquet over prawns and seaweeds

The first dish on the menu was a fish stew called “suquet”. As I read in “Spanish Recipes”:

Suquet is the diminutive form of suc, or ‘juice’, in Catalan, which meansthat this wonderfully flavored dish is more correctly called juicy fish stew. The fish and shellfish used vary from cook to cook, and so does the amount of liquid – in fact, some people call this a stew, while others call it a soup – but saffron and almonds are typically part of the mix. – See more at: http://www.spain-recipes.com/suquet.html#sthash.WIbIv7o1.dpuf

It was very light, tasty, and I particularly enjoyed the prawn’s head, the best proof of the freshness of the ingredient. The seaweed was not prominent, and I confess I would have liked its presence to be more emphatic.

Cocido montañés
Cocido montañés: black pudding fritter, chorizo “churro”

The second dish was a deconstructed local stew of the mountains.

Cocido montañés is a delicious combination of beans, greens and compango, a mix of pork fat, chorizo, ribs and black pudding from the matacíu del chon (pig butchering), accompanied by breadcrumbs, egg and other meats.

As you can see there were in the middle one piece of black pudding, one piece of pork fat, and pork belly. On the left you can see the chorizo churro, a piece of deep fried chorizo sausage. On the right is a rather awkwardly placed green bean tempura.

I have never tasted the proper stew, so I cannot relate it to the deconstructed. All the pieces were tasty, the supreme being the chorizo and the fat. The black pudding was too small apiece, and rather dry, whereas the pork belly was rather bland.

Sauteed mushrooms
Sauteed mushrooms

Sauteed mushrooms picked in the forests of the nearby mountains. Absolutely delicious! Superb ingredient, cooked with respect and care so that the natural flavors are not overpowered by the seasoning and dressing of the dish.

Catch of the day
Catch of the day

The catch of the day was merluza. Perfectly cooked, accompanied by some tasty bits and pieces which I now forget.

Shoulder of Iberian pork
Shoulder of Iberian pork

The Iberian pork shoulder was melting in the mouth. It was served on a bed of cous cous dressed in teriyaki sauce. Japan rules! Splendid simplicity, and taste to the full!

Torrija
Caramelized Torrija de Brioche

The first desert was caramelized torrija made from brioche. Torrija is a traditional “sweet” in Spain, made form stale white bread. The up market dish that I tasted was made with brioche, not exactly stale white bread, and it was absolutely delicious! I could taste the butter, I could see the caramelized sugar, I could smell the eggs of the brioche.

Nougat pie
Nougat pie

The nougat pie with ice cream that followed was nice, but I found the pastry a bit tough. It lacked the flaky delicate texture that I would have preferred. The ice cream though was faultless.

For the love of chocolate
For the love of chocolate

The coffee was served accompanied by a chocolate tray. The concoction in the small container was delicious! The trufflw did not drive me crazy, but one cannot have it all!

I went away around 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and realized that although I had been in Santander for three hours only, I already liked the place. Thank you El Serbal! Thank you Rafael!

 

Lament for Formula 1: Reminiscing the good old days (the 1993 Spanich Grand Prix)

1993 Formula 1 Grand Prix - Presentation of flags
1993 Formula 1 Grand Prix – Presentation of flags

Introduction

This post was triggered by the finding and opening a photo album of year 1993. In it I found a lot of photos from the 1993 Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix in Barcelona. This set of photos made me think about the passage of time, and the mysterious phenomenon of the emergence and blooming of the feeling that I had when looking at the photos again. The feeling was the near certainty that the photos were depicting an event I had witnessed in the near past, not a past that is 21 years ago. How can it be? I confess I was tempted to write something on this mysterious phenomenon, but then I opted for something infinitely simpler: to recount the story of the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix as I experienced it. But then again, things are not so simple. There is something else in the background. It is not so much the need to recount the specific race. Rather, it is the need to lament over the demise of what used to be a trully extreme sport.

Rest in Peace Formula 1
Rest in Peace Formula 1

I have been watching Formula 1 races in television this year and cannot but express my disbelief and then my acceptance of the sad reality. Formula 1 today is a sport that makes no sense whatsoever. The technological leadership of Mercedes Benz has turned the sport into a Research and Development Department for the automobile industry. Mercedes Benz have done so in a way that totally denies the essence of Formula 1, which was to provide room for innovation and ingenuity in racing, not in hybrid engine development or environmentally friendly technologies, and other R&D that is linked directly to the automobile industry.

It is not an accident that in parallel with the domination of Mercedes Benz (their cars are almost invariably one or more second faster per lap in all races of 2014), we see the demise and – almost – eclipse of the smaller teams as they used to be. We do have smaller teams in Formula 1 today, but they are totally different compared to the past, e.g. the period 1985 – 1995.

The Mercedes Benz Formula 1 Car of 2013
The Mercedes Benz Formula 1 Car of 2013

In the past the smaller teams were innovative ingenious and cutting edge outfits. Examples are the British team of Tyrell, and Jordan. They obviously did not have the huge budgets of the leading teams, but they could do a decent job because they were doing something right, and they wer first of all producing racing technology. Today Formula 1 produces automobile technology.

It is interesting to note that during the 1985-1995 period the German manufacturers were only marginally present in F1. As an example, Mercedes Benz provided the “concept” to the Sauber team in 1993. The leaders of F1 were the British, the Italians, and the French and the Japanese with their engines.

Talking about engines, the engine noise of a Formula 1 car was a real experience, especially during gear changes. In 1994 I could tell without looking whether the car passing by was a Ferrari or not. I never wore earplugs during a race, the noise of the roaring engines was unbelievable. It was like a chainsaw is twisting in your guts.

Today the engine noise has become timid, throaty, boring, unexciting, like the “sport” itself; so much so that the pundits no longer crowd the circuits and the stands.

This whimpish style has poisoned the drivers’ behaviour as well. In a sport that should be competitive to the end, we now have minor incidents on the track becoming huge because one driver did not give all the space in the world to another driver. What happened to the good old days when one leading driver could challenge another leading driver all the way to the tire wall?

The Williams-Renault  FW15C 1993 car
The Williams-Renault  1993 car

In any case, let us now proceed with the reminiscing. At first I will present two memorable incidents in the Circuit de Catalunya, then move on with the presentation of what I remember from Saturday before the race, concluding with the race on Sunday.

Memorable incidents in the Catalunya Circuit

Experience is not necessarily something that requires the presence of the body that encases one’s soul. Experience is also gained when the mind (always encased in the body but also not) indulges in a topic and fantasizes about it, in spite of the fact that the body is physically located elsewhere.

In this spirit, I want to start with the memorable incidents that occured in the Spanish Grand Prix over the years.

This is not meant to downgrade the 1993 race, but to provide a reference that supercedes the direct experience of 1993 and in a sense supplements it.

David Coulthard gives Mika Hakkinen a lift back to the pits after the Finn retired from the 2001 Spanish GP
David Coulthard gives Mika Hakkinen a lift back to the pits after the Finn retired from the 2001 Spanish GP

The first incident occurred in 2001, when Mika Hakkinen, driving for McLaren lost his clutch in the last lap and lost the first place to Michael Schumacher who was driving a  Ferrari. A devastating incident for a driver who did a splendid job throughout the race, only to be betrayed by his clutch in the last lap! As the old saying goes, “it is not over until the fat lady sings”.

Spanish GP 1991: Mansell and Senna were separated by mere centimetres as they battled for the lead (Source: DailyMail)
Spanish GP 1991: Mansell and Senna were separated by mere centimetres as they battled for the lead (Source: DailyMail)

The second incident occurred in 1991, between Ayrton Sena, driving for McLaren Honda, and Nigel Mansell, driving for Williams – Renault. They raced wheel to wheel on the pit straight, at a speed of approximately 190 mph. At the end of the straight, Mansell overtook Sena and went on to win the race. I remmebr this race as if it took place yesterday. At the time I was living in Putney, London. I was at home, during a wet Sunday, and was watching the race broadcast on BBC. Unforgettable.

The Catalunya Circuit

 

Montmelo Map
Montmelo Map

The circuit de Cataluna is located in Montmelo, a small town around 30 km southeast of the urban sprawl of Barcelona. It is a modern circuit and is easily accesible by train from Barcelona.

The Catalunya Race Circuit, annotated with remarks by racind griver Pedro de la Rosa
The Catalunya Race Circuit, annotated with remarks by racing driver Pedro de la Rosa

Saturday, 8 May 1993

Footwork Team - Pit traffic
Footwork Team – Pit traffic

In a Formula 1 Grand Prix event, the race is on Sunday but there is a lot of fun on Friday and Saturday.

My ticket was on the stand of the pit straight, so I could watch and photograph the going ons.

The teams have VIP guests who go around the pits and have their photos taken.

This photo is taken in front of the pit area of the Japanese team “Footwork”.

Mugen Power
Mugen Power

The full name of the team was Footwork-Mugen-Honda. “Mugen-Honda”, a firm owned by Honda’s founder son, were supplying the engines to the team.

Two of the guests pose with two girls dressed in the colors of the team.

This team no longer exists.

Footwork driver Dereck Warwick during the Saturday tests
Footwork driver Derek Warwick during the Saturday tests

Saturday is also fun because there are test runs and at the end a qualifying session. The test runs are in the morning and qualifying in early afternoon. Derek Warwick, a British driver with Footwork rests leaning on the pit wall during the Saturday tests. He qualified sixteenth for the race.

L'Equipe: Senna in Monaco's 1993 race (with Dereck Warrick's autograph)
L’Equipe: Senna in Monaco’s 1993 race (with Derek Warwick’s autograph)

I met Derek Warwick at the Nice airport, following the Monaco Grand Prix of 1993, which Ayrton Sena won. It was the day after the race, and I had with me the morning issue of L’Equipe. Naturally, Derek Warwick signed on the winner’s photograph.

Ligier drivers Blundell (left) and Brundle (right) at the pit wall during the Saturday tests
Ligier drivers Blundell (second from left) and Brundle (right) at the pit wall during the Saturday tests

Teams have their observation benches by the pit wall. In the photo we see the bench of French team Ligier-Renault, which no longer exists. Second from the left is British driver Mark Blundell and first from the right is British driver Martin Brundle.

Blundell qualified 12th for the race, whereas Brundle qualified 18th.

Martin Brundle, McLaren Driver 1994
Martin Brundle, McLaren Driver 1994

In 1994 Brundle drove for McLaren. I took his autograph at the Montreal Mirabel Airport in the Spring of 1994.

Ligier was bought by Alain Prost in 1997, and changed its name to Prost. It did not achieve much and went bankrupt in 2002.

On the grid, Sunday 9 May 1993

Benetton driver Riccardo Patrese
Benetton driver Riccardo Patrese

Sunday is also fun, especially when the pit lane opens and the cars take their position on the grid.

Here the Italian driver Riccardo Patrese is getting ready for the race. He raced with Benetton-Ford, having Michael Schumacher as his driver colleague. It was tough going for Patrese.

Patrese qualified sixth for the race, whereas Schumacher qualified fifth.

Benetton driver Michael Schumacher
Benetton driver Michael Schumacher

Although Michael Schumacher was in the same team, Benetton-Ford, with Riccardo Patrese, the two of them could not differ more.

Schumacher was a star. He raced in Formula 1 for the first time in the Belgian Grand Prix of 1991 with Jordan. Immediately after this race, he was snatched by Benetton.

He earned his first world championship with Benetton in 1994.

Patrese, on the other hand, started 256 Formual 1 races, and won six of them. He ended his career in 1993.

McLaren driver Ayrton Senna
McLaren driver Ayrton Senna

Senna in 1993 was driving the clearly inferior McLaren-Ford car. The big problem of the car was its engine. The V8 Ford engine was not up to speed with the V10 Renault engine of the Williams, and was even inferior to the Ford engine that powered the Benetton cars. This was due to an agreement between Benetton and Ford, which gave Benetton the advantage. It is ironic that McLaren, the team that dominated Formula 1 racing from 1988 to 1991 found itseld in such an inferior position. This was the result of Honda’s decision to withdraw from F1 racing at the end of the 1992 season.

Ayrton Sena
Ayrton Senna

Of course, this withdrawal was not absolute, as Mugen-Honda remained in the game.

Senna qualified third for the race and finished second.

(The 1st May 1994, the day that Sena was killed in the Imola circuit, was one of the saddest days of my life.)

Williams driver Damon Hill
Williams driver Damon Hill

Damon Hill is the son of British champion Graham Hill. He qualified second for the race, driving the superb Williams- Renault FW15C car that completely dominated the 1993 season. Hill took Patrese’s place in 1993, when Patrese left Williams to go to Benetton. I met Damon Hill at the Montreal Mirabel airport in June 1994. He was waiting to collect his bags, and I took the opportunity to take his autograph. It was only a month after Ayrton Sena’s death at Imola, and I was carrying with me the June 1994 issue of Motorsport. Damon Hill signed at the lower right side.

The FW15C was designed by Adrian Newey and built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. IT is worth noting that 1993 was the  last season before the FIA banned electronic driver aids, The FW15C has a decent claim to be the most technologically sophisticated Formula One car of all time, incorporating anti-lock brakes, traction control and active suspension (Wikipedia)

MotorSport's cover in June 1994, with Damon Hill's autograph (June 1994, Montreal)
MotorSport’s cover in June 1994, with Damon Hill’s autograph (June 1994, Montreal)

Damon Hill became world champion driving for Williams in 1996, but was dropped by the team the next year.

Williams driver Alain Prost
Williams driver Alain Prost

Alain Prost joined the Williams team in 1993, after a sabbatical in 1992, taking the place of World Champion Nigel Mansell. During 1992 among other things he was commentating Formula 1 events for a French TV station.

Also known as “the professor” for his cool approach to racing, Prost had the best car of the year in his hands, and he went on to win the world championship.

In the Barcelona race he qualified first, and won the race.

Ready to go

Derek Warwick (16th) on the starting grid
Derek Warwick (16th) on the starting grid

The grid is cleared for the formation lap within five minutes. Warwick was 16th on the grid, ahead of his Japanese teammate Aguri Suzuki who was 19th. Other than the incredible roar of the Mugen engine, I do not remember anything from this team.

Patrese, Wendlinger, and Alesi on the grid
Patrese (5th), Wendlinger (6th), and Alesi (8th) on the grid

Patrese is fifth, Karl Wendlinger, the Austrian driver of team Sauber is sixth, and Jean Alesi, with number 27, driving for Ferrari, is eighth. Michael Andretti, driving for McLaren Ford, is seventh on the grid but not in the photo.

Patrese will finish fourth, Wendlinger will be betrayed by his fuel system, and Alesi by his engine. 1993 was a horrible year for Ferrari.

Damon Hill
Damon Hill

Damon Hill is second on the grid. But he will not finish the race due to engine failure.

Alain Prost
Alain Prost

The “professor” started first and finished first. But it was a rather boring race. The superior engine of the Williams – Renault car combined with the good weather conditions, made it impossible for inferior cars with better drivers (Senna driving McLaren-Ford) to win. As a matter of fact, Senna finished 16.873 seconds behind Prost.

Pit stops

Pit stop of Rubens Barichello, driving for Jordan team
Pit stop of Rubens Barichello, driving for Jordan team

Pit stops are important during the race. Here we see Jordan-Hart driver Rubens Barichello, with number 14. He finished 12th in the race. I had the opportunity to meet Barichello back in 1993 at the Frankfurt airport, after the Hockenheim race. He was in the middle of a group of people with an incredible volume of baggage. Barichello had an above average career, the highlight being his 2000-2005 period driving for Ferrari, and being Michael Schumacher’s teammate. He is also the first F1 driver to reach 300 entries in F1 races in 2010.

footwork

I cannot make out the driver in this Footwork car. IFrom the topline of the helmet, I assume it is Aguri Suzuki (Warwick’s helmet was light blue).

Did not finish

Martin Brundle's car
Martin Brundle’s car

Martin Brundle went out because of a tyre blow out.

Fabrizio Barbazza's car
Fabrizio Barbazza’s car

Fabrizio Barbazza, driving for Minardi-Ford spun off and did not finish the race.

Ukyo Katayama's car
Ukyo Katayama’s car

Ukyo Katayama, driving for Tyrell-Yamaha spun off and did not finish the race.

Andrea de Cesaris' car
Andrea de Cesaris’ car

Tyrell-Yamaha driver Andrea de Cesaris was disqualified from the race.

sauber_wendlinger
Karl Wendlinger’s car

Karl Wendlinger’s fuel system gave up.

The Podium

The Podium
The Podium

The sweetest moment for the drivers, champaign on the podium. Prost wins, Senna is second, Schumacher is third.

 

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic – Μπακαλιαρος κονφι με τηγανητα κολοκυθια και σκορδο

Today’s dish is a combination of some of my most favourite ingredients.

Bacalao fillets
Bacalao fillets

First of all, bacalao.

In spite of the fact that in Greece we do not have the top quality bacalao of Spain, I cannot resist the urge to cook bacalao as often as I can.

Garlic cloves
Garlic cloves

Second, garlic.

I loooove garlic.

Zucchini
Zucchini

Last, but not least, the freshest zucchini from farms a few kilometers away from my home.

Respect for the ingredients should be reflected in the way they are prepared and cooked.

One of the best ways to express this respect with the specific ingredients is to “confit” the garlic and the bacalao.

I start by placing the garlic cloves in a frying pan with olive oil that covers half of the clove’s height.

Garlic cloves
Garlic cloves

The temperature should be low enough so that the garlic is not fried, but “boiled” in the olive oil

Once the garlic has started assuming a “brownish” color, I place the bacalao fillets in the pan without adding more oil.

Bacalao fillets with garlic cloves in olive oil - confit
Bacalao fillets with garlic cloves in olive oil – confit

The garlic has infused the oil with its aroma and fragrance, and makes the slow cooking process a very fragrant one.

I keep the heat low, so that the bacalao and garlic mix “boils” and not fries.

Bacalao and garlic confit - detail
Bacalao and garlic confit – detail

After 40 minutes or so, depending always on the thickness of the fillets, the fish is cooked.

While the fish was cooking slowly, I cut and floured the zucchini sticks and flowers, and then fried in corn oil.

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves

I serve the fillets on top of the garlic cloves, sprinkled with chopped parsley, with the sticks and flower on the side.

bacalao_garlic_detail
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves – detail

The fish is soft, juicy and tasty from the garlic infused oil, while the garlic cloves melt in your mouth and are just divine. 

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves - detail
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves – detail

The crunchy zucchini flower is fragrant and provides the necessary textural contrast to the fish and garlic.

Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves - detail
Bacalao confit with zucchini sticks and garlic cloves – detail

Finally, the zucchini sticks are somewhere in the middle in terms of texture, while their almost sweet taste brings a nice complement to the savoury fish.

I enjoyed the dish with a glass of Avantis Estate Syrah.

 

 

Head of a Woman: Picasso’s interpretations of Fernande Olivier

Head of a Woman (Fernande), autumn 1909
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), bronze, autumn 1909, Art Institute of Chicago

During a visit to Chicago I viewed the Picasso Exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago. Prominent amongst the exhibited artwork, was the sculpture “Head of a Woman (Fernande)”.

The following post presents modern art from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Modern Art

It is not a simple sculpture. It is an adventure. Every angle opens new dimensions, interpretations, and insights into what the head might be. 

This sculpted head gave me the inspiration to write this article.

Pablo Picasso, "Portrait of Fernande Olivier”, 1906, Gouache on Paper, private collection, Stockholm
Pablo Picasso, “Portrait of Fernande Olivier”, 1906, Gouache on Paper, private collection, Stockholm

Picasso and Fernande Olivier met on a rainy day in August 1904.

Fernande became reportedly Picasso’s first known long-term relation & subject of many of Picasso’s Rose Period paintings (1905-07).

Their romance lasted until 1909, but continued to be together as friends until 1912.

Pablo Picasso, Fernande with a Black Mantilla (Fernande à la mantille noire), Paris, 1905–06. Oil on canvas. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Thannhauser Collection,
Pablo Picasso, Fernande with a Black Mantilla (Fernande à la mantille noire), Paris, 1905–06. Oil on canvas. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Thannhauser Collection,

Picasso’s portrait Fernande with a Black Mantilla 1906, is a transitional work. Still somewhat expressionistic and romantic, with its subdued tonality and lively brushstrokes, the picture depicts Fernande Olivier wearing a mantilla, which perhaps symbolizes the artist’s Spanish origins. The iconic stylization of her face and its abbreviated features, however, foretell Picasso’s increasing interest in the abstract qualities and solidity of Iberian sculpture, which would profoundly influence his subsequent works. Though naturalistically delineated, the painting presages his imminent experiments with abstraction. (Source: Guggenheim Museum).

Head of a woman, 1906
Head of a woman, 1906

Another 1906 picture “Head of a woman (Fernande)”, is totally different in style. Space and perspective are somehow distorted. The angular aspects of the face are prominent.

As we approach 1907 “Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon” cleared the way to cubism, as John Richardson comments in his “A Life of Picasso”.

Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Oil on Canvas, 1907, MOMA, New York
Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Oil on Canvas, 1907, MOMA, New York

Two years later, Picasso paints Fernande in the “Head of a Woman” as a multi-level distorted face.

Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman, summer 1909
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman, summer 1909, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago

“Woman with Pears” has the same style.

This is one of several portraits Picasso painted of Fernande, during the summer of 1909, a period that the couple spent in Picasso’s native Spain. While the pears in the background are modeled in the round, Picasso radically reconfigured Oliviers head and bust, fragmenting them into geometrical segments. This fracturing of solid volumes offered an alternative to the traditional illusionistic and perspectival approach to depicting three–dimensional space on a two–dimensional surface and suggests the direction Picasso’s process would take in the development of Cubism. (Source: MOMA).

Pablo Picasso, Woman with Pears (Fernande), 1909
Pablo Picasso, Woman with Pears (Fernande), summer 1909, oil on canvas, MOMA, New York

The slices carved into the figures neck and the diamond recesses of her eyes are replicated in the sculpture Womans Head (Fernande), which Picasso created in the fall of that year.

‘My greatest artistic emotions were aroused when the sublime beauty of the sculptures created by anonymous artists in Africa was suddenly revealed to me’ Picasso told the poet Apollinaire. This sculpture is of his companion Fernande Olivier. Its flat, planed surface relates the work to his cubist paintings of the same period. Picasso made two plaster casts of the head, from which at least sixteen bronze examples were cast.

Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande) 1909, Plaster, Tate Gallery
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande) 1909, Plaster, Tate Gallery, London

One of the plaster casts is today at London’s Tate Gallery.

“One of only two plasters made by Picasso from which at least sixteen bronzes were cast, this version is completely white, unlike Tate Modern’s version which has been toned in a brownish finish (presumably to emulate bronzes cast from it). The point of Cubism was to disregard one-point perspective in painting—long held since the Renaissance—breaking down the picture plane, the prison of two dimensions, enabling the artist to show the object or figure in the round.” (Culture Spectator, PABLO PICASSO AT MFA HOUSTON UNTIL THE 27TH MAY 2013)

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Head of a Woman (Fernande), 1909 Plaster Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Dallas, Texas
Pablo Picasso, 
Head of a Woman (Fernande), 1909
Plaster Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Dallas, Texas, USA

The other plaster cast is in Texas.

We now come to the bronze sculptures. The one I saw in Chicago was donated by Alfred Stieglitz to the Art Institute in 1949.

Head of a Woman (Fernande), autumn 1909
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago

“Like Rembrandt’s most intimate portraits, it is about the mystery of being close to another human being. Picasso makes you recognise this by inviting your eye down into those channels and crevices, until you feel you are inside Fernande’s head.

This is one of the seminal works of cubism, and in the state that Picasso liked it best. He moulded Fernande’s head in clay, then made two plaster casts from which he authorised a series of bronzes. He never liked the bronzes as much as this raw plaster version. It is a key work in the development of cubism because it was the first time Picasso realised he could translate his new kind of painting into three dimensions this is one of his paintings from that time given solid form.”

(Jonathan Jones, Head of a woman, The Guardian)

Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande) c 1909, bronze, Art Gallery of Ontario
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande) c 1909, bronze, Art Gallery of Ontario

In 1909, over a ten-month period, Picasso was inspired to create more than sixty Cubist paintings, sculptures, and drawings of women that bear a striking resemblance to his paramour at the time, Fernande Olivier. Although few of these works could be considered traditional “portraits,” they do form a unique group within his oeuvre that shows him working with unusually singular focus. This bronze head of Fernande was modeled in autumn 1909 in Paris after the couple returned from a summer trip to Spain (Horta de Ebro), and represents Picasso’s first Cubist sculpture. Like his early Cubist paintings, the shape of her sculpted head is faceted into smaller units. Fernande’s hair, which she wore up in a rolled do, is here a series of crescent blobs, while her contemplative face is more sharply chiseled into flat planes. Intended to be seen in the round, the composition changes form when viewed from different angles, and the head’s slight tilt and the neck’s sweeping curves give the allusion of movement as if she were about to look over her shoulder. (Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).

Head of a Woman, 1909
Head of a Woman, 1909, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

picasso1_detail
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), detail – autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago

Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago

Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), detail - autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), detail – autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago

Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), signature - autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago
Pablo Picasso, Head of a Woman (Fernande), signature – autumn 1909, bronze, Art Institute of Chicago

Navarra greets Lesvos in a tasty union over the Neapolitan Bay: Pizza with Chorizo extra, ladotyri cheese and coriander

flowers

When it comes to taste there are no geographical boundaries. Only cultural.

The setting for today’s union is provided by the Neapolitan Bay in Calabria. There lies the country that gave pizza to the world.

Ladotyri from Lesvos
Ladotyri from Lesvos

Today El Bordon’s Chorizo Extra (dulce) from Navarra, Basque Country,  joins ladotyri (sheep and goats cheese) from Lesvigal on the island of Lesvos in Greece to form a pizza dish that is as tasty as it can get.

The ladotyri is a yellow hard cheese made of sheep and goat’s milk on the island of Lesvos (Mytilini). In the traditional way of its preparation, it is stored for a period of three months in olive oil, which gives it its unique taste.  In mass production today the cheese is encased in a layer of parafffin that helps it preserve its moisture level. In spite of this departure from tradition, the cheese tastes really good.

The chorizo is made of pork belly (panceta) and the front leg (paleta), spanish paprika (pimenton), salt and garlic. The encasing is pig’s gut. There are no preservatives or additives. This type of chorizo is not spicy. It is sweet and tasty.

El Bordon, Chorizo extra
El Bordon, Chorizo extra

I prepare a basic dough with white flour, salt, water a dash of baking powder and spread it on a oiled baking tray.

On top I spread tomato paste, and place the chorizo and chopped coriander.

Chorizo and ladotyri pizza - ready to bake
Chorizo and ladotyri pizza – ready to bake

The shredded ladotyri is then added to finish the dish.

Bake in a 220 Centigrade oven for 20 minutes and you are ready.

Chorizo and ladotyri pizza baked and ready to serve
Chorizo and ladotyri pizza baked and ready to serve

Enjoy with a robust red. I had the Casalferro of 2005, by Barone Ricasoli.

Casalferro 2005, Barone Ricasoli
Casalferro 2005, Barone Ricasoli

Sangiovese and Merlot aged for 18 months in french oak barrels.

Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!