GARLIC, ANCHOVIES, ANXIETY, AND ART

I love garlic – or more accurately – I love cooking with garlic. I don’t like eating it by itself, raw, or cooked. In fact I distinctly dislike it. But when it is added to other ingredients it enhances the flavor and adds a unique and delightful touch to the dish.  When used properly garlic makes everything better. The same applies to anchovies.  The small fillets packed in oil have a pungent odor and a taste that must be “acquired”, something I have yet to fully accomplish. But like garlic, when used in measured amounts with other ingredients they add another dimension to the flavor without imposing their own. Three or four finely chopped fillets added early in the process of making tomato sauce for “Sunday pasta” enriches the sauce without revealing their presence.

Anxiety and worry are a lot like garlic and anchovies. Their value depends on the circumstances and the amount. Anxiety over something we have no control is wasted energy. When it is excessive it can be debilitating and overwhelming, rendering us helpless and unable to function. So much so that it is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting almost 20% of adults, according to leading specialists in anxiety treatment. (http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-panic-guide-overview-facts)  But in small managable doses, anxiety can behave like garlic and anchovies, and become a useful and helpful tool.

I’m sure I’m not the only artist to hear the comment, “how relaxing it must be to paint”. When asked about this I am quick to point out that painting is definitely not a relaxing exercise for me. In fact it is usually very stressful, especially as the painting progresses, and I invest more and more of myself in the work. I have a tendency – okay, it is more of an unbreakable habit than a tendency – to put off the more difficult parts of the painting for as long as possible. And when I am forced to confront them, I can count on the presence of palpable anxiety. I have learned that this is not only inevitable, but a welcomed part of the creative process. My best work is always accomplished under the duress of varying degrees of anxiety. Its presence tells me that I am moving forward into unfamiliar places where real creative growth is possible.

This is the positive side of anxiety. When we are faced with a need to act, a task at hand, or a decision to be made, it can be helpful rather than incapacitating. It sharpens our minds and increases our awareness of all our options and their potential hazards. It helps us determine whether we should be cautious or aggressive. The right amount of anxiety may urge us to go ahead and push at those boundaries, or it may cause us to pause, and discover previously unknown obstacles lying in wait for us. In its own way, anxiety makes us a little bit wiser. It does not promise success, but encourages the effort. It has taught me to appreciate the difference between stress and distress. In measured and controllable amounts, anxiety is my friend.  There is little question in my mind that my creative efforts need anxiety as much as my cooking needs garlic and an occasional anchovy.

WHAT AM I DOING HERE?

“What am I doing sitting on a pile of trash in an empty city lot behind Fourth Street?”

It was 9 AM on a Thursday morning in the mid 1970s. I should have been attending Medical Grand Rounds, a presentation by the medical residents of interesting cases to the house staff and attending physicians. It was a weekly ritual that I had attended faithfully for the past 6 years.

So why was I sitting on a stack of empty mattresses in the middle of an empty lot? I was drawing the back of a row of dilapidated houses, fascinated by the texture and gritty nature of the composition they created, totally unaware that this would mark the beginning of a 5 year process to reveal an artist tucked away somewhere within me. To say it was pure pleasure would be less than true. Guilt and insecurity were right beside me, asking me “what are you doing out here? You should be at Grand Rounds. It’s ridiculous to think that you’re an artist, or could become one. All you can do is draw small sketches with a Parker fountain pen. Hell, you can’t even paint!” There was no shortage of guilt, doubt and self-recrimination, but not enough to pull me away. Art – pencil and pen and ink drawing – was becoming more than a casual hobby; it was something I felt driven to do. It’s not like I was bored and looking around for something to keep me occupied. This interest in drawing simply crept into my consciousness without any forethought, and once it was established proceeded to grow until it became more of a need than an option or choice. This wasn’t the first time I experienced something like this. In the spring of my first year in college, without my conscious input I suddenly decided I wanted to be a physician and not a pharmacist. Ironically, I was now engaged in a process that, albeit much slower, would take me from medicine to art. But that’s another story. I would end up painting and drawing the backs of buildings throughout my years in Wilmington, and over 25 years later would do the same in Paducah.

The backs of so many urban buildings often stand in stark contrast to their fronts, and are frequently far more interesting because of the nitty gritty texture and disarray. In 1984 the Wilmington News Journal moved their headquarters from downtown Wilmington to a new suburban industrial park, and asked me to do a painting of the old headquarters for a poster to give their friends and employees. Of course I did the back, which was far more interesting to me that the boring façade in front. They loved it, bought it, and then asked be to do the front for the poster. Here are the two paintings – you can decide for yourself.

I originally considered calling this post – By Their Backsides You Will Know Them. But then I wasn’t sure how people would interpret that.

3-24-20 Gemelli with Zucchini and Ricotta cheese

What a delightful surprise

 

What to do for dinner? After a week of sheltering at home the cupboards were a little bare. Poking around in the fridge I found a zźucchini, carrots and celeryyÿ, along with a tub of ricotta that had to be used.

While waiting for the pasta water to boil I cooked some chopped onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil. When the onions softened I added 2 cloves of slice garlic and the zucchini, along with1/3 cup of chicken stock and the dried tarragon. Several minutes later I added some white wine, and still later fresh lemon juice. All of this was done on a whim, so there is nothing fixed regarding the timing. I kept the lid off the pan after the zucchini was cooked to allow some of liquid to cook off.

I mixed in about a cup of ricotta a few minutes before the pasta was ready, tossed the pasta in the pan with the sauce, and sat down to eat with high hopes.

The result was a delightful new way (if there ever is a new way) to enjoy pasta. The  sauce was light, almost sweet, and thanks to the tarragon had a wonderfully unique flavor. I see more of this in our future.

RAVIOLI WITH SUNDRIED TOMATO - CREAM SAUCE

1-16-19  Ravioli w sundried tom in oil/cream sauce

  

INGREDIENTS :

Ravioli or any shaped past

Sundried tomatoes in oil – coarsely chopped

Onion – Garlic

Olive oil

Heavy whipping cream and butter

Fresh parsley

Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Cook the onions in olive oil until soft, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook over low heat for several minutes then add the tomatoes and parsley. Continue cooking over low heat. About 4-5 minutes before the pasta is ready add the cream and butter, stirring frequently. Then add the pasta with a bit of the pasta water and garnish with parsley and serve.

COMMENTS:

Patience loved this and said this is what I have to serve to our next dinner guests. I have to agree – it was good.

Spaghetti with cucumbers, smoked salmon, and kalamata olives crudo

Pasta with diced raw cucumbers, kalamata olives, and smoke salmon with olive oil, dill, and garlic. This is a new dish for us, inspired by the abundant harvest of cucumbers from Patience's garden. It is an unusual pairing, pasta and cucumbers, but it works. The olives and dill give it a unique flavor, and the salmon is optional. A few halved cherry tomatoes provide a little color.

7-15-18 Spaghetti w Japanese eggplants and mint

My goal tonight was to create a “rustic” dish, even though I can’t begin to describe to  you what that means. It is something simple, with a minimum of ingredients and best served on an old wooden kitchen table with dishes and utensils that don’t match…totally unpretentious.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Spaghetti

2.     Two Japanese eggplants cut crosswise

3.     Olive oil

4.     Garlic

5.     Leeks

6.     Fresh mint leaves finely chopped

7.     Mozzarella cut into small cubes

8.     Fresh tomato 1-2 slices cut into small pieces

PROCESS:

Saute the Leek and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the eggplant and cook of med-high heat, adding half of the mint after 4-5 minutes. Stir often and continue cooking until the eggplants begin to brown. Cover and remove from the burner until the pasta is ready. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the eggplants, along with a drizzle of olive oil and some of the pasta water. Garnish with the rest of the mint plus the cheese and the tomatoes.

COMMENTS:

Patience and I were both pleased with this dish. I think the next time I do this I will add some croutons (made with P’s bread) to the garnish.

7-3-18 Angel hair pasta with fresh herbs & olive oil

After a week away from home it felt good to be back in my own kitchen, and even better to be preparing a pasta dinner. Tonight I wanted to take advantage of all the fresh herbs in Patient’s garden creating a variation of the traditional Aglio Olio.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Angel hair pasta

2.     Extra virgin olive oil

3.     Fresh thyme, oregano, and basil finely chopped

4.     Garlic – one clove minced

5.     Shallot – sliced

6.     Tomato – medium size coarsely chopped

7.     Mozzarella cut into small cubes

8.     Salt and black pepper

PROCESS:

Add the herbs, garlic and a dash of salt to the olive oil (about 1/3 cup) and allow to sit for several hours or more.

While the pasta is cooking sauté the shallots in olive oil and place in the pasta bowl. Add the pasta with some of the pasta water to the bowl, along with the herb infuse olive oil and mix well.  Add the tomatoes and mozzarella and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and serve.

COMMENTS:

The herbs used in place of the traditional parsley give a subtle, but distinctly different flavor to this dish that is best described as gentler and/or softer. P and I both gave this a 10+. The next time I will prepare the olive oil 1 or 2 days in advance, and reserve some of the herbs for a garnish.