In My Kitchen in October, 2024
Happy Halloween! We’ve viewed a remarkable number of Halloween decorations this month, and will look forward to the Trick-or-Treaters tonight. The weather has been wonderful, prolonging the season for farmers’ market produce and for the herbs in our garden — though the last few nights have been a bit hard on some of the more delicate ones.
First, a Few things that we cooked this month
Late Summer Fruit Crumble |
The crumble in my favorite baking dish, purchased in Paris long ago. |
Last plum cake of 2024? |
Little Lettuce Salads with Thousand-Island Dressing |
Cottage cheese and veggies for lunch. |
What’s New in Our Kitchen?
Maybe for the Trick-or-Treaters. Maybe for me. |
Yes, this device really works. Len installed it on the underside of a shelf in the pantry. The photo shows the box it came in. |
Kitchens in Distant Places
Art Exhibit: “Food Culture in the Islamic World”
Last weekend we viewed a wonderful exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts titled “Food Culture in the Islamic World.” This exposition: “brings together 230 works from the Middle East, Egypt, Central and South Asia, and beyond to explore art and cuisine.” It’s open from September 22, 2024 - January 5, 2025. (Museum Website)
Here are two miniature paintings depicting kitchen scenes. I’ll be writing more about this very rich exposition.
A Kitchen in 16th-Century Persia
This scene is from a book called The story of rice and dumplings: “The person in yellow and red at left is the sufrachi, the hospitality manager of an elite household. Servants with trays line up behind him. The cook, wearing a white apron and wielding a red stick, has attracted the group's attention.
Another servant peeks in from the doorway, perhaps a bit concerned about the holdup.” (Source: documentation in the exhibit)
Automated Wine Dispenser from Iraq, Syria, or Egypt, 1315
This is an ingenious device for serving wine: “This design for a wine-serving automaton combines mechanical engineering and entertainment. Devised by the scholar and inventor al-Jazari (1136-1206), a figure on a rolling plank emerges from a cabinet to offer a cup of wine and a napkin. After the drinker consumes the wine and wipes their mouth, they replace the cup and raise the figures arm. Wine from the reservoir at top drips into the cup to repeat the process.”
Antarctica: Two VERY Remote Kitchens
A view of lunch prep in the kitchen at McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica. If you are intrigued by the life of researchers in this very remote place, see Carla’s blog: Traversing the Space Between. |
Happy Halloween!
This year’s Giant Pumpkins a few blocks from our house. For pictures of this neighbor’s pumpkins from the past see this blog post. |
Blog post © 2024 mae sander; photos as credited
5 comments:
Your meals look delicious!
All of your meals look so delicious! Happy Halloween.
That exhibit looks very interesting and I love the idea of the Antarctic kitchens. I will have to tap on the link, I am sure the info is quite interesting. I do have to say, just like the other commenters that the meals you share are quite lovely and such a nice variety to enjoy.
I would come and eat at your house any time!
A tasty looking month. That exhibition looks interesting.
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