In the previous posting, I mentioned an artist that some of you may not know, Tasha Tudor. She was a painter/children's book illustrator along the lines of Beatrix Potter but I appreciate her independent life that combined art with a rural life-artistry. She was a superior gardener and garden cook, which is that special kind of cook who takes in-season ingredients and finds clever ways to save and serve them. I like her quirky manner; notice the last line of the Tasha Tudor Mother Goose Rhymes-"I took him by the leg and threw him down stairs." The above photo is of her green house, a romanticized photograph and painting of her; however, from what I've read, she was extremely practical and not at all fussy about her looks. She died this summer (June 18, 2008) in her home in Marlboro, Vermont.
I found this quote at her family sponsored memorial website:
"Einstein said that time is like a river, it flows in bends. If we could only step back around the turns, we could travel in either direction. I'm sure it's possible. When I die, I'm going right back to the 1830s. I'm not even afraid of dying. I think it must be quite exciting." ~Tasha Tudor
Cynthia, I was just reading in the New Yorker about a Chinese cook who is trying to only get products from small farms and to cook without using MSG. I thought that MSG had been a spice for centuries, but it was extracted from seaweed in 1909 and during the communist era where fancy eating and meat were frowned on, it was added to give the flavor of a good broth.
ReplyDeleteI love the first section of The Ugly Duckling where the animals in the farmyard have personalities. And I guess they do.
Mark
Mark, MSG? Were you thinking of selling some squash to the Chinese cook who wants produce from small farms? or did you think I could provide some noodle-beans...the ones you gave me? Speaking of farms-were you thinking of The Animal Farm? Also, if we're in a farm yard and this is a parallel universe...ah...university...then I get to be either a horse or a pig-no geese or ducks for me...What are you? Mr. Goat? Are you "goating" me because I haven't left comments on your blog?!
ReplyDelete