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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Bohemian Escape into Art and Food, December 23, 2011
This review is from: Cezanne and the Provencal Table (Hardcover)
Renoir's Table
Jean-Bernard Naudin et. al.
Simon and Schuster. 1994. 191 pages. Hardbound. Color reproductions. Library of Congress 88-062603'
About life, love... and tolerance of bacon?
In an essay reprinted in the October 14, 2001 SF Chronicle, famous author Salman Rushdie argued that, during the September attacks on American life, we must acknowledge that we also must defend America's "kissing in public places, bacon sandwiches..." as well as "...disagreement, cutting-edge fashion, literature,..." All of which not everyone may approve. Of course Rushdie wasn't placing bacon on a level with universal suffrage. Rushdie meant that our entire disorderly scene in America, from outrageous speech and bacon sandwiches to unfettered literature and open worship, the entire lot is the undividable and irrepressible outward manifestation of the guaranteed freedoms that define our almost unique society. Each of us may choose our way of life if it harms no one and thus each should reciprocally extend like tolerance, however reluctantly. Just coincidently then, I became enamored of a series of books about the personal lives of famous Impressionist artists. No, not detailing with whom they did or did not sleep. No, far more interesting; what, with, how and where they cooked and ate. Even how food was obtained. For example, do you know the very eccentric manner in which Toulouse-Lautrec's aristocratic father, the Count, lived his sportsman's life? In pursuit of game he traveled about 19th Century France by rail, sharing an entire train compartment only with his trained eagle in its cage on his one side (for hunting hares, etc.) and with his cormorant in another cage on his other side (brought for fishing). Just as well he wouldn't share the compartment; birds can't be housebroken. Pity; conversation must have been limited. On one occasion a railway "chase" went on so long "afield" that the family suffered much anxiety, until the arrival of the briefest telegram, "Send my ferrets!"
In the several years before 9 / 11, Europe produced a small number of truly gorgeous books describing in word, photo and recipe the private lives of the Impressionists. To name just a few in my own library, there's: "Monet's Table", "Renoir's Table", "Cezanne- A Taste of Provance", "The Taste of Giverny... at home with Monet and the American Impressionists" and "Toulouse-Lautrec's Table". I confess that the last is a little steamed and that I have not yet ordered "Dining with Proust". I'm afraid the Proust will prove too ponderous; too freighted with long, rambling and seemingly pointless recipes. My favorite two books so far are the Cezanne and the Renoir issues. The excellent dust jacket blurb for the Renoir is printed below.
"One of the most renowned Impressionist painters, Renoir was known for his exuberant joie de vivre. His paintings are suffused with this enthusiasm and reflect his belief in reveling in the enjoyable basics that life has to offer---wine, beautiful women, music, and especially food. Spellbound by the life and works of Renoir, the authors have recreated, in his spirit, the art of living and dining with style.
Renoir's Table provides a fascinating and unique insight into the turn-of-the-century lifestyle of this celebrated Impressionist. A richly detailed picture of Renoir's private world, it invites us to share the culinary delights of an artist who loved to eat as much as he loved to paint.
First, we are taken on a visual and culinary tour around late-nineteenth-century Paris and are introduced to the favorite haunts of the Impressionist group. Re-created here is the festive nature of Renoir's painting Dejeuner des Conotirers---The Luncheon of the Boating Party--at the Restaurant Fournaise in Chatou. Like those long-ago diners on the banks of the Seine, we can evoke that sensual and relaxed atmosphere. No one knew better than Renoir how to capture the joy of living on a brilliant summer's afternoon.
Next, the authors depict Renoir's family life and take us to Essoyes, in the eastern French countryside, where he spent bucolic summers with his family, often enjoying long afternoon lunches. Finally, we travel to Cagnes, Renoir's retreat in later life where he painted Les Collettes, enchanted by the flowers and olive trees that frame his country paintings and sensual bathing scenes.
Alongside a selection of Renoir's much-loved paintings we have gastronomic "portraits"; from Bouillabaisse Provencal to Potage Crecy, Chicken Renoir, and Baked Tomatoes Cezanne, made especially by Madame Renoir for a visit from the artist to her home. Each recipe is taken from an authentic contemporary source, re-creating the feel of turn-of-the-century Paris.
The cast of characters in this bohemian life includes some of the most gifted people of the day, such as Zola, Manet, and Cezanne. They are all detailed with loving recall; their stories taken from contemporary letters, particularly Jean Renoir's memoir, which invoke the heady, pleasure-seeking lifestyle that epitomizes this fascinating era.
Jean-Bernard Naudin, a renowned international photographer, specializes in interiors and decorating and has worked on numerous magazines. He has previously worked on Monet's Table, Dining with Proust and Toulouse-Lautrec's Table.
Jean-Michel Charbonnier is a journalist and a regular contributor to the French art magazine Beaux-Arts. He is also the author of Voyage en France Gourmande.
Jaqueline Saulnier, the creator of the recipes, is a food writer for the French magazine Marie Claire and is the author of several books on French cooking."
These are books one can recommend without reservation to those who love French Impressionism and cooking, especially the Renoir and the Cezanne. Production of the books is luxurious: thick and heavy card-like paper pages, clear bright and sharp color photos of intoxicating tables (the proverbial spreads over groaning boards), marbled book board covers, cloth ribbon place marker, etc. There is much reproduced art, from thumbnail sketches to famous paintings. Old photos bolster the interesting history and biography. In some cases surprisingly little of the townscapes has changed in a hundred years.
And, of course, there's the bohemian, city or country French recipes from the era. Curiously, it seems many contained bacon. One of my favorites is Renoir's Potato Cake, which does NOT necessarily contain bacon. (Cezanne's Potato Cake does.)
Gateau de Pommes de Terre.
(Food sounds so much better in French.)
"For 6 people
2 ¼ lb medium-sized potatoes; 2 tbsp goose fat (!?) or butter; finely ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Choose evenly sized potatoes for an attractive presentation, then wash, peel and quickly rinse them. Dry and cut them into very thing slices, no thicker than 1/16 inch.
In a very large frying pan, melt half the goose fat or butter. Make a layer of as many slices of potato as possible, overlapping them if necessary. As the potatoes were only lightly washed, the starch in them will bind them together, until they are a golden brown.
Take a large flat plate and turn the cake out on to it by covering the frying pan with the plate and inverting them with a brisk movement. Slide the cake back into the frying pan, golden side up. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and leave until lightly golden.
Choose a deep, round oven dish large enough to hold the cake. Slide the cake into the dish and put it into the oven, lowering the heat to 300-350F.
Repeat all the previous steps a second and third time to obtain as many layers as the dish can hold. Once you have added the last layer, leave the dish in the oven for 10 more minutes. Serve by turning the cake out onto a large warm plate or slide it using two spatulas. Sprinkle with fresh finely chopped parsley (add chopped garlic if you are serving it with lamb or pork) and a light sprinkling of freshly ground pepper."
I guess this is a goofy, even preposterous thing, cooking this unrealistic dish with such ludicrous theatricality, this flipping of giant potato pancakes sizzling in goose fat, but doesn't it sound like great fun? Come better weather, I'm going to have a party founded upon these books. Everybody will have to be in costume, at least a beret or a toque. To complement the fresh food, we will have fresh art, new wet paintings leaning against the walls. Art materials, brushes, tubes and palettes scattered about. Also, art conversation, hopefully more than just my opinion. Turn-of-the-century food, maybe these goosed potato cakes. Ummm, what a pretty thought.
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