Smy Goodness Podcast : Food History & Food Art

Gimme a break, gimme a break - break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar - it’s the food history and food art of the Kit Kat. My next episode will be followed up with a much deeper look at cacao. This episode is a bit of a departure as it’s the first time I have featured a brand. It was inspired by my dear friend Michiru and her recent gift of a pack of assorted Japanese Kit Kats and will start with original Kit Kats. From the 18th century savoury pies they share their name with, to their 100 year journey to being the most influential confectionery bar of all time. Their world domination includes Japan and the hundreds of Kit Kat varietals of gentei limited edition culture but it must also include an honest look at Nestle and Corporate Social Responsibility. There’s the Kit Kat portraits of old from Sir Godfrey Kneller and the The New Kit-Cat Portraits by Gloria and Mike of In the Long Run Designs Kit Kat origami; a Kit Kat Coffee Table by design house den-Holm; a Chocnology exhibition and more.

With this episode I’m going straight to my interview with today’s guest - Maddalena Ghezzi. Maddalena is a musician, singer, composer, artist and improviser. She has been working in the field of jazz, improvised and experimental music since moving to the UK in 2009 and her work draws inspiration from the natural world, literature, visual arts and the socio-political status of our world. Here we chat about her new release, Emeralds, which is a collaboration with synth player, composer, producer and pianist Maria Chiara Argirò. Emeralds is the latest in her Minerals series of EP releases done in collaboration with an other musicians. Maddie’s music is enigmatic, atmospheric and her compositions and voice will carry you to new places that feel both metaphysical and tangible at the same time. We chat about collaborations, composing, creativity, cuisine (new year baby polenta, chiavi della cucina, Dolomites and puzzone) and sci-fi!

I chat with one of my dearest friends, award-winning writer and artist Kurt Cole Eidsvig.  Kurt has been featured in The Boston Globe, The Improper Bostonian, NBC, CBS, and ABC and loads more prestigious places.

We will talk about his new book OxyContin for Breakfast, his previous book Pop X Poetry, his visual art, inspirations and how food factors in to all of the above. We will chat about his connection to apple cider vinegar, mint jelly omelettes, analogue vampiric beef binkies, Sully's snapper dogs and more. The first minute of audio is a wee bit tinny as we get set up but it features our first of many nods to Nance…. This episode is dedicated to Kurt’s mom Nancy Cole Landon who passed away last May at the age of 85.

You can listen to the podcast here, anywhere you get them or watch our interview on the Smy Goodness YouTube channel.

Vinegar depictions range from fanciful stories relating to it, appearances in still life paintings to the different stages of its production and enjoyment. Vinegar is a symbol of preservation, of hard work and longevity and being cleansed. It’s found in religious stories, fables, stories of love, war, money and death…basically all aspects of the human experience. Featuring artworks such as the Three Vinegar Tasters, Parody of the Vinegar Tasters, Elisabetta Sirani's painting Cleopatra and the story of Cleopatra's banquet, plague doctors' masks and Four Thief Vinegar, Tête Noire vinegar, Anne Vallayer-Coster's Still Life with Mackerel, Film Fawn/Merecedes and more.

Vinegar is a vital addition to popular dishes, condiments and beverages from around the world. It has as many uses outside of the kitchen as it does in it and is a staple ingredient of many natural or home remedies. There are countless health benefits that are associated with it and the varieties are endless - from bayberry, bamboo, black, brown and balsamic and one that is famously described as with the mother. Today it's all about the food history of vinegar - its important beginnings, fermentation, etymology, some of its many culinary and creative uses from all over the world. The next episode will be the accompanying, part 2 episode where I'll discuss the food art of vinegar and cider vinegar plus a special chat with artist and poet Kurt Eidsvig about his work and his new book POP X POETRY.

I am sharing and processing some of my thoughts and experiences of racism as a woman of colour.
Covering examples of racist imagery in food history and amazing representation, examples of racist imagery in art and amazing representation in art. Covering racial stereotypes, Ava DuVernay and the documentary 13th, Mixed Girl Meetup, Birth of a Nation, , fried chicken, watermelon, stereotypes, micro-aggressions, Sohla El-Waylly and Bon Appetit, MOFAD, Mariya Russell, Kara Walker, Angela Davis and more.

In a special edition of Smy Goodness Podcast - Quarantine Catch-up we chat with Aimée Furnival of Another Studio, the London design studio specialising in Plant Gifts and Playful Products. Aimée featured in the Smy Goodness Podcast Ep5 Pancakes and Creativity which looked at the food history and food art relating to pancakes all whilst we chatted about creativity, similarities between cooking and design processes and how design affects the items that surround us in our kitchens and dining rooms and as we prepare and share our meals. In this episode we chat to Aimée about her thoughts on Covid-19 and how it may have affected her business and cookery practices. Have a listen!

Across the world and throughout myths, legends and religious texts pomegranates have been symbolic of wealth, fertility and good luck. The pomegranate has been a popular feature and motif in artworks, literature, ceremonies and culinary offerings from all over the world. A modern day superfood yes…but people throughout time and place have known of its health benefits. From stories of Agdistis, Persephone, Roman Britain and Catherine of Aragon. With artworks from Giovanna Garzoni, Clara Peeters, Sandro Boticelli, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Zaida Ben Yusuf, Sergei Parajanov and Katayoun Amjadi.

Exploring the historical links between food and fashion plus a chat with fashion designer and artist Emilio de la Morena. Emilio was my very first guest for Episode 1 which was all about quince and now he’s my latest guest for Episode 30! We discuss his latest creative endeavours as a painter; the fashion and food events we have been hosting and how food and fashion inspire us both. Connected since our earliest days as humans, we’ll also look at how 5000 year old Ötzi the Iceman changed how we think about prehistoric clothing. Plus we’ll look at food inspired creations from Elsa Schiaparelli, Margiela, Dries van Noten, Jeremy Scott for Moschino and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

They are associated with luxury but historically this has not always been the case. They live in all oceans, yet I am partial and prejudiced to those from New England. Today it's the food history and food art of lobster. My guest Greg Weekes shares his insight and stories as a Cape Cod Lobsterman. Their form and colour have inspired artists throughout the ages. There's art from the Moche civilisation of Peru, Albrecht Durer, Claara Peeters, Anne Vallayer-Coster, Judith Sobel and Carrie Mae Weems.

Heat from the body can soften it making it more pliable and chewy. Chewy is a key word around its etymology. It’s a tree sap that is dried in the sun from only one place, the Greek island of Chios. It’s all about mastic, or mastiha in Greek or by it’s poetic name Tears of Chios. I’ll look at its history, rarity, value and its many uses. There's art by Émile Bayard, Elisabetta Duminuco and Clémentine Bal. Our guest Aristea Zougri of Althea Massage Therapy and Yoga has a myriad of skills and talents as a massage therapist, yoga practitioner with her own line of body oils. We chat about her career, holistic treatments, lots about the food of her native Greece and some of her mastiha memories.

"Marine Style" flask with octopus, Aegean Civilisation of Crete,
the Late Minoan Bronze Age from c. 1500-1450 BC

Throughout the world and throughout time, people and cultures have both revered and feared this eight-limbed, legendary Cephalopod - the octopus. We’ll look at the mythology and folklore of the octopus, their physiology and behaviour; which all strengthen their reputation as symbols of strength, intelligence and mystery. We’ll look at artworks by Japanese master Hokusai, resin artist Keng Lye, potter Tammy Garcia and illustrator Esther Van Hulsen. Plus I make takoyaki - round octopus pancake balls!

Show Notes:
00:00-01:45
Intros
01:45-06:30
Octopus background history, myths, characteristics, origins, ancient history,
06:30-16:00
art, late minoan marine style flask, tammy garcia, Hokusai, Esther Van Hulsen, Keng Lye
16:00-19:15
Intelligence of the octopus, Octopolis, Octlantis, escape artists, anatomy, physiology, sex lives and child rearing
19:15-20:40
Jean Painleve octopus short films
20:40-25.25
Takoyaki and Michiru!!!
25:25-27:25
Closing
27:25-28:07
Cringey jingle 

Blackware pottery with octopus motifs by potter Tammy Garcia

A block print depicting the folklore tale of Akkorokamui from Hokkiado, Japan, date and artist unknown



Hokusai’s 1814 shunga print, its Japanese title is Tako to Ama, translated to English as Girl Diver and Octopuses and also widely known in English as Dream of the Fisherman's Wife
from Shingu Gallery

retouched singular image of Hokusai’s 1814 shunga print, Tako to Ama

Octopuses as depicted by artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi from the story of Princess Tamatori and the Dragon King.

Illustration by Esther van Hulsen made with ink extracted from a 95 million year old octopus fossil by paleontologist Jørn Hurum. The piece is exhibited together with the fossil in the Natural History Museum in Oslo, Norway.

95 million year old octopus fossil found in 2009 and it’s ink, extracted by paleontologist Jørn Hurum and then . The piece is exhibited together with the fossil in the Natural History Museum in Oslo, Norway. ink as used in Esther Van Hulsen’s octopus illustration as seen above.

Singapore based artist Keng Lye’s resin and acrylic 3-D octopus on an enamel plate

Takoyaki ingredients

Cooked octopus

Takoyaki - first batch

I used the Japan Centre recipe for Takoyaki:
Ingredients
batter:
200g flour, 
2 eggs
, 450ml water, 
pinch of dashi stock
fillings:
100g fresh boiled octopus, chopped
, 1 bunch spring onion, chopped 
red pickled ginger
, tempura flakes
toppings:
takoyaki sauce, 
japanese mayonnaise
, aosa powdered seaweed (or aonori)
, katsuobushi, bonito flakes

How To Prepare
1. Start by creating the batter. Grab a large bowl and mix together 2 eggs, 200g of flour, 450ml of water and a little dashi stock. Set this aside. If you have the ready-made okonomiyaki flour, follow the directions for making the batter and you’re good to go.

2. Place your takoyaki plate on the gas stove on medium heat and heat up a small amount of oil in each hole.

3. Cut up your octopus into small pieces. Place a piece of octopus in each of the semi-circular holes, and then fill up each hole to the top with the batter mix. You can even overflow the batter out of the hole to make it easier to flip them later.

4. Now you can add the chopped spring onion, red pickled ginger and tempura flakes to each hole. The amount you add is up to you, but only a small amount of each will give enough flavour.

5. Once the takoyaki are about half cooked, about 1-2 minutes, you will need to flip them over. The best way to do this is to use a small wooden skewer to poke the outside of the batter and flip it over within the hole. This takes a bit of practice to get done smoothly so keep trying if you are making a mess.

6. You can usually only flip each takoyaki about three quarters of the way round so allow it to cook a little more before flipping it again. By now, all your takoyaki should be round so keep rotating them in the holes to make sure that they cook evenly on all sides. This will take about 3-4 minutes until golden brown on the outside. 


7. Place a few takoyaki on a plate and smother them with loads of takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. Then sprinkle a bit of powdered seaweed and some bonito flakes on top and enjoy. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy hot. 


Takoyaki - second batch

Liguria Polpo salad

Greco Octopus salad

Orso Tosco, author of Aspettando i Naufraghi

This episode it's the zucchini aka the courgette and their stunningly beautiful flowers. As my guest was Orso Tosco, the Italian author who has just published his novel, Aspettando I Naufraghi. For his topic Orso chose fiori di zucca or courgette/zucchini flowers as they feature in his novel and are one of his favourite dishes. As we will see there is a strong link between Italy and courgette flowers which will play out in our chat, the artwork covered in this episode and their interesting history. So listen above to find out about Orso's book, his process, food thoughts and memories; their earned reputation as symbols of the sensual and erotic, artwork from Arcimboldo, Giovanni de Udine, Georgia O'Keeffe and find out where courgette/zucchini come from, their travels around the world, how we get their beautiful flowers, and the myriad of ways that we can use them.

Auntie Chrissie's courgette and flower

Mercury, Giovanni da Udine from the Villa Farnesina, 1517.

Mercury (detail), Giovanni da Udine from the Villa Farnesina, 1517.

Estate, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, 1573.

Vertumnus, Guiseppe Arcimboldo, 1590-1591

Squash Blossoms I, Georgia O'Keeffe, 1925

Squash Blossoms II, Georgia O'Keeffe, 1925

Squash Blossoms III, Georgia O'Keeffe, 1925

Fiori di zucca di ripieni made by Cristina Busnelli if Sanremo

A few years back I decided to bundle all my interests together and rebrand from Smy Chutney to Smy Goodness so that all my preserves, crafts, products and workshops could live together in one place. My own podcast seemed a suitable place to uncover, understand and enjoy things related to food, art, history and design. Please do share your stories, knowledge, questions and suggestions. In the Smy Goodness.com podcast section you will find the podcasts and all the items that we are discussing and will have ongoing discussions about each week.

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Thank you for listening.

This episode looks at where rhubarb came from and how it traveled the world. I look at the changes from how rhubarb was first used by humans to how it is enjoyed today. We'll learn about the etymology of rhubarb, the need for albarelli drug jars and then there's the utterly interesting link between rhubarb and the Zoroastrian creation myth. I'll share why the culinary tradition of Forced Rhubarb fully deserves its PDO status. Go to SmyGoodness.com to see the artworks  I was inspired by including:

Nikolai Astrup, Rubarb

Mary Fedden, Still Life with Rhubarb

  
Elizabeth Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson Art Glass LLC -
www.elizabethjohnson.com

I share some of the ways that I use rhubarb in my cookery and preserves, food photography and patterns.

    
Smy Goodness
Meringues with roasted rhubarb, rhubarb & strawberry print, jars of pickled rhubarb