linen

Food As Art

Did you know food can be a culinary art form? Think about it for a sec. The plate simply becomes the canvas. If you look closely you may discover cultural expressions, creative discipline, and stimulating sensory engagement. Today’s photo is a perfect example. I recently discovered a charming artisan boutique, called Hazel Coasts in SW Florida. The owner, Lindsay Ghord, showcases textiles handmade in Tunisia. The linen table runner with lime green and light aqua accents immediately caught my eye! Wouldn’t you agree? And the best part is you can get one yourself through her online shop @hazelcoasts.

Memories, recent or past, enhance the tasteful journey of art when they tell a story. Although food as a physical form is temporary once it’s consumed, the drama begins when the plate is placed before you. Every recipe appears unique and seems to hold its own value. Reality sets in when that first bite is taken. To be honest, food would taste the same whether it appears as art or not. In my blog, I choose to turn the ordinary into extraordinary by making it visually stimulating. 

After over 4220 days in a row, some of my posts continue to be favored by Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa, on Instagram (@gail _dorna). You can even find me on Pinterest @Gail Dorna. It’s very easy to search for recipes there on the board entitled “Gail’s Kitchen Recipes”. I’d love to connect with you there as well. Experience different flavors and textures as you eat with your eyes. Catch a glimpse of “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Food is Art.” This remarkable journey of the palate is unique because it gives me a few moments with you. Thanks very much to all of my guests and followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support, award nominations, and daily words of encouragement.

Press On With Linen and Lavender 

I like to iron. I find comfort in it.  Maybe it’s because I’m a Baby-Boomer who grew up in an age where common sense meant making choices that gave one an advantage, a leg up, so to speak.  My family lived on a very limited income, so making the most of what we had was often all there was to make ends meet.  My closet contained a few skirts or dresses for school and special outfits for church.  Thank goodness I had older cousins who gifted me with hand-me-downs.  Yet, I didn’t mind.  My mother had a rigid schedule:  Wash clothes on Monday, Iron clothes on Tuesday, Clean the House on Wednesday, Mop the floors on Thursday, and so on.   

I began ironing my blue jeans when I was a teenager.  It came about more out of necessity simply because, at a time when most girls averaged between 5′ and 5’5″, my legs were very long.  And I was tall and skinny, which had me towering over my brothers and  most boys.  I discovered if I used a steam iron, I could stretch the denim to make the jeans longer.   Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was ironing everything from tea towels to tee shirts.  
Nowadays, I revel in ironing my Turkish tea towels and French linens by spritzing them with Mary Ellen’s Best Press lavender-tinted starch alternative.  It smells like I’m ironing in the south of France.  The end result?  Everything is left with a crisp, new finish.  Yes, I still iron my blue jeans and tee shirts. Old habits die hard.  Every once in awhile I sneak one of my husband’s Oxford shirts into the laundry basket and mist it with the heavenly scent of French lavender while pressing it wrinkle free. Perhaps its lingering fragrance takes him somewhere in time.  Back to the days when we strolled down ancient cobblestone streets, sipping strong coffee in open cafés, basked in the warm sunshine holding hands, stealing kisses, eating baguettes, and drinking French wine.