The Favorite is a series of meals I am doing with an individual and a person of their choice. They can choose anyone be it someone they know, don’t know, admire, love, is related, not related, dead or alive. I then take the design challenge to create a full sensory (all five senses are activated) experience for the participant and their Favorite who may or may not be present at the meal. Lacy chose her deceased grandmother, Joanne (above), as her Favorite meal partner. Her grandmother was young even in old age. She was a sensual woman who lived life to its fullest, loved vibrant colors, designer clothing, and good wine. One of her pieces of memorabilia she gave me was an old cookbook called Aphrodisiac Cookery.
In it were explanations of sensual foods, some reminiscent of certain body parts therefore thought to be stimulating such as apples, carrots, and nuts. I decided to bring this notion of food as sensuality into the cooking itself, lacing the meal with meaning. I made a carrot soup and zucchini stuffed with millet, kalamata olives, capers and tomatoes. The zucchini and carrots were both mentioned in her grandmothers book for their phallic appearance, the olives, capers, onions and garlic all have pungent tastes known to stimulate the blood and circulation. I also made a loaf of fresh spelt bread as a symbol of pure nourishment, as well as being a lovely compliment to the carrot bisque.
Spelt bread
makes 1 loaf
2 teaspoons fresh yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1.5 cups lukewarm water
4 cups white spelt flour
1 heaped teaspoon salt
Dissolve the yeast and honey in half a cup of water and leave until it begins to froth. Add 3 and a half cups of flour, the rest of the water and the salt and knead to a dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes then continue kneading, adding more flour or water as required to make a soft silky dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to double in size, approximately 1 hour. Punch down, form into a loaf and cover again with a damp tea towel and leave for half an hour. Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 445°F.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes.
Carrot Bisque
(recipe inspired by Vegan with a Vengeance)
3 pounds carrots, peeled and diced into smaller pieces
1 large onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable broth
1 13-oz can coconut milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
In a stock pot over low-medium heat, cook the carrots and onions in the oil for 7-10 minutes to be brown but not burnt. Add the garlic, curry, salt, and pepper; saute for 1 minute more. Add the 3 cups of broth, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add the coconut milk and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat off. Blend half of the soup in a blender, return to the pot and add maple syrup. Serve hot.
Olive, Tomato, and Millet-Stuffed Zucchini
(recipe inspired by Vegan with a Vengeance)
1 medium sized onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup millet, rinsed
black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 22-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth or water
4 medium-size zucchini, ends trimmed
1/2 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup capers
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Saute the onions in the olive oil over moderate heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute.
Add the millet, herbs, spices, and salt; saute for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with juice and vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 mins.
Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini: slice in half lengthwise. Place in a large saucepan cut side down, fill the pan with enough water to cover the zucchini halfway. Cover the pan, bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the water and place on a plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle, use a spoon to remove the pulp, chop up the pulp and reserve.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the Zucchini pulp, olives, and capers to the millet mixture. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, until the millet is tender. Stuff each zucchini half with some of the mixture. Place in a baking dish and bake for about 20 mins. Serve warm.
All five senses were activated through this meal. The tactile was actualized through a “safety pillow” I made. Created from a vintage velvet coat, rose colored satin, and a piece of animal print silk, the pillow can act as a protective shield and something to hold. I kept the pockets of the jacket in the front for your hands to easily slip into. I chose the velvet, satin, and silk for their extreme touch ability, all evoking a softness and sensuousness that is also comforting. As Lacy found herself holding it, she told me that her grandmother used to own a coat just like this, affirming my choices for the materials used.
The sense of smell (as well as taste) was evoked through the fresh vanilla bean steeping in the bergamot tea, both smells Lacy had told me reminded me of her grandmother. Smell, touch, and sound were also active through the fire in the fireplace, the warmth, crackle, and smell of the burning wood all engaging the senses.
Something that I did not know was that her grandmother always had a fire in the fireplace going whenever she had people over so she was happy that I had one going for our lunch. In the background, I had my favorite Ella Fitzgerald album playing, hoping to evoke the calm sophistication that Ella and jazz tend to bring to a room. Lacy mentioned that along with a fire always going, her grandmother was always playing jazz music, Ella being one of her favorite singers.
The visual component, other than the food and ambiance, were through two screen prints I made. The prints were replicas of two of her grandmother’s designer scarves. I also screen printed an image of her grandmother from a photo of her as a young woman, onto the backs of the recipes I used in our lunch and on to the top of a box I filled with the vegan coconut fudge.
The experience was more rich and rewarding than I could have ever imagined. It is one thing to design an experience for someone, but it is another to do it for someone who’s relationship with food has been one of fear and hatred. To hear Lacy talk about her plunge into anorexia, how food and nourishment became the enemy, and the slow demise of her self-worth was as healing as it was painful. I feel honored to have been witness to this very real and very scary step she has taken towards health and absolutely applaud her for it.
