Food writing is an amazing cacophony of intertwining stories, memories, personal histories, tastes, descriptive scenes, politics, and opinions. The story becomes the essence, showcasing the flavor of the author. Sometimes, it seems, I can’t get enough and thankfully there is a ton out there I haven’t read. I love stories and histories that involve food because often times passion, excitement, and tremendous change are involved in the narrators life. Food allows us to work from an intuitive place, if we allow it to happen. Think of all those people you know who come home from their day jobs and then throw themselves into making a wonderful meal. Food gives us the space, and time, to exercise another part of the brain and soul that may have been shut off during the work day.
Food blogs today are everywhere–I’m sure you’ve noticed! And I am immensely grateful for all of you who take the time to read this one! Thank you! One thing that I try to do with my little space here is to be genuinely honest–not only with you, but with myself. Food in so many ways has become a catalyst for not only exploring and discovering myself and my passions, but also helping me describe the journey and how it feels. Eating is Art was started because, well, I believe that is true! It became a reminder for myself that my everyday actions were just as important as the big things I was trying to achieve and they have just as much impact on my life as do the bigger decisions. The blog has held me accountable to myself. It is satisfying to look back and have a record of projects I’ve done and how my approaches and thoughts have grown. It is also a place where I come to share a piece of myself, reflect, and bake. The blog has become a journey in which I hadn’t anticipated its affect. I look forward to writing, sharing, and to you.
I made a wonderfully boozy Persimmon bread yesterday with a recipe from the Godfather of Cooking and food writing himself, James Beard. It was quite fruit-cake-esk, but not in a bad way. It is actually really festive tasting, with almost a cup of whiskey or bourbon used in it! The raisins, and nuts if you use them, meld wonderfully with the liquor flavoring and a hint of nutmeg finishes it off. I liked making it and eating it just to imagine James Beard doing so and then fully enjoying a warm slice himself. Plus, if you have 17 pounds of persimmons sitting around, all getting ripe at different times (thank goodness), this is a good recipe to have around 
.
But before I dive into the recipe, here are some of my favorite (and random) excerpts from Life is Meals, by James and Kay Salter. A truly phenomenal read and interesting approach to food, writing, art, and life–each chapter corresponds to a different day of the year and had significance to the authors themselves or in the vast time line of history.
“Following a wedding in ancient Egypt, there was a kind of trial period for the marriage that took place not only in the sleeping quarters but also at the table. It was called ‘a year of eating,’ after which the bride and groom either parted or continued as a couple. Presumably, this took into account that a married couple would spend many more of their waking hours at the table than in bed, and this was where true compatibility lay.”
“Brillat-Savarin gave us the four indispensables for a dinner:
1. Food that was at least passable
2. Good wine
3. Agreeable company
4. Enough time
Among the elements that he felt were desirable, though not essential:
1. A maximum of twelve guests
2. The room cool (60-68 degrees F), amply lit, and the table linen fresh
3. The evening lasting until at least eleven, but not beyond midnight. “
“A poet’s hope: to be
Like some valley cheese,
Local, but prized everywhere.
–W.H. Auden”
“Throughout [Winston Churchill's] long life, he ate well and drank heartily and once described a meal as follows: ‘Well, dinner would have been splendid if the wine had been as cold as the soup, the beef as rare as the service, the brandy as old as the fish, and the maid as willing as the Duchess.”
“Alice Waters once observed that in her experience, you can tell whether a chef is a man or a woman by looking at your plate: a man builds a tower, a woman makes a nest.”
Persimmon Bread, via David Lebovits via James Beard
Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.
3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)
1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.
5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.
