Food and Creative Nature
Nourishment comes in many forms and serves wellbeing on many levels.
Above: Live wheat grass in front of the ripening wall in my studio.
Nature grows fresh new shoots when the right conditions and ingredients are present. Here, a handful of wheat berries on a dish, watered and exposed to a bit of sunlight and poof. The seeds exploded into vibrant life expression. The process within the seeds is released, and another version of its form emerges. We are similar. Our potential is dormant until the right conditions spark its growth. Engaging and refining our creative nature is one of the main ingredients.
Muse News, October Notes
For many artists, the kitchen is an extension of the art studio. Everyone knows we creatives love good food and company. It’s what makes us tick. If that sounds like you, count yourself in stick figures and all.
Not everyone has an art studio, but nearly all have a dedicated cooking area. Rudimentary or glamorous, the kitchen is the everyday place we ground our ability to create. Here we practice the ancient art of hands-on energy transference. Call it healing. It’s just like painting.
Exquisite Paintings on the Nature of Flowers is a body of work based on a sophisticated visual analysis of Nature's frequencies = LOVE. My long-standing body of work, ongoing and now in phase two, began in the early 1990s and is the culmination of a lifetime quest—a sacred journey into the heart of Nature, beauty, and healing the myth of separation.
Unconscious for most, our vibe is the mysterious, invisible, and sometimes missing ingredient in our food chain. It plays an important role in our health and well-being. How we relate to food may give us insight into how we treat each other and our environment.
What we concoct in the kitchen is meant to nourish. If inspired, our shopping, chopping, and cooking will have a wider span of good effects. Food that delights the palate and nourishes the body is a necessity. Love, which pours through the hands naturally when unimpeded, is the touch that makes food taste extra good. No spice, herb, or ingredient can do this on its own.
In the kitchen, our aura has a place to grow and flow into material form as it upgrades whatever we have our hands or attention on. When that food becomes one with our physical form, we feel good. We are nourished. on many levels.
Above: Infinite Rose, watercolor shown in progress. Notice the figure 8, an infinity sign within the center petals? That is how this painting got it’s name.
Come To Your Senses
Years ago, I created and hosted an event called Come To Your Senses. My staff of volunteers and I worked for many weeks to orchestrate this stand-out arts event. Held at a local gallery, we featured the work of an accomplished artist-painter, a wonderful jazz band, and a buffet spread catered by my then-husband.
At the time, I lived in Montclair, NJ, and was on the board of the Arts Council. This event was one of my contributions and was a fundraiser. It was geared toward young families and intended to support art education for children. The event exceeded our expectations in every way bringing in a record-breaking number of new memberships and generous donations.
The Premise
The senses are meant to be engaged in healthy and enjoyable ways. It helps us stay anchored in our bodies. The arts nourish and lift us toward our greater potential. Appreciators and creators, inspired geniuses, thinking outside the box is the key.
Try something different.
Bake one of my Favorite Recipes this weekend.
My babka-like, cocoa-butter-cinnamon bread is good. I think you'll like it. It's versatile, and you’re welcome to personalize it. Through flops and successes, I’ve found it’s delicious even when it doesn’t come out perfect. I hope you’ll try it more than once. If you’re gluten-sensitive, consider baking it for someone who isn’t.
But First, A Hot Topic
Wheat. Over centuries, as it became a primary food source worldwide, new strains emerged. Known and loved, it is one of those magical ingredients I wish everyone could eat.
But what is wheat, and where does it come from? In short, the origins of wheat are simply domesticated grass. Yes, grass and weeds. A natural cross between Emmer, which grows wild in the Near East, and Aegilops cylindrica, or wild goat grass, are the primary roots of the wheat flour we know and love today.
Historians say the cultivation of wheat dates back some 10-11 thousand years to Western Asia and North Africa. This area spans the countries of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and, for some scholars, Egypt. We probably don't have the whole story.
Dubious Modifications
More recently, the genetic codes of wheat have been altered to enhance large-scale production. This fairly recent change, which differs significantly from cross-breeding is thought to be the cause of gluten intolerance and other issues associated with modern strains of wheat.
Put Your Hands to work this weekend.
Let your mind rest while you turn your attention to baking. Try my recipe for this slightly sweet, cinnamon-spiced babka-like bread. My Cinnamon Spiced Babka Bread is a crowd-pleaser. It is perfect with coffee or tea. If you include step one, it will stay fresh longer. The method I use is called a tangzhong. A small portion of the flour is gelatinized by cooking it with milk, causing the bread to retain moisture.
Bread-making is a process. Dough behaves differently depending on atmospheric conditions, and flour differs with each manufacturer. Though the variables are many, your attention is the constant. Experience is a good teacher, especially when it comes to baking. Be prepared to make it more than once, and let me know how you do. This recipe makes a beautiful 2-pound round, or 2, 1-pound loaves.
Cinnamon Spiced Babka-like Bread
Gather the ingredients and prepare.
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
5 TBS sugar
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 TBS cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom (optional)
3 cups (450 grams) unbleached all purpose flour
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
2 tsp salt (10 grams)
1 egg
For a beautiful round decorative presentation, line the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with parchment, butter the sides and set it aside. For loaves, line 2 loaf tins with parchment and set them aside.
Step 1
This first step could be optional but I recommend you try it. If you do, the dough should remain soft and pillowy.
2 TBS flour
3/4 cup cold milk
Mix together with a small whisk or fork while cold to avoid lumps, then cook on low heat, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes. It will become a thick paste. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Step 2
Warm the following ingredients together until the butter is just melted. Set aside to cool.
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup milk
5 TBS sugar
Into a large mixing bowl:
2 teaspoons salt (10 grams)
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
3 cups (450 grams) unbleached all purpose flour
Combine the wet and dry ingredients, including step one if using. With your hands, mix until everything is well incorporated. Your dough should be somewhat warm and sticky. If it’s cool, no problem, it may take a bit longer to rise.
Cover the dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then knead for a good 10 minutes adding flour as you go if it’s too sticky. Then cut the dough in half and form 2 balls. With a neutral oil coat them lightly. Place them both in a covered bowl to rise. About 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours. This is called the bulk rise.
Step 3
Prepare the filling while your dough is fermenting. Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup butter)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 TBS cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
4 TBS sugar
Step 3
After bulk rise, take one dough ball out to work with while keeping the other one covered. Stretch the dough with your hands over a clean countertop into a large rectangle about 20 x 14 inches. You can oil your hands to help with this process. Take your time stretching the dough. Rolling it will deflate it too much. Once you’ve got a nice big rectangle-ish shape it’s time to add the filling. The filling will spread easily with a spatula or your fingers if it’s room temperature. Cover the entire surface with a thin layer of the filling.
Step 4
Roll the first coil. Starting at the long end of your rectangle carefully roll the dough into a long cylinder, keeping contact tight so there’s not much air in between the layers. After you have the first long cylinder pinch-seal the seam closed, and if you’re making the round bread, roll the whole thing with the flat of your hand stretching it lightly and making it a bit longer.
Lay the first cylinder in a round coil into the prepared springform pan. Leave the center a bit open because it will fill in as the dough grows in volume. Then repeat with the second piece of dough, placing the second piece around the perimeter of the first. If you’re making loaves, place them into the prepared loaf pans.
Cover with damp towel or oiled plastic wrap and let it rise for about two hours. When it about doubles in size, paint an egg wash over the top for a beautiful golden brown finish. The egg wash is a room temperature egg mixed well with a 1/2 teaspoon of water. Take care not to deflate your hard earned bubbles while painting it on.
Preheat your oven for 10 or 15 minutes.
Bake at 375 °F (190 celsius) for 45 - 50 minutes.
Un-mold and let it cool on a cooling rack for a least an hour before cutting.
Note: Lightly tent the bread with foil at 30 minutes if it’s getting too dark to prevent it from burning.
Wishing you successful baking!
Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll do my best to answer.
—Leslie
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