The Bite (Issue 74): What painting food taught me about cooking

Drop your spatula and pick up a paint brush [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcXFiczY5enVhZi8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) A few months ago, I wandered the aisles of [Blick Art Materials](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMWNhMGkycjVjay8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)looking for a few paintbrushes, a sketchbook and a decent watercolor palette —nothing too expensive, just a little nicer than what I could pick up in the school supply section of the[corner store](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYzF6a2t0aGQ2cS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~). For some reason, a part of me felt a little sheepish when I approached the cashier, a Loyola student with a mop of blonde hair streaked with flashes of purple. “I know I’m not actually good at all this,” that part of me wanted to say as I’d wave a dismissive hand over my supplies. I think it’s a classic symptom of the “perfectionist teen to anxious adult” pipeline, but there is something undeniably vulnerable about [picking up a new activity](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMDNjcWFvNWtyZC8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) or returning to one at which you aren’t inherently skilled, especially as an adult. To that end, outside of painting a few walls and the occasional fence post, I hadn’t touched a paintbrush since college. But [Chicago winters](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOXAxbTZzNjRvaS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)are long and I knew that having a creative outlet during the impending gray season would be welcome, so I just quietly let the cashier ring up my items. “Enjoy,” he said, with a genuine, broad smile as he handed me my bag. “I think I will,” I replied — and I meant it. My boyfriend set me up a little painting nook in the sunniest corner of our kitchen and, perhaps by virtue of that, I found myself instantly drawn to [painting food](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveDdwMWdkZXZ2eC8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~). I’ve learned a lot along the way. For instance, I wouldn’t have anticipated how truly difficult it is to paint a realistic (or realistic-enough) Chicago-style [hot dog](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcnAxZnFvbjR4YS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~). But just think about it: a hot dog bun is never just straight “brown.” If you really look at one, there are shades of taupe, golden-brown, ivory and, occasionally, toasty edges. The earthy green of the sport pepper differs from the acid-green of the relish. I lost hours coaxing out the differences by carefully mixing the contents of my 14-color palette. I loved it. Later, I shifted to working on a series of paintings of different types of [bread](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZHkzdXU0azJkZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) and [butter](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbXZ4MzNodWdrci8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)and found myself captivated by the reality that I could be holding an ingredient or dish in my hand that, superficially, looks incredibly simple, but it actually has a ton of dimension. Through that lens, painting food has certainly impacted my base-level appreciation of food, which is admittedly already pretty high. But it has also taught me a lot about the [craft of cooking](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZnRuN3MweXg5dy8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~). Typically, I tend to find myself a little timid in the kitchen until I really feel like I know what I’m doing; it’s a very methodical, measured process of working towards [“perfecting” a recipe](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN2NtY25wY2E0YS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~), but I’m completely different with a paintbrush in my hand. I push myself, I make mistakes and I allow myself to be creative. Have there been some failures along the way? Oh, sure. There are pages and pages from my sketchbook that are ultimately destined for the garbage can. While mistakes in the kitchen can feel massive (ingredients are expensive! It sucks to end up with something inedible!), I feel newly inspired to try to cook by embodying the same sense of creativity and play I feel when painting. In this issue of The Bite, Salon Food’s weekly newsletter, I’m pulling together some of my favorite stories from the archives that explore how just a little shift in our POV can change how we view food and cooking. I hope you all have a safe St. Patrick’s Day weekend . — Ashlie Stevens, deputy food editor Dispatches from Salon Food's archives - [How learning to plate food changed how I felt about cooking at home](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvangxYWJ6MzR2Ny8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [A very Scandinavian al fresco holiday happy hour](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdGF5empuaTRpYy8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [Are burnt foods really bad for you — and why do we love them so much?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZXp0c3A4aGUwei8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [Golden milk, Hindu pilgrimages and a state mental hospital: A personal history told through turmeric](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdjJ5enNqb2F2aC8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [Want better poached eggs? Microwave them](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvanEzN2hzNDA4Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) If you found yourself here without subscribing, make sure to sign up for [The Bite](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMHlhbDg4cmp0di8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) so you don't miss anything! What to make for dinner this weekend I don’t know about you, but my weekend is packed, which means that I’m looking for a delicious dinner option that I can prepare on autopilot, but still provides some comfort. For that, I’m looking towards [Michael La Corte’s play on Marcella Hazan’s iconic pasta sauce](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvaTVtMWJuMDRrbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~), rich with butter, onion and good crushed tomatoes. “The next time you're too tired, pay Hazan her well-deserved respects and make this dish,” La Corte wrote. “There may be no better meal for those kinds of nights when you can't even conceive of hauling the cutting board out. And we thank you for that, Marcella.” From our writers - [A next-level grilled cheese, thanks to halloumi and mint you grew yourself](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZjkycnppbGVtZS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Mary Elizabeth Williams) - [A magical maple-mint pudding with a secret Irish ingredient](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvenU1ejV1N3Zqay8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Michael La Corte) - ["Top Chef: World All Stars" cooks with sugar and spice (and everything rice)](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbDFzNzJsMmV4dS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Michael La Corte) - [Why experts say you should go easy on picky eaters](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveWx5cmNuaml3Yy8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Mary Elizabeth Williams) - [The joy of achar butter and tiny cooking wins](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvdTc5Mzk1MWI5My8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Maggie Hennessy) - [The cutthroat history behind the explosive "Perry Mason" grocery feud](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOXJ6eWRxdXlobi8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Ashlie Stevens) - [“Keto-like” diets may increase your risk of heart disease, according to new expert research](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNDZqOGh4eGdtbi8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) (Joy Saha) What we're reading - [I’ve Had It With Stunt Ice Cream Flavors](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZm1ibjRzcnZ0dS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)(Eater) - [Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Indigenous Water Rights in the Southwest](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvamtqcGRlY2t3aC8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1jcXZoMzMwYmVwVwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)(Civil Eats) [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRl-CzaP0Q8aHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvdGhlLWJpdGUvdW5zdWJzY3JpYmU_aWQ9QDM0NTA5VwNzcGNCCmQK3qcVZAwKQMVSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) Copyright © 2023 The Bite, All rights reserved. 1000 N. 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