[Sca-cooks] Picture Puzzler

[edoard at medievalcookery.com]

> -------- Original Message --------
> From: Roxann Hatch <wilhemina3 at yahoo.com>
> 
> Greetings Gracious List Members,
> 
> I have recently subscribed and have thoroughly enjoyed the discussions so far.
> 
> I found someone's blog that occasionally has a "Food Painting of the Week". I do not remember your name, no offense meant,  though I believe you are on this list.

That would be me, though I haven't done one in a while though.  Got to
get back into the habit of doing posts like that - they're fun.


> I would like to enlist the members here in helping me identify the items in this still life by Clara Peeters.
> http://www.bluffton.edu/womenartists/womenartistspw/peeters/peeters.html It is called Cheeses with Almonds and Pretzels.
> 
> I want to identify as many of the items in the painting as possible. My thoughts so far are counter clockwise from top left:
> 
> Butter on an unpolished pewter plate

My gut instinct is to say that's not butter, but I can't tell you why. 
I'd guess slices of some kind of hard cheese (though they look like
crinkle-cut potato chips).


> Pottery plate containing almonds, raisons, and figs? dates?

The things on the upper left side of the plate make me think of dried
apricots.  When not preserved with sulphates they tend to turn a creepy
grayish color like that.


> Pretty glass containing wine? liqueur?

>From the color, it could be a distillate or mead as well.


> Bread roll. Pan de mane?

Possibly.  From the edges it's clear that it's a nice, white bread. 
Comparing the size of the bread to the table knife, I'd guess it's about
a 1/4 pound roll.

> Pottery face jug. Any ideas on what it could contain? My thoughts are beer or wine.

Could also be water or mead.


- Doc