Turmeric Rice from Georgia O’Keeffe’s Kitchen
And a walk down memory lane
Whenever I travel, I try to make a stop at an artist’s or architect’s home that has become a museum. I’ve had some of my most enriching and memorable experiences doing this. Some highlights have been Casa Luis Barragan and Frida Kahlo’s home, both in Mexico City. I’ve been to Gaudi’s house in Barcelona. I’ve been to Donald Judd’s home and studio in both Marfa, Texas, and in Soho, NYC. I’ve been to the Pollock-Krasner house, which is spitting distance from my home. Next on my list is Edward Hopper’s home in Nyack, New York. I’m probably forgetting about a few that I’ve visited, but you get the idea. I highly recommend adding these destinations to your travel itinerary when possible. They add so much context to both an artist’s work and the place that you’re visiting. How lucky are we that so many of these places have been preserved?
In the early days of Susanality, I wrote about a favorite book from 2015, Dinner with Jackson Pollock, and featured a very delicious recipe for Lemon Sponge Pudding from that book. I’m revisiting that really great series of books by Robyn Lea (there were actually only two) today with a look at Dinner with Georgia O’Keeffe from 2017. What I didn't realize until I went to link these for you is that both books are out of print and are now collector’s items! They are both full of gorgeous photography and a lot of history about the artists’ lives, with a particular focus on their life in the kitchen and around the table, which I find fascinating.
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Georgia O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiu, New Mexico, which I had always wanted to do, ever since a very special trip to Abiquiu back in the 90s. I was there for a shoot for Martha Stewart Living, and it was truly one of the most special experiences of my life. We went to shoot an “entertaining” story focused on Elizabeth Berry, who was at the time a grower of heirloom beans and other produce. She owns a spectacular piece of land called Gallina Canyon Ranch, not far from Georgia O’Keeffe’s homestead. You can still visit the ranch and stay in “wilderness” accommodations. I highly recommend this if you’re into roughing it a little. If you haven’t experienced this landscape before it is truly spectacular.
On this shoot, I was kind of the sous chef and food stylist for the Chef David Tanis, who was friendly with Elizabeth because he had been cooking in Santa Fe for a few years at that point in his career. Her very comfortable house (complete with a piano, which was carted across the bumpy roads) featured a rustic outdoor kitchen with a dirt floor and expansive views of the colorful canyons. That was where we worked.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been so inspired; I was truly in my element. We cooked over a live fire in the kitchen or in the horno, which was set in the middle of the garden. I’ll never forget how the wisps of smoke from the traditional adobe oven looked among the pink cosmos and those dramatic canyons in the distance. In those early days, Martha herself often came along for the adventure, as she did for this one. I could go on and on, but I’m afraid you won't keep reading! I’m just glad that I can share these special experiences with you.
