pablo picasso's blue period & blueberry yogurt muffins

winter blues. i've been seeing allot of blue. i've been feeling blue. everything seems blue.  

after a lovely trip to the metropolitan museum of art. nicholas (my boo), nafisa (my bestie) and picasso (the one and only) inspired this pairing of picasso's blue period with blueberry yogurt muffins.  

pablo picasso's somber blue paintings guised with melancholy affirm themes of loneliness, isolation, poverty and despair. while you examine the depths of this period in picasso's career pair it with some of the subtle sweetness, moist texture and rich flavors of the blueberry yogurt muffins.

blueberry yogurt muffins

yields: 12 muffins

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 30- 40min

total time: 40 min

ingredients:

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup of greek yogurt

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon+ lemon zest, optional

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 cups of blueberries (you could also use frozen)

directions: 

• preheat oven to 350F

• in a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, lemon zest, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.

• add the flour, baking powder, and mix until just combined.

• fold in 2 cups of blueberries and gently stir to incorporate (frozen blueberries bleed and run less than fresh and if using frozen do not thaw them first; add them directly into the batter frozen; alternate berries or other seasonal fruit such as strawberries, peaches, pears, or plums may be substituted)

• pour batter into muffin pan.  

• bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is lightly brown and set.(or a toothpick comes out clean,

chocolate chip banana muffins and Yong Mun Sen

Muffins complete me. you can have them for breakfast, as a snack, and my fav: add some ice cream and you've got dessert. mama bear had some bananas lying around that were ready to be baked, I had been craving banana bread, so my chocolate chip banana muffins came to life. 

I’ve paired these chocolate chip banana muffins with Yong Mun Sen. Yong Mun Sen is widely known as the Father of Malaysian Painting he trained in formal Chinese brush painting and calligraphy. He was one of the founders of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, then Malaya.

prep time: 15 min

cook time: 1 hr

yields: 12 muffins

ingredients: 

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

• 1/3 cup melted butter

• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

directions:

• preheat the oven to 350° F

• in a bowl, mix butter and mashed bananas 

• add in sugar, egg and vanilla

• sprinkle the baking soda and salt

• mix in the chocolate chips

• pour mixture into muffin tray

• bake for 1 hr

• cool and serve!

spicy honey bbq tofu + Alma Thomas

the super bowl is this weekend and i couldn't be more excited. i'm not much of a football fan but i love the spirit of the super bowl, the anticipation, the communal bonding, and obviously the food. it is estimated that americans will eat 1.25 billion wings during this years super bowl on february 2 reports the national chicken council. if you are looking for something different, try my spicy honey bbq tofu. 

Alma Woodsey Thomas was an American artist and educator whose distinctive color field paintings recall the techniques of Pointillism and Abstract Expressionism. Alma was 80 years old when she became the first African-American woman featured in a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1972.

• prep time: 20 min

• cook time: 20 min

ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed (to press, place the tofu block on a plate and cover with a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel then place a heavy pan on top of the towel for at least 30 minutes.)

• 3 tablespoons of cornstarch

• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

• salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup honey

• 4 tablespoons of sriracha (or to taste)

• 1/4 cup of bbq sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• juice of 1 lime

super bowl sunday is the second-largest day for u.s. food consumption after thanksgiving day. 

directions:

• preheat the oven to 350°F

• line a baking sheet with parchment paper

• heat 1½ tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat

• add the cornstarch, garlic and salt and pepper to the tofu in a small bowl and toss to coat

• add the tofu to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

• while the tofu is cooking: heat 1½ tablespoon of oil in a skillet on medium heat: combine the honey, sriracha, bbq sauce and lime juice, bring to a boil; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

• when the tofu is cooked add it into the honey bbq sauce, mix well and let the tofu simmer for a min. 

• place the mixed tofu on the parchment let it bake for two min and then broil for 2-5 min. (till the tofu starts to crisp.)

Tart Apple Sauce + Almagul Menlibayeva

apples, apples, and apples.                                                                                                                                        

i can't get enough.

recently, i have taken a liking to making sauces, jams and jelly.  apples are delectable. so, i decided to start with some apple sauce. 

did you know  --?!  apple trees originated in central asia, where its ancestor malus sieversii can still be found today. thousands of years ago the trees spread across asia,  making it to europe and eventually reaching  the americas courtesy of european colonizers.

I paired my apple sauce recipe with Almagul Menlibayeva's work, Her art's main themes usually revolve around social and ecological issues in Central Asia. ‘Romantic punk shamanism’ might not be a concept frequently explored in contemporary art, but it’s the term Almagul Menlibayeva uses to describe her diverse work.

the apple has been a commonly used symbol in many cultures. in norse mythology the goddess iðunn gifted apples to the gods to help them retain their eternal youthfulness. similarly, in greek mythology apples signify a forbidden fruit that often referred to beauty, sexuality, exclusivity and love. and in the saga of adam and eve, it is alluded that the apple is the forbidden fruit that eve coaxed adam to share with her.  

ingredients:

2 granny smith apples

2 red delicious or gala apples

1 lemon (adjust to taste)

1/4 cup of honey (or your preferred sweetener)

1 table spoon of cinnamon

2 cinnamon sticks 

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

prep time: 15 min

cook time: 40 min

total time: 55 min

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instructions:

1.  fill up a medium sized pot with water halfway and set to boil

2. quarter your apples with the skin on them

3. boil the apples for twenty min, or until cooked 

4. juice the lemons and put aside

5. drain the cooked apples and put them in a blender, puree until you are satisfied.

6. put the apple sauce back in the pot

7. add the lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg into the sauce, mix well. 

8. once all spices are added, let it cook for another 10- 15 min

9. let cool and enjoy! 

click here for a great reference on how to properly can your different foods.