Professor Butter Beard and “Man in a Blue Mantle”
“Cultivate an ever-continuous power of observation. Store up in the mind without ceasing a continuous stream of observations from which to make selections later. Above all things get abroad, see the sunlight, and everything that is to be seen.” - John Singer Sargent, speaking to his students late in his career
These grey winter mornings turn my mind to travel. The building excitement as you plan, check your passport, pack, re-check your passport and finally step out your front door with a smile knowing your life is going to change. There is a longing to return to places my soul recognizes – the Scottish Highlands in spring, the pathways through Rome in the twilight, the canals of Bruges on a foggy morning. Or maybe it is time for a new adventure – the spice markets of Istanbul, the aurora borealis in Norway, the temples of the gods in Greece, or a mysterious cruise on the Nile.
John Singer Sargent understood and appreciated those longings.
The American Impressionist painter John Singer Sargent was celebrated in his lifetime as the greatest contemporary portraitist of his era. Stephanie Herdrich writes, “Nearly a century after his death, Sargent maintains a remarkable international legacy and is one of the most well-known and well-loved of all American artists.”
Born in Florence to American parents, he was trained in Paris before moving to London, living most of his life in Europe. Throughout his career, he increasingly applied his great technical skills to diverse subjects that captivated him as he traveled ceaselessly to picturesque locales throughout Europe and the United States, always in search of new subjects and inspiration. According to Herdrich, Sargent often returned to places he had traveled with his family as a child – including Venice, the Alps, and Spain – producing personal meditations about his life and the creation of art.
In 1891, after spending several weeks in Cairo, Sargent traveled up on the Nile on a steamer. From there, he explored sites around the Aegean: Olympia, Delphi, Epidaurus and Constantinople. It is on this journey that he may have first crossed paths with the Bedouins, a group of nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The English word Bedouin comes from the Arabic badawī, which means “desert dweller.” Herdrich writes that Sargent planned excursions into the desert to visit the nomadic people, inspired by the then common belief that, in shunning aspects of modern life, they represented a link to the biblical past.
In his 1891 oil painting, Sargent was able to brilliantly capture the expressive force of the man’s carefully delineated face and piercing gaze, set off by the play of highlights on the stunningly saturated blues of his kaffiyeh (head scarf). Sargent choose to return to the ancient lands in 1905-1906 when he explored the cultures of Syria, Palestine and Lebanon. Now working in watercolors, he was able to further describe the figures, including details such as the curved khanjar (daggers) in the main figure’s belt, with the broad brush strokes and expressive handling that he believed characterized the Bedouin souls as a whole.
Over multiple decades, Sargent was able to balance his professional commitments – portraits and mural works – with a dynamic travel schedule. Yes, I may be just a wee bit jealous. And inspired. This week, I created a cake filled with tastes of my travel dreams – playful toasted coconut, the warmth of ginger and the temptations of rum, and the exotic aroma of vanilla seeds – all wrapped in a brilliant indigo scarf of caramelized blueberries. I may not be getting on a plane just yet, but yes, I did re-check my passport again.
Coconut Blueberry Upside Down Cakes
Three loaf cakes
Fruit layer:
6 cups fresh blueberries (or a great way to use the blueberries you froze this summer)
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
Zest of one lime
½ tsp fine sea salt
Caramel layer:
2 cups dark brown sugar
8 Tbsp (one stick) unsalted butter
2 Tbsp water
Cake layer:
1 ½ cups toasted flaked coconut (unsweetened)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp ground ginger
Zest of a second lime
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
2 ½ cups plain Greek yoghurt
½ cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla paste
2 tsp rum extract (optional)
18 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2” pieces
1) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line three loaf pans fully with parchment paper.
2) Gently toast the coconut in the oven or in a non-stick skillet – set aside to cool.
3) In a medium bowl, lightly fold together the blueberries, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, zest and salt. Divide the seasoned berries between the three pans. Remember – they will flatten as they bake.
4) In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together the caramel ingredient and bring to a light bowl, whisking until absolutely smooth. Then pour evenly over the three pans of berries.
5) In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yoghurt, buttermilk, vanilla paste and extract.
6) In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, stir together the two flours, baking soda, salt, ginger and lime zest. Then stir in the sugar. Add the softened butter and mix on low until the butter is incorporated and the mixture takes on a sandy quality.
7) Keep the mixer on low and pour in the egg mixture. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix until you have a smooth batter – about two minutes.
8) Divide the batter between the three pans and smooth the top.
9) Bake for 60-70 minutes until the cake is set and a wooden skewer comes out clean. Remove the cakes and let cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Invert the cakes onto a parchment-lined sheet and remove the pans and parchment. Let the cakes cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
