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A Good Dish

making food simpler

Holiday Sales (Brick & Mortar and Online) are a Great Opportunity to See and to Buy Handmade Pottery

November 29, 2017

Servers by Maggie Finlayson that were exhibited at Greenwich House Pottery last holiday sale and which I still regret not buying!

One of the pleasures of the holiday season, besides the lights, store windows, Tuba Christmas at Rockefeller Center, baking and the sense that people are generally cheerier than usual, is the handmade pottery that is available to buy at the many holiday ceramics and craft sales!  Wherever you live, this is a great time of year to find handmade pots for sale.

Adero Willard‘s pots at the sale at the Art School at Old Church

As I noted in an earlier piece on pottery, New York has become a difficult place to find and buy ceramics. There are still a few outlets but many, many less than there used to be. Fortunately for New Yorkers, the holidays bring potters and pots to the city and nearby and, since it is 2017, there are many, many online holiday sales. Handmade pots are more expensive than the commercial variety for many reasons so remember that when you hesitate at their cost. Their price includes not just the materials but the time involved in making, glazing, twice firing, shipping and the cut taken by the place where it is sold to say nothing of this time it took to come up with the forms and decoration in the first place. They make great gifts, if you can stand to part with them. The pots you do keep, you will appreciate every time you use them.

Here are a few of the sales that I found and are tempting me this year:

Earthenware salt cellar by Holly Walker for sale at The Society for Arts & Crafts in Boston
  • The 62nd Annual Show & Sale has already started at Wesleyan Potters, one of the tri-state areas best known source for pottery. Their sale includes the work of dozens of local and national potters alongside that of some jewelers and textile artists. It continues through December 10th in Middletown, CT
  • The Clay Holiday Annual Sale at Clay Art Center in Portchester (yes, you can take Metro North) is an exhibit and sale of work by both Westchester and national potters and includes a wall of clay ornaments. It continues through December 23rd.
  • This Saturday, December 2nd, more than 50 artists will be selling work at Made in Clay 2017 at Greenwich House Pottery downtown from 12-7. From 5-7 there will be an opening of the wonderful wood-fired pottery of Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt from Bandana Pottery in North Carolina.
  • Also on Saturday, from 11-6, Hand Crafted Holidays will take place at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. Along with tastings, demonstrations and hands on activities, there will be special discounts in their well stocked shop.
  • The 43rd Annual Pottery Show & Sale at the Art School at Old Church in Demarest, New Jersey is one of the best opportunities near NYC to see and buy pots from 30 known and respected potters from around the country. Friday evening is a fundraiser and party and the sale continues Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 11-4 with a suggested donation of $10.
  • 2017 Native Art Market at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian may be best attended for its jewelry but there will be ceramics from several pueblos including Jerez and Santo Domingo among others. The preview party is Friday evening and tickets can be purchased in advance. Saturday and Sunday admission is free.
  • If you live in or will be in Boston, Crafts Boston 2017, sponsored by the Society of Art & Crafts, will be at the Haynes Convention Center. Among artists working in other media are several wonderful potters. The show runs December 1-17 and costs $15.
  • And if you find yourself in Rhode Island, The Art Providence Holiday Show at the RI Convention Center, continues the tradition of the RISD alumni show featuring over 200 artists in many media. December 9-10, $8 per day and a preview party on Friday, December 8th is $100.

Online sales can be ongoing or confined to certain dates. Many clay artists have websites and others sell through galleries or on Etsy. These are just a few that I like:

  • archiebrayfoundation.org 
  • santafeclay.com
  • objectiveclay.com
  • store.northernclaycenter.org
  • charliecummingsgallery.com
  • schallergallery.com
  • penland.org
  • theclaystudio.org
  • bandana-pottery.myshopify.com

Support good handmade pottery and the potters who make it by buying their work!

The shop at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia has a great assortment of work from dozens of potters and even more than usual for the holidays – it can be difficult to choose!

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Filed Under: Events, Places, Potters

Larry Bush Makes Pots Meant to be Used

February 1, 2017

 

Glazed porcelain mugs (1988) by Larry Bush

A really well made pot, in my opinion, is one which you want to pick up and use. As I explained in my post on the value of handmade pots a couple of months ago, a skillful potter is one who crafts pieces that heighten your experience of eating and drinking. Larry Bush is such an artist and his pots are among my very favorites to use. Food looks great in them and I never tire of their shapes, surfaces, decoration or inventiveness.

Scalloped bowls (1999) 
Thrown, carved, sprigged and glazed porcelain

I first saw Bush’s work when he was a graduate student in the mid-1980’s at Alfred University in upstate New York. At a time when “vessels” and kiln sized clay sculpture were dominating the clay scene, Bush made human scale, useful pots that were artistically and technically sophisticated while being down-to-earth functional. His pots, like the potter himself, were smart, direct, friendly and thoughtful.

Carved Footed Tumblers (1991) 
Whittled Porcelain

Nature was an early source for Bush, a Seattle native, providing structural and decorative source material that still inspires him decades later. As a professor, and for many years as department chair at RISD in Providence, RI, Bush worked with a mid-temperature porcelain clay, casting a variety of objects to generate forms and then carving to vary the surfaces. His pots became more delicate and deeply textured but retained a distinctly handmade touch. In recent pieces, he continue to use natural sources and historical references, going back and forth between a darker stoneware clay with flowers and vines for forms and/or decoration and carved or whittled porcelain. In either format, his pieces make having a cup of tea or coffee (or a sandwich) a pleasure.

Narragansett Electric (2004) from the Providence Plate series 
Painted and Glazed Porcelain
Across the River (2004) from the Providence Plate series 
Painted and Glazed Porcelain

In a 2006 statement, Bush reflected on his inspiration. “Nature is my model, sometimes literally, always conceptually. With clay and glaze I imitate nature. With function and form, color and texture, history and need, I attempt a layering of forces similar to that found in natural things like flowers.” He notes that the geological characteristics of a clay can determine how it is used, stylistically and in terms of function. The darker stoneware serves one purpose and the porcelain another and going back and forth between them leaves open more possibilities for him to explore ideas.

Preamble Plate (2012)
Glazed Porcelain with transfer drawings and overglaze enamel

Usefulness is key to Bush’s work. In the same statement, he explained how a combination of function, form, color, texture and historical references result in pieces which prompt interaction, requiring touch. “Pottery is a haptic as well as a visual art: it is handled as well as looked at. Like other useful things, pottery can simultaneously be a focus of attention, a facilitator or activity and a background to life. It can be important and familiar…The meaning of my work lies in the way it might shape and give texture to life.”

Larry Bush at work in his studio (2015)

His depth of thought might not be obvious when you first see Bush’s work, since it has such immediate visual appeal. But the longer you use his pieces, the more you find yourself repeatedly surprised by the layers of references beneath the skillfully formed surfaces, whether carved or painted or both. The morning glory vines spreading over a generous jar (with proportions like an ancient Iranian prototype) prompt me to think of a sunny summer morning in a garden or a painting by Bonnard or Vuillard. The accordion like ridges of a white porcelain tumbler keep my eye moving up and down the pot while providing a good grip to prevent it from slipping out of my hand. Handles and rims are designed and articulated for maximum comfort in the hand or mouth.

Presentation Dish (2016) by Larry Bush
Thrown, whittled, sprigged woodfired porcelain
Silla Cups (2015) by Larry Bush
Flyash, overglazed wood fired stoneware

I’ve used Bush’s pots for 30 years, acquiring one or two whenever I had a chance, although it isn’t that easy to find them for sale. Because he teaches full time during the school year, the bulk of his own work waits for the free time of summer. Bush always has multiple projects going. When I spoke with him last summer, he was figuring out an in ground watering system for his garden, working on a series of plates (recently shown in art galleries in New York and Philadelphia) he was making as part of a collaboration with printmaker Andrew Raftery, writing student recommendations and configuring new kiln furniture so he could fit more work into each firing.

Morning Glory Jar (2014) by Larry Bush
Whittled, sprigged, flyash, overglazed, woodfired stoneware

Whether for a cup of coffee, a bowl of cereal or a martini, Bush’s pieces are unabashedly functional without any compromise of art or design. His recent food storage jars have recessed knobs so they fit more easily in the refrigerator. His “to go” cups are designed to prevent coffee from splashing out while feeling comfortable for drinking and being aesthetically engaging. In each of his bodies of work, utilitarian and decorative elements reinforce each other, resulting in pots that please the eye and feel good in the hand. These are pots you want to pick up and which you will want to use because they are so well thought through, crafted and artful, heightening our experience of eating and drinking. Lively yet intimate pieces whether on a shelf, in your hand or drying in a dish rack, Bush’s pots are a pleasure to use.

 

To Go Cup by Larry Bush
Whittled and woodfired porcelain

 

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Filed Under: People, Potters Tagged With: Contemporary ceramics, Potters, pottery

Split Pea Soup with Barley and Vegetables – What I Want to Eat on a Cold Day or Night

January 11, 2017

Split Pea Soup with Barley and Vegetables bell hooks and Sojourner Truth cup from The Democratic Cup cup designed by Kristen Kiefer - Image by Roberto Lugo
Split Pea Soup with Barley and Vegetables
bell hooks and Sojourner Truth cup from The Democratic Cup
Cup designed by Kristen Kiefer – Image by Roberto Lugo

One of my favorite winter meals is a bowl of split pea soup. There are good reasons it is part of the food culture of so many northern countries with cold winters (think Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Great Britain, Netherlands, Germany, Canada and the northeastern US). It is easy and inexpensive to make, warming, filling, nutritious and tastes even better after a day in the fridge. You probably have all or most of the ingredients already in your kitchen. The recipe I prefer is not the super smooth pea puree that you would get in both a diner and an upscale restaurant in this country. Rather, it is a chunky style, full of vegetables, herbs and barley. If you prefer pureed, you can easily accomplish it with longer cooking and a regular or an immersion blender.

This recipe originated in the wonderful Laurel’s Kitchen cookbook (see the book section of the blog) and I have modified it to suit my tastes. You should do the same when you make it. My version is vegetarian but if you like yours with meat, add a ham hock with the peas or some diced leftover ham or crumbled bacon with the vegetables. If you like a richer soup, use vegetable or chicken broth instead of water. And take liberties with the vegetables and grains. If you like a lot of celery or carrot, add more. If you have leeks you want to use up, chop and substitute them for part of the onions. If you love garlic, add more and if you hate garlic, omit it. If you prefer less starch, leave out the barley and/or the potato and use a little less water. If you want the soup heartier, add some baby limas with the barley or throw in some leftover cooked or canned white beans toward the end of cooking. If you don’t like Italian herbs, use dill. If you want your soup spicy, add some cayenne or a dash or two of hot sauce. And if you like a little more green, add a handful of frozen green peas and/or fresh arugula or baby spinach leaves to each bowl before you ladle in the soup.

Make sure your split peas aren’t old or they will never soften properly. I used to buy big quantities of beans and grains so they would be on hand when I wanted them. But I have learned to buy them, especially split peas, more frequently and in smaller amounts from a source or market with a big turnover so they are fresher. You don’t want to cook and cook and cook your soup and still find it crunchy.

Simmer gently so as not to scorch
Simmer gently so as not to scorch

There are two ways to prepare the same ingredients. If you are in a hurry or avoiding fats, you can just put all the ingredients minus the oil and parsley, in a stockpot and cook for an hour, adding the parsley close to the end of cooking. But the soup gains flavor with a short sauté to start and then you add the bulk of vegetables in the second half of cooking. You can serve it chunky the first night and purée it later in the week to serve for a second meal.

A note about the folks who made the cups in which the split pea soup is pictured here – The Democratic Cup is a group of artists who are trying to generate “positive political discourse” through their collaborative creation and production of cups with political content. Check them out at thedemocraticcup.com where you can order your own cup!

bell hooks and Sojourner Truth cup (verso) by The Democratic Cup Image by Roberto Lugo - Cup designed by Kristen Kiefer
bell hooks and Sojourner Truth cup (verso) by The Democratic Cup
Image by Roberto Lugo – Cup designed by Kristen Kiefer

Split Pea Soup with Barley and Vegetables

1 TBs olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (1 large)
1 TBs minced garlic (about 2 cloves, depending on size)
1 generous tsp celery seed

Heat oil in a stock pot and add onions, garlic and celery seed. Cook until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add:
2 level cups dried green split peas
1/2 cup uncooked barley (I like hulled but pearled is okay)
2 bay leaves
14 cups water

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Then add:
1 heaping cup (or more) chopped celery (about 2 big stalks)
1 heaping cup (or more) diced or sliced carrots (2-3 carrots)
1 cup potato, diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley (this can also be added close to the end of cooking)
2 tsps salt
1/2-1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional but flavorful)

Gently simmer 45 minutes longer, stirring often to avoid scorching, adding water if necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. As it cools, the soup should thicken. If you want an even heartier dish, add some croutons (you can make these easily by sautéing bread or cornbread cubes in butter or oil) when serving, but I think the barley hefts it up sufficiently. And, like many soups, this one tastes better if made the day before and reheated slowly. Use low head so it doesn’t scorch, and stir often. I think it is particularly good served with something crunchy, like toast or crackers.
(To halve the recipe, simply cut the amount of split peas to 1 cup, barley to 1/4 cup, water to 8 cups and salt to 1 tsp. Adjust amounts of vegetables or not).
Serves 6-10, depending on serving size (big bowl or mug), and freezes well.

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Filed Under: Potters, Products, Recipes, Soups Tagged With: split pea soup, the democratic cup

Transition Soup: When A Salad Isn’t Warming Enough, Make Flavorful Green Minestrone

October 12, 2016

Green Minestrone Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty
Green Minestrone
Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty

When the temperatures start to drop at the end of the day, I want something warming but not heavy to eat. Earlier in the week, I rooted around in the refrigerator and came up with some spinach, celery, parsley and green beans from last week’s market. With the help of some frozen peas, a can of white beans, a box of stock and a handful of grated Parmesan, green minestrone was on the table in less than an hour. A warm, nutritious dinner couldn’t be much easier.

Minestrone is usually a red, tomato-based soup with beans and pasta, traditionally a small pasta like baby shells or ditalini, tiny pasta tubes. Because I try to avoid white flour when I can, I substituted potatoes for pasta in my version. And because I had no tomatoes but did have some lovely arrowhead spinach and parsley from our farm share, green minestrone seemed the logical choice. I tested substituting a bag of frozen spinach for the fresh and it worked fine but made the soup thicker. If you use frozen, consider using less spinach or add more stock. If you still have a zucchini in your crisper, cut it into bite-sized pieces and add with the green beans. If you don’t have white beans, use garbanzo or pinto beans, or fresh shell beans. If you aren’t being a purist about the green of the soup, add some carrots with the beans – the color contrast of green and orange is beautiful and seasonal.

Spinach, celery and Parmesan are all fairly salty so they seasoned the soup well enough. I only added a ½ teaspoon of salt but taste and judge for yourself. If you want more zing, add some scallions, jalapeño or cayenne. A little fresh dill added at the end could be tasty. If you don’t have an immersion blender, purée in a standard blender a few cups at a time. (Use a ladle to transfer soup to the blender and watch out because it will be very hot.) Please be careful not to overcook the vegetables – you don’t want them to turn to mush. If you need to reheat your soup, take care just to warm not cook it again.

Because it was National Clay Week, I served the minestrone in cups by Karon Doherty, one of the most passionate, generous and whimsical ceramic artists I have known. These colorful earthenware cups illustrate her playful approach to creating clay art, which was often boldly autobiographical. Karon was an enthusiastic maker, teacher, mentor, friend and artist who we lost much too soon (d.1999) but her spirit lives on in her delightful artwork.

Karon and Louie Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty
Karon and Louie
Earthenware cups by Karon Doherty

GREEN MINESTRONE

  • 2 TBs olive oil
  • 1 large (Spanish sized) onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large or 3 regular cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 lb. bag or 5 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach, washed with thick stems removed
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 2 cups potato, chopped (about 4 small)
  • 1-2 cups fresh green beans, cut in bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup (about 2 stalks) celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 – 2 cups cooked white beans, like Cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy Pea or a 15.5 oz. can
  • 4 cups (1 32 oz. box) of vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional)
  • 1 cup carrot, chopped (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium stockpot.

Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent and starting to turn golden, about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the spinach and 1 cup of peas and stir until the spinach wilts.

Add stock, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook about 4-5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and use an immersion (stick) blender to purée until smooth.

Turn on the heat and add the potatoes, celery and carrots, if using and cook 5 minutes.

Add the other cup of peas, green beans, white beans and parsley, if using.

Cook 3-4 minutes until beans are just tender then turn off the heat.

Stir in the grated cheese and taste for seasoning. (I added 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper)

Serve garnished with a little bit of grated cheese or a sprinkle of parsley.

Serves 4-6, depending on portion size

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Filed Under: Potters, Recipes, Soups, Vegetables

Beyond Utility: The Pleasures of Handmade Pottery

May 18, 2016

Pourers by Polly Ann Martin, Janice Tchalenko, Jeff Oestreich and James Makins
Pourers by Polly Ann Martin, Janice Tchalenko, Jeff Oestreich and James Makins

Taking time to make a meal is a choice. Plenty of options exist, like prepared foods, take-0ut and delivery,  yet I choose to cook when I am able. Cooking and sharing meals is a way to express care and connect with others. Buying handmade pottery is also a choice, and one I do whenever possible. Using pots made by hand reminds me to slow down and appreciate what I am eating or drinking and makes a meal feel more celebratory. Those pieces feed a hunger for the handmade, for intimacy and for beauty.

Cups by Andy Shaw
Cups by Andy Shaw

I love to sip my morning coffee from a hand-crafted mug that feels just right in my hand, put flowers on the table in a graceful vase or serve a salad in a generous wheel-thrown bowl. There is something personal about using handmade dinnerware that makes food look important and feel special. After all, it was made by hand by a person! Sure, there are loads of beautiful objects that are industrially produced. Some of the bowls I use every day come from Ikea and our oval, factory made, diner-style plates are from the Bowery Restaurant Supply. It is the handmade pieces we use, however, which make a meal, or even a cup of tea, seem significant.

Vases by Jan Mckeachie Johnston
Vases by Jan Mckeachie Johnston

At least in Manhattan, handcrafted pots are rarely available to buy retail anymore except at seasonal craft fairs or studio holiday sales. We used to have lots of small shops and galleries where you could buy handmade pieces but they are mostly gone, probably due to rising rent. When you can find them, in upscale shops or museum stores, the pots are usually at the highest price points of the artisanry market. Fortunately, we have been able to find places selling ceramics when we travel, having had luck in cities from Chattanooga to Copenhagen.( I will compile a list of outlets and post it soon – please share any sources you know). Some of our favorite travel keepsakes are handmade pots. For example, my husband bought a lovely hand painted porcelain tumbler in Montana last summer (I think it was $60). Every time he uses it, and that is daily for almost a year, he enjoys its beauty while it reminds him of what a good time he had on that trip.

Part of the problem may be cost.  Have we become so used to discounted prices for cheap, imported manufactured goods that we balk at buying a handmade cup for $40 (but spend $4 or more on a cup of coffee regularly)? Are we happy to go out for a pricey brunch but are offended at the cost of an artist-made cereal bowl? Or purchase expensive, factory-made sets of china but think it outlandish to spend the same money on handmade dinner plates? Studio rents in places like New York skyrocketed years ago so artists have had to move further afield while trying to make a living selling their work. The balance to the high cost of a unique piece is the satisfaction and repeated pleasure in its use.

Pots just out of a wood firing at Gustin Pottery in Westport, MA
Pots just out of a wood firing at Gustin Pottery in Westport, MA

The good news is that there are still lots of working potters out there and many have websites through which to buy their work. Prices vary widely as do colors, techniques and styles so there are lots of pots from which to choose. In A Good Dish, I will routinely highlight the work of interesting potters and how to get in touch with them to buy their work, a resource for you not only when you need a simple recipe for dinner but when you want to buy handmade pottery to use or to give as a gift.

cups by Josh DeWeese, Liz Rudey, Lynn Croton and Gay Smith
cups by Josh DeWeese, Liz Rudey, Lynn Croton and Gay Smith

Because I have been a potter for decades, I have lots of pots – both my own and those of other potters that I have collected over the years – and I use them often and will use them here, whenever possible, to plate the recipes I post. In this way, you can glimpse the wonderful wares of potters from all over the country and from other countries. When a pot in a photo is uncredited, the piece is probably historic, mine, unsigned or commercial.

If you are only using IKEA plates or mass produced dishes, as beautiful and practical as they might be, I encourage you to incorporate some handmade pieces into your daily routines – a coffee mug or teacup is an easy place to start. You might be surprised at how much more you will enjoy what you are eating or drinking.

Platter by Holly Walker
Platter by Holly Walker

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Filed Under: People, Potters, Products Tagged With: Handmade, Potters, pottery

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Here you will find recipes and ideas for easy to make and tasty meals, sources for interesting dinnerware on which to serve those meals and resources for ingredients, classes and food related travel. My goal is to make daily cooking simpler and to inspire you to try different recipes beyond the handful you already make repeatedly. I hope that relaying my experiences will enhance yours. Follow along and let me know about your own cooking and food journeys.

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