On My Bedside Table – No 2
The biography on Toulouse Lautrec is no longer a mere decoration by my bedside; it has meanwhile been elevated to an intriguing read and has encouraged me to read more about Degas and his art, since the latter had probably the greatest influence on Toulouse and his work.
Since his early years Henry Toulouse Lautrec was called Petit Bijou (Little Jewel) and he grew up to remain loved by all; affectionate, loving, humble, (despite his nobility and wealth). He faced and overcame many challenges in life. Being hurt severely as a toddler, both his legs stopped growing and he remained a midget. However, from a young age he displayed extraordinary drawing skills – a true virtuoso and later a prolific painter. I guess this book will remain beside my bed a while longer, if only to study his work. The book is richly illustrated.
Many moons ago, during my extensive travels through South Africa and Lesotho, I stopped by a quaint bookshop, The Lemon Tree in Underberg, KZN, where I acquired a recipe book, a cut above the rest – The Butcher – its only focus, yes you are right, meat dishes. It covers interesting facts about the history of meat, the traditions, digging all the way back, centuries ago and explaining the various uses, the curing, preservation, cooking techniques, utensils needed and pots and pans – no fancy pots or utensils or celebrity cooks promoting a brand – just the bare necessities.
Beef is regarded the soul of cooking since way back in the 19th century, by the famous French Chef Marie-Antonie Carème. Beef cattle are believed to have been domesticated about 8000 years ago in the area that is now Turkey. We’ll have to admit, beef is versatile. How does Stifado sound?
Sheep belong to the same family as goats and were amongst the first animals to be domesticated – originally for consumption of meat. As early as the Renaissance, crossbreeding was introduced to maximise the meat and wool yields, mutton being the only red meat not subject to religious prohibitions.
Cooking a leg of lamb has become a rarity because of the current price of lamb, and with a leg of lamb, there are always leftovers. Ever tried Harira – chickpea, lamb and coriander soup which elevates leftovers to a higher status.
Before I get carried away on cooking and this gem of a cookbook, let me move onto a slightly more humble read. I love to draw, although I am not a natural; I need to work on it and practice, hence my acquisition of Charles Bargue, instructing on the craft of drawing. It comprises of several copies of drawings, mainly of casts. I embarked on the journey, practising every night – once a drawing was completed I would have a entered into a monologue with the late Charles, he died young (1883). I have since completed the exercises and placed my journal back on the bottom shelf of my bookcase. Meanwhile I stumbled onto it again and started reading my journal, my conversations, my honesty – I spilt my struggles, my challenges, my heartbreaks, my achievements, onto the pages and my mood was detectable in my sketch of the day. The importance of journaling, I guess.
Often, my choice of reading – be it books, essays, short stories or poems, are encouraged by noteworthy reviews. Sure, there are books that have high rankings that do not appeal to me, and I can easily put it down.
After seeing the film Capote, I read a short bio on the author, moved on to Breakfast at Tiffany’s and eventually In Cold Blood, the latter which defined him as the best American Author. How that accolade was bestowed on him was evident. His style, his use of language, his construction, his honesty can only be described as the work of a master.
Like I mentioned before, on advice of Stefan King, I took up The Count of Monte Cristo. In the movie Shawshank Redemption, while they were unpacking the books for the library, Hayward assisted in sorting the books per category – the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas – he pronounced it Dumbass. I still find it very funny. Be it as it may, originally, I thought the book was about a prison break, but it is so much more. I must confess; it is heavy reading and lengthy. I have it conveniently on my phone – it eases the pain of having to wait for service, or que.
Now many of us have the Bible on our bedside table – be it for whatever reason, motivation, encouragement, habit, guilt, tradition – I rediscovered the Bible – truly a treasure cove in many ways, and in my opinion the only way to draw closer to God, to get to know Him and discover the truth. So, for me, the Bible is a constant companion and in close reach.
I do have a short list to consider for my next post – however, I find it changes constantly, depending on circumstances.