friday feast: strolling down the “Produce Aisle” with Rebecca McClanahan

January 16, 2015September 11, 2017 ~ jama ~ 62 Comments

PRODUCE AISLE
by Rebecca McClanahan

The artichoke keeps her distance.
She has been taken too many times. Now
the armadillo armor hides her secret heart.

Everyone counts on the onion, staple of stews
and pottage. But deep in the crowded bin, her skin
is thin as moth wing. It peels away before their eyes.

Green peppers are modern women who take
their muscles seriously. They hunch their shoulders,
broad, shiny beneath a fluorescent sun.

Close by in cellophane the carrots keep for weeks,
the last to lose their figures. All legs,
tapering to slim ankles–and above,

wild profusion of hair. They gather in knots
of conversation and whisper about the apples,
those aging showgirls who didn’t know when to quit,

redheads buffed an unnatural blush, a shine
that shouts forever while inside the white flesh softens.
In the center aisle, bananas in bunches

curl like firm young girls in sleep. Soon they will turn
like their half-price sisters, learn the bruise,
dark print that begins beneath the skin and grows.

Oh to be the avocado! She ages so well.
Time makes love to her daily, finding her sweeter
the softer she grows. Beside her the potato,

peasant woman in brown, comes into her own slowly.
She stays in the shadows, blindly remembers
her place. Come to me! I will make you whole!

coos the eggplant mother. And from the corner bin
a chorus: Oranges, Oranges, Oranges, Oranges.
We are what we seem. We speak our own name.

* * *

Well, grocery shopping will never be the same. I mean, who knew? 🙂

Love the whimsy in this poem, but also the relatable truths. What lies beneath, when you peel away the layers? Many of us are simply not what we seem. Since the items described here are all female, do you think women conceal more of their true selves than men do? And what interesting statements about aging — for sure, I’d like to be an avocado.

I can think of someone I know in real life who matches each of these fruit and vegetable personality types. Which do you most identify with?

While you’re contemplating that, enjoy this little gallery of reimagined fresh produce:

*Portraits by Shalmor Avnon Amichay/Y&R Interactive*

*Cafe M Food Sculptures by Carl Kleiner*

* * *

Rebecca McClanahan’s tenth book is THE TRIBAL KNOT,: A MEMOIR OF FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND A CENTURY OF CHANGE. She has also published five books of poetry and a suite of essays, THE RIDDLE SONG AND OTHER REMEMBERINGS, winner of the Glasgow prize in nonfiction. Her three books of writing instruction include WORD PAINTING: A GUIDE TO WRITING MORE DESCRIPTIVELY, which is used as a text in numerous writing programs. For more, check out her official website.

* * *

HAPPY NEWS

Big Congratulations to Diane DeCillis! Her debut poetry book, STRINGS ATTACHED, was just named a 2015 Michigan Notable Book! Hers was one of 20 books selected for this honor by the Library of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Education. You may remember when I shared “Music from Another Room” and “Last Night I Dreamed I Stole the Croissants” from this book as well as Diane’s hummus recipe. If you still haven’t seen STRINGS ATTACHED, treat yourself to a copy to celebrate the New Year. It’s a rich, sumptuous feast of words, impressions, and ideas sure to satisfy your literary palate.

* * *

The lovely and talented Irene Latham is hosting the Roundup at Live Your Poem. Is she an onion or an orange? Stroll over to peruse the full menu of poetic goodies being served up in the blogosphere this week. If you go grocery shopping this weekend, be sure to pay close attention to the tomatoes.

Yours truly,

Miss Potato, née Banana
xoxoo

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if the shoe fits, eat it

September 29, 2014September 28, 2014 ~ jama ~ 22 Comments

Here’s the scoop:

Now you can have your cake and wear it too, thanks to the Shoe Bakery. 🙂

This Orlando-based company, founded by designer Chris Campbell, creates custom, handmade ice cream and cake shoe designs. None of them are edible, but apparently very wearable. I’ve seen shoe sculptures before which pretty much live in art galleries and are for ogling only. But these heels, flats, and wedges like to go out on the town and make unforgettable fashion statements at weddings and other special occasions. Fun!

Enjoy this little dessert tray to get your week off to a sweet start. 🙂

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friday feast: what is j. patrick lewis’s favorite cookie?

September 12, 2014September 12, 2017 ~ jama ~ 53 Comments

Awhile ago, we learned that indefatigable former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis likes Snickers bars.

Do you think he keeps a stash near his desk, reaching for a chocolaty bite of nougat, caramel and peanuts whenever he starts a new poem?

Maybe.

But.

For someone who writes that much, and that fast, there must be yet another treat fueling his creativity.

Perhaps the answer lies in this freshly baked triolet, which Pat says was inspired by a Valentine triolet about love written by Wendy Cope, one of his favorite light versifiers.

OREOS

~ Apologies to Wendy Cope

My tongue has just decided

Its favorite treat is you.

And equally delighted?

My stomach! Any-sided

With peanut butter. Why did

I say I’d stop at two?

My tongue has just decided

Its favorite treat is you.

~ Copyright © 2014 J. Patrick Lewis. All rights reserved.

* * *

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victor nunes just wants to have fun

June 9, 2014October 2, 2017 ~ jama ~ 14 Comments

I think I know what Victor Nunes, a retired art director from São Paulo, Brazil, has for breakfast.

A banana, steamy cappuccino, maybe some bread and butter. But this young-at-heart visionary doesn’t just eat his breakfast, he regularly plays with his food to create delightful doodles and mini pieces of art.

Victor is a person who sees faces in everything. A vivid imagination and a finely honed sense of play seem to be his constant companions each and every day, as he sculpts lighthearted portraits and sketches whimsical scenes. Besides bits of food, he includes everyday objects (pencil shavings, thumbtacks, matchsticks, corks, Q-tips), elevating them from the seemingly mundane to redefine their roles, always inspiring us to take a good second look at whatever is within our reach.

Enjoy this sampler platter of Victor’s work. You will never look at a piece of lettuce, a potato chip or cracker quite the same way again. Enjoy!

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flippin’ over saipancakes

June 3, 2014October 2, 2017 ~ jama ~ 40 Comments

If you love pancakes, raise your hand!

Okay, just as I thought. That pretty much includes everyone.

Chances are good that if you’ve cooked pancakes for your kids (or the kid in you), you’ve probably made them with faces or in fun shapes now and again. But have you ever thought of kicking those pancakes up a notch with more intricate designs by theme?

Enter Seattle illustrator Nathan Shields, whose pancakes are not only amazing works of art but delicious teachable moments. He started making “silly pancakes” for his son Gryphon (6) and daughter Alice (3) while living in Saipan several years ago. These days all three of them “batter up” in the kitchen, creating pancakes inspired by books, movies, cartoon characters, animals, insects, and other real and imaginary creatures, with Nathan’s designs continuing to become more detailed and elaborate.

It’s fascinating to watch how quickly he can squirt out a new design — darker outlines hit the griddle first before he fills in the spaces. I love his portraits of famous people and fictional characters as much as his “scientific” sets (arthropods, marine invertebrates, cephalopods, beetles, wildflowers, reptiles, sharks, birds, human organs). If you’re into math, behold his fractals. Of course he’s also made many perennial kid faves (pirates, dinosaurs, Bad Piggies, monsters, robots, sport figures, bunnies).

They’re calling him the Pancake Genius. Who else would make human parasite pancakes? Who’s ever had a chance to actually eat them with lots of butter and maple syrup? 🙂

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