Distinctive designs are what I found when I ran into South
Valley artist Sharon Bates at San Jose Museum of Art last week. Ms.
Bates was chosen by jury to participate in a Distinctive Art
Jewelry Show at the Museum.
Distinctive designs are what I found when I ran into South Valley artist Sharon Bates at San Jose Museum of Art last week. Ms. Bates was chosen by jury to participate in a Distinctive Art Jewelry Show at the Museum.
Of course with local prejudice, I found Ms. Bate’s collection to be the most artistic of the whole show and far beyond the talent displayed in the museum’s regular fine art (?) collections on the walls of poorly planned exhibits.
Ms. Bates creates one-of-a-kind art pieces to wear. The collection includes hand-blown glass with unique metal work and luscious colors. Spiritually inspired, Ms. Bates embodies the true artist finding a medium to express her own well-cultured good taste.
Bates was unable to participate in the recent Open Studios Show but if you’re interested in some magnificent works of blown glass art, you can view them on the Web at www.home.earthlink.net/~flameworkedbeads.
Ms. Bates personally invites all readers to visit her studio by calling her at (408) 779-1456. I hope some of you were able to make it to the homes and studios of some local artists this past weekend. If you ever say you are bored in this area, let me check your pulse, for surely you must be close to dead. The South Valley world is alive with action!
No rest for the hungry or conservation minded as they all headed for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Cooking for Solutions.” The event was held Friday evening in the aquarium with a backdrop of dramatically lit tanks of nighttime kelp and jellyfish waving a friendly hello.
A fundraiser for the aquarium’s Sea Food Watch program, table after table of sustainable seafood and organic wines greeted crowds eager to taste the fresh difference. John Cleese, of Monty Python fame and recently “Q” in the Bond films, and Martin Yan of the Yan Can Cook series were special guest and honored chef, respectively.
The first table to lay before us at the top of the aquarium stairs was covered in oysters on the half shell resting on a bed of ice.
Hog Island Oyster Company served an unlimited amount of the mussels to guests with a spoonful of “hogwash sauce” on top. Cilantro, shallots, chiles, lime and rice vinegar made up the ingredients of the wash and it tasted like hog heaven!
Speaking with renowned chef John Ash, culinary director at Fetzer Vineyards, I learned farmed catfish can taste wonderful with a high end recipe developed by groups such as the Catfish Institute.
Ash described catfish as a blank canvas when pairing with wine and suggested an uncomplicated white such as Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc or a Savignon Blanc.
When asked his favorite winemaker Ash smiled and quizzed, “Can I say my own?” Ash has recently started Sauvignon Republic, Inc. devoted entirely to growing and producing the “white stuff.” Check out his Web site sauvignonrepublic.com and find a new favorite.
Up and coming chefs of their own were challenged to an Iron Chef competition this week at the Grange Hall in Morgan Hill. Members of Boy Scout Troop 730 were given 45 minutes to create culinary masterpieces (well, at least edible) to be judged by high ranking officials (lifescouts or above) based on taste and presentation.
Each cooking patrol was given a secret ingredient to incorporate into its dish. The dish had to include meat (and with some of the all-male patrols, that was practically the only ingredient!) cooked at least to lukewarm.
The adult attendees played it safe and cooked their own meals on the barbie. After a flurry of water boiling, stir frying and careful seasoning, the winners of the competition, with a delectable dish of beef stir fry topped with a fortune cookie, was the patrol known as the “Screamin’ Eagles.” Congratulations future chefs of America!
Ciao for now.
