Food and Painting

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The best food pictures in magazine, cookbooks and film not only have the most authentic and honestly cooked food but also employ the most masterful use of light and color. Some of the most inspiring images of to me have always been the works of the Dutch Masters whose work I have only seen in books and films–one reason I’ve longed to visit Amsterdam.

Our visit to the famous Rijksmuseum kind of blew my mind. Standing right in front of them, these 17th century images in person gives one an emotional charge. We have become so used to photography’s realism that we forget how evocative and powerful a painted work can be.

Vermeer’s Kitchen Maid evokes the most peaceful yet simple moment n time–a kitchen maid pouring milk. The bits of light reflected off the bread catch our eye but the total tone of the painting establishes a feeling of calm.

In Nicolaus Maes’s Prayer Without End, our pious subject is dining on a simple meal of porridge, bread, salmon, butter and beer. While the food seems a humble offering, it’s a meal I’d gratefully sit down to today. Again, light transports us beyond the food.

And Jan Davidz de Heem’s Festoon of Fruits and Flowers depicts a colorful display of beautiful yet precious flaura. I don’t imagine a pomegranate was an everyday food stuff in 1640’s in Holland.

My photo of Amstel harbor at dawn gives a smal taste of the quality of light all around here. It’s no wonder this country has produced some of the finest painters of all time.

Inspiration like this inspires me to keep evolving creatively. What inspires you?

Best,
LSQ

37 Comments
  • Larry October 5, 2012 at 5:22 pm

    Love the paintings. Mad Hungry must return, Lucinda. It’s the only cooking show worth watching.

    Larry

  • Sharon October 5, 2012 at 5:22 pm

    Please bring back Mad Hungry. I will email the Hallmark Channel and call. 1-818-755-2400. Everyone do it now. Thanks.

    Sharon

  • jane m October 5, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    Vermeer is to die for. He is my favorite of the illustrious group of Dutch masters. The posts from the Netherlands are wonderful but a little flawed. The pictures posted block out the beginning of your posts – every day this happens. Also, the slide show only allows us to move through the first two pictures. I love the country you are traveling in so am finding it a little frustrating. Can your team fix this? That would be lovely. Best – Jane M

  • Ed October 5, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    Let’s go people. Comment here and on the Hallmark Channel site, we want Mad Hungry back on with new episodes.

    Ed

  • Val October 5, 2012 at 9:23 pm

    The Hallmark Channel lineup is horrible without Mad Hungry.

    Val

  • Helen October 5, 2012 at 9:34 pm

    How horrible not seeing Mad Hungry every day. We need Mad Hungry back on.

  • TJ October 6, 2012 at 9:44 am

    http://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/pagelist/onecoltemplate.aspx?pageid=133

    I called and emailed everyone. We want Mad Hungry back on the air.

  • Nelda Purdon October 6, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    Have you contacted the Hallmark Channel yet to tell the powers that be that you are MAD AND HUNGRY because Mad Hungry is not on the air! I’m on a DAILY mission! Help Lucinda out folks!

  • Vinny October 6, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    Like Nelda says, come on people, we all want Mad Hungry back with new episodes. Tell everyone to email, call and Facebook (if you have it.)

  • Connie October 6, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    I called and told Hallmark what I think of “Home and Family”. Terrible and they repeat it during the day. Mad Hungry must return. Let them hear that from all of us.

    Connie

  • Fiona October 6, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    I got through and spoke to someone. They said there were many people complaining. So keep it going everyone. We will not allow the best cooking show out there disappear. Hopefully there is someone with brains at the Hallmark Channel.

    Fiona

  • Jaclyn October 6, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Hallmark is definitely thinking about Mad Hungry. It must return.

    Jaclyn

  • Benitha October 6, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    Lucinda,

    Sounds like a wonderful trip. I love you and Mad Hungry. It was John Contratti who turned me on to Mad Hungry. It’s the only cooking show I ever watch. I too, am making my voice heard to the Hallmark Channel.

    Benitha

  • Elena Harder October 6, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    I miss the show so much. As far as inspiring, I say LSQ inspires me to make up my own recipes with ingredients I like and techniques I know. And I’m pretty proud of myself and the skills I didn’t know I had.

  • Pat in Chicago October 7, 2012 at 1:17 am

    Having a problem with your your blog in that I never get past photo number 2 and the first photo obscures the first paragraph of text. Am I doing something wrong or is there a problem with the blog? This has been happening since the trip started and I so much want to read it. I have been to Amsterdam and have many fond memories. Would love to learn of LSQ’s experiences.

    • Lucinda Scala Quinn October 8, 2012 at 4:34 pm

      Hi Pat,

      We spoke with our web team and it looks like there was a bug with the photo gallery program we use. It has since been fixed.

      Best,
      The MH Team

  • Veronica Tierney October 7, 2012 at 8:24 am

    I miss Mad Hungry so much. Please Hallmark bring it back.
    I’ve gotten all my family and friends to watch. We’re all so upset.
    Don’t like the new show.
    Ronnie

  • Tad October 7, 2012 at 10:48 am

    Everyone misses Mad Hungry. I hope everyone is emailing and calling the Hallmark Channel.

    Tad

  • Fran October 7, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Hallmark needs to wake up. Their new show “Home and Family” is awful. One of the hosts is absolutely awful and annoying. So forced and not funny. BRING BACK MAD HUNGRY.

    Fran

  • Dave October 7, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    Hi Lucinda,

    My day is incomplete without your show. We’ll get it back.

    Dave

  • Lucinda Scala Quinn October 8, 2012 at 4:38 am

    Pat in Chicago: Thanks for the tip off. It has been tough blogging from Amsterdam–knowing how the posts are working. We are looking into fixing!
    Best,
    Lucinda

  • tommyjames October 8, 2012 at 7:44 am

    http://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/pagelist/onecoltemplate.aspx?pageid=133

    Contact everyone. We want MAD HUNGRY back with NEW EPISODES.

    Tommy

  • Georgette October 8, 2012 at 8:01 am

    Lucinda,

    You, the boys, your mom, your brothers, your friends, the cooking teacher, MH co-workers, I miss them all. You must come back and cook with all these people again.

    Georgette

  • Larry October 8, 2012 at 8:07 am

    http://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/pagelist/onecoltemplate.aspx?pageid=133

    Can someone paste this on Facebook? I don’t have access. Everyone call. Bring back all NEW episodes of Mad Hungry

    Thanks.

  • Linda October 8, 2012 at 9:15 am

    You’re too talented to not have a show of your own!
    Hope some smart exec at a competing network realizes this soon. Good luck and safe travel.

  • Michele Stanley October 8, 2012 at 11:49 am

    Bring back Mad Hungry!!!! This is my favorite cooking show. By far the best one out there (and I watch them all). Why would they cancel?

  • Timothy October 8, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    WAKE UP HALLMARK CHANNEL. I hope everyone is emailing and calling. WE WANT ALL NEW EPiSODES OF MAD HUNGRY. ASAP

    Tim

  • Irene October 8, 2012 at 2:28 pm

    I told Hallmark Channel. I hope everyone is.

    Irene

  • Karen October 8, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    Hallmark’s morning lineup is horrible. Couldn’t get through 10 minutes of Home and Family. Bring back Mad Hungry.

    Karen

  • LK October 8, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    http://www.hallmarkchannelpress.com/pagelist/executivebiosandphotos.aspx?pageid=124

    Here are the people who make the decisions at the Hallmark Channel. Poor decisions with not having Mad Hungry on the air. Tell them all. We want all NEW episodes of Mad Hungry to come back to the Hallmark Channel.

  • Leona October 8, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Come on folks ! KEEP CONTACTING HALLMARK CHANNEL. Talk about it on here and on Facebook. We want Mad Hungry back on with all new shows.

    Leona

  • EIleen October 8, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/Others/userapply/default.aspx

    Just click and tell them. BRING BACK MAD HUNGRY WITH NEW EPISODES.

  • Eileen October 8, 2012 at 4:57 pm

    http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/Others/userapply/default.aspx

    Can someone put this link on Facebook and tell them to contact Hallmark Channel and tell them that we all want Mad Hungry back on with all NEW episodes.

    Thank you,

    Eileen

  • Mollie November 7, 2012 at 9:36 pm

    Hallmark took the best off when they took Lucinda’s Mad Hungry cook show off. My Husband and I always enjoyed the show so much. Now our morning seems empty.I loved her show so much. I really loved her spuetle she always used to stir food with, I wish I could find a store in Oklahoma City Ok to buy one. God Bless and keep You and Yours. Would you please let me know when you will be back on TV

  • Mollie November 7, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    Hallmark, you should be ashamed for taking Mad Hungry off the network her show was the best show on Hallmark. The ones you have now stinks.We don’t even watch Hallmark now.

  • Richie February 9, 2014 at 1:02 am

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts about amstel
    harbor. Regards

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