“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell
Aesthetic Arrest is our weekly dip into the Epicurean pleasures we’ve been enjoying lately. Cheers to that!
This Week’s Apéritif: Metaxa Grapefruit Fizz
Ryan Wildstar’s Recommendations:
Reading: The Belly of Paris (Le Ventre de Paris) by Émile Zola (a new translation with an introduction by Mark Kurlansky)
Also, check out Mark Kurlansky’s acclaimed culinary microhistories:
Listening: Hela Nokto by Jordi Forniés
Looking: The Photography of Émile Savitry (1903 – 1967)
Viewing: Tampopo (1985) — written & directed by Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kōji Yakusho & Ken Watanabe (available via Criterion)
Tampopo: Ramen for the People - essay by Willy Blackmore (via Criterion)
Tasting: Green Pea Velouté (recipe taken from Recipes from The Taste of Things Cookbook, written by Pierre Gagnaire)
Click here for The Taste of Things Cookbook! A free, 10-page PDF written by Pierre Gagnaire and featuring his recipes for seven of the amazing dishes made in the film!
Ryan Elston’s Recommendations:
Reading: I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé (February 11, 1934 – April 2, 2024)
Maryse Condé, Guadeloupean 'Grand Storyteller' Dies Aged 90 (via The Guardian)
Listening: Altera Vita by Alina Bzhezhinska and Tony Kofi
Looking: The Art of Anton Prinner (1902 – 1983)
Toward a Cosmic Art: Anton Prinner's Transitions (via Von Bartha)
Anton Prinner is the Genderqueer Picasso We Need in the 21st Century (via Messy Nessy)
The Metamorphosis of Anton Prinner (via The V&A)
Viewing: Devi (1960) — directed by Satyajit Ray, starring Sharmila Tagore & Soumitra Chatterjee (available via Criterion)
“Devi: Seeing and Believing” - essay by Devika Girish (via Criterion)
Tasting: Artichoke “Meatballs” in a Creamy Garlic Sauce (recipe taken from Spain on a Fork)
So that’s it for this week! But we want the dinner party to continue! And we also want the Epicurean Vagabonds and our Aesthetic Arrest Podcast to continue. And in order to do that, we need your support!
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Cheers to that!
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