Treat of the Week: Baked Ziti and Marble Pound Cake

This week's treat from my mother's kitchen is an exceptional baked ziti. Now, this just isn’t any baked ziti. No, no, this is alive with fresh herbs, broccoli and beautiful mushrooms, bubbling beneath beautiful cheese and luscious sauce! Along with this savory delight, we enjoyed a delightful salad of field greens dressed with tomatoes, olives, hearts of palm, carrots, pancetta, avocado, artichoke hearts and crumbled blue cheese. 

And, the dessert was just as exquisite, offering a little something for everyone.   It’s a delightful marble pound cake. You see, that’s the beauty of a marble pound cake—each bite offers up a different combination of flavors sure to satisfy every palette.

Homemade chocolate and sour cream (made with  brown sugar) pound cake batters have been swirled and baked to perfection. You can always tell when a pound cake is perfect because of the way it slices. An ideal pound cake will be able to be sliced paper-thin without losing its integrity. This one exhibits that “perfect pound cake property.” You can slice this as thin as a business card and it won’t crumble or break. But, my question is—why would you want to? I say, the bigger the piece the better.  Served with freshly whipped cream, it's a delicious dessert to conclude a joyous dinner.

Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square will Continue Tomorrow

Unfortunately, the same technical issues which slowed me down yesterday have continued today.  So, we're going to postpone the next Chapter of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square one more day.  However, I think I can sneak the rest of today's posts up.

See you tomorrow!

Precious Time: King George IV’s “Apollo” Clock, 1805

Clock
Pierre-Philippe Thomire, 1805
Gilt Bronze, Enamel, Marble
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

King George IV had many passions, but one of the few of them that we can discuss in polite company is his appreciation for clocks—particularly French timepieces.

Here, we see one of the many clocks collected by King George IV. This, like many others, is actually in use within one of the Royal residences and now belongs to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Made in 1805 by French horologist, Pierre-Philippe Thomire, this timepiece features gilt bronze figures and mounts upon a luxurious marble base. The figural group atop the predominate arch shows Apollo who was believed by the Romans to be the god of the sun. Here, Apollo reminds of the emergence of the sun each day as we see this representation of the god in his golden chariot rising from the sea. His chariot is drawn by four horses abreast.

Her Majesty’s Furniture: A Pair of Onyx Marble Pedestals, 1720

One of a Pair
of Pedestals
Onyx Marble Veneer
Over Hardstone
1720
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

The placement of art in a room depends on the piece—its size, scale, lines, subject and color. Members of the Royal Family have always been very particular about how they display their precious art and artifacts. In the case of sculpture (and this, really, should always be true), the choice of plinth or pedestal was just as important as the sculpture itself. These were often considered to be as much a part of the sculpture as they were an extension of the architecture of the room.

This pair of onyx marble pedestals is what remains of what was once a set of four with the other two being pink. Though they’re massive, they’re quite delicate. The onyx veneer—imported from Egypt—was prone to easy chipping. The set of pedestals came into Kensington Palace around 1720 under the direction of King George I who ordered them from an Italian designer as a means of displaying a group of four marbles of The Seasons by Camillo Rusconi. They were installed in the King’s Gallery.

In 1828, the Rusconi groups were taken to Windsor Castle. The pedestals were sent for refurbishment. Around this time, the two pink pedestals seemed to disappear while this set of two was sent to Windsor Castle where they now stand in the Queen’s Guard Chamber, supporting bronzes purchased by King George IV.

Sorry...technical difficulties

Hello Gang,


There are some days when progress means a temporary slowing down of daily life. Today, due to some construction around these parts, it's necessary to shut down the power to different parts of the house. One of those is the plug that controls the wifi. So...unfortunately, I'm going to have to postpone today's fun.

Tomorrow, however (sorry, Beth Ann), we'll have a special Treat of the Week, a Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square and all sorts of fun stuff. So, I beg for your patience and wish everyone a good day.

Joseph, Bertie and Punch

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Maria, 1836

Maria
Charles Landseer
England, 1836
The Victoria & Albert Museum

“Poor Maria, sitting under a poplar…with her elbow in her lap…and her head leaning on one side…dressed in white.” 
      --from “A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy” by Laurence Sterne 

Charles Landseer (1799-1879, the elder brother of Sir Edwin Landseer) was inspired to create this painting upon reading Laurence Sterne’s novel “A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy,” 1768. The subject is lifted right from the book, specifically, a character called Maria who lost her true love. At her side is a loyal dog who keeps her company in her grief.

Painted in 1836, the canvas shows that Charles Landseer was just as talented as his better-remembered young brother. However, in this composition, like many of his works, it has eben long believed, Charles looked to Edwin for assistance in painting the figure of the dog. Edwin was well-known for his portraits of dogs and animals in general. His handling of animal subjects made Edwin a favorite of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who commissioned the artist to paint their beloved pets.

The painting was exhibited at the British Institute under the title “Sterne’s Maria.” The character of the inconsolable Maria was quite popular in the later 18th century. Engravings of this piece were big sellers.

Mastery of Design: The Muriel Goodman Necklace, 1913

The Victoria & Albert Museum

A masterpiece of gold openwork, this necklace features an elaborate central pendant of a swirling, foliate design which has been set with four opals and hung with a long irregular pearl drop. The linear panels of gold openwork which form the necklace’s chain are set with a disc of mother of pearl. The box clasp is set with a blister pearl.

The original box from 1913 remains. This curving triangular box is covered in beige fabric, and, inside, a cream velvet base. The satin on the lid is stamped 'DRYAD METAL WORK LEICESTER' in gold.

The necklace was a gift from Basil Gimson (nephew of the Arts and Crafts architect and furniture designer) to his bride Alice Muriel Goodman as a gift on her wedding day, 8 April 1913 (which was also her twenty-fourth birthday).

A letter to Basil from his mother dated 18 January 1913 reads:

“This morning Sydney and I were at the Dryad talking to Mr Peach. He spoke of the gold necklace Mr Pick is making for Muriel. He said they had picked out some first rate opals for it. From his description it sounded like a very costly affair, so I said: ‘Oh, but there is a limit of price.’ ‘Yes, I know, but I have told Pick we are going to do this thing just tip top, the very best possible. It shall defy competition! Gimsons have been the very best customers we have ever had, and we are going to turn out something worth having!’”