A few days ago I was ‘across the pond’ in rainy London, England and had a wonderful day at the Tate Modern for a taste of the latest exhibits of modern art. Although there are many pieces worth mentioning, the work I was most intrigued about was Robert Therrien’s “Red Room,” a collection of 888 red household items melded together into what seems like one “large monochrome painting.”
So often the colour red has negative connotations symbolizing war, anger, pain, danger, bloodshed…the list goes on. Upon first glance, I glazed over the room as an unpleasant ‘sea of red.’ However, within a couple of minutes I was drawn to Therrien’s work as it evoked feelings of the contrary — warmth, happiness, fire, excitement and passion. Each individual object began to story tell, spanning a range of positive uncanny emotions.
I started to get hungry. The “Red Room” got me thinking about my kitchen. My George Foreman Grill is the colour red, as are the silicone oven mitts, spatulas and pastry brushes I own. Interesting. It is said the colour red makes one hungry which could explain why red is so readily found in the kitchen. We left the Tate feeling famished!
In India, the colour red is highly symbolic, representing purity, fertility and wealth. Most things Indian involve some colour red, most definitely including the spice box!
Inspired by Therrien, I consolidated my red items into a monochromatic panorama. Of course my version of the “Red Room” didn’t come close to Therrien’s complex lacing of 888 items, but my selection included some of my favourite things – chilies, beetroots, Sriracha sauce, pomegrantes, apples and red tea.
Preena's 'room of red'
This month choose foods with the colour red for their antioxidant, energy boosting and aesthetic qualities, as well as to bring about feelings of warmth, excitement and passion.
This Garam Masala Beetroot & Carrot Kachumber(salad) is refreshing and beautifully pleasing to any February menu.
Garam Masala Beetroot Carrot Kachumber
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A Teaspoon of Turmeric 