Magnificent Molds

In Marcel Proust's landmark novel Swann's Way, the main character famously bites into a tea-soaked madeleine cookie and is flooded with recollections of personal memories.  That madeleine cookie could not have existed if hadn't been for a mold.  A friend from The Frick Collection gave me my first madeleine cookie mold and it was a bittersweet occasion to make my first batch of cookies for her when I attended her husband's shiva.  I thought making the cookies for her would mark the great impression and impact her friendship had upon me.  And now when I look upon the madeleine mold she gave me I have my own memories to ponder.

Making things with molds is a wonderful process utilized for domestic decoration, the fine arts, and also culinary cuisine.  I'm drawn to using molds as a new creative process to explore many ideas included under my personal idiom of Fancy Things.  This year, I'm going to investigate using molds not only as a decorative hobby, but also to examine the socio-psychological implications of food and molds.

In Burlington, Vermont, the Shelburne Museum's Decorative Arts department contains a nice collection of food molds.  The interest of molding food into unusual shapes dates back several centuries, as early as the 1500's in Europe.  In America, most commonly known molds are metal tin versions found from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Prior to that, most molds were made from various types of wood (apple, pear, boxwood), which were used based on their durability.

Mostly cakes, breads, and butter were selected to be transformed into different shapes.  Butter was a household industry led by housewives that churned out butter that would be molded with imprinted seals to differentiate the various farms and households.  Buyers would remember the literal and figurative impressions from the butter, and it would facilitate the community's butter business.  

One of the most personally inspiring lectures I've ever attended was while I was in college and heard food historian Ivan Day, speak about food history, and specifically the usage of food molds.  Last year I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Day speak at Christie's Auction House in New York.  Day has spent his career educating people about European food history, and even conducts cooking courses from his home in England replicating and cooking historic food recipes from actual historic cookware he's collected.  

I hope to write more about Mr. Day's work in a couple more blogs this year, but specific to my creative endeavors this year, molds take top form in my book.  With my foundation of knowledge from the Shelburne Museum and with the background knowledge I have from Mr. Day, I am prepared to explore and relate all of my findings here on my blog.  Enjoy!

Madeleine Mold - Sur La Table