Mosaics of naked beauties made with rice and beans, tasty dishes, served by the same ladies – dressed in ginger
Hard to resist really - naked girls and rice and beans, always a surprise, the currencies of living in San Juan! There I was at the launch of a book on Theraputic Jurespudence by our friend David Wexler,( Time for the U.S. justice system to get less mechanistic and more compassionate being held at the magnificent Klumb designed University Of Puerto Rico law faculty when I received the above intriguing text. Admittedly the book launch was not quite the wine and cheese gathering I had envisaged but more a fairly dry discussion on the merits of Theraputic Jurespudence in Criminal law prosecutions and – unfortunately for me - conducted in Spanish. I hadn’t really prepared for a hefty discussion on lawyer rehabilitation (in an anti-adversarial sense) en espanol when I fled the music bizz all those months ago!
Therefore a text from Teo and Charlie suggesting a quick visit to Museo de Casa Blanca to sample exquisite delights was well received....
Artist Guillermo Figoli was showing a series of portraits created by layering beans and rice in a clear resin laminate “Dimelo en Arroz y Habichuelas” – very cool images of well...yes..mainly naked beauties. Great – but even better that each painting had been paired with a bean dish from chef Martin Louzao from Ummo restaurant in Condado. As usual a small world, it is one of my favourite restaurants in the city and with good cause. The dishes were culinary delights and ranged from a surprising take on Rice and Beans through to desserts from Sweet bean paste with jelly bean garnish. Creative and ebullient flavours, the blue curacou and cilantro dressing on bean spring rolls was a sensation.
Ah, but the naked beauties? Yes the models themselves serving the dishes, modesty is not a trait in abundance! Indeed the beautiful girl that cared for us could only complain that she had not modeled herself. A shame, truly a shame, if only.... another time.. another artist... she did offer...
There is a groovy video – starring me –here at Teo’s website
