The Man with 75 Faces

Christine and Martin Marklin created this 75th birthday card and called it "The 75 Faces of Tomie."

The photographs were taken during an interview on stage in the auditorium of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Click on the image to get a better look.

www.marklincandle.com

Tomie: Saving the World One Drawing at a Time

 Pratt Hero © by James Emmett

James Emmett was a recipient of Tomie's scholarship at Pratt Institute. He sent this drawing with a thank you note.

www.jamesemmettillustrates.com

World Fruitcake Competition: We Have a Winner!

The winner of this year's World (except Canada) Fruitcake Competion is - drumroll - Sonali Fry, Editorial Director, Little Simon, Simon & Schuster.

She submitted her mother's recipe for a Sri Lankan Christmas Cake with marzipan frosting. (I'd post a photo of the cake, but the judge ate it before I could get the camera.)

Judge's remarks: Exotic and delicious! 

Conversations with a Chair

Richard Jesse Watson sent Tomie a Christmas card with this note: Think of you often and sometimes have discussions w/ you in my studio. "What do you think of this, Tomie?" Ha! Ha! You are such an influence.

www.richardjessewatson.com

Love, Love, Love the Snow!

Day One of Three Days of Culinary Decadence

Left to Right: Peggy, Nola, Tomie

Peggy and Connie are co-owners of Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London. They like to thank Tomie for autographing at their store by taking him to dinner. Or, is it bribery for the next autographing request?

Connie was absent from this Christmas Eve dinner at the Coach House Restaurant at the New London Inn because she was driving north to visit family in Burlington, Vermont.

Nola (New Orleans, Louisiana) is a part-time store employee who also travels the world - India is the next stop.

It was a lovely way to celebrate Christmas Eve.

www.thenewlondoninn.com

A Perfect Christmas Dinner

The elements of Christmas dinner were prepared to perfection.

Molasses-brined Niman Ranch pork chop with a multi-layered sauce (evolving over months - the newest layer of pomegranate conserve added to the sauce) and a condiment of Cunningham Farms sweet potato butter.

Hasselback butter baked potatoes - basted in butter for hours.

Belgian endive salad (a typical Parisian winter salad that Tomie had for the first time in Paris in 1959) with a dressing of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, a spoonful of dijon mustard, and sugar to taste - to cut the mustard.

Yummy Memories

As we sit through a snowstorm (a predicted 10-16 inches is expected), it's nice to remember the trip yesterday to The Restaurant at Burdick Chocolate in Walpole, NH, for lunch. It's a drive of 70 minutes from New London, NH, and worth every minute of drive-time.

Brita's choices:
French Onion Soup
Calf's Liver
Zuger Kirsch

Tomie's choices:
Oysters on the Half Shell
Steak Frites
Butter Crust Cranberry Tart, and One Canele
(aka Canele de Bordeaux, Cannelle, Cannele)

My choices:
Mushroom Soup
Beef Stew
Hot Chocolate

The Restaurant at Burdick Chocolate is a bit French bistro. The little Walpole Grocery is also worth a visit for its unusual offerings. Burdick's owns the grocery store. It's located only a few yards from the restaurant.

A teacher from Massachusetts was eating with family and friends at the restaurant and recognized Tomie. She asked for an autograph and a photo.

www.burdickchocolate.com

Peace on Earth

Mother and Child 2012

A Child Is Born

(You can always click on a photo to get a better look.)

A Tomie dePaola Creche

Merry Christmas