Raspberry Coulis or Sauce?

plus an easy banana cocoa dessert

The raspberries have peaked in the fields and woods of northern New Jersey, although the heat plus the proliferation of the very thorny wild rose bushes has resulted in some discomfort and scratched limbs as we are out gathering. I was able to pick this spray of berries from our woods and make a drawing in the comfort of our house. I generally prefer drawing from an actual object, versus using a photo, since I then have more control over the composition, background and lighting.

Back in my early days working as a freelance illustrator I often relied on the Picture Collection at the New York Public Library when I was required to depict something that I did not have access to, or in the case of an illustration of an ice cream sundae for Bride’s Magazine, would melt before I even got started. At that time, the Picture Collection was on the second floor of the mid-Manhattan branch. The collection included prints, photos, postcards, illustrations, and posters that had been primarily clipped from magazines and newspapers and were grouped into folders according to subject matter.  There was a reference librarian who could point you in the right direction, or you were welcome to browse on your own.  There were spacious tables to spread out on, and the pictures could be checked out. My mother made a couple of trips there with me, and it still makes me smile to think about how unimpressed she was with the place and her opinion that the selection was rather worn and paltry. I may be partial, but I do think she could have kicked it up a notch, if put in charge.

I recently recalled a piece in the New York Times about the possibility that the collection might be closing due to the availability of imagery online. This did strike me as being sad as it would mean another loss of a tactile, hands-on experience. However, thanks to the internet I was able to re-discover the article that first appeared on August 3, 2021 by Arthur Lubow. He described how Andy Warhol borrowed hundreds of images that he never returned.  Joseph Cornell also borrowed pictures.  It was not mentioned whether or not he returned them, but since he is known for his assemblages, I have to wonder if any of the pictures are embedded in his work. Before photography was considered an art form, Walker Evans, Paul Strand, and Dorothea Lange all donated some of their own photographs to the library. In the 1960s when the value of their work soared, their photos were transferred to the Print Room joining etchings by Durer and Goya. In fact, the Picture Collection did not close, but has moved across the street to the main branch that is iconic for the two marble statues of lions that flank the front doors. 

Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry sauce is delicious poured over vanilla ice cream. Preparation for both a sauce and a coulis begin with cooking the raspberries with lemon and sugar. The difference begins when you strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds and you are left with a coulis. Removing the seeds was not a success for me as I lost most of the sauce in the process of straining. The seeds don’t bother me anyway, so what follows is the simple, but elegant raspberry sauce recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries

1 t. lemon juice

2 T. sugar

Directions

Place ingredients in a saucepan and heat on medium for about 15 minutes. That’s it! You want to keep an eye on the raspberries so that they do not turn into jam, and you should do a taste test to make sure that the sauce is sweet enough. Cool to room temperature before pouring over ice cream, store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Frozen Banana Cocoa Dessert

This is a perfect treat for the hot weather that many of us have been dealing with.

Ingredients

2 bananas

5 t. cocoa

1/2 t. vanilla

Cut bananas into slices that are about 1/2 inch thick. Spread the slices out on a dinner plate so that they are overlapping as little as possible. Place in the freezer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from freezer and place bananas in a food processor. Turn to high and puree, but as quickly as possible so that they remain chilled. Add vanilla and cocoa, puree quickly again. Eat immediately or store in the freezer.

2 servings

Thanks for reading,

Vicki