Friendship and Food: Georgia O’Keeffe’s recipe binder

Knowledge of Georgia O’Keeffe’s interest in food and cooking is nothing new. From the large collection of cookbooks and gardening books in her personal library to recent publications inspired by and about O’Keeffe’s time in the kitchen, there is no shortage of evidence. Despite this, I was eager to recently process two recipe binders from her Ghost Ranch house into the archives at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

Much like my own cookbooks at home, both recipe binders show evidence of heavy use: pages splattered with broth, worn edges, torn hole punches. The recipes also come from a variety of sources, including friends and published cookbooks in her personal library. Mary Grether Ligon^[1] (Chile Egg Puff, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie), Maria Chabot^[2] (Greek Stew), and Todd Webb^[3] (Pickles) are just a few individuals who contributed to O’Keeffe’s recipe collection.

A recipe titled Floating Island Custard caught my attention during processing; it rang a bell, but I could not quite place why. Like many of the recipes in the binders, this one did not include a source. After a little research, an oral history with Isabel Ziegler^[4] answered my unasked question. She described how her husband, Samuel Ziegler, reported that Georgia O’Keeffe was in the hospital and that they should do something for her. After disregarding the idea to send a bouquet of flowers to O’Keeffe, Isabel acknowledged that O’Keeffe would be disappointed in the food provided by the hospital:

Then I got to thinking about a wonderful dish that we loved. My mother always made, which she called “floating island.” It is sort of an egg pudding, a very delicate pudding, and then the whites of the eggs you whip and put on top, which gives it the name “floating island.” So I made some up, put them in little individual bowls, and took them up to the hospital and told the nurses to see that she got them. She loved them! I received a beautiful letter from her thanking me for them and saying that she would very much like to have my recipe so that she might incorporate it into her collection of recipes. And so, we did.^[5]

 

Because many of us at the museum are working from home, we weren’t able to get into the archive to take a photo of O’Keeffe’s recipe, but will share when we’re able to get to our collections. In the meantime, try Julia Child’s version of the Floating Island Custard as shared by Cafe Johnsonia.

While social distancing has made collaborative cooking more difficult, there is no doubt that food brings family and friends together. Whether cooking for one or for an entire family, take the time to share your favorite recipes or perhaps try something new. Look no further than Georgia O’Keeffe for inspiration.

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[1] Mary Grether Ligon was Georgia O’Keeffe’s night companion for two years after the artist dislocated her shoulder. They became friends during this time.

[2] Maria Chabot (1913-2001) was an American writer, rancher, and friend of Georgia O’Keeffe. She was the general contractor for O’Keeffe’s house in Abiquiú, New Mexico.

[3] Todd Webb (1905-2000) was an American photographer, historian, and friend of Georgia O’Keeffe.

[4] Isabel Ziegler (b. 1918) and Samuel Ziegler (1914-2000) started a community hospital in Espanola. They became friends with O’Keeffe, and Samuel Ziegler served as her personal physician.

[5] Source: Isabel and Samuel Ziegler, M.D. Interview with Sarah Burt, 2000-03-14. Georgia O’Keeffe Oral History Project, ca. 1970s, 1991-2010. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. © Isabel Ziegler.

Recipe Binders. Papers from the Ghost Ranch Library, 1892-1992, undated. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Gift of Juan and Anna Marie Hamilton.

Featured image: Tony Vaccaro. Georgia preparing salad for lunch, 1960. Gelatin silver print, 19 3/4 x 15 3/8 inches. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Museum Purchase [2007.3.13] https://collections.okeeffemuseum.org/object/6509/