For the Love of Pumpkins
Until January 17th 2027 on view in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam is the retrospective of Yayoi Kusama, one of the most influential and pioneering artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. She was born in 1929 in Matsumoto (Japan). As a child she began painting pumpkins, dots, flowers and patterns. The dots transformed into her famous polka dots, the net of self-obliteration. Pumpkins continued to inspire her throughout her life. In 2015 she said in an interview “I love pumpkins because of their humorous form, warm feeling, and a human-like quality”.
This is a comprehensive video about Yayoi Kusama and this article provides background information about her pumpkins.
Eating pumpkins was perhaps not something Yayoi Kusama would do, but we simply love them. In autumn they bring warmth and comfort to the table. Both dishes are made with kabocha, the Japanese pumpkin.
Pumpkin Soup
A vegetarian soup made with kombu dashi, meaning its basis is made with dried kelp only. Soy sauce is added to the soup, bringing saltiness and umami, which combines very well with the exceptional sweetness of the pumpkin and the mirin. You could prepare the soup with an unpeeled kabocha, but we love the intense orange colour of the inside.
Pumpkin with Shrimps
The shrimps are marinated in sake for a few hours and then fried. The pumpkin is simmered in dashi with tentsuyu and mirin. The pan is deglazed with dashi, mirin and tentsuyu. The shrimps are coated with the sauce and served with three slices of kabocha and pickled cucumber.
