Friday, May 28, 2010
I Love Burlap
While having coffee at Jones in Pasadena I saw a woman walk out with an armful of burlap sacks. Curious, I inquired about them and was told to return to collect some the following week.
I needed to make some planters for the auction and had been in discussion for quite some time on what to use.
The following week Jones donated 10 burlap bags. Each individual bag was inspected by me to see where is it was made, what it contained, how it was stamped with it's identity. Once used to transport un-roasted coffee from such faraway places as Indonesia and Brazil these bags appeared so rustic, yet evocative of the coutour gowns that Lucy and Ethel wore in the episode "Lucy get's a Paris Gown."
I experimented with how to use them. I lined them and began to fill them with soil They became sculptural objects on their own, but as I began to fill them with plants they transformed.
Inspired by the offerings at Sunset Nursery in Silverlake I began to see themes.
There was the Simon and Garfunkle: " Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme"
Visconti : Basil, oregano,tomato and borage...
Baliwood: lemongrass,cumin,mint, spicey basil ...
Well, you get the idea.
Arms and face infused with a combination of soil and herbs I stood back and admired my work.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Silent sustainable transformation
Begrudgingly I agreed to decorate the kids school auction event. I had no idea what inspired creative forces I would be privy to.
The theme was homegrown- meaning we needed to create the decorations from recycled items
First the book art. Some of you may have trouble with the use of old books as objects of art.. the donated books were comprised of manuals, telephone books, maps, and old books with fabulously browned pages gathered from thrift stores. Their yellowed, torn pages mostly filled with lusty gushings that I suspect caused some of the older children to work a bit slower. The books that were still of good literary quality were given to the library.
The mother tree was honored; shrouded in muslin it's dying trunk supported the beautiful pages
A frame normally used to sift dirt in the gardens of learning was used to create the crown of the book art chandelier in the tent
Tables laid with books, recycled jars with votives and muslin cloth
A hugely collaborative effort created a fabulous event
feeling incredibly proud I dawned my fabulous Givenchy inspired dress made of kraft paper, found tossed aside on the field, Dior ribbon and graffiti art by Rob Reger of Emily the Strange...and off I went...
photo by Joyce Brody
The theme was homegrown- meaning we needed to create the decorations from recycled items
First the book art. Some of you may have trouble with the use of old books as objects of art.. the donated books were comprised of manuals, telephone books, maps, and old books with fabulously browned pages gathered from thrift stores. Their yellowed, torn pages mostly filled with lusty gushings that I suspect caused some of the older children to work a bit slower. The books that were still of good literary quality were given to the library.
Mostly created by busy students hands...
The mother tree was honored; shrouded in muslin it's dying trunk supported the beautiful pages
A frame normally used to sift dirt in the gardens of learning was used to create the crown of the book art chandelier in the tent
Tree's were swathed in contrasting remnants of fabric
Tables laid with books, recycled jars with votives and muslin cloth
A hugely collaborative effort created a fabulous event
photo by Joyce Brody
Friday, May 7, 2010
Tucking in to a Bloomsbury Life with a spot of Rose Petal Jelly
Friday I attended a cocktail reception for my friend and fellow blogger Lisa Borgnes. The fete was in celebration of her show " Stitching up the Noughties" held at the Acme Gallery in Beverly Hills. Lisa composed provocative couplets which she then traditional stitched on burlap. The samplers depict the post modern woman's many dilema's, obsessions and lifestyles. They are ironic, poetic and sublime. Her clever ability to rhyme rubies and perky boobies had me in stitches.
photo's by Lisa Borgnes
Lisa's blog abloomsburylife.blogspot.com is a constant inspiration to me. I look forward to each of her postings.
Lisa has impeccable style, her home is as chic and warm as she is, each time I visit gives me impetius to go fix up a new corner in our house. Often I am greeted with something decadent and special. Yummy tea, scones,and always clever conversation... Several visits back I not only walked out with a lighthouse shaped canister of Noirmoutier Sel marin she purchased while in France, but was also semi-perminently loaned a chic floral 60's dress I intend to wear this summer.
It was Lisa that turned me on to the Fortnum and Mason rose petal jelly that I can never get enough of.
Lisa's ability to uncover the most unique country homes is uncanny..Her last posting had me up until midnight sorting through all the homes for lease on the landmark trust site.
Another favorite was her editorialized vintage photographs of a child long ago in the English countryside.
Recently I became so engrossed with a link to the free biography of the Marquess of Bath I nearly forgot to pick up my kids from school. abloomsburylife.blogspot.com/2009/01/odd-praise.html
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Alice at Lost and Found
There she was at the end of a table strewn with fava beans. Alice... Waters a name that evokes so many wonderful things. Goddess of Edible Education. Founder of the Chez Panisse Foundation a national movement dedicated to changing the way children eat, educating them about gardening, cooking and learning about food in public schools.
She was here to sign copies of her new book "In the Green Kitchen Techniques to Learn by Heart." Proceeds of which benefit the Chez Panisse Foundation and on this day were to also go to The Larchmont Charter.
I had pre-ordered several copies and couldn't resist a peek: Beautiful pictures, hmmm...feeling hungry...I got in line to meet her.
Alice Waters
Greeting each person with sincerity and a lovely smile. Listening, and taking the time to converse before inscribing a very personal note on the inside cover of each book
When it was my turn, I was almost speechless, but of course somehow found the words to express how inspiring she is, what I was doing and how much Violet loves Fanny at Chez Panisse. A book her daughter wrote some years back. She asked to hear more about Violet and decided to include her in the inscription in our book.
At the other end of the table sat James Birch of Flora Bella farms in Three River's. Another name that personifies botany. I recognized him immediately having just read about him on the Harvest to Heat website www.harvesttoheat.com/30/. As well as being a longtime regular at the Hollywood Farmer's Market he is an educator, organic farmer growing some of the most incredibly delicious organic produce around which is served at Mozza,AOC, and AXE to name a few. There he sat with a bushel of his gorgeous fava beans shelling and chatting. His kind eye's got me. I started asking questions about what to do with my abundant crop of borage. He was very informative. So much so I harvested about 20 lbs of it today and plan to take it to Forage in Silverlake.
She was here to sign copies of her new book "In the Green Kitchen Techniques to Learn by Heart." Proceeds of which benefit the Chez Panisse Foundation and on this day were to also go to The Larchmont Charter.
The book came from a Slow Food Nation event in San Fransico where an assortment of food lover's converged. Different chef's were invited to demonstrate simple basic techniques.
Alice Waters
Greeting each person with sincerity and a lovely smile. Listening, and taking the time to converse before inscribing a very personal note on the inside cover of each book
When it was my turn, I was almost speechless, but of course somehow found the words to express how inspiring she is, what I was doing and how much Violet loves Fanny at Chez Panisse. A book her daughter wrote some years back. She asked to hear more about Violet and decided to include her in the inscription in our book.
At the other end of the table sat James Birch of Flora Bella farms in Three River's. Another name that personifies botany. I recognized him immediately having just read about him on the Harvest to Heat website www.harvesttoheat.com/30/. As well as being a longtime regular at the Hollywood Farmer's Market he is an educator, organic farmer growing some of the most incredibly delicious organic produce around which is served at Mozza,AOC, and AXE to name a few. There he sat with a bushel of his gorgeous fava beans shelling and chatting. His kind eye's got me. I started asking questions about what to do with my abundant crop of borage. He was very informative. So much so I harvested about 20 lbs of it today and plan to take it to Forage in Silverlake.
James Birch of Flora Bella Farms
Elated and wishing for more,but a bit tongue tied. Perhaps for the first time in my life. I ventured next door and succumbed to several gorgeous things in Lost and Found.
What a day.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Alice
I was recently on one of my bi-weekly jaunts to Lost and Found having a gab with proprietor Jamie Rosenthal, creative force and visionary of the 5 store fronts on Yucca in Hollywood. She asked me how my gardening was going and let me know Alice was coming..
"Alice who?" I asked quiet naively. "Alice Waters" she said looking at me questionably.
to which I replied " What? When? Why?" and finally " Where?"
So, the goddess of revolutionary school lunches and one of my all time hero's will be at Lost and Found Saturday April 24th from 2-5pm. With her new book In the Green Kitchen.
I'm going... are you ?
"Alice who?" I asked quiet naively. "Alice Waters" she said looking at me questionably.
to which I replied " What? When? Why?" and finally " Where?"
So, the goddess of revolutionary school lunches and one of my all time hero's will be at Lost and Found Saturday April 24th from 2-5pm. With her new book In the Green Kitchen.
I'm going... are you ?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
I am so proud of my friend Tracy. Her book " I Love You and I'm Leaving You Anyway" came out on Tuesday. Tonight I am going to hear her read at Barnes and Noble at the Grove 7pm. So looking forward to it.
I'm not going to say much more than GO GET IT NOW!!!
She is a fantastic writer with a really good story to tell. So what are you waiting for?
Go! I am....
OH! While your at it check out Tracy's websitehttp://www.tracymcmillan.com
Or, better yet as my friend Lisa Borgnes suggested go right to the Amazon sourcehttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=i+love+you+and+i%27m+leaving+you+anyway&sprefix=I+love+you+and+I%27m+
I'm not going to say much more than GO GET IT NOW!!!
She is a fantastic writer with a really good story to tell. So what are you waiting for?
Go! I am....
OH! While your at it check out Tracy's websitehttp://www.tracymcmillan.com
Or, better yet as my friend Lisa Borgnes suggested go right to the Amazon sourcehttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=i+love+you+and+i%27m+leaving+you+anyway&sprefix=I+love+you+and+I%27m+
Monday, April 12, 2010
Oh Fern...
Do you remember the fiddleheads? The lovely green spirals we purchased at the Embarcadero last weekend. Young tender unfurled fern shoots..
The trouble is that I although I love food, I am very cautious about eating things from the wild. After careful research I found that this delicacy is also not to be prepared at random. Cautionary tales of ill prepared fiddleheads and food borne illness haunted me as I researched. It was everywhere.
The ferns apparently contain a toxin, which John assures me we would have to eat daily buckets full to be affected by. Non the less, I wanted to be alive to tell of how these were to taste. They were so lovely and promised such a delightful textural, flavorful experience. John had absolutely no fear and was ready to pickle and eat them parboiled as Mario says to do. They must be boiled for 10 minutes, not sit in boiled liquid as the recipe states, I insisted to John.
I had been in search of gabbagol as Tony Soprano refers to it- or Capocollo as it is properly called. After several attempts to order it at Whole Foods, we finally found it at The Roma Italian Deli on Lake in Altadena.
I was so charmed by the old Italian man behind the deli counter sitting amongst mountains of fresh baked breads and cookies I had a hard time remembering what I was there for. I bought a pound of the meat and left astonished only $12 later with two different kinds of cookies and the gabbagol.
The makings sat for several days and finally on Sunday the beautiful little salad of dandelion greens, capocollo and pickled ferns was presented to me. Almost too beautiful to eat.
camera out the beauty must be captured.
I first tried a fern. My lips puckered salivary glands shriveled. I chewed. The texture was georgous, with hints of the anaise from the pickling. But, it wasn't great. I persevered...trying not to lizard spit. "try it with some gabbagol and greens, really it's the whole mouthful that is the experience." Not convinced I ate carefully and draped the bologna like gabbagol in to the children's mouths.
Next time I will try to fiddleheads minus the pickles, very thinly sliced capocollo I expect them to have a taste closer to asparagus.
Just talking about this had made my mouth water with sourness...
The trouble is that I although I love food, I am very cautious about eating things from the wild. After careful research I found that this delicacy is also not to be prepared at random. Cautionary tales of ill prepared fiddleheads and food borne illness haunted me as I researched. It was everywhere.
The ferns apparently contain a toxin, which John assures me we would have to eat daily buckets full to be affected by. Non the less, I wanted to be alive to tell of how these were to taste. They were so lovely and promised such a delightful textural, flavorful experience. John had absolutely no fear and was ready to pickle and eat them parboiled as Mario says to do. They must be boiled for 10 minutes, not sit in boiled liquid as the recipe states, I insisted to John.
I had been in search of gabbagol as Tony Soprano refers to it- or Capocollo as it is properly called. After several attempts to order it at Whole Foods, we finally found it at The Roma Italian Deli on Lake in Altadena.
I was so charmed by the old Italian man behind the deli counter sitting amongst mountains of fresh baked breads and cookies I had a hard time remembering what I was there for. I bought a pound of the meat and left astonished only $12 later with two different kinds of cookies and the gabbagol.
The makings sat for several days and finally on Sunday the beautiful little salad of dandelion greens, capocollo and pickled ferns was presented to me. Almost too beautiful to eat.
camera out the beauty must be captured.
I first tried a fern. My lips puckered salivary glands shriveled. I chewed. The texture was georgous, with hints of the anaise from the pickling. But, it wasn't great. I persevered...trying not to lizard spit. "try it with some gabbagol and greens, really it's the whole mouthful that is the experience." Not convinced I ate carefully and draped the bologna like gabbagol in to the children's mouths.
Next time I will try to fiddleheads minus the pickles, very thinly sliced capocollo I expect them to have a taste closer to asparagus.
Just talking about this had made my mouth water with sourness...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lions Mane Mushroom
It looks like a tribble or a sea sponge from under the sea. We found it displayed proudly in a market in San Francisco along side fiddlehead ferns, king trumpets, and ramps.
Saute' with a touch of butter, olive oil, some minced shallot and garlic et voila! The most scrumptious delicacy I might have ever tasted. A cross between lobster and hmmm... lobster.
Saute' with a touch of butter, olive oil, some minced shallot and garlic et voila! The most scrumptious delicacy I might have ever tasted. A cross between lobster and hmmm... lobster.
To Be Continued......
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Easter is coming.. here come the eggs
Yesterday afternoon I was gifted with some eggs from my friends Fannie, Amelia, Constintina and Esther They arrived like little Easter eggs beautifully hued in varying shades of pastels.
I left them out on the counter, although the little voice in my head kept saying eggs will spoil if left out..
This morning I prepared the eggs as omelettes and poached eggs.
Behold the beauty..
grilled onions, kale from our garden and goat cheese
poached eggs on toast
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