food and life

Happy Happy Holidays!

2010-12-23T01:30:00.023-05:00

{I'm dreaming of a tropical Christmas}

I'll be signing off and spending next week with family, but wishing you a Happy Happy Holiday and New Year's! May yours be filled with peace and wonderful moments among loved ones!

Take good care and can't wait to see you again in the new year!

{Santa and Mrs. Clause - tan and barefoot in Hawaii :)}

{Photos taken in Honolulu, Hawaii.}

Craving

2010-12-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

Mangoes - a juicy, tropical staple from my childhood....

The rainbowed goodness of a refreshing Hawaiian shave ice (kind of like Italian ice)...

The sight of big waves pounding Hawaiian shores in winter! (Can't you tell I want a tropical vacation? :))

(Top photo of mango taken in Honolulu, Hawaii. Middle and bottom images via Just Hungry and Panoramio.)

Nightlight

2010-12-21T01:30:00.003-05:00

A moment of calm in recent days. (Sorry! As you can see, I have no idea how to take lowlight photos - but I couldn't resist the moon through hazy clouds.:))

Warming up for a new week: Cauliflower soup

2010-12-20T01:30:00.004-05:00

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend & I must apologize for my unintended weeklong hiatus - sudden work travel & deadlines kept me from going online much. But I'm so looking forward to visiting!

Meantime, what could be better for fortifying ourselves against a new week than warming soup? My significant other greeted my return with this soothing recipe - perfect for body and soul!

~ Wishing you a perfectly soothing week ahead! ~

***

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP (Serves 4 to 6)
Adapted very slightly (skim milk, not whole) from a Cook's Illustrated recipe I jotted down ages ago. This soup can be pureed in one batch in most 5-7 cup blenders.

2 tablespoons (~30g) butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, 3 medium shallots, or 1 medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
2 tablespoons (~30ml) white wine
1 medium head (about 2 pounds, or 32 ounces) cauliflower, stems discarded and florets cut into bite size pieces to yield 5 cups
2 cups (~500ml) chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
1 teaspoon (~5g) ground coriander
1/2 to 3/4 cups (~125-155ml) skim (fat-free) milk
Optional: minced fresh chives or parsley

Heat butter or oil in a large (easily-pourable) saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Add wine & cauliflower; stir until wine evaporates, about 30 seconds.

Add stock, salt and pepper to taste, and ground coriander to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover & cook cauliflower until tender, about 12 minutes.

Pour or ladle cauliflower mixture into blender. Add 1/2 cup milk; blend until very smooth. Return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in more milk. Adjust seasonings.

Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with minced chives or parsley and chow! (Preferrably with crusty bread :)).

Little notes:
If you don't have a standard blender for pureeing, the next best thing is a handheld immersion blender, but don't use a food processor because it tends to leak hot liquid. (I think I mentioned this tip in the past, but since I keep making this silly mistake myself, I thought it was worth repeating!)

(Images via Mixed Greens Blog and Parade.)

Inside

2010-12-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much for your lovely comments about our new place, made me feel better about our chaotic move!

You may also "visit" my new world at lovely Ren at Lady of the Arts and her amazing Around the World series, if you like. Meet bloggers worldwide as they interpret inside, outside, creative space, and wild card through photos.

Hope you're having a sweet weekend! :)

Find simplicity

2010-12-10T01:30:00.140-05:00

{A moment of sweet sun in our new place}

Out of clutter, find simplicity.
From discord, find harmony.
In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.
-Albert Einstein

Although it's been a too-long workweek and I'm still finding new rhythms in a new town, we're sloowly creating order from chaos, forging new chapters. I wouldn't want it any other way.

~ Have a wonderful weekend, full of simple harmony! ~

P.S. Just for fun, has anyone seen Black Swan? I'm so intrigued!

(Black Swan image via FanPop.)

Sunrise in Florence, Italy

2010-12-09T01:30:00.063-05:00

The Arno River, Florence

Digital cameras keep getting better, but there's something I find romantic about film. This fuzzy shot was from a disposable camera I toted through Italy and multiple Italian rainstorms (yet lasted!).

P.S. For the full effect, try this Puccini aria (used in A Room with a View), about throwing oneself into Florence's Arno River over tormented love. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's voice makes me weepy.

Things I learned at the dinner party

2010-12-08T01:30:00.079-05:00

{Gifts from the New World}

#1. If you say you're from Hawaii, people get very curious.

#2. No matter how smart you think you are, you'll feel dumb in a room full of famous Ivy League professors.

#3. About 60% of the world's crops originated in the "New World" - the Americas: tomatoes, peanuts, potatoes, avocados, zucchinis (courgettes), eggplants (aubergines), vanilla, chocolate...

Of course, #3 got me thinking (and taking a page from writer Bill Bryson) - not only did New World food get incorporated into foreign cuisines, it became the foreign cuisine...

Can you imagine Italian food without tomatoes?

Or Thai food without peanut sauce?

Or English fish and chips without chips? (Terrible thought!)

P.S. The Tea Maker - a short, sweet tribute to John Lennon.

And before I sign off, a big thank you to lovely Marilou at Twenty York Street for passing on a blog award! More soon!

(Images via Edible Portland, The Stir, iFood and Virgin Media. Some thoughts on food history are from writer-journalist Bill Bryson's At Home, chapter on "The Dining Room.")

Not a creature was stirring

2010-12-07T01:30:00.014-05:00

Not even a (chocolate) mouse!

It's hard to say no to these L.A. Burdick sweeties :)

And if chocolate's not a good enough reason, just look at those little faces and satiny tails!

"Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces." - Writer Judith Viorst

P.S. The dark chocolate mice have an orange interior, the milk chocolate ones a mocha interior, and the white chocolate ones a cinnamon interior - yum! (And their ears are almonds.)

(Images via Serious Eats, L.A. Burdick and taste.shop.)

A walk in the woods

2010-12-06T01:30:00.040-05:00

Even in this bare-branch season, the great outdoors treats us to sweet, little surprises...

A sudden pile of pretty-shaped leaves, as we stepped outside...

The cool, rough pattern of an old tree trunk (I love old trees)...

Mother Nature's last splash of red, still hanging on...

A stone marking the route of George Washington's march by night to a battle against the British in 1777...

{I love that almost 250 years later, an American and a Brit would stumble on this American-British war site, during a peaceful walk in the woods, hand-in-hand, in love.}

~ Wishing you a peaceful week ahead, full of sweet, little surprises! ~

The Cheat: Almost-instant corn soup

2010-12-03T01:30:00.004-05:00

(via)

For those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days when you've barely enough energy to think about food (never mind cook!), this is warming, light and almost-instant.

~ Have a warm weekend, full of peace and relaxation! ~

***

ALMOST-INSTANT CORN SOUP (Serves 2-3, Time: 10 min)
A simplified version of the corn soup you find in most Chinese restaurants, but without the artificial flavourings.

One can (~14.75 ounce) cream style corn (total cheat - using canned/tinned ingredients!)
Using the can from the corn, about 1 can of water or chicken stock (for thicker soup, use less)
One egg, lightly beaten
Fresh-ground black pepper, salt, butter
Optional: Bit of cornstarch or flour mixed with water for even thicker soup (~1/2 to 1 teaspoon mixed well with ~1/4 cup water)
Optional: Chicken breast, minced (or canned crab meat)
Optional: Scallions (green onion), cilantro/coriander or other favorite vegetables, chopped

If using, mix minced chicken breast with water to cover and set aside. In saucepan, mix water or chicken stock and cream corn. Stir well and boil. Add optional chicken breast (or crab meat), stir well until mixture boils again.

Slowly add optional corn starch mixture, stir until everything boils again. Add beaten egg and turn off heat, stirring constantly until egg turns opaque. Add pepper, salt, butter to taste + veg. Stir well & chow!

Extra notes:

I confess, I know people either cringe at cream style corn, or embrace it and run with it (e.g., dressing this up with fancy white asparagus, fresh ginger, saffron etc). I'm the latter - I'll embrace anything that makes my eating life easier, *especially* if it's reasonably healthy! :)

The Double Life of Veronique

2010-12-02T01:30:00.019-05:00

Only because it's one of my favorite movies, exploring life's mysteries. I get a different feeling each time I watch it and the cinematography (another kind of photography :)) is lovely.

(Images via Bill's Movie Emporium, Wonders in the Dark, the rasx context(#3,5) and the moviedb.)

Photo du jour: Palm trees

2010-12-01T01:30:00.136-05:00

{Kakaako, Hawaii - a popular sunset-watching spot}

Just an injection of the tropics on this December day. :)

{Photographed on island of Oahu.}

Mini world food tour: Doughnuts

2010-11-30T01:30:00.021-05:00

I had no idea when I posted on Hawaii's malasadas that similar doughnuts were so universal! Thanks to your sweet comments, I got a delish education on sugary dough treats around the world...

Dutch oliebollen (thanks Signe and Inez!)

Jewish sufganiyot (thanks Ren and Topcoat!)

Polish pączki (thanks Just!)

Croatian krafne (thanks Elisa!)

I knew about this one, but I'll post it anyway!
New Orleans-via-France beignets (thanks Runaway Romantique!)

Another peek at Hawaii-via-Portugal malasadas :)

And much more fried dough around the world!
Is there a similar treat that you know and love?

(Images via Tippin' The Scales, This and That, No Sleep Til Mysore, Croatia Travel Information, Chuck Palahniuk, Team Vision Virtual, and final collage images via Fried Dough Around the World.)

In the holiday mood: Etsy lovelies

2010-11-29T01:30:00.105-05:00

Hope you had a fantastic weekend! I had a delicious Friendsgiving (btw, using Kahlua instead of marsala wine makes tiramisu extra-yum!) and browsed Etsy lovelies to welcome the giving season -- here's just a few lovelies to get you in the holiday mood! :)

~ Have a lovely Monday and week ahead! ~

{Red silk rose dress}

{Brown Larch bag}

{Silk cocktail dress}

{Soft orange leather bag}

{Peach champagne diamond ring}

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T01:30:00.021-05:00

(via)

Don't we have so much to be thankful for? In the spirit of the (US) Thanksgiving holiday, amazing Marilou at Twenty York Street has tagged me to share a gratitude list. Thank you Marilou! I couldn't be happier to oblige. :)

I am thankful to be alive - a privilege denied many
For having a roof over my head & place to sleep each night
For not having to worry where my next meal will come from
For my safety - I can walk down my street without fear of bombs, war, torture
And for what I have - more health than sickness, loved ones, priceless immaterial experiences, passions to pursue

~ I'm signing off early this week, but wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving full of laughter, peace, thankful thoughts, and nourishment in body and soul! ~

A Midnight Turkey {+quiz}

2010-11-23T01:30:00.001-05:00

I once co-hosted a Friendsgiving, to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, with my urban NYC tribe.

To paraphrase a friend, we drew on one another's cooking skills to round out (and heck, overstuff) the meal. The turkey was served at midnight, but it didn't matter - the city never sleeps!

To see our Midnight Turkey recipe, just head on over here. :)

Meantime, I've been tagged by Ginta at Hunting and Gathering and Hitomi Neko to answer the I Love Your Blog quiz! Thank you! Ginta has a lovely way of mixing terrific 2nd-hand finds with current pieces to create something utterly new. Hitomi says she's a blogging newbie, but I've already enjoyed her film reviews. :) Here goes...

1. Why did you create the blog? I may have mentioned this before, but because of my nomadic life, it was a way to feel more connected to faraway family & friends.

2. What kind of blogs do you follow? I love blogs by people who have a passion or just good fun writing about their joys!

3. Favorite makeup brand? I'm not terribly loyal, I'll try anything that sounds promising. :)

Jason Wu's Spring 2011 collection

4. Favorite clothing brand? My latest kick is Jason Wu. So classic and feminine.

5. Your indispensable makeup product? Burt's Bees lip balm.

6. Your favorite color? For clothes, lilacs, dusky roses and rich browns. For interiors, bright colours (one of my last apartments was completely in primary colours!) or soothing neutrals.

7. Your perfume? These days, very occasionally, Kiehl's musk. Before that, girly Flor (and I'm not that girly, even!).

8. Your favorite film? Most recently, the French film Lady Chatterley - not at all rubbishy, more like a sensitive love story with the exquisite Marina Hands as leading lady.

Verona, Italia

9. What country would you like to visit and why? I'm dying to return to Italy, and always wanted to visit an old friend in Norway (I owe her several trips!)

10. Make the last question and answer to yourself: What invention would help your life? Something that instantly transports me to any part of the world! And anything that makes me look like I get 8 hours of sleep & workout 2 hours everyday!;) XO

(Images via Channel4, newbatteri, Travel Holiday, Fragrantica, and Destination360.)

Stuff that made my weekend

2010-11-22T01:30:00.006-05:00

Finding this fuzzy photograph I took with a disposable camera, the view from my second-to-last apartment in New York City

Incredibly dense, moist chocolate babka

{Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}

Hearing just British accents (and glimpsing London) again :)

{Isabel}

{Underligne by Doo.ri dress, SS/10}

More lovely photographs from Wai Lin Tse

Unpacking the last box from our latest move, yippee!

~ Wishing you an incredible week ahead! ~

(Top photograph was taken in Manhattan, of George Washington Bridge in the mist. Remaining images via Good Bread This, NY Daily News, Wai Lin Tse and GigPark.)

Broccoli Rabe with Sausage and Grapes

2010-11-19T01:30:00.161-05:00

I fell a little in love with this comforting dish after a friend made it one autumn. The sharp broccoli rabe is a great contrast with sweet grapes & people always ask for the recipe - a creation of the NY Times's Mark Bittman, a fave (see gossipy notes below :)).

Before I sign off, a big thank you to Tanya at A Taste of T and A Whole Lotta Love for passing on a blog award! More soon!

~ Have a sweet and lovely weekend! ~

***

BROCCOLI RABE WITH SAUSAGE AND GRAPES

(4 servings, ~30 min)

From Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything," I've included some broccoli rabe prep instructions (it's a separate section in Bittman's book) here.

About 1-1/2 pounds (24 ounces) broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed and cut-up [Do this by stripping stalk of leaves - you can cook these leaves if you like. Remove bottom inch of stalks, or wherever it's dried out. Peel tough outer skin of stalk as best as you can without going crazy. Cut stalk into equal size pieces and break head into florets.]
About 1 pound (16 ounces) sweet, garlicky sausage
2 cloves garlic, slivered
About 1/2 pound (8 ounces) seedless grapes
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Bring salted water to boil in medium saucepan. Boil broccoli rabe stalk sections ~2 minutes, add florets and cook ~2-6 more minutes until bright green or tender. Drain and plunge into cold water for a few moments, or run under cold water.

Cook the sausage over medium heat in a large, deep pan (note from me: I like to use a bit of olive oil in the pan), pricking it with a fork or knife a few times, and turning occasionally until nicely browned.

Remove sausage from pan (don't worry about it being done) and cut into bite size pieces. Return it to pan, over medium heat; cook, turning occasionally, until all sides of the cut sausage are nicely browned, about 5 more minutes.

Squeeze excess liquid from broccoli rabe and chop it coarsely. Add it to the pan along with the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add the grapes and heat through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Gossipy notes:

OK, there was just one time a bunch of us lost our appetites for Bittman's recipes - it was after he broke up with a woman he was dating on our street in the most ungentlemanly manner. Needless to say, I've come round to using his recipes again!

(Image via Serious Eats. Thanks Eugenia!)

Malasadas!

2010-11-18T01:30:00.062-05:00

Addictive malasadas

Thanks to this delish post by Kat (and a comment by Rowena:)), I've been crazily craving malasadas - that addictive, hole-less sugary donut brought to Hawaii by the Portuguese in the 1800s.

Malasadas are crispy outside, gooey inside - so lovely when fresh.

In Hawaii, they're synonomous with old-school Leonard's Bakery.

Hawaii's malasadas - the Portuguese treat I couldn't find in Portugal

Embarrassingly, I visited Portugal so excited to eat malasadas (like going to Japan for sushi!) - but no one knew about it! A Lisbon resident explained maybe it was unique to Madeira Island. (He also said 'malasadas' meant 'badly-cooked' - so I went around Portugal asking for a badly-cooked thing to eat!)

(Images via TeamVision Virtual, jamesmargaret3rd, Hawaii Vacation Insider, Taste Odyssey and Road Food.)

Midweek music energy: Una Notte a Napoli

2010-11-17T01:30:00.107-05:00

{Original YouTube clip here}

A romantic, fun love song - of angels, Naples and amore - by Pink Martini (saw them last week). The song seems so glam 70s Italian.

Probably because Pink Martini wrote it with Alba Clemente (above), a totally glamorous 70s Italian actress!

Fun fact: Pink Martini has played a multi-lingual repertoire from Carnegie Hall to Cannes - they sang in English, French, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish & Turkish just in the concert I saw!

{We should all sashay down city streets dressed like this.}

(Images via Max Mara and anewscafe.)

Tea for two

2010-11-16T01:30:00.015-05:00

I'm not usually into too-cutesy kitchen stuff, but I might have to make an exception for these Tea for Two sets, from Japan-based Shinzi Katoh Design.

I love the cheery feel and how little cupboard space they take up - perfect for city apartments! (Like the tiiiiny one we had in Central London:)).

(All images and products via Shinzi Katoh Design.)

Some local island flavor

2010-11-15T02:00:00.007-05:00

{Honolulu photographed from Diamond Head volcano summit}

The blue, blue sea and skies around you

Tropical lei (men traditionally wear leafier leis)

Sharka the cuddly toy shark (very popular!) won't bite

Friendly monster at Kailua Beach :)

~ Wishing you a week filled with blue, blue skies (at least in spirit)! ~

{All photographs taken in Hawaii, of course. :) Friendly monster made by my brother.}

Popovers

2010-11-12T01:30:00.158-05:00

Popovers are so easy to make, you could engage a child in the activity (and he or she would probably love it!). For a time, I made these from scratch in the mornings, before work.

Popovers are best piping hot from the oven. They've a light, airy feel - and make a nice alternative to 'heavier' breakfast breads.

~ Have an easy, relaxing weekend! ~

***

POPOVERS (Yields 12 popovers)

Time: 35-40 minutes of mostly baking time

Adapted from "Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes" by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson; this child-friendly version appeared in NY Times Magazine (as usual, I never wrote down the issue)

About 2 tablespoons (~30g) butter

2 eggs

1 cup (~240ml) milk

1 cup (~130g) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon (~1g) salt

Extra butter, jam, honey or maple syrup for popovers

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (~190 degrees Celsius or moderate/medium-hot oven). Melt the butter. Brush insides of 12 popover or muffin cups with melted butter. Break eggs into a mixing bowl, add milk & beat well. Add flour & salt and whisk until reasonably well blended - it doesn't have to be perfect.

Use a 1/4 cup (~60ml) measure with a handle to pour batter into each popover/muffin cup. They should be a half to two-thirds full. Bake 30 minutes without opening the oven. Remove popovers and prick with a fork to let steam escape. Serve immediately with butter or jam. (They also taste great dipped in honey or maple syrup).

(Images via Just a Taste and twenty-two pleasant.)

Complete food randomness

2010-11-11T01:30:00.077-05:00

Since it's almost-Friday, something more kooky & random :)....

Random chocolate bar ingredients

Random food ad (desperately wish I could read this!)

Random imbibe-and-pedal mobile pub

Random cake show entry: Great Expectations Miss Havisham cake, complete with "vermin" (Would Charles Dickens approve?)

Random restaurant: Finland's Snow Village IceBar is made entirely of ice, even the tables and chairs! (And you can reserve it for igloo disco)

(Images via Cardullo's, Calvacade of Awesomeness, Ham at London Daily Photo, Hotham Street Ladies and delish. Thanks Ada for the cake link!)

Photo du jour: Pale light

2010-11-10T01:30:00.027-05:00

To celebrate the colder season, I challenged myself to find the most "wintery" looking photo of Hawaii I had. If you pretend that water is freezing, not tropical, couldn't it be an arctic seascape?:)

{Photographed in Honolulu, but let's say it's Helsinki. :)}

When in Rome

2010-11-09T01:30:00.255-05:00

Do as the Romans do!...Relish the eternal sites...

Colosseum

Forum
{Where Marc Antony cried: Friends, Romans...lend me your ears}

Savor modern wonders...

Vatican City

Spanish Steps

Remember Audrey Hepburn on the Spanish Steps in Roman Holiday?

Enjoy Rome's many fountains...

Trevi Fountain

Charming Turtle Fountain (a fave :))

Soak in the peace of the Aventine Hill...

St. Peter's through the Knights of Malta keyhole, Aventine Hill

And if Romantic poets are your thing...

Cemetery where Keats and Shelley are buried

Keats gravestone

Last but not least...

Do marvel at the ancient Roman table - could you also eat mice (a delicacy) or a prized seasoning called garum? Recipe for garum:

"Place in a vessel all the insides of fish, both large fish and small. Salt them well. Expose them to the air until they are completely putrid. In a short time a liquid is produced. Drain this off."

"This" is precious garum! Haha, do not try this at home!

P.S. A friend (who studies the ancient world) was not even fazed by garum, saying "it sounds like anchovy paste, actually."

(Recipe for garum is from MFK Fisher's Serve it Forth. Images via Wired Destinations, Europe Travel, VonEurope, Travel in Rome Italy, Finding My People, Top Things Europe, Vraatja at Waymarking, ElectricBaby81 at TripAdvisor, Feel Home in Rome, eternallycool, Tom Clark and Rodriguez PBWorks.)

To go the distance

2010-11-08T01:30:00.020-05:00

Hope you had a fantastic weekend! I got caught up in the drama of the NYC Marathon. Like most people, I was especially inspired by one runner who almost didn't make it...

Edison Peña - the Chilean miner who less than a month ago was trapped underground in dark isolation, who motivated himself by running the mine's tunnels - successfully finished the NYC marathon yesterday.

Congratulations to Peña and to all the runners for proving that the human spirit, when motivated, can do amazing things!

~ Wishing you an inspiring and amazing week ahead! ~

(All images via The Telegraph.)

Simple creamy potato soup

2010-11-05T04:12:00.265-04:00

(via)

I admit, the first time I saw Cook's Illustrated magazine, I was intimidated - it looked like an encyclopedia! But it turned out user-friendly & I've made their warming, simple pureed soup for years.

~ Have a wonderful weekend! ~

***

SIMPLE CREAMY POTATO SOUP (Serves 4 to 6)
Adapted slightly (skim milk not whole, extra garnishes) from a 1990s Cook's Illustrated (I sadly never wrote down which issue). This soup can be pureed in one batch in most 5-7 cup blenders.

2 tablespoons (~30g) butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, 3 medium shallots, or 1 medium leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
2 tablespoons (~30ml) white wine
2 large potatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds, or 24 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch (~1.25cm) dice to yield 4 cups
2 cups (~500ml) chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
1 to 1-1/4 cups (~250-310ml) skim (fat-free) milk
Optional: 2 teaspoons (~10g) minced fresh chives
Optional: Minced white or light green part of 1 leek (cooked gently in oil or butter a few minutes until softened)
Optional: Heavy (whipping) cream to drizzle, fresh-ground black or pink peppercorns

Heat butter or oil in a large (easily-pourable) saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Add wine & potatoes; stir until wine evaporates, about 30 seconds.

Add stock, and salt and pepper to taste, to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover & cook potatoes until very tender, about 20 minutes.

Pour or ladle potato mixture into blender. Add 1 cup milk; blend until very smooth. Return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through (can also cook optional leek garnish at this point). If soup is too thick, stir in more milk. Adjust seasonings.

Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with minced chives and/or leeks. Drizzle some cream, grind fresh pepper and chow!

Little notes:
If you don't have a standard blender for pureeing, the next best thing is a handheld immersion blender, but don't use a food processor because it tends to leak hot liquid (I tried once just to see - even though the recipe warned against it! - because I often do stupid things :)).

Kuli'ou'ou on phone-camera

2010-11-04T03:55:00.074-04:00

My sister's 3-hour morning hike at Kuliouou Ridge Trail, Hawaii, last week. Sorry it's not the best, being a phone-camera, but I figured a shot of Hawaii never hurts. :) (Thanks sis!)

I'll be traveling all day and offline, but can't wait to see you when I have internet again!

Pretty edibles

2010-11-03T04:19:00.001-04:00

Romanesco (still remembering the romanesco I had recently)

"Bright Lights" Swiss chard

Even the truffle pasta at Crudus, which so inspired Jason Wu...

He put it on the runway! This cream chiffon "truffle" skirt is from Wu's Spring '11 collection. :)

P.S. Took my computer to the computer doctor for a MAJOR checkup - at loong last, I can follow people with Google Friend Connect! (And I think my own GFC finally works.) Yippee! :)

(Images via: 1-Knock Knock Organics; 2-All-American Selections; 3,4-Jason Wu.)

Photos du jour: Leaves are fading

2010-11-02T03:58:00.113-04:00

How time flies! Photographed in Central Park (previous autumn) and Hudson Valley, NY (this autumn).

P.S. The Leaves are Fading is also a lovely ballet - a reflection on passing time & past loves as one enters the autumn of life - this bit is danced by husband/wife Amanda McKerrow & John Gardner (dance starts @ 55 seconds).

(From the American Ballet Theatre, YouTube clip here.)

CIA gastro getaway

2010-11-01T03:48:00.452-04:00

Hope you had a terrific Halloween! I spent mine still aglow from last week's CIA encounter - not the CIA with spies, but the nicer Culinary Institute of America (Anthony Bourdain's alma mater).

You can dig into goodies at five award-winning, student-run restaurants. We tried Caterina de' Medici, above. The prosciutto & warm robiola, oxtail with romanesco, and tiramisu were heavenly.

And the restaurant's yellow villa is straight out of an Italian town!

You'll also appreciate the bucolic setting in Hudson Valley, NY. :)

~ Wishing you a delicious week! ~

P.S. The CIA offers popular culinary boot camps - wouldn't it be great to say you went to "CIA boot camp"?

(Images via Valley Fig, Virtual Tourist, Richmond Magazine, Study Discussions and CIA Photo Archives.)

Candy-colored Deneuve | Spooky Deneuve

2010-10-29T03:14:00.044-04:00

Catherine Deneuve in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

This bittersweet movie has been on my mind lately. (Have you seen?) It's not to everyone's taste - every word is sung - but there's a famous candy-colored set (the clothes and wallpaper match!)...

The opening credits (here) are so beautifully choreographed...

And the movie of course made Catherine Deneuve a star.

And since it's Halloween! Something from the spooky end of the Deneuve spectrum...

Deneuve plays a *very* unhinged woman in Repulsion, and it does a good job putting you in her shoes. Too good...

Cracking up, Catherine Deneuve in Repulsion

Because I seriously felt unhinged too! As I fell asleep, I could've sworn I heard my walls cracking (like the movie) & thumps in the flat, even though I was home alone (like the movie).

{Luckily: The next morning, I saw the plaster in the hall had cracked (the cracking noise) and fallen to the floor (the thumps). I was NOT crazy, yippee!}

~ Have a candy-colored and spooky Halloween! ~

(Images via Musicals in Vancouver, Flow TV, heavensabove, Film Forager, Movie Mail, Criterion Forum, Seattle Times, Somewhere in the Depths of Cinema, and "Repulsion" film stills via heavensabove.)

I want candy

2010-10-28T03:30:00.010-04:00

{Pile of British candy}

I can't help it, it's all this Halloween talk! And if, like me, you've a thing for British candy, but find yourself Stateside of the pond, all is not lost! Where to find candyliciousness in 3 major East Coast towns...

Cardullo's in winter, Cambridge

Boston & Cambridge: Cardullo's not only has piles o' British candy, but the most expensive sandwich - over $100 for a caviar sandwich!

Rodman's, Washington, DC

DC: Rodman's, the "Weirdest Little Drugstore in Washington," is a savior for Brit-candy hunters in the wilds of DC.

Tea & Sympathy in the Village

Manhattan, NYC: Tea & Sympathy has carried British candy since the last monarch (it seems!)

Humble London Tube candy machine

Confession: My candy sources in London aren't as fancy as the above. We just buy from the nearby petrol (gas) station or the candy machines in the Tube (subway). :)

(Images via Muffin Top, Eric Rolph at panoramio, DC Beer, Chris J Russell and just some photos.)

Play with your food

2010-10-27T03:06:00.092-04:00

What better time than pumpkin-carving season for food art? :)

by Saxton Freymann, from Play With Your Food

I'd love an Anna the Red bento box!

Carl Warner's foodscapes

Kevin Van Aelst

And pumpkins of course!

P.S. Many apologies to anyone I've been trying to follow (or trying to follow me) - I've had major problems with Blogger for ages! I have a new appointment with the computer doctor & hope everything works OK soon.

(Images via 1; 2; 3; 4; pumpkins - 5a/5b/5c/5d.)

London love

2010-10-26T03:19:00.207-04:00

Thank you everyone for being so sweet about our job news - though I'm feeling guilty for calling London winters "un-fun"! There's so much to love in London...let us count thy ways...

{Berkeley Square}
The sweet pockets of green

"I've got nasty habits. I take tea at 3." -- Mick Jagger

Afternoon tea!

Karen Millen dresses

View from Waterloo Bridge

Seeing this when you step out the front door

Those street styles

{Chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall}
These guys

{Recent Grace Kelly fashion exhibit}

The amazing V&A, always

(Images via 1; 2; 3; Millen - 4a/4b/4c/4d; 5; 6; street styles - 7a/7b/7c, 8a/8b/8c; chefs - 9a/9b; 10.)

Change is in the air

2010-10-25T00:52:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful fall weekend! Thank you for all your sweet comments Friday - I've been off the grid, but can't wait to catch up on your blogs. :)

I'm excited. For 4 years, I've been living a nomadic life in London, Cambridge, DC (with stints in Hawaii, of course :))... All for work and love. But as of this fall, our jobs are going to let my significant other and I spend more months together in the States each year!

We still have to go between the East Coast and London sometimes, but I'm psyched to not face another London winter (3pm sunsets are un-fun!) and to be less footloose.

The first side effect? We took a trip out on the lovely East Coast to celebrate and soak in fall color. I could get used to this. :)

~ Wishing you a lovely fall week ahead! ~

{Photographs of changing fall foliage taken in Hudson Valley, NY.}

The composer next door

2010-10-22T02:29:00.059-04:00

{Chopin museum, Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain}

I always thought it must have been so dreamy for Chopin's Mallorca neighbors, back in the day when he lived & composed there. So I was thrilled to learn our new neighbor is a composer!

{Valldemossa, Mallorca}

The neighbor's been hard at work on a piece for London's Covent Garden & I love closing my eyes when spellbinding piano music fills the air...daydreaming of old Mallorca. :)

~ Have a dreamy, spellbound weekend! ~

P.S. Isn't it great when neighbors make life nicer?

P.P.S. I'll be traveling and offline rest of today, but can't wait to visit your blogs when I'm back!

(Images via Recollections of a Vagabonde and Travelpod.)

Transatlantic yum

2010-10-21T03:16:00.336-04:00

{Hot chocolate souffle}

{Chocolate + fresh cream}

{Can't wait to try! Chocolate pot with raspberries & kick of *chili*}

Why do small luxuries matter so much on flights? Gu Pud English sweets might be the richest mini-treat I've had on a transatlantic trip. The decadent chocolate ganache just melts in your mouth!

{Oh Gu Pud, expand across the pond? Non-UK chocoholics can't always fly over for such delectableness!}

(All images via Gu Pud.)

Photo du jour: Moonshine

2010-10-20T03:03:00.097-04:00

A calm, still night in Honolulu.

{Photographed in Hawaii, of course :)}

Yauatcha in London

2010-10-19T03:01:00.299-04:00

{Yauatcha's excellent dumplings, cheung fun and lotus rice packets}

Oh dim sum! You delicious little things, you're so hard to find in truly tasty (not bland, over-greasy, over-salty) form. (This is sadly true even in Hong Kong!) Thankfully, Yauatcha gets it right.

This is not your typical dim sum house, no loud din or foodcarts.

And it might be hard, but save room for beautiful tea & bonbons!

P.S. Yauatcha is Michelin starred. :)
P.P.S. On a totally different note, it's late musician Peter Tosh's birthday. I've listened to Downpressor Man since childhood & it got me through challenging times...music can have such power.

(Collage 1 images via Le Petit Patissier, Town & Country Travel and London Chow. Remaining images via Yauatcha; last image via London Evening Standard.)

Beautiful ballerina: Suzanne Farrell

2010-10-18T03:07:00.018-04:00

Just some ballet beauty for you today (and dancer I love :))...

~ Wishing you a beautiful week! ~

{As Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream}

{Lovely even in rehearsal clothes! With Arthur Mitchell and choreographer George Balanchine}

{Afternoon of a Faun, with Peter Martins}

(Images via Seeing Things, Academy of Achievement, Great Dance, Mad Men Unbuttoned and King Douglas.)

Amazing race

2010-10-15T02:56:00.173-04:00

If you think paddling across 41 miles of open ocean in a sliver of a boat, battering large waves from every side, sounds crazy...you're right! Congratulations to my crazy brother for completing the Molokai Hoe in Hawaii - one of the craziest races in the world!!

And I couldn't mention Molokai without sharing a picture, could I? :)

~ Have a crazy-wonderful weekend! ~

(Images from Hawaii Magazine, Canga and Hawaii Pictures via UH Today.)

Hampstead Heath, London

2010-10-14T03:01:00.025-04:00

{The Heath inspired C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe}

A dreamy place to stroll...

To run...

Fly a kite or take-in vistas of London...

{Kenwood House Museum, Hampstead Heath}

View art in a beautiful setting...

Even bathe in open-air ponds!

Or get lost (happens to me a lot) and daydream away.

P.S. While in Hampstead, don't forget the Hampstead crepe stand...

Or, if you fancy a pint, The Flask pub...

(Images from Little London Observationist, The Guardian, nielsfrenzen, embleton, LondonTown, English Heritage--Kenwood House, London Evening Standard, Katherine MacDaid, Matt Maran via Studio House Cards, La Creperie de Hampstead, Gourmet Traveller 88 and TimeOut London.)

Manhattan menagerie

2010-10-13T03:17:00.143-04:00

{St. John the Divine, Morningside Heights, NY}

Every autumn, this Manhattan cathedral transforms for a day into an extraordinary menagerie of cute creatures.

The Blessing of the Animals (aw), inspired by animal-lover St. Francis, honors harmony between humans and nature. People from all walks of life bring their pets, or just come to enjoy.

{Despite a full house, there's amazingly little noise beyond tail thumping - as if the animals know it's their special day!}

It's an autumn ritual that just makes Manhattan life sweeter.

(Images from Michael Williams via Sacred Destinations, daylife and the gothamist (#3-4)).

Magical Venice

2010-10-12T03:12:00.055-04:00

So many reasons to love Venice...

This is definitely one of them...a magical confection of hazelnut and chocolate gelato, topped with a giant slab of thick whipped cream. Just ask for the gianduiotto at Gelateria Nico.:)

(Images via UWO, Destination360, Frizztext and Foodista en ville.)

City diary: Honolulu

2010-10-11T02:55:00.115-04:00

A teeny sampling of everyday moments...

Surfboards

Lifeguard hut

Mystery orchid

Jump for joy!

~ Wishing you a joyful week ahead! ~

{All photographs taken on the teeny island of Oahu.}

Sanctuary | 7000 miles from home

2010-10-08T03:07:00.458-04:00

{The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Centre, London}

Can you believe this lovely wildlife sanctuary is in busy London?

{Nene in Hawaii (left) and in London's WWT sanctuary (right)}

It was at the sanctuary, one previous grey London winter, that I spotted Nene birds -- Hawaii's native, endangered state bird. As a Hawaii expat, I was initially confused (Wait, what? Where am I?)

{Turns out the sanctuary's founder, Sir Peter Scott, led efforts in 1950s England to save the Nene from extinction.}

The WWT Centre in London is a vast sanctuary by the River Thames - a lush outdoor world right in urban London.

~ Enjoy your weekend, whether you're indoors or out! ~

P.S. Thanks for all the wonderful comments yesterday - I loved hearing about your childhood comfort food & stories! :)

(Images via findtarget, National Parks of the Pacific Islands, WWT Support page, WWT, The Guardian and WWT Visitors page.)

Nostalgia post: Childhood comfort food

2010-10-07T03:11:00.378-04:00

Did you have any? That you still crave? Lately, I've been really craving mashed potatoes, a childhood staple (it was fun to shape them into "volcanoes" with melted butter for "lava").

I also loved peanut butter jelly sandwiches, while my (British) significant other enjoyed crisp sandwiches (eh?)

CRISP SANDWICH
A British childhood classic
Take a small pile of slightly-crushed crisps (potato chips) and squish them, with raw sliced onions, between two generously buttered slices of (I quote) "the most unhealthy white bread you can find." Voila!

Note:

For non-Brits, I *totally* understand if this sounds crazy! :)

P.S. Classic crisp sandwich (key to a (British) man's heart?)...

(Images via yumsugar, myrecipes and Crisp sandwiches.)

The photography of Wai Lin Tse

2010-10-06T02:58:00.002-04:00

A happy weekend discovery, I love her play on color & light :)...

{Click any image for a direct link to its photographic series}

Valeria

Sundtorp/Apartamento magazine

South Cape

Fuerteventura

Urban Outfitters W/09

Diary from Sweden

(All images via Wai Lin Tse. Click any image for a direct link to its photographic series.)

Easy way to dress up ice cream

2010-10-05T03:01:00.003-04:00

Take chocolate, hazelnut, coffee and/or vanilla bean ice cream, top with fresh raspberries and drizzle with some Kahlua. Stick in a bonus Stroopwafel to nibble on. Nibble away!

P.S. Ice cream seems to (weirdly) taste better when the weather's colder...and the warming effects of Kahlua never hurt. :)

(Images via Bloguez, Raspberries US, Serious Eats, One+Infinity.)

Photo du jour: Sunset surfers

2010-10-04T03:02:00.129-04:00

{Surfers in the distance, off Magic Island, Hawaii}

Just a sun-filled photo to start a new week :)...

~ Have a sun-filled week ahead (at least in spirit)! ~

{Photographed in Honolulu.}

Mango mousse

2010-10-01T03:09:00.087-04:00

{Image via Cookie Shutter - this mousse uses optional saffron sauce}

I used to eat mangoes off trees as a kid, but it's fiendishly hard to find good mangoes outside Hawaii. A few times, desperate, I had supermarket mangoes - but only after they were made into this intensely-flavoured mousse (to take the edge off. :))

~ Have a wonderful, flavourful weekend! ~

***

MANGO MOUSSE (serves 4)

Adapted slightly (with my extra notes) from New York Magazine's 1996 food issue, featuring recipes by top NYC chefs - this one's by Marcio Araujo at Circus

4 large mangoes, peeled (plus 1 extra for garnish if you like)
2-1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin powder (a tad less is okay - makes the mango flavour slightly more intense)
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (~500ml) heavy cream (double cream)
2 tablespoons sugar
Optional garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, diced mango, chopped pistachios, or saffron sauce to deepen the delicate mousse colour

Cut 4 mangoes into medium-size pieces. Puree in a blender until smooth. Strain (this is the most time-consuming part) through a fine sieve. Place 1/2 cup mango puree and gelatin in a small saucepan over low heat; stir until gelatin dissolves (~5 minutes).

In large bowl, combine both purees with condensed milk. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Whip heavy cream with sugar until stiff; fold into mango mixture. Pour into containers and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving (or freeze for 20 minutes).

Little extras:

You can garnish with mint and diced mango, chopped pistachios, or top with an optional saffron sauce that will give the pale mousse a richer orange colour (saffron recipe here)...though I love the original delicate colour too.

10 small pleasures I love {+lovely bloggers}

2010-09-30T02:01:00.002-04:00

{I love long soaks in a bath - wouldn't mind this one}

Wonderful Stacey at Design Addict Mom and lovely Amber Blue Bird passed along the Happy award - Amber also passed along the Substance award. Thank you so much!

I've mentioned Stacey here before - I can't seem to get enough of her delightful posts (but it's a healthy obsession, heheh) and addictively-jaw-dropping images. Amber Blue Bird not only has the sweetest sense of style, but her awesome musings just make me smile :)

I'm to reveal 10 things I love, which I did recently, so I'll reveal 10 simple pleasures I love...because it's the small things, isn't it? :)

#1. Sipping Earl Grey tea (or a cappucino or hot cocoa:))

#2. Sushi

{Mastroianni in Fellini's 8-1/2, 1963}
#3. Hearing Italian, especially if Marcello Mastroianni is speaking

{Franz Schubert as a youth}
#4. Playing Schubert and Chopin on the stereo or piano

#5. That first sip of beverage when you're thirsty

#6. A package in the mail

{Latest magical sightings: Hawaii and Guildford, UK}
#7. Shooting stars

#8. Swimming at night (mentioned previously, bears repeating:))

#9. Singing at the top of my lungs in a car with girlfriends {Recently, we did so to this song (click here if music won't play)}

{A wonderful Alicia Keys ode to NY}

{Cape Town, South Africa}
#10. Watching waves - the best things in life are free!

I'm to pass each of these to 10 people, but many of you have these awards! I'll try to avoid the blogging police and give the award only if you don't have it (to my knowledge;)).

{Although you may not have time or inclination to make lists or pass on awards, I just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed your blog!}

Substance award to:
Stacey @ Design Addict Mom
Signe @ SignePling
Melissa @ Oh, My Darling
Connie @ Sogni e Sorrisi
Melissa @ So About What I Said

Tiffany @ Dancing Branflake
Jessica @ The Beat My Heart Skips
MarchMusings @ Style Nuggets
Jeanette @ Everton Terrace
Krysten @ After I Do

Happy award to:
Rowena @ Rubber Slippers in Italy
Kat @ Our Adventures in Japan
Ren @ Lady of the Arts
Lisa @ White Cotton Tee
Justine @ Justine Gordon
Rosie @ Rosie's World
Ashley @ browneyes.42
Annie @ All Natural Annie
Bombay Beauty @ bbNY
Nicole @ Scraps of Color

Thanks again Stacey @ Design Addict Mom and Amber Blue Bird!

(Images via Arzhine, Rsms, bluewaikiki, E-Film Blog, free-scores, Pedro Moura Pinheiro, Evie Marie, Science Facts, Bali Villa, Moneywise and neilalderney123. Joan and Justine, thanks for #9 :)).

Teapigs

2010-09-29T03:01:00.019-04:00

I'm a big tea-drinker and love how it's getting easier to find more socially-conscious tea. UK-based Teapigs offers organic tea and incorporates an ethical scheme at the Pfunda Tea Estate, Rwanda.

The whole leaf selections are both classic (Earl Grey etc) and adventurous - care for chocolate flake tea (left) or popcorn tea? :)

They also have the funkiest tea accessories - the curvy and award-winning Eva teamaker looks like it's wearing a wetsuit! (I like it in red:)).

P.S. I used to think I couldn't afford organic food all the time, but then I experimented 1 month buying only organic - it lowered my food bill! Go figure!

(Images via Imporient Tea (#1) and Teapigs.)

Found my thrill on Strawberry Hill

2010-09-28T03:04:00.002-04:00

While I got lost in pictures, my friend Shelly had a recent weekend of her own at gorgeous Strawberry Hill in Kingston, Jamaica - I'll just let her lovely descriptions do the talking today :)...

Also, sending a big thank you to wonderful Stacey at Design Addict Mom for passing on a blog award! (So happy I could do so with this post:) More soon!...

Located on top of the Blue Mountains, you have a view of all of Kingston and the harbour. The place used to be the house of the former producer for Bob Marley, and is now a hotel with a renowned restaurant and Aveda spa.

It's decorated with lots of cute details...

At the bottom of the hill, you can tour the former studio with all of the gold records the producer Chris Blackwell has put out (besides Marley, he also produced U2, PM Dawn, Dru Hill, etc).

It is awesome with great grounds, food and atmosphere. A real oasis in Kingston.

(Thanks Shelly! Miss ya & can't wait for the next reunion! Images via NY Times, Jamaica Writings, West Indies Online, Expedia, Vacation Idea, Things You Should Do, Jaunt, Strawberry Hill, MSNBC and On a Mission in Jamaica.)

Weekend of pictures {+ French chocolate boat}

2010-09-27T02:48:00.103-04:00

{Mitch Epstein, Madison Avenue, New York City, 1973}

{Stephen Shore, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, August 13, 1974}

{Jan Groover, untitled, 1978}

{William Eggleston (an old fave), untitled, from Los Alamos, 1965-68}

Fun fact: Until the 1970s, only black & white photography got respect, color was "vulgar"! These vivid pictures from a weekend exhibit caught my eye - artists who made color photos an art.

~ Wishing you a colorful week! ~

P.S. And, oh my, this also caught my eye: Leave it to the French to make a sea-worthy boat out of chocolate (see BBC news clip).

(Images via Starburst (#1-3), the larkey experiments and TalkTalk. This post mysteriously disappeared, but is back now - with the chocolate update).

Wild mushroom and chicken soup

2010-09-24T03:32:00.547-04:00

(via)

(clockwise from top left: shiitake, oyster, chanterelle & crimini)

I made this for my significant other in our first month of dating; he still asks for it 5 years later. Soup seems unromantic, but this one is quite aphrodisiac (those ingredients:)) and earthy-cozy to boot!

And before I sign off, a big thank you to Amber Blue Bird for sweetly passing on blog awards! More soon:)...

~ Have a cozy and wonderful weekend! ~

***

WILD MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN SOUP (Serves 4)
Adapted slightly (by omitting time-consuming morel soak) from a Great Soups feature in New York Magazine's 1996 Food Issue, with top chefs' recipes (though I sadly can't find the chef's name.)

1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 sprigs fresh thyme, stems discarded, or ~1-1/4 teaspoons (~1/5oz or 6g) dried thyme
3 bay leaves
6 cups (1.5 litre) chicken stock
8 chicken drumsticks and/or thighs, skins removed
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1/2-inch-wide (~1.5cm-wide) strips
1/2 pound (8oz or 240g) crimini mushrooms, with stems, sliced in half
1 cup (~225g) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced 1/4-inch (~0.5cm) thick
1 cup (~225g) oyster mushrooms, stems removed, quartered
1 cup (~225g) chanterelles, tips of stems removed, quartered
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons (~10ml) balsamic vinegar
Optional: 1-2 cups (~225-450g) peas
Optional: 1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Bring the first 7 ingredients to a boil in a soup pot. Add drumsticks and thighs, simmering for 30 minutes. Remove drumsticks and thighs; set aside. While soup continues to simmer, debone chicken when cool enough to handle, discarding bones.

Add chicken breast and peas to soup. Simmer until the breast meat is cooked, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and the meat from the drumsticks and thighs. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until mushrooms soften a bit (a few minutes or so); stir in vinegar & chives and chow!

Little notes:
As always, feel free to play with the recipe! If you have leftover wild rice, that's also nice to add; if you're pressed for time, you can easily skip the chicken breast, etc.

Karen Millen's minimalist luxe

2010-09-23T03:16:00.344-04:00

Thanks for all your fun(ny) comments yesterday! Here's a positive London post (to atone :)). Ever since British Boy wanted to get me a dress from Karen Millen in Covent Garden (3-month anniversary gift), I've had a Millen soft spot.:) Everything's so minimalist-luxe this season.

P.S. The dress ploy must've worked, it'll be 5 years for us. ;)
P.P.S. Millen's suede over-the-knee boots get all the press attention, but I also like the below shoe (and dress)...

{Flower peep toe}

{Jewel hand-sewn bead dress}

(All images via Karen Millen.)

Photo du jour: A beach by any other name

2010-09-22T03:23:00.032-04:00

Small beach near Ko Olina, Hawaii...

As a fun contrast, this is also a beach...but in London (where my significant other is from). I like to wind him up (tease him) about it. ;)

{An August Break Continued post: Top photo taken on island of Oahu. Bottom photo of Bankside Beach taken in London, UK.}

French food meditations

2010-09-21T03:36:00.082-04:00

It's hard to dispute the French when it comes to food :)...

"Tell me what you eat: I will tell you what you are."

"The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star."

"Dessert without cheese is like a pretty woman with only one eye."
(Isn't this so French, somehow?)

From this French classic (1825 and still going strong!)...

(Images via Pingu1963, The National Cafe, ChinDeep and notes from the usa.)

The magic hour

2010-09-20T02:49:00.125-04:00

{End-of-world feeling from "Days of Heaven," see young Richard Gere?}

Hope your weekend was great! I've been trying to get an earlier start these days, and you know what? Being up at the magic hour is nice in a super-quiet, end-of-the-world way -- barely a soul is stirring!

~ Wishing you a magical week ahead! ~

(Image via Sarahnomics.)

Mom's camera in Beijing

2010-09-17T03:02:00.013-04:00

{Forbidden City, Beijing, China}

{Rescued baby pandas, Beijing Zoo}

Did I ever mention we procrastinate a lot in my family? (Well, mainly me.) We finally organized photos from my mom's Beijing trip 2 summers ago! I remember being stuck in London, envious.

Although I think my mom had more fun meeting people than seeing sites: Like this Swedish couple who were celebrating the Olympics & home team love. Go sports fan style! :)

~ Have a fun and lovely weekend! ~

(Thanks Mom!)

I love food in movies

2010-09-16T00:30:00.272-04:00

{Disney's Lady and the Tramp}

I think this is how it started...

{Babette's Feast, 1987}

I was too young to understand the nuances, but it got me hungry!

{Like Water for Chocolate, 1992}

{Eat Drink Man Woman, 1994}

{Big Night, 1996 - Isabella Rossellini looking stunning as usual}

The '90s served forth many epicurian treats (food + more :)).

{Chocolat, 2000}

{Ratatouille, 2007}

And I couldn't say no to Juliette Binoche or cute Pixar creatures.

{Eat Pray Love, 2010}

I admit, I read the book first and the movie (understandably) couldn't capture all those evolving inner thoughts. But it will make your stomach cry: vino, pizza and pasta! (And then you'll want to hop the next plane to Italy :)).

{I'll be traveling all day and so sorry I can't visit your lovely blogs right away! Can't wait to visit and comment when I'm back online!}

(Images via starpulse, Dimsy's Top Period Dramas, Virtual Gourmet, mubi, Apronistas, film-otaku, The Cute Blog, Recipes for Trouble and IMDB.)

Photo du jour: Dawn

2010-09-15T03:06:00.188-04:00

Near Hanauma Bay, Hawaii. Afterwards, you can go snorkeling in the Bay with tropical fish (you see more fish early in the day :)).

{An August Break Continued Post: Photographed on Oahu.}

P.S. I'd rather be behind the camera than in front, but here's a hazy photo of me in this location, after dawn - I was watching waves and saw whales by chance! (Sadly hard to photo)
P.P.S. Why am I always soo overdue for a haircut?

Chocolate with a twist

2010-09-14T03:21:00.138-04:00

{Dark chocolate with lavender from Haute-Provence}{Dark chocolate with Earl Grey tea}{Milk chocolate with hot masala}{Dark chocolate with crystallized ginger peel}

In case you feel like indulgent Belgian chocolate, but with a twist, anything by Dolfin is intensely tasty & amazing. (Other flavors include dark chocolate with mint leaves or Damascus rose).

(Images via Dolfin. Click any image to see product & description.)

Just dance

2010-09-13T02:58:00.500-04:00

A little Monday energy, that's all :)...

I love seeing Wendy Whelan at the New York City Ballet

Dancing bin man of W. London (the YouTube clip made me smile)

My favorite ballerina, Suzanne Farrell (in Don Quixote with George Balanchine, mid-60s)

The legendary Frankie Manning, swing dance king

I had to add hula kahiko (ancient hula), of course. :) {Every dancer of hula kahiko is an oral historian, telling ancient stories.}

~ Wishing you a lovely week! ~

(Images top to bottom from Harwell-Caledonian, Jack Mitchell via AKQA, Metro UK, William Hamon, Dey, BOMB Magazine, Bertrand Monney, Hullabaloo, and hokulea.)

Pseudo paella

2010-09-10T03:24:00.097-04:00

(via)

I've posted before about my pseudo paella: This recipe would make a true connoisseur weep sadly, but is full of yum ingredients and won't take too long (35-45 min., instead of hours over coals).

Note: This recipe was adapted from Isabel Allende's "Aphrodite" and has a special story. After publishing "Paula," a sad but beautiful account of her daughter's illness, Allende said her days were grey with grief. But one night, she dreamt in Technicolor of eating Antonio Banderas wrapped in a burrito (!) and realized her senses were re-awakening; thus "Aphrodite" -- a celebration of the senses (and life) through food, and vice versa -- was born.

~ Have a wonderful weekend! ~

***

PSEUDO PAELLA (Feeds 2 hungry people)
Adapted from Isabel Allende's "Aphrodite"

1-2 tablespoons (~15-30g) minced onion
3 tablespoons (~45ml) olive oil
1 pinch turmeric
1 pinch saffron
1 pinch paprika
2 cups (~450g) mixed seafood (squid, shrimp, scallops, others) --> I know it's sacrilegious, but seafood straight from a frozen pack saves LOTS of time & works in this recipe
1 small tomato, chopped into medium chunks
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups (~500ml) fish stock (ideally) or other stock
1 cup (~250ml) white rice
1 red bell pepper (sweet pepper or capsicum), cut in strips
Optional: 1 cup (~225g) peas
Optional: 6-8 mussels in shell
Optional: Lemon wedges to squeeze over seafood

In a large pan, saute onion in oil over medium-high heat until transparent. Add the spices and saute 1 minute more. Add the seafood--but not the mussels--tomato and garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally. Add stock. When it reaches a boil, sprinkle in the rice and peas. Lower the heat, cover pan and let bubble and cook gently 15 minutes. Arrange the red pepper and mussels on top, cook covered for 5-10 minutes more. Test to see if the rice is done and check seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, uncover the pseudo paella and let steam evaporate 2 minutes before serving with lemon, then chow!

{Feel free to play with the recipe and add your fave ingredients - recipes (and food) can be freestyle, fun and personal. :)}

Tagged! 10 things I love

2010-09-09T03:01:00.108-04:00

I've been tagged by You can call me Meghan to reveal 10 things I love. Thanks, Meghan! My family and friends are a given, so in no particular order...

{The Maldives}
#1. Traveling - I'm always moving to new places so it kind of goes together :)

#2. Paddling down a lazy river (I love water)

#3. Eating, of course! Today, I'm succumbing to these chocolates

#4. Secret grottos and waterfalls

#5. Music has always been important. I love many genres.

#6. Late afternoon light

#7. Seeing butterflies

{I love this dancing image from a Netherlands dance festival}

#8. Dancing! (I'm awful at it! But love how it makes me feel.)

#9. Man's (and woman's! :)) best friend

{English sunrise, Scholes}
#10. Sunrises and sunsets - like daily doses of magic

I'm excited to hear what you love too! :)

(Images top to bottom via FreeWine, Druid Labs, Ozgur Mulazimoglu, morberg, blmurch, Creativity+, Haags Uitburo, nattu, Laughing Squid and tricky.)

On food and life

2010-09-08T03:17:00.057-04:00

People often asked the legendary food-writer, M.F.K. Fisher, why she wrote about food, and not more "worthy" topics like love or war. Her wonderful response:

"It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am writing about love and the hunger for it...and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied...and it is all one."

To paraphrase Gourmet, Fisher redefined food-writing & helped make it "worthy" (breaking ground for female writers too!).

(Image via TreeHugger. The quote is in the foreward to Fisher's The Gastronomical Me.)

Vintage fashion as art

2010-09-07T03:17:00.590-04:00

{House of Lanvin, silk & chenille, 1957, London V&A, via}

Hope you had a nice, long (US) holiday weekend! To ease the post-holiday transition, here's some lovely art for you, from 2 favorite museums: London's V&A (Victoria & Albert) and NYC's Met. :)

{Click images to open, click open image to enlarge}

{Givenchy evening gown, silk, 1955, London's V&A, via}

{The gown's sumptuous silk-thread embroidery, via}

Givenchy called this gown Les Muguets (Lilies of the Valley) and it came with long evening gloves. Very Audrey Hepburn, of course.

{Givenchy, ostrich feathers, 1967, London V&A, via}

I sometimes wish people still wore great hats regularly (not just at British weddings, big horse races and such).

{Quant mini-dress, wool & jersey, 1967, London V&A, via}

Without Mary Quant, London in the '60s might not've been so Swingin'. This went with dense tights & a big-brimmed beret or hat (think Twiggy :)).

{McQueen, mille-feuille-like silk organza, 2003, NYC's Met, via}

Couldn't resist non-vintage Alexander McQueen's "Oyster Dress."

{Lanvin evening dress, silk, 1931, NYC's Met, via}

This sweet, soft dress could easily be worn today.

{Lanvin "Roseraie" dress, silk, 1923, NYC's Met, via}

Lanvin painstakingly manipulated ribbon to create every rosette.

{Dior, silk organza & embroidery, 1953, NYC's Met, via}

Dior gone to a garden party -- the pattern is of teeny hand-stitched French knots.

~ Wishing you a great week ahead! ~

P.S. Yes, I have a weakness for Lanvin -- seeing vintage Lanvin up-close is an experience I'd highly recommend to any lover of design, fashion, art or just beautiful craftsmanship!

Have a relaxing (US) holiday weekend!

2010-09-02T03:31:00.001-04:00

Just a Labor Day weekend warm-up! (In case of food coma, see image #1.) :)

~ I'm signing off early this week, so have a fantastic, long weekend of non-labor! ~

(Images via Indigo Bay Island Resort and Spa, LittleSparkle, hn, FeeMail, Roberto, sassyradish, aspros, BillBrady, sugars and lilxerica.)

Pop drink

2010-09-02T03:03:00.161-04:00

Wasn't sure at first, but I've decided this kooky concoction looks refreshing and fruity-licious...maybe as a spritzer? (Last hurrah to summer-past :))

POP DRINK
Seltzer (sparkling) water, with some cranberry or pomegranate juice (to your taste). Add ice cubes & lemon slices, swirl in a berry popsicle (ice lolly), and bottoms up!

P.S. Thanks so much to everyone for your response to my post yesterday - I was very touched by many of your comments.

(Image via Jorge Takeshita.)

Musical moment

2010-08-31T19:02:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share a small moment that stayed with me a long time, a tribute to something positive from the negative - in the spirit of Spread the Love Week from Melissa @ Oh, My Darling...

Some years ago, while gigging at a radio station and searching for something to play on-air, I spotted an album of songs for voice and piano...then realized they were composed in a WWII concentration camp & the composer did not survive the war.

I almost put the record back -- it seemed too heart-rending -- but decided to go ahead & give it airplay, telling the backstory too. As the music played, an older woman called in.

She remembered the day the music premiered in the camp, long ago. She was just a teen, another prisoner of the Nazis. She thanked me, crying a bit.

As you can imagine...

I could barely hold it together when I had to go back live on-air...

It seemed incredible that out of horror, poignant moments could linger a half-century later...the sound of a piano, an older woman reaching a younger one, music born in war now played in peace...

If nothing else, my young, naive self began glimpsing something in how the smallest action can affect someone more than you know, and even resonate back with compassion...

"Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."
--Edwin Hubbel Chapin (anti-war, anti-slavery, pro-women's rights activist, 1814-1880)

~ Wishing you a day that resonates with positive moments and compassion. ~

(The composer was Viktor Ullmann; the music was Die Weise der Liebe und des Todes (The Manner of Love and Death), 12 pieces for voice and piano or orchestra (from Rilke)--composed and premiered in Terezin, 1944. Images via Wikipedia Commons, Mylla and My Opera.)

Photo du jour: Goodbye August...

2010-08-31T03:27:00.171-04:00

Now that August - and the August break - is ending (sniff, sob), summer already feels further away...

{Last one for the August Break: Watching surfers wipe out, Sandy Beach, Hawaii.}

Photos du jour: Sintra through toy lens

2010-08-30T03:14:00.299-04:00

{Palácio da Pena, Sintra, Portugal, UNESCO World Heritage site}

Hope your weekend was lovely! I got inspired by August Break folks to post more playful photo sources (iPhones, screenshots), so here's my twist...photos from a junk-y, toy-like disposable camera (forgive me!)....

{Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra, Portugal}

Glimpse of Moorish castle ruins (~9c, rebuilt 19c), dragontooth walls creeping round the mountain and turret in the distance.

Partway up the Castle's mountain, I turned and snapped my friend (we kept laughing, which made it hard to climb up!)

At least we had a proper camera during this memorable moment: My 2 friends & I (the Portu-Gals, groan) landed in the back of a Portuguese police car; we were disappointed there was no grate. :)

{Back of Portuguese police car, with a real camera}

~ Wishing you a memorable week! ~

P.S. When we arrived at the police station, all the cops were huddled in a corner....watching a cop show ("Law and Order," dubbed in Portuguese). Wish I had that photo!

{An August Break post: All photos taken in Sintra, Portugal, except Lisbon police. My disposable camera photos made Sintra look worse (and more weirdly purple) than it is - it's gorgeous.}

Super-easy grapefruit & avocado

2010-08-27T03:04:00.011-04:00

Just a super-easy and refreshing combo of grapefruit & avocados (I'm OD-ing on avocados) for breakfast, lunch, anytime!

~ Have a lovely, still-summery weekend! ~

GRAPEFRUIT AND AVOCADO SALAD
1 large grapefruit, peeled and each segment skinned
1 small (or medium) ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, cut bite-sized
1 cup arugula* leaves or romaine lettuce (tender bits), bite-sized
Optional toasted sesame seeds
Dressing (kinda optional too, for avo "purists"):
Bit of olive oil, rice vinegar; pinch each sugar, black pepper & salt

1) Put the grapefruit, avocado and arugula (or romaine) in a bowl
2) Mix the dressing ingredients together, adjust to taste
3) Pour over salad, add sesame seeds, toss and chow!

Little notes:
*Arugula = rocket in the UK.
I believe this recipe was first shared by a college friend's mother, but it's been so long since college I can't remember clearly. :)

(Image via Omnivore's Solution.)

Photo du jour: Changing light

2010-08-26T03:04:00.098-04:00

Off the shores of Kakaako, Hawaii. During long, dark London or New England winters, my mind wanders back to these things...

{An August Break post: Photographed on the island of Oahu.}

London's Busaba Eathai

2010-08-25T03:22:00.338-04:00

The dining vibe at Busaba Eathai is sleek, casual and buzzy, yet somehow intimate (a true design feat!). Their delicious, Thai-inspired dishes include the excellent Mussaman duck curry and Chinese broccoli with garlic and shiitake mushroom (the apple chicken is yummy too).

But the best part? Reasonable prices! No small thing in London. (Hence the loong lines at Busaba in Soho, above. Arrive early. :))

(Images via thecattylife, MyVillage, FluidLondon, Analog Weather Report, Busaba Eathai and TripAdvisor.)

Photo du jour: Hothouse flower

2010-08-24T03:09:00.121-04:00

An orchid's fiery reds and yellows, Honolulu, Hawaii.

{An August Break post, to balance my wordier post yesterday :)}

Getting personal :)

2010-08-23T03:17:01.365-04:00

Hope your weekend was great! Inspired by recent questions (more below!), I thought I'd pay tribute to my tribe of family & friends by presenting its newest members + reveal some things...

{In Hawaiian, his name means "to voice, to sound out"}

This dude is little cousin Kaleo (I spy a food lover!)...

{My friend Joan, with Anika and sweet-cheeked Sasha, Germany}

A beautiful sight: A happy mother with her children...

{My friend Laura with little sister Lizandra from Brazil}
Sisters together are another beautiful sight...

{My friend Synnove's daughter, so flower-sweet, in Norway}
A child's delight in the world is yet another beautiful sight...

And last but not least, Stacey @ amazing, irresistible Design Addict Mom passed along this fun award Friday (my Stacey shout-out here :)). Thank you Stacey! I'm humbled & love fun things. I'm to reveal 10 things about myself, so here goes nothing....

(via)

#1. Why do you blog? I've been a nomad (7 addresses in 48 months... 4 in the US, 3 in London), so it was a way to feel more connected to faraway friends & family...& my inner daydreamer. :)

(via)

#2. What are your 3 best memories? All involve good food and good times with friends and family. I also cherish my travel memories (bella Italia, specially :)). And I'll never forget the moment I met the love of my life. It was in a cafe, and even though he was from London and I lived in the US, my ♥ said yes!

#3. Name 4 of the best books you've read. Most recently, these 4 moved or devastated me to the point of tears.

“A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” –Franz Kafka

(Click each image to enlarge - via 1,2,3,4)

#4. What are the 5 best movies ever made? Only feel-good movies today, since it's Monday and we need to feel good. :)

(Click each image to enlarge - via 1,2,3,4,5)

#5. Name 5 things you can't live without. Family & friends. Passion (for learning new things, finding answers). Good food. Moments alone. The unbelievable luck I have in being able to give things away (I've downsized because of my suitcase lifestyle) - I adore beautiful items, but also treasure immaterial experiences...

(via)

#6. If you could change your name what would it be? I like that my friends call me Jude (from Judy), often "Hey Jude." :)

(via)

#7. Tell us a unique and interesting fact about yourself. Not sure how interesting, but I did radio broadcasting for 3 years (I'm shy though) and for a time (don't laugh!), skateboarding was a main form of transport in my family. I also have a PhD & used to run half-marathon distances because I'm crazy & a big nerd ;).

Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC (via)

#9. If you had a 'Freaky Friday' experience, who would you change places with? Does someone dead count? Abraham Lincoln, the moment he learned the Civil War ended. If a live person, my sister, who fights death daily as a surgery resident.

Viva women! Almodóvar's "All About My Mother" cast (via)

#10. What is the best thing about being a woman? I love that women (awesomely) have a lot more genetic material because we're XX, not XY like men. (Pedro Almodóvar also said this once :)). We're made of more, we've unique verbal and bonding abilities that make our friendships so very special. XO

Photo du jour: Extinct volcano {+award}

2010-08-19T19:04:00.176-04:00

{For the August Break: Photographed on Oahu, Hawaii}

I wasn't going to post this because of the wonky angle, but oh well! Koko Crater has a great hiking trail and features in old Hawaiian myths (though the one I know is a bit too, er, naughty to post :)).

Also, before I completely pass out, I wanted to give a shout-out and BIG thank you to Stacey at Design Addict Mom for being so sweet and passing along a fun blog award to me just moments earlier, just after I put up this photo. (Yes to fun things!)

I've been devouring her gorgeous design blog (please do have a look around, if you haven't yet!) - it's just a lovely moment I like to take for myself amidst unpredictable workdays (which is what an amazing blog does so well!) Thank you, Stacey, for the blog inspiration & beauty -- so grateful you've enjoyed mine! A full response to those fun questions is coming up, promise! (And here's to a full night's sleep all around! :))

~ Meantime, wishing everyone a fun, wonky weekend! ~

Photo du jour: Tropical shores {+ limu}

2010-08-19T03:01:00.222-04:00

{For the August Break: Photographed at Kapolei, Hawaii}

The westerly shores of Oahu feel miles from city life. Tourists don't visit much, but I've old-timey childhood memories of picking limu (tasty edible seaweed) out there on Ewa Beach.

P.S. Here's limu used in a delicious Hawaiian dish called poke (poh-keh): comprising raw fish tossed with limu (see the fleshy dark strands?), sea salt & other yum extras...it's like Hawaiian "sushi." :)

{Image of limu-laced poke via Holly Hadsell}

A Little Fromage Homage

2010-08-18T03:19:00.466-04:00

♥ O, let us count the ways! ♥ A cheese-addicted friend & I plan to celebrate some good news and for us, party-hearty happiness is just 1 bite away (of brie, Taleggio, Midnight Moon, Kasseri, etc :))

Confession: I wanted to go to the moon - made of cheese - with lovable, claymat-ed Wallace (above) and his dog Gromit, in A Grand Day Out. As Wallace would say, "Crackin' cheese, Gromit."

Wallace & Gromit's lunar cheese picnic (I want a dog like Gromit!)

I blame my cheesy love affair on New York food nirvana, Fairway, which was near my old flat. Their cheese counters (above) are so seductive, they inspired writer/historian Simon Schama to gush:

"...nothing comes close to the Fairway cheese department... the mountainous cheese counter, a ziggurat of whiffy gorgeousness, Celtic Promise to Humboldt Fog... The labels are written with the erudition of ethnographers...singing songs of rinds...and brine-washed wheels. Only in New York would medieval Portuguese literature be thought a strong selling point for a cheese (Serra da Estrela, 'made by hand only at night by lamplight')."

It's lethal stuff, that cheese (and who can resist anything lethal?) :)

(Schama's cheese ode appeared in the November 11, 2001 issue of NY Times Magazine. Images via Gourmet Gal, Sydney Morning Herald, Roots Rain, Larry Wagner Photo, WallaceAndGromit.net, WallaceandGromit.com and 1hr photo.)

Photos du jour: Hawaii redux II

2010-08-17T03:18:00.022-04:00

More photos that I've thrown up before, but randomly. So here they are, in the August Break spirit, more mindfully assembled!

#1 - Torch ginger, Honolulu Farmers Market
#2 - Birds of paradise, Honolulu Farmers Market
#3 - Rescue surfboard, Waimea Bay - the rescue vehicle of choice!
#4 - Ko'olau mountains on a moody day
#5 - Valley of the Temples (scenes from TV show "Lost" shot here :)

{For the August Break: All photos taken on Oahu, Hawaii.}

Surprisingly perfect

2010-08-16T03:38:00.001-04:00

{Kenilworth Castle ruins, Warwickshire, England, UK}

Hope you had a great weekend! Although work events foiled my plans to visit a lovely area of England (above), all was not lost.

I got to enjoy pseudo sangría...just to lubricate the brain cells. :) (My quick-and-dirty recipe* would make an afficionado cringe, forgive me)...

{I wouldn't mind these Giuseppe Zanotti's}

Dressy heels imparted a snazzier home office vibe (beats working in a robe, no?)

Soaked-up the incomparable Nina Simone (good for brain waves :)

Even savored pseudo, 35-minute paella with the pseudo sangría.*

{That's amore! Julia's pizza pie, Da Michele, Napoli, Italia}

Once the crunch ended, a friend dragged me to "Eat Pray Love" -- in all, it was a surprisingly perfect weekend.

~ Wishing you a surprisingly perfect week! ~

*PSEUDO SANGRÍA
1 bottle (750 ml) chilled red wine, a few strips orange zest and lemon zest, ~7-10 optional ice cubes (if you don't have time to chill the wine), 2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar, juice of 4 oranges, juice of 2 lemons, 3 cups (750 ml) sparkling water (a little less if using ice cubes), and optional apple and/or peach wedges. In large pitcher, mix wine, orange & lemon zest, and ice cubes. In small bowl, stir orange juice and sugar until dissolved, then add to wine. Add lemon juice, sparkling water, and apple/peach wedges to wine. Stir and muddle things up a bit to get fruit juices flowing, garnish with mint, lemon & orange slices, if you like, and ENJOY!

(Images from Jason Twist via Pictures of England, food network, fashion magazine, Amazon, Stockmann and EOnline.)

Encounter

2010-08-13T02:58:00.002-04:00

Have a good weekend! This is a lovely poem by Polish poet and Nobelist Czeslaw Milosz to end your week (tomorrow is the anniversary of Milosz's death - he spoke out against repressive regimes throughout his life):

ENCOUNTER
We were riding through frozen fields in a wagon at dawn.
A red wing rose in the darkness.

And suddenly a hare ran across the road.
One of us pointed to it with his hand.

That was long ago. Today neither of them is alive,
Not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.

O my love, where are they, where are they going
The flash of a hand, streak of movement, rustle of pebbles.
I ask not out of sorrow, but in wonder.

--Wilno, 1936
By Czeslaw Milosz. From "The Collected Poems 1931-1987" (The Ecco Press, 1988).

(Image via Dimitri N.)

Photo du jour: Beachside

2010-08-12T02:39:00.008-04:00

Just a serene scene to start the day...

{An August Break post: Photographed on Oahu, Hawaii.}

A Single Man revelation

2010-08-11T03:16:00.002-04:00

Colin Firth and Julianne Moore in "A Single Man" (via)

(via)

I was all set to do a food post today, but then I curled up with "A Single Man" on DVD last night and, oh well, so much for food! Not only did Colin Firth deserve all the acting praise for this film...

Hugh Grant and young Nicholas Hoult in "About A Boy" (via)

But I couldn't believe Nicholas Hoult! This young actor went from being the cute little boy (above) from "About a Boy"...

Nicholas Hoult, all grown up, in "A Single Man" (via)

To this cute (in a different sense!) young man in "A Single Man"! :)

P.S. Nicholas Hoult was popular as a teen in the British TV series "Skins," but many Americans (and even Brits) didn't see Skins, so the "Single Man" revelation is pretty drastic!

P.P.S. Since Tom Ford directed A Single Man, every frame is fashion-ad-worthy, naturally...

(via)

{As you can see, the movie features an unnaturally high abundance of great bone structure.}