I helped serve a quintet of bon vivants earlier this week.
They selected 6 wines to go with their meal.
The Laurent Perrier Rose came first to toast the evening.
Second wine came with a question mark?
Is there still life in it?
We tasted the 1967 Spinola Barolo shortly before dinner.
For a fleeting moment, 1967 Spinola Barolo was still alive, then it was gone.
Besides roses, chocolate, champagne and dinner for two, art prints could be a fresh gift idea for Valentine's Day.
One source worth considering is Idea Generation Gallery (London) which offers prints of art and photos from its past shows via their Culture Label online shop.
Amongst them is Tantric Lovers (part of it below) by Nigel Waymouth (June 1967), £240.00.
This piece is part of a 100 signed-numbered run.
Early morning-late night lovers are stars of 5am Alexander Palace, 1964 (John 'Hoppy' Hopkins), £75.00
The larger Culture Label catalogue offers other Valentine Day Themed items at all prices (not all to my taste).
For macaroon fans, there is Mr. Raccoon Loves a Macaroon plate, hand drawn by Jimbobart, £25.00
(* Tantric Lovers image and print © Hapshash and the Coloured Coat , all rights reserved)
I took a 70 minute car drive to Frenchtown to talk chicken with the author of 'Poulet' (interview to follow) at the Bridge Cafe.
One we were done, I took a stroll around town and then walked to the banks of the Delaware River and entrance of bridge and had to snap a shot of the warning signs at entrance of the bridge.
Cross the bridge and you are in another state, Pennsylvania.
Stay in New Jersey and take a hike on trails of Delaware and Raritan (D & R) Canal State Park.
Snapshots of life in the slow lane on MLK Day 2012
Before text messages, twitter, facebook and blogs, for decades people located in different countries and continents exchanged news and ideas via air mail.
A vivid example of that is 'Thought in Japan, 700 Air Mail Letters, Japan Bridged to the World by Tsune Sesoko' an exhibit at Gallery A4 in Tokyo.
Exhibit runs until January 19, 2012.
Gallery A4 is closed from December 30, 2011 to January 3, 2012 for the New Year holidays.
Art of letter writing for Tokyo Thursdays # 216
Previously: Nikka, Whisky Flavored Bread by Kenji Kobayashi
(* image above from Gallery A4 site, site is mostly in Japanese)
Walking around Victor Hugo Market in Toulouse early September, I took in all the local offerings including 'Serge the Butcher' or Boucherie Chez Serge.
Choose your cuts.
When was the last time you soaked in the tub without worrying about time?
Surroundings, the room where you bathe matter.
In Japan for Ofuro (bath), wooden hot tubs combine comfort and simplicity.
If your living space allows, setting your Ofuro in a room with a view (onto a garden) will add to its Zen quality.
Hinoki wood is nec plus ultra if price tag is not an issue.
Soaking in a hot tub in Japan is as much to soothe the soul and mind than the aching body.
A good introduction to this topic is The Japanese Bath (Gibbs Smith) by Yoshiko Yamamoto and Bruce Smith with great photography by Aya Brackett including cover (pictured above).
Unfortunately book is currently on back order and will be available again in March 2012.
Time for contemplation on Tokyo Thursdays # 213
Previously: Pine Cones as Placecard Holders at 16 Seat Restaurant Les Chanterelles in Tokyo
(* Image of The Japanese Bath cover from Aya Brackett's website)
I was introduced to Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton's work via A food adventure in Detroit (Guardian, November 23) which showcases their contribution to second issue of Boat Magazine on 'Detroit'.
The Guardian piece made me want to find out more about this husband and wife photography duo.
Having spent many hours with my grandfather in his carpenter's shed, I tend to be attracted to craftmen's work.
Lisa and Max document skilled and unique craft with their photo report on Puukko, the traditional Finnish knife.
You see a knife created under your eyes from foundry to being tested on chopping block.
In the age of food co-ops, locavores, natural foods, another one of their subject-client, The People's Supermarket in London, spoke to me.
This stand alone store offers food made by real people served and sold by real people.
People's Supermarket is owned by its customers-members who can volunteer at the store they have a stake in.
Thanks Liz and Max for taking us for a visit to these 2 unique places in the food galaxy.
(Photos by Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton, reproduced with permission of ther authors, all rights reserved)
Quiet images of Robin's Hood Bay in North Yorshire by Finch Photography offer a counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of our daily life. My fondness for black and white photo format and seaside views made me even keener to share this peaceful moment in time.
I learned from Welcome to Robin Hood's Bay this bit of geography and history of the place:
"Robin Hood’s Bay lies in the ancient parish of Fylingdales. The name itself is believed to be derived from the Old English word ‘Fygela’ which meant ‘marshy ground’. The first evidence of man in the area was 3000 years ago when Bronze Age burial grounds were dug on the high moorland a mile or so south of the village. These are known as Robin Hood’s Butts. Some 1500 years later, Roman soldiers had a stone signal tower built at Ravenscar about the 4 th century AD. The first regular settlers, however, were probably Saxon peasants, followed by the Norsemen. The main colonists of this coast were Norwegians who were probably attracted by the rich glacial soil and ample fish, and this is how they survived by a mixture of farming and fishing. The likely original settlement of the Norsemen was at Raw, a hamlet slightly inland, which helped to avoid detection by other pirates."
Finch Photography's main focus is on the British landscape, fauna and flora especially Somerset and the South West.
(* Photography of Robin Hood's Bay reproduced courtesy of Finch Photography, all rights reserved )
Kitty Williams and Stevie Mack open their book Day of the Day (Gibbs Smith, September 2011) with this quote from 'The Labyrinth of Solitude' by Octavio Paz.
"To the inhabitant of New York, Paris, or London, death is a word that is never uttered because it burns the lips, the Mexican on the other hand, frequents it, mocks it, caresses it, sleeps with it, entertains it; it is one of his favorite playthings and his most enduring love."
Kitty an Stevie take us on a journey to discover the roots of the Day of the Dead, from street celebrations to offrandas, art and of course favorite dishes.
In their introduction they note that 'because the Day of the Dead is celebrated at roughly the same time of year as Halloween and the two share some common roots, Day of the Dead is sometimes referred to as the 'Mexican Halloween', However, the focus of the two holidays is quite different. With its emphasis on remembering and honoring the dead, Day of the Dead is in some ways more similar to the American observation of Memorial Day."
The authors recognize that there are regional nuances and that the holiday is especially important in Oaxaca and Michoacan.
We learn that most of the festivities take place between October 31 and November 2.
They highlight that 'according to the most common tradition, the souls of departed children (los angelitos, or the little angels) return to earth first, followed by the souls of adults."
An image found all over Mexico during Day of the Dead is 'Catrina' (below). It was created by Jose Posada who the authors write "used this common name as a double entendre: in Spanish, a catrin is a dandy, or fancy man, so catrina is the female equivalent."
The authors mention that "particularly in Oaxaca, intricate sand paintings are often created on the floor in front of the ofrendas."
I am not sure many couples outside Mexico would appreciate the following gift featured in Day of the Dead:
'The bridal couple is also a very popular theme. often presented as a gift to a newlywed couple, the skeletal bride and groom symbolize a love that will endure even after death."
DIY fans will enjoy guides like 'how to make and decorate sugar skulls' like the one below.
Kitty William and Stevie Mack conclude their book with traditional recipes including Pan de Muerto, the spicy chile and chocolate combination known as Mole Sauce and drinks like Cafe de la Olla (a sweet cinnamony coffee) and Atole, a corn based beverage with roots going back to the Aztecs.
(* Quotes and photographs from 'Day of the Dead' by Kitty Williams and Stevie Mack -Gibbs Smith, September 2011- reproduced by permission of the publisher, all rights reserved)
Sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism are words bandied around by many players around the world.
When you scratch the surface, there is a lot of green wash going on.
In Brazil, FAS (Fundacao Amazonas Sustentavel) is putting its money where its mouth is by helping communities build businesses from the ground up that will help support them while protecting their surroundings.
They will surely get a boost in awareness, fundraising and the interest of travelers once Google Street View starts broadcasting images of the area.
Health and education facilities are part of the project as illustrated by facility below in Tumbira, one of five.
You can get an idea of what's going on thanks to the Voices from the Forest videos.
'Making the forest worth more standing than cut' for Green Day # 198
Previously: Carbon Emissions 10 Times Higher for Air Freight than Sea Freight plus Trailer
(* Photo from FAS website)
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