TO PROPS DEVOTED! A LA JAPANESE STYLE

I've been always keen on beautiful tableware and my ever grown interest in food styling has intensified this love even more. And if may go wild at times while shopping (alas, not often though) I have a good excuse (anyway it 's been working up till now;) as this is not just another, 1000 and 1st item joining my collection but a Prop!

Ok, here are some easy to realize ideas on how to serve a-la Japanese (taken from Seasons magazine). You know, I love how Japanese people always pay attention to the littlest details in just everything, nothing left unattended, and it finds expression in their whole lifestyle, including gastronomy and styling tables, of course!

Traditional sakura bowl lovely matching elegant Wedgwood and Villeroy&Boch dishes. Set against reproduction of a beautiful xylograph by Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige (1797-1858), one of the greatest Japanese artists of the landscape genre.

Japanese styling can be made in minutes: here - reproduction of Katsushika Hokusai's wave painting serves as a serviette, glasses wrapped in origami paper and tied up with textile cords.

And here's three photos I've made when trying my first Asian styling at home in February, 2010...

I made boiled radish with champignons that time, a kind of salad Chinese dish , but please, don't ask the recipe:)) My stomach scolded me all day long for this unusual treat :) May be it's specifically my own reaction, since other members of the family felt pretty well after that... But, for your good, let me keep the recipe in secret.

In case you are interested where to get Japanese tableware I've collected here some links for shopping on-line:

AsianIdeas - Shipping Worldwide! You can find there even that pretty cherry blossom bowl as in the first photo!

ShopJapan and Tokiusa - shipping to US and Canada only

FOOD STYLING by DEBORAH KALOPER

...When serving meal at home, even on a daily basis, I always love to put some zest in my tablescape arrangements that would both gladden the eye and reflect the look and essence of the served dishes. And since I discovered last year, through the blogging world, the art of food presentation, as well as prop styling,  it's turned out to become my passion. And, while waiting for the camera of my dream with what I'd be able to capture my ideas on a more or less professional level, I just love browsing through the food styling photography what I find very inspiring and from which I learn a lot .  
  Thus I've decided on another new 'column' here dedicated specifically to this subject and now opening it with beautiful photography featuring food styling from Deborah Kaloper. All images in this post are courtesy of Lucy Feagins from Design Files where you may wend you way then to read an interesting interview with Deb Kaloper herself.

Photo – Sharyn Cairns, Prop Styling – Glen Proebstel

Tortilla. Photo – Sharyn Cairns, Prop Styling – Glen Proebstel

Tomatoes. Photo – Sharyn Cairns, Prop Styling – Glen Proebstel, food styling – Deb Kaloper.

Tomatoes. Photo – Sharyn Cairns, Prop Styling – Glen Proebstel, food styling – Deb Kaloper.

Cherries. Photos – Lisa Cohen, Food styling – Deb Kaloper
Oysters for Vogue Entertaining & Travel, styling by Sophia Young.  Crumble, styling by Glen Proebstel, Food by Deb Kaloper

Photo – Armelle Habib, food styling – Deb Kaloper.

Mexican Table. Photo – Sharyn Cairns, Prop Styling – Glen Proebstel, food styling – Deb Kaloper.

I suggest you may also like to read an interview with Sheryn Cairns and see more of her inspiring photography here.

Cactus Garden at Salina Island

It's been a long time since I promised to start a new 'column' here titled Gypsy Garden and well, today I am ready to keep my word! 'Gypsy' will be an allegorical term for all gardens from around the globe that I showcase here referring to the so-called Gypsy spirit of such gardens, where bright colors and enigmatic, enchanting atmosphere rule. So, let's start!

  ...Salina is one the seven Aeolian Archipelago's islands in the Tyrrhenian sea north of Sicily. And it is the greenest one and the farmost of them all. Moreover, Salina represents a local 'Botanical Garden' being home for many species of cactuses, agavas and yuccas which make the landscape looking more like Mexican than Italian one...

More than 30 years ago, Attilio Azzini, a Lombardian industrialist, came to Salina with his wife for vacations and fell in love with the island. Soon they could buy a hilly, steep piece of land, somewhere between Lingua and Santa-Maria regions, abundantly covered with yellow whins and olives. 

Roses, wisterias and different fruit trees planted in the first year couldn't survive the constant heat (sweet water is delivered to Salina by ships and almost nothing left for watering plants). Thus, Attilio decided to recreate in his garden a natural flora as seen around and started planting, and then growing by himself, heat- and drought-resistant palms, succulents and various species of aloe.  

Now, automatic irrigation system is working non-stop all summer long and among whimsical forms of cactuses and agavas there are plenty of poppies and bougainvilleas, roses and citrus trees spreading their astringent aromas into the salty sea air...

I am a big fan of aloe:) and like succulents in general, so I would just love to visit such a garden breathing in all its wonderful scents and admiring its spectacular views, don't you?

Photos: Stefano Scata  Adapted from Mezzanine magazine.

MORE BEAUTY from GUDRUN SJÖDÉN (updated 03.15.'11)

...instead of making a new post on Gudrun Sjoden clothing I decided to simply update the old one, so here it is. I've added here a few new pics from some of her previous collections concluding with a couple of images from the latest, Spring 2011 collection -

a mix of what I like, just for inspiration from colours and patterns:)

A charming playing up on the gypsy vagon theme!

 ...in the colours of Tibet







 A nice mix of lilacs, greens and greys

...inspired by forest

 The pinks below remind me of a fruit ice-cream!




Images are via UnaMoscaenlaLuna and Gudrun Sjoden official website

FABULOUS WINTER by GUDRUN SJÖDÉN

I just ♥ these fashion collections by Gudrun Sjoden Design - a Swedish company offering colorful clothes and home textiles! Bright, North berry-like and earth colors palette, natural fabrics and original Scandinavian patterns with a great mix-n-match concept!

I am now having an idea to order something colourful from them! But the more I examine the pictures, the more I am inclined to order not just single 'something' like a jacket or mittens but the whole apparel set for a complete look!  Still I don't know what to pick as they are all seeming so cute, aren't they? Ok, for a start I think I'd like to be mailed my free copy of Gudrun Sjoden catalogue, which you can order too just fillin' in the appropriate form here and it'll be delivered right to your home!

And these are from different collections but I've just gathered up here something amazing for the not-so-cold-yet Fall season :)

The official site design is exceptional and browsing through their collections is delightful, I recommend!

AUTUMN CELEBRATION MENU: BAKED PUMPKIN with RUCOLA and CAPERS

Going on with the orange theme, here's a very delicious and mouth-watering pumpkin recipe that I'd like to share with you today! 

  To be honest, this is my second attempt of making the dish and the whole first lot prepaired about a week ago went directly to garbage bin, boo! Sorry, not so enticing beginning;) but I just want to explain how that happened as this is such a rare (practically extraordinary) case in my kitchen which came to be both sad and fun:) Well, here can also be its own ups and downs, right? Probably it will help you avoid the same mistake (i wonder if there are more like me?;)

  Ok, here we go, my sincere confession: - the reason for such failure was wrong choice of pumpkin! I picked out a striped green one, zucchini-like appearance, as it seemed so attractive (my passion for design played a bad joke on me) and then followed the recipe, step by step. When ready, it was proudly served and, foretasting it to be as delicious as it looked like and smelled, the first bite has been made...
  We almost jumped up from unexpectedness - such a bitter stuff filled the whole mouth! That kind of pumpkin was purely decorative with absolutely inedible flesh! Now I, a bit more experienced 'pumpkin cook', know this! It was only sad about time spent and other products gone for nothing but I was not about to surrender at all! 

Since most of the species (appropriate for cooking size) in my present pumkin collection are of green color, I consulted with some 'pumpkin experts' to be sure the one I'd chosen this time was really edible, and gave the dish its second chance! 

  It was served, again... Having had such bitter experience, in the very literal sense of the word, we cautiously, quick glances exchanged, brought the first loaded fork to the mouth and began testing... It was... unexpectedly wonderful(!) and this time because of an unusual combination of ingredients, something we never tried before!

  Just imagine the flavour - baked pumpkin + lemon-, honey-, balsamic vinegar seasoning, served with rucola and capers, and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. 

Ingredients:

• 1 middle-sized pumpkin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• | for seasoning | paprika in powder
• salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1\4 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• some fresh rucola leaves
• about 30 g grated Parmesan
• some preserved capers

Method of cooking:

1. Cut the punpkin into cubes or long slender pieces. Preheat an oven to 200C and bake pumpkin in olive oil till it's soft.
2. Meanwhile prepare the seasoning: mix together lemon juice, honey, vinegar, salt, paprica, parsley and olive oil.
3. Pour the seasoning onto the ready pumpkin and serve decorated with rucola, capers and grated Parmesan.

While this post was waiting in drafts for some days I made this dish two times more! I am sure you'll be very much pleased with the richness of its flavour if you decide to give it a try. Only be careful to choose the right pumpkin ;)

INTERIORS IN AQUA BLUE

I know this is such time of the year when Orange should be praised, but I just couldn't pass by these beautiful images in colors of water and turquoise... and yes, with some orange as a warm accent!

Images from MarieClaireMaison via An Indian Summer

HIGH GLAM: MOROCCO

...Lush stones embroidery, interesting combinations of different fabric textures and intricate drapes - exquisite ensembles with a subtle infusion of antique Asian touch!

Juliana Imai posing for L'Officiel.Morocco.

Images via Boho Glamour

HINDI ZAHRA. BLUES OF THE DESERT

First of all, I'd like to make a little announcement that I am starting a new "column" here in my blog ~ Music Lounge ~ where I will be sharing my favorite music and numbers I find interesting. I hope you will find here much of your interest and to your pleasure too!
And now let me introduce you my latest discovery: a Moroccan singer, composer and musician Hindi Zahra who represents alternative musical style - a pleasant fusion of blues, jazz, reggae, traditional Moroccan folk and some Mediterranean genres.  

If about my personal taste in general, I should tell that I am not a big fan of alternative music and, for some reason, not often may find appealing any fusion, no matter whether it's related to music or other forms of art and design. But Hindi Zahra's fresh, elegant blend of musical patterns and her tender voice make you gently float on air, relax and just be...

“...Beautiful Tango, a ballad rich in timeless nostalgia, a hymn to love, a sad thought with the power to pull tender heartstrings.” 

“...Beautiful Tango got serious kudos from The Wire, the reference in Britain’s “adventurous music” press, which heralded her as a worthy successor to Billie Holiday, no less.”

 

“...Oursoul {Ursul}, is a tantalisingly ambiguous word play: what looks like English is in fact a Berber word meaning “bygones”. Against an arrangement evocative of American folk, the song tells the unfulfilled dreams of a young girl destined for marriage.”

And by the way, I so much love her clothing style, don't you? :) which is exactly the way I prefer my own - abundance of adornments, multi-layered and multi-colored wears, ethnic clothes cuts and motifs... ok, just a small lyrical digression:)

And finally, the Stand Up song - lovely rhythms and interesting melody, enjoy!

Here's some interesting reading about Hindi Zahra which I have found at her official website. 

{...Hardly have her lips approached the microphone than your ear is drawn in, gently but irresistibly. Just the slightest nonchalance in the hips with a filigree of swing in the delivery, a delicately veiled voice. Meet Hindi Zahra and her original gently undulating sense of melody. With a subtle, understated guitar accompaniment, a dash of gypsy guitar between the lines, and a hint of blues but with a capital B. Time stands still. Intense, intimate, poetic vibrations, with a velvety feline timbre. At thirty, Hindi Zahra is neither a reality show wonder nor the umpteenth shooting star fizzing across the firmament of vocal jazz. Music is the story of her life, a family affair.
The story of a Berber girl born in Morocco. Her father was in the army and her mother a housewife, occasional actress and singer of village repute. Among her uncles were musicians, into the post-psychedelic Moroccan scene of the time. She grew up to the sound of divas ¾ raï and châabi, like Cheikha Rimitti, and the great Egyptian Oum Khalsoum ¾ between traditional Berber music and desert rock’n’roll, with the blues of the great Malian Ali Farka Touré and the sensual folk music of Ismaël Lo in the wings.

The production and arrangements are her own, end-to-end, and already have the patina of maturity: a pared down sophisticated lady mood. With style in her piano and ideas in her style, Hindi Zahra chisels away at her own original groove, a finely crafted soundtrack of soul-folk-jazz ballads and south Moroccan roots, on the cusp of black culture, embellished here by some bendir, there by a ganoua bass line, or lyrics in Berber on tracks like Imik Simik and Petit à petit (Little by little), a title that fits her well.
A versatile multi-instrumentalist she has quietly, away from the limelight, gone about the business of building an authenticity, that is there in her songs, “always about love” and people, “very simply”...}

I hope you liked Hindi Zahra and you may listen to the samples of all other songs from her album here An official video on Beautiful Tango here, very delightful!

{Prepared on the basis of the material from Hindi Zahra's official website and an article in UNFAIR magazine/New, Abu Dhabi based, fashion and lifestyle magazine/}