Month: April 2011

Zee Whiz

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As the world’s top fashion designers sashay their versions of glam and the good life center stage, everyone shudders in anticipation and excitement.

Christian Dior shows a bold leopard print after five dress that swishes and purrs at every step. The off the shoulder look is an engineering feat that mesmerizes and intrigues.

This confection by Lanvin for H & M embraces a zebra print in an explosively stylish head to toe look that is best worn with attitude along with elbow length black leather gloves.

Best of show goes to Zedonk with the unusual combination of downy browny fur and some spicy black and white tights. It’s a perfect outfit for two pairs of peep-through spring flats.

The Last Supper

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Julie Green paints final meal requests from death row inmates onto ceramic plates. She calls her project, The Last Supper. So far she has completed 450 plates and plans to paint 50 more each year until capital punishment is abolished in the US.  

A Google search for “last meals death row” came up with 375,000 results. Morbid fascination with those who are on death row evidently extends to their favorite foods. A serial killer seems even more ominous when you learn he or she wants a cheeseburger, shake and fries at the end.

In practice, inmates can request anything they would like for a final meal but many states limit it to what can be prepared on site.

Green believes last meal requests can offer a lot of clues about the personality, background and economic level of inmates. And that in turn, leads to questions about failures in the judicial system. “There is a lot of red meat, few lobsters, no sushi and no Godiva chocolate.”

The Last Supper offers a lot of food for thought during Holy Week.

Suh-weet

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This boat and its little companion were docked in the marina in Nanaimo, BC. This is a charmer of a harbour city on Departure Bay on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

The town is the birthplace of Canada’s Favorite Confection, the Nanaimo Bar. If you never tasted one, you are in for a really sweet treat. It’s a 3 layer cookie bar: the bottom is a crumb-based layer, the middle a vanilla or custard flavored butter icing and the top is chocolate.

The city ran a contest for the best recipe and put it on their website. I wouldn’t make it unless I had a lot of guests ’cause I’m pretty certain I’d eat every one of them.

De-Frosted

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I have been gone for a week when I go to the store on Thursday so I kinda stock up.  I buy pork, chicken, cheese, a couple of different kinds of lettuce, carrots, celery, humus, lemons, yogurt, english muffins and wine.  

Nothing like a full larder to make me feel competent and comforted.

Breezing toward the weekend, we have a doctored-up pizza Thursday night and spiced-up pork chops Friday. Saturday morning, I drop the frozen chicken breasts on the counter for a spell and then  shove them in the refrigerator just before we go and help Sig’s mother pack; she’s moving to a new apartment in May. 

Later, as I look at the wrapped un-cooked chicken, Sig offers to go out and pick something up. Yay, I say — he comes back with grilled chicken meals from KFC. I pick all of the meat off the bones.

The next day, we leave right after lunch for more packing.  It is nearly 6:00 when we come back home. I check my e-mail, finish reading the paper, talk to a friend — then, “Hey, are you cooking something tonight — or should I just eat cereal?”  

Chicken breasts, I think. After I saute the filets and serve them up with a pilaf and a salad, it occurs to me that de-frosted meat has waaay too much control.

Memoir a trois

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It is not too early to start your summer reading list. If you don’t do it now, garden work or spring cleaning or some pushy self-improvement program will catch you by the throat and suck up all of your energy.

I’m recommending a memoir a trois.

I really like a memoir. A memoir is beyond “just the facts, ma’am.” It is an inside-out portrait of what someone finds when they dig in and make note of those things they believe made them who they are. When it’s good, it is a treat to be at the table.  

A match that worked for me: three women of around the same age, recalling really difficult childhoods with honesty, humor and an amazing turn of phrase.  They are Alexander Fuller, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (2003), pictured at left.

 

The Liar’s Club (2005) by Mary Karr.

Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle   (2006).        

Similarities link ’em. Throw all three sets of their parents on a spinning carousel and each could naturally take up with where ever it stops. The adults are all sassy, free-wheeling, irresponsible, passionate, mostly alcoholic, reckless, and lovin’ sorta — that, pretty much in retrospect. The daughters are smart, loyal, put-upon, vulnerable, innocent and mostly resilient.

Whoosh, you’ll think when they all make it through. And you’ll want to call them up and ask them over ’cause you’ll feel like you know ’em and it’s your turn to host.

Funeee!

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 Every day that I spend a little time on the internet, I am astounded at the inventiveness and good-natured humor that bubbles up from everywhere. The over 2 million people who have watched this video know exactly what I’m talking about.

Thanks Joyce, for sending it on.

Worth Repeating

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I try to leave out the parts that people skip. (Elmore Leonard)

Don’t tell me the moon is shining: show me the glint of light on broken glass. (Anton Chekhov)

Either the wallpaper goes, or I do. (Oscar Wilde)

His final words before dying in 1900 at age 46.

So Not Ordinary

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I got a postcard yesterday from Asiatica announcing their upcoming trunk shows. I always keep their postcards for a while because they are so interesting and well designed. 

The one from spring, 2010 has a shirt with its arms folded in front as if its wearer left it in charge while stepping away for a break. 

The fabric is silk with ribbed rectangles in pale green, blue and lavender.  It is an eastern version of a preppy windowpane dress shirt. 

Asiatica  makes clothes from deconstructed antique kimonos and new fabric designed by Reiko Sudo for Nuno, a Japanese textile corporation. Their clothes look and feel fabulous – as if you are to the manor born.

If you are not in the market for investment clothes shopping, check out their Japanese pottery and other art objects, jewelry and scarfs. Hmmm, you just never know what you will find in your own backyard.

All things considered

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I arrived at the airport in DC at 3:30 this afternoon. I printed a boarding pass at a computer station and checked my bag. I bought the New York Times and a bottle of water. When I reached my gate, I ate a granola bar and a banana and watched people come and go until I boarded at 4:30.

Two hours and fifteen minutes later I was in Kansas City.  

If I had made the same trip April 12, 1830, I would have arrived in Kansas City three and a half months later.

My wagon would have been packed to the top of its canvas roof with 1,600 pounds of food fixings such as flour and lard. I’d be packing water kegs and cooking equipment. No books, no games. I’d have to get used to the ride since the wagon didn’t have springs — or brakes. I’d travel the 1,081 miles at the rate of 10 miles a day if nothing broke down. 

If I was lucky, I would survive the trip – although the odds were high that I would be accidentally shot or drown. All things considered – I really don’t miss those tasty airplane meals.

DC Street Food

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I think it is right and just that a spicy sausage is a signature dish in the nation’s capital.

Called a half-smoke, it looks like a hot dog on steroids seasoned with red pepper flakes. Half-smokes are often half pork and half beef and can either be smoked or steamed.

The sausage is said to have originated from Briggs and Co meatpackers in DC; Raymond Briggs reportedly started selling them in the thirties.

Here is a dolled-up half-smoke from Ben’s Chili Bowl, a Washington landmark restaurant. It is one of the first places President Obama had lunch when he first came to town.

Looks pretty democratic to me.