jeudi 24 janvier 2013

About prints and how I like them


I don't know why but I am more and more attracted by figurative prints on fabrics or objects, human as well as animals. I cannot explain this thirst for the concrete and I rarely hesitate when something beautiful and afordable comes to my attention. I have shawls with zebras and elephants, blouses with street scenes in France (the Eiffel tower is depicted) and now, these few objects from a recent travel.

This is a bag I bought in Colombia and it uses the work of a native artist.




His name is Grau and the company that ade the bag, Mario Hernandez, uses several of his painting as background.

This pendant with monkeys is a copy of the pre-colombian art, which originally is made of  gold (not my pendant). I visited the Museo de Oro in Bogota and I was totally seduced by the craftmanship of the old inhabitants. No wonder the Spaniards thought that they had reached Eldorado.


This brooch is more abstract but still it reminds a human figure.


And lastly, this beautiful Mexican shawl in silk with scenes from a Mexican celebration.



lundi 21 janvier 2013

Ajiaco


This is my favourite Colombian soup. First time I ate it in the house of an American friend. She had a Colombian boyfriend and when the love was finished she still kept the recipe and liked to prepare it often. She ended up marrying another Colombian. No wonder.




  • 2 quarts homemade chicken stock (or low-sodium canned stock)
  • 1 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, split (12 to 16 ounces total)
  • 1 large onion, split in half
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 2 medium) peeled and cut into rough 1-inch chunks
  • 2 pounds papas Criollas (about 20 potatoes), peeled
  • 1 pound Red Bliss potatoes (about 2 small), peeled, split into quarters lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1/4 cup dried guascas (a local herb but you can use parsley instead)
  • 2 ears corn, shucked and broken into 3 pieces each
  • 1 small onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 serrano or 1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and finely minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, thinned with 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 cup capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
  • 1 ripe avocado, preferably smooth, light-green fuerte variety, sliced into wedges
  • Procedures

    1. Combine chicken stock, chicken breast, onion, bay leaves, potatoes, and guascas in a large saucepot or Dutch oven. Add more water if necessary to cover solids by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken breast is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken breast to plate and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

    2. Continue to simmer potatoes until russets and papas Criollas are completely tender and falling apart, about 45 minutes longer, adding more water as necessary. Discard onion and bay leaves. Using whisk, mash potato pieces against side of pot and stir vigorously to thicken soup. The soup should be thick, with large chunks of potatoes still remaining.

    3. Add corn cobs and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is cooked and soup is thickened to the consistency of thick heavy cream, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

    4. While soup is cooking, make the aji: Combine onion, cilantro, and chile pepper in small serving bowl and add water until just covered. Season generously with salt and stir to combine. Set aside. Discard chicken skin and bones. Shred meat into bite-size pieces and set aside in serving bowl.

    5. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing picked chicken, chopped capers, sour cream, and aji table-side for diners to add to their bowl. Serve avocado slices on the side.
     
    Et en francais:
     
    Ingrédients (pour 6 personnes) : - 3 oignons
    - 1 petit bouquet de coriandre
    - 2 poulets de 2 à 2,5 kg coupés en morceaux
    - 2 bouillons-cubes de volaille
    - 750 g de pommes de terre ("sabanera") épluchées et coupées en rondelles
    - 500 g de pommes de terre jaunes ("criolla") épluchées
    - 1 kg de pommes de terre "pastusa" épluchées et coupées en rondelles
    - 1 bol et demi de feuilles de "guascas" fraîches
    - 5 épis de maïs, moyens, coupés en trois
    - clous de girofle
    - sel et poivre
    Préparation de la recette :
    Dans une casserole, mettez les oignons, le coriandre, le sel et les poulets. Couvrez d'eau. Faites cuire à feu vif en écumant. Puis réduisez le feu et laissez cuire.

    Quand le poulet commence à être cuit, retirez le coriandre et les oignons et ajoutez les bouillons-cubes. Poivrez. Mettez en plus la pomme de terre "sabanera" et laissez cuire à feu moyen pendant 30 min.

    Quand les poulets sont cuits, sortir les pour les laisser refroidir puis les débiter en petits morceaux.

    Mettez ensuite dans la casserole les pommes de terre "criolla" et "pastusa" et vérifiez l'assaisonnement. Ajoutez les feuilles de guasca et les épis de maïs. Poursuivez la cuisson pendant 15 min.

    Quand les pommes de terre sont cuites, remettez les morceaux de poulet et laissez cuire 5 à 10 min encore.

    Servez bien chaud, accompagné de crème fraîche, de câpres, de piment et de tranches d'avocat bien mûres.

    Remarques :

    Recette colombienne de la région de Cundinamarca
     
    Sources:http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_ajiaco-colombie_19893.aspx
     

    vendredi 18 janvier 2013

    Ladylike

    In an interview Isabella Rossellini mentioned one of her mother's photos saying that she looks older than her age because at that time women tried to look more ladylike. I think she is right, proof being these 1950 models from Givenchy. They are for sure very young. Nevertheles they look  restrained and calm and the only provocatory hint is given by their smile and the look in their eyes.

    1950s Givenchy fashions
    Source We Heart Vintage

    Somehow this picture is different. I do not criticize and I do not dislike it but nowadays the trend is more casual and we all try to look younger.


    America Ferrara



















    Frida Kahlo lived here

















    Photos by me.

    jeudi 17 janvier 2013

    Eating Grasshoppers

    I am an adventurous eater, ready to taste any outlandish food. In my travels I never hesitate to try local dishes, even those that would make many people cringe. My philosophy is that if so many people eat it, it couldn't be bad. During my stay in Mexico I had the opportunity to taste these delicious fried grasshoppers. I took a tortilla, put on a layer of guacamole, a layer of grasshoppers, salt and green salsa. Mmmm, yummy.

     
     
     
     

    This was followed by a delicious mole negro, a spicy sauce that includes chocolate.



    and by an equally delicious desert named Ate con queso:



    It was a great lunch!



    dimanche 13 janvier 2013

    Pucci



    A mixture of characteristics in Emilio Pucci,  creator of lively coloured outfits that capture the spirit of the 60s . An Italian aristocrat, friend with Mussolini  he founded his company after the war, in the island of Capri. He invented the capri pants and so many geometrical psychedelic prints. After his death the brand went through  a decline period only to be revived by another wizard of the colours: Christian Lacroix.













    Source: The red Line; The Real Rela

    jeudi 10 janvier 2013

    Un-saintly outfits

    For this post I was inspired by Sacramento's (always) inspiring blog. When looking for devil or skull-related images I found another interesting blog called T-shirts et satanisme. This is one of the pleasures of blogging - finding out how much imagination people have!






    un-saintly outfits
     

    dimanche 6 janvier 2013

    BB

    Brigitte Bardot threatens to migrate to Russia too if two elephants are euthanized in a French zoo.

    I liked her style, her rebellious self, that she retired when she decided so and her fight for the protection of the animals. She was never interested in the Haute Couture, but only in whatever she liked and fitted her.

    I dislike some of her recent political positions.

    BB


    samedi 5 janvier 2013

    Exchange


    Source:Fucking the New World Order'





    White fur and some memories


    I must confess that I love fur; real and also faux fur. I have several coats and I dream for more, as well as hats, scarves, and collars. The snowy winter we have right now provides the best scenery to wear a long white fox fur coat.

    I was not always a fur lover. Many years ago I lived in Afghanistan. Kabul, the capital, was a livable place then. The big fashion among the expatriate community ladies was to have a custom made karakul coat. It was affordable and of good quality, and it became a kind of uniform. Every winter I was surrounded by a flock of black or grey karakul cladded people, for men and children equally adopted the fashion.

    It was too much for me and I fiercely rejected any attempt some friends had to make me buy such outfit. During all those years I proudly wore my brown parka and felt unique.











     Kabul under snow.


     Karakul fur

    Source





    jeudi 3 janvier 2013

    Gift

    I made myself a long-wished gift for Christmas. Something I could for sure  postpone for later had I not craved for it for such a long time. It has nothing to do with fashion but all to do with food.
    Thermomix is the name and it weighs, cuts, mixes and cooks all in not too big a frame.


    The first recipe I made was a broccoli/carrot salad. I mixed 500 g broccoli, 2 carrots, a green apple, a celery branch, 50g sunflower seeds,  20 g olive oil,  20g red vinegar and a teaspoon of moutarde de Dijon. It took 5 seconds to have the most delicious salad.


    mercredi 2 janvier 2013

    Glorious Green


    My outfit at a family lunch on 1st January 2013. I wore a vintage Yves St Laurent jacket and this green shirt. A colourful start of the year.