Hey Suzan!

First of all, gotta say I loved your last post, so brilliant!  So as Harpreet always sends you inspiring knitting links, she always sends me food ones. The latest link she sent me was about japanese artist Shoko Masunaga, who uses butter as an art form. Using toast as his canvas and only edible ingredients and colorings, he makes colorful little abstract paintings with... well, fat. We always knew butter was tasty, but here it's made rather pretty, too. By way of this discovery, I think it's also worth mentioning the bookstore that sells the butter book, artbookstand.com. Interesting little online shop based in LA, that is "inspired by the quirky personal libraries of imaginative individuals". Lots of very nice publications and films.

I'm off to Gränna for the holidays as of tomorrow! I'm feeling very lucky, because if there ever was a place that resembled a real Christmas village, this would be it. Talk soon!!

xx E.

 

Hi Suzan!

So while we're on the topic of food (then again, aren't we always?), I thought I'd answer your ice-cream-planet post with some recent findings on weirdly coloured food. Blue and grey... it's so rare to find edible things in these colours, it almost feels wrong. So first we have a blue ramen soup which is being served at a place in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. The soup contains Spirulina, a type of blue-green algae which contains something called phycocyanin, that provides the colour as well as anti-aging benefits in the way of antioxidants. It's served cold and is intended to look as well as taste cooling and refreshing in the summertime. Does it work, who knows? But hey, it's blue soup, I'd try it! Then I've found for you a cake in greyscale. As I know you're not a big colour person, I thought you'd appreciate this especially. Who says dessert has to be all bright and pink and fruity looking, when you can have all that sugary goodness in lovely muted tones of grey? Although what I want to know is, what flavour is grey?

E xx

Hey Suzan!

Just wanted to share these wacko food sculptures by a guy called Dan Cretu. Just one of those things that made me feel happier instantly! The idea of recreating everyday objects using food doesn't seem that revolutionary, but to look at a piece of salami and re-imagine it as a cassette tape definitely seems to require a special sort of creative genius. Cucumber cameras? Orange peel trainers? Chocolate bar keyboards? Love it.

See more of his creations here.

PS. Happy Friday!!

E.xx

Hello my friend!

I'm back in town after a lovely, long vacation back in North America - what I'm now calling the 2012 Atlantic-Pacific family tour. Was so good to be home and see the family, swim in lakes, walk in the mountains, and of course stuff my face with as much delicious food as possible. I know you will disapprove of my rampant seafood consumption – but oh, it was so good! Seafood and travel.... the environmental crimes that I really can't give up. Anyway! This year, our gift of choice to bring over for family was handmade toffees from Pärlans, a confectionary in our neighborhood. It's just such a nice example of fantastic all-around branding – the delicious candies are made from an old recipe from the 1930's, and everything is styled in the spirit of that period: the packaging, the shops, even the girls wrapping toffees in the shop window are dressed to a tee with perfect hair and makeup, like a live installation. The cafe serves tea and coffee with proper porcelain cups and saucers, they play jazz music, and the interiors make you feel like you're sitting in a Hercule Poirot film. It's all just done so well. And of course the toffees are fantastic, with flavours like lemon & vanilla, almond, raspberry, salt licorice, blackcurrant, chocolate, and peppermint. Lovely!

Suzan!

After a long pause getting on my feet with the little monkey, I'm back!

Just discovered this lovely new magazine through my good friend Manreet..... called Kinfolk, the creators describe themselves as "a growing community of artists with a shared interest in small gatherings. Every element of Kinfolk – the features, photography, and general aesthetics – are consistent with the way we feel entertaining should be: simple, uncomplicated, and less contrived. Kinfolk is the marriage of our appreciation for art and design and our love for spending time with family and friends." Feel like this speaks to us directly! But.... this is when I really wish we lived in the same city, so we could eat and drink together all the time.
xx

http://www.kinfolkmag.com