Archive for the "Design" Category

a keeper

zoo before dawn

After roping a dummy steer the night before, everyone went to sleep early so that we could rise before dawn and head to the zoo,

DSC_0481

where Karen’s uncle Steve (also known as El Hefe Mucho at the San Antonio Zoo) has created a really special place that feels much more like walking among the animals. These below were skittish as the light began to steal over the trees,

DSC_0477

And Karen and I watched a joey emerge from a mother kangaroo,

kangaroo

amazed to watch the little kangaroo stretch its legs and hop about its business.

kangaroo2

Then Karen’s uncle joined us and directed our wanderings,

El Hefe Mucho

taking us up close to the elephant being fed,

elephant eating

(elephants are hairier than you think! I discovered while petting this one—thanks to Karen for taking this picture so early in the morning,)

I'm petting an elephant

and ushering us inside the hippo exhibit with another keeper,

inside the hippo exhibit with a keeper

that we later saw from the outside as a visitor usually does. It’s a beautiful space for these very intense animals, and fun to watch the bright fish swim near the windows.

this is the outside (what the visitor sees) at the hippo exhibit

Reluctantly leaving San Antonio, Karen and I headed out of Texas by way of a small diner far off the highway,

bohannon

where the pancake quest continued,

the pancake quest continues and my biscuits with sausage gravy

I ordered biscuits and sausage gravy,

biscuits with sausage gravy

and then we ordered a slice of each type of pie:

pies

coconut with crunchy bits on top of the meringue,

coconut pie

and chocolate silk, acknowledging that pie for breakfast is an excellent thing.

chocolate pie

Driving through Houston we found a building of air,

air

and we watched as the landscape shifted into the blue of the bayou,

bayou

arriving at the famous Columns Hotel in New Orleans that Thursday night.

Columns Hotel

A meandering walk took us past a cluster of pastel buildings,

pastels

a workshop with music as loud as the creative energy waves that rolled over us as we paused,

leading us to happen upon good food and great cocktails (we started with Sazeracs, of course, and then discovered the classic French 75) at Coquette.

workshop in New Orleans

The next morning, we recalled sitting on the lively porch for a late round of champagne as we took the stairs at the grand old hotel down to breakfast,

before meeting up with my friend Brian, a wonderful ambassador of community and the goodness of local lore, as we continued our tour of the Deep South, full of things and people that are keepers…

Brian and Karen in Slidell

vibrant artistry at esalen

poppies

I spent Saturday afternoon surrounded by the flowers of Esalen, an institute and retreat center in Big Sur.

esalen gardens

The flowers are near the gardens,

esalen gardens

and visitors are encouraged to take a sweet pea or two with provided scissors,

sweet peas

There is incredible energy in this place where those seeking to learn arrive for workshops and seminars,

that this bud

to see parts of themselves unfold in brilliant colors.

becomes this flower

From the gardens, I could hear the poets on stage as part the day’s Arts Festival, so I left the orange dahlias,

orange dahlia at esalen

to see what words were being spoken—

audience participation as part of poetree

beyond impressed with Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis’s performance, especially her (famous) “An Upbeat Black Girl’s Song” that rang out over the grounds.

poetree performance at esalen

I wandered over to where hula hoops revolved near the mineral baths,

hula hoops near succulents at esalen

and plantings of succulents,

succulents at esalen

and returned to watch the opposite stage as someone chalked a peaceful heart in blue near my feet,

chalking

as the tribute to to Francisco Aguabella (1925-2010) with Jesus Diaz & Pedro “Muñeco” Aguilar began, and I was inspired by another fierce female artist, Kati Hernandez, who commanded the audience’s attention.

A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella at Esalen

Kati was joined by another dancer who left his microphone to dance in front,

dancing

until she appeared in a different costume (the blue costume symbolized the maternal force of water, known as Yemayá in these traditions).

A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella at Esalen

Then, the two danced together after the different types of Afro-Cuban rumba (Rumba Yambú, Rumba Guaguancó, and Rumba Columbia) were explained,

A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella at Esalen

A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella at Esalen

A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella at Esalen

and the group’s performance on the bright stage hung with prayer flags ended with a huge audience conga line around the space and everyone on their feet (also, the drummer in the center with the cap was phenomenal).

A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella at Esalen

As they finished, the festival founder and creative director Jayson Fann (here in the hat) was readying the next performer, Viviana Guzmán—part of a seamless string of talent that graced the stages throughout, and not an easy feat with an entire day of different acts.

Jayson preparing the next act

As Viviana’s set started, beautiful local food began to be served:

Viviana Guzman

a local halibut, local corn, and three salads with lettuces grown at Esalen ( “greens that haven’t seen a mechanized vehicle!” a proud server crowed).

dinner at esalen: local halibut, local corn, esalen salads

Grateful to my friend Bella Shing for alerting me to the event (she’s lovely, and ran a filmmaking intensive as part of the festival), I left the celebration of artists and food and nature to drive into the sun around Big Sur,

big sur

inspired by all the views of the day on the misty drive back to my cabin…

big sur

an island of chapels near cannes

on the way to Île Saint-Honorat

I heard the sea spray as our little ferry rocked to and fro last week on the way to Île Saint-Honorat.

One of the Lérins islands close to Cannes, Île Saint-Honorat is dotted with small chapels and a modern monastery.

One resident monk (there are thirty in this Cistercian community) was on the ferry with us, perhaps to officiate the service later that afternoon, or returning to tend the island vineyards.

the boat toward Île Saint-Honorat

There is a grand archway that stands alone near where the ferry docks, and beyond it lay mostly trees and native plants;

Île Saint-Honorat

on paths at Île Saint-Honorat

butterflies flutter everywhere in the tall grasses in a way that feels eternal.

butterfly at Île Saint-Honorat

Leaving the shoreline,

Île Saint-Honorat

and the blue, blue water of the Mediterranean,

Île Saint-Honorat

I ventured into some of the vineyards (please don’t tell the monks),

the vineyards that monks tend on Île Saint-Honorat

and then headed toward the abbey beyond.

Île Saint-Honorat

Somehow, it felt strange to see cacti in this quiet place,

cacti on Île Saint-Honorat

but the island has fended off invaders for centuries, and some paths are pricklier than others;

Île Saint-Honorat

ducking into the wide space under this tree branch,

Île Saint-Honorat

I found a startling view.

Île Saint-Honorat

And then I saw the fortified monastery and took off (it’s probably a lovely swim too) in that direction.

fortification at Île Saint-Honorat

Inside, there are the small openings that let in the breeze,

Île Saint-Honorat

hint at the blue water surrounding,

Île Saint-Honorat

a chapel within, beautifully signed,

Chapelle Sainte Croix on Île Saint-Honorat

and the archways provide shade on the lower levels,

inside the walls at Île Saint-Honorat

but climb the structure’s single spiral staircase for the view from higher archways,

Île Saint-Honorat

and to see the entire island.

Île Saint-Honorat

I watched the shadows below, thinking about what it must be like to live as part of the order here,

Île Saint-Honorat

and to see each afternoon the lavender bend in the wind, filling the air with its peaceful fragrance.

field of swaying lavender

Near the lavender, carefully planted beds flank the path to the abbey,

plants on Île Saint-Honorat

with leaves shading the walkways,

Île Saint-Honorat

Île Saint-Honorat

and I heard the gentle swish of robes before I saw them as time for afternoon service approached. I wandered back toward the ferry, through the archway, past the flowers that seem imbued with meaning.

Île Saint-Honorat

Noticing an ancient little chapel tucked in near the archway, I thought perhaps with views so grand, only a tiny place to kneel is needed, if only to study the contrast.

Île Saint-Honorat

a favorite strewn salad

peaches, mozzarella, prosciutto over greens (my very favorite salad)

This recipe remains one I make again and again, partly for the way the salty and sweet balance, and mainly because creating it is an act of joy—credit goes to Jamie Oliver and his wonderfully boisterous kitchen style.

To make this, toss mixed greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (the balsamic brings out the mozzarella) and plate. Then, take a ball of fresh mozzarella (if you can find good buffalo mozzarella, damn the food miles and use it—you’ll find it a different thing entirely) and gently break small soft bits off and let them fall on top of the greens.

Break apart a very ripe peach with your hands, removing the pit, and tear into sections of similar size (do this over the greens to catch all the juice that will also run down your arms). Take a few slices of prosciutto (try to find the packaged La Quercia brand from Iowa, recently profiled in Art of Eating; their speck is also a fine product and can substitute here) and tear into thin pieces on top, moving as quickly as you like—there is no wrong size or amount here, though equal amounts of these three work nicely.

I like a little squeeze of lemon and a bit more balsamic over the top at the end, and to eat this with my hands, in the sun. This is a summer salad for these ingredients at the height of their flavor. The peaches at the market will remind you…

contained food: landscapes of quarantine

For the past month, Storefront for Art and Architecture has presented “Landscapes of Quarantine,” an exhibit from the fall symposium of the same name curated by FuturePlural (the united talents of two of my favorite bloggers, Nicola and Geoff).

Storefront for Art and Architecture

On Saturday and Sunday night, the Storefront space held a banquet in six courses exploring quarantine, containment, and nourishment, led by underground food mastermind Michael Cirino of A Razor, A Shiny Knife (with others from the small expeditionary force of the food collective); the afternoon prep drew frequent passersby, popping in to ask about the curious equipment, watch trout roe suspensions in petri dishes.

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

The Sunday night guests began to gather in the late afternoon for demonstrations by Michael (poster design by Demian, who also cooked quietly and gracefully),

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

and after trimming the meat,

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

Michael explained the dry ice in a cooler finishing the spheres for the night’s final course.

there is dry ice in that cooler

completed dessert spheres

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

and I began to see edible landscapes of quarantine.

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

The sparkling bits were whisked away in egg cartons as a different sort of bubbly sprayed from canisters to begin the first course.

old-fashioned dessert spheres

course 1: the proliferation

Mike and Jonny filled test tubes with effervescent vodka amid murmurs,

filling the test tubes with carbonated vodka

fizzy vodka

the cooks donned white suits,

donning the infection suits

the guests found their seats and talked excitedly,

guests at dinner

and the cultivated petri dishes were sent out with steelhead trout roe, angelica, licorice, and juniper,

Juniper for the first course

and a bit of Meyer lemon powder that dissolved.

Meyer lemon for the first course (it dissoves after a minute)

course 2: the fumigation

While a Dr. Unger Ried Silberbugel 2004 Riesling was poured, the kitchen area was filled with flowers,

flowers for the fluke

Hirame slices topped the mache, sliced lardo was added, then petals,

adding fluke to the second course

assembled on jar lids to be smoked,

before the fluke was smoked

on the busy Manhattan street,

smoking on the street

smoking the fluke

and presented in the smoky jars,

the smoked fluke unopened

that guests opened, looking sideways at each other, as their sense of smell was engaged.

opening the smoked fluke

course 3: the isolation

For a course with Keith Tulloch 2007 Semillion, guests scissored into sealed bags,

Landscapes of Quarantine dinner

plating

ravioli

eating the ravioli

saucing their own ravioli and releasing a tiny sprig of thyme from its plastic pouch.

opened ravioli, sauced

course 4: the passage

I do hope for wedges of salad in an emergency situation (especially topped with bacon and cleverly paired with a 2005 Gigondas Les Espalines Cuvee Romaine),

lettuce wedges with blue cheese dressing and bacon

lettuce wedge with blue cheese and bacon

and for steak that has been contained, dry-aging for 24 days, seared to a crisp crust and plated next to creamed spinach and potatoes in an appropriate violins-on-the-Titanic sort of culinary stroke.

steak prep

steak, creamed spinach, potatoes

course 5: the frustration

Shifting to a less giving course of waxen bread, cheese, and grapes arranged like a still life,

waxed bread roll, grapes, cheese

one guest unpeeled parts, expressing the title of this course, to create a very different look for the plate.

bread sculpture by guest

course 6: the revelation

Jonny poured Appleton Rum, the careful pairing for the final course,

Jonny with the Rum

a dessert tray of drinks imagined in solid form including a Daiquiri, Old Fashioned, and my favorite, the Cuba Libre (in a wonderfully moist cake of Coke and rum).

dessert tray (old fashioned on orange, lemon curd on chocolate, Area, mousse, rum and coke cake with cherries)

Those who had cooked were introduced,

introducing the cooks

and everyone in the room smiled—I think we all wondered what Michael might come up with for the next event…

Michael with the dessert sphere

Thanks to all involved for letting me take part; it was an honor to cook beside you.

For even more, I really like Mike Lee of StudioFeast‘s timelapse of the entire event and see the ARASK site for upcoming events: