Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Modernist Cuisine










is to Da Vinci
 




















is to Ina Garten.







Mmmkay. Before I make myself look even more moronic (I don't know much about these culinary people, except for the ones on the Food Network, obviously) I'll just go straight to the point.


There's this new book out, and it's supposed to REINVENT cooking. It's called MODERNIST CUISINE

I went to their website and stole a few photos for you to see. The book is six-volumes long and has about 2,500 pages in it. The price tag? USD625.

Would you spend Php27,000 for it? Take a sneak peak and find out! I was totally sold!




Griddle Opener Fried Egg





"Mussels suspended in spheres of their own shucking juices made through the process of reverse spherification." -SOURCE






Barbecue Hamburger Cutaway







Pot Au Feu Plate








Quince Color Change








Eggyolk in varying temperature







String Beans in color gradient









Short Rib Plate








Cutaway Wok. (NOTE: They actually hired the services of the machine shop next door to cut some equipment in half)


The Ultimate Cheeseburger

It's like the Conceptual art of Food.  (For the art enthusiasts, remember Damien Hirst?)

These photos, although not presented to you in excellent resolution (thanks to me), are riveting. I wonder how many months it took to shoot the thousands of images in this book.








Sunday, March 13, 2011

Framed

I've been collecting black and white photographs in the hopes of framing them one day and hanging them on or/leaning against  the walls of my future house. :)


We all see the usual way these types of photos are framed and hung:

 A spattering of frames along a stairway wall






There are other ways to display your works of art (and brag about that awesome photograph you took) without compromising the "boringness" of the "usual":

Overlap for unexpected flair (gosh i forget where i got this photo from but will post link as soon as i find it!)
 







Collect frames suited to the room's theme and place in different levels. source here









Buy frame risers to add some "texture" source here







Get the same frames in several pieces! Source




Who knows  good framer in Manila?

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Walls DO Need Love

I LOOOOVE WALL STICKERS!!!

One, they're easy to apply and remove and two, they make your house look more fun and unique. 

let the outdoors come indoors! Tip: let your kitchen / dining pieces match the decor 







putting an unexpected image will add some character to your wall






the sparse detail makes this space a little tranquil but still very quirky





So the school I'm working for is currently finishing up on the details of its classrooms, and we were considering a few designs for the library wall. 

First the owners wanted a mural, then thought of painting three panels of canvass and mounting it on to the four existing frames, but then I suggested wall words-- inspired by the (not so) recent trend in wall decor.

These days, they use either decals or stencil.  

Found a couple of awesome sites while researching for ideas:





don't you love this monogram one??? i want one for my room!!!







now you can have damask in small doses











the pastel and nude tones in this design cozies up any corner.










no need to purchase a fancy bedboard; just embellish as you please with stickers!




You'll wake up and sleep to some words of encouragement.




can't afford an expensive antique? stick on an image of your choice!



The Wall Sticker Shop even has chalkboard stickers for your kitchen, bedroom or office!




I can't wait to get started on our new house. Hope my husband let's me put stickers on it!! :p 




Friday, March 4, 2011

Blackbird Farms -- FETA Cheese and Dips






My brother, Rico, recently opened a goat farm. And when you have goats, you can make goat's milk. And goat cheese. 



The last few months have been pretty up-to-the-neck for him. Aside from the farmy stuff he has to attend to, he also has his kitchen at the end of the day. From about 5:00pm onwards, he's mincing and mixing and tasting and packaging Feta Cheese and dips, then making his greatest critic, our mom, try it. 

So proud of my brother! He's gone from entrepreneur to expert cheese-man. Hahaha.



Blackbird Farms has several cheese dips and two weeks ago, I went over to test his samples. Brought a few plates over to some relatives and friends and they would finish the entire thing in minutes! 


Here are his products, so far:



'Rico's Green' (Parsley, Garlic and Spring Onion)












Salmon and Dill, Salmon and Spring Onion










Walnuts and Apricot






For orders and Pricing, you can call Rico through +63917 8169794 or +632 211 4597

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Glam-O-Mama! :)


There's  new blog in town and it's so darn pretty! :)


Is God trying to tell me something? :p


Earlier, I was idly browsing through this book I chanced upon. It's called The Process of Parenting by Jane Brooks.


I dunno, it happened to be on the shelf behind my desk.  Then when I put it down to check on my Facebook page, I saw that Amanda Jacob had posted something on my wall. It was a link to their website, called Glam-O-Mamas :)






It's a nook for anything parenting-related. 


They have restaurant reviews, parenting tips, health and fitness updates, and even Glam-o-Mommies of the month. Things that are perfect for not just mommies but also godmothers, aunties and maybe even hip young grannies! 




Look, they even have a Yum-o-Bubba of the month.


how cute is this this?? :)


I think I want to be a mommy soon. Well, not until after my friend's wedding in Spain :p