They love to fly

Conde Nast Travler May issue article

Great information on new airline seat configuration in my latest Conde Nast Travler (which I get free from Delta Airlines for being a Diamond Medallion member...see what happens when you fly all the time!)  Anyway, since I do fly all the time, I am extremely happy that one airline is finally giving attention to the economy class.  When I look in detail at the changes Air New Zealand will be making to their seats...it really doesn't take a lot of changes to make seating a whole lot better!  Attention other airlines...please note!  Especially all the American based carriers...sorry but you definitely need to pick up your game, old planes, cranky hosts/hostesses and all your extra charges are driving customers like me away!  (I did not post the full article, only the pictures, cause I like pictures.)

Rendering of new Air New Zealand seats



Pasta with clams

Fresh clams soaking in order to get all the grit out 

My husband loves clams and mussels (they are pretty much the only protein he eats other then eggs as he doesn't eat any meat or fish.)  I am not as big a fan as him, but will eat my mother in laws stuffed mussels...which we will have to feature here one day.  So this is his dish he made it and I watched and documented it.  Normally this dish calls for a long pasta like linguine, but one of his favorite pastas is penne so there you go.

Olive oil plus garlic plus parsley plus the amazing tomato paste

Cirio tomato paste straight from Italia....I have never seen this here and boy does it make a difference in your cooking

Add some of the clam juice (make sure you filter the water)

Cook for a few minutes (clams will open, but in this case we cooked the clams in a separate pot to open them to make sure they were extra clean)

Also add some white wine.....at this point they are ready for pasta

Add slightly uncooked pasta to sauce....cook together for a couple of minutes, this will add flavor to the pasta and finish cooking it so it is a perfect al dente

Final dish...sprinkle a little extra parsley

Yummm....buono

The devil is in the details

Renault Captur Concept...like the combination of satin and glossy paint 

When reviewing images from the 2011 Geneva auto show, it dawned upon me that there was a lot of details that were just beautiful on their own merit...independent of the vehicle as a whole.  So here I have posted not the total product, but the lovely little bits and pieces....enjoy!



Renault Captur Concept.....interior areas and seats were comprised of bungee cords...sweet!



Bertone Jaguar B99 Concept, pixelated bit in the grill surround....a bit of fun

Renault DeZir Concept...not originally unveiled at Geneva, but I just love the bumps!



Renault DeZir Concept body side with my favorite bumps...yay!



Alfa Romeo 4C Concept, absolultely stunning paint...it looks like velvet!



Infinity Etherea Concept... I like how the lighting gives color to the white exterior plus the headlamp that looks like a woman's sultry eye





New angle

May 2011 Dwell article

I am enamored with this house featured in the May issue of Dwell.  It is in Canada!  The use of materials in combination with the design is really unique.

Fun orbs of light hang from the ceilings

The rug they have chosen looks like grass.

I like the built in table with stacks of books....a new take on a bookshelf.

The family shoe rack....still a bit messy but love the idea.

Lights integrated into the house design....creates a great ambiance and is art at the same time.

Circles of grass mimic the lights inside....outstanding indoor/outdoor living.

Zuppa di pesce

Fresh veggies to use in soup stock

A quick and very flavorful soup recipe again from Giada but I have altered it slightly.  (I really like to reference her recipes because they are what I call modern Italian, lighter then the meals I eat at my mother in laws' but still preserving flavor combinations that are true to Italian cooking.  My husband would argue this point for sure as he thinks some of her dishes are too American feeling, but hey I am American so I like it.  Besides he doesn't eat this soup since he doesn't eat fish!)  This soup is great in the fall and winter but recently we have had some cold nights and so I was craving this dish.

Another flavor bouillon from Italy, Aglio and prezzemolo (garlic and parsley)

This little cube packs a flavor punch!  We add it too veggies we saute in olive oil, it is really a great add in, again I purchase mine in Italy, but you might find a source for it online or maybe your local Italian grocery could order it for you.

A must have tool in your kitchen the mandoline....I cut all my veggies in like 2 minutes and they are all the same exact size and plus I could never slice this thin by hand....my Italian mother in law uses this tool all the time.

Saute the sliced veggies in olive oil with the aglio and prezzemolo cube

After the veggies cook for about 10 minutes add 6 cups water....use filtered water if you can since this is a soup

I used red snapper for this soup, but I have tried catfish and other white fish and they work well too

Add fish to stock, cook about 7 minutes

After fish is cooked....ready to serve

Serve with parsley pesto

To make the parsley pesto just take about half a bunch of fresh parsley put in food processor add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, black pepper little and olive oil.....I can't tell you how much olive oil because I just add until it looks right....I know this means nothing to you, but looking right means the mixture looks like pesto, liquid but with bulk from the parsley.....well just go to the following link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/fish-minestrone-with-herb-sauce-recipe/index.html

You could add olive oil on top to serve, but as you can see my stock already has quite a bit....enjoy!

Aloha

Great vintage graphic from Hawaii

So over Easter holiday my husband and I decided last minute to fly to Hawaii....specifically the island of Kauai.  Neither of us had been to Hawaii before and since we live so close to Los Angeles....why not hop a flight and go!  I will dedicate many more posts to this trip as I saw so much beautiful food and landscapes.  Will definitely be cooking some items soon with inspiration from the island....in the meantime I found these old photos intriguing.....I intend to keep researching the indigenous people, food, settlement and surf culture from Hawaii.



This image shows young Hawaiian girls at a lu'au dipping into pots of poi and such.  I didn't try poi while in Kauai but do like Taro chips.....



This young girl is wearing a maile lei and a skirt of kapa (mulberry bark cloth.)  Apparently the Hawaiian population began to dwindle drastically from the time of Western contact in the late 1700's.  The near loss was reversed with a renaissance in the late 1970's and early 80's.  A look at what might have been lost in this photo of a beautiful native.

Music played a vital role in the Hawaiian culture.  Drums and other percussive instruments were used exclusively in original Hawaiian music, but western style instruments were adopted in the 19th century.  Now the guitar, ukulele and bass are part of the foundation of Hawaiian music.

Showing what a well dressed beachgoer would wear in this day, Miss McQueen wears a one piece wool (yes wool!) suit, tight cap and laced up shoes.....totally uncomfortable.  This photo is taken in front of where the Royal Hawaiian Hotel would be constructed a few years later.



This image is of the Kahanamoku brothers, the most famous brother was Duke (far right), who helped make surfing popular throughout the world.



Picture of Tom Blake a major innovator for surfing.  Basically he redesigned the surfboard to what we are familar with today, a hallow board that is lighter and faster then the heavy wooden ones.  I was amazed at how big some of the boards were.....few know that I learned to surf while working as a lifeguard in Myrtle Beach, SC.  My first board was a fun shaped board....

Skincare superpower

Missha BB cream- really light coverage....Missha has many others, but thus far I have only tried this one

I recently read an article from the May 2011 issue of Marie Claire (love that magazine!) on skincare and makeup from Korea.  You can read the one pager here below.  I totally agree that Korea is much more advanced regarding skincare then the US as well they have really tapped into a niche market, where the US really only has big name department store brands all offering really the same products.  I love discovering new affordable products that stores like The Face Shop, Etude House and Missha offer.  Since the article specifically sites BB Cream (the rage in Korea) I thought I would share the two BB creams I recently came home with.....



Etude House BB cream...more coverage then Missha and has a slight sheen which I like!



Article from Marie Claire May 2011 issue

 

Tokyo motor show

My first Tokyo Motor Show

A few collected postcards from the Tokyo Motor Show.  My favorite auto show after Geneva.  The Tokyo show only happens every other year, which makes it even more special.  In my opinion Tokyo is Japan's jewel.