cherry valley forever
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
Janaina Medeiros
noise dept.
Product Placement
★
Andulka
Peter Solarz
pixel skylines
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
Xuebing Du
d e v o n
KIROKAZE
Cosimo Galluzzi
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
ojovivo
Mike Driver
#extradirty
art blog(derogatory)
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@thingsjustgotpersonal
This week is launch week, and I'm launching with some beautiful little Earl Grey Brownies!
They are lovely fudge dark chocolate, with a slight fragrant note of the bergamot orange from the Earl Grey with each bite.
Selling for £1.20 a slice.
Conjurers Kitchen made 14 of these!
Jamie Oliver 'Antipasti' plank, promotional item for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Jamie's Italian.
BELOW: Ciabatta fruit cake with marzipan !!
Prosciutto- vanilla sponge cake with white chocolate ganache ciabatta- fruit cake and marzipan salami- chocolate cake chilis and olives- soft chocolate mozzarella with white, black and red pepper- meringue with white and dark chocolate, and strawberry pecorino with balsamic drizzle- white chocolate with salted caramel drizzle.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Conjurers-Kitchen/344642805569135
BethAnn Goldberg, the owner of bakery Studio Cake, creates...
BethAnn Goldberg, the owner of bakery Studio Cake, creates mind-boggling, incredibly sculpted cakes that look like anything but. http://dlvr.it/554XWm
Portuguese artist Victor Nunes sees the potential for faces just about everywhere he looks - in pieces of food and inanimate objects alike. And wherever he sees that potential he makes them appear, whether that requires drawing, molding, painting or sculpting.
You can check out lots more of Victor’s delightful artwork via his Facebook page Victor Nunes Faces.
[via Blazenfluff]
These are really creative ways of using food (and a few other things) to create images and sculptures.
Its a really unique way to look at separate objects as something more than what they are on the surface.
Sara Asnaghi: Brain Food Project
FOCUS: Sculpting, Fine Arts, Culinary Alchemy
Sara's work is really eye catching and inspiring! I came across her work whilst looking for a mould of a brain so that I could cast my own edible brains.
I must admit i was slightly disappointed to see someone had already experimented with various food types to mould the brain as I was hoping to do this myself with some originality. However she has given me the confidence and inspiration to try my own brain moulds and really experiment with different food types to see which work better within the contexts of my poster designs.
More of Sara's work can be found on her Behance page on the link below:
http://www.behance.net/SaraAsnaghi
I've been considering a lot which kind of campaign I should try to address using food as a visual material and although I really wanted to do something different I dont feel it is particually practical or nessasary to endevour down another route which will force me to do a whole TON of research and start basically from scratch with my subject knowledge.
Inittialy I wanted to address the issue of food waste, however I feel its quite hipocritical to do this as I would be using food to construct the imagery, and as much as i'd like to hope i would either use food waste / inedible food or reusable food (things i'd then cook up for dinner) I'm not entirely convinced this would be practical or possible.
So...
Onto another idea. After thinking long and hard about what kind of issues really effect me, I realised that the BIG issue I hold to heart is still campaigning for Mental Health awareness.
Mental Health campaigning is something I did a lot of before I came to LCA and during the year and a half of the course. Since then however I've lead myself astray down a number of pathways looking at various things which have ultimately left me feeling quite lost and very insecure about my abilities as a creative.
Then it hit me...
During the last 7 months I have had to go back and seek medical help about my own mental health, after long bough's of depression which at one stage I got to the point of almost being involuntary sectioning by my GP because of the state in which I was in.
Because of this, I took time out at the start of third year to visit my sister in Dubai and restore some normality and self worth - a bit of chi for the soul! In simple terms I needed a break from live at home and the stresses which I face everyday.
After coming home, although I do feel better within myself, I do also feel like I am slipping slowly back into the same mind set which I had before I took my break and this really scares me!
I have only been back now for 3 weeks! and already I feel like I am running myself into the ground with stress and anxiety.
SO HERE"S THE PLAN:
I am going to plan a poster campaign for mental health awareness, using food as a material for the visual imagery as i feel food is flexible and fun to work with, whilst bringing new challenges to the table which I haven't experienced before.
I am familiar with clay, modelling clay and other moulding materials, so working with moulding edible food types will be a very different approach.
I also feel as though working this way with food will help me to understand food better as a material - how it reacts to certain handling, temperatures and the structure of various edible elements combined. (This is not something you will learn in Cookery school I can tell you for sure!)
I want to challenge the common quotes, suggestions and sayings which are used when discussing mental health - both positive and negative - allowing the viewer to see a possibly graphic image alongside minimal text to make them stop and consider the effects of mental health as something which exists inside someones brain and not just something which most organisations 'pussy foot' around (excuse my french) in most advertising campaigns.
Shock and awe tactic I believe it is called... Let's see what happens.
London-based designer Christine Kawasaki-Chan is working on an awesome lettering project, entitled ‘_____ as _____’, for which she recreates English food-related idioms using typography and actual food.
Pictured here are Easy as pie, Cool as a cucumber, Warm as toast, and Keen as mustard. We can’t wait to see more mouthwatering depictions of food-related idioms. Keep an eye on Christine’s Dribble project page for additional pieces.
[via Design Taxi]
I really can't wait to get my hands on this book, some of the worlds leading key speakers, movers and shakers have all submitted insightful essays on Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity - all key themes for Dubai's 2020 EXPO bid.
A billion hungry, a billion overweight
A billion hungry, a billion overweight: Developing and developed are worlds apart when it comes to nutrition, and it’s time for action to help both, says Masa Kogure
Masa Kogure founded Table For Two (TFT) in 2007, an organisation that aims to address problems created by the world’s food imbalance. He is also the author of social entrepreneurship book Connecting the World with 20 Yen, which highlights the global food paradox.
The world faces a food crisis on two fronts: in a world population of around seven billion people, one billion suffer from hunger and malnutrition, while an equal number face obesity, diabetes and health issues related to ‘over nutrition’. The Tokyo-based non-profit organisation Table For Two (TFT) seeks to restore the imbalance by simultaneously addressing both issues in one meal. The organisation partners with corporate cafeterias and university canteens to serve nutritious, calorie-controlled meals, with 25 per cent of the price donated towards free school lunches in villages in the developing world. Since the start of the business in 2007, it has served more than 16 million meals. Masa Kogure, TFT’s founder and the author of social entrepreneurship book Connecting the World with 20 Yen, highlights the global food paradox. Q: What first got you interested in the world’s relationship with food? A: The founders of Table For Two were at a global conference some years back. The theme of the conference was global health issues and as part of that the issues of hunger and obesity were explored. During the coffee break, my co-founders and I had a light-bulb moment. We realised that these two major global health issues, obesity and hunger, were not separate issues, they were actually connected. We thought that instead of tackling just one problem, perhaps solving both issues at the same time would be more efficient. Q: What factors are contributing to the paradox of obesity and poverty and how are those two issues connected? A: Today food has effectively become a financial product instead of being simply food in the traditional sense. So it is subject to the rules of capitalism. In the old days, food was produced and consumed locally, but today the food you eat is produced in another country and is traded on the international markets. What this means is that rich countries have enough – actually, more than enough – food, while poor countries don’t because they can’t afford to engage in the market for what is a very basic human need. Take northern Ethiopia, for example, where Table For Two has a meal programme. Here, local farmers grow an indigenous crop – teff. They use it to make injera, which is a type of bread and is a staple in their diet. But teff can actually can be sold at a better price in Washington DC because there are so many Ethiopian restaurants there. When I visited the Ethiopian village where Table For Two has a presence I discovered that 80 per cent of teff grown there is shipped to Washington DC, even though the majority of the population in that village is suffering from a shortage of food. It’s removed right in front of the villagers’ eyes, loaded into an aircraft and flown to another country for consumption. This isn’t just an isolated example; it is typical of what is happening across the world. Q: How aware are people in the developed world of these global food issues? A: I think people know that there is hunger on the other side of the planet but they probably do not feel it is their problem. That said, because in 21st century there is an increasing gap between rich and poor I do believe that awareness is increasing. For example, in Tokyo there is poverty and increasing numbers of homeless people, so it has become everyone’s issue. Currently, people are not aware of the connection between obesity and food shortages in other parts of the world because they aren’t aware of where the food they consume comes from. If you look at food at a micro-ingredient level, less than 50 per cent of the ingredients in are locally grown. Most of it originates from overseas, often from developing nations where malnutrition can be an issue. The problem is, there’s no way for people to know the provenance of every ingredient. The challenge is to raise awareness at individual level. Once people start understanding the dynamics of the global food market, they will start thinking more carefully about what kind of food they want to buy in the supermarket or order in a restaurant. I genuinely believe attitudes will shift, hopefully in favour of more locally grown and consumed produce. Q: What can the developed world do to help chart a more sustainable path for the global food system at both a macro (corporations and governments) and a micro (individual/local) level? A: Obviously, we cannot go back to the old system of food exclusively being produced and consumed locally – that’s unrealistic. But there are still changes we can make. It’s very simple, actually. In developed nations, such as Japan, there is more than enough food to feed everyone. That means there’s a surplus. We just need to redistribute that surplus to the countries that need it. This is the basis of what we do at Table For Two. We offer balanced, low-calorie meals that encourage individuals to eat less, while using money raised as part of the scheme to help feed those in food-deprived areas. In addition, private corporations in the developed world need to share their knowledge and the technology available to enable small farmers in poor countries to boost their agricultural yields and productivity. This is actually happening now. For example, the Japanese government runs a programme that dispatches Japanese farmers, equipped with knowledge of modern farming technologies, to African countries to share their knowledge. Q: Tell us a little more about the ways in which Table For Two is helping. A: Our approach is to help by providing school meals. But longer term, that’s not sustainable. The communities we assist need to be self-sustaining. With this in mind, we have already started trialling projects where students learn about the latest farming technology after school. They then become advocates of modern farming, and so the students become teachers and help spread the knowledge. We also encourage them to grow cash crops in their school gardens so they can earn money that they then use to purchase the main staples they need for meals. Q: How important is that progression to self-sufficiency? A: It’s extremely important. Since the global banking crisis, some aid projects have been terminated because of difficulties experienced by companies in the developed world. That kind of dependence isn’t ideal. What you need to aim for is projects managed by local people using local resources. Q: How optimistic are you for the future of food sustainability and equality? A: I see a bright future when I look at our young people. The student community is a powerful driving force behind Table For Two. We have more than 1,000 members working for us in Japan and 130 universities have implemented our programme in their cafeterias. Today’s students are enthusiastic about social enterprise and are committed and capable. But on the corporate side, there are still too many fast-food chains that waste food and promote unhealthy diets. We need to see a significant shift in the mindset of private corporations, especially in food and hospitality. Sometimes it can take a dramatic turn of events for progress to occur. When Japan experienced the big earthquake of 2011, people living in the quake area actually suffered from a shortage of food. That was a big wake-up call for the Japanese people because we couldn’t believe that a situation like this could happen in our country. As a result, some restaurants stopped serving such huge portions because they suddenly became very aware of the wastage issue. It is shocks such as these that cause the corporate world to sit up and take notice. Q: So what’s next for Table For Two? A: We are now expanding the movement internationally. We recently visited London to create chair groups and engage with British companies to help us. And we hope to do the same with 10 to 20 more countries in the near future.
http://expo2020dubai.ae/en/theme/sustainability/a_billion_hungry_a_billion_overweight
Beautiful video created for an Indonesian Patissier
Current issues in Britain
I've been thinking lately about what I want to do next.
Although I'd love to do something with food I feel it needs to be something which has direction and purpose.
Recently theres been a lot of issues regarding food, poverty and waste in the UK and this is something I am all to aware of myself.
Since the age of 16 I've constantly struggled to make ends meet and put food in my fridge. I hate waste, and I do my best to only buy the amount of food I need. I've gotten quite good at controlling portion sizes and generally tend to cook just the right amount for myself and my family.
It pains me to think there are people, probably all around my street even, who cant afford to eat one decent and nutritious meal a day, when equally there are people all around me throwing food in the bin left, right and centre, sometimes simply because the label states it is out of date today!?
This is utter madness.
Below is a link to Love Food Hate Waste website : an organisation dedicated to helping raise awareness of food wastage and also to inform and educate people on how to reduce waste in our own homes.
Their facts and figures page is quite scary.
http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/node/2472
The Conjurers Kitchen - Edible Disturbia
http://www.conjurerskitchen.com/
Annabel de Vetten (aka Annabel Lecter) is the Conjurers Kitchen
"Leaning towards more unusual and creatively decorated cakes, our creations range from artistic to anatomical, and from nice to naughty. The more unusual the request, the happier we are. Nothing is too weird for the Conjurer's Kitchen! Seriously...."
She will create anything you desire, although you should bare in mind that prices will reflect the size and detail of the job. Annabel doesn't do half arsed and you can guarantee that her creations are completed with 100% love, care and creative ability.
Her work is somewhat gruesome and disgusting but in the most fascinating and intriguing way. Annabel manages to represent the most intricate of details using sugar paste and other edible delights all resulting in super realistic appearances which will definitely be the talk of the event.
"Cake is more than a sugary dessert. It’s better than that. People love their cakes. They hold them up and take pictures with them. Cake is the centerpiece of your party. It’s the entertainment. It’s what people will remember. No one ever takes a picture with a salad. Or with decorative napkins. Cake doesn’t come from a box. Real cake takes time. And practice. Cake also takes foresight. And engineering. Because a cake’s natural state is that of “lump”. You should say: “Cake shouldn’t be able to do that.” And you would be absolutely right. But that is what makes it all the more amazing."
Completed christening cake for Charlotte, Ricky and Caleb.
My client cried when she saw the cake for the first time. This is what its all about.
I got compliments from all of the guests on the quality.
They couldnt believe I study art and design at uni and yet can make cakes to this standard.
It was even more fun explaining this is only the second elaborate cake like this which I have made....!!!
Its amazing how a few balls of gum paste can turn into something so beautiful.
I really enjoyed making this train, the process was quite straight forward once you break it down into pieces like any other 3D crafted object.
Sugar craft is definitely something which I am happy to do, the more elaborate and technical the better!!
Food as Visual Communication
I've been asked to explain how exactly research and work into food is actually in fitting with the course ethos of Vis Com. So here is my answer in short.
All food in my opinion is visual communication - when we buy a chocolate bar, the packaging has been designed in deep purple or blue colours which are instantly recognisable and used alongside TV and poster adverts to seduce and entice consumers into buying the product.... because they want it.... because it will make them feel better.
Take a look around you and you will see only too well the effects of food communication has had on society - although we are not as big and stupid as America, we consume fast and processed food because it is constantly advertised, readily available and promises us a satisfaction upon eating it that in todays hectic world, more often than not we really need!
To me, food symbolises health, happiness, excitement and togetherness. Granted I will snack on the move to keep my body going, but if I could help it, all my meal times would be carried out surrounded by my friends and family sharing stories and laughing and enjoying the flavours, colours and smells of the food.
We should not simply EAT TO LIVE !
There are countless health issues all across the world relating to food:
obesity
bulimia/anorexia
Poor diets leading to under malnourished children and adults
These are simply just a few.
I have always had a strange relationship with food. As a child i was fed meals packed full of calories and processed ingredients, with little exercise I was very overweight by the age of 13. At 16 I left home and since having total control over my food intake have experienced huge ups and downs with my relationship with food.
This entire time however I have always loved food as it is a simple thing which you can transform into whatever your heart and taste buds desire, enhancing all of your senses and creating excitement and endorphins when you put something which tastes satisfying into your mouth. (no giggles please...)
Food is a huge part of culture all across the world, yet in England food is understated in many ways, simply something we do because we feel we have to - WE HAVE LOST THE LOVE!
My intention with my endeavour to create edible delights is an aim to try and re-introduce the idea of food as an exciting and enjoyable experience. Something which can be used to boost your health and your mood as well as something which can bring family, friends and the community together.
I am not a huge fan of Jamie Oliver, but he has got a real point with his food revolution. People are unconnected, uneducated and out of touch.
Look at the facts - Schools rarely teach food technology anymore, children more often than not do not know where meat, milk and eggs come from!!!! THIS IS COMPLETELY WRONG!!
I believe if we, as a nation, continue to view food as we are now, we will end up a miserable overweight and poor nation who blame the Government and fast food industries for our sad lives.
In truth it is down to no-one other than ourselves to reconnect with food on a positive level and realise that 'bad foods' are not bad unless you cram your body full of them and 'healthy foods' are not boring and tasteless leaving you feeling empty and unsatisfied at the end.
Experiencing other cultures and the way in which other people connect and relate to their food has really given me the drive and excitement to pursue a pathway in which I can attempt to encourage others to do the same.
I want others to taste, smell, see and feel my creations.
I want them to feel emotions whilst in contact with my food.
I want people to connect with other people and socialise.
I want others to be as excited and as driven by food as I am.
One more thing.... people ask me why I have begun making cakes for events such as Christenings and Birthdays.
The simple answer is this...
When I spend a week of non stop cooking, crafting and baking in my kitchen, working on something which has been designed and personalised by me for my customer, taking this then to a venue and witnessing the face's of all those there when they see what I have made for someone on a special occasion is a feeling I cannot explain.
Within an hour the cake will be demolished and everyone around me will be complimenting me on the look and flavour whilst licking crumbs off their faces.... Who could not enjoy this moment?
When you create a cake for someone in specific, Love, Time, Planning and Effort goes into that cake. It is designed in a way which reflects the person who it is intended for and needs to communicate a visual message to other guests about what kind of event and person this cake has been made for.
Anyone can bake.... but it takes passion to commit yourself to work for sometimes no money at all whilst putting everything you have into a cake which you hope will help to make someones day incredibly special - one which they will never forget.
Cake is the centrepiece of celebration, no matter where you are in the world or what kind of cake it may be, everyone LOVES CAKE!
So this is why I am baking for events and occasions. Because not always do you need to run around making decorations, when one well designed and well excecuted cake can sum up an entire event by simply sitting there for all to see.
Arabic cuisine and food culture
Its coming to the end of my stay here in Dubai so I want to summarise what I've learnt about the food culture and cuisine of the Arabs.
Originally Arabs relied heavily on a limited diet of foods such as wheat, dates, rice, yoghurt and meat, but once they began to move to different places their diet changed along with new availability and surroundings.
Arabic cuisine today consists of a diverse mixture of Lebanese, Egyptian, Chinese and Indian with many dishes influenced by a mixture of each developed throughout history. Like all other cultures, Arabs made use of the techniques and flavours used by others to enhance their food cultures and eating habits.
Today you will find a huge emphasis on spices and herbs, specifically such things as Zataar (wild thyme), turmeric, saffron, cumin, sesame, sumac and cinnamon usually combined in unique recipes with either meat or vegetables to create flavoursome and wholesome dishes which are eaten widely across the Arabic Emirates.
Food to the Arabs is all about hospitality and this is commonly felt whilst sampling the food out in the gulf. Meals consist of a variety of foods usually shared in the middle of the table in bowls or platters which everyone helps themselves to, using their hands or scooping things up with traditional arabic flatbread.
Meal times are a celebration with family and friends getting together to share conversation and discussion whilst enjoying healthy and delicious food. For westerners, meal times can be quite strange as it is not in our culture to use your hands to eat or even to share large dishes around the table. Not many traditions in England for example will be served in the middle of the table as we have a habit of plating up meals to be served individually and then eaten with cutlery, something which although is nice,is quite formal and reserved.
Tea and Coffee is also a common accompaniment to any meal with Arabic Coffee's in wide availability and different infuse tea's such as gold tea, black tea and spiced tea being very popular during dinner time. Beverages are also made for sharing with tea pots kept warm over lit candles in beautiful glass urns and coffee brewed and then served in elaborate tin coffee urns.
Smoking is a very common meal time thing, with large Shisha pipes filled with water and flavoured wet tobacco standing tall on the table or floor which are heated using hot coals on the top and smoked through long pipes for a smooth smoke. You can find Shisha pipes in most cafe's, restaurants and bars in Dubai... and most homes also! Again this is something which is meant to be shared around with family and friends whilst relaxing in conversation.
Arabic cuisine is largely about generosity and celebration. Celebratory events such as birthdays and weddings are a huge feast of flavours and foods with a classic celebratory centrepiece consisting of an entire camel stuffed with sheep or lamb then stuffed with chicken which is stuffed with fish or eggs.
This dish should be first boiled and then roasted much like English would do a hog-roast. The whole cooking process takes around 24 hours and once ready the beast of a dish will be served in the middle of the celebration on a bed of spiced rices and grains. In total this dish is meant to serve around 80-100 people so is largely kept for these celebratory occasions.
The whole cooking process takes around 24 hours and once ready the beast of a dish will be served in the middle of the celebration on a bed of spiced rices and grains. In total this dish is meant to serve around 80-100 people so is largely kept for these celebratory occasions.
I really love the way in which food is celebrated in Arabic culture and the way in which food is the heart of family life brining people together. This is something which meal times in England used to be about, however since families began to work longer hours and live more hectic life meal times tend to now consist of TV dinners or takeaways eaten in a very individual way.
I can really see myself loving a career in catering in Dubai as they view food in a way which I also do - as a way of bringing others together to enjoy the tastes and flavours created whilst enjoying the company and conversation of others.
