Fashion Bakery

Fashion on Campus

2009-09-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Last week in Salient.

This old school look is cute - muted colours, layered classic pieces, gorgeous fit to the jacket. I love the slightly short pants exposing coordinated socks - hard to pull off but quite cool here. Only attempt to replicate if you have the height and narrow legs for it though. But the most obvious thing to love in this outfit is the awesome vintage doctors-style bag, the sculptural way it folds around the opening is lovely, as is the detailing - contrasting white stitching and big gold clasp.

Followers of my blog will know that at the moment I am loving a glimpse of ankle between a narrow pant and lace up shoe. I also love how simple this outfit is. The blazer over a plain tee is big around campus at the moment, but what's great about the look here is how clean it has been kept - simple complimentary lights (which look great against the blond hair), no over the top pendants or scarves, no extraneous belt around the waist. That's not to say attention hasn't been paid to detail though - the rolled cuffs of the blazer are v. cute. Finished off with a great bag exhibiting the exposed zips we're still seeing a lot of, this is the perfect ensemble for the present transitioning seasons.

The red wedges, the leather gloves and of course the beret - I could not resist how very Parisian this look is. It's great to see splashes of brights as we move well and truly into spring, and the colours are balanced and tied together perfectly with the red roll neck matching those fabulous wedges, and a glimpse also visible just above the gloves. The gloves themselves add another great touch, I love how glamorous leather gloves are in general, and they are great with the mix of textures we have with the black felt beret, knit cardigan, and tights.

Of dairy, science diagrams and house-wifery

2009-09-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tyler Florence is so ultimate. I watched him make these scones on Food TV the other day, and swooned at the guy who makes his own orange scented buttermilk. I can't marry Tyler, but I can reproduce his scones, which were excellent.

First, on butter and buttermilk

Many recipes from the States call for buttermilk. It is hard to come by here, but I am yet to find a recipe where using regular milk will not suffice as a substitute.

That said, it does bring a discernibly different flavour to your baked goods, and making buttermilk yourself is actually very easy.

Buttermilk is a byproduct of the production of butter. There is some science behind it, which you can see illustrated with simple diagrams here. Basically, the process is that you whip cream as it passes through sloshy, fluffy, thick and then quite suddenly separates into butter and buttermilk. You then have to strain the product in a fine mesh sieve to get all the buttermilk out for use in baking, and keep the butter for use in baking / spreading / other cooking.

I think that making your own butter is generally a cool thing to do - it has an excellent housewife air to it. Plus you can make your butter exciting by adding things to it. Make lovely sweet butters by adding sugar or honey, and scent them with zest, ginger, rose petals or similar. Or make savoury butters by salting, and adding herbs, garlic, onion, olives, sun dried tomatoes and so on.

If you are making flavoured butter which will go well with what you want to bake with the buttermilk (as in the recipe below), you can just put all your flavouring ingredients in at the very beginning with the cream . But remember, they will flavour the butter and the buttermilk, so if you are making sweet buttermilk pancakes, but also want some tasty garlic and coriander butter for separate use, separate the buttermilk first, then return the fresh butter to the blender and whizz in your herbs.

Tyler's Berry Scones with Honey Orange Butter

These were very yummy. The berries added a nice tartness, and were really picked up with the delicate scent of the orange zest.

First, prepare the butter and buttermilk:

Put 500ml of cream in a blender. Add the zest of one orange and 1/2 cup of honey.
Blend for about 4 minutes. In Tyler's words, the mixture will "slosh, whip then separate".
At this point, strain out the buttermilk - there should be just under a cup. Put the buttermilk aside to use in the scones. Squeeze the butter dry and refrigerate to have with the scones.

Then make the scones:

Mix 2 cups of plain flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl.

Add 100g of butter, and crumble until you have the consistency of bread crumbs.

Add 3/4 of a cup of buttermilk and stir to combine. As the dough comes together, add 1 1/2 cups of mixed berries (I used frozen ones as there are no fresh berries in stores yet. They worked fine, but had perhaps a little too much moisture - I think fresh would give a discernible improvement).

Grease a baking tray and drop spoonfuls of the mixture. Brush each one with a little buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. Tyler says the recipe makes 6 large scones, but they must be pretty large, as I made 14 average sized ones.

Serve them warm with the orange honey butter.

Coq au Vin of sorts.

2009-09-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

I was at my parents place last week, and they asked me to whip up some dinner while they were out at some function related to my brother. I found some chicken thighs and vegetables in their fridge, so I made the following very tasty dish.

It has chicken and wine, so I guess I can call it a kind of coq au vin, but I did not follow any recipe, so apart from the presence of the two key ingredients I can not comment on how traditional it is.

I also cooked it in a tagine, which is not a key item in traditional french cuisine. But you could make it just fine in a casserole dish.

Another thing to note is that I was cooking for 3, which is an unusual number for a recipe to be based around. Adjust your portions accordingly.

Ella's Chicken with Wine

Heat some olive oil in a pan and sear 3 chicken thighs all over. Leave to stand.

In the same pan fry a chopped onion and 5 chopped cloves of garlic.

Chop some vegetables into big chunks (the kind of size you would roast). I used leeks, carrots, parsnips and yams. Put these in the bottom of a tagine or casserole dish. Add 3 or 4 stalks of rosemary, 3 bay leaves, and a handful of oregano. Season with lots of salt and pepper and the zest of two lemons, then squeeze over their juice.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Pour over 2 cups of chicken stock and half a bottle of white wine. The chicken should be mostly covered, but with the skin at the top just out of the liquid so it does not lose the crispiness from the frying.

Put the lid on your tagine / casserole dish and bake in a moderate oven.

I served it with mustard mash like that I made for a dinner party some months ago (recipe here) and lightly steamed broccoli.

Iraqi lamb shank recipe

2009-09-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe is amazing. I made it for 4 massive lamb shanks, but the original one is intended for 12 small ones.

2 medium onions
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp baharat spices (you can substitute cumin if you don't have them)
1/2 tsp turmeric
5 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup water
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Serve with rice and salad

1. Rinse the shanks and pat dry, place in an oven proof dish

2. In a pan, fry the onions in the oil until tender. Add the garlic, baharat and turmeric and fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining ingrediants and bring to the boil, simmer for 5 mins

3. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Pour the tomato sauce over the shanks, cover with the pot lid. Cook for 1 1/2 hours to two hours until meat seperates easily from the bone

Serve with rice and salad

Do your readings.

2009-09-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

There is no sign, but enter the glass door printed with book spines tucked beside Burger King on Courtenay Place, climb the banaustic stairs one floor, and you will find yourself at The Library - a cosy new lounge bar specialising in cocktails and after dinner treats.

Occupying the space where Cabaret used to be, The Library is just what Wellington has needed - a quiet lounge bar like Motel or Hawthorne, but big enough for one to actually get a table. Bookshelves cover most wall space, which gives the place the feel of a speak easy in the drawing room of a fabulous home. The staff are friendly and attentive, and might be improved only by the introduction of cute waistcoat based uniforms like those at Hawthorne.

The cocktail menu is good, and it isn't horrifically priced - House cocktails are $10 - 15, and 'luxury' cocktails $15-18. They make an excellent Gambatte, served with a black doris plum and chopsticks with which to eat it. In line with the rest of town, cocktails are 2 for 1 on Wednesday nights. I have yet to test the staff with off-menu requests, but they are certainly very competent at those on the list. There is a good list of dessert wines (all available by the glass or the bottle), ports, sherrys, cognacs and whiskeys.

But it is the after dinner nibbles which they really excel at.

They have a range of five cheese (from $8 - 14), which come in 50g servings. Each comes with crackers and bread, a preserved fig and some lemon and olive oil dressed mesculun (this last touch is perhaps slightly out of place). I have sampled most of the cheese menu and report that the Tarago River Jensens Red from Australia is certainly the most delicious - creamy and with a much richer flavour than the Putaruru NZ Brie.

The dessert menu is the most exciting part, though. I have sampled most of it through the tasting platter. My favourite was the Blanc Manger - like the most deliciously creamy panacotta, superbly balanced with a liqueur heavy almond and raspberry coulis. The dark, rich chocolate truffle tart was also excellent.

The first time I had the earl grey brulee (the main feature of the tea plate, which also comes with chai ice cream and jasmine scented lychee's), I detected a slightly metallic aftertaste. This has not shown in subsequent tastings, however, and without it the brulee is a very delicious variation on one of my favourite classic desserts.

The lemon spongy pud was a bit bland on it's own, but enhanced greatly when coupled with the raspberry sorbet from the sorbet plate.

Finally on the tasting platter is the ginger pudding. This was not, as is often the way, lacking in ginger flavour, but was still somewhat plain on it's own. Outside of the tasting platter though, it comes with baked pears and caramel ice cream, which I intend to try next time and I expect will balance it well.

Atmosphere, liquor, cheese and sweets - The Library is altogether delightful.

Giggle

2009-09-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

http://antoniehates.blogspot.com/2009/08/ellas-fashion-blandery.html

"As much as I enjoy giggling unkindly at Ella's blog, I think that particular post is pretty close to the definition of unintentional irony..."
- Tom Mathews (whose excellent blog can be found here)

Fashion on Campus

2009-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Last week's column in the Salient.

What initially made me want to photograph this outfit was simply that I love the luxury of fur, and when it's combined with lush deep red velvet peeking out from underneath, how could I resist? I also like the transitioning seasons - big warm fur around the neck, but summery sunglasses. Short skirt, but cute chunky socks.

The best thing about this outfit is the balance it strikes between sharp and effortless. The colour palette is simple and held together well - blue scarf compliments darker blue jeans, marone cardigan compliments chocolate coat. The cardigan is dressy, but the way it is pulls, loosely buttoned, says he doesn't care. As do the striking neon sneakers against an otherwise preppy ensemble.

Detail of the moment

2009-08-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't bought anything worthy of 'item of the moment' status for a while, but in my campus photography and general observances in the last couple of weeks, have decided I am most enamoured with those who display a glimpse of ankle between a narrow (ideally cuffed) pant and a cute bootie or lace up shoe.

Tiramisu

2009-08-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

My friends and I were going to try cooking along with Gordon Ramsay on Saturday night. But as Saturday afternoon progressed, it became clear none of us was going to summon the energy to travel the distance needed to acquire crab meat, duck breast, angel hair pasta and the other ingredients needed to produce this weeks 3 course dinner.

So instead, we decided to eat Camembert and crackers for dinner, and just cook along for the relatively simple dessert he was producing, which was a tiramisu. We made only slight variations, deriving from deviations in ingredients and levels of intoxication differing slightly from those of Mr Ramsay himself.

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera - but here is a stock photo of some titamisu (made with proper sponge fingers instead of cubes like ours) and the method we used to make our own very delicious and simple dessert:

- Put 4 martini glasses in the freezer to chill

- Make a reasonable sized espresso shot (like, half a cup), and put it in the fridge or freezer to cool down.

- Cut a sponge cake ($2.60 from New World - bargain) into about 2cm cubes.

- In a bowl, whip together 250g mascapone, 1/2 cup icing sugar and (according to Gordon) 3 or (according to me) 5-6 tablespoons of Marsala.

- In a separate bowl whip a cup of cream until firm but not butter.

- Fold the cream into the mascapone mix.

- Fill each martini glass with sponge cake cubes.

- Spoon some cold coffee on top - not too much as you don't want them completely saturated in coffee. At this step I added a splash of Marsala too. This was not in the recipe and I suspect they might have been slightly more balanced in flavour had I not decided to do this.

- Scoop the mascapone mixture on top of the sponge, try to make it pretty by using the back of the spoon to make a swirl pattern. If you were making this to impress guests you could pipe it on for an even more attractive top.

- Grate lots of chocolate on top.

Variation: Although not traditional, tiramisu can also be very delicious with the addition of berries (especially raspberries) between the sponge and the topping.

Fashion on Campus

2009-08-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

Last weeks column in the Salient.

I have been at a debating competition in Melbourne all holidays, so rather than Fashion on Campus at Vic, this week I bring you Fashion at a Formal Dinner at Monash University.

The colours in this dress are amazing. It works because it couples striking statement fabric with a shape that is loosely draped - attention seeking fabric that is also overly clingy is generally undesirable. Bubble hemlines are still being seen a lot, but the dress acknowledges that they are getting more subdued. With simple pulled back hair the look is gorgeous.

I love women who are daring enough to wear trousers to formal events, and they are very elegantly pulled off here. As dress pants go, fashion forward peg pants in black satin are up there in terms of glamour. The top is pretty, and a different colour in the same texture works well to keep the outfit cohesive - important when wearing separates to an event dominated by dresses.

Roscommon Rhubarb Tart

2009-08-10T01:19:00.000-07:00

Roscommon County in Ireland is not terribly close to Wexford County, where my family are from. But they make an excellent Rhubarb tart. It is made like an upside down cake with fruit in the bottom of your pan and a simple scone dough base. I made it a couple of days ago, recipe below:

Preheat oven to 230C

Chop up 900 g red rhubarb into small pieces (around 2 cm's). Put this all in the bottom of an oven proof stainless steel saucepan (or a cake tin if you don't have one). Cover with 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Put it on an element at a low heat while you make the base.

Sieve together:

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons castor sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Rub in 50g butter. Whisk the eggs and milk together, then make a well in the dry mixture, pour the liquid in all at once and mix to a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board and roll into a round the size and shape of your saucepan / cake tin.

Bake in the fully preheated oven for about 5 minutes then turn it down to about 180 for a further 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let stand for a couple of minutes, before turning it out, upside down, onto a plate. The sugar will have formed a syrup which will pour out a little. Let it stand 5 minutes to allow the syrup to soak down into the scone base before serving (traditionally) with whipped cream and soft brown sugar, or (alternatively) with creme fraiche, yogurt or ice cream.

Variations:

This is an excellent recipe to use as a starting concept for experimentation.

Try it with different fruit ( I love combining apple with rhubarb. Pear or stone fruit would also be good I think).

Another option is adding exciting bits to the scone base, maybe nuts (pecans or walnuts would work well), or dried fruits like crystallised ginger, craisin's or dates.

No fashion off campus

2009-08-02T01:20:00.000-07:00

I was going do a Law Ball special for my next Fashion on Campus column. But I arrived at the Law Ball on Saturday night and realised that this was simply not realistic. 99% of attendees fell into at least two of the following categories: trash/ over costumed/ uncoordinated/ too retarded to approach/ threatening to beat me up. (That last one only applies to one particular douche-bag, ironically whose girlfriend was perhaps the worst dressed there). It was just not going to be worth the effort to sift out those ensembles that were actually worth the memory card space.

So, rather than analysis of the hits of the evening, which were few and far between to say the least, I bring you my 4 points on how to avoid being one of the abundant misses.

1. Underwear
Your bra is not automatically invisible. You need to think, just for a second, about this fact. Things that will make you look like trash include:

- Wearing an ordinary backed bra with a backless dress. This includes a bra that sits just below the back of your dress when you put it on, but not when you move an inch.

- If your dress is strapless, or has spaghetti straps, or is a halter, or any other form which will lead to visible bra straps, DO NOT WEAR A BRA WITH STRAPS. If, for some reason, you insist on doing so, please please please make them clear, beige or the same colour as your dress.

- Seriously, just invest in some adhesive chicken fillets. They're not sexy, but they work, and will prevent you from looking like trash before you even get the chance to get your clothes off.

2. Costumes (For the benefit of my non Law School based readers: the theme for this ball was The Great Gatsby, so essentially the 1920's.)

A ball with a theme does not equate to a costume party. Consider these important distinctions in future:

- A costume party is for wearing costumes. This means that you are supposed to be playing a character. As such, it is OK to wear things that are not flattering, or that are simply ugly. The abundance of tremendously ugly sequined headbands, absurd feathers and cheap plastic beads made it clear that this was what most people thought the ball was.

- What the event actually was was a ball with a theme. Themes are actually primarily there to provide direction for organisers in decoration, invitations etc. To the extent that you want to acknowledge the theme of an event, you should do so within the confines of things that look good. This will usually be in the form of adding cute accessories - to use an example from the ball, it is the distinction between a garish sequined headband from a costume hire store, or a cute beaded number from an accessory store.

3. Coordination
Why do you all think that black shoes go with everything? If there is no other black in your ensemble, they will not go. Black is a very harsh colour. Buy shoes that compliment your outfit - something either matching your dress or tied in by accessories. They don't have to be fabulous, but they do have to be coordinated. Seriously, $40 at Number One will do you.

4.Wear things that fit you
Wear things your boobs aren't spilling out of. Don't wear desperately clingy gold across your size 12 arse. Choose a skirt length appropriate to your thigh width.
It's fine to be a size 12, (it's fine to be any size) - but wear size 12 (or your size) clothes!

Super pretty cute girl rainbow heart sparkle cupcakes

2009-07-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am a poor feminist. I love fashion in all its objectifying glory, my favourite place to be is the kitchen and my dream job is 'socialite house wife'.

So, when the debating society recently decided to hold a 'women's night', I decided my contribution to the theme would be some mini (feminine sized) cupcakes, with pink icing, sparkles and sprinkles. For something extra special I added cream cheese and raspberry jam centres. Also, cupcakes are v. in vogue right now.

Super pretty cute girl rainbow heart sparkle cupcakes

Sift together:

1 1/3 cups (170g) plain flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
pinch salt

In a separate bowl beat together:

50g butter, softened
1½ cups white sugar
2 eggs

1tsp vanilla essence

Add the dry ingredients and one cup of milk to the latter, mixing to combine.

Line a mini muffin tray with patty cups. Put baout a tablespoon of mixture into each one (so it is about 2/3 full). Then add a tiny knob of cream cheese and a dab of jam (I like raspberry) to the centre of each for a delicious surprise centre. Don't worry about pushing these down if they float on top, the cake mix will rise over them.

Bake at 175C for 10 minutes or so.

When out of the oven and cooled, add a swirl of pink icing, some heart shaped rainbow sprinkles and top with a little silver ball.

On proportions:

The recipe I used was for regular sized cupcakes, and it claimed to make 16. I made 48 mini cupcakes with the mixture. So, if you are making mini cupcakes and are not feeding the entire Vic Debsoc you may want to halve the recipe.

There's a Hare in my Pie

2009-07-23T02:44:00.000-07:00

Below is a guest post by my friend Campbell. I have blogged before about my love of fur, so when Campbell told me he had had found a place which coupled animal pelts with an excellent culinary experience, I thought it had to be reported at the fashion bakery.

Plug: you can read Campbell's regular column about life in Wellington / things that annoy him at thewhalingship.com

There's a Hare in my Pie

Campbell Herbert

During the holidays just gone, I spent just over a week in the delightful town of Wanaka, partaking in my usual winter activity of skiing. This year, the resort I was staying at, the Edgewater, was a contestant in the Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge (now in it’s 12th year). In it, chefs are encouraged to create a dish from wildfood, using ingredients that are not usually found on a mainstream menu, and pair it with a Monteith’s ale or larger.

Edgewater’s entry in the competition was titled “There’s a Hare in my Pie” and consisted of Wild Otago hare and beer pie, smoked rabbit sausage, and confit leg. They had paired this (poorly, in my opinion) with Monteith’s Dopplebock Winter Ale.

The meal itself was truly delicious, but fell into the trap of tasting exactly like the ale it was paired with. A shame really. That said, considered individually both the food and the ale were a perfect match for the surroundings.

The most amazing part, however, was the way it was presented. Above a stone fireplace in this restaurant, on a line, hang 10 rabbit pelts. On the mantle are Dopplebock Winter Ale bottles in neat rows. The walls are lined with a rich wood paneling, and the lights are dim. This dish does not appear on the menu, instead it is granted its own card, but oddly (given it is an entry to a competition, where the customers vote) it is not sold in the usual specials rundown the waitstaff give.

Quite the fan of game, usually having a much richer flavour than mainstream meat, I ordered it – one of the rare opportunities I have, not ever cooking it myself, and it being a rare find on inner-city menus.

The waiter took my current place setting away, walked over to the fireplace and returned with one of the rabbit pelts. The beer came out first (as it should have). It was presented in a bowl covered by a second rabbit pelt, sitting on top of the pelt was an ostrich-egg shaped and sized block of ice. There was a small shelf cut from the ice to allow it to hold the beer bottle so it could lie against the ice. Inside the ice was a small flickering light, as though a tea light sat below it, that shone through the brown glass bottle.

Confit is a concept that scares me. Meat cooked in its own fat is never an appealing thought, but this was particularly delicious. The sausages were perfectly seasoned and quite easily the best I have ever had (they were also breakfast size, so you didn’t get sick of them), and the pie was equally as amazing. The only complaint I have is that the pie tasted too similar to the ale, but that was a very negligible issue in the broader scheme of things.

The challenge finishes this week, and the dish is currently ranked third - quite an amazing feat given it is a small resort competing against restaurants like Redhead, (at Molly Malones) whose patronage would easily be in a week what Edgewater’s is in a season, and The Grange, a well known and very popular Auckland restaurant. When it rolls around next year, however, (starts about the 1st of June) I highly recommend you visit one of the participating restaurants because it is guaranteed to be delicious.

Fabulous, fabulous cakes

2009-07-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

I have been away in Melbourne for the last two weeks, and upon my return was thrust into a manic week which culminated in two days of solid baking and party attending. Exciting posts on meals and fashion in Melbourne to come soon, but first and foremost I want to share the two cakes I made this weekend.

The first was for my friend Richard's 21st.

I covered the base cake with frosting made of melted white chocolate and cream, coloured with some drops of green food dye, then covered it with green sanding sugar to create the sparkly grass.

I carved a basic unicorn shape out of a second cake and covered it with rolled out almond icing. To make the icing keep adhere to the shape I covered the cake with jam thinned with a little hot water.

I added a horn and ears made of almond icing, and used an icing pen to do the black detailing. The mane and tail were piped with the following recipe, which is excellent for such things because it sets hard as candy.

500g icing sugar
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.

The bigger flowers were made with heart shaped marshmallows and gummy mint leaves on tooth picks. I made some small pink icing flowers, and finished with some frosting roses I had bought and some daisy sprinkles. Finally, a sprinkle of 'edible lustre'.

My three year old sister also had a birthday on the weekend.

I started with the same base - green white chocolate icing and sanding sugar.

I then carved two pieces from a second cake; a thick cylinder and a slightly larger dome. I kneaded food dye into almond icing to make pink and purple, then covered each piece of the mushroom with them.

I piped details onto the stem with yellow frosting, and used an edible pink glitter pen to add spots. I made two smaller mushrooms with lolly sticks and marshmallows, added a fairy figuring, and again finished with daisy sprinkles and a dusting of edible lustre.

To Judith Collins

2009-07-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

I love the huge fur collared coat you had on today when I saw you in the hosery department of the Kirks sale. But pairing black boots with such a brown heavy outfit was a poor decision.
5/9.

F... F... Phat?

2009-06-21T00:56:00.000-07:00

I am increasingly concerned by the crowds my fifteen year old brother is getting into. I saw him this evening at my parent's house. He had some new pants. Worryingly, my mother had bought them for him - at a price just over $100. Now usually, I would be impressed, that is an absolute bargain for a pair of jeans or dress pants.

But I was not impressed, and these were not jeans or dress pants. I have just salvaged the receipt from his room, which tells me they are called Barker's Original Track pant, Navy (He was served by Lucy).

Now I am a great lover of track pants in situations like walking from my bedroom to the bathroom in the morning, cooking dinner, studying or watching TV in my chilly living room. What you will notice about all of those situations though, is that they occur in my own home, and when not entertaining.

But my brother tells me that these "fat / phat pants" (as he calls them) - which are deliberately sloppy and shapeless - are the ultimate trendster item amongst his peers right now, and they are wearing them in public. He says that according to Lucy, they are flying off the shelves. Seriously, the epically unflattering gather at the ankle is apparently the most crucial feature.

I do not approve of this trend, and I think it is one of the best examples of fashion and style being directly at odds. These pants won't look flattering on anyone. Ever. Classic tracksuit material will never be stylish. Ever.

Below is a picture of my brother wearing his, and another picture which better show cases the product. So, looking both at how they are worn, and what they look like in more detail, how do you feel about these pants as an in-public garment?

Unity Sale

2009-06-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Unity Collection have expanded their winter sale. Initially it was only on selected older stock, but there is now 30% off just about everything, including most current winter stock.

I am particularly excited about this, as it has allowed me to finally purchase the Michelle Yvette coat I have been lusting after for several weeks now. It is a gorgeous variation on a classic trench - 100% wool, with a deep V flanked by a huge lapel, and great button detailing on the front.

It is pictured here, but I think wearing it open really doesn't do justice to it's lovely cut, and you can't see the buttons. When I get a chance I will post a picture which better show cases it.

Dinner Party

2009-06-13T00:51:00.001-07:00

As a gift to my mother for her birthday, I put on a dinner party for my parents and 8 of their friends last weekend.

To start

- pepperdews stuffed with creme fraiche.

-Pieces of goats milk camembert with basil leaves wrapped in proscuitto.

- I also bought a half baked loaf of sour dough, and served this freshly baked in bite sized pieces with basil pesto, preserved chargrilled mushrooms and a small bowl of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Entre

As an entre I made the mushroom tarts I have blogged about in the past.

Main

For the main I made a honey glazed pork belly with baked apple, mustard riced potato and green beans. Recipe below.

Dessert

I made a lovely lemon tart and raspberry coulis, which I served with creme fraiche. I will post the recipe separately in the coming days though, or this will be a ridiculously long post. And it is nice to have each recipe discretely posted, I think.

Honey Glazed Pork Belly

Served with baked apple, mustard riced potatoes and green beans.

First, chop two carrots and a leek into large chunks. Place these with 5 bruised cloves of garlic and 5 bay leaves in the bottom of a roasting dish.

On top of these place your whole pork belly, and pour over a litre and a half of chicken stock and half a bottle of sweet white wine. Cover with tinfoil and broil in the oven at 220*C for about 2 hours.

While that cooks, boil your potatoes until soft. Put them through a potato ricer, season and stir in half a cup of cream and a couple of tablespoons of whole grain mustard.

Peel and core your apples (enough for half an apple per person), cut them in half and brush with oil. Bake until tender.

Once the pork is cooked through, take it out of the baking dish. Drain on a wire cooling rack, then place under the grill to crackling-up the skin.

Take a couple of ladles of the juice the pork was cooked in, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of honey and reduce. At the same time, steam your green beans.

To plate, place a dollop of the riced potatoes in the centre of a plate. Put a baked apple half and some beans beside it, then put the pork on top of the potato and pour over a couple of tablespoons of the glaze.

Some notes

Although it is nice to eat meat without bones, choose a pork belly that still has them in. Removing the bones from this cut essentially involves taking off the bottom layer - so you are left with only the very fattiest bit, and much less actual meat.

Your beans will look more attractive if you trim them all to the same size.

I initially forgot to take a picture before the plated food went out of the kitchen, so the image you can see was taken after my step father had begun to disassemble it. The plating was actually much tidier when the dishes left the kitchen, I promise.

Fashion on Campus

2009-06-13T00:41:00.001-07:00

I have been super busy with the fortnight of doom at the end of term. But here finally is the latest Fashion on Campus from the salient.

I had some misgivings about including this look. At first I was unsure whether the tee was edgy or trash (and also whether feminists would rage). But I think that the look viewed holistically is definitely very cool, and definitely not trash. The tee is funky, and I also love the soft grey gloves against an otherwise harsh black ensemble. The cute cable knit of the beanie also softens the look, along with tying in the warm tones of the print.

This ensemble is a great example of how really simple pieces work well combined with just one or two exciting bits. A plain white tee, basic grey scarf and simple cardi wouldn't ordinarily make for an edgy outfit. But the peg-leg pants are both exciting and worn well, matched with funky fingerless gloves and cute vintage bag, the look is far from dull.

Tips for women with 'ass'

2009-06-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have been reflecting on this issue for some time now, given that me and Ella differ somewhat in our proportions. There are a range of things for women who have hips which we need to be aware of. The first is that women are meant to have hips. Don't be sad, or mourn this fact. Yet, much of the fashion industry is dominated by gay men, who dress women in clothes that better suit the lithe teenage boys they no doubt drool over. An excellent case in point is the model in the picture below. Apart from long hair, she may as well be a man.

So I have compiled a list of trends that we women with 'ass' should avoid, or at least approach with caution. Ella feel free to add your thoughts...

1. Long cardies

These are very fashionable, and are warm, so are popping up everywhere. Some of them are awesome, but they present a series of challanges for us ladies with ass. The first of these is to make sure it doesn't gape and stretch around the hip area. This reinforces your wideness and draws the eye towards your hips. Also, check how they make your body look overall - often your see a girl with a buttened up long cardie whose silhouette is very unflattering. Sometimes it is better to tie them at the back, to avoid this, or only tie them with the tie and not the buttons. Moochi have a series of very uncool long cardies at the moment - not only to they button all the way down, they actually have enormous hip pockets, to further enlarge your ass. A big thumbs down for Moochi.

2. Pencil skirts

Now these are awesome, as they create a nice hour class effect and do not fall into the 'fashion for women who look like men' variety which I don't like. Yet, there are two things to be wary of. The first is watch which fabric you use. If your skirt is very tight, you might get the 'flubble' effect if the material is thin...shudder. Also, don't go for the very narrow pencil shapes, go for the softer and more tailored around the waist ones. As well as being easier to walk in they fall into the ass minimizing category. Cue as a general rule does good pencil tailoring, as does Andrea Moore. Avoid Supre at all costs. Tailoring is pricier but oh so ass minimizing.

3. Harem pants

Don't wear them. You will look truely, truely immense. They are also somewhat Orientalist, so I am suspicious of them as a general rule (as a side note, kaffiyahs as fashion accesseries are not cool) but they make you look bigger not smaller with all that flowing fabric. We have often talked about the seductive nature of folds of fabric - see the maxi dresses post - for people who are trying to disguise bulk, but it is a dangerous myth.

All the cool kids will be there

2009-06-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

I blogged when it first came out about the very classy winter collection Andrea Moore pressented this season.

There is a preview of her winter sale starting today and running until Sunday at all AM stores across the country - 30% off the whole winter collection.

It is only for mailing list members, but you can sign up on the website here.

After Sunday the sale will be open to the public and some items will not be discounted in the main sale at all.

Raspberry Spiked Brownie

2009-05-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

These brownies are very good, I got the recipe from Donna Hay's book Instant Entertaining. They are great because they are not quite as sweet as other chocolate brownies, and I love the tart raspberries with the chocolate. The raspberries also make it really moist around the top.

I have made them several times now. One thing I would note is that you need to watch them carefully, as usually they are fabulously moist, but they dry out quite abruptly if you don't get them out of the oven right away when they're done.

Donna Hay's Raspberry Spiked Brownie

200 grams dark chocolate, chopped
250 grams butter
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

If using frozen raspberries there is no need to defrost them first. You can also use fresh or frozen blueberries.

- Preheat the oven to 180°C.

- Melt the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat.

- Mix in a separate bowl the sugar and eggs, then add the chocolate mixture.

- Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix to combine. Brownie is one baked good you should be especially careful not to over mix.

- Pour into a greased square cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper.

- Sprinkle over the raspberries. They will sink in as the brownie rises around them, making an effect like a buckle cake.

- Bake for 30–35 minutes or until set.

Serve warm with your favourite baked-good dairy condiment - I am a lover of yoghurt or creme fraiche for these purposes, but icecream, whipped cream or thickened cream are also good options. If you can get any it can also be lovey to add some fresh raspberries to garnish, though they are currently out of season.

More Soup

2009-05-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

I made the following soup for dinner this evening. It was loosely adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe. It served 5 and there was another serving or so left over.

Carrot, orange and giner soup

Saute a chopped onion, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, about 2 thumbs of grated fresh ginger and the zest of 2 oranges.

Add the juice of the two oranges, a litre of chicken or vegetable stock and 4 or 5 large carrots, peeled and diced, and a teaspoon of ground cumin.

Simmer until the carrots are soft then puree. Serve with crusty bread, and garnish with creme fraiche and chopped coriander.

Fashion on Campus

2009-05-25T04:39:00.001-07:00

Last weeks Fashion on Campus column from the Salient.

I am loving light pants on guys at the moment, I think they're both daring and glam. I also really love the colour in this outfit; the shirt is loads of fun and I enjoy the ochre cardigan almost-but-not-quite matching the yellow in the plaid.

The very exciting metalic red skirt was what first caught my eye in this ensemble. I am not usually one to endorse bra-exposing lace, but I think it is executed well here; balanced with demure black tights, cardigan and flats, and I particularly like the looped scarf, which is both stylish and functional in toning down the exposure.

This outfit is full of glamour. The scarf's epic volume and deep red / gold colours make it very luxurious. Coupled with lace stockings and delicious shiny patent shoes the whole ensemble is charming. The glam glasses are also both cute and sophisticated.

Lovely stuff for cheap!

2009-05-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have just left Kate Sylvester and Stable, at the bottom of Cuba street. They have a big clearance on for 3 days.
Lots of savings on KS stuff, not the current season, but lots of stuff from last seasons Royally Screwed, which was also a fab collection.
Up to 50% off at Stable, including Marc by Marc Jacobs, Cebele, Diesel and lots of Nudie jeans. Again, mostly not new season things, but still lots of nice stuff. Especially good for the guys, they have some great dark jeans, funky dress shoes and shirts / knits etc.

Item of the moment, and some thoughts on scarves generally

2009-05-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

I bought an epic scarf yesterday. Pictures below, but first, Some things I would like to say about scarves generally

- Scarves are a very useful accessory for adding a touch of glamour to an otherwise plain ensemble.

- Chatting to the woman at Gregory (which has lots of lovely scarves at the moment), she noted that in these tough economic times lots of women didn't want to splash out on a new outfit, but were jazzing up their wardrobes for winter with vastly increased scarf purchases.

- My favourite types are either small silk ones knotted or bowed around the neck, 1950's style, or really big luxurious ones wrapped

high around the neck (this is what I bought yesterday, and another

delicious example will be up soon when I post Fashion on Campus

for this week. Or if you just can't wait, turn to pg 24 of Salient.)

- Be wary of chunky knits, there are so many around that they seldom make for a striking scarf. Unless they are really over the top, they are seldom fabulous, lacking both the class of a small knotted silk number, and the luxury of a large but light loop.

- Scarves are a great way for men to add some interest to an ensemble too. Often they are too shy too, but I am heartened by the number of men I have seen wearing scarves well recently. If you are a man, I encourage you to wear more scarves.

- A keffaya does not count. Do not wear one.

- Scarves can also be picked up pretty cheap a lot of the time, so I think it's worth investing in a big range so that you can match them well to your outfits.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the delicious one I bought yesterday. It is 100% wool, but the texture of the material making up the bulk of it is almost like muslin.

The ends have a fabulous embroidered section, and each side of this has a different feel. One is heavey with a wool embroidered pattern in black, grey and white. The other features the reverse of the embroidery, but much of the surface area is a black material with just a touch of sparkle.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Risotto

2009-05-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

Risottos are one the finest Italian contributions to cuisine. I know this is a controversial statement, but I personally think they are better than pizza. When they are made well. The problem is that they're also a lot easier to mess up than pizza.

To make a fabulous risotto:

- Don't just throw in everything tasty that you have lying around; pick a couple of clean flavours and stick with them.

- Many risotto's end up being too dry. Be very liberal with your stock / wine and never leave them for more than a minute as they will dry out without attention.

- Use the right rice. The only rice you can make risotto with is proper Italian short grain varieties like carnaroli, aborio or vialone nano. If you don't have proper risotto rice, make a stir fry.

- Always have proper fresh Parmesan to garnish.

Last night I made a lovely lemon chicken risotto for dinner.

Lemon Chicken Risotto

Serves about 4 as a main.

Fry a finely sliced red onion and some chopped garlic in a large pan. Add diced chicken (I used about 350g) and brown.

Stir in two cups of aborio (or similar) rice and cook a minute or two. Then pour over two cups of chicken stock and two cups of white wine.

Add the zest of 2 lemons, the juice of one and 4 tablespoons of chopped rosemary. Stir through and season with salt and pepper.

Continue adding stock and wine whenever the liquid is absorbed, simmering until the rice is cooked through (it varies, but around 15 - 20 minutes usually).

I served it as a main with steamed greens and fresh Parmesan.

Furthermore

Risotto often has more vegetables in it than this recipe, if you are that way inclined. Chopped capsicum or zuchini are good choices. Peas are popular, though I personally don't think they belong in such a dish.

Other types of risotto I like that you may wish to try:

- mushroom, blue cheese and walnut

- pumpkin and chicken (steam your pumpkin then mash it and stir through the risotto during cooking)

- Chorizo, red wine and red pepper.

- Proscuito and fennel with pine nuts

For now that is all I have to say on the matter.

Pant Trends: how and when to follow them

2009-05-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to pen my thoughts on the prevalent pant-trends for winter. I am going to do this, but I would like to preface it with some thoughts on pants generally.

To start with, an anecdote from a couple of weeks ago. The new FQ arrived and I was around at my parents’ place looking through it with my mother. We reached the extensive article on the seasons pants on page 46. My mother sighed. “It would appear I can’t wear trousers this winter.”

I recently quoted Kirilly Johnston in FQ saying “not everything that's in fashion will suit you, if it doesn't, don't wear it”, and I think this is more true of pants than any other garment. They have phenomenal power to flatter the figure, or to do horrific things to it. Knowing what works with your waist: hip: thigh: calf proportions is much more important to finding a great pair of pants than knowing what is in fashion.

As a general rule, for the last few seasons wide legs have been broadly against the trend. But I have a couple of friends who have quite wide hips. They both know that the optimal cut for then is something medium waisted, with a relatively wide leg either going straight down or gently flaring from the hip. When they wear these pants they are fantastically flattering, and no one is going to say “those aren’t quite on trend” because everyone is saying “damn those pants do fantastic things for you.”

So the first thing I have to say about pant trends, is that you should take then with a grain of salt. If something doesn’t become you, find something different.
But that said, there is obviously more than one pant shape that will work on any given body, so trends should certainly still be considered. And with the everyday-dress on its way out and winter very much about separates, the statement pant is on the rise.

A quick note on leggings
leggings are not pants They should not be treated as pants. They are for wearing under things. In particular, those leggings that are designed to look like jeans may be the most offensive garments I have ever seen.

Peg-legs
Peg-legs, (or banana pants) are all over catwalks this winter. I think that where they look good they are totally fabulous. With their extra volume around the hips and tapered legs though, they are not for everyone. FQ was lying when they called these "forgiving" and "the easiest to wear of all styles this season" If you can’t afford extra bulk on the behind or the hips then stay clear of them.

This trend can be acknowledged with a relatively subtle pair, I would avoid the potential clown look of anything too extreme. Wear them with a fitted top and cute blazer, and make sure you define the waist with a belt. Pair with a high heel to elongate the leg and offset the extra width up high.

Drop-Crotch
These can be fun; I think they are the most statement-y of the pants on offer. Some think parachute pants are an aspect of the ‘80’s that is best forgotten, but I think when executed well (hich can only really be done on a very slim figure) they are very chic.
Things to remember are to keep them refined and glam; they should be the most exciting thing in your ensemble so keep your top half simple. Elongate the leg and avoid too slouchy a look by pairing with high heels, especially cute heeled booties. Again, with extra volume, make sure you define your waist.

Super Skinny
If you have the legs for these, I think super skinny pants are very chic, and with Acne and Ksubi promising their skinniest jeans ever this Autumn, and fabulous narrow dress pants all over A/W09 runway shows, they are showing no signs of decline.
Get them with a high waist, and try them folded up at the cuffs. Offset the squeeze with loose tops, buttoned up man shirts or the season’s statement jumpers.

Wide-leg pyjama
These are glam with the right ensemble on the runway, but the attempts I have seen to translate into real life have all failed.

These require a very defined waist, so they need to be high waisted, and paired with a slim belt and short jacket (something which finishes at least as high if not higher than the top of the pants.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Wintery Dinner Party

2009-05-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

The weather has been less than fabulous of late, so I decided to do individual winter Beef Wellingtons as the main at our dinner party on Friday. I had never made beef Wellington before, but they came out very delicious.

We had lovely nibbles to start; artichoke hearts, garlic stuffed olives, various cheeses including a lovely Havarti and an amazing oozing Kapiti Kikorangi.

The entree was a German dumpling like thing which Douglas made, which was very tasty and which I may post the recipe for in the coming days.

For dessert Jenna made an amazing lemon meringue pie (pictured)complimented by a home made raspberry coulis.
Beef Wellington

I was serving 9, so just adjust your proportions accordingly

To prepare

- Make a marinade by frying an onion with a generous handful of chopped herbs (the recipe I had said "fine herbs" - I used rosemary and thyme), and adding half a bottle of red wine.

- Marinade one beef fillet per person (I used porterhouse) overnight.

- Finely chop 1kg of mushrooms and squeeze out as much water as possible. Fry in 2 cups of white wine until all moisture is gone.

- Quickly seal the beef, about 5 seconds on each side, saving the marinade.

To assemble:

-take a square of savoury short pastry (if you are lazy like me and bought it, otherwise roll a portion of your superior home made pastry to a similar size).

-In the centre place two tablespoons of cracked pepper pate and a generous layer of the mushrooms. On top of this place a steak.

-Fold the corners up to wrap the parcel completely, trimming excess pastry and using egg glaze to seal it.

-Brush the top with an egg yolk glaze and bake about half an hour.

- Repeat with each steak.
To serve

-Take the marinade, add to a pan with two cups of beef stock and a knob of butter. Simmer and add a teaspoon of corn flour. Continue to simmer until you have a delicious jus.

I served them with chunky parsnip mash, wilted spinach with pine nuts, slow roasted onions and the jus.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Fashion on Campus

2009-05-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have a new fortnightly column in the Vic student magazine Salient.

It is called Fashion on Campus and is similar to the Sartorialist. I take pictures of stylish people I encounter and they are published along with some brief commentary.

Partly because I can't be guaranteed a colour page every issue and partly just because, I will reproduce the column here too.

Below is my first one. For those of you playing at home, it can be found in print on pg 39 of last weeks Salient.

This dress caught my eye when I saw Lilly sitting in a lecture. I just loved the puffy sleeves and jewel toned floral print, and that was before I even saw the cute high ankled shoes with black tights, which give a delicious hard edge to an otherwise girly dress, and are tied in effortlessly by the brown trim of the leather brief case.

This ensemble is daring and I love it. The palette is simple, and held together well; the grey of the tights matched by the bag, the light brown check of the pants matched by the headband. The pants are a sophisticated nod to the current peg-pant trend, without looking silly, and their high waist and short length create a great silhouette paired with the taylored waistcoat.

Why I heart Cruella De Vil

2009-05-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

On a recent road trip I stumbled across something amazing in an antique store in Bulls. Such was its fabulousness that I considered cancelling some upcoming overseas travel in order to pay the $2500 asking price. This item was a full Snow Leopard pelt, complete with tail, head and cute little glass eyes.

But the Leopard pelt was merely a stylish piece for room adornment and a fabulous nod to colonialism. Inside I knew that I wanted something more; I wanted not just a dead animal, but one I could wear. While my fiscally prudent friends were able to talk me out of the probably illegal purchase, the experience awakened fully in me a desire which had already been stirring recently - a deep yearning for fur.

I have long been a lover of things that carry the glamour of more fabulous bygone decades. Through high school I found a love of looking through old photos from before my grandparents emigrated from Ireland. The reason for this was not a desire to find my place in the world through understanding my genealogy. It was because my grandmother and her sisters/ friends were so fabulously dressed; amazing tailoring, 1930's style felt bucket hats (I recently purchased one of these to see me through winter), pearls, men who always wore suits and hats. And above all, the non-taboo gratuitousness with which fur is splashed around.

There's something so good about fur; the luxury, the softness, the glamour, and of course if it's real, the extra benefit of angering hippies.

Which is why I felt so conflicted recently, when the current trend for fur vests started appearing in stores, covering the full spectrum from Glassons through Max, to Country Road at the other end. I should have fallen instantly in love with them, they were the ultimate statement item. But somehow they grated on me.

I realized the reason for this was in styling. Everywhere they were appearing on mannequins with chunky knits, thick embossed leather belts, paisley prints and Aztec style jewellery. This was the problem. The boho-hippie-“chic” styling was detracting from all that is great about fur. These looks seldom escape looking “Glassons-ey” even when they’re in the window of Country Road. They also come back in with extraordinary frequency, but never for long. This means they almost always carry an air of being passé from the day they appear in stores.

So I determined that the vests themselves are in fact fabulous. But they need to be taken completely out of the context these stores would have you wear them in. They need to be treated as a touch of luxury in a glam ensemble; I would suggest wearing them over a cute cocktail dress or nice jeans and heels.

But to return to my personal plight, dealing with my new longing for fur. I considered purchasing one of these vests. But decided instead to go with a delicious fur cape I found at Ziggurat. It is from the 1940’s, and very cozy. It also has the benefit of being real fur. I do not necessarily think that fake fur is to be avoided, as long as it looks realistic. But I do think that much of the benefit of fur comes from the sense of opulence in knowing that animals had to die for your glamour.

Gasp, say the hippies. I’m sorry (not really). But I really, really just can’t care about animal rights. I don’t deny that it’s unpalatable if it’s done cruelly. But I simply don’t buy that there is any reason why we should view animals as anything more than, as Douglas puts it, “complex molecular machines”. And given that, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t benefit from their existence and our ability to exploit the resources they offer, like delicious cozy pelts.

Animals have fewer rights than us. Obviously, this means a human life should win out over an animal’s. But I’m more than happy to say that a humans desire for a delicious coat should win out over an animal’s life too.

So to summarise:
1) Fur vests are great, but style them well
2) Real fur is great, animals should die.
3) Snow Leopards are great, let me know if you have one going for less than $2500.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Another amazing soup

2009-04-27T00:58:00.000-07:00

We had a dinner party a few weeks ago, for which I was in charge of the entree. I made the following soup, which was describd by Campbel as "possibly the best soup [he had] ever had". The recipe serves 4-6, I made a 1.5 batch to feed 7 and there were left overs.

I got the recipe from a stolen House and Garden magazine. The magazine advises that walnuts work well in it too, though I can not attest to this and am personally sceptical. It also notes usefully that it is a great way to use up mushrooms that are past their best, as they get pureed.

Creamy Mushroom and Hazelnut Soup

80g butter
1 medium leek, washed and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
12 sage leaves
600g mushrooms, sliced (open capped mushrooms are preferable to buttons).
100g hazelnuts, roasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
400ml vegetable stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
200ml cream
Creme fraiche (to garnish)

Cook butter in a wide pan until nut coloured. Add leek, garlic and sage; saute over a moderate heat until leek has completely wilted.

Stir in mushrooms and hazelnuts, pour over stock and soy sauce, cover and cook for ten minutes.

Stir well, add cream and simmer another 5 minutes, then puree finely. (I just used a stick-mixer, and it was fine, but may have been improved by proper pureeing).

Return soup to pot, taste for seasoning and simmer another two minutes. Ladel into bowls and garnish with creme fraiche.

For now that is all I have to say on the matter.

A woman after my own heart

2009-04-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post this for a while, but law opinions/ more pressing restaurant reviews have been taking up my time.

Autumn FQ featured a piece called 10 Golden Rules, by Australian designer Kirrily Johnston (pictured), and I think I have found my fashion soul mate. It was one of the most pleasing general advice columns I have read in a very long time; she just said everything I have been saying for years.

In particular, number 5 below is something I often receive flack for, but still very strongly believe in.

Selected highlights I think you would be well advised to heed (in particular the points in bold):

"1) Invest in the best. It only takes a handful of investment pieces to create an excellent backbone for your wardrobe... these things may seem expensive, but dollar-per-wear they will see you through many seasons.

2) Shoes are key.

3) Smaller is not necessarily better... Clothes are not done justice if they don't have room to sit properly. A lot of women buy a size down if they can manage to fit into it and I think this is a huge mistake.

4) give yourself a head start with hair and makeup that suit your outfit. Your look does not end at the top of your neck. At the same time, avoid going over board - don't overcook the look!

5) Don't be afraid to look your best. So many people are worried about being "overdressed". I think, within reason, you should never think this. Go for it! Look your best - it's a great feeling. I don't believe in dressing down. I'm also not into saving clothes for "good". Just get into it and wear it with confidence.

6) ...chipped polish is disgusting. If you can't keep it up, don't wear any.

7) it's important to know what suits your body type... not everything that's in fashion will suit you, if it doesn't, don't wear it.

8) The wrong bra can look terrible. Too much padding... or too much pinching... can distract from a good look. make sure it fits properly, makes your body look good and is concealed.

9) Consider accessories carefully... you can accessorise on the cheap but you have to know what you're doing... At the moment... I'm not into itsy bitsy jewellery.

10) ...experiment a little and find what is amazing for you. "

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Le Canard

2009-03-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

I know it is easy to give glowing reviews to restaurants where mains average circa $35, but I am going to do it anyway, because I had a truly delightful dinner at Le Canard last night.

Tucked into a tiny building on Murphy Street, Le Canard serves up excellent French cuisine in cosy surroundings. The staff were attentive without being obnoxious, and quite authentic with their 'merci' and 'bon appetite'.

The food was quite fabulous; both in terms of deliciousness and presentation.

To start I had the 'trio de canard et ses condiments'. The three types of duck were in the form of terrine, rillettes and duck liver mousse. These were served with rounds of crisp bread, caramelised onion and fig, small gherkins and walnuts. The gherkins complimented the various duck items surprisingly well, and the caramelised onions were some of the best I have had, very finely sliced and balsamic heavy.

My date had the 'Fine tarte chaude a la tomate confite et chevre' - a very tasty tomato and goats cheese tart. The sample I had indicated it was very well balanced and perfectly seasoned. His comment: "the crispy pastry was the perfect contrast in texture".

I decided to overdo the theme, ordering 'Magret de canard et gallette de pommes sarladaises'. The duck breast was perfectly cooked, and complemented well by the rich cepe (a type of mushroom) sauce. The potato galette (thin slices of potato layered on top of each other with a binder medium), was tasty though slightly over cooked, making it difficult to cut.

The 'filet de boeuf, beurre du canard' enjoyed by my date was also good. He considered it to be more 'medium' than the 'medium rare' he had ordered, but did not send it back as it was satisfactorily tender despite this slight overcooking. The 'beurre du canard' referred to the restaurants own special seasoned butter, as opposed to some kind of duck butter, and was described by my date as 'incredible'. I could not tell what all the flavours were, but it was definitely sage heavy. It came with a very stylish stack of fried potato chucks, pressed together into the shape of a cube.

Both of these mains were complimented well by the bottle of 2006 Akarua Cadence Pinot Noir we enjoyed.

We ordered a green salad, which was fine, and some garlic fried mushrooms, which were delicious, as sides.

Dessert ended with my date, having finished the pastries and vanilla bean icecream, eating spoonfuls of straight chocolate sauce, such was his enjoyment of the 'Profiteroles, sauce chocolat'. The pastries were very good, and came with a lovely elaborate garnish.

I had the 'Crème brulee aux fruits de saison'. Three things made this possibly the best crème brulee I have ever tasted. The first was simply the perfection of the batter. It was smooth and creamy, sweet but not cloying, everything it should be. The second was that the dish it was made in was not your usual ramekin. It was significantly wider and shallower. This gave a much higher surface area than usual, and thus a greatly improved sugar topping to brulee ratio. Finally, the bottom of the dish had a layer of rhubarb, the tart edge of which was divine with the sweet creamy brulee.

If you are looking to spend $200 at dinner, I would say that Le Canard is one of the better places in Wellington to do so. The cute setting, inoffensive staff and amazing food combine to give an experience I have next to no complaints about. The distance from the city centre is worth it for the crème brulee alone.

Pour l'instant, c'est tout ce que j'ai à dire sur la question.

(speakers of french, please excuse my use of online translators if that does not make sense)

Some hot tips

2009-03-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

Bendon on Lambton Quay have a sale on at the moment - 30% off all bendon brand sets.
They also have some fab new Elle Mcpherson stuff in, in both the intimates and Boudoir lines, thought these are not on sale, they are lovely.

In other news, Satori in Old bank Arcade is closing down. I should have posted this days ago, but their closing down sale is still going. They have some really nice shirts and dress pants, as well as simple cardis which will be great going into winter.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

Roast vegetable salad

2009-03-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely roast lamb dinner at my parent's place last night. With leftover vegetables I made a very tasty roast vegetable salad.

Dice roast vegetables (I used potatos, kumura, squash and onions)

Make a dressing by mixing equal parts aioli, basil pesto, greek yoghurt and grated permesan
Lightly season with cracked pepper and stir through the vegetables.

Make a generous amount of the dressing for the veges you have, as carb heavy salads like this can be a bit plain with insufficient dressing.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Item of the moment

2009-03-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

I am thoroughly stoked with the sudden cold turn, as it has allowed me to wear the fabulous boots I bought last week. I have been loving above the knee boots for a while now (and they are all over fashion week, check some of the collections that featured them at style.com by going here and selecting 13/03/09.)

The ones I have are by the Italian label Lamica, and bought at Plimmer Shoes. They are a delicious soft leather, dark warm grey in colour.

To offset any potential whore look, they have a sensible low heel. Also great because through the depths of winter one generally ends up wearing boots every day, so something pointy that you need to get reheeled every fortnight isn't really viable. They are also leather lined around the top, so can be folded down below the knee, though I prefer to wear them up.

I was concerned they might be a little too much to translate from style.com to every day life, but the low heel and muted colour means they strike just the right balance. They are high fashion enough to make an otherwise plain winter ensemble exciting, but not silly.

Pictures below, though they are not very good. I blame the camera and not my lovely flatmate who took them.

above the knee boots - totally glam

folded down for a less exciting look

For now that is all I have to say on the matter

Except for loads of love out to Jenna, who bought the same ones in black because she is amazingly stylish, and I am happy to admit she got hers before I got mine, albiet mere hours.

Bain tees

2009-03-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Dom Post reported yesterday that respected fashion leaders, including Denice L'Estrange Corbet, co founder of world and someone I generally respect, have come out strongly opposing apparent poor taste in the lastest teeshirts put out by Mr Vintage. The tees have prints inspired by the jumpers worn by David Bain in the early 90's.

They come in both mens and womens cuts, and are on sale for $25 each for a limited time.

My thoughts:

The tees are pretty funky.

Those who are complaining probably just regret not coming up with the idea themselves.

I think it is true that Mr Vintage intended only to comment on a fashion crime, and not to enter more serious public discourse.

I think it's absolutely fine to cash in on this sort of thing if you have a good idea, like these guys have.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Delicious pizza

2009-03-15T01:35:00.000-07:00

I made a very delicious pizza at my parents place this evening, which I modelled loosly on one I enjoy very much at Cafe Italiano on Cuba Street (which, I will add, is amazing, you should go there for lunch).

I covered the base with a layer of ricotta, and on top of that a thin layer of tomato paste mixed with crushed garlic, then a couple of handfuls of grated tasty cheese.

On top I put the things you see in this picture,

Loads of rosemary

Julienne zuchini

Sliced mushrooms

Sliced salami,

then grated some parmesan on top and a heap of cracked pepper.

Pizza before going into the oven

Pizza cooked to perfection

I served it with a salad of beetroot, feta and mint, and a simple green salad with balsamic dressing.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Dinner Party

2009-03-12T23:03:00.000-07:00

I held a delightful dinner party last week. I did 3 courses for 7, and it was surprisingly stress free, I think because I kept the menu very simple and just focussed on keeping flavours clean and delicious.

Entre: portobello mushroom and sage tarts

Melt some butter in a pan and add lots of chopped sage, simmer for a while to let the flavour infuse then allow to cool.

Cut 2 sheets of flakey puff pastry into 4 squares each.

Brush with butter

In the centre of each square place a portobello mushrooom, pleats up and destemmed

Inside the mushroom place about a teaspoon of the sage butter

Bake in a moderate over untill pastry is puffed up and golden and mushrooms are cooked

Serve with garlic aiole.

Main: Stuffed chicken breast

These are very easy to make, just cut a slit in each chicken breast, and stuff with whatever you like. I used cream cheese and spinach leaves. Other delicious optiona include sundried tomato, pine nuts, olives, rocket, and any other cheese you wish (camambert or something blue are good choices).

Wrap each chicken breast in streaky bacon and bake until juices run clear.

Sides:

Warm couscous salad

This is very easy and amazingly delicious. Again use your own culinasry judgment to decide what you want to put in. I made mine with couscous, currants, pine nuts, red capsicum and corriander.

The thing with any salad, but especially carb based ones like this, is to not skimp on the delicious pieces, the salad shouldn't be more than half couscous.

Crispy zuchini

To make fried zuchini super delicious, mix in a bowl polenta with some salt and pepper. Slice your zuchinis and coat in oil, then coat in the seasoned polenta before frying.

Dessert: Poached pears

Sadly at this point in the evening wine consumption resulted in a lack of any dessert photos that were in focus.

Peel one pear per person. Make a syrup of equal parts sweet dessert wine and water and a few tablespoons of castor sugar (enough to cover the pears). Bring to the boil, and simmer pears in it untill soft right through.

I served these with vanilla bean icecream, a boysenberry sauce/ compote type thing (which I will admit I did not make), and chocolate grated on top.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Advice for Kathy (and the rest of you too) (if applicable)

2009-03-12T22:00:00.001-07:00

Kathy posted recently:
"I recently got an amazing Isakelle black trench. I am looking for inspiration as to how to wear it so it is not too boring. Ella, do you have any ideas?"

Ella responds:
Without seeing a picture my advice will be somewhat generic, but in terms of serving the general readership I guess that is a good thing anyway.

The first thing I will note is that trenches are generally fabulous. FQ has an extensive and amply-illustrated article on winter coats in their latest edition. If you are looking to buy one, go for a shorter length, as this season it is all about the interplay of layers, coat, cardigan, scarf, top, skirt.
This layering can be especially effective if you combine different textures of similar colours (look illustrated here by Burberry). In your case, Kathy, you'll want to be careful not to come accross excessively gothic if you try this, though (I am far from sold on the nouveau-goth editorial and shoot in Simply You's winter edition, which has just hit stores). That said, charcoals and greys can be lovely, so layering different greys underneath and wearing the coat open will probably work well.

My other advice is about accessorising. There is a small number of things which will invariably make one glamourous, and i think two re particularly appropriate for your situation.
The first thing I will recommend to you is a nice scarf. 50's style knoted around the neck, or a large wrap looped around are both fabulous. They also don't have to be expensive, so buy a few to match to your outfit. Wear chunky knits with more caution.
The second is leather gloves. Invest in a fabulous pair, it's worth forking out for something well styled, and made with good quality leather and something cosy inside. And don't get them in black, they are a touch of glamour for your every day dressing, so you want them to be noticed. A deep red or green will go with most things, or a light tan.

Obviously I don't need to tell you how important boots are.

Things you should not do:
Wear a kefaya.
Mix navy and black without the greatest caution.
Attach a brooch to a heavy coat.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

German Apple Cake

2009-03-10T03:01:00.001-07:00

I had this phenomenal apple cake last night, made by a german friend of my parents.

It was very very tasty, and because they go in raw the apples kept just the right level of firmness, avoiding the mushyness which so often prevails with apple based baked goods. We had it with icecream, but I think it would be even better with some unsweetened greek yoghurt.

Katharina makes her own pastry, but if you're short on time you could just buy sweet short pastry.

Anyway, here is the recipe as she sent it to me:

Pastry:

300g plain flour

200g butter

175g sugar

1 egg

Mix all together and put it in the fridge for about 1 hour. Cover the bottom and half of the side of a spring form with pastry. Leave about a third of the pastry for the grid on top of the cake.

Apple filling:

1 kg apples

Juice of 1 lemon

50g raisins

50g sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel apples and cut them into slices. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and put on to the pastry

Batter:

2 eggs

3 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla custard

Mix all together and pour over the cake.

Weave a grid out of thin strips of pastry on top of the apples.

Bake for about 50 minutes at 180C until it is light brown.

Enjoy with ice cream or yoghurt.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

I saw a man yesterday...

2009-03-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

... as I walked through town to dinner.
He was wearing a a bottle green suit.
It made me very sad.
He looked otherwise like a good person, clean shaven, nice shoes.
So if you are this man, please, buy a new suit.
Or if you know this man, please, buy him a new suit.
The world will be a happier place.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Black Trench

2009-03-04T02:33:00.000-08:00

I recently got an amazing Isakelle black trench. I am looking for inspiration as to how to wear it so it is not too boring. Ella, do you have any ideas?

Two fun facts for the day

2009-02-22T20:21:00.000-08:00

1) Perrets Corner, on the corner of Manners and Willis streets have cinnimon pinwheels which may actually be the most delicious $3.50 baked good in Wellington.

2) thesartorialist.blogspot.com is amazing. It is a blog of photos of fabulously dressed people taken on the streets of two of the most stylish cities, Paris and New York. If you are looking for inspiration for ensembles or glam ways to wear things, trawl through the images here. Because it's all just regular people on the street, it's great for inspiring you on days when you think you can't be bothered being well dressed.

For now, that is all I have to say on either matter.

Heads up!

2009-02-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

With the end of the end of summer sale nigh, Andrea Moore has finally reduced all s/s 08 dresses by 30%.
Get in store quick! The nice weather will return, I'm sure, and they're so lovely you'll be wearing them for summers to come anyway.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

chilli chocolate strawberries

2009-02-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my long time love of Butlers Chocolate Cafe's chilli chocolate truffles, I tried a while back some phenomenal chilli chocolate strawberries at Sweet Mothers Kitchen.

I had been meaning to reproduce them for a while and finally got around to it last week.

They are very simple. Do everything like you would to normally dip strawberries:
- chill strawberries in the fridge or freezer
- melt circa 250g of chocolate (depending how many strawberries you are doing) in a water bath
- before the dipping, stir a small amount of chilli powder into the chocolate. It doesn't take very much, I think I used about a quarter of a teaspoon and Jenna said the chocolate/ chilli balance was perfect.

Some of them lost a small amount of chocolate which stuck to the plate on which I left them to set, so it mght be a good idea to let them set on some waxed paper rather than straight on a plate, but they were largely fine.

apologies for poor quality picture, it was taken on my poor quality cellphone, but I thought it was nicce to have a real photo of them rather than a superiorly lit generic stock photo.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Item of the moment

2009-02-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

I love love love the Ralph Lauren sunglasses I got yesterday. They are a delicious dark red which will go with just about everything on the outside, with a contrasting light tortoise shell inside. Best of all, they're not ridiculously oversized, as has been the somewhat overzealously embraced fashion for what is now quite a bit longer than I initially expected.

Cricket Uniforms

2009-02-08T02:35:00.000-08:00

Ours are very ugly. Australia's have kind of funky neck lines.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

In Praise of Retro Tea Room Food

2009-02-08T01:08:00.000-08:00

The delightful ladies at the Rahotu Community and Sports Club Rooms put out a spread after the funeral I was at on Tuesday which made me thoroughly nostalgic for the catering of an era I wasn't even born in.

This post is dedicated to the appreciation of the following:
Mini mince pies, quiches and potato top pies
Asparagus rolls (made with white bread)
Club sandwiches, especially of the cucumber-containing variety
Pineapple on tooth picks
Lamingtons
Caramel squares
Ginger slice
Coconut rough
Rum balls
Macaroons
Nasturtiums and parsley used as garnishes

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Summer Cheesecake

2009-02-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

This is my Grandma's recipe for cheesecake, it is amazing. It is also very easy.

Crust -

180 grams gingernuts, crushed
90 grams melted butter

Mix and press into a lined caketin or alternative vessel.

Filling-

227 grams (just a normal packet size is fine, I don't know why her numbers are so specific) of spreadable cream cheese

400 grams sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

Summer berries, I like raspberries but my Gran used passionfruit or loganberries or blueberries at times.

Beat cream cheese until softened

Gradually beat in condensed milk and lemon juice

Tip into crust.

Put in the fridge, ideally for 24 hours, but you can try your luck after an afternoon.

After you take it out, add the fresh berries.

Of my favourite Miss Moore and her rival's bolero

2009-02-01T00:33:00.000-08:00

Andrea Moore has her once-a-season sale shop open at the moment on Willis St. Lots of great stuff from the last couple of seasons there, I bagged a Risk a Little Skirt from the Winter 08 collection, Road Trip Top from the Summer collection and a really cute belt for just over $200.

In related news, she has just released the Winter 08 collection, which can be found here. I can't wait to get in store to see it, the fabrics look gorgeous and I really love the palette, especially the deep reds with charcoals.

From the look book:
likely hits
Character Skirt
Endurance Coat
Touchdown Tunic

possible misses
Face it Skirt
Functional Bolero
(tangential aside: if you are looking for a great bolero, there is one I have been lusting after for months at Kate Sylvester, and it's in their current sale. It can be found in the Royally Screwed collection here, the first picture on page 5. Comes in blue, black and gold.)

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

"A tart between two tarts"

2009-01-31T21:56:00.000-08:00

Was the outrageous comment a certain outrageous friend who shall remain nameless made when I offered him the two delicious treats I made for our picnic at the races last weekend.

The first was my own version of the tarts I have blogged on before back in December, and the second were classic feta and spinach.

Caramelised Onion and Bluevein

- First caramelise onions in a pan, by sauteeing very slowly, adding lots of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to taste. They will reduce down quite a lot, for 30 tiny tarts I used 3 medium sized onions.

- line the holes of a mini muffin tray with savoury short pastry.

- place some of the onion in each, and crumble in about twice that volume of blue vein or gorgonzola

- pour in a simple seasoned egg/ milk batter and bake in a moderate oven til the egg mixture is cooked and pastry is crispy.

Spinach and Feta

The obvious steps here are the same, put pastry in the tin, add egg batter.

But for the filling use a mixture of shredded spinach leaves (with the stems cut out of the middle of the leaf) and crumbled feta. They are best with a soft, strong flavoured feta, so go for one made with goats milk rather than cows.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

More speculation on what Michelle should wear

2009-01-17T23:31:00.001-08:00

can be found here.

My favourites of these:

Marc Jacobs

Elie Tahari

Kai Milla

A few designers such as Badgley Mischka are suggesting a much more power suited look. I'm not sure how I feel about this, though it would lend itself to the pillbox hat I discussed in an earlier post on the subject. If she were going to go for the look, my favourite is this design by Diane Von Furstenberg.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Delicious breakfast

2009-01-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

My favourite Cafe in Petone, Go-bang, is currently closed for refurbishment, so this morning before work I had to get my breakfast at a different nearby establishment. I was apprehensive, but I have to say that Flax certainly did provide.

To reproduce the very delicious breakfast I had simply stack:

Thick slice of lightly toasted rye bread spread with basil pesto aiole
Baby spinach leaves (not too many)
Thinly sliced tomato at optimal ripeness, delicious but still firm
Perfectly grilled pesto chicken
Fried haloumi
Perfectly grilled bacon
Topped with more basil pesto ailoe

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

IMPORTANT HEADS UP!!

2009-01-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

I have just come back from my lunch break, which was spent at World, where there is currently 50% off pretty much everything in an amazing Post Christmas/ We're in a Recession sale.

Lots of gorgeous skirts, lots of jackets, a few tops and trousers, as well as a hand ful of dresses. Even all the magenta metalics that caused a stir at NZ Fashion Week are reduced, as well as the amazing floral printed jacket which was featured in the last issue of Simply You.

I would encourage you all to get down there and get just a little bit more stylish at half the usual price.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Green is the new black

2009-01-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

This post will be brief, but I was reading the new Australian Vogue recently which suggests that green is the new it colour. I have to say that I fully endorse this trend. There is a shade of green to suit almost everyone - if you have pale skin, darker more intense green is good, and if you have more olive skin you can wear pretty pastel green. So look out for cool green things - I like the green t shirts at Stella Gregory in Wellington, or at the tiny store Frutti on Cuba street (by midnight expresso) there is alot of cool green clothing for good prices.

Golden Globes

2009-01-12T23:46:00.000-08:00

The awards season is always an exciting time for those of us who love pretty dresses. Yesterdays Golden Globes saw a atrong return of the boring princess dress, but a few stars were sporting more funky glam looks. The other trend of note was the re-rise of the asymetrical neckline. This is a look which, as a rule, I am broadly opposed to, but a few did pull it off to excellent effect.

My picks below:

America Farrera in a pretty dress by Oscar de la Renta, a rare one-houlder dress which meets my approval. I love the skirt on this dress, and the shape is very flattering on her.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Lanvin. The floor length skirt is maybe not the absolutely most becoming option that could have been chosen, but overall the dress is very funky and I love the zip down the side.

January Jones - Although I'm not the hugest fan of the colour, pockets are incredibly awesome, and I love the way this Versace dress incorporates them with its glam ruffles/ folds.

Sam Trammell's guest appears to be insufficeintly famous to be referred to as anything other than Sam Trammell's guest anywhere online. I consequently can't tell you who she is or who her dress is by, but I think it is cool none the less.

Frieda Pinto in Christian Lacroix. I quite like the colour of this dress, as well as the gathers and bunches, a look I've always been a fan of. It reminds me of something that a more sophisticated Who Is Dead Martin might produce.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

Brides Fingers (a variation)

2009-01-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

I have been playing with filo pastry of late, having been persuaded by kathy on a trip to Moore Wilsons to buy an industrial sized pack. I spent Thursday refining my own version of the Afghani treat Asabia el Aroos (Brides Fingers). Here is the final recipe I came up with (batch number three). It's not strictly true to tradition, but I consider it more delicious than the first batch I made, which was.

First prepare the filling:

Combine:

1 cup of blanched almonds
1 cup of walnuts and
1/2 cup of chopped glace ginger
wizz in a food processor to chop fairly finely and combine.

Add:
2 Tsp honey, melted in the microwave if it is creamed
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix to combine, adding more honey if necessary to hold the mixture together.

Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a board, brush with melted butter and place a second sheet on top.
(When working with filo, be sure to keep the sheets not being used that second covered with a damp tea towel to prevent them drying up).

Cut the layered sheets into quarters.

Place a couple of teaspoons of the filling along the short side of each smaller rectangle.

Fold the long sides in then roll up, (in a similar way to a spring roll - if you are retarded see about 37 seconds into this video)

Repeat til all the filling is used up.

Brush each one with butter and bake in a moderate oven untill the pastry is golden and crispy.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

The new Jackie O... kind of

2009-01-07T00:31:00.000-08:00

Style watchers everywhere are hailing Michelle Obama as a new icon, and having made the Vanity Fair Best Dressed list two years in a row, I'm not going to say it's an unfair prediction. Sure, she looked silly in the Narciso Rodriguez dress (pictured) on election night, but I would be happy to concede that she generally hits more often than she misses.

Anyway, over at Style.com CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund have asked some of the Fashion Fund designers to come up with an outfit for her to wear the the inauguration ball.

I think my favourite is the sketch by Alexander Wang, though the length may not be quite on function, especially given Michelles legs aren't quite identical to those of the model in his sketch.

I am also quite taken with Albertus Swanepoel's suggestion that she wear a pillbox hat (though obviously I would not endorse this with the Wang dress). I am a fan of hats generally, and I think pillboxes are epecially glam, and something fun but difficult to find an occasion to wear, so I absolutely would if I had the chance.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

Maxi Dresses

2009-01-06T20:58:00.001-08:00

Contrary to the title on the image alongside this post, I loathe the maxi dress. The fact that it makes even the size zero model in the ad look large hipped and shapeless is indicative of the fact that they are a garment to be avoided. It is, like most fashion faux pas, a question of lines created. The maxi dress is essentially ill tailored. It sags, in waves of tent-like fabric, from the shoulders to the floor, half heartedly pulled in under the bust. It exposes alot of shoulder - and many people don't have the good skin that this requires - and then destroys the elegant lines women's clothing should create. Me and Ella have frequently bemoaned their popularity together, and will dance around a fire in glee when we learn of their demise.

Very delicious soup

2009-01-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I never got a picture, but here is the recipe for a very simple but delicious soup I made the other day.

I like to make a big pot of soup as it keeps well in the fridge for quite a few days. If you want to make less just amend proportionas as you see fit.

- Peel and chop one large pumpkin (I've made it with many different varieties in the past).

- Put all the pieces into a large stock pot and cover with beef stock.

- Add two cans of chopped tomatos and two tablespoons of dried rosemary, and season.

- Cover, bring to the boil and simmer until pumpkin is completely cooked and going mushy. If it starts to dry up too much, add some boiling water.

- Remove from heat and blend until smooth, adding 250 ml of cream.

- Serve with a swirl of cream and crusty bread.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter.

Fashion and Culture

2008-12-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hi,

To bring a more philosophical angle to this fashion/food blog, I found this video a few months ago. I think its interesting how this brand - which uses Pakistani textiles as inspiration - has got heavily criticised for being culturally imperialist, commercialising peoples culture etc etc. I think fashion is unfairly targeted for criticism compared to other types of art (because fashion is absolutely art) because it is something predominantly marketed to women. I don't think the painters and artists that use the middle east as inspiration get nearly as much attention as fashion designers, because those are associated with traditionally male forms of self expression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lew_tuNjugY&feature=related

Chitral Chicks - Pakistan

Source: www.youtube.com

December 2004 The women of Chitral in the Hindu Kush in Pakistan are traditionally kept out of sight and out of power. But the arrival of a foreign fashion line is changing everything. The clothing line, ...

2008-12-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

I went to a the funeral of an old family friend yesterday. This was a sad occasion. But the topic of this blog is not my musings on the meaning of life, other than that I think the only meaning of life is to enjoy good things. Which brings me to my much more pertinent point, which is that Sarah Searanacke did an amazing job of catering the affair. The top five nibbles I sampled were:

1. Tiny egg tarts with caramelised onion and gorgonzola - I think my favourite of the fare.

2. Little zuchini fritters topped with rear venison and parmesan ceese.

3. Little polenta fritters, heavy in parmesan, with chopped tomato, capsicum and basil on top and a drizzle of balsamic dressing.

4. Little crispy potato rosti with crème fraiche and salmon

5. Delicious pork belly marinated in something ginger heavy, with soy and honey being the other dominant flavours. This was served in very small pieces with pear and cucumber in hors d'oeuvres serving spoons.

I hope to try making some of these myself in the coming weeks. The egg tarts, in particular seemed very simple and were incredibly delicious. I expect they will find their way to the Christmas table.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

Advice based on my walk to work today

2008-12-17T02:40:00.000-08:00

Please don't ever wear a capped sleeve jacket over a long sleeve top of any variety. Just don't. You look absurd.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

A specific niche for an upwardly mobile abomination

2008-12-16T00:32:00.000-08:00

I have dealt with a great internal struggle recently.

Footless tights (seen here on a trio of retarded celebrities) began as a regrettable means for fifteen year olds who shop at Supre to make it clear when they go clubbing that they are fifteen year olds who shop at Supre and at the time I was certain they wouldn't be seen beyond Lower Hutt shopping malls and Farmers mailers within a month.

But the calf length menace somehow managed to achieve the impossible. Instead of meeting the inevitable demise of a garment with such hopeless beginnings, they became one of the very few upwardly mobile trends. Perhaps this social mobility was due to stupid semi-corporate thitrty somethings with no lovers wanting to prove they are still hip, and instead proving they can no longer tell the difference between a hot clubster and a fifteen year old who shops at Supre. Perhaps it was just that people don't understand the fundamentals of style.

Whatever the reason, two years later they are appearing in Simply You and on the marketing managers of top Wellington consulting firms. But that doesn't make the travesty any less, and no matter the respect I may have for that publication (high) and that marketing manager (moderate), they will never look good.

Fashion isn't about following trends, upwardly mobile or not. It is about making yourself look good. The trick to this is largely in the lines you create. Lines that should be aimed for are elegant ones, lines that streamline and lengthen. Footless tights are the antithesis of this. They take a generally elegant shape, the calf, and they draw an ugly sharp horizontal line across it. This shortens it, and widens it, and destroys the elegance the vast majority of calves have. The effect is worst on those who already have chunky calves, yet because of their leg covering properties, these are the people most likely to be attracted to them in the first place. And that is why so many of you look like retards.

But I began this post by mentioning the masive internal dilemma I have battled of late. While my opposition to the type of footless tights discussed and illustrated above remains vehment and absolute, I have softened my stance on one derivative garment.

The long footless tight, worn tucked under the heel and seen in this seasons World look book, here , avoid the problems I outlined above while, I think, filling a narrow but otherwise troublesome niche.

That is the situation where due to temperature or skirt length you feel tights are prudent, but also wish to wear open toed shoes. The long footless tight protects the integrity of the elegant curves of the calf, while leaving your toes exposed for dispplay in your It shoe of choice.

I have therefore decided that it is possible for me to offer a mild endorsement of the long footless tight, while maintaining my stance that you dumb whores in the other variety deserve to die in fire.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

2008-12-14T02:22:00.000-08:00

I have long been a lover of both fashion and cookery. This blog will do two things. Firstly, it will be my attempt at sharing my immensely good taste, in the hopes that it may reduce the despair I so often feel when I look upon the ineptly clad masses surrounding me.

Secondly, it will be a place where I will seek to enhance your quality of life through the sharing of my culinary exploits; both cooking and eating related. My primary focus is baking, but I love all genres of food.

The first appliance I bought upon leaving home was a three teir fondue fountain, and I own the same Andrea Moore shirt jacket in two colours. Some have called me bourgeois, and some day I hope to live up to that accusation. In the interim I continue to spend my tax cuts on supermarket brand camembert and recession-induced clothing sales while my parents buy my text books.

I hope that both your baked goods and dress sense will be marginally improved for having stumbled upon my self indulgent blog.

For now, that is all I have to say on the matter

Fashion Bakery

Fashion on Campus

Of dairy, science diagrams and house-wifery

Coq au Vin of sorts.

Iraqi lamb shank recipe

Do your readings.

Giggle

Fashion on Campus

Detail of the moment

Tiramisu

Fashion on Campus

Roscommon Rhubarb Tart

No fashion off campus

Super pretty cute girl rainbow heart sparkle cupcakes

More posting of other people's work

There's a Hare in my Pie

Fabulous, fabulous cakes

To Judith Collins

F... F... Phat?

Unity Sale

Dinner Party

Fashion on Campus

Tips for women with 'ass'

All the cool kids will be there

Raspberry Spiked Brownie

More Soup

Fashion on Campus

Lovely stuff for cheap!

Item of the moment, and some thoughts on scarves generally

Risotto

Pant Trends: how and when to follow them

Wintery Dinner Party

Fashion on Campus

Why I heart Cruella De Vil

Another amazing soup

A woman after my own heart

Le Canard

Some hot tips

Roast vegetable salad

Item of the moment

Bain tees

Delicious pizza

Dinner Party

Advice for Kathy (and the rest of you too) (if applicable)

German Apple Cake

I saw a man yesterday...

Black Trench

Two fun facts for the day

Heads up!

chilli chocolate strawberries

Item of the moment

Cricket Uniforms

In Praise of Retro Tea Room Food

Summer Cheesecake

Of my favourite Miss Moore and her rival's bolero

"A tart between two tarts"

More speculation on what Michelle should wear

Delicious breakfast

IMPORTANT HEADS UP!!

Green is the new black

Golden Globes

Brides Fingers (a variation)

The new Jackie O... kind of

Maxi Dresses

Very delicious soup

Fashion and Culture

Advice based on my walk to work today

A specific niche for an upwardly mobile abomination