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Friday, May 20, 2011

The corporate God of the U.S. that...


....decrees how we shall all decorate (aka Pottery Barn) is featuring William Morris's pattern Indian on large summer pillows as well as lamp shades.  You've arrived at the big time now Morris!  I wish I could put little informational tags on all the items...."This pattern was designed by William Morris, poet, writer, activist, craftsman, and one of the greatest fabric designers of all time....etc...etc."


While in the store I succumbed to the siren call of this sweet mermaid bottle opener....$6.




Friday, May 13, 2011

Oh, the tingle of warm minerals!


Murray River pink salt (click to enlarge to appreciate its beautiful flakiness)

Last week in the Dining section of the New York Times, Harold McGee, that guru of all things culinary, wrote an article about salt.  During my travels I look for local salt and have a growing collection of herb salts from France, truffle salt from Italy, rock salt crystals used for deodorant from the souks of Egypt, and my favorite, a large box of pink Murray River Basin salt from Australia.  Guests in my kitchen occasionally notice this salt and ask me why it is pink.  I proceed to say I don’t know (until now) and then a taste test generally ensues whereby said guest convinces themselves that indeed not all salt tastes alike and that this pink salt really does have a lovely sweet taste and great “mouth feel”----or to quote selmelier-extraordinaire Mark Bitterman’s description of Murray River salt, “distinct sunshine sweetness; tingle of warm minerals.”


From McGee I now know the pink color comes from algae living in the groundwater of the Murray River Basin.  It’s the pink flamingo of salt!  I also discovered Bitterman wrote an entire book on the subject of artisanal salts, Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes, which just went to the top of my reading list.  Apparently, I have only just scratched the Earth’s surface when it comes to salt…..

(photo from the NYTimes article by Tony Cenicola)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Elvis and MaryAnne's, Rolleville, Exuma



Elvis and MaryAnne of Rolleville, one of the remotest settlements in Exuma, have recently opened up a beachfront restaurant.  All you can eat buffet for $17 and the food is great.  Just another day in paradise!






Elvis had the driftwood paintings of his friend Eddy Jude displayed around the bar.  I love the rusty nails in the Chickadee....




Friday, May 6, 2011

Handmade baskets of Exuma


 my beauties

The ladies of Exuma make these with the leaves of the Silver Palm.  The pics below are from the Straw Market in Georgetown. 



 the raw material
 







Thursday, May 5, 2011

Unidentified sea creature



 Does anyone have any idea what this is?  It is organic, feels like hard rubbery plastic, and appears to have grown around a frond of soft coral.  It is also quite large for a weird-sea-creature.  I can't find anything even remotely like this in Reef Creature Identification by Paul Humann, my oceanside bible.



 (all click to enlarge)


Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What do you get....

when you cross a proper British colonial band with a junkanoo spirit?  The Nassau Police Band.









 


 Click to enlarge to see best smile on the band leader's face.

The local kids in the community band were equally sweet....






Tomorrow...the beautiful baskets from the straw market.

Monday, May 2, 2011

It's a Bahamian Ting


 Have arrived in Exuma for last two days of the National Family Island Regatta when traditional wooden sailing sloops from all over the Bahamian archipelago arrive in Georgetown Harbor for five days of racing competition.  This is one of the biggest events of the year in the "Out Islands" (the ones where the cruise ships don't go) and Bahamians pour into Exuma from all the other islands.



All these people will race the boat -- when the wind picks up they shimmy out onto two wooden rails to keep the boat from blowing over.  You can see this in the previous pic although the wind was not particularly high so they weren't all the way out.

 Many of the boats are brought over from the other islands on the ferries.

 And because this is Exuma, where everything and everyone is mellow, the police boat not only has  policemen with bulletproof vests and guns, but also all their family and friends.

 During and after the races the party continues on the government dock in Georgetown which has been transformed by the temporary construction of a Main St. of food and drink shacks.  What you can't hear is the blasting music from the huge speaker towers.
 
 
 Guava duff and sheep tongue souse....it's a Bahamian Ting....

 I can personally vouch for Froggy and Yvonne's ribs....and the Bahamians do in fact make the best macaroni in the world, served by the slice.

Coldest beer and gullywash.

Tomorrow, the parade!


Saturday, April 23, 2011

Greetings from the Big Apple



Where to begin?  With an apology to all those who have been asking after me!  I am alive although you would never know it to judge by the activity on this blog.  Since late January I have been deeply involved in two large science projects and, in whatever spare time was left, was readying my house to put it on the market.  It is now for sale and at the first open house many people apparently commented on the beautiful wallpaper -- Yay William Morris!  In June I am moving to Manhattan and am currently renovating an apartment on upper west side.  I think things are still going to be pretty busy over next 8 weeks as I get ready to move, pack up household, sell house, etc, but please keep checking in!  Lots of great travels coming up including transit through the Panama Canal in June, followed by visit to Amsterdam.  Back to Urbino, Italy, then Switzerland and Ireland in July.  And later in year I'll be spending a few months in India.  So lots of fodder for posts on art, craft, architecture, and neat stuff coming up!


Monday, April 4, 2011

jacksonpollock.org


(me)

Jackson Pollock's splatters really do look nicer than mine.  Make your own Pollock painting at www.jacksonpollock.org.  It's fun....a puzzle to figure out how it works, then more fun creating your masterpiece!

Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)

"It is impossible to make a forgery of Jackson Pollock's work," Time magazine critic Robert Hughes claimed in 1982. It is a telling comment that gets to the heart of Pollock's authenticity as an artist." Lavender Mist about sums up his most ravishing, atmospheric painting....Pollock used the patterns caused by the separation and marbling of one enamel wet in another, the tiny black striations in the dusty pink, to produce an infinity of tones." 

---from the National Gallery of Art website

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody, Infinity Music Hall



What a combo!  A stunning renovation of an 1883 theater in northwest Connecticut, Infinity Music Hall, provides an incredible, intimate (300 people), and acoustically brilliant concert space within which to hear Al Di Meola, possibly the best jazz guitarist ever, play his new music "Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody".  This followed a sumptious bistro meal served in the arty downstairs restaurant.  Love the horizontal bead-board everywhere.  I look forward to my next visit!



 (all pics from internet...didn't have my camera)


Go Al!

"The maestro is back and he is killing! Al D throws down beautiful nylon-string parts and blazing electric lines on this tango-riffic collection. The playing is spectacular throughout but tones, particularly on 'Paramour's Lullaby' and 'Full Frontal' are so cool they almost steal the show. Bravo!" – Guitar Player