Category: uncategorized
Stop the Internet
A nice genteel day
We all went out for a walk to see the potters at the tulip fest. The cold weather we had recently means that the tulips are a bit behind schedule for the flowering, but it was still a gorgeous day, if only slightly marred by the alternatively whiny and I-want-to-buy-this bean. We took a train to Lausanne to browse a few shops and then go to our favourite brasserie for dinner. Again, very civilised.
For the most part.
My supermarket is better than yours
Because it has a passive-aggressive furry handing out samples.
Future blackmail picture
I’m just leaving this here for myself, to use in years to come. We’ll have lots of things to talk about with Bean’s first partner.
my take on a classic
I’ve been looking for this poster for years. I had it in my bedroom when I was a teenager and got rid of it years ago, after it got battered after several flat moves. Little did I know that it would become a fairly rare, limited edition poster. The only biggish picture that I’ve seen that could be used as a basis for cleanup and photomanip came from an ebay listing, and even that had cosmetic damage. So, here below, are some creative things I’ve done with it.
The toonified version.
The halftone version.
[recipe] Bibimbap
Toriko doesn’t disappoint. Beef, egg, veg and rice. I could live on this for ever!
Bibimbap is Korean mixed rice. It includes rice, meat, vegetables and a spicy sauce. You typically serve these in a hot stone bowl. Once served, you mix them all together nicely and shove them into your mouth. It’s super delicious and hugely addictive.
If you serve bibimbap in a normal bowl, you will notice that the rice cools down quite fast. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, some people prefer having the rice and all the other ingredients in bibimbap warm if not hot. That’s when the stone bowl comes in handy. If you prepare and serve your bibimbap in a hot stone bowl, your bibimbap will be not only nicely warm, but also it will often have a nice crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the bowl.
Ingredients (4 servings)
MEAT AND MEAT MARINADE
100g / 3.5 ounces rib eye fillets, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
VEGETABLES AND OTHER
1/2 cups (60 g / 2 ounces) carrots, julienned
1/2 cups (60 g / 2 ounces) wilted spinach, julienned
1/2 cups (60 g / 2 ounces) zucchini, julienned
1/2 cups (60 g / 2 ounces) bean sprouts, julienned
1/2 cups (60 g/ 2 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cups steamed rice
4 eggs
some cooking oil
sesame oil
fine sea salt
BIBIMBAP SAUCE
2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1. Prepare and cook ingredients:
– In a bowl, combine the meat with the marinade. Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge while you are working on other the ingredients. When ready, add some cooking oil into a wok and cook the meat on medium high to high heat. It takes about 3 to 5 mins to thoroughly cook it.
– Separately sauté carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and bean sprouts in a frying pan. Season them lightly with fine sea salt.
– Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
– Pan fry the eggs per your preference. (Sunny side up is a popular choice.)
2. Assemble:
– Preheat an oven for 10 minutes at 220 C / 428 F. Once heated, place your stone bowl into the oven. Leave it there for 10 minutes. 10 minutes later, take it out. Drop in some sesame oil (about 1 Tbsp per medium size bowl) and brush it around. Quickly assemble your bibimbap ingredients inside the hot stone bowl. First you will have to lay down the rice. Make sure you flatten it well. Then add the meat, assorted vegetables, and the egg on top of the rice. Transfer the hot stone bowl onto the stove and cook it for 5 minutes over low heat. You will hear the rice crackling noise. Remove from the heat.
Easter chicken butt
Also, how Katy looks after a shower, before straightening her hair.
[gallery] Michael Summers
The paintings of Michael Summers take us into a crisp and colorful world, alive with nostalgia, splendor and whimsy. Within each vibrant scene are playful reminders that our everyday lives are filled with wonder, beauty and magic, if only we allow our eyes to see it.
The meticulously crafted paintings of Michael Summers are firmly rooted in contemporary west coast surrealism with a strong pop sensibility. He uses his Pop Surrealist style as a tool to reflect his inner vision: creating the impossible and more importantly, making the impossible seem plausible. The artist creates imaginary characters – often alluding to mythical archetypes – in acrylic paint with a keen hyper-attentiveness. His unorthodox use of intense saturation and arbitrary, multi-chromatic hues encourages the viewer to look a little closer, a little longer. The recognizable subjects of animals, automatons, and humans suddenly become magical and extraordinary. Yet, they somehow still retain the nostalgia of a child-hood memory that was once long forgotten.
Commissioned to create prominent, large-scale murals that are seen by thousands daily, Michael Summers grows in ever-increasing popularity. He has been chosen as the Featured Artist and Muralist for a multitude of Art Festivals over the past ten years.
The stupid, it still burns
