Get Your Cutlery On

I'm feeling nostalgic today. Nostalgic for my family on the other side of the world and Australia, nostalgic for the past and weirdly enough, for the future that hasn't arrived yet. It's not a big deal, I'm just checking myself before wrecking myself, reevaluating, readjusting my expectations and plans in life.  

 

Nostalgia makes me think mostly of an idyllic past, moments frozen in time that hold some form of perfection in my mind. In our current unstable economic and political environment, it's become quite common to recede into the past, to grasp for an idyllic moment from it and hold on for dear life in the hope we get transported to a better place.  

 

This better place for some people means going back to simpler times. What simpler time than your childhood, or in contrast, your twilight years? Beginning and end, you come full circle and at both stages understand the universal truth that less is more. You appreciate the smaller things in life and delight in them. Your needs are simple and not overshadowed by desires or wants. It's just that somewhere in between, life just got complicated and you may have forgotten to look at the big picture.

Humanity is going through a shift, or maybe it's just the latest trend. Either way, people are realising the way we've been living our lives for the last 100-odd years is not sustainable for the long run. (Some) people are unsatisfied and growing a conscience. They're considering the world around them and in what state they want to leave it in for their successors. Reduce, recycle, reuse are words we now commonly hear.

My friend Em was telling me a bunch of her friends are going as far as ditching their corporate jobs [insert me here] and turning to artisanal crafts [insert her other friends here]. Cheese making; pop up dining experiences showcasing locally produced ingredients; knitting; community gardens; baking; jam making; pickling and fermenting. The list goes on. I'm just pulling on my grandma cardigan and the scarf my mum knit for me, before jumping on the bandwagon.

The other challenge some are tackling is how to turn waste or existing items into products we can (re)use. There's the dude that turns soft drink bottles into lights for huts; the garbage warrior eco architect; and now a whole industry dedicated to utilising trash and third world country labour to make household or fashion items.

So I'm doing my very small and insignificant part. In my travels the last couple of years I've come across the growing trend of using cutlery to make bespoke jewellery pieces. It's not life changing or saving the world, but instead a clever idea to use materials that would otherwise be discarded.

 

In Berlin last year I headed to an arts and craft market held, ironically enough, inside a derelict, abandoned department store.

 

Artists set up their studios and display their art in different rooms and in one of the main halls, craftspeople sell their handmade jewellery and crafts. 

I bought this ring made from a spoon. 

 

What I love about it is the organic, round shape and how comfortably it sits on my finger. 

 

Earlier in Manhattan this year, I visited the Brooklyn Flea Market pop up held in the Chelsea Market. I bought this ring made from the bottom half of a fork. 

 

I love the directional lines and how I can wear it differently depending on my mood.

 

I look at my rings when I wear them and think of my amazing trips to Berlin and New York, then wonder who used this cutlery before and what they ate with it.

What I'm getting at is that I too, like other people, am changing. I don't care what brand I'm wearing or how much I paid for it. What moves and motivates me is the story behind it. Did someone spend their precious time (we all know what a commodity this now is) making this with their hands? Was this item something else before; I wonder who used it; where it has been and where it's from? Who made it and how did they learn the skills to make it? 

Mastery is king and in a world that's consumed with meaningless, mass consumption and being busy, it's nice to know people still take the time to put love, mastery and craft into something.

10 Things I Must Do Before I Die

So if you haven’t noticed already, I’m obsessed with Twitter. Follow me, do it. I think Twitter is the coolest thing since sliced bread. I’m still not sure why it took me so long to jump on the bandwagon.

One of the trending topics today is: 10 Things I Must Do Before I Die. This concept directly links back to a conversation I was having with some family members earlier this week about bucket lists and life goals. So I started thinking about it in depth and decided to extract 10 things from my very own bucket list.

In true Food to Culture fashion, these things will relate to food and travel. Here goes.

1.      Get Heston Blumenthal to throw my friends and me one of his famous themed feasts. The themes I’m leaning towards are: the future; Alice in Wonderland; or Vampires.

2.      Party on a plane. Literally, I want a DJ mixing it up, going mental on the decks on an airplane, whilst my friends and I dance the day/night/jet lag away. David Guetta did it. My choice of DJ would be Don Diablo. Bring it. Let’s get this party started.

3.      Have an under the sea adventure in a submarine. Like a Russian spy or even better, fancy like the Titanic. I want to cruise the depths of the ocean and wave to the sea creatures.

4.      Learn to fly a helicopter. Then I could take myself to wherever I want to go, whenever! Oh yeah, this would also assume I own a helicopter or at least have access to one (I hear leasing is the way to go).

5.      Take French patisserie lessons from a master, like Pierre Herme. Following this, I would throw a decadent afternoon tea for my girlfriends, fueled none other than by the fruits of my labour and quality (expensive) Champagne. Then I’d take my shoes off and dance around whilst drinking from a champas bottles.

6.      Take a dog sled through the snow. In one of those really cold places like Alaska or Canada. I would name the dogs after Santa’s reindeer.

7.      Follow the Inca Trail and climb Machu Picchu. I love mountains and nothing beats perching on top of one and taking in the awesomeness, peace, history and nature surrounding you.

8.      Go on an African Safari. Ever since I was young I was intrigued by African animals, my first school project was on the Cheetah.

9.      Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. This may seem simple to some, but I can’t swim. Seriously. Even the thought of deep water (where I can’t touch the bottom) suffocates and terrifies me. I nearly drowned (twice!) when I was young and since then, even after several adult swimming classes, I’m still not over my fear. So step one to this would be: learn to swim!

10.  Charity work abroad. One of the next holidays I take, I want to entirely dedicate to others. I want to help build an orphanage or school; hit the ground running for Doctors without Borders or Red Cross; or volunteer my time at the School of St Jude in Tanzania. Anything, just a block of time where I pull my head out of my own ass and give to others, just because I can and because I want to try and make the world a better place.

There seem to be more travel items than food on this list.That’s because my travel wishlist is ever growing, check it.

Maybe I inspired you to come up with your own things to do before you die or to update your current bucket list. 

What’s on your list?

Los Angeles: Intelligentsia Coffee

When we hit the pavement on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice we came across Intelligentsia Coffee by chance. 

I was glad to find yet another coffee roasting house (thank you California) that took its coffee seriously and pumped out a tasty, fragrant brew. 

  

I was also glad to be proving wrong the misconception that there's bad coffee in America. Quite surprising really, this misconception, considering Americans are serious coffee drinkers. Throughout our trip in the USA I came to realise that its (coffee) is just different. Americans even have different coffee percolating apparatus that I am ashamed to say, I had never seen before until this trip. But then how many Americans can say they have the ability to make Greek coffee with just the right amount of crema? ...but I digress.

It was good to see a decent range of organic teas on offer as well. A hoorah to the past, a throwback to the good ol' days when America was under English rule. It seems one of the main reasons why coffee became so popular in the first place in the States was to stick it to the British once America became independent. They created their own coffee culture by relinquishing the culture enforced by the British during their rule.

This place was cool. The vibe was relaxed. The coffee was great. The crowd was varied and tech savvy, casually flicking through their smartphones while they lined up patiently. Hipster-ish even. Damn those head sock wearing hippies, they're everywhere and they find all the cool places!

What I didn't know then, was that Intelligentsia started out in Chicago, later opening up shop in Los Angeles and New York. Coast to coast domination.

If you're looking for an urban oasis with good coffee in Venice, check this place out, but be prepared to line up during peak times...which seems to be like all the time, at least the whole hour or so we were there.

Los Angeles: Pizzeria Mozza

According to some, Pizzeria Mozza has the best slice in LA. I didn't eat pizza anywhere else in Lalaland, so I don't have an opinion on this. I can only compare to pizza I've eaten elsewhere (Australia, San Francisco, Rome etc).

I'll be honest, when we hit up Mozza I wasn't too educated on things Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton or Joseph Bastianich, but they seemed to have a great reputation, especially if the line up to snag a seat in this place was anything to go by. I was prepared, our stopover in LA was only two nights so I wasn't going to risk it, I made a reservation ahead of time.

The pizza wasn't bad, just overcooked in my opinion and perhaps not the best combination of ingredients (they were competing for taste on this particular slice). What stood out for me were:

• the appetizers
• the dessert
• what seemed to be (and I'm probably wrong because I'm only assuming) a local West Hollywood crowd
• the ambience (its noisy so if you like a vibrant vibe, you'll dig it); and
• the Italian wine list.

And I mean it about the appetizers (especially the bone marrow) and dessert, they were hands down delectable, finger licking good. The two lovely elderly ladies sitting at the table next to us got more than they bargained for that night - they delighted in my constant groaning sounds and exclamations of "yum!" and "that tastes sooooo good!".

Bone marrow al forno - $12

 

Rub that delicious pickled garlic on the bread, then spread the marrow on. Yum!

Insalata mista - $8

Burrata crostone with Swiss chard,spring onion & Balsamico - $9

Finnochiona salame, mozzarella, tomato & Fresno chiles - $17

Banana gelato pie with hot fudge & candied hazelnuts - $12

As our trip through the states progressed, I came to realise how popular and how much influence Mario Batali has in the culinary sphere. I'm still not quite sure what it is about him? Is it his business mogulness - the fact he has opened numerous (successful?) restaurants throughout the states and abroad; the recent controversy surrounding his businesses; his influences on cuisine (whatever they are); his expertness on regional Italian cuisine; being an author and television personality; or the mere fact that he just manages to make so many people happy with his food? I think it's a combination of all these factors, and the fact that he is not a skinny man.

Never trust a skinny chef, they have to be sporting a pot belly to be trustworthy and likeable, nay, to be passionate about and to produce delicious food. Mario's shape, his roundness, his pudgy pink rosy cheeks and neck rolls remind me of a happy free range piglet roaming through beautiful green countryside, fattening up for slaughter and my imminent delight and enjoyment. By no means do I intend to be disrespectful or condescending. It's this picture of him I see that makes me think "this man enjoys his food, I want to enjoy it too, I want to eat what he eats".

I know you want to eat it too. Next time you're in Los Angeles, make sure to hit up Pizzeria Mozza, or if you're after a slightly more upmarket non-pizza version, head to Osteria Mozza conveniently located next door.

Oh, and I still don't know who Nancy Silverton or Joseph Bastianich are...

Los Angeles: Alcove Cafe & Bakery/Big Bar

Big is not always better. The coffee mugs are almost the size of my head - and I have a big head. Surely when it's such a big coffee it can't taste good? And it doesn't. Because its so huge, they have to make it really hot, so it burns my tongue on the first sip. Then it cools really quickly because of the massive mug and it's a puddle of bad tasting coffee / luke warm toilet water.

The breakfast is gigantic, with what looks like a whole pan of re-heated roast potatoes as a side to Chris' breakfast panino. The potatoes don't look appealing, I don't even attempt to try one.

I order the country breakfast: scrambled eggs, pancakes with fresh strawberries on top and a side of bacon. It was satisfactory. The eggs I could have scrambled a hundred times better with my eyes closed - they were a stiff mound of rubber. And the strawberries: not so fresh. At least not as fresh I've become accustomed to so far in the States.

Being also a bakery, they have a heap of baked goods on display, which I didn't try.

What I did like about this place were three things:
1. The massive outdoor courtyard with plenty of shade.
2. The area it's in (Los Feliz) as its a suburb I wanted to check out.
3. The people watching.

I guess that's probably the same reasons the Angelenos like this place too.

Next time you're in LA, steer clear of this place. There's way better places to have breakfast at.

Santa Barbara: Metropulos

Sunny, warm, arty, relaxing. We spent the day in Santa Barbara, quickly realising there's not much to do in this holiday destination except take in some sunshine by the beach and drink wine. Both things I thoroughly enjoy.

We walked around the main beach then through the side streets that had plenty of wine tasting and surf shops. We came across a stone mason who was working on a massive piece of granite outside his workshop and we stopped to chat to him. He recommended we have lunch around the corner at Metropulos, a Greek deli that serves sandwiches.

Metropulos is a small specialty goods store that also operates a cafe. Amongst the stacked shelves you'll find a multitude of goodies from all over the world. Although it's a relatively small-medium sized store, you could spend hours trolling through the goods.

We ordered a chicken sandwich, the Californian salad and a glass of local Grenache. The glass of wine was generous and only $4! Gotta get some more of that.

The sandwich was good but the highlight was definitely the Californian salad. It had greens, dried apricots, pistachios, goats cheese, oversize croutons and it was dressed with a honey vinaigrette. It was California summer on a plate, couldn't get enough of it!

What was even better were all the locals hanging out and eating at the cafe, discussing various topics including university education, IT business, art and painting (I couldn't help but eavesdrop). It was a cool neighbourhood spot for a cheap and tasty lunch before we hit the road towards Los Angeles.