CAN'T WAIT FOR...CHINESE FASHION: FROM MAO TO NOW

I have to admit, I don't really understand what the obsession is with fashion, but I can appreciate it. That is why I am looking forward to the release of Chinese Fashion: From Mao to Now by Juanjuan Wu. Wu is an assistant Professor in the Department of Design, Housing, & Apparel at the University of Minnesota and she has written extensively on Chinese fashion and dress. In her latest book Wu provides readers with an account of fashion in China from the late 70's to the present. Her work considers the social and cultural changes that have occurred in China in the last 3 decades. Wu also offers readers an analysis of the relationship between dress, gender, identity and consumption in contemporary China. It should be a fairly good read.

RELEASE DATE: December 8, 2009
PUBLISHER: Berg Publishers

A GOODIE FROM GREECE: VEFA'S KITCHEN

Vefa Alexiadou is to Greece what Julia Child is the North America, a highly regarded chef, author and television personality. Cookbook fanatics and Greek food lovers are finally able to get a hold of "Vefa's Kitchen", the definitive work on traditional and modern Greek cooking.
The large, hard-covered cooking bible contains over 1000 recipes created and mastered by Vefa herself. The recipes are simple and easy to follow. They contain regional specialties and traditional ingredients that have been staples of Greek cuisine since the beginnings of Western Civilization; olive oil, figs, grapes, garlic, bread, wine and cheese (mmmm....Greek goodness).
The book itself is also beautifully organized and designed. It almost reads more like a travel guide rather than a cookbook. Printed on thick, glossy paper, the pages read more or less like photographs of Greece and its' food. Not overly touched-up, the photographs bring about a sense of authenticity which makes it all that more enjoyable.
"Vefa's Kitchen" is organized into sections of recipes according to the main entree, ie: seafood, vegetable, game, beef, etc. This manner of organizing recipes makes it easy for amateur cooks to navigate their way through the giant book. The cookbook also contains a small section specifically for basic sauces and dips that are often used in other recipes.
"Vefa's Kitchen" is a perfect and enjoyable book for those of us who are non-professional chefs. Those of us who have jobs, kids and other responsibilities that only allow a small amount of time to make a satisfying meal.

PLAYLIST

Alaska in Winter - We are Blind and Riding the Merry Go Round...
Tallest Man on Earth - The Gardener
Dragonette - Gone Too Far
Marina and the Diamonds - Seventeen
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
Eva Simons - Silly Boy

INSPIRATION: FRANCESCA WOODMAN

One of my favorites.

Francesca Woodman was an artist in the 70s and early 80s. Her career was short, as she jumped out her loft window when she was only 22 years old. At the time of her death she had produced around 800 pieces of work and despite her premature death, her work has garnered international critical attention. Woodman primarily used photography in a documentary sense, creating artificial scenes and spaces. Her work often investigates the body and its' forms of movement and transformation. Woodman was normally the subject of her own work, creating very provocative self portraits that some critics interpret as the foreshadowing of her tragic death.

http://www.studio-international.co.uk/photo/woodman.asp