Other people give a shit too..

A Book Club To Write About

It took a good friend of mine to start frollicking with a serious bookworm to finally reap an opportunity to force myself upon a book appreciation collective.
Two years in it's clear that I am a lucky gal. There are promising aspects to this bookclub, despite anonymity, in that all members get to choose titles and the wheel of organisation is pumped and spinning.
The current read is my pick, My Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake. It's about the exceptional talents of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld, the Parisian fashion movement of the 60's and 70's and iconic labelling and couture. I am only two chapters in, unfortunately I had to cave to the City Library borrowing system before I was barely started but captivating biographical introductions are rare, so in a book club first, I made a purchase from The Book Depository. I am Question Queen afterall and I haven't even arrived at the bitter rivalry between the fashionistas, I have a positive obligation to engage and drive decent conversation when the third Thursday of the month rolls around and we meet to eat and talk with our mouths full.

Review by Caroline Weber for NY Times in 2006 here
A great visual book review here on Jen Fitch Style blog.
Another book I am excited about below, self help disguised in biographical philosophy.

Bikini

Is this another of my 2 day love affairs? Blogging helps me to calm down on my fickleness because deleting would be an admission of 1) bad writing 2) regret and 3) a recommendation that belongs in the trash.

Bikini are a 2 piece from New York (suprise). Although, at this foetal stage of musical artistry, they don't work together. Olivier Olivier (oh yeah, the double barreled name had me at 'O') writes the lyrics and melodies sending them over to his old music school chap, Nigel Diamond. Diamond collates the work in the order he sees fit adding his mix of beats and verse and the musical drafting is over, sent on to be mastered and mixed. How great, raw, interesting and now!

I have been hooked on the hook of Palm-Aire (track 3) on the newly released EP for days. Nothing quite like having a nightclub moment while at your desk in a commercial law firm! Not since Radiohead released In Rainbows have I purchased an album online. Considering my environmental stance it should be the norm, I'll get there. In the meantime, pump it here...if you like it, buy it. It's $5, that's it!

Bake me a weekend

I have had a week of baking. My friend Sam came over for dinner on Friday and confided that he was intimidated by baking when he realised a zucchini souffle was rising in the oven. I once felt the same, it's all about getting to know your oven and seeing what works. However, this recipe is so simple, delicious and light, I was subtly playing my own trumpet while championing the efforts of the New York Times online food section. We all went back for seconds, compliments all round.

Round 2 of personal bake off was rocking up to a birthday party and arriving with a flourless chocolate cake. It also went down a treat, especially for the stoners. My trick with this recipe is to use Lindt (or some other top shelf dark chocolate) in the mix. It really is a dessert sensation.

And then finally, today, I topped it all off with gluten free banana bread. Pre coeliac I had quite the obsession with banana bread but have since noticed that cafes do not make this delight GF. I was therefore taking matters into my own hands, 6 years down the track. I regret that now. I have just had a double slice of a seriously delectable banana bread. I think BB is an anytime food and so what if it's not the healthiest snack, it serves as a cheeky treat every once in a while.

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (about 3)mashed ripe bananas
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light olive oil
2 organic, FR eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tspn vanilla extract or 1/2 a bean (seeds extracted)
1 1/2 cups of gluten free SR banana bread*
1/2 cup coarsley chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) or chocolate

How to:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line bread tin (14cm x 20cm)
Combine banana, sugar, oil, eggs, honey, sour cream and vanilla and whisk well
Add sifted flour and nuts and fold in with large spoon
Pour into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Rest for 5 mins and fold onto cooling tray.
Spread some butter or lemon ricotta, eat and share.

*my combo of plain GF flour and 1 tspn of baking soda & 2tspns of GF baking powder worked a treat.

I also added 2 dried figs, that i had soaked to soften and chop finely. Such a great and yummy sweet addition.

Primrose Hill

Primrose Hill
Originally uploaded by Kate Banazi

Kate Banazi

Actually...

I have to take it back, not all of it, but most of that last post to Mr Real Estate.

The 'dream entrance' is now the front door of OUR apartment. I felt like a major suckarooney, I called everyday and emailed, requesting our application be approved. I don't necessarily believe that we scored the place because of any significant persistence, in fact, I think that no-one else applied. She told me they did, I think she lied.

She should post her one-liners on passiveagressive.com - she is my no. 1 candidate for outstanding contribution to the passive agressive cause. Intimidating bogan, scary thought, she is my new real estate agent. I am just hoping that soon enough she will be on 'for sale' properties rather than the lowly vomit of letting! What a dispicable industry.

So we move in this weekend, officially. Can't wait really, have already met some of the neighbours and the garden is super pretty. My dying succulent collection will really thrive with some friends to share growth stories. Plants talk in my world.

I hope that the block loves a DJ, diplomat, reader, writer, chefs, organic wares and recycling plastic. yip. yip.