Thursday 30 September 2010

Autumn day: Alfie's Antique market

Sun was shining after a few days of depressing wintery dark days where I was trying to get used to having to turn on the light even before 7pm. So I dragged myself for a refreshing Autumn walk (well, cycle that was) via Regent's canal to visit Alfie's Antique market on Church Street NW8 (near Edgeware Road/St John's Wood). http://www.alfiesantiques.com/index.php
Regent's canal

This is the route I cycle to evening classes (AAT accounting) and I love the canal cycling, I have to try hard not to fall into the canal though as it has this mirroring effect to pull me there!
Off the topic, but I have a series of photos called "Kage-e" (means shadow-pictures in Japanese) here, I'm interested in perspectives in reflections.
Kage-e

Alfie's Antique Market was somewhere I wanted to go but hadn't, and it turned out so pretty and great place to snoop around. It's a little like how Camden market (Antique bits at the Stables) used to be until they built concrete buildings and in compensate the "mood" they just left many iron horses (well, this is because it used to be a horse hospital, but I'm not a bit pleased with how they developed and kicked out many good old dealers)




It has 4 floors full of antique clothes, lights, furniture, collectibles, even has a kitsch and cool hairdresser, if you're going out on a vintage themed nights or swing dance for a hair-do, visit them!
They have a nice terrace cafe also (this is an important point = I love places with good cafes I can daydream).
I also found a leather brown bag I was looking for for ages here, and yes I did bargained it.
One thing I missed was to visit one of the Time Out voted best coffee places here on Church Street, Indie Coffee, I couldn't find it plus it was after 3pm when they close. Church Street has many other antique shops and markets, so I'll keep this a reason to visit again soon.
Some trees are producing bright red leaves and I love this season where I walk crunching on the variety of coloured leaves under my feet.
Back home, writing this, while I wait for Nigel Slater's recipe of Blueberry and Peach cake gets baked.
Have a wonderful Autumn!

Sunday 26 September 2010

Fuyuko Matsui's Nihonga 松井冬子の日本画 



As I was just clicking away from someone's blog to another via some good findings on music, I bumped into Fuyuko Matsui's drawings and I just couldn't breathe!
I had seen her works before (on computer screen) and it left me with some owe, but unfortunately I forgot how to search anymore until it came back to me today, that I HAD TO put it up here.
She seems almost a cult art beauty figure (she really...is stunningly beautiful) in Japan appearing on fashion magazines and TV documentaries, yet reading her interview, she is very firm about who she is, what she does, not caring what people think (some people are trying to make her a model, celebrity etc).
I feel so gutted about not making to her Paris solo exhibition I could have gone since I was there!! Arrghh...
I totally love her world of, sinister, grotesque, dark, yet beautifully seductive, enticing drawings. I am not a big fan of modern pop art with computer-made/like pieces (modern in terms of "now" than Warhol time) like Takashi Murakami, maybe I'm old?! more like because I consider art to be something appealing to our bare human senses to feel something presented in some shapes (sound, vision, experiences) by someone's mind. 
In that sense, I know very well why I am attracted to Fuyuko Matsui's world for many reasons.
Firstly, her technique of drawing is heavily influenced by Old Japanese drawings called Nihon-ga (history of it as old as 500-1000 AC) we could still see in temples and shrines, often only black ink (called Suiboku-ga) drawn on Fusuma (paper doors which divides rooms in traditional Japanese houses), this must appeal to my Japanese identity and Japanese appreciation of "delicate, simple, natural, refined" art. Secondly, I love people challenging the boundaries, some of her works depict guts, deaths and it makes us uneasy and scared. Juxtapositions of what's commonly beautiful and ugly, peace and war, fresh and decay are all done for centuries, but I love the uneasy feeling "there is something out there, watching you, but you can't see it" way of haunting piece of art like a ghost.
It's not about finding out answers, making senses, but about knowing there is incomprehensible world just beyond the square (pictures, screens, cards, heads) and knowing the existence of it and the curiosity to know/peek are the beauty of some artists can take us. 
http://matsuifuyuko.com/

Pear tart recipe (lazy and easy version)

I had very ripe pears, so decided to bake a pear tart.
I used bought sweet tart base (usually baking section, sold for £1 or less) so not having to roll and bake the base, this recipe is super easy and preparation time is only 10 minutes.
I think this can be with blueberries, apples or plums, but pear and almond combination is the best?!
Pear cut in half would make it pretty, but mine were small, so I sliced thinly.


Ingredients:
Butter 60 grams
Ground almond 70 grams
Sugar 60 grams
One medium egg
Corn starch 10 grams
2 pears
One table spoon liquor (I used cognac)
(for grazing)
15 ml water
15ml apricot or marmalade jam


1: Soften butter in room temparature
2: Mix sugar in 1 until white
3: Beat an egg and beat well
4: Mix in Ground almond
5: Mix in liquor then corn starch
6: Put this mixture cream into the pastry base evenly
7: Spread pealed and sliced pear on top of the cream and bake for 40 minutes in 175 degree oven
7: Boil the water and jam until thick and brush this on the cake surface when baked (I did it in microwave, easy!)





Monday 20 September 2010

All about Coffee Coffee Coffee

When did I fisrt really like coffee?!
We in Japan since we were all kids, we would drink what we called "Milk coffee" comes in a glass bottle with a paper cap. I used to love having it after visiting a public bath where they sell milk coffees and ice creams. So maybe my roots in coffee is there.
Coffee Milk aka "Ko-hi milku"
But I never liked black coffee, can I call myself a coffee lover even when I can't drink it in black (the purest coffee form in..coffee)?
Anyhow, I am always in search of good coffees and cafes where they serve good coffees, latte, that is as that's what I call coffee personally.
I encountered Monmouth Coffee few years ago, and since I got my small lovely coffee machine about 3 years go, I always buy freshly ground coffee every month from them.
My friend got me a coffee grinder from Krups, now I even grind it myself from freshly roasted coffee every few days, what a way of waking up to every morning, surrounded in coffee smell and the process I never compromise even when I'm in a hurry. (Grinding, steaming the milk, brewing espresso)
Here I want to list great coffees I love and great places where they serve quality coffees.


Monmouth Espresso
http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/
Very mild and irresistible smell. I always buy espresso (Colombian beans), so I should try different kinds more..












Square Mile Summer Espresso:
http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/
My new favourite, they make seasonal roast, this is my first, 2010 Summer espresso, I bought from my local cafe, Ginger and White in Hampstead.
You can also buy from Milkbar in Soho








Sacred Coffee Espresso: New Zealand's coffee company
I bought a bag of espresso (ground) but it was ground a bit too coarse, so I couldn't get the taste I normally get from the cafes, next I shall buy the beans to test again.





These 3 are my favourite coffee to buy, then if I can't get hold of any, I would go for Illy, it won't betray you and available in most supermarkets!










Here are the list of cafes I know they do great coffees (this list should be updated regularly!) for the ones I can think of for now, that is.. (in UK/London)

-Milkbar, Soho *Good to meet up or daydream in soho

-Monmouth Coffee, Covent Garden and Borough market *Cool, busy and cosy cafe

-Sacred Coffee, off Carnaby Street and Long Acre (Covent Garden) *Reliably good quality

-Ginger and White, Hampstead *Cute/at-home cafe

-Partisserie Macaron, Clapham Common *Cute and unique cafe

-Cafe Oto, Dalston *Best music venue and cafe!

-Scandinavian Kitchen, Fitzrovia (Oxford St/Goodge St) *Cute grocer (Scandinavian) and good service/atmosphere

-Fernandez & Wells, Soho *busy but reliable service!

-Macondo, Hoxton *Reasonable dish and cakes!

-Gail's Bakery, Hampstead, Portbello *Great selection of breads and cakes

-Lanka, Primrose Hill *Great Japanese-French cakes!

-Ottolenghi, Angel, Kensington, Belgravia, Notting Hill *Sheer genius cookery!!

-Ray's Jazz Cafe, Soho (inside Foyle's book shop) *Great for meeting point and atmosphere

-Sweet, Exmouth Market (Clerkenwell) *Great selection of cakes and salads

-Brill cafe and records, Exmouth Market (Clerkenwell) *Great Iced Coffee!


-Whole Foods Ltd. Across London *Simply great selected organic food retailer

This should continue with my search! Let me know if your favourite places :)
I have to admit, that of all chain cafes, you know when you can't always go for independent cafes, (when running for trains, motorways, high streets etc) I love Pret a Manger the most, they make the closet coffee I make my own out of any other chain cafes and Soya milk option is free which is lovely.
Costa and EAT come next, but the quality of coffees are varied depending on branches and who make it, so I can't quite count.

Coffee, I can drink right before going to bed and I have no problem sleeping!

Finish with the song about "Coffee Milk" by Flipper's Guitar (Keigo Oyamada of Cornelius's former pop band in 80's Japan, great music!)


Flippers Guitar - Coffee-Milk Crazy
Found at Coffee-Milk Crazy on KOhit.net

Saturday 18 September 2010

Takeshi Kitano Exhibition in Paris

Takeshi Kitano Exhibition at Fondation Cartier Paris
10th September 2010
 (unfortunately this has just ended last week)
Exterior of the exhibition
inside

Anneke in front of the gallery
I went to Paris prior to my trip to Belgium specially for this exhibition.

Takeshi Kitano is one of the most famous celebrity comedians in Japan, more known as a film director outside Japan, my Belgian friend Anneke has been a huge Takeshi fan but didn't know that he was a comedian until she met me few years ago (she was quite shocked in fact).
I have grown up watching his funny TV shows such as Takeshi's castle (now known widely outside Japan, a TV show public people compete to fight with Takeshi via lots of his traps, what? never seen it? you should watch some clips here!) and Oretachi Hyokin-zoku (80's TV series of comedy sitcom, you can watch some clips also on the link), so if I wasn't living abroad where he is regarded more as a cult film director/artist, I would be quite surprised to hear that Fondation Cartier Paris has dedicated all their lovely space entirely to his artistic dispose. It must have cost them a lot to have this happen.
French people love Japanese culture and I can see why, as we both like subtle/poetic arts/literature/films, but the scale of this exhibition shows how French adore him so much.
The gallery itself is so lovely with lots of open outdoor space and open-spaced bright gallery.
The humour sense of Takeshi is surprisingly suitable for kids audience as Takeshi himself is a big child with massive mischievous mind (see Takeshi's TV shows in Japan is good examples where he wanted to "play" with lots of people just like we did some tricks to each other as kids, but in his case, the scale is big using tanks and buses to explode, making poor comedians bungee jump with stupid costumes on, pouring hot water in a bath tub as punishment from games, using Alligator or Scorpions to scare off participants of games  etc)




Here are some images from the exhibition.
The arrangements of the exhibition was impressive! Audience can participate in it, sound pieces are there to listen then you're invited to draw pictures inspired by the sounds, you can see how instant and spontaneous art can be by looking at balls running around by the electric vibration with inks spread all over to create rather Damien Hirst-esque painting in the process, and the piece where Takeshi himself visited the gallery and made some paintings by shooting ink in a gun like a painter-guerrilla (just like a shooting practice) to animal cut-outs canvases.

My favourites are the drawings from "Hana-bi" film he made during the time he was hospitalized with serious injury he had from a bike accident (when he had his face/skull severely injured that influenced these face-less paintings), these are very special and most vulnerable pieces for him I think, here he doesn't quite "hide" his pure and innocent artistic value behind his usual black humour/sense. They are so painfully pure.












I think, to be really funny and be the one who can really laugh or have child-like imagination, it takes guts and Takeshi's take on life shows that what appears plain stupid are stone serious as well as pure silly, just like a flip side of a coin, ultimately being inseparable things. He can deliver such simple but transcendental sphere and I call it a sheer artistic talent.

Belgium Beers in Belgium

The Belgium Beer Festival

Thanks to my friends Neil and Kay?! I am getting more and more into Belgian beers now.
It suits me good as I like to sip than gulp, I like to enjoy the aroma and flavour than just gassy alcohol lagers. Mind you, if you're one of 6pints a night lager drinker, take it easy on Belgian beers, most (except lagers/pils like Crystal, Jupiler, Stella Artois etc) have 6% to mighty 13% alcohol in it, think it as wine to sip slowly.
No wonder in Belgium, people snack on cheese with beer like with wines. (with mustard!)
My beloved IV saison with cheese board at Moeder Lambic bar in Brussels, one of only places they have IV on the tap
This year on 11-12th September, we went to the annual Belgian Beer festival in Bruge. This was my second time there, same lovely city hall on Bruge's most beautiful Markt De Bruge.
Last year was in November, so this year, everyone was enjoying the summer feel in the courtyard sitting space to enjoy the dark/amber/blonde/fruits/pale beers in their hand.
Only pity thing for me is that, beers are served in a small wine glass (BAB brewery logo glass seen in the photos) so I easily forget which one was that I liked when it comes to buying it in a shop.
Courtyard of the festival

How it works here at the festival is that we buy tokens and a glass and a info leaflet about the beers, then go visit each brewery booth to try out, a portion is small and they offer plain bread to wipe off the taste and they wash the glass for you to pour the new beer, so you can go around and try as many as you want.

It's not like Oktoberfest in Munich where people just drink and rave (!), Belgian Beer festival is more like a emporium for beer connoisseurs from all over the world. (I was interviewed by Belgian TV company last year as a representative of a Japanese national!)

As a pale ale/blonde beer lover, I go for 6-7% beers which seem to be the perfect alcohol amount to enjoy the refreshing aroma without leaving strong taste in my mouth.
Slaapmutke Blond
Bos Keun
Bloemen Bier













My favourites so far are
Valeir Extra (Pale Ale, 6.5%, Very smooth and naturally sweet hop with hint of citrus, very similar to Sierra Nevada, American Pale Ale which is getting more and more available in London)
IV Saison (6.5% Blonde Ale, also similarly fruity/citrusy flavour as Valeir Extra but more depth)
Saison Dupont (6.5% Ale, slightly more spicier than other of my favourite listed here, very crisp and moderate hop) 
Moinette,(8.5% Blonde, fermented beer, despite the strong alcohol rate, this is very easy to drink and refreshingly sophisticated blond beer)
XX bitter, (6.2% IPA, mild and bitter at the same time, very earthy smell and taste), Slaapmutke Blond.(6.4% Pale Ale, the design of the bottle has this sleeping moon, apparently it means "night cap/hat", I like it with little more form on top yet smooth and fruity)
Bloemen Bier (7% Ale, literally means "Flower beer" and it certainly smells and taste like flowers-not that I eat flowers!- very sweet and tender. I love it but when it's warm, it gets too sweet for my liking)

I have tried some weird beers from pure curiosity such as Mustard, Banana (not yet to taste Chocolate!) but I always settle in Blonde/Pale Ale or IPA style.
In 3 days of Belgium stay, I had (or tried off my friends) 15 kinds of beers. Did you know that Belgium produces the biggest amount of beers in the whole world, over 8700 of them! (of which over 800 is standard, others are on-off beers such as Christmas beers and seasonal/event beers) If you take the fact that Belgian population is about 10.7 million compared to 2000 beers for the population of 58 millions in the UK.



Islaja + Family Elan live at Cafe Oto

Family Elan
Islaja
15th September 2010
Barbican Centre produced A night of electronic and acoustic music influenced by the shamanic traditions of Northern Europe.
This event was at my favourite venue/cafe Cafe Oto in Dalston.
Nowadays, being in London with vast amount of choices of events, I don't normally go to gigs which cost over £10 (I'm broke too) but having missed A Hawk and a hacksaw show few weeks back at Oto, I had to catch what Chris Hladowski has been up to. I absolutely love his multi-instrumental talent and the music he gets his hands into.
Along with his other projects, Nalle, The One Ensemble and A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Family Elan seems to be becoming more transcendent as members change around. Today, Chris employs his sister Stephanie along with his friend Mark. 
Not sure if it was only me thinking FE music was more to do with Eastern Europe than Northern as curated for this event. Anyway, I was so happy to hear Les Mogol's "Toroslar" (1970's Turkish song) played, what a short and great tune. (I couldn't find mp3 to upload here but 30 second play can be done on the link here)
I personally enjoy instrumental pieces of them but Stephanie's voice certainly gives them a credit for some Irish songs they performed and the sentimental feel regardless of what background in music we all have. 
I love their new album (Alt.Vinyl) download here

Islaja is a Finnish woman on Fonal Records, who sings in Finnish and performs in keyboard samples with some make-shift sounds from anything from balloons to wooden pieces.
I am yet to visit Finland, but certainly her music and all other Fonal releases offer some insight into this semi-hidden corner of Northern Europe where they speak strange language with no strong connection in Latin. (apparently Korean language went up north via Hungary then Finland, they all have some connection in their languages)
Her voice for me is something else than simply put "Female singer", her voice is a sound itself along with her employed instruments. I greatly enjoyed the show and it made me want to find out this "Finnish" treasure awaiting to be in the cold Northern air of the tranquil some day. 

Patisserie Macaron (Clapham Common) review

lovely cafe by the common

Patisserie Macaron
22 The Pavement
London 
SW4 0HY
0207 498 2636
http://www.patisserie-macaron.co.uk/

How can I ignore this lovely French cafe called my favourite sweets Macaron?
Few yards from Clapham Common tube and facing the common, this French cafe exists rather discreetly.
The good way of finding is to spot the huge ice cream sculpture outside the shop.
They bake breads, cakes and serve great coffee/teas in classy flowery cups and saucers.
You can get a lot of sunshine through their huge glass windows or sit outside looking into the park.
Today, I had big sized blueberry macaron and a latte.
The coffee was perfect brew for me (I'm a huge fan of Monmouth and Square Mile), I should have asked which coffee they used.
And the macaron!
It was heavenly! So blueberry with a slight hint of some liquor? (rum or cognac? I didn't ask..)
Teas are served in pots. They serve sandwiches and other mouth-watery cakes to make it difficult for you to make a final decision.
I just came back from a trip to Paris and Belgium. and I can't help noticing this time that London has so much good places to go and cheaper. I used to think UK is the most expensive (except some Northern Europe such as Iceland, Finland etc) in Europe, but now I guess because I somehow know where to go around London, it can be so good and cheap. (Most of the very French Bistros/Cafes I went in central Paris charge €4 for a latte (Cafe Creme).
Anyhow, Patisserie Macaron sells home-baked macaron 100g for £7 as well as serving each for £1 (£1.20 eat-in) and they have about 5-10 different flavours such as strawberry, coffee, blackberry, pistachio, caramel etc, the big one I had in the photo here is £3.4 eat in. How can anyone just have 1 small macaron?
I am planning a challenge of making my macarons soon, but if I fail...I may be going back there straight away!

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★★
Price:★★★★
Service:★★★★
Interior/Decor:★★★★
Menu:★★★★
Overall points:★★★★(4)

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Here We Go Magic at Hoxton Bar and Grill 7th Sep 2010

Last year's Here We Go Magic album "Here We Go Magic" (Western Vinyl) was one of my top 10 best 2009 album of the year.
I remember we listened to this timelessly driving on the way to Green Man Festival from London to Wales, the magic of the music somehow fitted into the twilight of the highways, nature resort country roads etc. I was simply amazed by the pure variety of pop they could squeeze in one album. Not only the favourite tune from the first album, but the song "Everything is big" went straight into one of my favourite tunes in a long time straight away.



So when I obtained their follow up second album "Pigeons" (Secretly Canadian) didn't forget to bring more sweet candy to my ear. 
This time they gave me a tune which I added to my "dance like a crazy" playlist! 

"collector"





The live was half full Hoxton Bar and Grill, without knowing much about the band in advance except the music (shame on me..) I somehow spotted Luke Temple (Vo) sitting next to me, he had some strangely good existence. (because of his summer straw hat?)
They pretty much played most of the 2 albums in just over 60 minute set, all my favourites (most importantly!) Very unforgettable melody "Fangela" was played without its signiture percussion rhythm but very neat and candypop. Song after song they would melt into this crazy synth-noise you just comfortably feel lost in, then Bang! emerge the next song like a party cracker. Excellent show.
I actually ended up going to this show alone (my friends didn't turn up) which is quite rare for me, but I knew they are not one of the bands I can't miss it, and knew that I'd be smiling and dancing alone. It had been a long time actually I was so into live music (indie/melody) I didn't give a damn about my surroundings a while, which I believe is one of the magics music can bring about (especially in a place like London where people are so used to "going to shows"=not attending 100%)  
Here are some photos of the night.
Luke Temple (vo)

Great bands: A Hawk and Hacksaw and Family Elan

Lots of people now know Beirut.
In my case, I found Beirut simply because he was produced/found by my all time favourite band called Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeremy Barnes.
Now apart from Jeff Mangum randomly appears to play his solo and NMH tunes in USA, the youngest/newest member Jeremy Barnes is the man behind this magnificent band A Hawk and Hacksaw.
I was them twice, and both are such blast experiences!
This is one of the best videos of them performing with Serbian musicians in Wales.





If you like this Eastern gypsy music, don't forget to check out my friend Chris Hladowski who is a young talented British multi-instrument player.
His band Family Elan is supporting Islaja, Finnish female musician (a great pop/experimental label Fonal records) for Barbican music project on 15th Sep at Cafe Oto.

This is Family Elan's latest (from lovely Altvinyl label in Newcastle)
After leaving music industry, I am not buying music nowadays but I need to buy this!
I love this music so much..
Enjoy!

Sunday 5 September 2010

Some tunes which make me smile :) 5th Sep 2010

Oh, Daniel! Daniel Johnston...
Ever since I heard his album "Artistic Vice" in 1995, I was touched his innocent voice and tunes. I so wanted to see him, just see him and say hi and how much I love his music and art back in Japan, I thought I'd have to go all the way to Texas to do so, but luckily I saw him many times in London and even had some chat with him.
This video of Casper the friendly ghost surely put anyone's face a warm smile :)




Saturday 4 September 2010

Chocolate cake with Butter cream recipe

with the touch of marshmallow to decorate
It is my flatmate Elin's birthday today, Happy Birthday, or rather, Grattis på födelsedagen!
So this is another opportunity to bake a cake for me :)
I don't normally like chocolate or chocolate cakes (strange girl huh?), but it's her favourite, so I thought I'd have a go. And writing now in my room, a floor up from our kitchen, I'm already wrapped in the sweet smell of the chocolate.
By the way, some people don't know how to pronounce my name right, I'm a bit embarrassed but I always say, it's like "chocolate" in French, but this normally sort things out.
Also, I was just going to write about "chocolate cheesecake", I love cheesecakes and I've tried many kinds for years, but chocolate cheesecakes.. or toffee cheesecakes, I just don't understand it... WHY? 
It's like mixing Sushi and Pizza together.. I enjoy both, but not together. The flavours crash inside the mouth in my opinion. As supposed to New York cheesecake, I'd name chocolate cheesecake a "British cheesecake". 
Having said all these, I am mixing cream cheese in the chocolate cake for it produces even more dense creamy inside/crunchy outside effect.


This recipe is very basic, you can do with or without flour. (great news for wheat allergy sufferers!)
The cake itself actually turns out not sweet enough.. so I made butter cream in the last minute which made it so nice!


Ingredients:
plain/milk chocolate 150gm
butter 30gm
30 gm cocoa powder (increase to 50 if you're not using flour)
flour 20gm
cream cheese 200gm
3 eggs


(for Butter cream)
butter 70gm
sugar 50 gm
1 egg
60ml milk
(optional) 1 tbl spoon of cognac or brandy or grand manier


1: On low heat hob, boil water and melt butter, chocolate and cream cheese in a bowl over the pan, mix well
2: when creamy, take 1 out from the heat and shift in cocoa and flour and put egg yolks
3: in a separate bowl, whisk the egg white with sugar until hard enough to stand
4: slowly put 3 into 2 and mix well carefully not to destroy the fluffiness of the mix.
5: bake in 180 degree oven for 30 min


(Butter cream)
1: boil the milk and sugar in the hob until about 115degrees
2: whisk the egg white until hard merange
3: add 1 slowly into 2 continuously mixing (never stop!)
4: soften the butter until white then mix in egg yolk and spirit
5: slowly mix 3 into 4 and beat into cream form
(don't worry if it curdles, just beat and beat! if necessary, drain out the liquid)


Slice the cake into 2 and spread the cream and chill in the fridge before surving


Bon apetit!