Baked Pear Cake

This recipe I got in last weekend's Stella by Sarah Leahey Benjamin and decided to bake it for my Granddad's birthday today. I have adapted the recipe slightly, adding ginger, a little cinnamon and flaked almonds on top. Although the recipe one of pears didn't stay standing it was a great success.

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
140g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs
zest 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp rum (optional)
50g flaked almonds

(Just before putting in the oven)

Method
1) Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180 degrees centigrade and line a 23cm tin.
2) Sieve together the plain flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and baking powder.
3) In a separate bowl with an electric mixer beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. One at the time beat in the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, beating as you go. Add the orange zest, vanilla essence and rum.
4) Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and combine.
5) Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and place the pears into the mixture, making sure the mixture is evenly spread.
6) Place into the oven and bake for a hour. If after about 30 minutes the cake look as if it's browning too much cover with a piece of baking parchment.
7) When the skewer comes out with moist crumbs remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in it's tin for about 15 minutes.
8) 5 minutes before removing the cake from it's tin, in a frying pan dry toast the flaked almonds until golden brown. This happens very quickly so keep flipping the almond flakes.
9) Remove the cake from the tin and sprinkle the almonds over, serve warm with creme fraiche or ice cream.

Beautiful People

About two years ago my friend Ellie did some modelling for me of a few clothes I'd made. She looks stunning and although some of the clothes are relatively simple they're photos I'm proud and will put in my portfolio.

The dress, skirt and top were made by me.
The necklace is from Miss Selfridge.
The mask from my childhood dressing up box.
Underwear was models own.
Bangles a selection from high street stores.

Crunchy Caramel topped Brownies

Be warned once you have one you will want more of these crunchy caramel topped chocolate brownies.

Ingredients
185g Dark Chocolate (I like Green and Blacks 70%)
185g Butter
85g Plain Flour
40g Coco Powder
3 Large Eggs
225g Golden Caster Sugar
150g Granulated Sugar
Water

Method
1) Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and grease a 20cm square tin. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water melt the Dark Chocolate and Butter. Once melted take off the heat and leave to cool for about 15 minutes.
2) Sieve the flower an coco powder into the chocolate and butter mix and combine.
3) In a separate bowl whisk together the Golden Caster Sugar and 3 eggs. Then fold into the Chocolate mixture and mix.
4) Bake in the oven for about 30minutes until it no longer wobbles when you shake it. At this point remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
5) Once the brownie is cooled remove from the tin and leave to cool further on a drying rack. At this point place the granulated sugar into a bowl and cover in warm water. Let the sugar dissolve into the water before heating. Heat until the sugar and water mixture turns golden brown and smells like caramel. At this point remove from the heat and place the sauce pan in a bowl of cool water to prevent further cooking for just a few seconds. Using a fork flick the caramel over the top of the brownies and leave to set.
6) Cut the brownies into 16 separate squares and enjoy!

Christmas Presents

I know it's still November and while I do agree it's too early to be putting up the Christmas tree, it's never too early to start thinking about buying those Christmas presents. Here's a selection of some of the best places to get presents, small or big, for everyone in the family. 

1) Lucy Huctchings jewellery. This pendant here is one of her favourite pieces and at only £24.50 it's a beautiful little present for a stylish sister. 

2) For a more traditional shopping experience try Paxton and Whitfield for that cheese loving aunt, uncle or father with extra added old fashioned charm. Enjoy yourself picking out samples to create a personalised box. Gift packs ranging form £21- £500

3) For the little kids (and the big ones) how about this Disney Pixar ultimate collection! With 10 dvd's including 8 of our childhood favourites from Toy Story to Finding Nemo. Although not cheap at £69.99 on amazon it's guaranteed to bring the entire family together. 

4) For another more traditional store try Berry Bros & Rudd for fine wines and liquors that you won't find in your local Sainsburys. Prices vary.

5) For socks that won't disappoint in your stockings try Topshop for these burgundy dino ones and the best selection. £3.50 a pair.  

6) Keeping with the dinosaur theme this fun hand tattoos are just £3.99 from lakeland while cause a surprising amount of fun and a great stocking filler. 

7) One of my favourite artists, Yayio Kusama's collaboration with Louis Vuitton makes a perfect gift. And how about one of these spotty scarfs? One of the cheapest things in the collection at £175 but will be cherished and adored item. 

8) Strictly speaking maybe not the best present for Christmas but this beautiful wooden advent calendar would make any child (or adult) feel spoilt. £50 from John Lewis. 

As you may have guessed I'm very excited by the prospect of Christmas so while these are all gifts you can buy I'll be back with ideas for handmade ones and christmas treats to bake. 

Valentino at Somerset House

Somerset House seems to have a knack at bringing together two things I love together; fashion and art. Arriving in just 9 days, is the Valentino: master of couture exhibition and boy oh boy am I excited.
This exhibition will be one of the largest collectives of his work and will celebrate the past 50 years of his career, couture, catwalk and celebrities.

INFORMATION

Dates:  29 November 2012 – 3 March 2013

Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm Daily. Late night openings on Thursdays until 9pm

Address: Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA

Admission: £12.50, Concessions £9

Transport: Nearest Underground Stations – Temple, Embankment, Charing Cross

Further Information: www.somersethouse.org.uk

(Source: Somerset House website.)

Culture Shock

This week I've felt very cultured going to see The Effect at the National on Wednesday night and a private view of William Klein + Daido Moriyama at the Tate on Thursday.

I know I've mentioned The Effect at the National Before on my Do, See, Eat blog this week, but I was so blown away that I felt that it worth mentioning again. Given 5* and 4* reviews across the board, we went on Wednesday expecting a good play, and boy did it live up to our expectations. Set in the Raushen clinical trial for anti depressants telling the tale of couple falling in love, the writing by Lucy Prebble was beautiful, making us both laugh and cry, and touched on some subjects often left alone such as depression and the ethics of placebo.
Billie Piper lived up and out did all my expectations set from her performance in Reasons to be Pretty earlier this year, yet the it was the other female character of the doctor played by Anastasia Hille who really stood out and touched me. And I can't finish writing without mentioning the staging. Sitting in row A, we were wary that our necks may be hurting by the end. However the play was set in the round and we found ourselves in feeling very involved and part of the action on the same level of the stage. The simple set was moved around effortlessly to create different spaces within the one simple square and worked seamlessly with the writing adding an extra edge to the play. Truly one of the best thing I've seen in a while and if you are given the opportunity to go, grab it as fast as you can and run.

Yesterday was my first experience of a members private view of the William Klein + Daido Moriyama exhibition at the Tate Modern, and it was an experience I will certainly repeat, it was not over crowded which allowed me to really feel I could spend as long as I wished on my favourite pieces and talk about them then and there. And the art it's self? Relatively unknown to both artists, their photographs gave creative, stunning and often disturbing insights to city life in New York and Tokyo (mainly) during the 60's and 70's (mainly). It was Daido Moriyama's Polaroid's placed together to recreate a scene which really stood out for me as well as his photographs simply places one vertically and one horizontal in line with each other, although simple the effect looked like an illusion.  Of William Klein's work it was his images of the two male dances in the bustling city which I found most thought invoking with their sharp, uncomfortable moves and provocative clothing (or lack of). Worth a visit, and would be a great day out mixed with a walk down to the South Bank Christmas market.

Do See Eat

(Image from the Guardian)

DO pay a visit to the Barbican to experience the rain instillation there by Random International. An experience quite like no other, where you control the rain. Queues have been extraordinarily long (about 2 hours), but now that half term is over I suggest going mid week if you can. It's on until the 3rd of March so you have plenty of time.

However if you don't fancy standing in line for hours then DO go to the Tate Britain to the Pre-Raphalite Victorian avant garde exhibition. Generally not a fan of their realistic style, I was presently surprised by the exhibition this afternoon. I learnt lots about a period and the brotherhood I hardly new anything about and found myself excited as I linked writers I loved such as Wilkie Collins (author of one of my favourite novels Woman in White) to his artist brother Charles Collins, and Christina Rossetti (author of the Goblin market) to her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Visiting with my Granddad, an extra joy was found in locating all the paintings painted or inspired by the village of Ewell, my granddads home as well as the home of Millais's uncle.

Sir John Everett Millais, Bt
Ophelia 1851-2
The background painted on the banks of the Hogsmill

SEE Billie Piper at the National Theatre in her latest stage debut The Effect, a new play by Lucy Prebble (Secret Dairy of a Call Girl, ENRON) Previews begin tomorrow evening and with my tickets booked for Wednesday night I'm excited to see if her stage performance can match her success in Reasons to be Pretty at the Almedia. Running until February 2013.

 
EAT these amazing Chocolate Fondants and indulge! I baked these for the first time (but not the last) about two years ago, and these are photos from that batch (which I won't lie I was pretty proud of for a first attempt at fondants ever).

The recipe is one from Gordon Ramsay which I adjusted slightly and is pretty simple to follow. The recipe makes 9 (but I halved it to just make 4 this first time).

Ingredients:                                   

• 50g melted butter , for brushing
• cocoa powder , for dusting
• 200g good-quality dark chocolate , chopped into small pieces
• 200g butter , in small pieces
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs and 4 yolks
• 200g plain flour

1. First get your ramekins ready. Heavily brush the melted butter all over the inside of the pudding mould. Place the mould in the fridge or freezer. Brush more melted butter over the chilled butter, then add a good spoonful of cocoa powder into the mould. Tip the mould so the powder completely coats the butter. Tap any excess cocoa back into the jar, then repeat with the rest of the ramekins. 
2. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then slowly melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 mins.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and yolks together with the sugar until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail; use an electric whisk if you want. Sift the flour into the eggs, then beat together.
4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture in thirds, beating well between each addition, until all the chocolate is added and the mixture is completely combined to a loose cake batter.
5. Divide the fondant mixture between the moulds. The fondants can now be frozen for up to a month and cooked from frozen. Chill for at least 20 mins or up to the night before. To bake from frozen, simply carry on as stated, adding 5 mins more to the cooking time.
6. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the fondants on a baking tray, then cook for 10-12 mins until the tops have formed a crust and they are starting to come away from the sides of their moulds. Remove from the oven, then leave to sit for 1 min before turning out.
7. Loosen the fondants by moving the tops very gently so they come away from the sides, easing them out of the moulds and plate up. 

Shepard Fairey and Obama

With the 2012 USA election just been (marking the beginning of Obama's 2nd term in office and the proof that many Americans do have sense), it seemed rather appropriate that in art I was looking at Shepard Fairey's images from Obama's 2008 election campaign.

Fairey's iconic images caused controversy as the artist lied about the copyrighted image he used and destroyed evidence, he paid his time with community service. However I wanted to look at the iconic image from a technical art point of view and began depicting the image into the many layers to create my own print. Always thinking printing was a quick way to create results, I was shocked to find my self spending hours cutting out tiny and complex pieces from acetate to create my five separate templates for each colour. Although i like my outcome I want to experiment more with colour with the image as well as screen printing.

The first layer onto red paper

My finial outcome

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite novels and I've read it countless times, as you can guess I was extremely disappointed not to study it last year, instead I was forced to face the horrors of Small Island (a novel which I detested even with the BBC adaptation starting Naomi Harris and Benedict Cummberbatch).

However I made my own chance to study The Great Gatsby in another context, with my current art project on the "1920's American Dream". I've spent hours looking, drawing and painting everything art deco from furniture to posters to fashions. Looking at the costumes in The Great Gatsby film adaptations and the beautiful dresses at the V&A, I began to compare them to fashion today. Baz Luhrman's film now due to be realised in May 2012 (a day before my birthday in fact), is the most likely cause for the influx of 1920's art deco inspired fashion on the catwalks in the past few seasons.

Quick pencil drawing of dress in the V&A

Trailer for Baz Luhrman's 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Toby Maguire.

I began looking simply at typical art deco fashions with the beautiful Mia Farrow in the 1974 adaptation and Carey Mulligan in the 2013 adaptation of the book.

My own oil pastel drawing of Mia Farrow

Carey Mulligan

Mia Farrow

I wanted too see how these styles which had been recreated for the 1974 and 2013 films had been recreated on the catwalk recently. While Gucci and Etro's SS12 collections reflected the glitz and glam of the decadent era with sequins and rich golds, Ralph Lauren's SS12 used the classic recognisable 1920's cuts but with the popular SS12 sorbet coloured palette.

Ralph Lauren SS12

Gucci SS12

Etro SS12

Looking into 1920's style I realised how truly iconic and recognisable it is with it's dropped waistlines, swishing skirts and new, shorter hemlines reflecting the changing position of women as a result of the war and work of suffragettes as well as the wild and exciting times in a post WW1 where anything seemed possible and you could be whoever you wanted to be.