Miscellany Monday

Here are a couple of food-related news items to get you going on a winter Monday.

First up is food fashion. Before Lady Gaga's meat dress, photographer Ted Sabarese directed a food-based fashion shoot. The artichoke dress is stunning. Check it out here:

Food Photo Friday: Gaga for Food Fashion - NPR

Second is the great Pavlova debate: did Australia or New Zealand make the first pavlova cake? It was named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, when she visited the two countries in the 1920s. Seems like the debate is still open, but New Zealand seems to have won with the OED. Read the article here:

Pavlova created in New Zealand not Australia, OED rules - BBC

And that ends food Miscellany Monday.

Cake-wreck

Just a little weekend fun courtesy of Pig Me Up thanks to a friend of mine who found this gem last week:

Ever order one of those naff cakes from the local supermarket bakery? Well, here is a blog that pays tribute to all of the cakes gone horribly wrong.

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Have a good weekend! Pig Me Up goes on summer holiday next week to eat endless amounts of seafood and fresh fruit so apologies in advance for the silence.

Birthday

Cooking for eleven can be a challenge, especially in our miniscule kitchen. But somehow I pulled it off for my birthday a few weeks ago. I was too distracted to really take any photos, but did manage to catch the apple-plum pie before it went in the oven and the delicious lemon meringue pie that a friend brought. (Two of five desserts, mind you)

The Birthday Menu - 27 April 2008

Prosecco, Cava and various red wines including a Carménère from Chile and some Rioja

Fennel, beet and potato salad

Fennel, celery, shrimp and calamari salad

Frittata with zucchini, pecorino romano and pecorino sardo

Chicken with olives

Roast chicken with sage, parsley, rosemary, garlic and pancetta

Torta della Nonna (sweet pastry crust filled with lemon, ricotta and pine nut mixture)

Apple - Plum pie

Fruit salad*

Lemon meringue pie*

Marisol's apple tart with custard*

Moscato di Pantelleria (my dad's)

Needless to say, we only got through about four of the five desserts. A success all around with a bit of swing dancing at the end. A * denotes it was kindly made by a friend!