100 years of Rememberance Day

Remembering those who gave their lives

For those of you who did not manage to see the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red art installation at the Tower of London to mark 100 years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War, here are some pictures I've taken on the weekend.

This powerful art installation is created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and Olivier award winner stage designer Tom Piper to commemorate the service men who were killed in World War I. The installation consists of 888,246 hand made poppies representing each British military who died during the war. The installation was officially opened on the 5th of August. The poppies were first installed on 17th July and was continually planted until 11th November on Armistice Day.

On our way towards Tower of London, we made a detour for a walk in the city

At Leadenhall Market

Then we stopped at Hung Drawn and Quartered Pub for a pint. Or in my case, half.

"To be hanged, drawn and quartered (sometimes rendered hung, drawn and quartered) was from 1351 the penalty in England for men guilty of high treason, although its use is first recorded during the reign of King Henry III and that of his successor, Edward I. The convicted were fastened to a wooden hurdle which was dragged by horse to the place of execution. Once there, they were ritually hanged (almost to the point of death),emasculated, disembowelled, beheaded and quartered (chopped into four pieces). As a warning against further dissent, these remains were often displayed at prominent places, such as London Bridge. For reasons of public decency, women convicted of high treason were burnt at the stake." via Princeton.edu

Installation of the Poppies

Making of the Poppies

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Water Terrace Cafe & Ai Wei Wei Exhibition at Blenheim Palace | Woodstock

The last of this year's warm sunny Sunday was spent at the beautiful Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. It was Winston Churchill's birthplace, now the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was awarded in 1987.

Blue glazed porcelain Bubbles by Ai Weiwei

We were also lucky that Ai Weiwei's largest UK art exhibition just launched at the Blenheim Palace. It will be running until 14th December 2014. This exhibition sees over 50 of the artist's artwork dotted around the palace rooms and garden space. He had Coca-Cola logo printed on a Han Dynasty vase, photos taken of him hung sideways giving the finger towards stately homes and buildings around the world, a wooden handcuff on Winston Churchill's birth bed, and many more that gets you thinking about the contrast and irony of his art with its surroundings. A thought provoking art exhibition.

2,300 porcelain replicas of freshwater crabs represented the number of guests Ai Weiwei invited to a party before the government destroyed his studio in Shanghai.

Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Gold

Chicken and leek pie with mash

Sausage and mash

The sausage and mash, and chicken pie was very well cooked and had very good ingredients. What could be better than to have a proper British meal in the sun, with such an amazing view of the garden and beautiful fountain.

Blenheim Palace’s own pure mineral water, sourced and bottled on the Blenheim estate, & scones.

The Blenheim Palace Natural Mineral Water had a story attached to it where Henry II built a pleasure pool for his mistress, Rosamond Clifford in the 12^th Century. And according to legend, the ancient spring that used to feed the pool has never dried up. It is now named the Rosamund’s Well with which the water remains highly valued for its pure and delicious taste. 

The Water Terrace Cafe

A romantic seating area in a romantic setting

The Indian Room which we were lucky enough to take a peek. Such a beauty.

If you are visiting soon, remember to convert your day pass to an annual pass at no extra cost, so you can come back any time throughout the year.

For those of you who are interested in knowing more about Ai Weiwei, there are two documentaries you have to check out; Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry and Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

Smile..

Beautiful palace and gardens. Enjoyed the exhibition.

Frown..

It is a little track from London but hey, a train and cab ride takes you here pretty comfortably.

Will I return?

Yes. I have converted my day pass to an annual one so I have all year to be back on this beautiful ground.

Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace
OX20 1PP Woodstock,UK
Tel: +44 (0)1993 810530

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elBulli: Ferran Adria and the Art of Food | London

Finally, I made it to the elBulli: Ferran Adria and the Art of Food exhibition which was launched in July. It is a very well curated exhibition showing the progress of elBulli from the start of being a minigolf installation founded by Dr Hans Schilling and his wife Marketta, to being a Beach Bar and finally the Michelin 3-star culinary restaurant known worldwide and where all foodie aspires to dine in.

Entrance of the exhibition

elBulli was named after the founder's bulldog, Bulli

Ferran Adria joined elBulli in 1984 when it was already a Michelin 1-star restaurant headed by Jean-Louis Neichel. Ferran Adria later became head chef in 1987 where they later achieved the 2nd Michelin star in 1990 and progressed on to its 3rd in 1997. He is a culinary genius and an icon who has created a new style cuisine, many worships.

This exhibition presents the evolution of elBulli with displays, video clips, charts, documents and products created during its creative moments. It shows the history of the restaurant from the beginning, how it grew, the creative processes in creating a dish, how they worked in the kitchen, experiments and videos of how the dishes were made very meticulously with modern gastronomy techniques. Ferran Adria himself thinks that concepts and techniques are more important than the dishes or recipes. He uses meticulous techniques to create surprise or irony. He invents his dishes to stimulate not five but six senses; the sixth being surprise and joy, playing the key role in creating a unique experience for his diners. 

They have clay models made as a reference to ensure identical plating every time. The portion and location of each component has to be presented very precisely.

23 points of which characterised elBulli cuisine:

1. Cooking is a language through which all of the following may be expressed: harmony, creativity, joy, beauty, poetry, complexity, magic, humour, provocation and culture.


2. The use of top quality products and technical knowledge to prepare them properly is taken for granted.


3. All products have the same gastronomic value, regardless of their price.


4. Preference is given to vegetables, seafood and fish. Dairy products, nuts and other products also played key roles, together constituting a very light form of cooking. In recent years, red meat and large cuts of poultry have been used sparingly.


5. Although the characteristics of the products may be modified (temperature, texture, shape, etc.), the aim is always to preserve the purity of their original taste. Exceptions can be made for processes that call for long cooking or seek the nuances of particular reactions such as the Maillard reaction.


6. Cooking techniques, both classic and modern, are a heritage which the chef must understand how to exploit fully.


7. As with most, new technologies are a support in the development of cooking.


8. The family of bases in dishes is being extended. Together with the classic ones, lighter bases performing an identical function are now being used (water, broths, consommés, clarified vegtable juices, nut milks, etc.).


9. A dish is enjoyed through the senses; it is also experienced and rationalised by reflection.


10. Taste is not the only sense that can be stimulated; touch can also be played with (contrasts in temperatures and textures), as can smell and sight (colours, shapes, trompe l'oeil, etc.). The senses thus become one of the main points of reference in the creative process.


11. The technical and conceptual research is the apex of the creative pyramid.


12. Creation involves teamwork. In addition, research has become consolidated as a new feature of the culinary creative process.


13. The barriers between the sweet world and the savoury world are being broken down. Importance is placed on a new cold cuisine, particularly in the creation of the frozen savoury world.


14. The classic structure of dishes is being broken down. Appetisers and desserts are undergoing a veritable revolution, which is  closely aligned with the concept of symbiosis between the sweet world and the savoury world. In main courses, the product-garnish-sauce hierarchy is shifting.


15. A new way of serving food is being promote. The dishes are finished in the dining room by the serving staff. On other occasions, the diners themselves participate in this process.


16. Local origins as a style constitutes connection to the geographical and cultural context, and to culinary traditions.


17. Products and elaborations from other countries are subjected to this particular style of cooking.


18. There are two main paths towards attaining harmony of products and tastes: through memory (connection to local origins, adaptation, deconstruction, earlier modern recipe) and through new combinations.


19. An ever more codified culinary language is being created, which, on some occasions, establishes dialogues with the world and language of art.


20. Recipes are designed to ensure that harmony is to be found in small servings.


21. De-contextualisation, irony, spectacle and performance are completely legitimate as long as they are not superficial. Rather, they should respond to a gastronomic reflection.


22. The tasting menu us the finest expression of avant-garde cooking. The structure is alive and subject to change. Concepts such as snacks, tapas, pre-desserts, morphs, etc. are favoured.


23. Knowledge and/or collaboration with experts from different fields (gastronomic culture, history, industrial design, etc.) is essential for progress in cooking. In particular, collaboration with the food industry and the scientific world has brought about fundamental advances in cooking. Sharing this knowledge among the sector's professionals has contributed to this evolution.

"A must go to exhibition for anyone interested in food or creativity."

**Exhibition is ending on the 29th September so be quick.**

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Malika Favre - simplistic & intriguing

Block colours, polygons and patterns has always been of interest to me. During the London Design Festival, Malika Favre exhibited her work entitled 'Hide and Seek' at the Kemistry Gallery. I really enjoyed her work. The graphic she produces is simplistic and intriguing.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/46929319]

Malika has done artworks for many magazine covers, from Wallpaper and Creative Review to the Financial Times.

She even did the graphics and illustrations for Penguin's Kama Sutra book. Nothing like its original. She has made it modern and fun.

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