love; ten things i love this week

1. The out pouring of love surrounding an amazing man's departure from the world as we know it. I loved Mastin Kipp's tribute the most. Very inspiring indeed. LOVE!

2. This video created for Apple in 1997, narrated by Steve Jobs. It never did get released. I actually can't get enough of watching it! Soooo inspiring! LOVE!

clipartoday.com

3. Hugs. One of the greatest things Americans have taught me is to hug. I hug everyone now! Australians are not the best huggers around, let me tell you, but I manage to soften a few hearts when I do hug. LOVE!

modelsownit.com

4. Having my nails done by my good friend Kiera. She too has been inspired to paint crazy nails and was sooo looking forward to doing mine for the longest time! The nails in the pic aren't mine as I didn't get a chance to take a photo before they began to chip! Bright red lepoard print nails are defintiely fun to wear! LOVE! 

5. Crimping my hair! I have been in search for one this past month and told a friend who pulled out hers from way back when and gave it to me. It makes my hair look ridiculous, but I love it!

geek.com

6. Driving. Yep, I'm back chauffeuring to keep my belly full and it feels great to be on the road again. I think I was born into this world with a steering wheel in my hand...seriously! LOVE!

7. This picture, or should I say, this warning. I couldn't find the original author but I do love it!

8. Parfait's! I've made two batches just in this last week! The great thing about these 'raw' desserts is that they are great for you! LOVE!

9. Hearing the news that my brother is now having green smoothies for breaky!!!! This is a BIG accomplishment as he is sooooo traditionally Italian in his choice of foods. The green smoothie LOVE is spreading! Check out my friend glo's post on how to make a green smoothie here. LOVE!

10. Forgetting that someone owed you money and getting it just when everything looks bleak as hell! YAY!!! LOVE!

pink; every girl loves pink

artknowledgenews.com

Last night I had dinner with a good friend of mine and Kate Gilmore's name came up in conversation. I mentioned I will write about her today and have found myself sitting on this post, procrastinating for about five hours. You see, Kate Gilmore is one of those artists I have been avoiding writing about here on eatpinklove since I began this blog in November last year. Why, you ask? Well, she is an obvious contemporary artist for me to write about as the reasons why and the contexts within which she uses the colour pink is exactly the way in which we would expect artists (especially female) to use the colour in their works.

Go to her website and you are confronted with an image of six women, all different shapes and sizes, facing the same way and confined by the colour pink. It really sets the tone for what Gilmore explores in her work and what you are about to enter into by clicking on her projects page. Traces of hard core seventies feminist artworks are very aparent once you click onto her list of videos. 

I think the reason why I am not into artists who work in a similar vain as Gilmore is because I'm not for violence of any sort preferring the 'kill them with kindness' approach rather than the anger fueled, forcefulness and bashing approach of this style of work (have I been living in California for way too long or what??!).

Every Girl Loves Pink is no exception to the violence within Gilmore's practice. She constructs to deconstruct; a vicious cycle that is seen as the struggle of women over the history of women-kind throughout the decades, centuries and millenniums.  But it could also be seen as the struggle of all of humanity, regardless of gender identity.

I can appreciate artists such as Gilmore producing works like this as the struggle she is focusing on in her work is very real for a lot of women  in today's society. I just don't feel it is relevant in the way I choose to live my life as a woman in the culture I was born into.

eat; eatpinklove meets margaret

flowers.vg

With Melbourne having the second largest Greek population in the world outside of Athens, it is no wonder that Melbourne boasts some of the worlds best Greek restaurants. Their food is fresh, quick to prepare and tangy. I do love a vegetarian mezethes (thats Greek for small dishes, like tapas), picking at amazing taste sensations with a wonderful loaf of bread and a great glass of red for hours and hours!

Margaret is one of my oldest friends. She didn't want me to take a photo of her while cooking so I stole her pic off Facebook (lol!). Margaret and her sister Alex are non identical twins and I met Alex at art school (my first attempt at art school!) when I was 19. They are of Greek heritage and we have always indulged in our passion for food over the years, cooking, baking, trying new recipes and sharing what we have learnt. Last weekend, I met up with Alex and Margaret and we made a wonderful Greek feast, indulging our taste buds. I chose to focus on the Dolmathes (stuffed vine leaves) we made as it is one of my favourite Greek foods and there is a BIG difference between home made and store bought. 

Traditionally, the leaves are picked off the vine and blanched in salted water, but we just used a jar of vine leaves in brine that you can get at any supermarket stocking European foods. 

What you need;

34 grape vine leaves

1 cup medium grain rice

2 Tbls olive oil

1/2 bunch dill

1/2 bunch parsley

3/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Start by rinsing the grape vine leaves under running water to wash off the brine and set aside to drain. Keep four to one side to use on the base of your cooking pot.

Wash and finely chop the fresh herbs, set aside. Finely chop the onion.

Place oil in a pot and saute onions until transparent. Wash the rice under running water while the onion is cooking. Once the onion is cooked, toss in the rice and cook on a medium heat for five minutes, stirring often. The aim with the rice at this stage is to coat it just as you do when cooking Risotto.

When the rice is ready, take off the flame and let cool a little. Once cool,  toss into the awaiting bowl with the chopped fresh herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Now the fun begins!!!

Place a leaf on a board and 'open' it up so it lays flat, making sure the 'veins' of the leaf are facing up. Add a tablespoon of the rice mixture towards the bottom of the leaf, remembering the rice will swell up once cooked. Now you're ready for the rolling!

The pictures above show you step by step how to roll. Start by folding over one side of the leaf to cover the rice mixture, followed by bringing in the other side. Lift the side closest to you up and over the mixture and start to roll the Dolmathes into a sausage shape. Continue this process until all finished.

In the same pot you used to saute the onion and rice, line the base with the four vine leaves you set aside earlier. This will prevent the bottom ones from burning. Gently place the Dolmathes into the pot, carefully stacking as you go along. Add 3/4 cup of water.

Place a plate over the Dolmathes and then the lid on the pot. Cook on a medium/low heat for about half an hour. Check if cooked by trying one; the rice should be just right.

I love Dolmathes cold and by themselves but this was actually the first time I tried them warm. and I must say, i didn't mind it at all. Margaret served them with a cold yogurt/mint sauce (made by adding shredded mint, squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt to Greek style yogurt) and wedges of lemon. 

BTW, how '1970's cookbook' do these photo's look this week?!?!?!

Buon Appetito!