Saturday, October 05, 2002
amrita yoga update
just heard from jodie rufty today. construction delays have pushed the opening date of her new studio, amrita yoga, back to october 15. i guess patience is a must here -- but i still can't wait to take class there. . .
the website still isn't up, that may not be ready until sometime in november.
now about that soft chocolate torrone. it's setting up in the fridge right now. it has a texture somewhere between a soft nut fudge and a rocky-road frozen yogurt after it's sat on the counter for a couple of minutes. when you first make it, it looks like frosting, but hardens up after a long chill. i'm having it for dessert tonite.
this means you'll have the recipe tomorrow. . . it's traditionally served on a oval platter decorated with a pattern of sliced almonds on the surface, piped whipped cream, and candied violets or something. that's all a little much for me, so i'll serve it in slices with a sprinkle of chopped almonds over the top. keep it simple!
posted by fortune | 2:05 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Friday, October 04, 2002
coffee as a weapon?
that's right -- texas police have arrested a woman who robbed cafes by throwing large cups of hot coffee into the face or on the hands of staff when the cash register was open.
was it a crime or a commentary on the quality of the brew? but seriously, i don't mean to make light of this. it actually boggles my little brain that anyone would think to attack someone with their coffee. i mean, it certainly would never occur to me, although the idea is simple and somewhat obvious. clearly, i simply lack a criminal mind. . .which is probably why i still have to work for a living. . .
posted by fortune | 6:05 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Thursday, October 03, 2002
yoga = fashion
everyone who does yoga knows that yoga clothing is simple, flattering, and very comfortable. which is why many of you i'm sure have, like myself, noticed that people are now wearing their yoga clothes everywhere. i thought this trend was confined to new york, santa monica, sedona, and parts of marin county.
i guess i'm wrong -- this article is running in tennessee!
of course, lots of high end designers are selling their fancy yoga clothes. but i find quality yoga clothes elsewhere at fair prices. i like clothes from bheka, marie wright, sometimes huggermugger.
i especially like bheka -- 2 years ago i bought a racerback unitard from them and it has not shrunk, faded, or stretched out in all that time, even tho' i wear it once a week. maybe because the boot-cut yoga pant is nearly ubiquitous nowadays, i also like marie wright's funky hibiscus print overskirts. . .so the ivy. . .finally, let me mention blue canoe, which carries yoga clothing for real sized women, up to 18! none of this "well, an extra large is really a 12" there! while that's not my size, i appreciate how blue canoe understands that yoga is for everyone, no matter what your body type.
here in new york, you can get the designer yoga clothes, if you must have them, from that pillar of the rag trade: century 21. never pay retail my friends, never -- except for artisanal chocolate and coffee.
the bread you can make yourself. . .
posted by fortune | 7:11 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Wednesday, October 02, 2002
chocolate soap
i still get mail asking about that great chocolate soap from richard donnelly. i must say that to my knowledge he is not selling it on his website yet.
for those who are truly desperate, i can offer 2 other sources for chocolate soap: fresh and cheeky chimp. however, i want to note that the fresh bars are expensive and milk chocolate -- they don't have an intense cocoa smell. and the cheeky chimp soaps are glycerine, which means they melt quickly. in contrast, the donnelly soaps have a great cocoa-vanilla smell when fresh, which dies down to a nice vanilla scent after some time.
and i do mean some time! these soaps are very long-lasting. i opened the donnelly soap in june and use it to wash my face every night. it is still very much alive in my soap dish; it hasn't melted into a puddle and it still gives nice lather.
frankly, i am still waiting with baited breath for donnelly's chocolate perfume. this is probably going to be a good while until we see it, but i am being true to the cause. . .then there's the issue of lip balms. while cheeky chimp does offer chocolate lip balms, they don't have the full range of flavors donnelly has.
i hope product development in the donnelly kitchen is going well because these lip balms will be much in the demand come cooler weather. if you are stuck making do until donnelly releases his perfection, i can personally recommend the fresh chocolate-orange shea butter. but be prepared to sell a kidney for it. . .
for those of you dying for your donnelly fix however, i will offer a link to richard's dead-simple and mega-delicious truffle recipes. also look for a new no-cook recipe for italian chocolate torrone based on one by the doyenne of italian food, anna del conte, here at bccy sometime on the weekend. it's great with coffee!
posted by fortune | 5:41 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
another great fundraising idea. . .
recently i ran across a san francisco "yoga-thon" to raise money for children with cancer. here's another cool fundraiser -- the world's largest coffee party, with all profits donated to a cancer center.
it happened in the u.k. just a couple of days ago. people all across britain put down their tea cups and had a latte to fight cancer. it's said that more than half a million people participated in the morning coffee party. in cambridge, england, alone more than BP50,000 (US$78,128) went to the renowned macmillan cancer relief, whose goal is to support those living with cancer.
this is an idea begging to be stolen here in the u.s.a. . .
posted by fortune | 8:22 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Monday, September 30, 2002
quaint chocolates. . .
ok campers, i'm trying to find out more about a charming french chocolate brand in business since 1935, a la reine astrid. they have two stores, one in paris, and one tucked away in a quaint london arcade.
hopefully, i can work something out with mr. chocophile to ship some over and i'll report if i can get my hands on any. . however, i know i have a lot of readers in the u.k., so if you can get your hands on it first, please sample it to your heart's content and do write back about it to me. i would deeply appreciate it!
posted by fortune | 6:17 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |