Botany of Desire

Last night I was fascinated by a documentary entitled, "The Botany of Desire". As Michael Pollan of The Omnivore's Dilemma infamy unraveled the tales of apples, tulips, marijuana and potatoes it became clear to me that the homo sapien centric view of the earth is so limiting. In many ways these plants have trained us to aid in their evolutionary survival and development, not the other way around. I was particularly interested in the ways in which each plant provide us with an attribute that we as humans desire. Whether it's sweetness, control, altered consciousness or beauty, somewhere in the depths of our consciousness, we crave these tangible sensations. The most limiting factor in our achievement of these desires is homogenization; it became clear to me that biodiversity is the key to plant survival. This led me to apply this principle on the broader scale, if biodiversity aids in evolution and spawns new forms of existing life and even new life forms, then this may be a metaphor for human existence as well. In any case, the documentary was extremely thought provoking and aesthetically beautiful - apple trees in Kazakhstan, marijuana fields in South America, tulips in Holland and some of the most interesting shaped purple and red potatoes came together for a visually stunning film.

Autumn in Chicago

Wow. It has been a while since I visited this wonderful site, I supposed it may be due to the fact that law school applications and LSATs do not qualify in my raison d'etre so I haven't had as much to write about. But the fact is, I've had lots to write about and have made too many excuses not to! Sometimes when I have so much to do, even the aspects of my life that I most enjoy seem to get thrown by the wayside until my obligations are complete. I need to work on this! In any case the month of October was a w h i r l w i n d of experiences and I am now back in Boulder! After finishing the LSAT, Ben and I took a roadtrip to Chicago and then Boulder with Bella in tow of course. We saw lots of Chicago sights, ate delicious treats and throughly enjoyed our stay.

Au Revoir...for now

Sadly the time has come for me to deactivate my Facebook account, take Ebay off the homepage and stop blogging until after September 26. With the LSATs looming in the near future I am cutting myself off so I can focus clearly for the exam. As much as I'd love to be wining, dining and dressing up, my schedule consists much more of studying, sleeping and drinking lots of coffee. If I have a moment I will try to post but until then, au revoir! Wish me luck!

Mad about the Early Sixties

Now don't get me wrong, the late sixties own my heart for their political ideals, music, openness and bohemian creativity. Not to mention some seriously amazing examples of breaking down fashion boundaries that had never been seen before. But since I started watching, no make that inhaling, episodes of Mad Men I have made some realizations about my own personal fashion ethic. The women during this time period took certain things very seriously, and rightfully so. Here are my fashion revelations based on some seriously feminine ladies of the era.

1.) Wear clothes that fit YOU. It doesn't matter if you are wearing what's 'in' if it doesn't suit your shape. Emphasize your best attributes and the confidence it builds will do the rest.
2.) Take your measurements. Do you have a high waist? Long torso? Narrow hips? All of these matter when it comes to flattering your figure.
3.) Being ultra skinny is not always the most attractive body type. As my mother has said, "Only a dog wants a bone." Curves are sexy, the hourglass figure was not a passing trend. Accentuate your assets so to speak.
4.) Leave something to the imagination. Plunging necklines and miniskirts get attention, fitted pencil skirts and feminine blouses commit you to memory.
5.) Red. Lipstick. Wear it will a neutral face palate.
6.) Spend some time on your hair. Of course au natural can be very beautiful, but once in a while polish your look. Whether its defined curls, smooth and pulled back, side swept bangs or a demure headband, a finished look is very refined.
7.) Don't over accessorize. In this day and age it seems everyone is wearing bangles up to their elbows, purses the size of a suitcase, layered necklaces...all at once! Rather, once in a while try going the other direction. A ladylike watch, simple clutch and classic pumps can be equally as chic.
8.) Add some flounce to your step. The full skirts with drawn in waists flatter ladies' figures in such a simple way.
9.) Pale is pretty. Yes, I know coming from me this may seem like a stretch, but seriously, pale flawless skin is ethereal when done right. Put the bronzer away, even just for the night!
10.) Structured lingerie. I'm not saying go out and buy yourself a girdle, in fact I am saying please do not! But slips, nighties and other satiny, lacy items should not be saved for special occasions.

Women have come a long way. Thank goodness! But that doesn't mean we have to sparsely adorn ourselves with the lady like items. Women today may have broken the glass ceiling, but maybe that means we don't have to break the glass slipper, too.

Petulia

I apologize for my lack of posting in the last week but my life has grown very full recently. Benjamin is back from Copenhagen! And when I'm not with him, I'm studying for these pesky LSATs. I promised myself the last time the letters S-A-T would enter my vocabulary, let alone my reality was circa 2004. But here I am, practicing. So needless to say my absence is unfortunately due to a lack of my raisons d'etre, unless I decide to add infinite amounts of logic to the list. Then I can pose inane logical dilemmas and ask you to find the assumption. Then you will all cease to read my blog ever again. Not a chain of events I am hoping to replicate!

However, my time at the Montclair Public Library has encouraged me to borrow DVDs. After receiving my shiny new key chain friendly library card, I wandered into the film section and was pleasantly surprised by the collection of French films and old Hollywood classics. After going back and forth between The Red Balloon and Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, I spotted Petulia.

Last night, Ben and I watched it with a mixture of what the heck is going on here and how amazing are these scenes from 1960s San Francisco. The jigsaw puzzle effect was in fact puzzling, while making what could have been a cliche plot much, much more intriguing. Further, Petulia, a socialite originally from England, had the most fabulous early 1960s outfits. Her little white heels and pastel swing dresses with big bouffants and bangs made me want to drink mai tais at a Formica counter. The portrayal of hippy culture in the film was less than flattering at times but conveyed its vibrancy and ubiquity, I would have liked to see more. I guess my obsession with psychedelic art from the Summer of Love has made a lasting impression on me. A confusing, yet well crafted film with lots of interesting imagery made this a worthwhile watch.

Aux Paris..

I am missing Paris so much today it is intolerable! What I wouldn't give to walk around the corner to my favorite boulangerie, pick up a baguette and some brie at the fromagerie and sit down in the park and people watch. I'm not sure if listening to this song helps or makes it worse, the video is not the best but the song puts me in a Parisian state of mind..

When in Nice...

The winding, narrow streets of Nice were laden with small places to eat with black chalk board signs every few feet. One dish that was ubiquitous was the Nicoise Tuna Salad. The simple, peasant dish most likely originated from the housewives of Nice. Julia Child made this salad a widespread classic and controversially, although I think beneficially, added lettuce and potatoes. The dish is full of flavor from the tuna itself, as well as a variety of herbs found in the region that really add to the integrity of the vegetables. Today, Americans tend to enjoy this salad with seared Ahi tuna. While I prefer it with Ahi, it can also be delightful with regular canned light tuna. I have made this salad for my family a couple of times this summer and it is always refreshing, flavorful and reminds me of my time in Nice.

Ingredients

1/2 pound red potatoes

1/4 pound haricots verts

2 Ahi Tuna steaks or 1 can of solid white albacore tuna

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 rosemary sprgs

1 large head of Bibb lettuce

2 teaspoons chopped parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon chopped tarragon leaves

1/2 pound tomatoes

1/3 cup Nicoise olives halved and seeded

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

Directions

Bring 2 medium pots of salted water to boil. Add potatoes to 1 pot and blanch until tender (5-6 minutes). Drain in a collander and pat try, set aside. Add green beans to other pot and blanch until tender (4-5 minutes). Drain in colander and pat dry.

If using Ahi tuna, cut into 4 equal portions, season with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the rosemary sprigs and tuna, sear over high heat about 30 seconds per side. Remove from pan and dice tuna into 1 inch pieces.

If using canned, simply shop into smaller pieces and set aside.

Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces and combine with parsley and tarragon, toss with dressing to coat, salt and pepper as needed. Toss the potatoes and green beans in 1/4 cup of dressing. Add vegetables, eggs and tuna and serve.

Dressing

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 teaspoons capers, drained and chopped

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

In a medium bowl mash, salt, pepper and garlic. Add lemon juice and mustard, whisk well. Add oil in a steady stream while whisking. Add shallots, capers and Worcestershire, whisk. Adjust seasoning to taste. Make before salad and refrigerate until ready to use.