http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html
Scroll around and use the zoom- in/out buttons to have a trip to the Vatican. Amazing what we can do now a flick of the mouse.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Aphrodite: the Restaurant
It was Thanksgiving Day, Thursday for us Americans but for no one else of course.
So actually although I was grateful that day I decided to be really grateful that our grateful houseguest, Roge , wanted to take us out to lunch on Friday. To try something new, we took the advice of a couple of friends and went onto a well researched site of a friend of mine:
www.frenchrivieratraveller.com
In it we found a restaurant Jeanne Oliver recommends:
www.restaurant-aphrodite.com of David Faure
I have to say that I think it is such fun to go to a new place and to be hungry and eager to experience a creative meal.
We were pleased with the wine list. The sommelier went to the trouble of pointing us to several "vins de pays" on the list which he feels deserve higher praise or appellation. We ordered a crisp, fruity white from a Saint Jeannet, a local village. It was around 32 euros .
I am surprised to have finally found a "fine" restaurant where the addition of wine is not the deal breaker for those of us who want to go out more often.
I might add that my husband is more than qualified to choose wines as he spent many years in the trade. I saw that he was having a good time reading the list and the waiter had to sort of beg for it back.
My only disappointment of the lunch over-all was in the desserts. I would not say that they were not imaginative but they weren't quite there yet. Some more experimenting needed to go on for my salad with two kinds of blue cheese "ice cream". And it was too salty...a no no especially in a fine restaurant.
Whatever spice was in my husband's cooked fruit salad was too alien. The only thing I really loved was the molten chocolate cake that Roge ordered.
When desserts go too far afield , I won't waste the calories ; but I would have gobbled up that little chocolate cake!
On the other hand, the usual dessert menus in this town are more than boring so keep up the research, M. Faure.
There was a very good looking berry dessert ( it had instead raspberries) that wafted past us. I would like to try that one.
To finish the meal, the waiter brought us a choice of meringues with our coffee and some squares of fruit pate. ( above).
Meringues in my opinion are over-rated and beyond comprehension. The only possible thing to do with them is put a piece into your coffee instead of sugar. The fruit pate was very good though, with a strange melange of flavors including banana.
We had a fine lunch all in, and we will go again to this restaurant . I was pleased too, not to leave too full. The portions, I thought were just right.
And I am grateful. Absolutely. Thanks to everyone who cooked, served , cleaned and paid! And thanks to the "Wandering Epicureans" blog for these photos.
So actually although I was grateful that day I decided to be really grateful that our grateful houseguest, Roge , wanted to take us out to lunch on Friday. To try something new, we took the advice of a couple of friends and went onto a well researched site of a friend of mine:
www.frenchrivieratraveller.com
In it we found a restaurant Jeanne Oliver recommends:
www.restaurant-aphrodite.com of David Faure
I can't say that David Faure has my sensibility for decorating or making a website or brochure or even the art he chooses. I think he uses too many colors, the presentations are too "busy", too "gimmicky" and scattered. His descriptions of food, defy categorization but undoubtedly they are meant to be both humorous and inventive. But David Faure was awarded a Michelin star in 2010 before he closed his restaurant for renovation. We all wanted to go and find out for ourselves what molecular cuisine was all about.
The ambiance in the restaurant itself at 10 Dubuchage in central Nice is very pleasing . Upon entering there is an indoor "cascade", some abstract paintings, two rooms, one with an entire wall covered with growing things ( plants from moss to fern). On the lower level dining room which we chose, there is a very impressive temperature controlled wine cellar which serves as a pleasing viewpoint.
I have to say that I think it is such fun to go to a new place and to be hungry and eager to experience a creative meal.
We were in this state of anticipation as we scanned the menu. The fixed price menu is 25 euros for lunch , the next was 38 euros and the gluttonous menu was for 100 euros per person.
My gourmet husband, who has a very refined and well educated palate, takes offense when I call the expensive menu, "gluttonous" because quite rightly it is not usually about more food, but about dishes that are harder to find or prepare. I know that hours of experimentation goes into a new dish is put on the menu by a serious chef.
Having the "carte: explained though, I still wanted the "carte de jour". It sounded just right with a choice of fish or pintade (guinea fowl).
The men took the 38 euro menu with more choices. Monsieur went for pork cheeks and our friend, Roge, had an octopus stew. They did sound so much better written and pronounced in french.
For a starter, the two men had ordered a fresh pea puree, a fresh pea soup, with slices of marinated vegetables on top and a couple of poached quail eggs all beautifully arranged. It was sensationally good.
My aperitif also was appreciated. It was zucchini straws sauteed in a batter with fresh marinated tuna slices.
The entrees were very well prepared. However my" dos de dorade" in an artichoke puree , I thought was the winner for the main course.
For a starter, the two men had ordered a fresh pea puree, a fresh pea soup, with slices of marinated vegetables on top and a couple of poached quail eggs all beautifully arranged. It was sensationally good.
My aperitif also was appreciated. It was zucchini straws sauteed in a batter with fresh marinated tuna slices.
The entrees were very well prepared. However my" dos de dorade" in an artichoke puree , I thought was the winner for the main course.
This young chef is apparently famous for his vaporous/techno cuisine which is found on the 100 euro menu. For an amuse geule we were all served a foamy lobster mist in a bunoise of haricots. It had its own purple potato chips and toast.
This was all about tasty flavored air. Is this the molecular cuisine? I
would like to go again to try this new cuisine before I make a pronouncement about it.
This was all about tasty flavored air. Is this the molecular cuisine? I
would like to go again to try this new cuisine before I make a pronouncement about it.
We were pleased with the wine list. The sommelier went to the trouble of pointing us to several "vins de pays" on the list which he feels deserve higher praise or appellation. We ordered a crisp, fruity white from a Saint Jeannet, a local village. It was around 32 euros .
I am surprised to have finally found a "fine" restaurant where the addition of wine is not the deal breaker for those of us who want to go out more often.
I might add that my husband is more than qualified to choose wines as he spent many years in the trade. I saw that he was having a good time reading the list and the waiter had to sort of beg for it back.
My only disappointment of the lunch over-all was in the desserts. I would not say that they were not imaginative but they weren't quite there yet. Some more experimenting needed to go on for my salad with two kinds of blue cheese "ice cream". And it was too salty...a no no especially in a fine restaurant.
Whatever spice was in my husband's cooked fruit salad was too alien. The only thing I really loved was the molten chocolate cake that Roge ordered.
When desserts go too far afield , I won't waste the calories ; but I would have gobbled up that little chocolate cake!
On the other hand, the usual dessert menus in this town are more than boring so keep up the research, M. Faure.
There was a very good looking berry dessert ( it had instead raspberries) that wafted past us. I would like to try that one.
Meringues in my opinion are over-rated and beyond comprehension. The only possible thing to do with them is put a piece into your coffee instead of sugar. The fruit pate was very good though, with a strange melange of flavors including banana.
We had a fine lunch all in, and we will go again to this restaurant . I was pleased too, not to leave too full. The portions, I thought were just right.
And I am grateful. Absolutely. Thanks to everyone who cooked, served , cleaned and paid! And thanks to the "Wandering Epicureans" blog for these photos.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Noyau Series: the idea
THis is the first series on the theme of "woman".
As well as " the origin of the world", I wanted to make reference to the heart or essence of something without which that object or person would not be what it is.
Noyau in french means kernel as in a kernel or seed.
The sexual kernel of a female in our species is still seen as a sacred, hidden part even in these modern times of baring all. This most provocative part shapes conventions and ways of life of each person in our society. It is a important, sacred element for life as we know it. "Sacred" to some, that is.
The equivalent part of a plant is essential to its procreation and continuation. A seed, therefore, is the symbol of all possibility.
Technique
I use warm colors in all the series on "women" to evoke flesh and the warmth of humanity. By distorting the image I hope to provoke deeper contemplation of what we are seeing. There is a fine layer of gold paint to evoke the idea of "preciousness" or "treasure".
I have done this series on stretched paper, using inks, pastels both dry and oil, texturing material, and pencil. These small paintings are the size of postcards, 10x15 cm.
Full Disclosure: I think that an artist has many subjects that he or she can talk about. Most of us even like the confines of being told a theme to work on because it makes it that much easier to get started. We like doing it.
Most artists, I do not believe, take the choice too seriously until they are asked to write the forward to their book. Then suddenly, everything is deadly serious and pretentious. This is the art game in the real world.
I started this series at the local art school for adults. The villa Thiole or Ecole Municipal d'Art Plastique is quite well respected and as you might imagine, has a few teachers who are frustrated that they have no time to do their own art. These teachers try to get you to do what is in THEIR own minds.
I had one of these types of profs and so I embarked on this series to individualize my work and keep her from interfering. It didn't work that way however, She embraced the work and became more territorial than ever. Ha. At any rate, I continued the series of women for a few years and will show you other examples in future posts. That teacher proved to be a pain in the butt and taught me a lot.
This work has been exhibited at The Villa Thiole in Nice, 2007 and at the "Maison des Artistes" in Cagnes sure Mer, 2008.
Let me know what you think....
As well as " the origin of the world", I wanted to make reference to the heart or essence of something without which that object or person would not be what it is.
Noyau in french means kernel as in a kernel or seed.
The sexual kernel of a female in our species is still seen as a sacred, hidden part even in these modern times of baring all. This most provocative part shapes conventions and ways of life of each person in our society. It is a important, sacred element for life as we know it. "Sacred" to some, that is.
The equivalent part of a plant is essential to its procreation and continuation. A seed, therefore, is the symbol of all possibility.
Technique
I use warm colors in all the series on "women" to evoke flesh and the warmth of humanity. By distorting the image I hope to provoke deeper contemplation of what we are seeing. There is a fine layer of gold paint to evoke the idea of "preciousness" or "treasure".
I have done this series on stretched paper, using inks, pastels both dry and oil, texturing material, and pencil. These small paintings are the size of postcards, 10x15 cm.
Full Disclosure: I think that an artist has many subjects that he or she can talk about. Most of us even like the confines of being told a theme to work on because it makes it that much easier to get started. We like doing it.
Most artists, I do not believe, take the choice too seriously until they are asked to write the forward to their book. Then suddenly, everything is deadly serious and pretentious. This is the art game in the real world.
I started this series at the local art school for adults. The villa Thiole or Ecole Municipal d'Art Plastique is quite well respected and as you might imagine, has a few teachers who are frustrated that they have no time to do their own art. These teachers try to get you to do what is in THEIR own minds.
I had one of these types of profs and so I embarked on this series to individualize my work and keep her from interfering. It didn't work that way however, She embraced the work and became more territorial than ever. Ha. At any rate, I continued the series of women for a few years and will show you other examples in future posts. That teacher proved to be a pain in the butt and taught me a lot.
This work has been exhibited at The Villa Thiole in Nice, 2007 and at the "Maison des Artistes" in Cagnes sure Mer, 2008.
Let me know what you think....
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)