Vintage Vogue

I'm loving tumblr at the moment. In particular, Vogue Australia's new tumblr. Each Tuesday it features a vintage photograph from their magazine archives. Love. My favourite would have to be shot 3, although it's so hard to choose!

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Kayne West & Christine Centenara

Now this is some exciting news. Kayne West, one of the most stylish men is collaborating with Christine Centenara, one of the most stylish women. Christine has been working as consultant to Kayne's new women's wear collection. Something tells me this is going to big. Looking forward to it. 

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Photos via Fade to Grey and The Sartorialist

Mussels in Coconut and Lemongrass Broth

I am such a bad blogger. Forgive me before I'm banished. Been so flat out at the moment with work, my brother's upcoming wedding (next week....so exciting!) and the rest of what life brings. It's been so long since I did a post but so glad to be back. Really need to catch up on my blog reading. Just doesn't feel the same. :(

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Now onto food and this recipe. I think I've said this before but yes not a big fan of mussels. However, this recipe here has such lovely flavours, mussels are forgiven for their existence. I love the combination of the coconut cream, the lemongrass and the beer. Can't wait to make it again.

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Recipe from Masterchef Magazine
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Ingredients (serves 4)
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4 eschalots
2 cloves garlic 
2 stalks lemongrass
2 red chillies (I used one, typical old me)
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
80ml peanut or vegetable oil
2 x 1 tablespoon blocks palm sugar (it's so much easier to buy the small blocks of palm sugar that you can find in supermarkets rather than the very large blocks you find in Asian grocers)
2 tablespoon fish sauce
330ml Asian beer
8 kaffir lime leaves
2kg pot-ready black mussels
400g can light coconut cream
1/2 cup Thai basil or coriander leaves
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Method
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1. Peel eschalots and garlic, then cut in half. Cut the white part from the lemongrass and roughly chop. Roughly chop the chillies. Process the eschalots, garlic, lemongrass, chillies, turmeric and oil in a food processor to form a paste.

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2. Place the paste in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, for 8 minutes or until fragrant. Add palm sugar and fish sauce, and stir for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Then add beer and lime leaves, and bring to the boil. Add mussels and cover the pan with a lid. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mussels open.

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3. Using tongs, divide opened mussels and cook any unopened mussels in the broth for a few more minutes or until they open, then add to bowls. Add coconut cream to the broth and bring to a simmer. Ladle broth over mussels. You can then serve it with Thai basil as a garnish along with lime cheeks. 

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Pink

Pink never looked so good. New found liking for the colour. 
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Love this Celine Resort collection. Amazing.

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Images via Snob Fashion Source, They all Hate Us, Karlas Closet, Fashion Toast, We Heart It, The Decorista, Face Hunter, The Intersection, Late Afternoon, and Google Images.

Ricotta Cream with Shortbread

It's that time of year where things are heating up in Masterchef. Is anyone else super excited about tomorrow nights episode and New York next week? What about tonight's episode? Now that was a surprise! Okay, enough about the show. 

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Today's recipe is a combination of two recipes from the Masterchef Season 2 cook book. The Ricotta cream component of the recipe was originally made by a contestant with crostoli while the shortbread was made with a lemon cheesecake mousse. 

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Adapted Recipe from Masterchef Cook Book - Volume 2

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Serves 4-5

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Ingredients

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Ricotta Cream

250g fresh ricotta

300ml pouring cream

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 orange, zested

2 tablespoon walnuts

2 tablespoon dark chocolate (70%)

1 tablespoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier

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Shortbread

3/4 cup plain flour

80g cold unsalted butter, chopped

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg

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Method

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Shortbread

1. To make the dough, place flour, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor and process until the mixtures resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and process until the mixture just comes together. This is the first time I had made shortbread, I didn't realise how difficult it would be. Make sure your measurements are exact. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

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2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Roll out dough between 2 floured sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick, then refrigerate for 10 minutes. Using a 5cm pastry cutter, cut out 12 rounds and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

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3. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl and roll the edges of the rounds in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or until pale golden. Cool for 5 minutes on tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

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Ricotta Cream

1.  To make ricotta cream, using an electric mixer, beat the ricotta, sugar and orange zest until smooth. Leave some of the orange zest to use as a garnish. Beat in the cream, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve dollops of the cream in a glass topped with some orange zest. Serve with a couple of the shortbread biscuits. 

Kate Moss is getting married today...

So now the other Kate is getting married today. Like many, I am super excited about seeing the dress. John Galliano is said to be designing the dress. I am sure it will look amazing.... so I hope!
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In celebration of the great Kate and out of inspiration of this post, here are some of Kate's best dressed looks and some other noteworthy moments. Going through photos it's amazing how many trends she started. I haven't include any of her modelling otherwise this would be an endless post. Love or hate her, she is a fashion icon. 
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Pic on the right- I know she is smoking here but how amazing does that 3-piece look. The vest, the skirt, the way the jacket is worn. Brilliant. 

Pic on the left- Shot in the early 90's and her outfit still looks timeless.

Pic on the left- That infamous dress. I wonder how many dresses were inspired as a result of this dress?

Pic on the left- It was 2004 and Kate showed us how to wear jeans tucked into jeans. 

Pic on the left- This would have started tan leather jacket trend and the tan belt look. Get rid of the belt and this would still look great now.

Pic on the left- That day her collaboration with Top Shop was announced.

Ooh la la.... the Johnny Depp days.

Okay, she isn't best dressed material here but here she is an itsy bitsy baby in what appears to be her night gown, oh yes. Naomi and Kate are sharing bedtime stories. 

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Images from Lifestyled, UK Telegraph, UK Vogue Online and Google Images