we are food libertarians

Divided We Eat is a great article by Lisa Miller in the Nov.22 issue of Newsweek. she explores ideas of how food and classes correlate in America today.

a few excerpts….

“Even more idiosyncratic than our obsession with nutrition … is that Americans see food choice as a matter of personal freedom, an inalienable right. Americans want to eat what they want: morels or Big Macs. They want to eat where they want, in the car or alfresco. And they want to eat when they want. With the exception of Thanksgiving, when most of us dine off the same turkey menu, we are food libertarians.”

“But modern America is a place of extremes, and what you eat for dinner has become the definitive marker of social status; as the distance between rich and poor continues to grow, the freshest, most nutritious foods have become luxury goods that only some can afford.”

“Food is no longer trendy or fashionable. It is fashion.” …which makes me think of “I can’t paint. So, I cook.” ~Nigella Lawson

“And Americans have a weird notion of eating, not as shared experience like the French, traditionally, but as nutrition ― either good or bad ― and an increasingly solitary pursuit.” -SF Weekly, Bridging the Food Gap?

a stuffed piiiizza piiiie tiiime

sooooo….you may have seen my pics from my first ever trip to Chicago in October. what you may not know is that my initial reason for even making the trek out to Chitown was to experience Rick Bayless’ Topolobampo for myself. Having incredibly thoughtful and welcoming, quasi-family from South Africa currently living out there was another huge perk of the trip. but, deep down i also had another mission at hand: to devour my first true stuffed Chicago-style pizza!

Chicago-style pizza is described as: a deep-dish pizza style developed in Chicago.

Chicago-style pizza has a buttery crust up to three inches tall at the edge,

slightly higher than the large amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce, acting as a

large bowl. The term also refers to “stuffed” pizza, another Chicago style.

So on our very last day in town, after a trip to the Sears Tower, it all went down at Giordano’s in the Loop.

 

one STUFFED VEGGIE PIZZA coming riiight up!

*with mushrooms, green peppers & onions


 

it was everything and more than i could have hoped for. it was served piping hot. the Mozarella was laid down THICK! there were enough veggies in there to give it some real BITE and crunch. and the sweet, satisfying sauce + flaky, pastry-like crust really made it something special!!

by nature i am a thin-crust pizza eater, probably always will be. the thinner the better, really. but ever since my visit to Chicaaaaago, there will always be a special place in my heart for a slice like this:



the pizza was GREAT. the trip was FANTASTIC! …besides having acquired a new deep hatred for the O’Hare aiport {it took me ~22hours to get home to SFO. dont ask, that’s a whole ‘nother blog post of its own} there is something just so appealing to me about that city. amazing architecture, abundant & playful public art, the lively restaurant  & bar scene & of course Rick Bayless ….or maybe just because its sooo opposite-ly flat compared to my current lover San Francisco.

all in all: i approve!! Chicago, you’re IN!

*disclaimer: theres no way in hell i’d ever live or even like to visit in the winter time though.

For more on Chicago pizza, Check out what slice has to say

about pies in the Chicago area.

Things are possible… works of Yves Klein

its difficult enough having my heart, head and educational background rooted in modern & contemporary art and trying to ‘make it’ in the real world. i quite often feel pangs of guilt, cloudiness and (perhaps?) jaded optimism about somehow incorporating my passions + two Bachelor of Arts degrees to create a successful and fulfilling future career.
my usual conclusion is that i might be just as clueless and undecided about my future as i was when i graduated in May, 07. {le sigh}….
sure, i’ve acquired infinite meaningful and practical skills and tools over the last few years of working. and have been exposed to immeasurable eye-opening and significant opportunities, ideas and modes of operation. however, when i see videos like “With the Void, Full Powers” with Kerry Brougher and Philippe Vergne memories of working on 18page art theory papers in the library, and afternoons strolling through the Hirshhorn exhibitions during my Katzenberger fellowship come flooding back, throwing me into a transfixed state of ‘what could have/might have been/be’.
where am i going with all of this you might ask? …..yeah, no idea…except that the video confirms my LOVE for Yves Klein’s greatness!!
he was definitely an innovative artist in the 50s/60s pushing boundaries and exploring concepts of color, space and possibilties. plus, i don’t think ill ever be sick of IKB.
like the clip says, ‘what is extraordinary with Klein is that he thought everything was possible. that there is no limit. we can do anything we want. if we work on it.’

horo

With Jupiter (Mr. Growth) finally doing the CEO thing in your fame house, the year’s end looks fabulous. Geminis rule! Unfortunately, this transit doesn’t last forever, so determine now just who and what you want to be in 2011. Then act on it.