The Barbara Hulanicki Topshop collection came out yesterday…
I’ve read the “from A to Biba” biography some months ago and found it stunning, so I couldn’t wait to see the Barbara Hulanicki interview Topshop posted on it’s site...
Also “November Films” has produced a movie called “Beyond Biba” which is supposed to come out this month. Watch out!

“In Biba” book

 

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It was my grand-grand-mothers 104th birthday – incredible isn’t it !?! Although I sadly couldn’t see her this time I made some poppy seed slices, similar to the ones she used to bake , when she had a Viennese pastry shop in the 1940’s.
One thing she always tells me is to mix the poppy seeds with semolina, as the taste is amazing and back then poppy seeds were really expensive. I tried and she’s right – It was absolutely delicious…
Thanks grand-grandma

Poppy Seed Slices
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Ingredients:
*1/2 liter milk(I used soya milk)
*4 tablespoons honey
*1 sachet of vanilla sugar
*200g poppy seeds
*100g semolina
*200g puff pastry
*2 egg whites
*120g powdered sugar
*100g  chopped almonds
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Preheat the oven @ 180ºC
Cook the milk together with the honey and vanilla sugar, then add the semolina and cook for 5 min, while stiring. Add the poppy seeds and let cook ’til the mixture gets thick – stir while cooking.
Line a small squared backing pan with baking paper and roll the puff pastry on it. You might need to grease the sides of the pan.
Spread the poppy seed mix on it and bake for 20-25 minutes.
In the meantime beat the egg whites with the powdered sugar until stiff and put on top of the poppy seed after baking. Spread some chopped almonds on it and bake again for 5min
Cut the slices in your favourite shape and let cool well before eating

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Today I couldn’t stop thinking of the incredibly beautiful and breathtaking documentary I saw yesterday.
“Man on wire” is the story about french high wire artist Phillipe Petit who made his dream come true walking between the world trade center buildings in 1974.
So thrilling and emotional -  and will absolutely encourage you to take more risks in your life in order to achieve your dreams

Philippe Petit, 1974 between the world trade center buildings

images from Jean-Louis Blondeau

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my new clock necklace from Urban Outfitters

beautiful photographs in the Sessun Spring/summer 09 catalogue

hearing Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

getting a lot of positive feedback from my last catering in lovely Baum shop

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Two months ago I showed you one of my favourite photographers I found in Flickr, Olivia Bee.
Now it’s time to present you another creative genius, also only incredible 14 years old – Anna Amphigorously, who takes the most wonderful pictures and writes beautiful poems. If I could be a teenager again, I’d love to be her
Anna Amphigorously’s Flickr

 

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I’ve been meaning to try these eye catching shocking red goodies for months, but wasn’t able to find buttermilk in Barcelona. Researching in the internet I found a way to substitute it with a milk and white vinegar mix and also found out that the red velvet cakes were a signature from the Waldorf Hotel in NY in the 1920’s. I have to go and try them there… Oh, I miss New York

Red velvet cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting
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Ingredients:
*300g all purpose flour
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
*ca 20g liquid red food colour, or dry red food colour mixed with a hint of water (use enough colour to make them really, really red)
*300g white sugar
*120g butter, softened
*2 eggs
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*240ml buttermilk, (you can also add 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar to 240ml milk and let stand for 10min)
*1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
*1 teaspoon baking powder
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Preheat the oven @ 175ºC and line ca 24 muffin cups with white muffin papers:
In a bowl mix flour, salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
In another small bowl mix the cocoa powder with the red food colour until it forms a thin paste.
In a large bowl beat the softened butter with the sugar until fluffy and add the eggs one by one.
Mix well with a mixer and add the red cocoa paste and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.
Add alternately 1/2 of the flour mix and 1/2 of the buttermilk, until the whole 300g flour and 240ml buttermilk is well combined with the paste.
In a small separate bowl mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 tablespoon of baking powder and add the fizzing mix to the batter.
Mix everything until weel combined and fill in the ca 24 paper cups until there 3/4 full.
Bake the red muffins for ca 20min – don’t forget to do the toothpick test after ca 18min, as you might need less time. Let the muffins cool well before frosting….

Vanilla cream cheese frosting
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Ingredients:
*400g Cream cheese
*120g butter, softened
*250g powdered sugar
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* a hint of salt
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Mix the cream cheese with the mixer and add the softened butter, mix until creamy.
Slowly stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy.
Frost the cupcakes and decorate with your favourite red topping.
Mine is from “bake it pretty”…
Enjoy

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I just came back from wonderful lively and colourful London, where I had some free sunny days after I made some trendsearching and shopping for work. I hope the energy I’ve absorbed there will last some weeks

Oh and by the way – I went to the hats exhibition at the V&A to see Elsa Schiaparelli’s famous shoe hat, but it had magically disapeared after the opening!?! If anyone knows something about that please let me know….

 

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Trying my best to smile after a bad week…
I am taking some days off and will visit a dear friend in London

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