Kulturcenter Mariehøj

WE ARCHITECTURE and Sophus Søbye Architects won the Kulturcenter Mariehøj competition. I generally like the curvature, but I almost crave a little complexity whenever I look at this particular project. Still, beautiful images.

Images from ArchiCentral.

Stripes

I like the juxtaposition of light-colored stripes and black furnishings/frames.

Catching Fire

This series is wonderful. I almost wish they were longer and more complicated, with more details about the world in which the book takes place. I know... it sounds like I'm wishing it was more like the Lord of the Rings, but details are important in developing the reality of the situation! Perhaps those will show up in the 3rd book. I love this series, though (obviously). It's definitely riveting, but doesn't sacrifice meaning for adventure. It brings up issues related to the media and the government and led me, at least, to question my experiences with such things, which is pretty successful, though not entirely mind-blowing. So, while it's the kind of book you just want to choke down, if you take the time to stop and contemplate things, it offers an adequate amount of food for thought.

Nixxi

I would be very happy to have a sweater like this. I'm sure the entire collection is out of my price range, but I will put it here in case one day I can afford it.

Nixxi.

Educational Centre

Maybe I'm cheesy, but I do like bright colors when executed well. This building by Alejandro Munoz Miranda isn't as epic as Surface Architect's university building, but is pretty fun anyway.

Images from Dezeen.

The Look of Architecture

I'm starting to tackle the recommended reading my architecture school sent out to us about a month ago. I decided to start small- with this thin book by Witold Rybczynski, who I'm actually planning to take a class with this fall. I actually finished it about a week ago, so it's not exactly fresh in my mind, but I'll do what I can. This book focused on "style" in architecture. For a recommended reading book, it was quite enjoyable to read and I feel like it had a strong analysis of the style of architecture. This book definitely makes me look forward to taking class with Rybczynski - he seems like a broad-minded professor with strong writing skills who I will be able to learn a lot from.

Chocolate Mousse

My friend Steven mentioned that he likes chocolate mousse, and as he will be my like, only friend in Philadelphia, I figure it will be best to get on his good side. I found this recipe on a French blog and assumed it, therefore, HAD to be great. Through the joys of Google Translate, the recipe is included below (in English).

Recipe from Sooishi.

Serves 5
Ingredients
170g dark chocolate
80 g of whole milk
1 egg yolk
4 large egg whites
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions
Break up the chocolate into small pieces using a large knife.
Boil the milk. Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir in crushed with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Once the mixture is lukewarm, add egg yolk.
Beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt.
Halfway through, when the whites begin to be strengthened slightly and form flexible ridges, gradually add sugar while continuing to whisk.
The whites should be firm and shiny.
Add one quarter of the white chocolate mixture, beating strongly to make the mixture smooth and then add the remaining whites gently and very gently to avoid breaking them.
This step is very important and should be done with great delicacy.
Once the whites and chocolate are delicately blended, the mixture should be homogeneous and must not contain traces of egg white.
Pour the mixture into the container chosen.
Place in refrigerator for 1 hour at least, but it is better to let the foam take a little longer in the refrigerator for a frothy texture.

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

In honor of SLO's Cowboy Cookies...

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa-make sure to use dutch process for a rich/dark flavor
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and room temp
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 bag of mint chips-I used Guittard

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa, and set aside. Beat the butter on medium-high until light and add sugars, creaming well. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternately with the milk in one batch, mixing well. Stir in the mint chips. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes. You can make the dough a few hours or 2 days before baking and it will be fine. Just wrap it up and keep in the fridge.

Scoop the dough onto a parchment- or silpat-lined cookie sheet, press down on them slightly, and bake for 14-15 minutes…for a normal size cookie. Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet, they will set up as they cool. Store in an air-tight container, they will stay fresh for a couple of days.

Mayonnaise

I feel like I will want to make my own mayonnaise at some point. I only wonder how long it lasts before it goes bad... I guess I would have to make it in small batches.

Tips/Recipe from The Nibble.

Tips For Making Mayonnaise

Julia Child’s tips for homemade mayonnaise:

• Room Temperature: Have all ingredients at room temperature. If they aren’t, warm the mixing bowl in hot water to take the chill off the egg yolks; heat the oil to tepid if it is cold.
• Egg Yolks: Always beat the yolks for a minute or two before adding anything to them. When they are thick and sticky, they are ready to absorb the oil.
• Adding The Oil: The oil must be added very slowly at first, in droplets, until the emulsion process begins and the sauce thickens into a heavy cream. Then, the oil may be incorporated more rapidly.
• Proportions: The maximum amount of oil one large egg yolk can absorb is six ounces, or ¾ cup. When this maximum is exceeded, the binding properties of the egg yolks break down, and the sauce thins out or curdles. If you have never made mayonnaise before, it is safest not to exceed ½ cup of oil per egg yolk. Here is a table giving proportions for varying amounts of sauce:

Number Yolks	Cups Of Oil	Vinegar Or Lemon Juice	Finished Sauce
2	1 to 1½ cups	2 to 3 tablespoons	1¼ to 1¾ cups
3	1½ to 2¼ cups	3 to 5 tablespoons	2 to 2¾ cups
4	2 to 3 cups	4 to 6 tablespoons	2½ to 3-2/3 cups
6	3 to 4½ cups	6 to 10 tablespoons	3¾ to 5½ cups

Ingredients

* Round-bottomed, 2½ to 3-quart glazed pottery, glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. Set it in a heavy casserole or saucepan to keep it from slipping.
* 3 egg yolks
* Large wire whisk
* 1 tablespoon wine vinegar or lemon juice (more drops as needed)
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ¼ teaspoon dry or prepared mustard
* 1½ to 2¼ cups of olive oil, salad oil or a mixture of each. If the oil is cold, heat it to tepid; and if you are a novice, use the minimum amount
* 2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions

1. Warm the bowl in hot water; dry it. Add the egg yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick and sticky.
2. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt and mustard. Beat for 30 seconds more.
3. The egg yolks are now ready to receive the oil. While it goes in, drop by drop, you must not stop beating until the sauce has thickened. A speed of 2 strokes per second is fast enough. You can switch hands or switch directions, as long as you beat constantly.
4. Add the drops of oil with a teaspoon, or rest the lip of the bottle on the edge of the bowl. Keep your eye on the oil rather than on the sauce. Stop pouring and continue beating every 10 seconds or so, to be sure the egg yolks are absorbing the oil.
5. After 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil has been incorporated, the sauce will thicken into a very heavy cream and the crisis of potential curdling is over. The beating arm may rest a moment. Then, beat in the remaining oil by 1 to 2 tablespoon dollops, blending it thoroughly after each addition.
6. When the sauce becomes too thick and stiff, beat in drops of vinegar or lemon juice to thin it out. Then continue with the oil.
7. Beat the boiling water into the sauce. This is an anti-curdling insurance. Season to taste.
8. If the sauce is not used immediately, scrape it into a small bowl and cover it tightly so a skin will not form on its surface.

A Very Cool Cake

Paper dress

Awesome.
Image from Dornob.

Los Angeles Ballet: New Wave LA

Last Saturday I went to Santa Monica to see a performance by the Los Angeles Ballet. My parents and sister accompanied me (though reluctantly, as all three were more concerned with the fact that they were missing a Lakers basketball game...). I thought it was wonderful! I was relatively lukewarm about LA Ballet's rendition of the Nutcracker about a year and a half ago, though I think that that was result of just being tired of the Nutcracker in general. This, though, was exciting, with fantastic choreography and performances. The sets and costumes were not elaborate- the LA Ballet was either unconcerned or unable to put on a grandiose spectacle, but the show's pared down nature was unsurprising considering its connection with contemporary dance.

The first piece, Mandy Moore's "Wink" was intriguing, flowing, and cohesive, but for some reason was not my favorite. I think it lacked the level of energy and passion that I like to see in dance. My dad claims he enjoyed this piece, but as he was most likely checking the basketball game score continuously at this point of the ballet, I don't really know how much he paid attention.

The second piece, Josie Walsh's "Transmutation," was fantastic! It had a good amount of edginess to it and was high energy and darkly exciting. The dancers fascinated me - they looked like extremely tall, long-legged abnormal creatures. I was definitely in awe of them.

The third piece by Travis Wall was "Reflect, Affect, Carry On..." (I think I got that order correct). The choreography was really beautiful, and the music was as well. I loved the way the dancers connected and danced in a very "cause and effect" sort of way. It was like a very connected, harmonious chain of events, even though the characters themselves were somewhat less harmonious. This was my sister's and mom's favorite piece, largely, I imagine, because it was pretty.

The fourth piece by Sonya Tayeh was "The Back and Forth" and was bull-fighting themed in a completely innovative way. This piece was the biggest departure from "ordinary ballet" for me and I loved it. It was continuously exciting and I thoroughly admire Tayeh's inventiveness. It was a very spicy piece, but in a very un-cliche way and for that, I really appreciated this piece.

I'm a little worried that the Los Angeles Ballet may not be getting the support it needs from the city of Los Angeles, so I think that connecting with LA's famed and well-loved contemporary choreographers was a great idea. I wish this company and its school had been around when I was younger and studying ballet!