I bought the book before watching the series but I have to say now, that I enjoy both. In search of perfection, is Heston Blumenthal’s show on the telly where he looks at a classic, commonly loved dish and shoots for the perfect rendition of it. Obviously, he would be biased towards his tastes but I’d probably not argue too much with a celebrated 3 Michelin star chef whose restaurant, The Fat Duck is rated at #2 in the world. (Ferran Adria pips him to #1.)
Anyway, the guy fits the mad scientist role pretty well. He’s big and a touch gruff looking but he’s also got these signature glasses custom made by Michel Guillon. His thought processes and style of presentation also makes the show quite enjoyable to watch. Instead of being a recipe show like how most cooking shows are, Blumenthal looks at cooking much like an architect or a designer. He looks at the core problem, researches past information and then tries to solve everything, looking at every detail possible.
You can check out some of his recipes on the beeb.
Last week, I was watching this movie where the main character has a sort of tank he called a “batcar”. I was also able to see this same car in the metal when I went on a trip to the Gold Coast recently. Now I can’t tell you where to buy a tank, but I can tell you that you could get something cooler.
Bertone doesn’t make tanks. They just make really awesome cars. Cars much like the one you see below. This small, family run Italian company has been designing cars for close to a century now for the likes of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini and Ferrari amongst many other carmakers. They’re soon to be sold due to financial difficulties but hopefully, they’ll keep on keepin’ on.
The BAT 11 is a new concept released recently that Bertone designed for Alfa Romeo. Its a revision of 3 older models made in the 50s, hence the distinct retrolicious streamlining.
The back end of the new BAT also looks pretty good as you can see. Apparently, they also ship with a free female as well.
Another recent store opening, Din Tai Fung has arrived in Australia and brought with it its signature mouth watering dumplings. These parcels of pure delight come packaged with a thin but flexible skin that is sturdy enough to last the trip from the steamer to your mouth. Intricately folded 18 times over the top to form a neat spiral pattern, its a delicate and subtle testament to the quality and artistry of the humble xiao long bao. Once inside, the parcel breaks, releasing the savory juices and a touch of meaty flavor whilst the withering skin soon slips down your throat. Its a precious little bag of wonderment and Din Tai Fung makes these in the millions the world over, with its army of imported dumpling chefs.
The dumplings aren’t all that’s great either. The very simple vegetarian side of seaweed, tofu and glass noodles is highly polished in its refinement. The perfectly balanced flavor and seasoning are aided in part by the cool serving temperature, which matches the slender textural feel of the dish brilliantly. Their beef broth is a deep, dark, ominous brown, yet somehow retains a light and vibrant beefiness that translates very well. The hot and sour soup is also a near perfect rendition of what the dish should be.
Overall, I have to say that, chain store or not, they do a bloody good job of reproducing classic Chinese offerings combined with a certain modernity. Haters might say nobody goes to a Din Tai Fung in Taiwan except tourists but this is Sydney we’re talking about and in my opinion, its probably the closest you’re going to get to authentic, top quality Chinese at pretty reasonable prices.
Din Tai FungWorld Square Shopping Centre, 644 George St, Sydney (02) 9264 6010 Daily 11am-2.30pm, 5-10pm 20+ pax including a main and some extras.
Just so you know, the official AA store in Sydney has finally opened. The prices, however, are still exorbitant compared to getting shipments from the bay. The store itself is ok, nothing great to look at but its decently stocked with an ok amount of their merch. The guys are consigned to the basement though.
American Apparel 82 Oxford Street +61 (02) 9358 2666Filed under: Film
The closest thing to a Hungarian film I’ve ever seen before an hour and a half ago is some highlight clip of Ferenc Puskas. So it was with some trepidation that I decided to check out Gyorgy Palfi’s Taxidermia. I was right to be scared but just not quite how I imagined it.
First off, its quite a brilliant film, just that its also a pretty grotesque one at the same time. Taxidermia is a look at man through the course of 3 generations, from a sex obsessed soldier to a champion speed eater and finally, the taxidermist that the title alludes to. Its a look at man’s instincts and his savagery and it pulls out all the stops. Amon Tobin’s score also gives the film a good bit of tension and style.
Graphic is the first thing that pops into my head when I think of the film. Its beautifully shot, with really wonderful colors and contrast and it definitely uses the visuals to drive the film along. You get to see things like a penis fucking a hole in the wall though, not really something I was expecting. There are a lot of really pretty scenes that are also really disturbing and gross. In the first act, you see a guy porking the carcass of a pig as he fantasizes that he’s fucking all these various women. Its sick but you don’t feel disgusted per se. At least I didn’t, it just felt strangely watchable and very compelling. Or maybe I’m pervy. Whilst the imagery is awash with perversion, it didn’t feel like it was for perversion’s sake. To put things into context, its sort of like a nature documentary, just that the imaginations of man come into play.
The blood and gore is there but it always has been, just that we tend to choose to live lives where we pretend we’re no longer brutal and animalistic. Its the butchers who face up to chopping up carcasses. Or the forensics doctors that stare death in the face. Or taxidermists who put make up on dead people. No we’re the evolved, cultured version of humanity that wears nice suits and goes to church. We’re not monkeys. We’re people, with feelings. Not blood and guts that walk.
If you like eating meat, this is perhaps one film that could make you vegetarian. A film that reminds you of the brutality of canivorous consumption. The similarity between man and animal. Our mortality. I for one, am still gonna enjoy eating my meat.
Filed under: Film
Unabashedly, I must proclaim that I found the latest of the Batman franchise thoroughly enjoyable. This shit is awesome, probably the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen, and probably one of the best mainstream movies I’ve ever watched. Action, suspense, drama and a killer story, weaving together two titular characters who have up til now, remained as simply ridiculously costumed figments of imagination.
A guy in a black suit with a cape is not really my thing. Sure, Batman is kinda cool and he’s inspired loads of kids the world over. For me, I always wondered what the fuss was about. The Dark Knight does little to dispel the notion that Batman is simply a bumbling fool who means well. But it does wonders to raising this idea of a hero in the truest sense of the word. As in, the fall guy. The guy who takes one for the team because he’s got some misguided sense of righteousness beyond the call of reason and intellect. Conversely, the Joker, played admirably by the late Heath Ledger, is the complete opposite, an unreasonable jerk, the complete asshole who does shit just because. The lawful good paladin versus the chaotic neutral dragon. Its a titanic clash between order and chaos. I really haven’t seen 2 polar opposites pitted against each other in such spectacular fashion.
But its not just about two guys going at each other’s throats. There’s also the wonderfully crafted story, led by the Joker’s maniacal whims, which manage to follow a distinct order of its own. His brilliance, intellect and madcap sense of cause and effect is what drives the film. The character is really well fleshed out despite the fact you don’t get to know all too much about the man himself. You only need understand that his order is in complete disorder. His fetish is to get the ultimate concept of law & order to stop and giggle for a bit and that’s what makes the film such a treat.
The film is really superb in almost every aspect, from the action sequences to the twist and turns in the plot. I was frustrated with the “good” guys’ ignoramy in general as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal’s mildly irritating character but these were essential elements in moving the film along as well. Perfectly acceptable in my book because the main guys, and there are 3 of them, do their job so stunningly well.
A 5 star movie if I ever saw one.
Just so you know, the next installment of the World of Warcraft is entitled Wrath of The Lich King. Changes include levelling up to 80, new uber talents like warlocks transforming into demons and rogues becoming machines, inscription as a new profession, new hairstyles, dances, dungeons, siege pvp, a whole new continent, a chance to fight with the lich king, walrusmen, walking humanoid spiders and something that has to be described as what would come out of a centaur’s vadge if it got screwed by a mammoth.
Still, all this stuff seems paltry when you compare it to the main feature Blizzard is introducing. The ability to create gnomish Death Knights like the one below.
Radiohead’s new video for the track, House of Cards.
This vid shows how they made it without the use of digital or film cameras and lights but with 3D plotting devices instead.
This is beautiful. Thom Browne’s collaboration with Anthony Goicolea for Browne’s Spring/Summer ‘07 menswear collection. Music courtesy of Sigur Ros.
