This time next week I’ll be in Paris. Eep. Clearly the best way to prepare is to learn choice French phrases from our two New Zealand friends in New York City.
Do you like Flight Of The Conchords? I was a bit dismissive at first but eventually on a flight to Europe, funnily enough, I watched every episode. Now I just wish there was more. MORE. Jacques Cousteau!
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The other night we enjoyed another edition of the Wine Cellar’s dinner club. It’s where all the people who work there and the groupies like myself come together and cook to a theme. (Duh, it’s called a pot luck, Amber.)
Anyway, Bastille Day was a huge hit, so this time we all went out for another country – Mexico! While the others offered amazing salsa, chili and quesadillas, I rustled up a desert of sorts: fried cinnamon tortillas. They are so easy to make, and delicious like Little Orbit donuts – you must try them for yourself.
Cooking oil
Cinnamon
Sugar
Tortillas (pre-made is easiest)
Cut up tortillas into small strips, or if you are feeling fancy, get out the cookie cutter. Fry the tortilla strips in oil till golden, then set aside on a paper towel to cool. Mix 1 part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar in a brown paper bag (or a container, but a bag means no mess). Put the now cooled strips into the paper bag and shake-shake-shake until everything is coated evenly. Serve with chocolate sauce, a fruit salsa, or just alone.
Oh and while you’re cooking, put on some tunes. May I recommend Down in Mexico by The Coasters? Made famous by that honky-tonk bar scene in Death Proof, and sure to get you dancing.
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Milk bottles and faded flowers at Little B cafe. I want to call them jonquils… but I’m not 100% sure. I always admire people who can name flowers and plants without pause. My mother is one of them. Perhaps you can tell me?
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The new stencil mural on Cross Street, by Auckland artist Flox:
It’s nice to see a little colour around here.
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Saturday afternoon lunch with my family at the Jade Dragon. The food was good, the people better. My family is hilarious, especially my little sister Courtney. However, it was a little emotional (cue me weeping over Thom’s shumai) because it was the last chance I had to see my grandmother before the big move. I’m going to send her lots of postcards though, so she better watch out.
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Celebrating the art of small press, every year the Auckland Zinefest gets bigger and better (Auckland Zinefests of yore: 2010 and 2009). The festival was scheduled to coincide with international zine month, July, and incorporated a month-long calendar of DIY and self publishing activities. Tessa puts her heart and soul into running the event, and it was wonderful to take part in it.
On July 16, St. Kevins Arcade hosted a day of markets, workshops and talks for both old hands with the long-arm stapler, and those new to the cut & paste scene. It was cool to see people come from all over the country for the event, and the joy on the faces of those who just wandered in off the street. Here are some photos from the main Zinefest event:
(Even the pup was having a great time)
The after party was held later that night at the Wine Cellar – friends, karaoke, cupcakes, pinball and hijinks. Noting my prowess for hocking goods, I was asked to design a sign for the special Zinefest only red wine punch. Fruity, friendly and utterly delicious. Do you think maybe there’s a career for me in this?
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A little virtual tour of the world, courtesy of Google maps. While some of the mystery is gone from travel, the wonder is still there. Downtown, Omaha, Canal Saint-Martin, Buckinghamshire, Southbank. Look at the shadow of the London Eye – amazing!
(Hmm, I am starting to reconsider the 500px width of this blog…)
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When you sit down to write, is that what you do? Just say, “Okay, I’m starting a book” and then sit down and keep writing until it’s done? Do you take breaks? Do you ever get writer’s block?
No. No writer’s block. Never had it. Don’t believe in it. Doesn’t exist. I don’t buy that one.
Ernest Hemingway said it… If you’ve got writer’s block, write one sentence. And if you can write one, you can write two. If you can write two, you can write three. If you’ve written three, you have a paragraph. There’s just no such thing as writer’s block.
I work all the time. I write all the time. No days off, not for any reason. I get up in the morning and I start at it, get into the afternoon, I work out. I work at it at night. I work on it until I go to bed at eleven. I keep a notebook by my table and I write in the middle of the night sometimes. Sometimes I’ll write from maybe 4AM to 6AM and go back to bed, but I write all the time. And I always have. That’s the way I’ve always done it.
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With departure imminent, I am trying to tick all the Auckland boxes I have just never got round to…. One of these to-do’s was a visit to Martha’s Backyard, the local USA food and clothing emporium. I have no pictures of the shop, but a few photos of the bounty and some sub-par junk food reviews!
There was also some Big Red soda which tasted just like cinnamon bubble gum. Next time? More soda, perhaps some Lucky Charms and wheatie, sugary Life cereal, some of those “smore” flavoured pop tarts (they have a big range), and yes, an essential tub of marshmallow whip…
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From George Orwell’s (1948) book Nineteen Eighty-Four - I hope nothing else becomes the norm.
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The light is just so in the Alleluyah end of arcade; meaning I can’t help but try and record it every time I visit. And there’s one table in particular, made of old floorboards, that has me enraptured. I am trying to limit my use of the word perfect, but this table just is.
That’s my gorgeous friend Laura. We had coffee in the midst of 2011′s Auckland Zinefest… more on that to come.
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Perhaps one of the signs of a great party is no photos. If so, this little dinner party I hosted last week, a “soup kitchen”, was one of the best. I have only have two snaps to mark an evening defined by big pots of soup, simmering gently on the stove. Thank you to my beautiful friends for supplying: cheap vino for the mulled wine, bread for dunking and great conversation.
If it’s the middle of winter and you’re out to feed a crowd, there is no better path to follow than the way of the soup. I made a creamy cauliflower and potato, and a vegan ‘French’ onion soup (it turns out golden syrup is a good replacement for the more ‘spensy Maple Syrup).
Cauliflower and potato soup
{Adapted from Cuisine magazine}
100g unsalted butter
1 large brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 litre vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons Dijon or whole grain mustard
100ml cream
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onion and garlic. Fry until translucent. Add the cauliflower and potatoes. Pour in the stock and milk. Cover, bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender. Optional: a few splashes of white wine. When the vegetables are cooked, remove from the liquid, purée with salt to taste and the mustard. Return to the saucepan and bring back to heat, stirring gently. Serve with cheesy toasted bread for best results.
Yield: 4 servings
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Did you know this little trick for sprucing up your bicycle? If the chrome parts have started to rust and look a bit icky, simply roll up a ball of tin foil and gently rub it on the chrome. The blemished patches are abrasive against the foil, making it come off and mask the rust; yet the foil is gentle enough not to scratch the rest of the metal. It really works – your bike will be looking shiny again in no time!
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Hello! My name is Amber Parkin. I'm a New Zealander living in London. I'm a writer obsessed with fondue, chesterfield sofas, vintage dresses, foxes, and 35mm.
Here I like to talk about fashion, design, food, travel, writing & books, and culture. Everything else (including my photography) goes into my digital notebook.
If you'd like to email me the address is amber@codeforsomething.com
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