Salt Spring Island's Flower Chèvre

Flower Chèvre is a fresh pasteurized goat milk cheese decorated with edible flowers.  This is a soft creamy mild flavoured chèvre that can either be served for breakfast or a lovely addition to any cheese plate. Salt Spring Island's chèvre frais is also available in a variety of flavours; basil, hot chili, lemon, pepper & truffles.

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company is located on Salt Spring Island off Vancouver Island in Canada’s west coast. They produce wonderful handmade goat and sheep milk cheeses.
http://www.saltspringcheese.com/

Visit their site for a great description on the process of cheese making. http://www.saltspringcheese.com/cheesemaking.html

Nampeyo

Nampeyo with numerous examples of her work. C-1901

Nampeyo was born in the village of Hano on First Mesa in the north east of Arizona around 1860. Hano was inhabited by descendants of Tewa-speaking Pueblo people from the Northern Rio Grande river in Arizona. From her people the Tewas, Nampeyo learned the art of molding and shaping the clay to make beautiful cooking vessels. She learned the art of making pots with fine designs from her grandmother who was a Hopi potter.

Top and side view of jar made by Nampeyo and Lesou circa 1895-1910

Nampeyo established a name for herself making pottery with designs inspired by ancient Sikyátki pottery shards that her husband Lesou had excavated from the nearby abandoned ruins. These well-styled designs and geometric patterns are from a type of pottery dating to the 14th and 15th centuries presently called Sikyátki Polychrome common in the Hopi villages of the southwest.

From the time of her teens until her death in 1942, Nampeyo developed her personal style that earned her international legendary status. Her style of pottery has also served as a foundation and inspiration for her children and subsequent generations to follow in her footsteps and become master pottery artists themselves.

Here are examples of some of my own hand coiled pottery pieces inspired by Nampeyo.

 

Nampeyo pottery photos from American Indian Art magazine - Summer 1976

Dextra Quotskuyva

 

Dextra Quotskuyva was born in 1928 at Polacca on the Hopi First Mesa in Arizona. She is a fourth-generation descendant of renowned potter Nampeyo. Today, Dextra's pottery is among the most highly regarded of all Native American pottery.

Dextra Quotskuyva, Shard Jar, Hopi clay, vegetal and mineral paints, tradionally fired, 3 1/2" high, 13" diameter, 1981

 

Dextra's pottery is fundamentally rooted to the ancient traditional pottery of her Tewa-Hopi people. As with her great-grandmother Nampeyo, Dextra has combined her fine technique and her own creative style to perfection. No wonder she has received numerous honours including the Arizona Living Treasures Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dextra Quotskuyva, Awotovi-style jar, Hopi clay, vetal and mineral paints, tradionally fired, 5 1/2" high, 8 3/4" diameter, 1996

 

Photo source: Indian Artist Magazine - Dextra Quotskuyva -  Listening to The Clay - Summer 1996

Echinacea

(Echinacea purpurea)

I can't help it... it's the 1st day of spring... the sun is shining... I have the gardening itch...

Even though the echinacea flower is not due to bloom until July - August, I've enjoyed the lovely presence of last year's dried blooms peeking through the snow covered bed over the winter months.

The echinacea plant commonly known as purple coneflower is a drought-tolerant perennial herb flowering plant that belongs to the daisy family.  Echinacea is native to North America grows to 1 m (3 ft) and has stuning purple pompom bloom with its daisy-like petals. There are a variety of different types of echinacea available in pink, white, yellow, lime green & red.

The echinacea has been used historically in North America by indigenous people, as one of their major medicinal herbs. It is also commonly used today as an immune system booster.

Doctor Rockit - Café De Flore

This electronic jazzy house groove has become one of my favourites over the past years. The infectious latin beat, beautiful melody and French style accordion riff transport me to another world. I love it!

Café De Flore was released as a single in 2000, it can also be found on Doctor Rockit's albums; Indoor Fireworks and The Unnecessary History Of Doctor Rockit . The original version of Café De Flore is quite beautiful but it's the Charles Webster Latin Lover Mix that I prefer. Charles Webster's remix version is also available on the Hotel Costes compilation Best of Costes.

Doctor Rockit is British born Matthew Herbert, he is also known as Herbert, Radio Boy, Transformer and Wishmountain.



http://www.matthewherbert.com/

The Slap

An excellent Australian television drama series based on the 2008 controversial novel The Slap written by Australian native Christos Tsiolkas. The eight part series explores what happens when a man slaps someone else's bratty undisciplined child at a birthday barbecue get-together. Each episode of the series is told in the point of view of one of eight different people that attended the barbecue and how the repercussions of the slap affect this group of family and friends.

Though at times disturbing it is a believable story that I enjoyed. The series features great performances by Melissa George, Jonathan LaPaglia, Alex Dimitriades, Sophie Okonedo among others.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/theslap/about/

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar

The Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is a farmstead type cheddar from Prince Edward Island that is made using the traditional English cheddar making methods.  The cheddar is wrapped in cloth to age, yet it is allowed to breathe and remain moist.

This pasteurized cow’s milk cheddar aged 18 months is somewhat crumbly but creamy in the mouth, with a smooth earthy flavour with a distinct pleasant tang.

The Avonlea cheddar pairs well with Guinness beer or a nice Portuguese port.

The Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar is produced by Scott Linkletter of COWS Creamery in Charlottetown, PEI. COWS is also well known for their famous ice-cream.

http://www.cowscreamery.ca/

http://www.cows.ca/avonleacheddar

Coeur Du Berry

Le Coeur Du Berry is a lovely French pasteurized goat milk cheese shaped in the form of a heart. Coeur Du Berry has a fresh white paste with a distinctive earthy tangy flavour and the ash covered rind leaves you with a pleasant smoky lingering taste.

This heart-shaped chèvre is a must for Valentine’s Day. Offer it as a gift or share it with your loved ones.

Available with a plain natural rind or ash covered.

Coeur Du Berry is produced by Fromagerie Jacquin in La Vernelle located in the south of La Loire in France.

http://www.fromagerie-jacquin.com/

Keith Haring

The Brooklyn Museum will be exhibiting the early works of Keith Haring this spring from March 16 to July 8, 2012. The exhibition will be featuring Keith’s works circa 1978 to 1982 from when he first arrived in New York City through to when he started his studio and began making public and political art on the streets.

 

I fell in love with Keith Haring’s work after attending a live Grace Jones show in New York in the 80’s. Keith not only painted Grace in his original heavy brush stroke style but he painted a large circular canvas and the canvas stunningly became Grace’s costume gown as she was hoisted up. A true masterpiece!

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/keith_haring/

http://haring.com/home.php

Grey Owl

Grey Owl is a striking ash covered pasteurized goat milk cheese.

The edible dark vegetable ash rind contrasts beautifully against the snowy white uncooked paste that is quite dense. The fresh crumbly texture is quite smooth and creamy in the mouth with a sweet tangy nutty flavor.  

Grey Owl cheese pairs well with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Grey Owl is produced by Fromagerie Le Détour located in Notre-Dame-Du-Lac, Québec in the region of Lac Témiscouata near the New Brunswick border. Grey Owl cheese is named after a legendary conservationist, who inhabited the region of Témiscouata; Archie Belaney who was known under his adopted Ojibwe name “Grey Owl”.

The milk for Grey Owl cheese comes from Saanen Goats, a Swiss breed of dairy goats.

http://fromagerieledetour.ca/

Photo source: informedfarmers.com