The Droste Effect

After reading an article about the funny things that Google does for certain search terms like for example 'let it snow',  or 'do a barrel roll' or 'recursion' which I thought was particularly clever.  I always wiki things I don't know, and wiki was very informative about recursion.

The Wikipedia page also had a image with a link to the Droste effect.  (I can spend hours clicking on random links in Wikipedia!)  So what is the Droste effect?

The Droste effect can be loosely described as 'an image with an image' where the same image is repeated within.  The term 'Droste' comes from the Dutch brand of cocoa powder that features the picture of a nurse holding a tray with a tin of the cocoa on the tray.  The Droste effect also forms the basis for fractals.

I had no idea that the whole 'image repeated within the image' thing had a name.  Amazeballs! I also really like the type they used for 'Droste.'  Especially the 's.'

image from wikipedia

Brigadeiros

These are extremely easy to make,  no need to bust out the thermometer or water bath or 6 mixing bowls.  LESS DISHES TO WASH.   Brigadeiros are a South American sweet that is a popular food for childrens' parties.  I would say these are good for any party, who can refuse sticky caramels with sprinkles?!

The chewy and sticky texture contrasts nicely with the crunchy exterior.  It is addictive.

I followed the recipes exactly so here is the link. And here is where I first stumbled upon them.

List #1

An amalgamation of unrelated things compiled into a list.  Hope you all have a splendid weekend!

Sweet, Crafty and Phoney Things

About a month ago I finally got a smartphone!  Since I am a tightass and I am careless with my telecommunication devices, I got the HTC Wildfire. It's lucky though as I have already dropped my phone onto the train tracks! Only once though. So far.

Apart from being as excited as freshly percolated coffee about the Wifi and GPS on the phone (I will never get lost again!), I was even more psyched about trying the camera apps. So far I have only tried the free ones - Vignette Demo and Retro Camera.  I also have installed Little Photo and Magic Hour demo but have yet to use them.

Of the two I have tried, I prefer Retro Camera, since each of the preset filters try to imitate the aesthetic of a particular type of film camera.  I think they do anyway, I don't know enough about film cameras to be sure.  Let me know if you know!  While on the other hand, Vignette Demo lets you adjust the settings and filters until you are happy with the results.  For me the photos end up looking a little unclear and over edited, but it probably is just a user problem and I like the flexibility and control you get with tweaking photos.

Sadly there is no Instagram for non iPhone phones.

This one was taken with the Vignette Demo camera of my much loved coffee press.  I added vignetting and a blue filter for extra funzies.

These two pictures below are of a collaged shoebox and were taken with the Retro Camera using the Bärbl camera filter with the flash on.  The colours are less saturated and are cooler than in real life.  There's also some vignetting business going on around the edges.  Overall the photos look OK (they looked better on the phone's small and crap resolution screen) but  don't mimic the softness of film as the photos still look sharp.

These marshmallow lollies were addictive, they are matcha flavoured and have a matcha paste centre.  Luckily they are on the pricier side otherwise I would be eating these all the time.  The photos below were taken with...you guessed it, the Polaroid filter.  As you can see, they are way too sharp to look anything like actual polaroid photos plus the colours are too saturated and 'correct'.  Also the scratchy bits look fake.

This New Zealand brand of chocolate also have really cool flavours like kiwi and cocoa nibs which unfortunately aren't sold in the supermarkets except at the IGA in Market City (this is the only place I know of, this is in Sydney by the way).   I also really like the toasted coconut and milk chocolate flavour.  This photo was also taken with polaroid filter... I think it was a different one.  My finger was probably covering a little of the lens hence the flesh coloured blur on the left.

While I have yet to find an app that I like as much as my film camera, I am still impressed with what you can do with a camera phone these days.  The search continues. 

The Professional by W.C. Heinz

The Professional by W.C. Heinz was published in 1958 and tells the story of the boxer Eddie Brown training for the world middleweight championship. A simple story which in itself is not very interesting, if like me, you don't have an interest in boxing or sport in general.  It took me a couple of chapters to get into the book because of the endless sporting references about famous sportsmen/ memorable games.  However boxing is what links all these characters, whether they are the boxers, the trainers or the reporters.  A common thread, if you will.  Even though I have no interest in boxing, the characters' passion for the sport transferred to me as I was reading and so as the novel progressed I really got into it.   

The characters of the novel are very richly imagined, Eddie Brown, tall, muscular man of few words. Doc Carroll is white haired, tall and wiry and always in a foul mood. Even though there are a lot of characters in the book, they are all memorable with each of them having unique characteristics.


In the foreword by Elmore Leonard, Leonard made a good point that Heinz doesn't use adverbs to describe how a character has said their words. After going back over a few pages of the books I realised that is true. The lack of adverbs lets the reader flesh out the character in their imagination and to create their interpretation of the character. The prose is concise and not too flowery which I like and suits the setting of this book. For me, this novel was a pleasant surprise and I didn't expect I would like it as much as I did.

Book Shelf

Thrift shops aka op shops aka charity stores are places of infinite possibilities.  Honestly, I probably spend more time in them than in the shopping centres.  Even if I don't buy anything, it is fun to rummage through all the bric-a-brac (junk, some would call it), it is almost like looking through a person's home but without the intruder/thief/intruder tag attached to it.  One of my weaknesses are used books as I can take my time to read them and I don't have to worry about overdue library book fines.  These beauties were only 50c each!


Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, The Neon Bible by John Kennedy Toole, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos and Vet in a Spin by James Herriot.

I haven't read any Anne Rice books yet but I believe this one is her most popular book.  It looks to be an easy read.  I don't know what the Oscar Hijuelos novel is about but it was a Pulitzer prize winner so I got it because of that.  John Kennedy Toole also wrote A Confederacy of Dunces which I have read, so I thought I would read this book as well.  The novels by James Herriot are uproariously hilarious, I have read a few already and Vet in a Spin is just as funny.  It's a little embarrassing reading this on the train as I have to contain my laughter...and sometimes I can't contain it.  If you haven't read any James Herriot novels yet, I suggest you do so ASAP!

Vintage Betty Crocker

One of my favourite things to do on the internet is to trawl through the public domain.  I stumbled onto this little gem a while back when looking through vintage cookbooks.  The Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls is filled with cute drawings, some less politically correct terms and many recipes.  I think the pictures would make cute invitation cards, I would like to use them for something....not sure what yet.
 

Resources used:

Tape strips from Pugly Pixel, they can be found here and here.

Old book clip from Mellow Mint which can be found here.

BPScript retro font which can be found here.

Collage a Moleskine

Schnail Mail

A few and by a few I mean two pieces of mail I have received semi-recently.  One is from a swap and the other was a lovely surprise!

This is probably my favouritest (and yes, that is a word) ATC that I have ever received.  A beautifully done Kiki's Delivery Service themed watercolour.  I especially like the late afternoon sky.

I am currently experiencing an obsession with using the eye dropper tool and picking colours from pictures.  Sites like COLOURLovers and Pugly Pixel further add to this obsession.  :D

An age ago, I particpated in a CD swap over at Goodnight Little Spoon, one of my swap partners was Lauren.  I sent away my CD and I thought that was that.  'Lo and behold, surprise snail mail from Lauren!  She sent me a lovely little package full of papery things and a letter all enclosed in a wintry themed handmade envelope.  It was a great way to end the day, opening mail that wasn't junk mail/boring.  

Scribbles and Dresses

Lisa Ho dress in Yen magazine - Issue 48, 2011

The above dress is by Lisa Ho, I love the colours and the bleeding colour effect of the material's pattern. Even though I am a staunch non-dress wearer, this dress definitely sways me.  Below are just some scribblings 'cos I liked the model's pose and I felt like drawing.  Actually it's more than just scribblings since I then took the trouble to ink it and then paint it.

I am going through a phase where I like using the eye dropper tool in Photoshop...hence the colour swatches.

Matcha Cupcakes

Mmmm cupcakes, easy to make and infinite flavour possibilities.  These were really delicious, the cake itself was very fluffy and delicate.

I crushed some green tea leaves and put it into the batter as well for extra tea flavour.  And a note, green tea glaze is not very appetising...think runny snot or Shrek in a blender accident.  So you should make the frosting instead.  Or eat it unfrosted...but where's the fun in that?  The recipe can be found at one of my favourite sites, Foodbeam.

Collage a Moleskine

So happy that the weather has taken a cooler turn, a whole week of sticky and hot weather has ended.  Although I mustn't complain since so much of Australia is suffering from the effects of natural disasters.  Take care and stay safe, where ever you are.

Westfield + Food

An overhead shot from I don't know what level, seriously it was a labyrinth.

A while back I walked around the soon-to-be-completed-redevelopment Westfield shopping centre.  It looks really, really nice inside, very sleek and very sophisticated.  Not like the Westfield shopping centres in the 'burbs.  They are almost done from what I can tell, there are still some shops still to be opened like Zara (excitement plus!) and other clothes stores.  I wasn't really there for the clothes or for the shopping, I was there for the food.  The seating in the foodcourt was plush, there were padded seats and they didn't try and cram as many seats in as possible.

After hearing positive things about Charlie & Co burgers and the chips, I though I would give them a try.  From memory (it was months ago), I had a Federation Burger and the Truffle and Parmesan Chips.   The chips were good, crispy and very flavoursome.  I don't know what real truffles taste like, being a poor student and all but whatever that taste in the chips was, it was addictive.  To me, the flavour was very fleeting, it felt like as soon as you tried to think about what the taste was, it disappeared.  Then you'd eat another chip to recapture the flavour.  And on it goes.  :)  Oh and also the servings for the chips were very generous.  Definitely one to share.

The burger was OK...the beef patty had an overpowering garlic taste and masked the other flavours of the burger.  And for some reason they had put the tomato and lettuce on the bottom so the bottom bun was soggy.  On a positive note, it was a very thick beef patty, the egg was fried nicely and the bread was soft (a must for burgers in my opinion).  Charlie & Co is definitely worth a visit, even if you just order the chips.

I also bought some macarons to take home at the dessert/chocolate/patisserie/gelato place in the foodcourt (I have forgotten the name of it).  The brown one is raisin toast, the two black ones are black sesame and the pink is cardamom and raspberry (I think).  They were a bit smooshed from being unboxed (considering I paid $3.50 for each of them, I thought they would have been boxed).  I ate the raisin toast one and it was good...you could taste the cinnamon, the raisins, and it didn't just taste like sugar.  The others I shared.  :)  The verdict: yum.  But for $3.50, I think it is overpriced. 

They also had a very impressive display of chocolate, gelato and pastries and French type of cakes.  Prices were high, around $7 or so for the cakes.  For that price I would rather go and visit La Renaissance, which is next on my places-to-visit list.

The bottom of the escalators were shiny!  So when you looked up you could see your reflection, albeit a very warped and distorted one.  :)

Note to self: high speed film, no flash, and low light results in very grainy photos.

Collage a Moleskine

It's forecasted to be cooler tomorrow.  Oh, the joy!

Collage a Moleskine

It is hot.  Crickets are chirping in the night.  In the next few days I am going to have a go at making the Joconde Imprime Entremet (?) dessert.  Yes, in this heat I still bake.

Collage a Moleskine

I just sent off my last swap for Swap-Bot, it was a 'inspirational' journal.  Swap-Bot doesn't really....make me want to do mail related things anymore, it feels like a chore when I join a swap, so I am going to stop.  But if you want to swap stuff or write letters, send me an email!

Anyway, I will post one every few days, everyone likes pictures, right?

Momofuku's CRACK PIE

Well, it's taken me about 4 months to finish my roll of film, develop and scan the prints into my laptop.  I know, it is slack.  So this crack pie has been and gone for many weeks, possibly many months.  

This recipe was bookmarked in my brain for the longest time after reading about it here, here and here.   And you know, the whole food blogging community was absolutely HYPING about it so I had to try it.  Well after reading all these posts about how ah-maze-ing it was, I had very high expectation of this pie.  My opinion?  It was...OK.  I was expecting some kind of food/sensory experience that would leave me wordless, blow my mind, transcend this dimension of space and time.  

But, no.  It's sweet and deceivingly rich, it tastes good when it's straight from the fridge but turns to goo quite quickly if it isn't eaten immediately.  

Also, there was oil aplenty dripping into the bottom of the oven as this was baking.  It's definitely a recipe you should try but for me, it's probably a pie I won't be making again. 

Or maybe  I need to go to NYC to eat it from Momofuku Milk Bar itself.

You can have a crack at the recipe here.

Floral Neck

My trusty ol' SLR camera is quite heavy and is a hassle to carry around especially since it is strapless.  I finally rectified this problem (1+ years later) by making my own camera strap.  The strap looks very handmade since I have pitiful sewing skills but hey it's a pretty material.  :)

There is a really good tutorial here that has step-by-step photos and instructions on making your own camera strap.

I really like film photos, do you?

> Cute tape strip from Pugly Pixel.

Jest-Ear

I got these earrings at an op-shop for $3.  So cheap yet so useless since I don't have my ears pierced.  I just like to pick them up and look at them and think about the potential they contain within.  My pocketful of sunshine, or more like an earful of sunshine.  What lifts your mood?

Maiden Post

It's probably too late to post a 2010 retrospective or 2011 resolutions.  I don't do those sort of things anyway.  So I'm not.

I did used to have another blog but I got bored with it, so it's gone now.  Although it is cached.  It did cross my mind that maybe I should transfer everything over to here.  I decided against that too since this is a new beginning.  However I will post old photos from that ol' blog on my Tumblr.

The layout of this blog has taken me a least a month (on and off) to get it to a point where I am happy with it.  Initially I was redesigning from scratch but I couldn't get my columns to be of equal height.  Many hours of fustration later, I admitted defeat and caved and got a template.  Columns all the same height?  Yes!  I have prodded and squeezed the template to suit me (CSS/HTML noob style).  You should check out the designer in the footer - their designs are nice. 

Anywho, welcome to my half-acre on this vast piece of land known as the internet.  There may or may not be adventures but there definitely will be food.  And photos...and pictures, snippets, this and that.

PS: If you haven't seen in the news already, a large chunk of Australia has suffered from flooding.  Many people have lost everything, but it's during these hard times that we are shown the best of people, and their generosity.  It's times like these that I am grateful to be human.  Queensland (my home state) has had pretty bad flooding, you can donate to the flood relief appeal here.