19/07/2015
Silken Favours

About Foood as you know is a blog that talks about everything that is related directly or indirectly to the world of “food”. I had even created a FASHION category in which I mentioned collaborations between fashion brands and bakeries, apple-shaped bag or Nike made of hamburgers. Today I have the pleasure to introduce you to a small British brand that I love, Silken Favours, whose creator Vicki Murdoch draws sublime prints. I had a lot of fun shooting these beautiful silk blouses and fruit pillows, and even my cat Jango played along! Check out the interview with Vicki after my photos …

Art direction: Yoanna © About Foood
Photos: Zoé Wittock
Assistant: Rowena Cociuban

– Tell us a little bit about you…

I’m from Scotland, I grew up in a place called Aberdeen, but moved to London when I was 17 to start a modelling career which I got into from winning a competition in 1998. I got to travel the world when I was quite young and I did it by myself, so you make friends quickly and grow up fast. I had always yearned to go to Art School, so when modelling was slowing down I went to Chelsea to study textiles, which I absolutely loved. When I graduated I worked as a freelance print designer and then started up Silken Favours when the idea for making bespoke scarves popped into my head.

– What is Silken Favours?

I launched Silken Favours in 2011. The philosophy of the brand developed from a love of creating unique and personal designs for friends and family. The first scarf I made was for my parents, I drew all the birds that visited their garden, It made them cry. I thought this is great, I want to make more people cry. When I designed my first collection I was inspired by close friends, their pets and other things they care about. The prints I design are meant to be fun, but I hope they are timeless pieces that people can treasure forever.

– Do you design every pattern?

Yes, I’m a print designer and thats what I love doing best, if I could spend all day doing just that it would make me very happy, but running a business takes up lots of time, so my designing and drawing isn’t an everyday occurrence.

– Where do you get your inspirations from?

You can draw inspiration from anything, I’m obsessed with nature, as you can see from my designs, so parks, travelling, being outside in open beautiful places in inspiring. I live in London so there are so many incredible exhibitions going on, inspiring people to meet etc. I also love vintage junk stores, and find inspiration from old books, music, films. These days you can research so much on google, and so much information is thrown at you, you need to filter it down to really take anything in.

– Where are the products made and how?

Well, the process starts with my drawings. I normally use pen rather than pencil for a stronger line. I then manipulate the drawings on photoshop and illustrator, adding colour and positioning the images in a composition I’m excited about. The designs are then sent off to be digitally printed here in the U.K. and each product is finished by hand by in East London.

– Where do you hope your brand will be in 5 or 10 years?

I hope that the brand continues to expand organically and slowly. in 5 years it would be amazing to have done many more collaborations with other wonderful designers and brands, Make the name known more globally,
and increase the homeware side of my business, in 10 years I would love to have a wonderful team behind me, so I could just design all day whilst travelling the world getting inspiration.

03/07/2015
Fresh ice-cream

It’s hot, hot, hot, wherever you are in France (and probably elsewhere) we are dripping, sweating, swimming, hiding in the fridge or in front of ventilos. To cool off a bit, here are some ideas of refreshing ice-cream!

Ice Roll

What: an ice cream shaped in rolls , prepared in front of you!

Where: La Javelle, Port de Javel Bas – 75015 Paris

Every Sunday from 12:30 to 7:30 p.m.

How much: € 4

Les éclairs glacés

What: The éclair ice-cream is available in several tastes, with its playful packaging. We love the pecan vanilla : Madagascar vanilla ice cream, almond praline with chocolate frosting and caramelized pecan nuts.

Where: Eclair de Génie

32 rue Notre Dame des Victoires – 75002 Paris

14 rue Pavée – 75004 Paris

13 rue de l’Ancienne Comedie – 75006 Paris

How much: € 6.50

Raimo

What: The oldest traditional glacier from Paris (since 1947) offers sorbets and ice-creams – rather classic but delicious – either cones to take-away or huge iced desserts to eat in their shop. Special mention to the lemon-basil sorbet, almond syrup-almond milk and three spices ice-creams.

Where: 63 boulevard Reuilly – 75012 Paris

every day from 10:30 to 22:00

or on their e-shop

How much: double scoop for 5 €

La Martinière

What: On the Ile de Ré, since 1970, La Martinière declines incredible scents like oyster-caviar, camembert-cherry or viagra ?! Sorbets have also associations that makes you want to just stay there forever: strawberry-combawa, coconut-pineapple-hibiscus or jasmine-nectarine, all in super pretty packaging.

Where: 17 quai de La Poithevinière – 17 410 St Martin de Ré

From 10:30 to 22:00

How much: double scoop for € 3.40

La Fabrique givrée

What: I discovered one of the 3 accomplices behind the project (Hugues, Martin and Jeremie Runel , the finalist of “Who will be the next great pastry chef?”) at the Omnivore festival. Their credo: search for the best products of the season, and collaborate with farmers in their region. Their website is as beautiful and original as their creations. Completely frosted !

Where: 3 Place de l’ Hôtel de Ville – 07200 Aubenas

and 27 place des Herbes – 30700 Uzes

From 11 am to 22:00

How much: from 2 to 8 € for ice cream / 6.50 to 16.50 € for inventive sundaes

Ladurée

What: Ice creams (Coffee, Caramel, Pistachio, Rose, Vanilla, Nuts) and sorbets (Chocolat Guanaja, Lemon, Strawberry, Raspberry) with a macaron on the top!

Where: 16 rue Royale – 75008 Paris
75 avenue des Champs-Elysées – 75008 Paris
21 rue Bonaparte – 75006 Paris

01/07/2015
Fennel, saffron and artichoke risotto

Here is a simple recipe, while I prepare some fresher ideas to endure this national heatwave!

The Ingredients (for 2-4 people)

1 cup arborio rice
1 fennel
some marinated artichokes
1 dose of saffron
1 piece of Parmesan cheese
1 stock cube
1/2 glass of white wine
1 onion

The Recipe

Cut the onion finely and fry in a pan with olive oil until translucent.
Add the rice, and cook the same way, until it is transparent.
Add the wine and let it evaporate.
Pour two cups of water mixed with the stock cube and saffron.
Add the finely chopped fennel.
Cook over low heat until the water evaporates, stirring gently very often.
Add the artichokes with Parmesan cheese at the end, stir and serve.

10/06/2015
Le Pas Sage

Everyone told me about this place and I can now finally say that I tried it. Tested, approved, loved it.
Nestled in the bustling Saint-Denis street, at the beginning of the cute passage Grand Cerf, this bistro – and its recently opened wine bar – offers a menu for 35 € (or 55 € for large appetites). In the kitchen, the very young chef Julien Kervien who trained at the Atelier Robuchon, creates dishes as beautiful as paintings, made of unusual flavors and fresh ingredients. Since the starters, my taste buds were conquered by the fennel pannacotta and tomato cream, I dream of making it at home again since then. As for the actual entrée, the creamy bisque, salicornia and raw langoustine is surprising ; then comes the main, the duck breast, with its hibiscus candied turnips and fried renkon, excellent. The desserts are also delicious, whether the crepe suzette with oranges and timut pepper or the beautiful plate of strawberries, red bean paste and matcha. Anyway, I will definitely go back, especially to try that tempting burger with black pudding sausage for lunch!

Le Pas Sage
1 Passage du Grand Cerf
75002 Paris

26/05/2015
Strüdel in 5 minutes

I love strudels, that cake from Central Europe (Austria, Germany, Hungary …) filled with apples and raisins. My recipe is super easy and super quick to make!

I take this opportunity to introduce you to a ceramic brand that I love: Jars. The factory which is located Anneyron near Valence, was founded in 1857 by Pierre Jars, who passed on his passion for the sandstones from generation to generation. Sandstone is a mixture of clays cooked at 1280°C, which makes it one of the most solid ceramics. Jars designed several collections as beautiful as each other. I particularly like the irregularity and the color of these plates in the collection Garden Maguelone (Betterave and Ginger shown here). On their website you can find the points of sale where you can found their ceramics, in Paris you can for example head to Merci ou the Conran Shop. I will soon feature other collections, in the meantime you can also see the Cantine plates in my recipes: black radish carpaccio, kale salad, or my stuffed squids! I can’t wait for you to discover as well their factory, which I will visit soon!

The Ingredients

– 1 filo or puff pastry
– 2 or 3 large Boskoop apples
– half a lemon
– 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
– 2 tbsp walnuts or pecans
– 50g sugar
– a few drops of bitter almond extract
– 1 tbsp candied fruit (orange peel …) – optional
– some melted butter or 1 egg yolk

The Recipe

1. Peel the apples, cut into small dice. Mix with sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, bitter almond.
2. If you wish, you can pre-soak the raisins in rum. If not directly add to the mix.
3. In a dish or cake mold, place the round pastry, and then the apples inside, and roll.
4. Brush all over with melted butter or egg yolk.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ° C for about 25 minutes, until the cake is golden brown.
6. Serve warm with powdered sugar sprinkled on it.

25/05/2015
Mother’s Day’s wishlist

If we might think that Mother’s Day is another marketing invention to fill the pockets of florists, jewelers and other shops, it is actually a tradition that dates back to ancient Greece, during which people celebrated Rhea, the mother of all gods. Even the Romans celebrated mothers and women in the Vth century BC! In France, it was Napoleon who decided to establish Mother’s Day but it is Marshal Petain who formalized it in the the calendar in 1941, so here’s for the story! However France is the only country to celebrate it on the last Sunday of May whereas the US celebrates it on the second Sunday of the month, like most of the rest of the world. But why is that might you say? Well simply because that Sunday is officially reserved to celebrate Jeanne D’Arc. Okay, now let’s get serious… here is my selection of treats and other gifts that will delight your moms.

1. Roiboos and raspberry cake – Hugo & Victor

2. Rolling pin – Anthropologie

3. Glove – Liberty

4. Apron – La cerise sur le gâteau au Bon Marché

5. Thermos – Urban Outfitters

6. Box Blossom – La Thé Box

7. Lovely cake – Lenôtre