Op Canvas (Flemish television) there is a new British Comedy series called "The Worst Week of My Life". It is a mixture between Coupling and Pulling, and the first episode was quite entertaining. The story is simple: "Only one week to go before the wedding of Howard and Mel which quickly escalates into the week from Hell. The series follows the bumbling Howard as he lurches from one appallingly embarrassing disaster to the next in the week leading up to his wedding day.
The first season contains 7 episodes, appropriately titled "Monday", "Tuesday", etc. Sarah Alexander (coupling) plays Mel, and Ben Miller (The Armstrong and Miller show) is Howard.
dinsdag 7 september 2010
zondag 5 september 2010
Who is Niki de Saint Phalle?
Niki de Saint Phalle, born Catherine-Marie-Agnès Fal de Saint Phalle (29 October 1930–21 May 2002) was a French sculptor, painter, and film maker. While in Spain, de Saint Phalle read the works of Proust and visited Madrid and Barcelona, where she became deeply affected by the work of Antonio Gaudí. Gaudí's influence opened many previously unimagined possibilities for de Saint Phalle, especially with regard to the use of unusual materials and objets-trouvés as structural elements in sculpture and architecture. De Saint Phalle was particularly struck by Gaudí's "Park Güell" which persuaded her to create one day her own garden-based artwork that would combine both artistic and natural elements.
She is best remembered for the Stravinsky Fountain (or Fontaine des automates) near the Centre Pompidou, Paris (1982)— also featuring works of Jean Tinguely
She is best remembered for the Stravinsky Fountain (or Fontaine des automates) near the Centre Pompidou, Paris (1982)— also featuring works of Jean Tinguely
maandag 30 augustus 2010
Jörg Immendorff
Jörg Immendorff was one of the best known contemporary German painters; he was also a sculptor, stage designer and art professor. He was a member of the German art movement Neue Wilde. Best known is his Cafe Deutschland series of sixteen large paintings (1977-1984) that were inspired by Renato Guttuso’s Caffè Greco; in these crowded colorful pictures, Immendorff had disco-goers symbolize the conflict between East and West Germany.
Immendorff was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in 1998. When he could not paint with his left hand any more, he switched to the right. In 2004 he funded a stipend to research the disease.
In November 2005 he was treated by emergency physicians and was admitted to a hospital, where a tracheotomy had to be performed to help him breathe. As of 2006, he used a wheelchair full-time and did not paint anymore; instead he directed his assistants to paint following his instructions. On May 27, 2007, at age 61, he succumbed to the disease
Immendorff was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in 1998. When he could not paint with his left hand any more, he switched to the right. In 2004 he funded a stipend to research the disease.
In November 2005 he was treated by emergency physicians and was admitted to a hospital, where a tracheotomy had to be performed to help him breathe. As of 2006, he used a wheelchair full-time and did not paint anymore; instead he directed his assistants to paint following his instructions. On May 27, 2007, at age 61, he succumbed to the disease
Biryani Rice Recipe
Biryani is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables.
Ingredients:
* For the meat: 1kg lamb/ chicken cut into 3 to 4 cm pieces (if using chicken, use breast or thigh fillet)
* 4 large onions sliced thin
* 2 tsps garlic paste
* 2 tsps ginger paste
* 1/2 cup almonds
* 6 tbsps ghee/ vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
* 1" stick of cinnamon
* 5 cloves
* 3 pods cardamom
* 8 peppercorns
* 2 tsps coriander powder
* 1 1/2 tsps cumin powder
* 1 tsp garam masala
* 1 cup yoghurt
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 cup chicken/ beef stock
* 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
* 2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
* Salt to taste
* For the rice: 2 cups Basmati rice
* Hot water
* Salt to taste
Preparation:
* Put the almonds in a bowl of hot water (enough to cover them) and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove skins from all the almonds by pressing each one between your thumb and forefinger. The almonds will slip out of their skins!
* Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, the peeled almonds and grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.
* Wash the rice in a sieve and add enough water to fully cover the rice - at least 4" over the surface of the rice. Add salt to taste. Set the rice up to boil. Cook till almost done. To determine when it has reached that stage, remove a few grains from the pot and press between your thumb and forefinger. The rice should mostly mash but will have a firm whitish core. Turn off the fire. Strain through a colander and keep drained aside.
* Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry 2 of the onions till caramalized - golden brown. Drain and keep aside on paper towels for later use.
* Heat 3 tbsps of oil in another pan and add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
* Add the 2 remaining onions and fry till they are translucent.
* Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
* Add all the spice powders - coriander, cumin and garam masala and mix well.
* Fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala and then add the lamb/ chicken. Keep frying till the meat is fully sealed (it will become opaque and lose its pink colour).
* Now add the yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste (if needed). Mix well.
* Cover the pot and allow to cook till the meat is tender.
* If you are using the food coloring, divide the rice into 3 equal portions and put into separate dishes. Add the orange food coloring to one portion of the rice and the green food coloring to another portion of the rice. Leave the third portion white. With each portion, mix the rice till all the grains are well colored. Keep aside for 10 minutes after which you can mix all 3 portions of rice together in a bowl for use in the next step.
* Grease a deep baking dish and evenly layer the cooked rice, meat (and its gravy) in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice). Garnish with the previously caramalised onions. Cover the dish tightly. If the dish does not have a cover use 2 layers of aluminium foil (shiny side of both layers pointing down towards the rice) and secure on to dish with baking string.
* Put in a pre-heated oven set at 350 F/ 180 C/ Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.
* Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only open when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.
Ingredients:
* For the meat: 1kg lamb/ chicken cut into 3 to 4 cm pieces (if using chicken, use breast or thigh fillet)
* 4 large onions sliced thin
* 2 tsps garlic paste
* 2 tsps ginger paste
* 1/2 cup almonds
* 6 tbsps ghee/ vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
* 1" stick of cinnamon
* 5 cloves
* 3 pods cardamom
* 8 peppercorns
* 2 tsps coriander powder
* 1 1/2 tsps cumin powder
* 1 tsp garam masala
* 1 cup yoghurt
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 cup chicken/ beef stock
* 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
* 2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
* Salt to taste
* For the rice: 2 cups Basmati rice
* Hot water
* Salt to taste
Preparation:
* Put the almonds in a bowl of hot water (enough to cover them) and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove skins from all the almonds by pressing each one between your thumb and forefinger. The almonds will slip out of their skins!
* Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, the peeled almonds and grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.
* Wash the rice in a sieve and add enough water to fully cover the rice - at least 4" over the surface of the rice. Add salt to taste. Set the rice up to boil. Cook till almost done. To determine when it has reached that stage, remove a few grains from the pot and press between your thumb and forefinger. The rice should mostly mash but will have a firm whitish core. Turn off the fire. Strain through a colander and keep drained aside.
* Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry 2 of the onions till caramalized - golden brown. Drain and keep aside on paper towels for later use.
* Heat 3 tbsps of oil in another pan and add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
* Add the 2 remaining onions and fry till they are translucent.
* Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
* Add all the spice powders - coriander, cumin and garam masala and mix well.
* Fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala and then add the lamb/ chicken. Keep frying till the meat is fully sealed (it will become opaque and lose its pink colour).
* Now add the yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste (if needed). Mix well.
* Cover the pot and allow to cook till the meat is tender.
* If you are using the food coloring, divide the rice into 3 equal portions and put into separate dishes. Add the orange food coloring to one portion of the rice and the green food coloring to another portion of the rice. Leave the third portion white. With each portion, mix the rice till all the grains are well colored. Keep aside for 10 minutes after which you can mix all 3 portions of rice together in a bowl for use in the next step.
* Grease a deep baking dish and evenly layer the cooked rice, meat (and its gravy) in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice). Garnish with the previously caramalised onions. Cover the dish tightly. If the dish does not have a cover use 2 layers of aluminium foil (shiny side of both layers pointing down towards the rice) and secure on to dish with baking string.
* Put in a pre-heated oven set at 350 F/ 180 C/ Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.
* Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only open when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.
vrijdag 30 juli 2010
Stereo MCs were awesome
Yesterday we saw the Stereo MCs for the first time at Suikerrock in Tienen. We knew them of course from dance hits like "connected" and "Step it Up". But when vocalist Rob Birch came on stage, we did not expect such an energetic show. Appearances can be deceiving, and 50-year-old Bob may look 70 years old, but he can still pull in the crowds. He looked like a junky on speed with duracell batteries up his behind,running around, jumping and rapping like a 16-year-old.
He continued shouting "Call an ambulance" and I almost did, so intense was his voice. "We took a train and a bus to get here", he said, and everybody was glad they didn't miss their connection.
vrijdag 4 juni 2010
Leave Your Sleep - Natalie Merchant
I just bought the best CD of 2010! Leave Your Sleep by Natalie Merchant is a double cd with 26 songs, a luxury booklet of 80 pages and contains some of the most beautiful and varied music I have heard in a long time. Be careful to get the double CD, as there is also a single CD that is not so strong (and does not contain the booklet).
You may know Natalie Merchant as the lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs. Or you might know her from those wonderful solo records like "Tigerlily" or "The House Carpenter's Daughter". Even if you have never heard of her, I can assure you that you will not regret buying Leave Your Sleep. It's a concept album, and just as simple as it is complex: Natalie took 26 poems that she selected with her 6-year- old daughter, and turned them into gorgeous folk and popsongs. The poems are all by famous (and not so famous) English and American 19th and 20th Century poets, and the music styles range from folk and country over jazz, klezmer, cajun, oriental, bluegrass and reggae. Each song more beautiful than the other.
My favourite numbers zijn "Bleezer's Ice-Cream", "The King of China's Daughter" and "The Dancing Bear", but I'm sure you will find your own favourite soon.
Trust me on this one: if you like poetry, varied music and wonderful orchestration (more than 120 musicians contributed to the album) you will simply love Leave Your Sleep.
A must-have for anybody who likes music.
zaterdag 29 mei 2010
Filmaffinity
A great website for film freaks is FilmAffinity. Not only can you use the website to make a list of all the movies you own/have seen, but you can also find similar movies that you might like, and find other members who have similar tastes.
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