Consider the Fork

Have you read this gem of a book yet? I bought a copy at a thrift shop last week and finished reading it in two days. Rarely has a book with so much information been such an enjoyable read. In Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat, British food writer Bee Wilson outlines the evolution of the kitchen and its contents with wit and skill. The paperback features history, science, and personal anecdotes on how our culinary tools—from spoons to pots to rice cookers—came to be and how their influence has shaped today's food culture. It is well researched and insanely detailed. Bee's style of writing makes it easy for readers to engage in her passion.

Here's an excerpt.

"Making toast is satisfying. You could say that's because it's such a comforting substance—the crispness, the heavenly aroma as yellow butter slowly melts into the crevices. But the satisfaction is also mechanical and childish: fitting the slices in the slots, setting the timer, and waiting for a ping or a pop.

For something so basic, the electric toaster arrived late. From the 1890's, gadget-crazy late Victorians could in theory use electricity to boil kettles and fry eggs, yet for toast they still relied on the toasting forks and gridirons of open hearth cookery. These were variations on the theme of prongs and baskets for holding bread (or morsels of cheese and meat) before the flame. Toasting, when you think about it is really roasting: applying dry radiant heat to something until the surface browns."

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Hand-Painted Movie Posters by Tony Stella

In the 70s and 80s movie theaters in Manila were usually standalone buildings with nice seats and red curtains. To sell tickets, cinemas needed to advertise their offerings. But they did not have the original posters, or the means to print alternatives. So they made their own, commissioning local artists to hand-paint them. I really miss those hand-painted posters and billboards, which conveyed an artistry that was a form of visual hyperbole. But hand-made objects always have a way of returning. In this digital age, people will always look for things made by hand. I recently stumbled across the work of Tony Stella, whose genuinely cool movie posters have caught the eye of film enthusiasts and art lovers worldwide. He likes to work in watercolor and ink wash but sometimes he will make an oil painting, depending on the film. Tony's very active on social media, and his Tumblr blog contains a massive collection of illustrated movie posters that are often better than the original. ...

Joie de vivre

Emily Powell has made a name for herself with her series of simple, colorful and exuberant paintings. Her passion pours out directly onto the canvas, inspiring the viewer to do something fun. Emily has exhibited with the Royal Society of Art and collaborated with MoMA and British Museum. Whether it's a coastal landscape, a cute animal, or an explosion of florals, her paintings will surely light up your day.

The Art of Taglietti

Emanuele Taglietti is an Italian designer, illustrator and painter known for his erotic and sometimes outrageous comic book covers during the the '70s and '80s. Inspired by the art of Frank Frazetta and Averardo Ciriello, he painted hundreds of covers for books such as Zora the Vampire , Sukia , Mafia , and 44 Magnum . Taglietti also restored old paintings and occasionally collaborated as an illustrator for magazine publishers such as Mondadori and Rizzoli. Just this year, Sex and Horror: The Art of Emanuele Taglietti , a book by Mark Alfrey was published celebrating Taglietti's work. The "highly visual biography displays dozens of his amazing full-color paintings, explores his fascinating life and career, and takes a look behind the scenes at his exacting technique." Check it out on Amazon .

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