Cool Hunting
| 19 October 2006view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Salt
by Letizia Rossi
Former currency, the root of the word "salary," invaluable preservative and the source of wars and conflict, salt's role in society dates back to ancient times. Mark Kurlansky, the author of Per Se serves 30 million year-old "Jurassic" salt from Montana, and Fleur De Sel (named for its flower-shaped crystals) rolls off the tongues of home cooks as easily as Morton's. For CH's survey of the ever-popular mineral, we looked for the best and most unusual—from the suspicious-sounding Himalayan pink to the inventively vanilla-flavored.
Fleur De Sel
The undisputed salt of choice for chefs, connoisseurs and food snobs the world over, this French salt from the marshes of Guerande in Brittany is hand-harvested by "paludiers" (salt harvester craftsmen), who sweep the top of the evaporating sea water only on perfect rain-free days in July and August when the sea is calm. We were particularly impressed by Artisan's Fleur De Sel ($16), which had a flavor arc as smooth and complex as a fine Bordeaux. Even more colorful and nuanced was Le Tresor Fleur De Sel ($11), which is one of the only salts that has a government-regulated "appelation controlé." 80 pounds of regular sel gris (grey salt) yields only one pound of these precious flakes we recommend it is as the finishing pinch for your favorite entrée, desert—or even better, serve it like the French do, on top of a buttered radish.
Flavored Salts
Far better than Mrs. Dash, we came across several unique salts that, though they lean more towards an herbed rub than a pure salt, will add unconventional flavor to your next meal. Naturally smoked over Red Alderwood, Salish ($16), from Washington state gives the perfect accent to grilled meats or fish. Coastal Goods' Autumnberry salt ($6) is flavored with dried cranberries from Cape Cod and is a perfect seasoning for the holiday turkey or duck. Or for a fresh accent to pork and lamb, try their Lavender Salt ($6), which is infused with lavender oil and blossoms. Developed in collaboration with Kiwi chef Martin Bosley to cure Salmon, Equagold's Vanilla-flavored salt is made with vanilla from Papua New Guinea, comes in a convenient upside-down-grinder and also pairs well other seafood, pork, poultry and game. Contact Equagold to order.
Pink Salts
While dabbling in the realm of more ethereal salts we also fell in love with a couple of exotic pink varieties. The first was a delicate, apricot-colored salt from Australia called Murray River ($16), produced by the Artisan Salt Company. The soft flakes melt evenly and quickly and are perfect for vegetables, fish and even chocolate. A rose-colored salt called Himalania ($13) is harvested from a marine fossil formed during the Mesozoic era in the foothills of the Himalayas. With their unique mineral bouquet these robust crystals would be well-served on top of your favorite ice cream or soufflé. Available from Sur La Table.
Hawaiian Salt
Earthy and coarse, Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt ($15) gets its crimson red crystals from red clay and is one of the more well-balanced, rich and mild salts we tasted. It would be great as a rub for fish or meat and also as a ground finishing touch on crudités or on the rim of a margarita glass.
Black Salt
This striking black clay salt from Cyprus ($31) has a similar flavor structure to the Hawaiian red clay salt and is the perfect yin to balance out the yang of any post-modern presentation—try it on the rim surrounding a pomegranate margarita.
Salt Accessories
Unprocessed salt has chemical properties that will harm the metal gears in most pepper grinders, but a number of specially-designed mills will refine chunky salt to your liking. Long before they made cars Peugeot created the original pepper mill in 1842 and currently offers various models of high quality salt mills featuring a corrosion-resistant stainless steel grinding mechanism. Designed to work well with higher humidity salt, the innovative Peugeot Wet Salt Mill ($42). Perfect for those who cook on the fly, the Chef'n Salt Ball-Grinder ($15) has soft handles that enable one-handed grinding, five adjustments—from coarse to a fine grind—and who can resist that bunny face? The Kuhn Rikon vase grinder ($40) is designed with a ceramic grinding device positioned on top of the grinder so it won't leave dust on your counter or table. Available in seven colors, it also works well with a variety of spices, including rosemary, flax seeds, sesame seeds, chilies and even coffee.
For those who want to bring artisanal salt wherever they dine, a pocket size salt box is the ultimate gastronomic accessory. The Round Cherrywood Salt Box ($90) from Napa Style slides open with one hand and comes with one pound of their delicious Gray Salt (which CH enjoyed for its balanced and subtle ocean-y appeal).
A CH team effort by Ami, Edwin, Evan and Leti.
Bird
by Lost At E Minor
One of our favourite new discoveries, Byron Bay fashion label, Bird, is the creation of designer Rachel Bending whose "work pioneering sustainability in design started with Slingfings, a brand widely recognised for its environmental consciousness." Bending, who originally hails from the UK, studied textile design at the renowned Glasgow School of Art in the early 90's and then spent several years working as an event director for Saatchi & Saatchi in London before immigrating to Australia in 2001. Based around three different fabrics each season, all of which are designed at her studio and hand-printed using water based dyes, Bird is a beautiful, eco-friendly collection of women's wear.
The 50th London Film Festival
by SummerSeventySix
The 50th anniversary London Film Festival kicked off last night with the superb The Last King of Scotland (pictured right). It may not be immediately obvious from the title, but it's about African despot Idi Amin, who ruled, and ruined, Uganda in the 1970s. Forest Whittaker plays Amin, in a performance that should earn him at least an Oscar nomination. Rising Scottish star James McAvoy is also very good as the president's personal doctor, the the role that drives the film. Already in limited release in the United States, The Last King of Scotland is set for wider release around the world early in 2007. It's one of 181 features showing at the London festival over the next fortnight, and if you're in the city, there's loads to see.
British director Shane Meadows has built up a great reputation for downbeat, sometimes uncomfortable/sometimes funny, character-driven tales, including the criminally under-rated A Room For Romeo Brass. Set in 1983, his fifth feature This is England (above left) tells the semi-autobiographical story of 12 year-old Shaun as he falls in with a gang of local skinheads. It received good feedback after playing at Toronto and is expected to do the same in London.
Likewise, Babel (above right), the third film from Alejandro González Iñárritu, which completes a trilogy after Amores Perros and 21 Grams. Similar to those movies, Babel weaves the stories of several people into a whole, played out across three continents by Brad Pitt, Gael García Bernal and Cate Blanchett. It's been on the festival circuit since Cannes in May, but is set for wider release in the USA at the end of October and elsewhere over the coming months. It also closes the London Film Festival.
Others worth catching, in my opinion, are Lars Von Trier's comedy The Boss Of It All, with the Dogme director employing a new method called Automavision allowing a computer to choose camera movements; a big-screen of Kubrick's Dr Strangelove (left); and Nick Broomfield's Ghosts—a fictional story from the acclaimed documentary-maker that addresses the real-life tragedy of Chinese immigrants who died working illegally in the UK.
Look out too, for the surprise screenings happening on 29 October 2006 in 50 venues across London, like Heathrow airport, a hospital and even a prison—the only one not open to the public.
Stephanie McKay
by Ami Kealoha
Like a mini-greatest hits album, Stephanie McKay’s new eponymous EP is a sampling of her new and old songs introducing this talented Bronx native to U.S. audiences for the first time. Her European solo album came out a few years ago, produced by Geoff Barrow (one-half of Portishead), and she's worked with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Kelis and Amp Fiddler, but this is her first solo release stateside. Finally signed to the eclectic Astralwerks (Hot Chip, Air, The Chemical Brothers, and Beth Orton), McKay's poised to get the credit she deserves.
Characterized by heartfelt vocals, musical influences ranging from classic 60’s soul to reggae, and a hip-hop tinged nu-soul treatment, the EP is part sneak preview of the full-length album Tell It Like It Is (scheduled for release in early 2007), and part retrospective, with two songs previously available only in Europe and largely unknown to American audiences. DJ Spinna (who McKay worked with on Intergalactic Soul), contributes the bouncy soulful house remix of “Tell It Like It Is” that rounds out the five-track EP. Order from iTunes.
by DJ Scribe
Cut&Paste NYC 2006
by Ami Kealoha
Cut&Paste's national tour has begun. Kicking off this Saturday, 21 October 2006, the eight contestants all look like worthy contenders and, with the Audience Design Contest, the launch of Adobe's new color-matching software, and the raffle of one of here.
And, San Franciscans, you still have time (until this Friday, 20 October 2006) to submit an entry for the Bay Area contest. Do it here.
