All posts filed under: London

Toast ale beer

Toast ale, bread waste beer

Published by Kate Stockman

Toast Ale made entirely from surplus bread that would otherwise by thrown away by bakeries, delicatessens and supermarkets is the brainchild of Tristram Stuart – who has linked up with Hackney Brewery to produce the new ale. Stuart hopes Toast ale will help to offset the 24m slices of bread currently thrown away every day by UK households. According to official UK figures, every year about 15m tonnes of food is wasted. At home and in the commercial sector bread is the most wasted food item.

Tried & enjoyed: Ottolenghi Nopi.

Published by Kate Stockman

The first time I tasted Yotam Ottolenghi’s food was strangely enough during a fashion shoot in 2014. We rented a beautiful bohemian house in Holland near Amsterdam and we were told that ‘the lady of da house’ was going to serve lunch during our work. It was in her kitchen, attracted by the fresh ingredients she was using, where I saw this rather unusual cookbook Jerusalem by chef & entrepreneur Yotam Ottolenghi. I could not help it, but I needed to take some instant images, just to try out at home someday and to write an article about it. That time I didn’t, and today, I feel I own him a kind of tribute on The Squid Stores pages. Who is this guy, who could do magic with vegetables and make them look so appetizing the word food porn was invented only for his recipes? Well, Yotam Ottolenghi was born in Jerusalem (Jerusalem is by the way also the name of his third cook book about the food of his home town and the rich …

Reflections to welcome a new year.

Published by Kate Stockman

I’m not the only one who feels the urge to reflect on what’s ahead, when starting a new year. If you look at it, the start of a new year is just another day in the always faster rushing world around you. But it is also the perfect ‘forced’ moment to think things trough. What are my goals in life? What plans do I make this year? What do I stand for and can I stay true to myself in this marketing & perfect image ruled world I work in? It’s not easy. Off course I know the drill. I know what needs to be done. Making compromise is needed, and even moderation has never been my strongest asset, I’m getting better at it…. But I also know what is important in life. We want relevance, we want more transparency and honesty from others, we do not believe in empty stories anymore, we worry about time passing by and we know we need to focus on long, fundamental issues instead of our non stop quest …

Richard Wilson Oil Installation/image of the day #14.

Published by Kate Stockman

Oh yes, I knew the installation all ready for years. I saw it in books catalogues and even on the camera of my man when he visited the Saatchi Gallery some time ago. I never saw the masterpiece in real life. So when I had to be in London for a trend seminar, I had some time left so I ended up in a cab direction Saatchi Gallery. I did not realize this work was a permanent installation, so when I wandered around in the spacious gallery, I found myself suddenly in the basement. I smelled it straight way. I knew it immediately: the fab work of Richard Wilson was right in front of me.