New Year's Eve

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.

Ralph Hotere was awarded the Order of New Zealand in the New Year Honours

Being awarded the Order of New Zealand is a big deal in NZ terms.  Only 20 living people at any one time can hold the order.  While it doesn’t carry a title it is New Zealand’s top honour.

Ralph Hotere is, of course, one of New Zealand’s best known and loved artists.  His works mostly had biographical or political origins.  Much of it has a dark palette.  Some of the ones I like include:

 

"There are very few things I can say about my work that are better than saying nothing." - Ralph Hotere 


To see another post about New Zealand art click here 

The other current holders of the honour are (in order of appointment):

Lady Blundell

Dame Miriam Dell

Margaret Mahy

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Sir Miles Warren

Jim Bolger

Ken Douglas

Cliff Whiting

Mike Moore

Cardinal Thomas Williams

Jonathan Hunt

Sir Lloyd Geering

Sir Kenneth Keith

Sir Don McKinnon

Sir Murray Halberg

Helen Clark

Sir Bob Charles

Ralph Hotere takes one of the spots left vacant as a result of the deaths of Ivan Lichter, Dame Doreen Blumhardt and Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan.  I didn’t even know who 2 of these people were!  Talk about flying below the radar – Ivan Lichter was a surgeon specialising in palliative care and Dame Doreen was a potter and art educator.

Tai Ping – A Good Asian Supermarket

I was searching for a couple of Thai ingredients and some wok implements and went to Tai Ping in Beach Rd Downtown Auckland.  The people there were extremely helpful and the store has a large selection of Asian ingredients, both fresh and dry goods.  Unfortunately, no cassia bark or mace or fresh turmeric which to date I have not been able to find anywhere.

Weather Quotation

“The rain to the wind said, 

You push and I'll pelt.' 

They so smote the garden bed 

That the flowers actually knelt, 

And lay lodged--though not dead. 

I know how the flowers felt.”

                    - Robert Frost

Benazir Bhutto

She was assassinated on this day in 2007

Movies to re-watch sometime – Part IV

The Commitments – 1991 – movie about the formation of an Irish soul band.  Great soundtrack.  Not superb acting but great musicianship.

Dead Man Walking – 1995 – Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn – an exploration of the issue of capital punishment – from both sides and without preaching.

Educating Rita – 1983 – the film of a stage show.  Michael Caine and Julie Walters.  Moving British Pygmalion like film.  Engaging and thought provoking.

The Fabulous Baker Boys – 1989 – Some memorable scenes like Michelle Pfeiffer on the grand piano.  Michelle does her own singing in the movie.  Thin plot but a rewarding watch.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman – 1981 – maybe not everybody’s cup of tea but I remember it as the first movie that I saw with sexual tension – that I recognised, anyway.  Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons.  Adapted for the screen by Harold Pinter.

Here are links to the other parts in this series:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Why is it called Boxing Day?

The one thing that does seem to be agreed on is that it has nothing to do with the horrible sport of pugilism.

And that it doesn’t refer to the day on which you put unwanted presents back in their box and return them!

The competing theories appear to be:

Because in olden days servants had to work on Christmas Day, they got the next day off, and their employers would give them a box of gifts/food.

It is also said that this was the day church alms boxes were opened and distributed amongst the poor.

Now it just seems to be the day the big sales start!

They don’t celebrate Boxing Day in the US although it is celebrated in other countries formerly part of the British Empire.

Christmas Traditions

Every family has their own traditions for Christmas Day. 

We do presents in the morning.  A big Christmas lunch based around salmon, glazed ham and salads, followed by fruit salad and cream.  It may sound simple but it is just right for that time of year here. 



A typical menu would be;

Glass of bubbles

Sliced tomato with mozzarella and basil, sliced tomato with thinly sliced onion and olive oil
Smoked salmon with condiments

Glazed ham (apricot and mustard glaze) with potato salad, green salad and tomato salad, new potatoes in butter, peas/carrots

Fresh fruit salad, cream, ice-cream (in cones for the kids)

We don't do turkey or Christmas pudding or Christmas cake.  We do sometimes have mince pies or brandy snaps filled with cream.

What are your traditions?

Christmas tree

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree - Roy L Smith

Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas!



Dorothy Parker – “What Fresh Hell Is This?” – A biography by Marion Meade

I was attracted to this biography, not because of Dorothy Parker, but because I had enjoyed a biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine by the same author.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Dorothy Parker.

Dorothy was known for her outrageous one-liners, her ruthless theatre criticism, her clever verses and bittersweet stories.  Her life is laid pretty bare in the biography in a very compelling way. 

I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
After three I'm under the table,
after four I'm under my host.

- Dorothy Parker

Movies to re-watch sometime – Part III

The Blues Brothers – 1980 – the movie broke the world record for numbers of cars crashed.  Great cast.  Great music.

Cabaret – 1972 - A tour de force by Liza Minelli.  Set in 1930 Berlin.  Great classic musical.  Won 8 Oscars.

Calendar Girls – 2003 – delightful British movie with a good cast.  Feel good but not too soppy.  Based on a true story.  Whimsical little movie.

The Castle – 1997 – a low budget Aussie movie that managed some of the funniest lines ever done.  The lead character Darryl Kerrigan is an absolute gem.  And lawyers in particular will get “the vibe”.

Cinema Paradiso – 1988 – warning – has subtitles.  A simple but oh so stylish movie.

Here are links to the other parts in this series:

Part I

Part II

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

I agree in principle ...

When you say you agree to a thing in principle, you mean that you have not the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice – Bismarck

Glazing a Ham

I have glazed hams several ways over the years.  The very best so far was when I bought a “raw ham” from the butcher which I then cooked at a very low temperature for about 8 hours on the day before and then finished off with a glaze at a moderate temperature for around 40 to 45 minutes – ie enough time to colour the glaze and warm the ham right through again.  If you were glazing at the end of the 8 hours you wouldn’t need anywhere near as long for the glaze – say 20 minutes.  But the 8 hour thing was a real mission on a hot day.  So I will stick with a cooked ham this year.

The best glazes mix something sweet, with something alcoholic and something tart/spicy.  So mixes like the ones I have listed all work well:

Brown sugar, whiskey, sherry, port or brandy, hot English mustard and marmalade

Brown sugar, orange juice, Dijon mustard and honey

Brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard and orange zest

Apricot jam, brandy and mustard

Cranberry sauce, honey and mustard

Honey and wasabi or horseradish

You could add a little ginger and/or chilli to almost all of these to add some extra kick.

One glaze I am tempted to try this year is from this blog - http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-glazed-ham-with-guinness.html

It mixes marmalade, Guinness, wholegrain mustard and pineapple juice.  I’m not sure about the Guinness but you could substitute cider or other beer.

Don’t worry too much about the relative quantities.  Glazing is pretty forgiving.  You do need about a cup and a half of glaze or more to ensure you can keep basting over the ham every 5 to 10 minutes during the glazing process.

I do stud the ham with cloves.  And I think it is a good idea to buy new cloves every year rather than using the old musty ones from the year before.  I put them either in the intersections between the diamonds of fat you have scored or in the middle of the diamonds – it doesn’t seem to make much difference.  One year I did the scoring too deeply and squares fell off which wasn’t so good.  So a light scoring is best.

Don’t forget to take the skin off before you start.  Leave a nice layer of fat because this is what holds the glaze and makes it taste great.  Even if you don’t eat fat the rest of the year, a tiny bit with a Christmas ham will be a treat.

To thine own self be true

- Hamlet, Shakespeare

While My Guitar Gently Weeps – The Beatles

Written by George Harrison.  Eric Clapton played on the track.  This song showed that the Beatles were far more than just Lennon and McCartney.

Harrison wrote the song, having committed to do so using the first words chosen at random from a book.  Those words turned out to be “gently weeps”.  A lovely story – particularly if it was true.

Movies to re-watch sometime – Part II

Arthur – the first one! – 1981 – Dudley Moore and Liza Minelli with John Gielgud.  PC nuts might say it glorifies drunks – but I think it is just downright funny.

As Good as it Gets – 1997 – Jack Nicholson at his meanest, funniest best.  Both funny and sad.

The Banger Sisters – 2002 – Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon.  Fun chick flick.  Not very classy but fun.

Beverley Hills Cop I – 1984 – the film that launched Eddie Murphy’s career.  Originally to be Sylvester Stallone as the star but he dropped out late in the piece.  This may be why the film avoids racial stereotyping and is just funny.

The Big Chill – 1983 – good ensemble cast, great music.  An intelligent movie about the reunion of some friends in their 30’s for a friend’s funeral.

Here are links to the other parts in this series:

Part I

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Listening

The opposite of listening is waiting to speak

How to boil an egg

How to boil an egg so it is perfectly just past soft every time – you may think this is easy but it has taken me years to come up with a foolproof method.  I don’t like runny yolks so don’t ask me how to do those.

Put your egg into cold water in a saucepan.  Let it come to the boil reasonably slowly.  Boil for one minute.  Take off the heat and leave the egg in the hot saucepan for between 14 and 16 minutes (depending on exactly how you like it).  Then empty out the hot water and cover the egg with cold water.  This will stop it cooking any further.  Take the shell off and you should find a perfect good coloured yolk that is only just set.  Perfect for salads – or making curried eggs.

Some people say you should stir your egg while it is boiling so the yolk sets in the middle.  I have tried this but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.


You might also be interested in this post on a snack I did.  If so, click here


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Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson

This is a very good biography.  You end up understanding the brilliance that was Jobs while at the same time also seeing that he was an absolutely ghastly person in so many ways.  Not a person I would want to have to deal with but a person whose output one can only admire.

I am not an Apple freak.  I have only one Apple product – the iPod.  But I must admit to a sneaking hankering for an iPad – not sure why … but it is the creation of objects of desire that made Steve Jobs a standout.

He both understood and exploited human nature.  He was a control freak.  He treated family and old friends badly on a regular basis.  But he was key to the creation of the world’s most valuable company.  Go figure.

Christmas –What to get him for Xmas?

I came across this advice sent to me in 1999 about what to buy men for Christmas but it is still pretty apposite today - and apologies for the lack of political correctness:

Here are some gift ideas for those special men in your life.  Follow these rules and you should have no problems.

Rule #1 – When in doubt – buy him a cordless drill.  It does not matter if he already has one.  As a man you can never have too many.  No one knows why.

Rule #2 – If you can’t afford a cordless drill, buy him anything with the word “ratchet” or “socket” in it.

Rule #3 – If you are really, really broke, buy him anything for his car.  A 99-cent ice scraper, or something to hang from his rear view mirror.

Rule #4 – Do not buy men socks.  Do not buy men ties.  And never buy men bathrobes.

Rule #5 – You can  buy men new remote controls to replace the ones they have worn out.  If you have a lot of money buy your man a big screen tv.

Rule #6 – do not buy any man industrial sized canisters of after shave or deodorant.  I’m told they do not stink – they are earthy.

Rule #7 – buy men label makers.  Almost as good as cordless drills.  Within a couple of weeks there will be labels absolutely everywhere.

Rule #8 – Never buy a man anything that says “some assembly required” on the box.  It will ruin his special day and he will always have parts left over.

Rule #9 – Men love chain saws.  Never, ever, buy a man you love a chain saw.  If you don’t know why, please refer to Rule #7 and what happens when he gets a label maker.

Rule #10 – It’s hard to beat a really good wheelbarrow or an aluminium extension ladder.  Never buy a real man a step ladder.  It must be an extension ladder.  No one knows why.

John Lennon

John Lennon was murdered on this day in 1980

Frances Hodgkins - NZ Expatriate Artist

Although Frances Hodgkins was born in New Zealand, her importance as an artist lies in her having been at the forefront of British modernism in the 30’s and 40’s.  Her last visit to NZ was in 1913 which puts her firmly in the category of an expatriate artist. 

In 1940 she was selected to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale – she was then 71 years old.  She died in 1947.

Arrangement of Jugs - 1938

Summer - 1912

The Bridesmaids - 1930



Brazil nuts and selenium

Now I know it would be easy to end up taking every supplement under the sun – but something I really recommend for everyone – men and women – is to eat 2 brazil nuts a day.  This will top you up in selenium which is a nutrient which is absent or very low in New Zealand soils so doesn’t get into our food.  Brazil nuts are the richest dietary source of selenium.

Don’t think that this is a case of more the better.  You don’t want to overdose on selenium so 2 nuts a day is ample.  Brazil nuts are very high in fat.

Other sources of selenium include fish and almonds.

What is the effect of not having enough selenium??  There is research that suggests selenium intake correlates with lower rates of breast and prostate cancer.

Movies to re-watch sometime – Part I

This is the start of a series listing out some movies that I think bear another look - not in any particular order or genre!

Airplane! – 1980 - The original and best disaster movie parody.  Was originally titled “Flying High” in NZ.

All of Me – 1984 – Steve Martin at his very best with Lily Tomlin.  Impossible to describe – has to be seen.

American Beauty – 1999 – great ensemble effort, satire of US middle class ideas of beauty and satisfaction.

An Officer and a Gentleman – 1982 – ok it’s schlock but very entertaining.  Richard Gere and Debra Winger.  The lead was originally going to be John Denver – which would have been very different.  The ending is sentimental but great.

Apollo 13 – 1995 – “Houston, we have a problem”.  Amazingly good given we know how it ends from the beginning.


Here are links to the other parts in this series:


Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII

Insight or experience?

 Oliver Wendell Holmes

The name "Carole"

A self- indulgent post, I'm afraid... Very few famous people are called “Carole” – I wonder why.  These are the only ones I could find:

Carole King – singer/songwriter

Carole Lombard – actress

Carole Middleton – mother of the Duchess of Cambridge -… not sure she really qualifies

Carole Cadwalladr – UK author

If you add the misspelling “Carol” then you could add:

Carol Burnett – comedian

Carol Shields - author

According to US statistics, there are 110,928 Carole’s in the US.  It is the 504^th most popular name.

Prohibition - Ponsonby

We went to a function at Prohibition in Ponsonby Road.  It is a quirky old building on which a lot of money has been spent to create a period theme of 1920s nostalgia. 

Our party was in the library room upstairs which was a windowless encyclopedia lined room.  Initially I thought it might be a bit dark for me but actually the atmosphere created was quite special

The food was also good.  I had the Tartlet of blue cheese and caramelised onion with Szechuan pepper beef to start.  A good entrée made even better by the relative absence of any pastry.  A bit pricey at $28 I thought.

For the main I chose Duck Breast pan fried (European style), savoy cabbage, baby carrot finished with caper creme fraiche and blueberry.  This was a very tasty and attractive main – as it should have been at $42.

The service was impeccable, the setting indulgent including proper crystal glassware.  I would consider going back for a special occasion.

If you click the names below you will see what I have said about some other restaurants in Auckland.

Soul Bar

Tyler St Garage

Market Kitchen

Non Solo Pizza

Moreton’s Bar& Restaurant

Sleeping Beauty – Royal New Zealand Ballet

We don’t often get to the ballet but we were glad we did last night.  This is a sumptuous production with wonderful staging and costumes which provide a lovely backdrop to the dancing.  The guest artist, Stella Abrera from the American Ballet Theatre, was a treat to watch.  She was elegant and made dancing look simple – which it certainly is not.  Her partner was good, too although the transparency of one set of his tights was a bit distracting.

Some of the costuming was done by Weta Workshops - and it was great.

The 2 "cats" injected a lovely dose of humour throughout the production.

My only criticism of the production is its length.  At almost 3 hours it felt long and the many little girls in the audience were definitely struggling with it.  I feel that if the artistic director had cut a few of the non-essential (read - sort of boring) party pieces by the men and a few of the female ones, the production would have been even better.

For non-ballet lovers in attendance, it would have been helpful to have a little narration at one or two points rather than relying on mime which looks weird to modern eyes.  I can hear the squeals of outrage from classical ballet freaks, now…

Also it was a shame that the programme didn’t name who was playing which role.

Overall, though it was an extremely good production and a credit to New Zealand ballet.

Quotation Spot - Motherhood

"A mother's hardest to forgive.
Life is the fruit she longs to hand you
Ripe on a plate. And while you live,
Relentlessly she understands you.”
― Phyllis McGinley

Click on the names below if you would like to see any of the other poems I have posted: 

Heaven-haven

Marge Piercy –Life is the first gift

To be of use

Ozymandias