I didn’t get so far as creating a whole blog favourites post today… instead I got so far as visiting the beautiful bientôt demain and found myself lost (read: in love). Here is what caught my eye and has not let go of it since…

These exquisite cups are created by danish ceramicist Jette Arendal Winther.

I’m besotted.

It’s been too long since I browsed through etsy. Check out what I found this morning…

I’ve mentioned etsy store Japanese Treasures before – I love to browse the collection as I always find a number of pieces that I instantly adore. And the above fabric is no exception. I can see this fabric working for all sorts of projects, can you?

I may be slightly obsessed with Resurrection Fern’s lace stones. Photographs of her work are here.

I’ve had my eye on Sydney-based tabi designs for a while now. I love the concept of her ACEO’s which stand for “Art Cards, Editions & Originals” and is explained as follows: “Miniature works of art the size of a trading or playing card (2.5″ x 3.5″) – an inexpensive way to collect beautiful prints.” Above are two of my favourites titled like tea, and type bird. Beautiful work Tabitha Emma!

wow, did I just do my first etsy favourites for 2009? I might even get to another blog favourites this afternoon too, watch this space! And as always I like to say thank you for stopping by for…

PS I love the vintage fabric collection of Lily Devine too, the orange pattern above is from her extensive selection – she is having a massive sale right now so be sure to check out her stock for some seriously cool vintage bargains.

photo from Lauren Wilson’s report for The Australian

I don’t cope well with suffering. be it human or other. so I’ve been putting off reading the news about the victoria bush fires since mum told me about them late last week. But a moment ago I felt brave enough to do so. and now my eyes sting, my skin tingles, and my heart bleeds.

I don’t often isolate such incidents on my blog as there is always so much suffering going on all over the world at any given time, and I am acutely aware of this with every breath I take. So with that said, I take a deep breath… and I exhale all my love, all my courage, and all my strength to all those who need it. If you feel inclined, perhaps you’d like to take this moment to do the same.

xx

…is a perfectly renovated 19th century schoolhouse, surrounded by an expansive vegetable and herb garden, orchard, and berry patch. There are two Jersey cows, Wessex saddleback pigs, Barnevelder chickens and a flock of geese. Welcome to The Agrarian Kitchen in Lachlan, Tasmania…

Run by Rodney Dunn, former food editor of Gourmet Traveller and his wife Séverine, The Agrarian Kitchen is a very unique cooking school. Their aim is “to create a place where people can rediscover the simple pleasures of gathering and cooking with produce as close to its source as possible.” Sustainable farming practices are at the core of the Agrarian Kitchen philosophy…

So how did I come to know about this hidden gem? Well a few years ago, just before I moved to Paris, I used to work with Rodney as a regular contributor to Gourmet Traveller magazine. During one of our shoots he told me about he and his wife’s dream to create a sustainable farm and cooking school in Tasmania. I was intrigued and so inspired. Since this is a bit of a dream of mine, I had a hundred and one questions every time we worked together. Each time he would tell me about his new learning experiences in sustainability, and his friend and photographer Luke, would tell me about their latest adventures in Tasmania. How fabulous I thought. If Rodney and Séverine can do this, it would one of the most inspiring cooking experiences ever…

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(these are 2 of my favourite shoots with Rodney and his delish recipes at Gourmet Traveller. Featured on the left is Rodney’s chicken, fennel and tarragon soup with poached egg and on the right is his Baby Spice and Rhubarb Butter Cakes, click here for the recipe)

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Fast forward to today: Rodney and Séverine have successfully launched their cooking school. Among their first guests was Tetsuya Wakuda who enjoyed Rodney’s afternoon tea of freshly pulled French breakfast and plum purple radishes with aioli, chicken and wild fennel tramezzini and chocolate friands with dulce de leche.

The Agrarian cooking classes are now in full swing, with such seasonal masterclasses in artisanal subjects like making cheese and butter, preserving, baking bread, making pasta, charcuterie, ice-cream and confectionery. There are a maximum of 8 guests per class, and classes can be tailored to suit individual interests.

(how gorgeous is that wood-fired oven? It is designed by the late Alan Scott who was a world renowned oven designer and builder – his ovens are used by the world’s best artisan bakers)

A day at The Agrarian Kitchen sounds like heaven to me: first you pull on a pair of gumboots and begin foraging in the garden for the ripest fruit and vegetables. You return to the kitchen to prepare and cook a seasonal feast under Rodney’s guidance, then lunch with the other guests while enjoying premium Tasmanian wines and artisanal ales…

tea in the garden, anyone?

…pictured above is the tomato gluttony masterclass, and below is Rodney (centre) in action in the kitchen during one of the classes…

French Boy and I are super keen to participate in a class or two next time we are back in Australia. Having worked with Rodney I can attest to him being a very thorough and patient foodie (the perfect ingredients to be a teacher!), and his knowledge on food is immense. So congratulations Rod and Sev, enjoy your new life, and I look forward to seeing you both and enjoying all you have to share with us.

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All images are taken by the fabulous Luke Burgess and Amanda McLaughlin.

Thanks to Rodney and Séverine for sending the images.

For more info about the Agrarian Kitchen visit the website here. Be sure to browse it thoroughly as it is extensive and filled with great information about the surroundings and favourite Tassie places.

And to join the Agrarian Kitchen mailing list for regular updates on classes and events, please click here.

xx

I’m about to take you somewhere really special. It’s somewhere on a small island. It’s somewhere very green. And it’s somewhere that is all about good farming, good cooking, and good eating.

Intrigued?

I hope so. This will be a rather exclusive peek at a very new venture for a young couple who have spent a number of years planning their dream. And now, they’ve made it happen. And I get to be one of the first to introduce them to you!

I’ll be back soon with the goods.

xx

PS My good friend & fellow food stylist Yvette is pretty talented to say the least. She is the creator of the gorgeous cut out you see above, recently featured in Delicious magazine here in Holland. Although she has nothing to do with my next post, I just had to show off how good she is with a black pen and pair of scissors.