Leonard Cohen and the Webb Sisters

A few days ago, I watched this Leonard Cohen tribute concert via Netflix instant play, and it was amazing. I'm in complete awe of Leonard Cohen, and I've been on the lookout for a song to cover on my upcoming album. "Hallelujah" has long been one of my favorites, but it's been done by so many artists that I don't think I would have anything new or original to bring to it. This song is most often associated with Rufus Wainwright, and although I love his version (and this one by Bon Jovi), I think this acoustic performance by Sheryl Crow is my alltime favorite.





So anyway, I heard a few new (to me) songs on the tribute concert, and the one that captivated me most was "If It Be Your Will." The words are deceptively simple, and the song is almost a prayer. The performance by Antony on the film was powerful, but when I searched on youtube, I came across the song being performed by Leonard Cohen with the Webb Sisters. Oh my goodness. I could rack my brain for words to describe how incredible this is, but I think I'm going to take the easy (and more effective) way out, by urging you to drop what you're doing this very second and watch this.



I had never heard of the Webb Sisters before, but now I'm completely obsessed. The British sisters, Charley and Hattie, have the most captivating harmony, tight in a way that only family harmonies can be, and both are multi-instrumentalists, although it seems that performance wise, one sister usually plays guitar and the other accompanies with a small harp. I've always thought the harp to be one of the most beautiful instruments, both it's physical self as well as the sound. It lends an air of other worldliness to a song, in a fragile, delicate, ethereal way. I spent the past half hour perusing their website and listening to their latest EP, Comes in Twos, which is definitely going on my Christmas list, and if Santa doesn't come through, I'm buying it myself. :)

Apples for Jam and Food Photography

Lately, I’ve been reading cookbooks like they were trashy romance novels. I mean, who cares about burning loins when you could whip up an apple stuffed pork loin roast , and Danielle Steele can just keep those heaving bosoms, thank you very much, I’m lusting after sparkling ginger chip cookies.
One of my favorite cookbooks of late is Apples for Jam, by Tessa Kiros. Seriously, who could resist this cover? Just look at those red shoes! Red shoes are one of my obsessions, so any thoughts of not judging books by their covers just flew right out the window when I saw this. And thankfully I wasn’t disappointed. Apples to Jam is one of the most gorgeous cookbooks you’ll find. When I was finished flipping through the book, there were about 50 post-its sticking out where I’d marked recipes I wanted to try. Like meringue with strawberries and chocolate or vanilla cake or honey cake! Can you tell my sweet tooth rules the roost around here?

As yummy and delectable as all this sounds, the main thing that sets this book apart from similar cookbooks is the photography. Using whimsical props, gorgeous color (I forgot to mention that the entire organizational premise of the recipes is based on color, how cool is that?), and super close-ups and interesting angles, Tessa Kiros not only has me itching to tie on my apron and get in the kitchen, but also encourages me to get better acquainted with my camera.

Food styling and still-life photography is not something I ever gave a lot of thought to before I started frequenting cooking blogs. After seeing such pretty pictures as this, or this, or this, I thought, well, that looks like fun, I'll give it a whirl. Well, turns out, taking a good picture of food is definitely not as easy as it looks. I quickly discovered that there is a true art form to it, as well as a lot of technical know how (about lighting, shutter speeds, etc.) that I didn’t have a clue about. Not to mention the infinite possibilities in Photoshop, about which I only know the tip of the iceberg. Well, I still don’t have a clue, but it’s something I’d like to explore. I know there are oodles of online tutorials, or maybe I might even take a spring semester class at our local community college. And, ever the bookworm, here are a few books on the subject I’m thinking about ordering:

A few of my favorite cooking blogs, where gorgeous food photography (and brilliant writing!) abounds!

Tartlette
Smitten Kitchen

101 Cookbooks

Orangette

What are your favorite cookbooks or cooking blogs?

Live Gram and Emmy

Unpolished, live performances of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris are somewhat rare, so I was thrilled to discover this. The video quality is not perfect, but you can still get a real feel for the dynamic, dare I say frenzied, excitement I imagine most of their shows held. Emmy is playing the fool out of that tambourine, no? :)

Tis the Season

My, what a bad blogger I am! My blogging habits bear a striking resemblance to my adolescent diary keeping habits, characterized by brief bursts of intensity lasting about a week or so, and then a sparse desert of nothingness for months at a time. I apologize for my absence. I've been a busy little bee during the past month or more that I have neglected this space. Autumn and early winter are without a doubt my favorite seasons, and what with all the cider to be drunk and pumpkin pies to be baked and eaten, I've just been swamped. You understand.

And it's already the first day of December (!!!), so the holiday frenzy is creeping in. The tree and all the Christmas decorations went up the day after Thanksgiving, and our little cabin is simply magical. When I opened up the box of ornaments, I was so surprised to find, instead of the jumbled, tangled mess of family history that usually greets me, all of our ornaments neatly and carefully wrapped in tissue paper. I know, I couldn't believe it either. It's very unlike me to be so organized, and I secretly wondered what sort of little Type A elves had been in the storage shed rearranging my stuff. But then I remembered that last year, when it came time to take the tree down was not only the beginning of a new year, but also the beginning of my new life, staying at home with my little one. And so, without the pressures of the working world beckoning, properly storing Christmas treasures fell within the realm of possibility. Really, it was so much more pleasant, unwrapping each one, eagerly anticipating which one it might be, and the flood of stories and memories it would bring with it. It's amazing, the power those little trinkets have to bring smiles and tears and that oh so familiar ache in the heart that seems to permeate this season. For my daughter, who will be two in February, these holiday times are pure bliss and joy, full of twinkling lights, wonder, and sweet tastes and smells. For me, the wonder is still present, but the shadows of time creep in as well. At no other time of the year are joy and sadness so jumbled up together as we think about those we have lost and the bittersweet passage of time. And perhaps that's the ultimate beauty of this season.