Mango Mousse

In case you ever find yourself with a few extra mangoes, here's my quick and dirty version of this mango mousse recipe: 

What you'll need

2 large mangoes

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

200 mL heavy whipping cream

(The fancy recipe calls for gelatin and pure icing sugar. But this is India, and we are not fancy here. There was no gelatin or pure icing sugar at the store today/ever.)

*side note: This is what the store looks like...

What you'll do 

Peel and chop the mangoes.
Blend mangoes with lemon/lime juice and cream until it starts to form peaks and whip.

(Fancy recipe says blend separately then whip the cream and fold the two together. I say there's no way you're getting me to wash the blender twice.)

Spoon into individual serving glasses and chill until set.

Top with cut mango and cardamom.

 

 This is like 50% of my diet.

[photos via me]

The Art of the Artist's Statement

Want to know what it's like to go to art school? Watch this video. 



Story. of. my. life.

[via Charlotte Young]

Hamptons of Mumbai

This home featured in the New York Times has me in total awe. Dear Mr. Ahluwalia, let's be friends--I'll make you a painting.

"Kawal Singh Ahluwalia, left, built guest cottages so his daughter, Maithili, right, and son, Ashim, could spend more time at his home in what is known as the Hamptons of Mumbai."

"The home looks out onto a pool made of slate and a flower garden with more than 60 species. Beyond is the Arabian Sea."

"The dining and living areas look out onto the Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, where leopards, barking deer and wild boar roam. Polished concrete floors help keep the home cool."

"The veranda, a space once used for parking, has a breakfast area and a Moroccan-style lounge behind it, furnished with colorful rugs and cushions."

"A century-old cast-iron staircase leads down to the bedrooms on the lower level. It was bought for about $560 in 1990, at the Thieves Market, an antiques bazaar in Mumbai."

"The bench and coffee table in Ashim Ahluwalia’s cottage were salvaged from an old film lab. Other pieces, like the lamp and Eames chairs, are from Bungalow 8, his sister’s store."

"Ms. Ahluwalia’s teak bed is from Bungalow 8. The tall cupboard and tables are family heirlooms; the lamps were a flea market find. Vents over the bed encourage cross-ventilation."

"Ms. Ahluwalia’s desk has a slate top and legs made out of wood from fallen trees. The cane-and-brass chair is from Bungalow 8. Above the desk are vintage Maharaja photos."

"The bathroom in Ms. Ahluwalia’s cottage has an outdoor shower room made of polished cement. But it’s private enough so that 'only the monkeys can look in,' Mr. Ahluwalia said."

I think polished cement floors and teak headboards just got bumped to the top of my someday-must-have-list. Thank you so much Fin for sending me this gorgeous article. Hope you folks enjoyed drooling over this home as much as I did.

For the full story click here.

How To Wrap a Sari

How amazing are these photos circa 1945? They inspire me to run out and buy a sari immediately!

Photographer: Jack Wilkes

Source: Life Archive hosted by Google

I've been told by some friends in Delhi that Chennai is the silk/cotton capital of India, so I'm in the right place for a shopping spree. Just need to figure out where to go, and what not to pay. :)

When in Rajasthan

Do as the Maharajas do. I just found the incredible Samode Palace converted hotel and am dying to see it in person.

Wouldn't this be a dream to stay in for a few nights? I know I'm technically not allowed to have a case of wanderlust while actually living abroad, but I can't help it, there's just too much to see.


[images via The India Tube]

Happy Father's Day!

A very happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there! Saw this super cheesy/adorable video and had to share.



And a very very happy Father's Day to my great dad. Sending you a big hug from India. :)

[video via Sheba] [photo via Jose Villa]

I got a job!

Not that I was even looking for a job, but thanks to one of you amazing readers (yay Missy!), I'll be starting at 2AdPro Media Solutions as a "Creative Consultant" next week.

I'll be working there part time and making paintings the other half of the time. The people are really sweet and the building is beautiful and feels like a New York warehouse loft. I've never worked in advertising or graphic design before, but I have done a lot of freelance work, so I'm hoping this will be a great way to expand my skills and get some legit design experience.

Heading over there now for "training." Wish luck!

Besant Nagar

How were your weekends dear readers?

We spent ours trying out some local restaurants and eating ice cream on the beach next to our house--which by the way, happens to be the most enormous stretch of sand I've ever seen. The word "vast" has never been more appropriately used. I was positive India's 1.2 billion population was there with us on Sunday.

We live on the beach in an area called, Besant Nagar. I read it used to be a quiet residential area, but the water has attracted lots of attention (and noise). At this point it's too polluted to swim in, though you'll generally see a few people disregarding the warnings.

On weekends the beach is filled with mangos, merry-go-rounds, and carnival rides. It is unbelievably beautiful.

I don't think I've ever seen a more photogenic place in all my life. Can't wait to go back next weekend and take more photos (this time with film :).

From the studio

No masterpieces yet, but here are a few shots of my new studio in India. :)

I forgot to pack my watercolors (boooo), so instead I made some paint using beet juice and black tea. They both make really amazing colors, and I like the idea of painting with pigments made from bits of India.

The Pink City, 9"x12", Beet juice on paper

The hot pink beet juice is the perfect color for this place. In most cultures pink is taboo and rarely taken seriously, but in India it's celebrated like nobody's business. Men, and women, and children, and homes, and office buildings and cars are covered in pink and proud of it.

More pink paintings to come!

*ps... Here's a small tutorial on making your own beet juice for painting:
1. Boil 2 to 3 beets.
2. Once boiled, remove beets from the juice and store for later eating. :)
3. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the juice and a dash of salt to bring out the color.
4. Let cool and have at it!

Varunika Saraf

Currently madly in love with Indian artist Varunika Saraf.

Chahar Bagh, 2010, watercolour on rice paper and found textile

She shows at Galerie Mirchandani-Steinrueck (no idea how to pronounce that) in Mumbai. I love her mixed media approach to narrative and muted yet vibrant color palette.

 Each Day You Drown A Little, 2010, watercolour and thread on rice paper and cotton cloth

The Chair In The Cloud, 2010, watercolour on tie-dyed rice paper

"Saraf's paintings are like poetic visions in which the land and its people act as catalysts for her imagination and emotions. Plucking some of her figures and forms from Indian miniature traditions, the artist re-casts them into ever changing mediums and situations in narrative paintings that assert their capacity for new adventures and journeys. (source)"

Do you have any favorite Indian artists? 

The India Tube

Have any of you heard of The India Tube? I was researching places to see in Delhi when I found it and spent the subsequent 4 hours reading it (I should have been painting).

It's a magazine/online directory for everything and anything artistic, yummy, or beautiful about India.

I so wish I had come across this before I arrived, but in case any of you are planning a trip to India or know someone who is, please pass this along to them. They will love you for it and be so grateful.