Deeda Blair: Food, Flowers, & Fantasy

At the Table of La Fortezza: The Enchantment of Tuscan Cooking from the Lunigiana Region. Author Annette Joseph, Photographs by David Loftus. Annette Joseph shares recipes from the charming Lunigiana region of Tuscany that were developed at her medieval fortress, La Fortezza. This is the first book on the cuisine of this important slow-food area. Lunigiana is a rugged, mountainous region of Tuscany, flanked by the Liguria coastline and Emilia-Romagna, whose cuisine has been shaped by its distinctive landscape and location. Author and stylist Annette Joseph purchased and renovated a stunning medieval fortress, aptly named La Fortezza (“The Fortress”), in this little-known area. Enamored by Lunigiana’s rich food heritage and traditions, Joseph sought out authentic and traditional dishes from the best chefs, home cooks, and slow-food purveyors in the region. This book showcases these rustic recipes, some of which have been enjoyed for centuries. Lunigiana’s cuisine brings together the flavors of both the coast and the mountains and draws inspiration from the neighboring regions. It is home to unique ingredients, such as chestnut flour, and its specialties are often still prepared the ancient way. Lunigiana is also recognized by UNESCO as a sustainable region, and Joseph’s recipes highlight slow-food practices, such as sourcing seasonal ingredients from local producers. Breathtaking photographs by David Loftus highlight the beauty of Lunigiana’s cuisine and countryside, as well as La Fortezza’s dreamy vineyard, orchards, and kitchen garden. This book is an incredible culinary and visual journey into an undiscovered region in Italy and a must-have for anyone who loves Italian food...

A comprehensive survey of the work of a master of modernist design today. Alberto Campo Baeza, one of contemporary architecture’s most distinguished voices, is renowned for a body o...

Craigmillar Park Golf Club Watercolour, John Blair. An atmospheric original watercolour of Craigmillar Park Golf Links in Edinburgh by the Scottish artist John Blair (1849-1934). Craigmillar Castle from which the club derives its name from is clearly seen in the background and the painting is signed to the lower left corner. Craigmillar Castle was a haunt of Mary Queen of Scots, the world's first recorded lady golfer. How ironic then, that since the golf club's inception equality of the sexes was the rule at Craigmillar Park. John Blair was a Scottish painter, predominantly of watercolour landscapes. Of humble beginnings in Berwickshire, he moved to Edinburgh to study and spent the rest of his life there. His paintings mainly reflect the landscapes around him, both of urban settings and also of the castles, sea and lochs of the Borders. As well as his original work, his paintings were viewed by a wide audience in the form of picture postcards, book endpapers and illustrations. Taken from Craigmillar Park Golf Club website:- Craigmillar Park Golf Club was constituted in 1895 and moved to its present location in 1907. It was extended to 18 holes (designed by James Braid) in 1927. On 12th of January 1895 the Scotsman newspaper carried the following "birth" announcement : "NEW GOLF COURSE IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF EDINBURGH. A nine-hole golf course is being formed at Craigmillar Park and is expected to be ready for play in February. A lease of the ground which extends from Crawfurd Road to Lady Road has been obtained from Captain Gordon Gilmour of Liberton and Craigmillar. The principal entrance will be from Crawfurd Road within three minutes' walk of the Craigmillar Park car terminus and Newington Suburban Station. The course is about a mile in length and has been laid out by Mr. Day of Musselburgh, who has given a very favourable report of the suitability of the ground for the purpose. Already about 150 ladies and gentlemen have been admitted as members of the club." Many, perhaps most, of the new clubs created about the same time as Craigmillar Park were (and some continue) as male preserves. It is clear that from the outset equality of the sexes was the rule at Craigmillar Park, although it was not until 1914 that the subscriptions were equalised. The course was situated in an area of land close to Newington Railway Station and the Newington Bus and Tram Terminus and was thus, easily accessible. In those days there was very little building development between the course and the iconic Craigmillar Castle from which the club derives its name. The castle was a haunt of Mary Queen of Scots, the world's first recorded lady golfer. How ironic then, that since the golf club's inception, ladies have had equal status with men and there was no gender barrier to any office. This was in an age when golf clubs were regarded as male preserves. In 1914, ladies started paying exactly the same subscription as their male counterparts and this has remained right up to the present day. When you consider that all women did not get the vote until 1928, Craigmillar Park Golf Club were indeed trendsetters! Despite the club's early success, with 400 members and a waiting list, they were dealt a blow when their course at Newington was taken over for housing development. They decided, rather than to disband, to relocate the golf course to the eastern slopes of the Blackford Hill in 1907. Once again the close proximity of Blackford Railway Station and Bus Terminus were factors in their decision making. Another factor in choosing Blackford Hill was the potential for increasing the length of the 9 holes that had been played for in the course at Newington and possibly even converting the new course to 18 holes at some future date. This is in fact what happened and James Braid designed a splendid 18 hole course which officially opened in 1927. The new course was a real test of golf with no two holes being the same. The course boasts marvellous views over Edinburgh and Fife and down the coast to the Berwick Law, Bass Rock...

From the Visionaire website: Fantasy is the subtext of every issue of Visionaire, but with 26 FANTASY we pushed the boundaries to the fantastical. A round box houses round, unbound artwork. Each of the cover elements – photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin – is produced exclusively for FANTASY: The dress was designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, Viktor & Rolf made the banner, and Jeremy Scott created the gold porcelain doll’s head and hands. It is the first time we published Tim Burton, Gregory Crewdson, and Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas. There is a special section curated by Isabella Blow featuring, among others, David LaChapelle, Mariko Mori...