old spice
Let's face it people, despite anything else that is going on this week (and let's face it there's plenty) ultimately this week is all about staying sane and staying cool. So each day we'll be bringing you some tried and true methods of keeping the evil heatwave at bay.
Today's is all about combative dining and we'd like to remind you that aside from the obvious fridge frosty watermelon, sunnyboys and icypoles the peoples of south east asia have been using hot curries for hundreds of years to help them stay cool as a cucumber raita. The theory being hot foods increase your body temperature therefore making you feel cooler by diminishing the difference between you and the surrounding air. They also bring the heat in your body to the surface where it can be more effectively cooled by - well we could say 'glowing' but let's call a spade a spade -sweating.
Thankfully the long weekend saw the architect in full flight building cupboards, putting up a picture rail, even busting out a breakfast bar, but most important to todays message he got this old school spice rack (thanks ikea) up on the wall. With all her booty now at the ready, resident mistress of spices Beck suggested that a little
garam masala might just be what we the good doctor ordered. Apart from being a dodgy bollywood remake (see below) it's as easy as heating a frypan, can be used to give any food a touch of the subcontinent, stores like a dream and makes a super quick present for people who may be little 'flavour challenged' in the cooking department.
GARAM MASALA4 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cummin seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cardomom seeds
(measure once roasted and removed from pods)
1 teaspoon kalonji (nigella) seeds
4 x 7.5cm (3inch) cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 whole nutmeg
Roast each spice, except nutmeg, separately in a small heavy based pan over a gentle heat. Turn each batch onto a plate to cool as soon as it smells fragrant. Remove seeds from roasted cardomom pods and discard pods. Grind roasted spices in an electric blender, coffee grinder, or good old fashioned mortar and pestle (especially if you want to work those tuck shop arms). Finely grate nutmeg and mix in with the rest of the spices. Fresh is best but this mix will last a good three months if stored properly. Store in an airtight container and proudly display in your own spice rack.
The ladies of HML can often appear to be an industrious pair, trotting off to shows, making things, cooking things, and having lavish country picnics on the weekend. This is only partly true - alot of this week has been spent keeping babies cool and watching the Australian Open...
Ramona's mum on the other hand decided this week - the hottest in 100 years - was a great opportunity to mosaic stepping stones for the front garden. So to avoid the heat of the day Maggie has been spotted with her morning cup of tea in the back yard mixing grout at around 6am. We challenge anyone to keep up!
OK so here's cool tip number three... get into the NGV people! Often overlooked during the heatwave it's an excellent locale for more calmly keeping yourself from melting. All of the space of the local shopping mall but instead of screaming children, overwrought desperate parents and crappy discount stores full of things you don't need you get air-conditioned comfort and top drawer culture all in one well designed package... and that just has to be better doesn't it?
The 
Also on offer is Remaking Fashion, which delves into the archives to reveal the NGV’s rare and extensive collection of Pierre Cardin toiles from the 1950's (Mad Men fans you won't want to miss these) as well as showcasing more contemporary 'in progress' pieces by designers including Rei Kawakubo, Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, Yohji Yamamoto, Alber Elbaz for Lanvin, Nicholas Ghesquiére and John Galliano. We love this excavating of fashion's bones and it will be excellent to get a sneak peak into the crafting of some major couture from the cardboard up. If that's not enough to wet your whistle there are the smaller showcases as well as the permanent collection to gape at... of course last but by no means least there's always the water-wall.
Walker is a bit of a fave 'round here: we like the mixed use of techniques and materials outside of the ordinary. Embroidered sheep, gold dusted plastic pigs, pearl embellished matchbox cars, enamelled woollen necklaces sitting side by side in tiny 'found object' sculptures as much romantic keepsakes of the here and now as miniature portrait brooches were to the 18th Century. Deliberately producing works as 'difficult' to categorise as they are to wear, Walker confounds traditional notions of decoration and taste, while effortlessly referencing the material and cultural concerns of both. Top stuff.
So we headed for the hills and the Yarra Valley wine scene on Sunday. While the farmers market was more like a staging of middle-aged tree changers showcasing the overpackaged bounty from their new careers, there were some delicious bits and pieces aquired for both home and picnic. Ramona was dead chuffed with her pistachio and pork terrine, while Beck went ga-ga for the beetroot and orange relish. We'd been told there was no-where to picnic at Yerring Station, but don't be fooled people there's a whole shaded mop-top tree section that was actually COLD despite the blistering heat! Still there were oceans of milling daytrippers and no trees and we couldn't be bothered waiting for a tree like waiting for a table at Palomino during lunch hour SO... we headed for the local Yarra Glen municipal reserve, pulled up a galah filled tree and had a most excellent day of feasting. 
Regular readers would remember this excellent publication Ramona gave to Beck last year by Japanese sculptor, illustrator, supercrafter and mum 
We have it on good authority that you can crank one out in a little over an hour, depending on how detailed you want to get with the facial embroidery. Want to have a crack at making one yourself? Get yourself some Martha video instructions right 
As if we didn't feel bad enough that we're getting bugger all done at the moment, we were reminded this week of the genius of L.A. native 
Bloody hell, just thinking about her output makes us feel like a bex and a good lie down, but anyone who can recreate everything from old school boom boxes to banana peels as skillfully as she does deserves a large round of applause and our undying envy at very least.
Recently asked to describe the world that inhabits her work she answered with the following list: "crystals, elves, triangles, lasers, moon boots, synthasizers, capes, breakdancing, yeti's, capes, monsters, rocks, parties, mountains, parallelograms, capes, jewellery, stars, king kong, rock n roll, trees, capes, fighting, unicorns, electric guitars, boys, furry suits and discoteque." And if that wasn't enough, just like us, she enjoys both geeky science fiction and the optimism of simple technologies like hand sewing. Sigh... a woman after our own hml hearts. 
Given that Beck's list of favourite obsessions similarly includes Yeti's, bad dance moves (go the robot!) embroidery and moonboots it figures that she has quite the craftcrush on Megan at the moment... just don't tell the architect.
