Bon Vivant

Bon Vivant Winter Issue ÂŁ4

Christmas List: five things you can’t miss

Coffee with Dina Belenko: interview at large

Embrace the cold in spirit with our merry cocktails

Tips to get you through the festive season

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CONTENTS

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A little nudge into the festive spirit. Take a sip and be merry.

7 Five foodie things that must be on your Christmas List.

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An interview at large with stilllife photographer Dina Belenko

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What’s it like to eat out on Christmas Day?

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Need a little nudge to get into the festive spirit? We’ve scoured London’s bars menus to find a few seasonally

inspired cocktails you can warm up your family and friends this Christmas.

Orange muled wine INGREDIENTS 1 orange 1 bottle red wine 1/2 bottle white wine 1/4 piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced 2 cinnamon sticks 2 teaspoon ground cloves 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons brandy

METHOD Remove carefully the orange segment, leaving the pith aside.

Then, juice the oranges into a large pot. Mix the red wine and white wine into the pot with the orange juice. Add the strips of orange zest, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves and sugar into the pot with the wine mixture. After that, stir to dissolve the sugar.

Heat over medium-high pot but make sure it is not boiling. In order to mix all the flavours, reduce the heat to medium-low and heat for an hour. Depending on how sweet you like your wine, you can adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar. To add more twist, serve it hot with a splash of brandy.

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Take a sip and be merry.

S

Embrace the cold in

pirit

Winter cranberry martini INGREDIENTS 2 ounces of gin 1 ounce of cranberry-infused syrup 1 ounce of vermouth Fresh cranberries (garnish) Rosemary (garnish) CRANBERRY-INFUSED SYRUP 1 cup of fresh cranberries 3/4 cup of water 1/3 cup of sugar

METHOD Add the cranberry syrup components to a small pot on the stove. Cover with a lid and cook on medium for 7-10 minutes. Mash with a spoon and reduce the heat.

Cook for 5 more minutes until you notice the sides of the mix starting to gel on the pot.

Use a tablespoon to remove only the juice for the cocktail. You can save the rest for a traditional cranberry sauce by adding sugar to taste with a dash of lemon juice.

Mix the ice, gin, and cranberry syrup in a cocktail shaker and shake it off.

Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the cranberries.

L.Y

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HENDRICK’S GIN

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ist L

hristmas

As a kid, writing a Christmas list was the absolute indicator that Christmas was on it’s way. So why stop as a grown-up? Here is our list of the top five foodie things that need to be on your list this year.

Digital Meat Thermometer If it’s not cooked properly Turkey can be drier than a flip-flop. To avoid the necessity of gulping a glass of wine between mouthfuls of inedible turkey, get yourself a digital meat thermometer this Christmas. Stick the gauge in the turkey thigh and when it reaches 180°F, you’re all done.

You can pick one up for under £10 in Argos.

Mini Popcorn Cart Because why not? I promise you it will be worth £30. This can be bought at www.iwantoneofthose.com

A Turkey Not traditionally something you would add to your Christmas list.

Awarded best turkey for eight years running, Kelly Bronze’s free range birds need to be perched with pride at the centre of the table this Christmas. £48.36 is a lot of money to pay for a turkey, but at least you will know what it is you’re eating.

T.H

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Cookbook Let’s face it, if you’re not a foodie or a chef – Christmas dinner is a concoction of randomly selected family recipes and recipes plucked hopefully from a cookbook. According to Cookbook Fair, the one to add to that growing dusty pile this year is ‘The Essence of French Cooking’

by Michel Roux. This is quite pricey, at £30 from Waterstones, but it includes his ratatouille recipe so promises to be worth it.

Mince Pie Maker Besides sitting down with the Argos catalogue, nothing says Christmas like a good mince pie. I am forced to eat so many mince pies at Christmas that I am surprised I don’t bleed rum and pastry. Just like Love Actually, mince pies are one of those things we hate to love. At just £17 from www.iwantoneofthose. com you can have pies for life with one of these bad boys. As easy as a waffle maker, fill the machine with your pastry and mince, pull the lid closed, and wait for the six little beauties to be born.

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C

offee with

Dina Belenko

With Dina Belenko’s art you can venture off amongst the stars and enjoy your morning cup while glancing at our beautiful, slow-rotating planet Earth. Dina’s art transports the viewer into a different realm – one where the cookies are freshly baked on Earth and shipped at such a high velocity that by the time they reach space, they’re still warm.

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How was your day?

“So, I woke up, checked my plan, found that today I don’t have any commission work to do and no planned meetings, so I was going to take a photo of Pirate Lemonade and write a tutorial about it. Realized that I don’t have lemons and mint for this image, went to a city centre and since I had to leave home anyway, I popped in at the glass cutter and bought a couple of mirrors I needed for an idea that failed so many times before. Bought props, returned home, had lunch, found and washed an aquarium, arranged everything for the shooting, took the picture (that sounds like I did it very quickly, but no, it took a few hours). I cleaned the after-shot mess and went on to answer this question. And here I am.” →

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Cookies

B

y now you probably managed to figure out what Dina does for a living. Dina Belenko is a talented stilllife photographer from Khabarovsk, Russia. She enjoys RPG games like Arcanum, writing down her thoughts and creating mind maps, and she’s got a sweet tooth for all kinds of pastry and muffins. And cookies.

Her love for photography begun as sudden as a summer day storm.

She acquired a taste right after graduating from high school. Back then, it was still a hobby. She’d capture everything on camera, from the candid faces of her friends to flowers, landscapes and bugs. “There wasn’t a photography genre that I didn’t try. Maybe I just liked the sound of the shutter” Dina says.

“Over the course of time I started taking photography more seriously.

I started to think about what I wanted my pictures to say, I planned shootings, drew sketches and paid more attention to details.

Call me a control freak but I fell in love with it. I found out that what interests me lies not in tracing events or retelling stories, but in creating tales of my own. And the easiest way to do this is by having control over all the objects in your shot. And I realised that still life photography is something I could become good at.

At least, theoretically. So I decided to make it my profession.”

Each and every one of Dina’s images tells a different story. They transport the viewer into a different dimension. She can make still life photography seem dynamic, adventurous and full of life. And she has a way of playing with coffee cups that makes coffee seem ridiculously cool. As for inspiration, Dina believes in the inspiration that finds us during our work.

for

Asterion

“I don’t really believe in abstract inspiration. So, I just sit down with my sketchbook, felt pens and a cup of tea and I start to think about what the next picture could be.”

She begins by choosing a topic.

Something abstract like the sea.

Or perhaps space travelling. Then she chooses the most appropriate objects to tell the story. Otherwise, she begins by selecting an object then crafting a story around it. It all takes place within the witty corners of her mind.

“Every object around us retains our emotions, our expectations, our feelings” Dina explains. “Every single thing grows old and breaks down just like we do. Things can tell what they saw, who held them, who accidentally broke them and who gathered their pieces and put them back together. I think it’s really fascinating; all these connections between things, their small transformations, their secret lives.”

Speaking of secrets, tell me something very few people know about you.

“That’s a tall order. I don’t have a lot of secrets to tell. Well, I’m a big fan of good old RPG like ‘Arcanum: Of Steamworks’ and ‘Magick Obscura’ or ‘Planescape: Torment’. And I remember half of Virgil’s lines by heart. Does that count?” -→

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You tend to tell stories through your images. What’s the story behind ‘The Cookies for Asterion’ and ‘Coffee for dreamers, Coffee for travelers’?

“The Cookies for Asterion. Do you know the story “The House of Asterion” (original Spanish title: “La casa de Asterion”) by Jorge Luis Borges? He’s one of my favourite writers. It’s a story about Theseus and Maze, told from the point of view of a Minotaur. We learn that Minotaur was “If for some improbable reason I won’t the just a kid who be able to take photographs, I hope was lost in a giant Yes, he I’ll still be able to make sketches and maze. has a monstrous arrange compositions. That way I could appearance, but he’s still just a let somebody else release the shutter.” child. A child like any other, who should have a normal life, who should have milk and cookies for breakfast. I guess these images are a sort of tribute.

Coffee for dreamers, Coffee for travellers. Coffee cups are probably my favourite subject to shoot. I love all their different shapes and forms and I love the light reflecting on the surface of tea or coffee. There’s something so dreamy in these round reflections. So why not use them to tell a small, cosy story? I tried deciding what story I should tell and who is going to be my hero, so I made a list of possible characters: a wizard, a traveler, a clockmaker, an archaeologist, a writer, a reader, an adventurer, a chess player and so on.

I chose the traveller and the reader.

My absolutely favourite way to travel is by airplane, so my traveller got the reflection of an airplane in his cup. And the reader got the dragon. There might be a princess in the tower, but dragons are more fun, don’t you think?”

I couldn’t agree more.

What role does food play in your artistic process?

“Coffee cups, doughnuts, cookies - these things so often play a lead role in my photos because they are so common and simple. If you work with something mundane you can create a variety of stories for it.

Also, when you use simple things everyone can understand the story.

And I love the ease and beauty of it.”

Now tell me, what’s your absolute favorite food?

“I’m in love with all sorts of pastry and sweets. From fresh-baked bread to meringues, cookies, muffins and marshmallows. And here’s a really big secret: I’m a terrible cook! But 14

muffins are the one thing I can actually do properly!”

I’d love to be able to bake my own muffins! Maybe you could teach me one day.

“I would love to, but I’m afraid.

Apparently, cooking and the metric system aren’t my best friends. But I know someone who has all the best recipes- Linda Lomelino. She is the best pastry chef I know. If you want perfect muffins, just go to her blog.”

That sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing!

What would you say is the biggest challenge when shooting food?

“The biggest challenge when shooting food is that you can’t store it like other props. When life gives you a lemon cake you can take a photo right away or say “Oh, heck, let’s just eat it“. You can’t put it in a cardboard box and come back to it at the end of the week. But that’s a problem only people who can’t cook (like me), understand. I wish I could bake lemon cakes myself.”

Name three things you couldn’t live without.

“I guess the practical answer would be air, water and food. But aside from that, sunlight; some people work on sun batteries and I’m one of them. And pen and paper.

Nothing helps you think like writing down your thoughts. Sketches, to-do lists and mind maps. I wouldn’t do anything if I had to solve every single problem in my head. So I won’t even count them separately. Second place for paper and third place for pens, pencils and markers. And, yes, I’m not going to say “My photo camera“ If for some improbable reason I won’t be able to take photographs, I hope I’ll still be able to make sketches and arrange compositions.

That way I could let somebody else release the shutter.”

I love that. I love the idea of creating a composition before the shutter is released. So many young photographers shoot images out of reflex, without thinking, or even feeling. They press that shutter like there’s no tomorrow. Garbage, that’s what they make. But not you. Your images have meaning.

What is your biggest dream now?

“Honestly? My biggest dream is to become the best in my field. I know it’s a long way and I have lots to learn, but everyone has to start from something. This dream may never come true, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a dreaming, right?”

Right. We’re never too old, or too to dream.

D.R

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Stayinghealthy over Christmas The party season is almost here: the holiday eating madness begins. And yet there are small things that you can do to keep feeling great over the month.

Start the day with a healthy breakfast It’s hard to be healthy if you skip breakfast. As every diet suggests, the most important meal of the day is breakfast. So try to get a good amount of fruits and veggies in the morning as they will energise you for the day and will balance some of the less beneficial effects of the season, like bad sleeping patterns. One of the best things to opt for is a smoothie bowl of your favourite fruits mixed with some nuts and oats. Pretty easy to make and it is yum!

Stay hydrated If you wonder where that headache came from after a big night out, it is not because you drank too much.

Rather it is because you didn’t drink enough water. The alcohol has diuretic effects so maintaining your fluid intake over the festive season is really important. Try to drink between 6-8 glasses of water per day, or if you are cold some herbal teas will do the trick as well. Being hydrated is important when it comes to keeping your body happy. So don’t forget it.

Sleep it off Winter is one of the busiest seasons of the year and there is always so much going on - evening sleep is definitely not on the menu. But don’t forget, sleep is not only beneficial for your mind but also for your body.

So even if you can’t do it every night, set yourself a target of one night a week to indulge your body with at least 10 hours of sleep. Plus, taking an evening or a weekend off from the fun will help you to find some time for yourself and the things that you love doing. So relax and enjoy the festive season.

Eat early and sensible snacking It is not just about what you eat, it is more about when you eat. So if you are going on a late-night party, try to have your dinner early in the evening, as late night snacking always causes problems to your metabolism.

The other thing you should back away from is the buffet. It can be a disaster zone if you are not sensible enough. So if you are snacking try and fill your plate with protein-based canapés and loads of veggies.

Enjoy yourself Finally, have fun. If you are sensible through most of the year, a few weeks of not caring about your body won’t be that harmful. Even if you overindulge yourself over the holiday with that nice Christmas pudding, don’t feel guilty. As long as you follow if not all then at least some of our tips then everything’s going to be all right. Be sensible but don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the festivities with the people that you love. L.Y 17

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estaurants on

Christmas Day C

hristmas Day is one of those rare occasions throughout the year where the family gets together and enjoys each other’s company. Or not as the case may be.

Traditionally everyone gathers to enjoy an overcooked turkey, undercooked brussel sprouts, and lumpy gravy. Then argue over who will be doing the dishes. But more and more people are opting to save themselves the hassle and eat out on Christmas Day instead.

According to The Independent, one restaurant booking site saw a rise of 150 percent in bookings for Christmas Day last year. Open Table also currently have 47 restaurants on their site offering a Christmas menu.

McDonald’s have also just released their Christmas advert, and are one of the many restaurants staying open this Christmas. So if mum’s turkey just doesn’t cut it, you can always grab a cheeseburger.

Cooking a Christmas dinner can be a very stressful task. It is an immense struggle to manage the timings just right to avoid offending every guest at the dinner table. So it is no surprise that increasingly more people choose to eat out on Christmas Day. Santa Claus is incredibly generous with the presents he brings us all each year, but unfortunately his miraculous generosity doesn’t quite stretch to Christmas dinner.-→ 19

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hile all of these relaxed diners are keeping their hair firmly on their head this year, someone still needs to cook the dinner. Chefs up and down the country will be hunched over the stove on Christmas Day preparing incredible dinners for us to enjoy.

Having a career in the food industry is one that never sleeps. Like many other jobs around the world, someone needs to keep it running.

Doctors, police officers, firefighters, journalists and chefs are just a handful of people who will not be making the most of this bank holiday weekend.

But at least we get a great dinner out of a chefs hard work.

If you are thinking of going out for your christmas dinner this year, the Newman Street Tavern near Tottemham Court Road has been named one of London’s best Christmas dinner menus for 2015.

At ÂŁ35 a head, this restaurant will be open from the 1st of December right up until New Years Eve. Get the whole family involved too as it is a minimum of ten people per booking.

The Christmas menu includes a spiced parsnip soup, mustard and Galloway beef, with sticky toffee pudding and caramel sauce for dessert.

So save yourself the hassle of fighting for the last turkey in the supermarket, the hassle of drying out the turkey, and the hassle of of washing a years worth of pots. Eat out this year! But while you indulge yourself just keep in the dusty dark corner of the back of your mind, a thought for the people that will be working this Christmas.

T.H

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Editor’s note

2015 has been an eventful year all round and at Bon Vivant we hope you

can take away some of our tips and lists and wrap up your year in style. We hope you have a very merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year, and we look forward to seeing you again for another food filled year in 2016!

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