Requiem Magazine_Assignment by Sevaynna Doss

Photographed by Marcin Milewski

Welcome to another issue to Requiem! As the holiday season looms - ahem -

arrives, stress levels rise and eyes glitter with advertisments and the glint of money leaving one’s wallet. Enter Requiem: your aide to hosting yoru holiday event, cooking that pallet-capturing dish, or simply finding the right wine to please the mother-in-law and do the job. We have also included key articles to provide artistic intrigue and a positive outlook for the New Year. This is a mock magazine but seriously designed by Sevaynna Doss to the theme of December along with a chosen farmer’s market in mind. The intention was to provide a real-world issue for anyone and everyone during the end of the year within the area of London. This involves quite a diverse populace with a range of incomes, so there is a stress on the articles tending to domestic needs along with a touch of foreign intrigue for the well traveled. These are shown in the Gift of Contents below.

Gif of Contents: Columns What Are Ye Drinkin’? - Guide to Choosing Wines Sugar & Vinegar - Our Guide to Hosting a Gathering It’s the Beans’ Needs - London Coffee Feng Shui - Houseplants for the New Year Decor the Natural Way - Decorating with Pine Boughs

The columns equally provide monthly treats of information alogn with the possible recipe or extra bits of information for the reader’s enlightment and entertainment. These were chosen to be easy monthly installments, whether they are items regularly purchases such as wine, refreshing recipes, or a touch of nature to calm yearly stress levels with beneficial houseplants and decor tips. Overall, Requiem is meant to be exactly as the title suggests: a moment for food, wine, and rejuvination. The typefaces Foglihten and Didot provide a sophisticated touch while maintaining a whimiscal and comfortable aura through their serifs.

Gift of Contents: Articles 4-7 14-17 24-27 34-37 52-55

Winter Wonderland 8-13 Let’s Get to the Meat of It: Artisan Meats & Cheeses 18-23 5 Emerging Artists You Need to Know 28-33 Welcome to Borough Market 38-51

What’re Ye Drinkin’ ?

Advice on Buying Old and Rare Bottles from a Wine Shop written by Joe Czerwinski

When

families gather, oenophiles typically react in one of two ways. We hoard the good stuff and serve up some inexpensive crowd pleasers, or we generously open our cellars and share our good fortune. Maybe we even go out and buy some special wines as gifts, or to pair with a special meal at home.

This piece isn’t going to provide guidance on selecting cheap wine; it’s going to help you make sure you’re happy with your splurge. Even if you’re a hoarder planning to dig into your stash, some of the advice might still be relevant. When buying an expensive bottle of wine, know your merchant. If they’re local, you should be able to see how they store their wines. Are they kept in a temperature-controlled room or cellar, or do the bottles hang out at room temperature for months before being sold? I’ve been in entire stores that were air-conditioned to 55 degrees and others that had no air-conditioning. Take it from me, the sight of numerous vintages of Moulin Touchais, back to the legendary

Above photographed by Jane Doe

’47 and ’59, oozing amber liquid from under the capsule is nauseating. So check the condition of the bottle. Reject wines with visible signs of leakage or excessive ullage (space between the cork and the surface of the liquid contents). Leakage is most often associated with exposure to high temperatures, while large ullages suggest a greater chance of oxidation. Ask about the store’s return policy. Pretty much every wine shop will accept returns and offer store credit for corked wines, but what about wines that are otherwise out of condition, like if a wine is oxidized, “cooked” or prematurely aged? Particularly for older wines, ask the retailer for details about where they’ve come from and how they were previously stored. If any of the answers seem evasive or ill informed, it’s clearly a case of buyer beware, particularly since wine fraud has become a major issue.

6 Czerwinski has been a wine journalist, editor and taster for over a decade and is a regular wine panelist, speaker and educator for events and organizations worldwide. Czerwinski was previously Senior Editor and Tasting Director for Wine Enthusiast Media. Email: jczerwin@wineenthusiast.net

Above photographed by Karolina Grabowska

Once you’ve got that special bottle home (or have pulled it from your cellar), you can enhance your enjoyment of it by properly decanting it, if necessary (to remove sediment or aerate the wine), and serving it at the proper temperature. Ice-cold whites won’t display their true array of aromas and flavors, but equally bad are too-warm reds, which often show their alcohol. And don’t neglect your stemware, which is a common cause for wines not showing as well as expected. Especially if you have glasses reserved for special occasions, take the extra time to wash, rinse and dry them thoroughly before pouring them full of something that costs $10 or more per ounce. There’s nothing worse than Screaming Eagle that smells like dusty cupboards or grand cru Burgundy that tastes like dish detergent.

Right photographed by Karolina Grabowska

Christmas

family fun aplenty

with a huge ice rink, two circuses, an observation wheel and the Magical Ice Kingdom, plus themed bars for the grown-ups. The Grinch would have a real job stealing all the Christmas from Hyde Park’s massive tribute to festive fun, which is back for a tenth year in 2016. Entry to Winter Wonderland is free, and a wander past the fairground rides, around child-friendly Santa Land (including Santa’s grotto) or through the Christmas markets is a real treat for anyone feeling the spirit of the season, as long as you’re ready to hear all those songs as you potter.

Winter Wo n d e r l a n d in

Hyde Park

written by Time Out London

Other attractions at Hyde Park’s annual sparkly Christmassy addition include two circuses – ‘ Zippos Christmas Circus’ and ‘Cirque

Above photographed by Time Out London

Berserk’. Winter Wonderland’s ice rink, the biggest outdoor rink in the UK, surrounds the Victorian bandstand and is illuminated with more than 100,000 lights. 2016 also sees a new family-friendly ‘Sooty Christmas Show’ with Sweep, Soo and TV’s Richard Cadell all making appearances. This year the Magical Ice Kingdom presents an ‘Arctic Adventure’ complete with icebergs, shipwreck and a polar bear palace. It’s your chance to get up close to some real ice and snow, go fishing with the Inuits and have your photo taken with a giant white beast. Along with the 60-metre observation wheel, rollercoasters and fairground rides will keep thrill seekers happy. A good alternative for those who prefer to stay on solid ground are the selection of themed bars with real fires,

except for the Ice Bar (for obvious structural reasons) where even the glasses you drink from are made of ice. If you’re skating, be aware that while there’s no minimum age for skaters, under-12s must be accompanied by someone 16 or over and the smallest skates for hire are children’s size 9 (adult skates go up to size 13). You can use your own skates as long as they’re not speed skates. Wheelchair users are welcome on the ice. There are also ice guides who can look after groups of up to 15 skaters at a time (for an additional charge). Time Out is resource for tourists and locals alike to learn of events in their area.

Above photographed by Time Out London

The Markets

Enjoy perusing the traditional German Christmas market which houses more than 200 charming chalets overflowing with festive goods. Explore the Angels Christmas Market and Fairies Market, to shop for unusual and unique items, including arts and crafts, trinkets, jewellery and decorations.

Food & Drink

Head to the various restaurants, bars and food stalls for churros, mulled wine or warming hot chocolate. Try festive German fare, such as German sausage and glühwein in the Bavarian Village, and enjoy sing-alongs and dancing to the Oom-pah bands well into the evening. Relax with a cocktail at Bar Ice, which has tables, walls and sculptures crafted from ice - booking tickets ahead is essential.

Activities

Opening Times

Skate around the stunning ice rink, the UK’s largest outdoor rink which circles the Victorian bandstand.

10am to 10pm daily (except 18 November when it opens at 5pm). Closed Christmas Day.

Watch world and national championship-level ice skaters perform dazzling acrobatics on a frozen stage with The Imperial Ice Stars’ The Nutcracker on Ice (new for Winter Wonderland 2016). Book Now Go on An Arctic Adventure (new for Winter Wonderland 2016) past icebergs and ice sculptures to a lost island in the Magical Ice Kingdom.

Admission to Winter Wonderland is free. Charges apply for rides, ice skating, big top shows, the observation wheel and Bar Ice.

Enjoy acrobatic wonders at Cirque Beserk, an evening showcase of astonishing skills and daredevil stunts.

Take a seat on the Giant Observation Wheel for a flight 60m above London, offering stunning views of the city’s skyline.

Above photographed by Time Out London

Sugar & Vinegar

Our recipe to hosting a gathering. written by Emily Arno & Anna Watson Carl

The invites have been sent

and the guest list set—your holiday dinner party is happening. And the last thing you should do during the most wonderful time of the year is lose your head over the event’s planning. We aim to make dinner fun rather than flawless; but why not aim for both if you can manage it? For advice on hosting the best, we turn to Anna Watson Carl, a master of dinnertime merrymaking and author of the newly-released cookbook The Yellow Table. Watson’s first title is all about mastering the art of entertaining without losing sight of the reason we host—to foster conversation and community while enjoying good food.

Below photographed by Annie Spratt

Be festive. During the holidays, I love pulling in seasonal elements for table decor. Pine boughs or holly are pretty on buffets, and on the table—in lieu of flowers—I fill jars with fresh cranberries and votive candles. I also like tying rosemary sprigs with twine onto rolled napkins. Use place cards. It may seem formal, but I actually like to decide in advance where people sit, and create little name cards. I find that the conversation flows better when there’s some intention about who sits where, and who you think would enjoy talking. New relationships are formed this way, and it avoids old friends sitting at one end of the table, while all the newbies sit awkwardly at the other end.

Host small. Around the holidays, there are so many cocktail parties. I like to mix it up and throw an intimate dinner party instead with just eight to ten people and serve a cozy main course like spinach turkey lasagna or lamb tagine and some light sides. It’s nice to share a meal over conversation (rather than snacking on pigs in a blanket all night!). Sometimes I’ll make it a storytelling dinner party, where I pick a theme (like “travel” or “firsts” or “bad dates”) and everyone has to come prepared to share a 3-5 min story on that topic. Those are a blast. Keep it simple. There may be ten fabulous new recipes you are dying to try, but a dinner party is not the time to try them all. Feel free to try one new thing, but keep the other dishes no-brainers so you know exactly how they’ll turn out. Go shopping. There is no shame in buying a few things already made. If you’re making the main course, pick up a dessert from a bakery, orr assemble a cheese platter instead of making hors d’oeuvres. Enjoying your guests is the goal, and they would rather be with you than have you stuck in the kitchen all night. Keep water on the table. I fill old milk bottles and glass carafes (no need for them to match) and keep them on the table during a dinner party so I don’t have to keep hopping up and down to refill water glasses. Vintage bottles are beautiful, but almost anything will do—you can even use recycled wine bottles.

Relax. Keep a bottle of bubbly in the fridge and have a glass before guests arrive. Take a deep breath and remember to have fun—otherwise, why bother hosting?

Our December Recipe: Glazed Pears 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 3 Comice pears (about 1 3/4 pounds) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup In a chilled mixing bowl, combine cream and cardamom and whip until cream holds soft peaks. Refrigerate, covered.

Quarter, core, and peel pears. Cut quarters in half and sprinkle with lemon juice. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange pears in skillet and cook on one side until pears just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add maple syrup and cook until pears are tender, about 1 minute more. Turn pears and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and allow pears to cool slightly. Transfer to bowls and serve warm, topped with whipped cream.

Put your menu on display. I have a chalkboard hanging in the kitchen that I write the menu on, but sometimes it’s fun to have hand-written menu cards at everyone’s place setting. Set the ambiance. Light some candles, dim the lamps (which helps disguise those areas you didn’t have time to dust), and have a great playlist going when guests arrive. I’m a sucker for jazz—Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Diana Krall, and St. Germain are all favorites of mine for dinner parties.

Anne Watson Carl is the author of The Yellow Table and works with her photographer husband, Brandon. https://www.theyellowtable.com/about

Above & left photographed by David Bares

www.carnivoreclub.co www.dibruno.com

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Get to the Meat of It

Artisan Meats & Cheeses.

Whether your interests lie in a domestic or foreign market, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got you covered with these highlighted artisans: The Carnivore Club & The Di Bruno Bros.

Above photographed by Jez Timms

What is Carnivore Club? Come join the celebration of British charcuterie. Starting out in Canada and the USA, Carnivore Club has finally reached Britain to become the world’s first monthly delivery service of artisan charcuterie. Carnivore Club is excited to discover the magic of British culinary butchers and bring you a new discovery every month with the best cured meats they have to offer. Every month our members receive an impressive box filled with 4-6 handcrafted charcuteries from Britain’s best artisans. Not to be taken lightly, the laborious craft of cured meats is an art form that requires the diligent pursuit of perfection through endless hours of trial

and error. Carnivore Club salutes the individual recipes of each charcutier; no two meats are alike even when similar in name. Each month’s box is themed around one featured producer who is among the nation’s charcuterie elite. Applying their expertise and seasoned judgement, they decide which products go into the box to ensure that our members are gifted with a monthly delivery full of high quality, unparalleled charcuterie.

Carnivore Club selects artisans that purchase ethically treated animals, employ humane slaughtering practices and use locally sourced ingredients. The provenance and sustainability of the charcuterie is just as important as the artisan’s passion for making exceptional products. Carnivore Club is about “satisfying your inner carnivore” through the discovery of outstanding charcuterie and the story of their creators. Enjoy the journey!

What is Charcuterie? In the English speaking world Charcuterie (cured meats) refers to the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés and confit, primarily from pork. In France, Charcuterie is a generic term for the products typically sold by charcutiers (pork butchers). Traditionally Charcuterie referred to pork based products however in more recent times creative artisans have incorporated other animal proteins such as: duck, beef, bison, venison, water buffalo and elk. Similar to wine varietals, charcuterie differs dramatically from one artisan to the next. Each artisan will have his or her own signature based on the individual ingredients used and the techniques used to cure the meat. Carnivore Club is the ultimate club for anyone who loves the finer things in life.

21 Why Carnivale Club? British charcuterie is undergoing a food revolution. Gone are the days of importing cured meat from the Continent or buying mass produced charcuterie from supermarkets. Many artisan charcutiers have come out of the woodwork and have exhibited their talent to produce a wide range of British cured meat that rivals the continent’s. The artisan British charcuterie scene is dynamic and exciting; ever changing and always developing. Carnivore Club wanted to be a part of this progressive mini-industry where passion and quality lay at the heart. We have gone into partnership with the top British charcutiers to provide a luxury service like no other. All charcutiers use animals that are well-kept and ethically treated with attention paid to their traceability and provenance. Often, ingredients are locally sourced and food miles are kept to a minimum thus encouraging sustainable practice. What a winning combination: talented artisans, nurtured livestock and forward thinking curing.

Above photographed by Torsten Dettlaf

and opened up the Di Bruno Bros. Grocery Store at 930 S. 9th Street. Danny would often say, “We didn’t have much money, but a smile doesn’t cost you anything!” The Di Bruno commitment to making our customers smile is still alive and well today. After 25 years of serving the neighborhood, Danny and Joe had established their store as a convenient destination for groceries and some imported foods. But they soon realized the emergence of the big chain supermarkets could jeopardize their humble, neighborhood grocery business. During a vacation to Switzerland where Danny sampled some of world’s best cheese, he was inspired to reinvent Di Bruno Bros. into a gourmet cheese shop, and so was born Di Bruno Bros. “House of Cheese”. Cured meats, thousands of pounds of aged provolone, and imported cheeses from Italy and around the world hung from the ceiling, filling the 700 sq. foot store. This collage of delicious products and intoxicating aromas made Di Bruno’s the destination of choice for culinary enthusiasts throughout Philadelphia.

As with so many Italian

immigrants in the 1930’s, Danny and Joe Di Bruno, along with their brothers and sisters, came to Philadelphia through Ellis Island in search of the American Dream. They came to America where rumor had it that the streets were paved with gold, but upon arriving to Philadelphia’s 9th Street Italian Market they soon found only cobblestones. With only 3rd grade educations, their willingness to work endless hours, and their entrepreneurial spirit, the brothers put everything on the line--which wasn’t much-Above photographed by John Doe

As international travel to Europe became more frequent, food enthusiasts warmly received the Culinary Pioneering philosophy of Di Bruno Bros. more than ever before! The two humble brothers were now recognized as local and national experts for their culinary knowledge and discoveries. Danny and Joe and their growing staff were often consulted by some of Philadelphia’s great chefs, food writers, TV show culinary spotlights, and “The Philadelphia Inquirer’s much touted Sunday Newspaper Food Section for information on new and classic cheeses and specialty foods. Inspired by the legacy of Di Bruno Bros., a loyal customer base, and the great City of Brotherly Love, the cousins put their 65-year reputation on the line in 2005 along with a $4 million dollar investment and created Philadelphia’s newest and greatest gour-

met destination in the heart of Center City situated off Rittenhouse Square. From the day the doors opened, the store was a great success. Expanding all their culinary offerings the new, beautiful, 10,000 square-foot marketplace introduced a cafe, coffee bar, one-of-a kind cheese cave, prepared foods, charcuterie counter, new meat and seafood department and expanded catering services. As a result of creating one of the country’s finest food stores, in 2006, Di Bruno’s was recognized as Gourmet Retailer of the Year by the Specialty Food Association and locally recognized as Retailer and Family Business of the year by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. The store has been continually recognized for its culinary delights and shopping experience. It has also received accolades for its unique architectural design as well as its influence on the revitalization of one of Center City’s less desirable business corridors. The cousins and the Di Bruno staff like to say that we “Celebrate Great Food, Great People and Great Business” every day.

Our Picks from the Carnivore Club:

the Carvivore Christmas Hamper, which includes everything from prime selections of salami, beef, lamb, venison, & more! £54

Our Picks from Di Bruno:

Aged Asiago Cheese with Abbruzze Sausage, or exchange the Asiago for Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese with and pile it with the sausage and Black Olive Tapenade on your favorite crackers or toasted bread. Asiago $5.99 Fontina $9.99 Abruzze $9.99 Olive Tapenade $6.99

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Beans Needs

Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a flat white or a specially spiced holiday espresso, these are our caffeine recommendations this December. written by Lloyd at HandLuggageOnly

Above photographed by Nafinia Putra

The Attendant

Coffee, Cake & Kisses

Visit this underground coffee shop that sits in an old victorian public lavatory! Sounds Yucky right? Wrong! The original urinals and water tanks are still reside inside, but nowadays The Attendant is a plush little coffee house that every visitor and Londoner should try at least once. Head here around 11am on a weekday, where you can usually bag a seat.

One of London’s first crowd funded eateries and coffee houses. This cafe was set up to create relationships with each other regardless of race, sexuality, gender or nationality. There’s a small little room where couples can even talk in more privacy and even the opportunity to leave your thoughts posted on the wall. Definitely a one of a kind coffee experience in London where they make some delicious treats too. Based in: Warren Street, W1.

A uniquely London take on coffee culture that serves some of the best coffee from Caravan at Exmouth Market. Based in: Foley Street, W1.

Change Please Coffee Carts One of my favourite ideas I’ve seen in a long, long time time. If your looking to buy coffee, but want to make sure that your money is making a difference, grab a freshly ground coffee from one of the ‘Change Please’ Coffee carts that are stationed around our city.

Each coffee cart is worked and run by homeless people who has been employed to make coffee buying a much more ethical experience – just like ‘Big Issue’ Magazine sellers, ‘Change Please’ not only invests their profits back into helping the homeless, but also allows people in need to learn a new trade as a barista. Truly a coffee with a heart! Based in: All around London.

Self-proclaimed puppy defender. Foodie. Chocolate Fiend and Custard Lover. Dip, Cover or Wrap anything in sugar and he’s yours! www. http://handluggageonly. co.uk/2015/12/15/unique-independent-coffee-shops-in-london/

Left photographed by Ciaofotografias

Watch-house Coffee Based on Bermondsey Street, the old watch-house was originally used to keep an eye out for grave-robbers that would frequent the local cemetery in previous centuries. Nowadays, this cute little coffee shop is a perfect place to grab an espresso or lovingly made coffee. They also feature a range of locally produced artwork too. Based in: postcode, SE1.

The Wren The Wren is perched within St Nicholas Cole Abbey, giving a spectacular setting to sit down, relax and take in the beauty of this building. All proceeds from The Wren go into helping St Nicholas Abbey and St Nick’s Talks that happen every week. Based in: Postcode, EC4V.

NANA This pop-up coffee experience happens every weekday between 10-3pm within the period building of the Elderfield Pub in East London. NANA was set up and is run by older generations within the community. Allowing some of the most isolated people in society to make friends and create a unique and special project for the whole community to enjoy, while making fabulous coffee (and tea of-course). Based in: Postcode, E7.

Kaffeine A great location in the bustling centre of London, Kaffeine is an intimate coffee shop that embraces the coffee culture of cities like Melbourne in Australia. They make some epic desserts too! Based in: Thitchfield Street, W1W. Right photographed by Crew

5 EMERGING LONDON ARTISTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Whitechapel Gallery is welcoming visitors once again to its triennial open submission exhibition, The London Open. The East End Academy began in 1932 as a metaphorical “two fingers” to typical gallery shows. Today the show continues to introduce works created by artists aged 26 or over who live and work in London, with 48 artists showcasing their art at the Whitechapel Gallery after a thorough process of applications and studio visits over three months.

STORY BY LAURA RUTKOWSKI

Above photographed by Eddy Klaus

Photographed by Tim Stoner

30 The Whitechapel Gallery is welcoming

visitors once again to its triennial open submission exhibition, The London Open.

Connection, Lothar Götz, Forest Gate/Bethnal Green

All in a day, Brian, Brian and Demelza Watts, Southeast London

Götz’s Connection is the eye-catching pattern of colourful zigzags that sets the scene for the rest of The London Open before we enter Gallery One. It is similar to

Demelza enlisted the skills of her father Brian, a bricklayer, to formulate this unique piece. When GQ attended The London Open, Brian was hard at work laying down the initial bricks, which will eventually be stacked into a wall as high as possible for the labour of an eight-hour working day. The sound of Brian’s tinkering comfortably filled the space and offered a rare glimpse into an artist at work. “I have distinct memories of coming up to London for the day as a child. Driving in from a small village in the West Country, the experience is mind blowing. You’re confronted with massive advertisements on the Hammersmith flyover, buildings of style and scale that I had never seen before, such as St Paul’s Studios, the artists’ homes built in the 1890’s on Talgarth Road, then the Natural History Museum and the V&A. I had to move to London as it seemed like another world and at that time artists seemed to have a good position in it.”

Double-take, which we see above with the title of this article, but Götz designed the temporary Connection especially for the aesthetics of the Whitechapel Gallery and its foyer. As viewers, we are asked to disconnect from the outside world to adopt the correct headspace needed to connect and immerse ourselves in the art world. “I think London has a tremendous energy, buzz and open mindedness. In an atmosphere of constant change you can see a great diversity of artworks, from ancient to contemporary. In my eyes, a great bonus for London is that it has so many different art schools that compete with each other and make it impossible for one to dominate. There are also great parks and contrasting architecture.”

Did anyone ever tell you that you’re beautiful when you’re following orders?, Sam Curtis, Lewisham Speaking of a trade becoming art, Curtis scoured YouTube to find clips of individuals enjoying themselves at work to compile an upbeat sequence of images. From fast food workers creatively clearing tables to TFL employees dancing, we are reminded that we can interject individuality into our workplace, regardless of where it might be. From the 30 July onwards, Curtis will be joining in on the action as he recreates an ice sculpture of an independent East End fishmonger each morning. Curtis previously worked as a fishmonger at Harrods, where a specialist mould was used to produce the same fish sculpture daily. “London both inspires and horrifies me. The social cleansing and displacement of people is devastating and horrific. What remains inspiring to me is the chaotic urban sprawl where people from all around the world mix to work and play.”

The East End Academy began in 1932 as a metaphorical “two fingers” to typical gallery shows. Today the show continues to introduce works created by artists aged 26 or over who live and work in London, with 48 artists showcasing their art at the Whitechapel Gallery after a thorough process of applications and studio visits over three months. The London Open is representative of London art today because the exhibition does not set out to limit artists and their artwork to themes. Here’s a selection of the best work and artists exhibiting at The London Open.

Photographed by Brian and Demelza Watts

Photographed by Scheublein + Bak

Loops of Relation, Nelmarie du Preez, Whitechapel

Laura Rutkowski earned a MA in Magazine Journalism and now writes for GQ London, Cosmopolitan UK, as well as the Evening Standard. Her interests lie in art, theatre, and she is a fashion enthusiast. @Laura_Rutkowski

Loops of Relation strikes a touchy chord in this age of increasingly advanced artificial intelligence. GQ was mesmerised by du Preez’s on-screen performances to stab, to hit, and to rely, accompanied by her computer performance partner, Gui. Most unnerving to watch was to stab, a variation on the knife game, where a programmed robotic arm stabbed a knife between du Preez’s outstretched fingers. With a robot in New York recently passing the self-awareness test, du Preez’s performances hold a lot more weight than just playing silly games with a mechanical opponent. “The diversity in terms of background and nationality of the people I am able to encounter in this city inspires me most of all.” The London Open 2015 runs until 6 September at the Whitechapel Gallery and is free to the public.

It’s All Good Fun, Ben Woodeson, Hackney Perhaps the most precarious of the pieces at The London Open, It’s All Good Fun is manned by a guard and sways with each passerby’s movement. It’s comprised of two giant glass sheets hanging from a rope, and although they are stable, Woodeson’s goal is to make us uncomfortable. He confesses about his pieces: “If I’m not nervous, they’re not ready.” “I feel like quoting American rock dinosaur Ted Nugent: ‘Anyone wants to get mellow, they can turn around and get the fuck out of here’. It’s the beast: inspiring, swarming with galleries, great for networks. You want something, it’ll be here somewhere, apart, that is, from cheap studio space. It’s trade off, but to me it’s very worth it. It’s always been said that London is a collection of villages, well, yes, but villages where everyone is hopped up on caffeine and adrenaline.”

Photographed by Nelmarie du Preez

This Month’s Feng Shu: Top 10 Air Purifying House Plants for the New Year

Awair’s mission is to empower you with the knowledge, motivation, and confidence to be healthy and thrive in your environment. They design products that complement you and your home or office, while equipping you with insights and personalized solutions.

We all learned in science class that plants take in carbon dioxide and output oxygen, but as adults we rarely put two and two together to realize that house plants are built to be natural air filters! The concept is simple: plants take in benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde, the 3 most harmful indoor toxins, and in turn produces clean air for us to breath. We’ve stressed before how important indoor air quality is, and adding the right house plants to your home is an easy way to help keep your air clean.

Written by AWAIR

Above photographed by Samuel Zeller

A Peace Lily is most noted for its talents of removing airborne chemicals from cleaning products. Perhaps it would be a good idea to keep this plant in your kitchen, bathroom and other rooms that are heavily cleaned.

The Dracaena plant is best at removing trichloroethylene. If you use any heavy-duty cleaning products in your workshop or garage, consider placing this plant there to help filter the air.

A Boston Fern removes formaldehyde better than any other plant, so make sure to keep at least one of these in your home. They also act as great natural humidifiers like the bamboo.

Golden Pothos process general air

36 Detox the old naturally for a fresh, new year: Bamboo removes benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde while also adding moisture to the air to act as a natural humidifier. Plus, some say keeping bamboo shoots in your home will bring you good luck. Thats a win-win-win in our book.

Aloe Vera is a big formaldehyde filter and it’s another win-win plant since it can be used to treat sunburns.

The Spider Plant is rated by NASA’s Clean Air Study as one of the top 3 plants for removing formaldehyde and other toxins. It grows very quickly and sprouts tons of baby spider plants year-round, making this a great choice for filling your home without spending a lot.

All photographs provided by AWAIR

toxins well and are very easy to grow. Like crazy easy to keep alive. If you don’t have a green thumb, start with this plant to ensure success.

The English Ivy is a hazard for the exterior of buildings but makes a very helpful house plant. It excels at removing benzene from the air so it’s a great choice if anyone in your family suffers from asthma.

The Gerbera Daisy is pretty and a hard worker! It removes benzene and absorbs tons of carbon dioxide so you are guaranteed get a lot of clean air from this flower.

Garden Mums remove all 3 major toxins very well. Rid your house of benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde, and the bonus of ammonia with this colorful plant.

Welcome to Borough Market A Trip though Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beloved Southbank borough. written by Clayton Moore

Photographed by Sevaynna Doss

Photographs by Sevaynna Doss

the roar of overhead trains. Borough Market is located underneath the elevated train tracks that lead into London Bridge Train Station. A nice first stop is “Maria’s Market Café,” a tiny greasy spoon run by the charming Maria Moruzzi, where the offerings include her legendary bubble & squeak (a fried mixture of potatoes and cabbage, so named either because of the sound it makes while cooking, or while digesting), steaming mugs of coffee and other means of post-pub recovery.

I never thought I’d be elbow-to-elbow 40

with chefs like Jamie Oliver, the “Naked Chef,” while doing my weekend shopping, but here I am at Borough Market, and I see Oliver all the time. Sometimes he’s got a camera crew in tow, but most of the time he’s either packing boxes of vegetables into his BWM or carting around his towheaded young son. Regardless, we both gravitate to this open-air market, tucked away on a four-acre site on the south bank of the Thames River. The market was established in 1754 by an act of Parliament and has been serving up warm British fare and exotic delights ever since. While I’m sure that Oliver schleps away obscure delights for his show, for me, these market visits are a part of survival. I live just two blocks away, and the Friday and Saturday market is a treat. The market might be a draw for chefs from London’s exclusive Savoy and Dorchester hotels, but the rest of Southwark is a little less cozy, and more than a few Londoners wouldn’t cross the river without a map and a bag of breadcrumbs. That said, it is well worth a savvy traveler’s time to cross London Bridge and wander through the stalls. On a rare sunny Saturday, the bells of nearby Southwark Cathedral ring off the concrete and blend seamlessly with the shouts of vendors and

Vegetarians will find several gardens of delight, including the vast selection at Turnips’ Fruits and Vegetables, where one of the staff periodically breaks out into thunderous but resonant bits of opera. In addition to potatoes, leeks and other roots, there are startling vibrant berries, apples and more alien fare like Chinese Dragon Fruit. Over at Tony Booth’s Mushroom Company, exotic mushrooms are selected with care by everyone from visiting tourists to hotel chefs from “The Ivy” and “Claridges.” Other sights include the wide range of pheasants, turkeys, geese and ostrich at Wyndam’s House Poultry, while several butchers like Wild Beef and the Ginger Pig cut beautiful slabs of lamb, beef and pork nearby. It’s not uncommon to see whole boars and wild rabbits hanging out at the stands, waiting to be diced into dinner. Smoked streaky bacon from the market has a much richer taste, while Spanish Serrano and Joselito ham is sliced for you right off the bone.

Photographed by Sevaynna Doss

Fresh fish, brought up from the English coast at Brighton, line the tables at Applebee’s Fish and The Hand-Made Fish Company. Eels peer out at visitors with dead eyes, tentacles from enormous squid hang over the side, and big blue lobsters slide over the ice in a futile attempt to escape. Nearby, a cup of scallops roasted with bacon goes for a handful of change. One of the more high profile shops is Neal’s Yard Dairy, located on quiet Park Street, which carries a staggering variety of British cheeses. Selected according to season as well as taste, the offerings at Neal’s Yard include soft Stilton and Gorwydd Caerpilly (an unpasteurized crumbly cheese with a slight citrus flavor), tangy Greek feta, and Daylesford Cheddar, proclaimed “The Best English Cheese in the World” at the World Cheese Awards annually held in London. The helpful and knowledgeable staff is always ready to offer a recommendation and a slice to taste of anything in the shop. My favorite is Keen’s Cheddar, aged up to 14 months bound in cloth, with a very oniony tang and a strong aftertaste.

By far one of the most popular items is the chorizo sandwich at the Brandisa Spanish Foods stall, which serves a tasty sandwich only available from Noon to 2 p,m. Regulars start lining up early for a taste of fresh Spanish sausage, grilled over charcoal and served on a toasted roll with grilled peppers, rocket (a leafy vegetable, similar to arugula) and olive oil. The stand is close enough to carry over a chorizo to share a pint among the gothic designs of the Globe Pub, built in 1872. Featured prominently in the film “Blue Ice” with Michael Caine, it was more recently immortalized in “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” In the film, Bridget’s apartment is located above the Globe Pub. In fact, locals found Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent here filming the sequel just a few weeks ago.

There is always a way to satisfy a sweet tooth, as well. An unusual hot chocolate comes from the Cool Chile Company, made from Latin American cocoa mixed with ground almonds, cinnamon, sugar and milk. Other drinks include spicy mulled wine and hot cider mixed with fresh citrus from the market. There is also traditional fudge, warm pain au chocolate and sweet berry tarts to be had. Whether you are a four-star chef or just a culinary adventurer, Borough Market is a delight, far from the madness of London’s tourist traps but accessible enough for a memorable morning out.

IF YOU GO: The market is located on Borough High Street, one block south of the River Thames and three blocks west of London Bridge Underground Station. It is open Fridays from noon to 6p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. For more information, visit the market’s official website at www.boroughmarket.org.uk.

Photographed by Sevaynna Doss

Our Highlighted Traders:

Olivier’s Bakery With more than two decades of experience under his belt, pastry chef and baker Olivier Favrel is committed to providing products made using only the best ingredients. Based locally in south-east London, Olivier’s Bakery brings to Borough Market a variety of freshly baked breads, cakes and pastries, including a special selection of 100 per cent spelt breads and deliciously soft croissants.

Clayton Moore writes for Go World Travel Magazine, which covers world travel in more than 90 countries. Their travel writers come from many nations, but all have one thing in common -- a love for international travel and a desire to learn more about other lands and ways of life.

Change Please Coffee Backed by The Big Issue, Change Please is a social enterprise that provides homeless people with the skills, equipment and support required to become fully fledged barristas, selling high quality coffee from distinctive mobile carts. After some intensive professional training, the stall’s vendors are paid the London living wage and offered six months of potentially life-changing experience. The coffees, which rotate depending on the season, are all carefully sourced—regular suppliers include Itende JKT in Tanzania, which helps at-risk young people gain employment. The roasting takes place at the Old Spike Roastery in Peckham.

Artisan du Chocolat

At Artisan du Chocolat, exquisite chocolates and hot chocolate are made with love and care by Irish-born master chocolatier Gerard Coleman, who cut his teeth in Belgium under the stewardship of renowned pastry chef and chocolatier Pierre Marcolini. His creations include liquid sea salt caramels, chocolate pearls, truffles and a wide range of chocolate bars. Artisan du Chocolat processes chocolate from ground beans, before conching and refining it in Ashford, Kent.

Photographs by Sevaynna Doss

Arabica Bar & Kitchen Housed in a brick-lined railway arch, this open plan restaurant specialises in Levantine-inspired food: a dazzling array of vegetable mezze, fish and rare-breed meat grilled over charcoal, stone baked breads and pastries. Owner James Walters notched up more than 14 years’ experience importing and producing Middle East specialities for his Borough Market stall before opening this convivial restaurant, designed to encourage the easy pleasures of shared food and conversation. A street cart continues to serve a range of mezze, pastries and ingredients outside on market days, as well as the stall’s famous falafel and chicken shawarma wraps. Open Monday to Saturday, 11am–11pm

McLauren’s Christmas Puddings Returning to the Market for the festive season, McLaren’s Pure & Natural Christmas Puddings are wrapped and presented as beautifully as they are made; making them wonderful gifts as well as wholly delicious to eat. These puddings are produced with love from a family recipe, without compromising on the quality or quantity of the premium natural ingredients used. The fruit is macerated for two days in brandy, Guinness and the zest and juice of fresh oranges and lemons before being cooked; the proportion of flour to fruit is exceptionally low, resulting in a beautifully light and fluffy texture that highlights the flavour of the fruit and alcohol. Available in a range of sizes, the puddings have been thoroughly steamed, so all you need do is follow the reheating instructions tucked inside each one to enjoy the perfect finale to your Christmas feast. Photographs by Sevaynna Doss

Photographs by Sevaynna Doss

Tea2You The tea gardens of the north-east of India, situated in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, are widely regarded as the source of some of the finest tea in the world. The region’s name is Darjeeling, and the eponymous tea produced there comes in four forms—black, green, white and oolong. Ratan of Tea2You carefully selects each tea every season and brings it to Borough Market direct from the supplier.

Whirld Whirld is an artisan confectionery company set up by Justine Cather, founder of award-winning fudge company Burnt Sugar. Its range of delicious sweets are all handmade to traditional recipes, using unrefined golden Fairtrade sugar, cream and butter and other wholly natural ingredients. Choose from toffee, nougat, fudge and honeycomb, or some rather more adventurous flavours such as chilli chocolate. Incredibly moreish, Whirld’s sweets are perfect for an indulgent treat or a lovely gift for a very special person—if you can bear to share.

The Turkish Deli

Borough Wines

Traditional Turkish produce sourced via the family of husband and wife team Graham and Chimen, who comes from the Gemlik region of Turkey, famed for its olives. The stall sells more than 25 varieties of traditionally cured, unmarinated olives including Gemlik salt dried olives, known as kuru sele—which are rarely found anywhere outside of Turkey.

Borough Wines began as a small Borough Market stall in 2002, primarily as a platform to promote the wines of Chateau Ponchapt, a family-owned vineyard in Bergerac. Now there are shops London-wide. The wine is still mainly French, but the rest of the world is also represented, and there’s a selection of craft beers and carefully selected spirits alongside. Borough Wines operates a wallet-and-environment-friendly wine and beer refill system.

Other specialities include black olive paste, homemade hummus, homemade meze, baklava and a vast range of traditionally made, gluten and gelatine-free Turkish delight.

Decor the Natural Way 5 Ways to Decorate with Pine Boughs written by Loredana Sava

My husband’s family has a tradition of heading to the mountains every year after Thanksgiving to cut a fresh Christmas tree. When we got married, we joined in and scaled the mountaintops, searching for our own perfect tree. We’ve done this for 11 years, and every year when we bring it home to put up, we find ourselves with a little more tree than we thought we had. (They defi-

nitely look smaller in the forest than in the living room!). I’ve been searching for ways to decorate with the extra pine boughs for the past several years. Of course, spreading them out over the mantel is an obvious solution. It always looks festive and nice. But I wanted to find other places that pine boughs can work. Here are five festive options I found:

Above photographed by Markus Spiske

The Bathroom Loredana Sava writes for Homedit.com, an extensive home-focused website that provides inspiration and information about design and style. She is inspired by beautiful and unique ideas, and embraces the concept that style is individual. The platform is to provide our readers with plenty of beautiful photos for inspiration…and encourage their creativity in designing, decorating, and personalizing their own space.

The bathroom is an often overlooked space when it comes to decking our halls. Perhaps this is why I loved this idea so much. Framing an unexpected piece, such as a countertop sink, carries the holidays into every nook and cranny. I especially find this use of greenery effective here, where the walls are red. What a lovely, simple arrangement.

Outside Porch Draped from a porch ceiling and strung with lights, these larger pine boughs help to turn the entry of this house into a welcoming evergreen wonderland. They serve as a nice balance to the door-flanking front porch décor, too. I love how this space has greenery at every horizontal level (floor, eye, and ceiling), making it so cozy and inviting.

Window Boxes If you’re lucky enough to have window boxes, there is a big chance they’re sitting barren this season. What a fun idea to let natural decorating elements be in, well, their natural element. Pine boughs (and pine cones) adorn window boxes here, peppered with festive touches of red. This is an easy way to dress up the outside of your house and can sensibly last the entire winter.

Framing Windows Inside or out, pine boughs used to frame windows is a sure-fire hit, as a natural transition from the outdoors to inside. Particularly these arched windows, since real pine boughs have a natural arch to them (and fake ones can be formed to fit). The pine boughs here are a perfect window treatment, emphasizing each window separately but also collectively forming the magic of Christmastime.

Single Bough Maybe you don’t have access to a multiplicity of pine boughs. Don’t worry, even a single sprig of evergreen can pack a punch. Paired simply and endearingly with the timeless red-and-white candy cane stripe, this bough boasts a huge pop of Christmas cheer. (I personally love how it’s slightly askew. Very charming all-around.)

Photographed by Teresa Kluge

Sevaynna Doss