Thursday, June 10, 2010

Looking In On: The Gaze

We cannot deny that there is power in looking. Often we look at something because it has caught our attention, it is attractive and/or we are curious. We have learned to evaluate the physical appearance of a person or object, and if it is pleasing to the eye, we continue to look. The concept of looking brings about many questions, including: “Who has the right to look?” “What social constructs, such as race or gender, affect our right to look and our way of seeing?” “When you are looked upon, what is the significance of the subject looking or responding back?”
Looking In On: The Gaze explores these questions and how they specifically concern African-American women and the concept of “the gaze”. The gaze can be used to objectify women but it can also be confronted and resisted. When looking at art, if our gaze is confronted and how our gaze is confronted are very significant in terms of how we read an image. Depending on whether the subject looks back at us or looks away from us influences the act of seeing and the meaning behind the art - especially in terms of our “rights” as spectators.
The issue of the male gaze arises when looking at images of women. It is at this point that the viewer assumes the position of the heterosexual male, in effect, denying women human agency and assigning them a status of objects which are to be desired. Women then assemble their own idea of femininity based how they are seen by men; in essence, they become a vision at which to look, displayed solely for the purpose of the audience’s gaze and from which to gain pleasure.
Neither the classic gaze nor the gazes of other types of viewers sufficiently examine the historical, cultural, or psychological forces that have shaped the representation of the female body of the black woman. This gaze should be evaluated not in relation to male pleasure, but in terms of public surveillance. The African-American female body is to be looked upon for purposes of identification - a collection of data for documentation of the body. It is a body that is simultaneously sexual, racial, and sociological – to any kind of audience. The point of view of “the viewer” always influences what is being seen.









Wednesday, June 9, 2010

CocoRosie - Hairnet Paradise

I have been obsessed with music lately and a friend put me on to Cocorosie and I am throughly impressed. I might be able to do without the kids toy (only because I have kids and those things can get fucking annoying) but I love this woman's voice. Soulful, but disturbed-what a magical combination.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

These are a few of my favorite things...


Bowling Bets!


So on Friday nights we bowl! Some nights I am good, other nights I SUCK! A few weeks ago I made a bet with a friend that if he scored higher than me for the night-I would eat a burger from 5 Guys Burger & Fries. Now some may ask why a strict vegan would make a daring bet like this, well bottom line-I knew I was going to win. So in return I bet my friend, who is very unhealthy to say the least, that if I won, he would eat a vegan meal prepared by ME! So now he is a lucky man and I owe him a meal, but I want to make him something great-so he knows vegan food can be good too.
I have decided I will prepare Jamaican Veggie Patties from the cookbook: Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry. I made them awhile ago and they were sssoooo good!
Here is the recipe:

Jamaican Veggie Patties Recipe

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup 1/4-inch-diced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse sea salt
2 larges cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced carrots
1/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced yellow potatoes
1/2 cup fresh green peas (or frozen)
1/2 cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Pastry:
1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup chilled coconut oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling: In a medium-size saute pan over medium-low heat, combine the coconut oil, the onion cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice, cover, and cook for 3 minutes more. Season with additional salt and the white pepper (or to taste) and set aside to allow the flavors to marry.

For the pastry: Combine 1 1/2 cups of the white flour with the pastry flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Set the remaining 1/4 cup white flour aside. Add the coconut butter to the flour mixture and rub with your fingertip until the mixture resembles fine sand, about 10 minutes (hs note: I've also make this dough by pulsing ingredients in a food processor with good results).

Combine the vinegar and water and mix well. Then, without overworking the dough, add the vinegar mixture by the tablespoon, while stirring, just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and begins to coalesce. Squeeze into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F and remove the dough from the refrigerator.

With the reserved flour, lightly dust a clean surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut six 6-inch circles from the dough (you can use a bowl). Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling onto the center of one side of each circle, leaving about a 1/8-inch border. Fold the other half over to make a half-moon, press to seal, and make ridges around the edge using a fork. (hs note: if your dough is at all on the dry side you may need to run wet fingers around the edge of the circles to help get a good seal).

Transfer the patties to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately with some hot sauce.


These are the Veggie Patties I made, yum!

Forever Naseem

I have so many digital files to edit this Summer, that I didn't know where to begin-so I began with these. I made these photographs of Naseem last Summer, I have probably photographed him twice since. He does not enjoy being photographed anymore, which is a shame because he is a great model. I am hoping that in the future he will let me photograph him again. Until then-


Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Food!

So I want this blog to also focus on food- since it is so very important to me. I have been vegan for about 8 months now, based on omitting meat and dairy and feeling GREAT! I often have to think ahead and plan meals in advance, but I fell off from all the great cooking I was doing when last semester got crazy. Recently, with more free time, I have returned to the kitchen- last week I made veggie patties, something like Jamaican beef patties or empanandas, that were delicious! I visit VegWeb often to browse recipes and see how they have worked for others. This also gives me the confidence to cook without recipes sometimes. So hopefully I will be sharing some of my food adventures with you. On another note- last night I went grocery shopping and I picked up a cheese-less Amy's pizza, as I am not into cheese substitutes. This pizza was delicious! I recommend it for a quick bite.

Who knew I liked mushrooms!