The air is sweet, salty, flaky sea salt disappears in a caramel. You slip on an old cracked stone and the sound of waves crashing brings you back to a prehistoric mortar. Crushed pistachios, vibrant greens. The stove is boiling hot. Tiny topless strawberries sunbathe with star anise, rhubarb stalks become tender to the touch, snowflakes elderflowers float in a blurry syrup. Unshaven legs jump over big tree trunks uprooted from the storm. Nestled in the crook of the rocks, one Soller orange, proud. She stares at you while you ponder whether you are going to eat her now or later. |
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CASA BALANDRA is an artist residency in Palma de Mallorca. I spent some time there in March, in the company of a small group of women artists - my working space was a beautiful kitchen studio and a writing studio adjacent to a serene room with the walk-in shower of my dream. Surrounded by nature and beautiful things, old and new, from past residents and flea markets all over the island, the house is a tribute to art and simplicity. Claudia, one of the founders, who has exquisite taste, a real love for all art forms, and a talent for putting people together was hosting. She created a very intimate and joyful atmosphere, greeting us with a giant fish cooked over potatoes and confit onions upon our arrival. Throughout our stay, she also treated us to lovely tiny shrimps fried in a lot of garlic olive oil, and a scrumptious dessert with almond ice cream served with a coulis of baked strawberries topped by caramelized pistachios. Dinners became the place to talk about everything from fashion photography, birth stools and body image to' how to gut a fish' and the best way to boil rice. |
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EGG BREAKFAST INSTALLATION |
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Revolving around finding beauty in a common egg, the installation I created at Casa Balandra was set up around a large table covered in soft and hard boiled eggs, yellow eggs pickled with curcuma and mustard herbs, soy and ginger eggs, vibrant pink quail eggs pickled with beetroot and bay leaves from the garden. Eggs were served with orange/rosemary sourdough crackers, Grissini, and herb butter. Inspiration for this project came from the absurd play The future is in eggs by Ionesco (1957) and the ultimate beauty of eating a soft-boiled egg, an intimate moment echoing the words of the famous writer M.L.K Fisher: “probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg until it is broken” (How to cook a wolf, 1942). |
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where to eat out IN BARCELONA |
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The atmosphere of some Catalan restaurants, with an open kitchen, like in Gresca, is incredible. If you can't get a table, sit at the bar. You'll be watching the best film: a chef delicately peeling gorgeous juicy heirloom tomatoes all night long with a long sharp knife - will she withstand the pressure? Will she or will she not cut her hand? (Spoiler: she didn't). Here are my favorite places to eat out in Barcelona - if you prefer to stay in, it's easy to improvise a picnic with a slice of cheese and figs, a can of the best sardines or thin slices of Serrano ham. But you'd be missing out on fresh calamari, crispy at the edges with a soft, delicate, melt-in-your-mouth interior, and these tiny zesty clams. |
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ensalata de tomate + bikini (a mini sandwich with extra thin crispy sourdough and iberico ham & comté cheese inside) + eggplant with parmesan cream + french toast with chocolate ice cream calamari + clams with lime + zamburinas (tiny scallops) + sun dried octopus served in a pool of olive oil + black squid stew with white beans, patatas bravas, stewed mussels octopus a la feira + all the lobster + langoustine la bomba + everything |
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Hello! I'm Marie Constantinesco, a director and photographer who loves to bake films and make cakes. In my portfolio, you will find food, travel, portrait photography as well as the commercial films I directed. I also write narrative films - including my life in sourdough, a rom com about a girl falling in love with her sourdough starter. I write this newsletter a few times a year, usually at the change of every season. You can expect around 4 emails from me a year. If you like it, feel free to share it and forward to your friend who likes food, films and travels. Too much for you? I get it! You can unsubscribe below. A bientôt, Marie. |
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