Why I am loving the recession

1. It has forced me to stop and think! In the last few years my business has gained a momentum of its own, with a flow of orders coming in without too much effort. Now, with this new quiet period, I have time to decide what direction I want my business to go in right now.
2. I’ve had time to have one on one sessions with a business consultant, (which has been like therapy for the business part of my brain.) I live in my work, and through my work, so having someone help me untangle my thoughts has been very calming and even enlightening.
3. The recession made me rethink my online presence, and I spent the good part of my studio time remaking my website, and setting up social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
4. I have started designing in a more practical fashion. Instead of coming up with an image or a concept and then finding the methods or technology to translate it into a piece of contemporary designer Judaica, I am starting from the materials up. My research has lead me to glass tubes, magnets, pre-polished stainless steel and photographs from my travel abroad.

5. I’ve conquered my fear of designing on the computer by taking lessons in design programs Photoshop and Indesign, and I love it so much sometimes actually laugh out loud in the lessons. Not very cool, but fantastic to get such pleasure from my work.
6. I am getting close to the final stage of 2 collections – a range of colourful mezuzahs using photography and graphic design elements and a set of modern Hanukkah menorahs that you can pull apart and put together in various different ways – something for the kid in you.

Mezuzah Love

I am designing a mezuzah (based on the above image) that has LOVE on it in many languages

I need to check that I have the right words (must be the noun)

So far I have got

French - Amour
German - Liebe
Italian - Amore
Spanish - Amor
Hebrew - Ahava אהבה
Swedish - KÄRLEK
Danish - Kærlighed
Dutch - liefhebben
Polish - miłość
Japanese - 愛???
Chinese traditional ??? - 愛???
Chinese simplified - 恋
Russian - Купидон
Yiddish - Libn

If one of these is your native language can you confirm that I have got the correct word?
Google linguistics is giving me the same word/symbol for Japanese and Chinese...

And if you have anymore to add please contact me info@lauracowan.com

Thanks!
Laura

Twitter, Facebook and the Exodus

Is it me or is Twitter a load of old rubbish?

I’ve tried, but I really don’t get it.

I’ve followed Madonna, Barak Obama, Britney Spears (embarrassing, I know, I deleted her quickly), Martha Stewart, Stephen Fry (British comedian) and several friends.

Whenever I tell my friends that I can’t see the point they say, oooh, you must follow so and so, then you will see why it’s so good. But I still haven’t found anyone worth following.

Twitters don’t seem to filter their thoughts, so you just hear the ongoing babble in their head, which makes me realize that it’s a very good thing that we can’t read people’s minds.

That’s not to say I don’t love social networking on the internet. I am big fan of Facebook. Since I moved to Israel 13 years ago, I have missed that day to day contact with my friends from home, and now I can see what’s going on in their status updates and pics.

If you like Facebook too you will want to see this funny link. I came across is when I was googling Pesach and Passover for research for new Judaica designs.

The story of the Exodus as told on Facebook, check it out;
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=65010297492&h=7eML9&u=lgrV4&ref=nf

Really Good Carrot Cake

This cake is my new best friend.

It brought me my 15 minutes of fame at my son Max’s kindergarden bring and buy sale.
People actually said “Ooooh” and “Wooooow” when I walked in with it and I was elevated to celebrity status!
I’ve never been so popular and even strangers were asking me for the recipe.
Now I just have to work out how to keep it up the façade of master baker. (Michal, send me more recipes ASAP)
Here’s the recipe - let me know how it works out for you….


Really Good Carrot Cake (that’s a bit orangey)

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce (you can use more oil if you can’t get this)
2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup plain flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely grated peeled carrots

Frosting
100g/4 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 package cream cheese (220 g/ 8 ounce) Philadelphia is good. Best if room temperature otherwise it doesn’t blend well
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest

Preparation
For cake: Preheat oven to 160°c / 325°F. Lightly butter a large cake tin. Line bottom with baking paper; butter paper. Mix oil, apple sauce and both sugars in blender. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice and zest. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt - beat to blend. Stir in carrots.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until knife inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer tin to rack. Cool cake 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack. Remove waxed paper and cool.
For Frosting: Blend cream cheese and butter until light. Beat in orange juice and orange peel. Add sugar; beat until smooth. Spread frosting using spatula in thick decorative swirls over top and side of cake.
Cake can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. 

Enjoy! 
Laura

You know you have become an Israeli when

You know you have become an Israeli when

1. You can say כפרה עליך (capara alecha) and not sound ridiculous
2. Taxi drivers stop charging you double tourist rates
3. Your kids eat olives for breakfast
4. You can sms in Hebrew
5. You know the right way to ask for directions is not to say, “Excuse me, please can you tell the best way to get to the Ayalon” but to wind your window down and shout “Ayalon???”
6. You can say לך לקיבינימט (lech lkebinimat) and get away with it
7. Your old friends from home think you are the rudest person they have ever met
8. You turn up for wedding just as the bride is walking down the aisle. Then proceed to smoke, drink and make phone calls while they get married.
9. You live in the artist quarter of Neve Tzedek 

Tel Aviv - Insider Tips

Take a look at some of my favourite corners of Tel Aviv. Real life at its best.

Best Humous
Abu Hassan in the Old City of Jaffa – get there early, they close when the big bowl of humous is finished (usually early afternoon) All the staff from Galai Tsahal (Army Radio) eat there because there studio is just round the corner. Also try the masabacha – a kind of hot spicy humous which you eat with chunks of onion. The masabacha is so strongly flavored that the onion tastes like a sweet apple in comparison. Just don’t go on a date that evening. Address: 1 Dolphin St. (on the hill)

Real Life
My favorite corner is Levinsky and Nahalat Binyamin (further south than the well known Nahalat Binyamin Craft Market) Take a step back in time and see all the spices and nuts in big sacks. Stock up on saffron, cinnamon sticks, rose tea and vanilla pods.

Modern Judaica
Me! Art studio for Judaica in the Neve Tsedek quarter. I design and create contemporary Mezuzahs, Hanukkah Menorahs, Shabbat Candlesticks, Kiddush Cups and Seder Plates in stainless steel, pewter and anodized aluminum. Visitors welcome by appointment, email me at info@lauracowan.com
 

Modern Kiddush Cups

Restaurant (celebration)
Herbert Samuel. Fantastic food. Called tapas, but that’s because the style is small portions to share – the type of food is eclectic. The olive oil that comes with the bread is so delicious you could drink it. Cool décor but unpretentious. Excellent service. Expensive, but not prohibitively so. Herbert Samuel Street (close to Dan Panorama Hotel)

Restaurant (budget)
24 Rupee. Satisfyingly hard to find. Sit on the floor on cushions, and feel like you are backpacking. Great for small kids that can’t sit still (like mine). They only serve one main dish – tali” – which is an Indian platter – theirs includes rice, chapatti, 3 types of curry and raita. Tastes just like the real thing. Veggie. Try the chai too. 14-16 Shoken Street (Industrial part of south central Tel Aviv)

Yogurt
The new craze to hit Tel Aviv. Whipped yogurt with a wide variety of fresh fruit, nut and chocolately toppings. Try Yogo on the corner of Ahad Haam and Nahalat Binyamin. Mad queues at the weekend. Or try the newly opened Yogurt Anita on 23 Shabazi Street in Neve Tsedek. They are the sister shop to the best ice cream in town (or anywhere in fact) Anita Cafe on Shabazi 42 (corner of Pines). Home-made Italian style ice cream, all real ingredients.

Clothes
Visit the up and coming Gan Hahashmal area for young designers – very contemporary (read crumpled, unusual cuts, vintage style etc)

Airport Taxi
Another local secret - Hadar Airport Taxi 03-971-1103. These are the cheapest taxis to the airport, they are the ones that have taken fares from the airport, and rather driving back empty they pick up fares for about 20-30% cheaper than other taxis. I know they service Tel Aviv, Raanana, Herzaliya and Jerusalem, you would need to check for other towns.

New modern mezuzahs

I am creating new line of new modern mezuzahs with photographic images. Do you have a snap that you are particularly proud of?
Send it to me, and if your picture is used you will win a prize.

The part of the picture that will be used is a thin strip, either 8 cm x 2 cm for the small mezuzah or 13 cm x 2 cm for the large size, so it is best if it has extremes of colour and tone – it has to make an impact in a small space.

Some good ideas would be; Israel themes - The flag, stones of the Western Wall, pomegranates in the shuk.

Nature - flowers – bold close ups, dramatic sunsets. Kids - your child’s drawing – must be colorful!

I don’t mind if your picture is highlighted, cropped or photoshopped to within an inch of its life, but I can’t use faces or people – it mustn’t look like we are praying to idols - it is a mezuzah after all!

In anticipation…
Laura

Rainbow Saturn Rings Handcrafted Mezuzah