Swingin’ Pasties from Gothfox and some Nipply History

…and I don’t mean the meat pie kind!
Gothfox offers unique made-to-order nipple pasties, many of them featuring “easy-twirling” tassels (also handmade!), which are “*magically* placed in an eyelet” to facilitate smooth swinging.
Gothfox is owned and operated by Loretta Jackson, a retired burlesque performer with the experience and craftiness to design tempting, as well as sturdy pasties for personal and professional use.FYI- pasties are, indeed, pasted on - using spirit gum, eyelash glue, latex adhesive or double-sided toupee tape or Fashion/Flash tape.
Please also note that Gothfox's pasties are not just one-size-fits-all. Four sizes, gently cupped to conform to femenine curves, ensure a perfect fit for every body - measured not by the size of the breast, but the areola.
Gothfox offers a wide variety of shapes, colors and designs, embellished with rhinestones, feathers, shimmery/sparkly/patterned fabrics, bows, lace, trims, tassels and more!

Of particular note are these gorgeous peacock-feathered pasties, the whimsical stripy-goth Beetle Juice pasties, the elegant Lo-Pan's Desire pasties, and the out-of-this-world Star Trek insignia pasties. Phasers set to stun, Captain!
So what's the deal with these saucy, sticky little tit-toppers, anyway?
Well, I did a bit of poking around and here's what I found out.

In early burlesque and striptease performance, revealing costumes were often preferred over blatant nudity. Dancers wearing strategically-placed seashells or sparkles enticed the audience with the promise of exposure, but left the details to their imaginations. Of course, topless shows were also popular, so whether to reveal or conceal the titillating tips of their tempting tatas was up to the performer.
In the Roaring 1920's, burlesque - a form of entertainment that included satire, performance art, bawdy comedy and erotically-charged dance performances, flourished. Around this time, the term "strip-tease" first appeared, and the art of tantalizing the audience by slowly removing clothing became increasingly popular.
This of course, freaked out the moralists, and restrictions were placed on just how much naked flesh could be shown. These codes made exposing the female nipple in public against the law, and pasties became a required costume element.This did little to dampen anyone's enthusiasm, however.
The barely-there coverups merely served to enhance the mystique of the forbidden nipple.
Early stripper Carrie Finnell is credited with adding tassels to pasties and pioneering the art of tassel-twirling. Is is said that she had such control of her bountiful breasts that she could twirl the tassels at different speeds and in different directions with such panache that her breasts were compared to propellers readying for lift-off.
Dancers skillfully turned what was supposed to be a limitation into yet another enticing weapon in their erotic entertainment arsenal.

Nowadays, with toplessness once again prevalent in the "exotic dance" industry, pasties are generally considered old-fashioned. Luckily, with the recent explosion of neo-burlesque preformers, the true art of striptease is once again being appreciated, and pasties are an essential element of the seductive restraint that sets it apart from the less artful bump-and-grind of most modern stripping.

Addicted Image

An enticing moment captured by Addicted Image:
http://addictedimage.com/

Friday Night Cocktail

In our little corner of Southern California, the weather has been divine the last couple of days. Sunny, with a mild breeze, big white puffy clouds coasting across the sky...perfect for sitting out on the patio with a good book and a glass of sangria.

Despite it's morbid name (sangria means "bloody" in Italian), this is a delightfully refreshing and genteel beverage. Originating in Spain, it is said that the U.S. got its first taste of this wine punch at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, where the Spanish World pavilion served it to thirsty visitors.

While recipes and methods vary widely, the very basics of sangria are wine and fruit juice. Sliced fresh fruit is a common (and wonderful) addition. Some people add a sweetener, such as honey or simple sugar syrup. Other optional ingredients are brandy to give it an extra kick, and carbonated water or soda to add some sparkle. Some recipes also call for spices such as cinnimon or nutmeg.

My method is pretty loose and off-the-cuff. At the grocery store, I look for fresh seasonal fruit and grab whatever tickles my fancy. Citrus is always a good choice (but don't overdo it on the lemons), as are stonefruits such as peaches and nectarines. Try it with mango or kiwi, apples, melon, grapes, berries...the possibilities are nearly endless!
Next, I get a bottle of red wine - I like something smooth and not too tanniny, like a mellow Merlot.
A carton of orange juice (or other fruit juice) and some citrus/grapefruit Fresca and we're good to go.

Slice up your fruit and put it in a big pitcher (or punch bowl). Add the wine, some of the juice and some Fresca to fill. The proportions of these ingredients is up to you...experiment!
That's it!
Pour over ice to serve.

If you're not in a hurry, allow the fruit, wine and juice flavors to meld in the fridge and add the carbonated ingredient just before serving.

I don't generally add sweetener or brandy, but by all means, give it a shot (pun possibly intended) if you want something a bit stronger.

Sangria can also be made with white wine, a variation called sangria blanca.

Sangria is the perfect, refreshing drink for a warm afternoon. And with all those fruits and juices, it's good for you, too! It's also such a flexible and forgiving recipe that you can relax and play with it and you'll always end up with something delicious.

Salud!

GCI Kama Sutra Award-Winning Monte Cristo with Berry Merlot Sauce

A couple of years before we met, my husband won 1st place in the Kama Sutra category at the Grilled Cheese Invitational with his “Monte Cheesemo” sandwich.
His “1st Place Kama Sutra” trophy was actually the catalyst for our first flirtatious conversation. When I asked about it, he somewhat reluctantly informed me that it didn’t actually have anything to do with the Kama Sutra – that was just the name of the GCI’s “anything goes” category, and his entry had been a deep-fried ham, turkey and cheese Monte Cristo with a blackberry merlot sauce.
It may not have been as sexual as the trophy had seemed to imply, but was it sexy? Oh, yes.
The fact that this man had the desire, skills and creativity to put this recipe together and execute it flawlessly in the heat of fierce competition was no small factor in my falling in love with, and a year later, marrying him.

Ever since learning of his Champion recipe, I’ve asked him to make it for me, since I missed the original competition. He was always willing, but somehow never got around to it until I requested it for my birthday this year.
So this afternoon my husband made a terrific mess of our kitchen, and I finally got to taste his magnificent masterpiece.
The verdict?: Absolutely delicious in the most decadent way!
The saltiness of the ham and turkey was beautifully balanced with the sweetness of the berry merlot sauce. The creaminess of the cheese, the bite of the meats, the fluffy potato bread and the perfectly crisped batter were a divine textural symphony.
This is not a meal you want to eat everyday (well, you may want to, but you probably shouldn’t!), but for a special birthday treat on a warm summer afternoon, it was heavenly!

He even let me document the process, and has given me permission to share his recipe with you.

The Monte Cheesemo
(Ham, Turkey and Cheese Monte Cristo with Berry Merlot Sauce)

Ingredients:
Black Forest ham
Mesquite smoked turkey breast
Potato bread
Ementaller Swiss cheese
Jack cheese
Bisquick
Milk
1 egg
Frozen (or fresh!) blackberries
Merlot wine (the fruitier the better)
Powdered sugar

Method:

Sauce:
In a small saucepan, combine about 8 oz. frozen blackberries, about ½ cup merlot and ½ cup sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
“Reduce until yummy”.
Let sauce cool.
This makes enough sauce for about 3 sandwiches. If you’re not making that many, save the extra sauce, chill it and serve it over ice cream for a dreamy dessert!

Sandwiches:
Mix about 1 cup Bisquick with 1 egg and enough milk to make a thin, tempura-like batter (this should make enough for 3 sandwiches).
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large frying pan.
Layer ham, turkey and cheeses between two slices of potato bread.
Dip sandwiches in batter and carefully put into oil. Fry until crisp and golden brown, turning once.
Drain briefly on paper towels, cut each sandwich in half and spoon sauce over.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve and enjoy!


If you are unfamiliar with the Grilled Cheese Invitational, I implore you to visit their website and take a stroll around – it is quite entertaining (the Rules are especially amusing), and you may find a regional event in your area to check out!
http://grilledcheeseinvitational.com/

Friday Night Cocktail

My goodness, is it Friday already? This week has flown by!

Since this is my "Birthday Party Weekend", I'm going to offer one of my favorite drinks in the world - nigori sake.

Most people probably know sake as a clear rice wine served hot, which tends to ease a bit of of its sharp flavor. In truth, the higher quality sakes are served chilled, including nigori - an unfiltered variety.
"Nigori" translates roughly as "cloudy". The bottle must be shaken before serving to properly blend the sediments at the bottom, resulting in a milky, finely grainy liquid that has a smooth flavor and subtly sweet flavor you won't find in other in other sakes.
It is so easy to drink, and paired with good sushi, it's heavenly. Seriously, there is a special kind of nirvana that can be reached only by eating great sushi and drinking nigori sake in good company.
A wonderful way to keep your nigori cold is to use a clever little bottle, like the one pictured above, which has a little pocket in the center that you fill with ice.
Another nice touch is to drink it from masu, traditional box-shaped cups made of cedar. These unique drinking vessels have been used for celebrating in Japan for centuries, and impart a delicate cedar aroma and flavor to the sake that is delightful and invigorating.

Kampai!

Friday Night Cocktail: Frisky Angel

On time this time!
Tonight I'd like to share with you an original recipe - our House Cocktail, if you will...the Frisky Angel.
It began as a"This is all we have on hand" experiment and was so tasty that it has become our regular Adult Beverage. It's easy, relatively inexpensive, refreshing and low in calories (as cocktails go, anyway - you're basically only getting the calories from the alcohol, as the mixer only has, like, 2 calories!).

Ingredients:
(makes 2)

Vodka
Black Cherry Fresca
Peach Citrus Fresca

Method:
Half-fill 2 pint glasses (or in our case, plastic tumblers because I am notorious for breaking glasses) with ice
Pour in 2 oz. or so of vodka into each
Fill the rest of each glass with half Black Cherry Fresca, and half Peach Citrus Fresca
Stir and enjoy!

You can also use a single flavor, but we like the mix of the Peach and Cherry. I'm not fond of the Original Citrus (grapefruit) flavor.
If you want to get fancy, garnish with a wedge of lime or lemon, or a cherry.
You could also use flavored vodkas...we've tried it with vanilla vodka before and it was a bit sweet for my taste, but perhaps it could be balanced with a squeeze of lime?

I guess I'll just have to test that theory sometime!

Enjoy your weekend!

Tuesday Afternoon Cocktail (Kind Of)

*Sigh*

Apologies for the extreme lateness of this Friday Night Cocktail.

I’m afraid I’ve been busybusy with other business, and I woefully neglected my weekly task. I'm very naughty, I know! Alas!

Well, better late than never, right?

So…how about something to go with lunch?

If you’re anywhere near Los Angeles, you’ll know that we’re smack in the middle of a heat wave (I am eternally grateful to my husband for getting the AC working in our bedroom/office. I now get to work in a cool, dark cave instead of a sweaty dark cave. BIG improvement!).

Sometimes the best thing on a meltingly hot afternoon is a nice, ice-cold beer, such as Angel City Brewing Co.’s refreshing lager.

“A crisp golden lager not unlike some European imports but fresher tasting because its locally brewed and not pasteurized. Angel City Lager utilizes German malts and yeast and Czech Saaz hops, arguably the finest hops in the world, which gives Angel City Lager its crisp hoppy finish. Experience the way great lagers taste in Germany-right here in Southern California.”

Angel City is a microbrewery located in the middle of L.A. (City of Angels, of course!). They offer a growing range of award-winning beers; stouts, ales, lagers, a spicy hefeweizen, smooth dunkles and more.

My favorites are the Angel City Lager, and Angel City Ale, which I first tried several years ago at the Topanga Days festival in Topanga Canyon. That was a hot day, just like today, and those crisp, cold brews sure made the heat a lot more bearable!

So if you’re in the mood for a beer and spy an Angel City offering in the cooler or on the menu, I encourage you to give it a try!

Trader Joe’s Tartar Sauce

Tartar sauce has never been something I get terribly excited about, or have even paid much attention to. It’s generally an unremarkable mayonnaise-based condiment served with fried fish. Nothing to write home about.
Until I tasted Trader Joe’s Tartar Sauce with dill and jalapeño.
The dill, an herb that’s complimentary to most seafood, adds a lovely flavorful note, but it’s the spicy bite of the jalapeño peppers that really makes this sauce something special.
I like it so much that I’ve been coming up with other ways to use this sauce.
It goes with both the fish and the chips (the poor catchup has been usurped, I’m afraid). It’s great mixed with canned tuna or even slathered on a burger. I bet it would make killer deviled eggs. There's a plethora of culinary potential in this little jar.
I urge you to give it a taste, even if you're not all that into tartar sauce.

In the meantime, here’s an interesting article on the origin of the name “tartar sauce” from The Straight Dope.
And now I am left to ponder the possible significance of my typo-ing “Tartar” as “Fartar”. Perhaps it's best not to think too much about it.

Friday Night Cocktail

Jeesh, is it Friday already?
Why do I feel like I want another weekday? How weird is that?
I must be delirious.
Clearly, I need a drink!

How about an Angel's Delight?
Pink and creamy, like a dreamy, alcoholic dessert! Perfect!

Angel's Delight

Ingredients:
1 oz cream
3/4 oz triple sec
3/4 oz gin
2-3 dashes grenadine
Strawberry for garnish

Method: Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Place strawberry on rim of glass for garnish.

More info here.

Saturday Afternoon Cocktail

This Friday Night Cocktail is a bit late, I'm afraid, but just in time for your Independence Day festivities. Sweet and fruity, with an abundance of liberating spirits, including rum, rum, rum, and oh...did I mention rum?


Angel's Fall

Ingredients 1 1/2 oz. Amaretto
1 1/2 oz. Grenadine
1 splash(es) Cranberry Juice
1 splash(es) Grapefruit Juice
1 splash(es) Pineapple Juice
3/4 oz. Vodka
3/4 oz. Dry Gin
1/4 oz. 151 Proof Rum
1/4 oz. Dark Rum
1/4 oz. Light Rum
1/4 oz. Myer's Rum

Instructions: Build in a collins glass with ice or blend with ice to make a frozen drink.

Dollhouse Bettie Lingerie & More!

While surfing the Interwebs for costume inspiration for my Angels this weekend, I came across Dollhouse Bettie. Founder Michelle started her lingerie career selling vintage items on ebay. Three years later, she and her partner Eric opened their boutique in the historic Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco.

This is not your average Fredrick’s-of-Hollywood lingerie store – Dollhouse Bettie’s selection exudes the exquisite class, glamour and romance of the feminine charm of bygone eras. They offer a wide assortment of carefully selected, gorgeous items – from one-of-a-kind, authentic vintage pieces to unique, stylish items from contemporary designers, including their own in-house original designs.

And we’re not just talking bras and panties, but a wide range of retro underthings such as bloomers, peignoirs, pantaloons, tap pants, girdles, knickers, jumpers, corsets and even burlesque accessories like feathery pasties, headdresses and fans.

Their website is well designed and I especially love the beautiful photography of their items (worn by beautiful models who make those granny panties look GOOD!). Michelle is a talented camerawoman, and her photo slideshows offer a variety of views of each piece, lovingly showing off the luxurious fabrics, stylish cuts and delicate details.

Michelle also offers Boudoir photography taken at a nearby studio located in a “gorgeous turn of the century Edwardian flat with ethereal diffused natural light and period furnishings”.
Her blog, Adventures in Pantieland, is an intriguing glimpse into the world of vintage apparel and lingerie. This woman knows her lacy underthings!

My favorite items:

Dollhouse Bettie Original Apron Garter Belt

Letters of Marque Bloomer

And especially these adorable Chanteuse Ruched Silk Pinup Shorts!

Friday Night Cocktail

Well, it's almost Friday night, anyway!

Time for a creamy, dreamy cuppa somethin' sweet and sinful. Tonight's featured cocktail is the Angel's Wing - a heavenly, chocolaty concoction to float you away:

Angel's Wing:
Ingredients:
1/2 oz white Creme de Cacao
1/2 oz Brandy
1 tblsp Light cream

Instructions: Pour ingredients carefully, in order given, into a pousse-cafe glass so that they do not mix. Serve without mixing.

Yum!
Cheers!