Dinner Party Ideas

Give Simple: Perfect Gift Ideas for Any Kind of Mom

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:12:04 +0000

Give Simple: Perfect Gift Ideas for Any Kind of Mom

Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 13, 2006

Let’s see if we have this straight: Mother’s Day is coming, and you have one of those “special” round peg moms that refuses to go in life’s little square holes. You know what we’re talking about:

The mom that always sings along (loudly!) to the radio – even if she doesn’t know all the words.

The mom that knows the difference between a canapé, a crepe, and just plain crap when she hears it.

The mom who taught you the value of friendship by having great girlfriends she could always count on.

And the list goes on and on. If you’ve got a momma who is one of those “special” round peg types, Give Simple (http://www.GiveSimple.com) has some great gifts for you this Mother’s Day. They are sure to please the one woman in her life that always stood ten feet tall in your eyes.

For the perfect gift idea, just find the mom archetype that most matches your mom’s personality – and voila! It couldn’t be any simpler!

Diva Mama- need we say more? She wants the best because she deserves it, darling. After all, she had you, didn’t she? Tell Mom you think she’s the best with Give Simple’s Ultimate Gold gift package, featuring three of our favorite amazingly-scented Niven Morgan Gold products: the wonderful perfume, the velveting hand cream and the super-indulgent bath foam.

Hostess-with-the-Mostest Mama- whether you invited over your two best girlfriends for the weekend or the whole softball team for pizza and cokes at the last minute, Mom was always able to put everyone at ease and make sure they all had a good time. Now Amy Nebens has written a charming guide sure to be appreciated, “A Gracious Welcome: Etiquette and Ideas for Entertaining Houseguests” that brings together inspiration and advice for planning and hosting a visit that’s relaxing and enjoyable for guest and host alike. From invitations no one could refuse to advice on furnishing a cozy guest bedroom and well-appointed bath, “A Gracious Welcome” is a refreshing approach to sharing the home turf with family and friends.

Party Girl Mama – for the mom that knows to serve shaken, not stirred, we have the perfect gift solution: our Party Girl gift package. Start with “Highballs High Heels: A Girl’s Guide to the Art of Cocktails” by Karen Brooks, Gideon Bosker and Reed Darmon. Mom will be delighted with recipes for swanky highballs (and outstanding non-alcoholic drinks), as well as ideas for cocktail soirees, dinners and summer bashes. Speaking of entertaining, help Mom get the party started with a box of Party Rox from artist Sally Russell. Use these lovely little stones inscribed with names like, “babe” and “hunk” as place settings, and watch the ice break.

Pampered Pet Mom – remember, she “Pampered” you back in the day (ahem!). Pamper Mom now with the soothing scent of lavender from our new Sonoma Lavender line. When heated or chilled, the Lavender Relaxing Eye Pillow, a spa mask made of super-soft material and filled with flaxseed and lavender, offers luxurious, therapeutic relief from stress and headaches. Sonoma’s Lavender Heated Fluffy Slippers have a lavender/flax insert that can be heated in the microwave to provide the ultimate relief for tired, aching feet. Want to make sure that Mom’s relaxing evening is complete? Include Lavender Room/Linen Spray by k. hall designs, made with pure essential French lavender oil. The scent is so calming, Mom will want to keep this spray in her bedroom nightstand for sweet dreams and restful sleep.

Haute Mama – for the new mom-to-be that absolutely refuses to wear anything with those (shudder!) awful Peter Pan colars. Karen Salmansohn’s book, “Hot Mama: How to Have a Babe and Be a Babe,” shares the inside scoop on staying healthy and looking your most fabulous during the nine months of pregnancy. Want everyone to know how haute your new mama really is? Pair this book with our wonderful “Mom to Be” Charming Expressions necklace that lets everyone know the good news, and our ultra-cute photo albums and photo keychains to share pictures of her little bundle of joy!

The Queen Mother – It’s good to be queen. Give Simple’s double-sided Good Mother/Queen charm necklace from Pick Up Sticks creates a fun and playful way to let Mom know she’s still the queen of your heart. One side has a nostalgic photo of a queen with the words “Good Mother,” and the other has word cut-outs that proclaim, “Mom, you are a wonder.” The crowning touch is the attached silver crown charm, all on an 18-inch sterling silver chunky link chain.

Bless My Mama! – for all the blessings she’s given us over the years, show Mom the warmth and joy she’s created in your life. “House Blessings: Prayers, Poems, and Toasts Celebrating Home and Family” by June Cotner is a beautiful book that celebrates the beauty of hearth and home. Cotner has assembled a moving collection of interfaith prayers, poems, and toasts that speak to the experiences we share in turning our houses into our homes. With 112 pieces collected from 38 writers, this little book offers a reading for every occasion. From housewarming to holiday celebration, from planting a garden to raising a family, gems of wisdom and inspirational selections celebrate all our most treasured moments at home.

Sleepytime Mama – finally, it’s payback time for all those sleepless nights! Help Mom get settled in for a good night’s sleep. Give Mom Give Simple’s Ultimate Bed and Breakfast gift package. Our most popular Coral Toile Pine Cone Hill pajamas and super-soft fleecy robe means Mom can experience the ultimate in luxurious comfort. And what better way to make sure that Mom starts the day right than with Stonewall Kitchen’s Chocolate Pancake & Waffle Mix with Raspberry Syrup. Mmmm! This fantastically scrumptious breakfast has been given a rating of “Two Yums Up!”

Stylin’ and Profilin’ Mama – for the mom that looks equally fabulous in blue jeans or “going out” clothes. Give Simple suggests that you give your mama fashionista an artful necklace from jewelry designer and metalsmith Emily Brooks. Brooks’ hip designs are chic, simple, and modern, on sterling silver ball chains. They are stunning without looking like they tried and elegant in their simplicity.

Mama Nouveau – For the mama who’s just joined the Mommy Club. Give Simple suggests that you spoil the new mama in your life sweet with this lovely charm “baby” necklace from Pick Up Sticks. Sentimental but sophisticated, this necklace features a baby footprint on one side and a definition of a baby on the back. It incorporates an antique heart key charm – an understated reference to the love for a baby unlocking a mother’s heart. The charms come on an 18-inch sterling silver chunky link chain.

Chocoholic Mama – For the chocolate lovin’ mama in your life, Give Simple’s gift package, A Chocolate Deal, has everything she needs to get going! We start with our “Chocolate Deck: 50 Luscious Indulgences” by Lori Longbotham – a deck of 50 decadent recipes showcasing the world’s favorite guilty pleasure – with such sinful inclusions as Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes, Black Velvet Mouse, a devilish Chocolate Martini, and more! Mom can showcase her work on a fabulously elegant Playing House Pedestal Platter cake stand from Rosanna in a creamy soft pink, and a super-fun polka dots and stripes apron from Sally Russell. Who says chocolate has to be serious business?

Seriously Fabulous Mama – Show mom that you know just how fabulous she is with Give Simple’s Seriously Simple gift package. We include our top-selling Glow Simple Fresh Cut triple-scented soy blend candle, with its clean and crisp scent that will make Mom’s house smell like a relaxing summer’s day. And to top it off, there’s “Seriously Simple: Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks” by Diane Rossen Worthington. The title says it all: Worthington’s 90 recipes show you how to turn ho-hum dishes into something memorable without spending all day in the kitchen. Perfect for that seriously fabulous woman in your life who wants something seriously fast and seriously delicious, so she can have some serious fun!

World Traveling Mama – Mom was the one who taught you that the biggest journey of your life started with a single step. Now show the woman who showed you the world that you’re all grown up with Give Simple’s Send Mom to Paris gift package. Our gift-boxed Parisian Wallpaper Dessert Plates come in a set of four, and will have Mom saying, “Oui, oui!” to this exquisite stoneware collection. The intricate black and white baroque patterns for this marvelous set take their inspiration from French wallpaper patterns. Pair these plates with our fabulous top-selling Charming Expressions glass charm necklace that says it all: “My Mother, My Friend,” and let Mom know what a special part she plays in your life.

Let’s Get Cookin’ Mama – for the mama who loves to rattle those pots and pans, give The Ultimate Gourmet Package from Give Simple. Our package includes our favorite gourmet items, including a package of our sinfully delicious Barefoot Contessa Outrageous Brownie Mix, our ever-popular Artichoke Lemon Pesto from Bella Cucina, melt-in-your-mouth cookies from Hannah’s Cookies, and Tea Forte delicious silken tea infusers. After all of this comes the kitchen detail – but who said cleaning up had to be drudgery? The sink caddie set by Cucina, with its incredible Repairing-Action Hand Cream and the Purifying Hand Wash is available in your choice of the best-selling Coriander and Olive Tree scent and the ultra-fresh Ginger and Sicilian Lemon. Together, these make cleaning up the kitchen almost a spa experience!

Our Story:

The frilly-edged white platter was, in a word (okay two words), utterly perfect. Kendra Wright, a web developer and “serial entrepreneur,” first spied the Flirt Platter in New Orleans and scooped it up for her kitchen back home. She later e-mailed the manufacturer and learned that they weren’t available online. If she wanted another platter, she’d have to visit Little Rock.

Kendra set off for Arkansas and decided that the pretty white platters were simply too good not to share. With the help of her sister, Tracy Brown, her close friend Karen Beller and her fabulous business partners (plus a whole lot of candle sniffing and lotion testing), Give Simple was born.

It’s the little surprises and delicious moments that truly put a spring in our step. The same goes for gifts. We’ve combed the markets to find goodies that add a serious hit of fun to each and every day. All our products are fresh, contemporary and easy to integrate into your life.

From a divine artichoke pesto that makes your taste buds sing to a cozy robe perfect for curling up with a good book, we only sell gifts that we absolutely love. If we wouldn’t wrap it up for our best friends, it won’t make the cut. Visit GiveSimple.com for more ways to bring order, harmony and new energy into your life. We’re dedicated to making life simpler, one woman at a time.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

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Give Simple: Perfect Gift Ideas for Any Kind of Mom

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:12:04 +0000

Give Simple: Perfect Gift Ideas for Any Kind of Mom

Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 13, 2006

For the perfect gift idea, just find the mom archetype that most matches your mom’s personality – and voila! It couldn’t be any simpler!

Our Story:

###

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Find More Dinner Pary Ideas Press Releases

The World of Online Malls

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 06:03:42 +0000

The World of Online Malls

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 26, 2006

The emergence of cyberspace has brought a lot of possibilities and comforts especially for shop alcoholics like me who is always in the pursuit of bargains, sales, and discounts. Online shopping and shoppers are very rampant today due to the convenience and low prices it offers. Online Shopping is a means of buying a specific product and availing of services using the internet. People can save a lot of money since they can search for the lowest deal in the market by just clicking the mouse. Furthermore, it saves time and effort as actual shopping would usually require a lot of legwork by going through different boutiques, shops, and flea markets. People at work and at home, can do their own shopping, without the hassle and trouble of actually competing with other people to get the desired sale products. Aside from that, it’s fast, easy, and very practical. In fact, you can discover a lot of low bargain prices in the internet rather than in malls and shops. The features and benefits that online shopping have, entices people to go online and shop.

People using online shopping can pay their bills using a credit card, electronic cash or ecash, debit cards, and cod or cash on delivery basis. Through the internet, a shopper can see various brands of a single product and its features and reviews, which will give the consumers an upper hand and an idea before buying any product on the internet. Some of the common sites to go online shopping are Yahoo, Google, eBay, and Amazon for book addicts.

A lot of people prefer online shopping because some of the rare and hard to find products can be located via online shopping. Although online shopping is truly a blessing for shopping addicts, sometimes, there are unsatisfied consumers for the services and products they availed. Consumers should take note that it’s relevant to shop only from credible online sites. The drawback in shopping online is that you can’t see the actual product that they’re going to deliver you until it arrives on your doorstep. In shopping malls or stores, you can get to choose from other new stocks of the product.

Aside from availing products, one of the unique features and services of online shopping is that it can fulfill your dream vacation escapades. With discount travel sites, you can go to the exotic islands of Caribbean, visit ancient ruins in Greece, or even go with your kids to Disneyland at a low price. Anything is possible with discount travel sites.

Discount travel sites can also inform it’s costumers things like affordable hotels to stay in, sites to visit and cheap restaurants. They can make your vacation truly memorable and affordable. An example of sites for discount travel is expedia.com, which offers maximum vacation pleasure at a minimum price. Their summer getaway includes thirty percent off sale and a rate of $ 93 and above for travel expenses, if they book now for later travel plans. It is beneficial for those who are one hundred percent sure that they will travel.

I always dream of going to Paris and dine in one of their restaurants. When I browsed for discount travel, I found out that Expedia.com offers a lot of features for their Paris shopping travels. Their travel package for Paris trip are the following: a shopping spree in the malls of Paris for eight hours together with a private car, a Loius Vuitton trunk giveaway for your shopping products, four nights stay at the famous Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris, and a dinner for two in the renowned Le Cinq Restaurant. The transportation from the airport to hotel and vice versa is not a problem for it is provided by expedia.com so as to make the travel experience of costumers hassle-free.

The Paris travel packaging of expedia.com is so wonderful. If you are a fashion addict, you can visit designer shops like Dior, *Louis Vuitton*, and Chanel. And if you are a culture vulture, you can visit the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum and other historical sites in Paris. And finally, if you just want to experience fine dining, the French way, then eating in their restaurants and coffee shops will be a good idea. The bottom line is this: expedia.com caters to all your needs and wishes just to give you a better service and better travel experience.

When I was a kid, I used to think that there’s no way that I could actually travel, let alone go to Paris, France. I’m just a middle class citizen earning her way to the top, but as soon as I discovered online shopping, I know now that traveling is not next to impossible. I could even travel without the expense of getting a loan, and that I could actually go to places far beyond I could have hoped and dreamed of.

For more valuable information on discount hotel, discount travel, please visit http://www.shoppersdiscount.com

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

The World of Online Malls

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 06:03:42 +0000

The World of Online Malls

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 26, 2006

For more valuable information on discount hotel, discount travel, please visit http://www.shoppersdiscount.com

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

The New Avant-Garde Cookbook. A Revolutionary Movement That Change The Cookbook Industry. -Art and Cook

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:13:09 +0000

The New Avant-Garde Cookbook. A Revolutionary Movement That Change The Cookbook Industry. -Art and Cook

(PRWEB) January 3, 2004

Art and Cook Love Food, Live Design, And Dream Art

Have you ever seen a cookbook that mixes controversy into its recipes? Have you ever come across a book that combines gourmet dishes, artwork, and political and social commentary? Have you ever experienced a book, beginning with the suggestive and unique packaging it comes in, that contains cutting-edge creative, and provocative contents that simultaneously stimulate, insatiate and exacerbate? Can a single book raise questions, stir emotions, and make you thirst for food and knowledge? Art and Cook may just be this generation’s breakthrough book and it’s aptly labeled by its creators as being the leader of the “Revolutionary Movement.”

Art and Cook: Love Food, Live Design, And Dream Art is not your ordinary cookbook. Nor is it your ordinary art book. In fact, it’s hard to classify, as it consists fully of three integrated parts that overlap, merge and melt into each other. Our life’s art, food and politics are intertwined in a fascinating approach taken by creative talent that until now has remained behind the scenes.

Art and Cook, produced, conceptualized and designed by Allan Ben Studio, Inc. (based in New York City), blends together Surrealism and Dadaism to create original works of art with universal appeal. The publication also draws from pop culture and commercial art in its quest to explore bold directions, unconventional ideas and a fresh, new perspective. It hopes to do what any good piece of art or literature does best: create a dialogue, cause a controversy and make people think differently — or at least make them think, period, about the world around and within them.

Above all, the images in Art and Cook, some haunting in their intensity, raise one? level of consciousness about social, political and moral issues such as world conflict, environmental concerns, animal cruelty and medical and technological advances. The visuals tell a story and, oftentimes, court controversy. It? an invitation for the reader to reflect, learn, think, laugh and view the world through different perspectives.

Sample recipes and images include the following:

n A Middle Eastern Chopped Salad that shows plastic toy soldiers mixed into a salad

n A plump-looking Superman shown next to a strawberry dessert dish shows how Americans have become obese and soft

n A carrot and ginger soup complemented by a photo that comments on deforestation

n A pan-seared tilapia dish with a photograph showing a white man playing a harmonica on top, and a black man eating corn on the bottom, commenting on racism

n A delicious dish of braised short ribs that also makes you question if you’d eat meat knowing instead of a cow it was your pet dog that was being served.

n A grilled sea bass recipe with a fish displayed with a gas mask, commenting on how our polluted oceans are influencing our lives

The book’s publication draws a correlation between food and art in a manner that is fresh, exciting and mind-bending. It’s modern-day avant-garde in its style and approach.

The recipes in this book are complete meals, and the instructions are written simply and effectively to facilitate even the unseasoned cook. The sections of the book have been laid out to enable the reader to enjoy a complete dining experience ?like laying a table ?beginning with the mouth-watering appetizers and ending with rich, sumptuous desserts.

There are delectable soups, scrunchy salads, energizing pastas, soulful vegetarian meals, fresh fish plates, and plentiful poultry and meat dishes.

Porcini Mushrooms with Mascarpone and Herbed Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Flowers are just a few of the delightful creations gracing the appetizer section, while for dessert, there? Baklava and Espresso Parfait with Meringue Chunks.

Not to be outdone are the stunning works of art that complement and sometimes mirror the food presentations. The works of some of the world? most famous Surrealist and Dadaist artists are visually altered for dramatic effect; inanimate objects eerily resembling prepared dishes are featured; and new bold works of art are presented for the very first time.

The creators of Art and Cook were greatly influenced by dozens of artists, thinkers, celebrities and leaders, and in scores of photographs they pay tribute to people like Man Ray, Marcel DuChamps, Salvador Dali, Christo, Yoko Ono, Stanley Kubrick, Jeff Koontz, Einstein, and Napoleon. Art and Cook also acknowledges the influence and cultural contribution of Cubism, video games, Hiroshima, Russian architecture, racism, war, automation, deforestation, the Internet, French culture, and The Godfather.

The packaging is as unique as the book’s contents. The book, with a cover that features a picture of an eyeball in an egg, is shrink-wrapped. The book is contained inside a large egg carton, which is enclosed by a paper ribbon and all of that is then shrink-wrapped. The book touches upon delicate and fragile topics, much the way an egg must be handled carefully if we don’t want it to break. But of course, as with politically-charged issues, someone usually ends up with egg on their face. All of the layers of packaging serve symbolically to show there are multiple layers and dimensions to our world.

“Art and Cook fuse together in this book, much like everything in life and in America in particular, fuses together,” says Allan Ben Studio Art Director Emmanuel Paletz, who has created Flash Animation Videos for musical bands that include The Cure and actor Keanu Reaves’ Dogstar. “Food, like art, stimulates the mind and the senses.”

Chef Einav Gefen Dubnikov, who has appeared on Good Morning America, says: “The recipes were born from seeing food as art. One should cook only if he loves doing so. Like the saying, ‘You are what you eat’ one can also say: You cook what you feel. That’s what I did here.”

The Dada Movement, introduced at the end of the First World War, in opposition to the war, created art that reflected the ugliness of conflict ?the anti-art. Other forms of art in the 20th century were impacted by the Dada Movement, among them Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Conceptual Art and Pop Art.

While Dadaism is devoid of guidelines and structure (as is the case with the title, used in a manner that is grammatically incorrect to summon forth feelings of shock and consternation), Surrealism draws heavily on theories adapted from Sigmund Freud: It fuses together conscious and unconscious realms of experience so completely, joining the everyday rational world in an absolute reality, a surreality.

The creative expressions within the confines of this book (that provide a delicate balance between food and art), like Surrealism and Dadaism, are indicative of a desire to draw from reality, fantasy and personal emotions to create images real or imagined ?all intended to stimulate the senses and nourish the mind.

The recipes in this volume are influenced by food from the Mediterranean and Asia, Continental American Cuisine and Classic French Cuisine. Food, like art, is a representation of beauty and, when expertly presented, a masterpiece in its own right.

Food is much more than necessity. It has a social role to bring families and people together. What one gets from one taste, one look, is universality. A blending together of different flavors and spices, in very much the same way an artist mixes colors in search of depth, meaning and tones to convey meaning, evokes a particular response. This volume exemplifies an exploration into uncharted territory in pursuance of the extraordinary.

“Art and Cook is truly extraordinary,” says co-creator Allan Ben, “because every word and every picture suggests a duality of interpretation. The recipes and images harmoniously fuse a message that is congruent at times, and conflicting in others.”

Perhaps Art and Cook is the only book where you can find Albert Einstein depicted with a milk mustache (presumably from eating Crepe with Vanilla Pastry Cream and Citrus Sauce), along with a recipe that calls for peanuts featured opposite a woman with her bare buttocks highlighted (implying where the fat will go straight to), and a delightful lamb kabob plate that also makes you wonder if it’s healthy to eat animals who graze on artificial grounds.

Whether you consider it an art book or a cookbook — or something bigger — it is sure to cook up plenty of conversations around dinner tables, art galleries and office water coolers for years to come.

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Publication Data: Art and Cook: Love Food, Live Design, And Dream Art by Allan Ben Studio, Inc.; Published 2004 by Digital In Space; 5-color, 157 GSM glossy art paper, 304 pages, including 6 gatefolds; 9×12 Hard Cover; $ 59.95; ISBN: 0-9743089-2-7

Available: http://www.artandcook.com or http://www.amazon.com or at a bookstore near you.

Contact Information: Planned Television Arts

Brian Feinblum 212-583-2718 feinblumb@plannedtvarts.com

ALLAN BEN

Founder and President

Allan Ben Studios, Inc.

Biography

Allan Ben has been described by Studio Photography & Design, as “an artist and a businessman, just as concerned with creating an effective piece, as he is with doing his work, in a way that makes objects emotional.”

The publication refers to the passion Ben brings to his work in his dual role as artist and businessman, since he is the President and CEO of Allan Ben Studio, Inc., and involved in running his business with the same degree of intensity he brings to his photography and design.

After graduating from Manhattan? School of Visual Arts a decade ago with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Photography, Ben immediately opened his studio in New York City and delved into working in the alluring world of fashion. He has had an eclectic array of clients, including Konica, a major film and camera manufacturer.

Since then he has photographed food, fashion accessories such as boots, wallets, sunglasses, jewelry. He is the creator and driving force behind Art and Cook, which draws the correlation between food an art in a manner that is creative and eclectic. The publication blends together Surrealism and Dadaism to create works of art with universal appeal. He produced, conceptualized and designed Art and Cook over several years.

“This publication is the realization of a dream come true for me,” says Ben. “In all my years of creating, exploring and dealing with the competition all around, I am now involved in a monumental project that is the sum total of all of my experiences.”

Ben, 34, lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife.

EMMANUEL PALETZ

Art Director

Allan Ben Studios, Inc.

Biography

With over eight years of experience in art direction and graphic design, Emmanuel Paletz has become an expert in various design and animation disciplines, and he is a recognized professional whose work was published in the prestigious book, WWW Design: Flash by Daniel Donnelly. The book recognized Paletz for creating one of the best Web sites from around the world.

Paletz is an award-winning artist whose work was presented at the “New Talent Pavillion” at the Milia ?8 International Interactive Media Exhibition in Cannes, France.

The band “The Cure” commissioned him to create their first ever Flash Animation Video for the Web. Paletz also created the first Flash animation Video for “Dogstar,” actor Keanu Reeve? band.

He currently holds the position of Art Director at Allan Ben Studio, Inc. with responsibility for design, conceptualization and art direction for Art and Cook.

“For me,” says Paletz, “Art and Cook is a connection with the past. My father was a chef. He has passed away. So, I have tried to create a dialogue between him and me.”

Paletz graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Design. He also has a degree in Fine Arts. He was one of the founders and the art director of Puzzlehead Ltd., a design agency that focuses on the high-tech industry in the areas of Web site development, graphic user interface, rich media presentation and corporate identity.

Paletz, 34, resides in Manhattan with his wife.

Q&A

When and how did you develop the idea to create Art and Cook, which passionately and uniquely draws the correlation between food and art in a manner that is creative and eclectic? We are artists that wanted to have a photo exhibition about social life, politics, and environment issues. Back into the year of 2002 none of the galleries wanted to exhibit our work, so we thought about a way to show our work in a much more creative way that no artist has thought about.

One day after a gallery slammed the door on our faces, my art director, Emmanuel, said to me: “Let’s go grab a bite.” I remember we were so depressed, while we were eating suddenly I looked at Emanuel and he looked at me and I said: “Emanuel are you thinking about what I am thinking?” Emanuel glimpsed back: “I think I have read your mind this time.” And by the time we were up to desserts, we both agreed that we are heading in a direction of a cookbook. At that moment, at that very place, Art and Cook was born.

The next step was to combine our art with gourmet dining recipes. Of course we didn? have all the ideas yet, but it was a starting point. A half-million-dollar budget had to be set for this project with a crew of 40 people. You could see the results. We set up a new standard for a cookbook. Anybody who is going to create a cookbook will have to meet the new industry standards. We are the first ones who took food and related it to something else rather than to France or Italy or any other country. We are a revolution movement to the art and food books industry. No more will you see just a recipe and next to it a standard food photograph.

Whatever contribution Absolut vodka has made to the beverages industry, and whatever Howard Stern made to the radio industry, Art and Cook has made to the food world. We bring the truth to the plate, now when you eat you know where it? coming from and what the results are, for better or worse. All other cookbooks everything is wonderful romantic, beautiful landscape but its illusion. Art and Cook is telling the truth and there is no reason why we shouldn? say that.

Food brings up memories, adventures, pleasures, and it triggers the brain as the body takes part in this venture. The same goes with art, it reminds you some moments in life are happy others sad, and of the things you enjoy and things that you dislike. Art also gives you moments of thoughts that your body takes over. A painting sometimes takes you to a fantasy like a good dessert. On the other hand, a picture that would touch your heart could take you into a kitchen where you would be the one cutting the onions. And there are times when you get so excited from a piece of art, and that? like eating hot peppers where all your body shakes.

How do you anticipate the public will receive this novel approach of fusing art, food and social issues? It will create a lot of social arguments and quarrels between the way people think. Since the book is dealing with delicate issues some will agree with the point that you need to preserve Mother Nature. This group of people will fall in the same category with Greenpeace. And then there are different groups that will no matter what want to justify their lust to achieve their satisfactions. For example, the El-Matador image — which is on page 235 — shows a matador holding a sore with a red piece of meat instead of a red fabric. WHY DO ANIMALS HAVE TO PAY A HIGH PRICE OF CULTURE? DO DEERS HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE OF WALL DECORE? DOES A COW HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE OF FURNITURE, OR A JACKET?

You say that Art and Cook blends together Surrealism and Dadaism to create works of art with universal appeal. Please explain what those two schools of art are. Surrealism is built on dreams, because of that their work is illogical. They use real elements and distort them and the way they see them. Dadaism uses real elements and combines them to create a conceptual art: the forms stay as they are but the results are different. One of the cornerstones in the Dada movement was Marcel DuChamps. He took a stool and he put on top a bicycle wheel. He uses the elements the way they appear in reality but he combines to create a conceptual art. On the other hand, one of the most popular surrealists. Salvador Dali lives in a world of fantasy in an illusion far away from reality. He took real elements like the clock and distorts it to reveal his dream. Art and Cook is a combination of the logical and illogical connection. You could see the Dada movement expressed on page 253. (Lamb on a Lego Board) These are two elements that are not connected to each other in reality and we didn? distort them but we’ve given them a new spin. The Lego is the grass that symbolizes the substances that we eat instead of real grass or vitamins. We are what we eat and we are what’s eaten by what we eat.

The stunning and thought-provoking images in Art and Cook can be haunting in their intensity and certainly many of them raise one? level of consciousness about social, political and moral issues. What themes do you comment most often on and why?

The most tough and provoking images are in three sections: fish, poultry, and meat. Over there we show the relationship between human and animals. Since animals are living creatures you deal with feelings and emotions. Fish with gas mask, chicken laying on a timer, or a cockfight. These are a few of the images that express the way we treat animals and show our relationship with the environment. Indeed, these are points that are very delicate issues. It’s not that simple to live with the fact that the fish has to live in such a polluted ocean, which comes back to us anyway. And it’s not easy to live with the fact that you need to stuff baby ducks with hormones so you can eat your favorite liver while they have to suffer pain. Why should chickens or dogs have to participate in a cockfight for gambling? pleasures.

You definitely comment on animal rights and animal treatment. What lasting message do you have for people on this topic? Don’t use Mother Nature for your lust; use her for your existence. Mother Nature has given us wonderful things, so why do we have to overuse it or abuse it? Enjoy and appreciate Mother Nature instead of trying to make another dollar. Some people are Dadaists in relation to the nature and some are surrealists. The Dadaist will take the elements in the nature and combine to create a new form of art, while the surrealist will use the elements and distort it. To combine oxygen and hydrogen is very good. It gives us water, but when you take those elements and start to distort it, it could be very destructive.

Our world is filled with conflict and war. More than one recipe in Art and Cook converges on this topic. Describe your favorite photo-recipe that comments on peace and war. We are not a Hollywood movie. In Hollywood the end is always happy. In our book we bring reality to the table. There is no peace in the world; there wasn? at any time in human history and there will not be. There are wars with hopes. On pages 84-85, there is the Middle Eastern Chopped Salad. In the salad bowl you have salad mixed with green solders; the tomatoes are in the color of blood, and the salad looks like a war zone with solders being killed over there. The salads bowl is also made from metal the same way as a war — war is very metallic, it? cold and can harm you. It? also a round bowl that doesn? have a start or an end. We tend to go in circles in our disputes and in how we handle them.

How do you tackle environmental concerns in Art and Cook? On page 57 the recipe is Carrot and Ginger Soup. We make a metaphor by cutting the carrots — it looks like a bench that grows in the ground. We digitally combine the carrots into the chopped trees. Deforestation is one of our biggest environmental concerns. Another example is on pages 180 ?81 “Grave Yard” shows how the safest place for the fish becomes the worst and least protected place for him. Whatever Mother Nature did not cause to happen to the fish, we did.

Medical and technological advances are certainly covered in Art and Cook. How do you feel science and machinery are dehumanizing us? Look at pages 196-197 and see the recipe “Crispy Duck Breast With Mango Relish And Yucca Fries.” We took a baby duck and photographed it in many positions. Then we photographed an open antibiotics pill. Then digitally we combined the two images and it looks like the duck was photograph inside the pill (by the way the colors are stunning and the duck look so sweet). In this image we emphasize how technology could have us grow the duck to an enormous sizes in such a short time to have another zero added onto the bank account, while the animal has to go through a tortured process. Another way to look at it is that we give the animals antibiotics and it all comes back to us eventually. Or when you try to save money and give a cow things to eat things that should not be fed to her, it causes disease all over the world (i.e: Mad Cow Disease).

How did you determine what to include in and exclude from the book? It seems like you can apply this approach to an endless number of topics, right? With Art and Cook we are walking on a very thin rope — and it? very easy to fall. We had to make some important decisions on which ideas to use. After all, it? a cookbook. People still could cook from it. The foods have to look yummy and tasty, while your message has to be delivered. Provocative issues usually get converted into black and white and scaled down so as not to hurt the desire to eat from the recipe. For example, on page 251, in the tribute to Francis Bacon, we had a dilemma on how to present the meat on top of the chair. If the meat would be in color and the blood drips down, no one will have the appetite to eat. That? the beauty of Art and Cook. We found the right balance between the art and the food. One of the images that we decided to exclude from the book was a chicken lying down on a bed of nails. The image is very strong and we don? want to scare the people. The image expresses animal cruelty.

Even the package is unique — the book rests in an egg carton. What is that supposed to symbolize? Since the book addresses many controversial issues and delicate topics, the egg carton box is used to carry fragile content. We needed to find a package that will tell what? inside, and we all know the inside is very fragile. The cover of the book is an egg and inside the egg is a human eye. An egg is a metaphor of something that is developing and is incubating, about to become something else. With an egg in its early stages you can? tell what? inside but after you open it you can tell. Our concept is the egg; it? a beginning of a new language. We also chose to create the packaging from recycled paper to reflect our environmental concerns.

As the president and CEO of Allen Ben Studio, Inc., you and a talented team of creators put Art and Cook together. What was it like to collaborate with others, including award-winning artist Emmanuel Paletz and chef Einav Gefen Dubnikov, who has been featured on Good Morning America? It was a very challenging project for all of us, especially me. I had to deal with the financial aspect as well the creative ideas. The amount of time it took to research and develop the idea was enormous and I still had to keep it within our budget. We had to work as a team to combine and relate the recipe and art and the graphics and the colors — and to stay within our budget. It was hard. It was like producing a movie: we had a lot of unexpected problems. But it was worth it. What matters now is the end result?a masterpiece!

Tell us about your favorite image in Art and Cook. One of our favorite images is on page 30: STUFFED GRAPE LEAF. It talks about Heaven and Hell. Albert Dourer is an artist that lived in the 16th century. He had made an engraving about Heaven. We took the image and we split it into two. The upper part we deleted and we used only the bottom of the etch. In the bottom of the engraving, you can see the bottom part of Adam and Eve. We covered their intimate parts with grape leaves because some say that Adam and Eve didn? eat from an apple, but actually from a grape tree. The recipe is grape too. We took a different image of a couple that eats in the restaurant and we used only their upper body to connect it to Adam and Eve. The concept is that the engraving is Heaven because they didn? sin yet, while in the upper part they do eat, so over there is Hell. That? why we called it Heaven and Hell. The upper part is our world, which is Hell, and the bottom is Heaven.

One of the images features an overweight Superman. What is this supposed to depict?

Obesity. The American icon, Superman, who represents the perfect body shape becomes fat. They all agree that when you eat fat or fast food that? how you are going to end up: fat — and fast! America is Number One in obesity, having the most cases in the world. Americans only make up 5% of the world’s population — but we consume almost 29% of the world’s food.

Another image shows a bullfighter waving raw meat instead of a towel. What type of statement are you making here? A matador is a part of Spain’s culture. Bull fighting is a big event in Spain. Basically the game is about whoever stays a live — it? either the bull or he matador. Here are the game rules: the matador draws the bull’s attention by moving a red fabric. The bull runs towards the red fabric and when he reaches the fabric the matador sticks the sword inside the bull’s body. The bull slowly bleeds to death. The bull gets angry and the game becomes more dangerous. The end of the game is when the bull is losing a lot of blood and collapses. The matador claims. We interpret this game in Art and Cook by having a matador holding instead of a red fabric a piece of meat. We want to see an end to humanity’s cruelty, to his bloodlust. Animals should not have to pay a price because we want a sport or to be entertained.

It looks like you’re telling us through Art and Cook that the world is degrading itself environmentally, abusing animals, too involved in war, and too dependent on technology. How do you hope the dialogue instigated by your book will push forward solutions? Art and Cook will bring solutions by raising the questions. By asking the right questions, we can come up with solutions. The solutions always comes after questions. If there are no questions and everything is nice and filled with glory then you don? need to look for an answer. Art and Cook asks the right questions and every individual has to show responsibility and maturity to answer the questions. The more people that will be exposed to Art and Cook, the more peaceful environment we will have. I think that every person is responsible for his own behavior, even if nobody sees you. Art and Cook is not answering the question that was raised inside; we leave the answers to every one who is exposed to the book. I am sure that everyone will use his own talent and his own judgment to decide what? wrong and right.

You make numerous tributes for — and numerous references to — dozens of other artists and famous people, including Salvador Dali, Man Ray, Albert Hitchcock, Georgia O’ Keefe, Albert Einstein and Stanley Kubrick. Which two or three people influenced your book the most and how did they impact your work? Because we were influenced from the Dada movement and from the Surrealism world, one of the artists that had an impact on our book is Marcel DuChamps. He is a very conceptual artist who uses collages in his work and that? why his inspiring. He takes two separate objects and connects them together to create a new meaning. Nobody in the world so far ever thought to connect art with food in a manner that is so provoking and that? Marcel DuChamps’ concept. We have given a tribute to his work throughout Art and Cook. His seeds are spread all over the pages, especially on page 246, where we took a deer that was wall d?cor and put on his head a bicycle steering wheel. His work influenced us to deliver our message. Our message in this image: we are riding on the animals and encroaching their world.

The design of the book is influenced from the architecture of Daniel Libanskyn (the one who is building on the former Twin Towers site). One of the buildings that he designed influenced the whole design of the book. The building that has scratches on the outside that symbolizes Hebrew letters and has also a unique texture — The Holocaust Museum in Berlin — had a big impact on us. Art and Cook has a graphic design that was influenced by the style of the outside wall. The design of this building contains a sharp edge, not soft. The lines are very sharp and also the meaning of the book is the same: An environmental holocaust is going on today.

How are social issues mentioned in Art and Cook? On page 183 we have an image that is a combination from two images, top and bottom. On the top, is a white man playing the harmonica and in the bottom, a black man is eating corn. The recipe has corn so it is fitted like a laser and it? also a visual comparison that the black man and also the white man are doing the same thing with there hands but for different purposes. The white man, who is on top, is playing the harmonica for his pleasure. You could tell he is not hungry — hungry people can’t play. The black person on the bottom shows an ordinary man eating corn. The corn is cheap and makes you full. The white man has a time for pleasure while the black person has to find sources to survive.

ART and COOK Influential People

The creators of Art and Cook have been influenced greatly by dozens of other artists, thinkers, celebrities and leaders of industry. Below is a brief summary of some of the people that are paid tribute to in the book, as well as a comment from the creators of Art and Cook on how each person influenced them.

Rodin, (Ren? Fran?ois) Auguste 1471 — 1528 Sculptor, born in Paris. He trained in Paris and Brussels, and began to produce sculptures, which, with their varying surfaces and finishes, resembled the Impressionist painters’ effects of light and shade. (Page 47. Opening section to the soups.)

“We took the thinker statue and inside his head we pasted a soup. (So he thinks about soups.) The message here is that on a certain level when you think about future ideas and contemplate the philosophic meaning of things, it could be very destructive. In that case, the thoughts inside the thinker? brain are being cooked. And a soup is a symbol of disorder, chaos and heat ?similar to the cauldron of inner turmoil that burns within each of us.”

Ray, Man 1890 — 1976 Artist. Born Emmanuel Radnitsky, on August 27, 1890, in Philadelphia, the first of four children of Melach Radnitsky, a tailor, and Manya Louria (or Lourie), both Russian-Jewish immigrants. He assumed the single combined first and last name of Man Ray when his entire family adopted the surname Ray in 1911. The family moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1897, where Man Ray, with family encouragement, early manifested his enduring fascination with gadgets, objects, and inventions as well as with art. (Pages 51)

“We have a close up of a crying eye. ? Glass Tears?is a Man ray work. Instead of tears, we have drops of green lentils. Tears are salted as a soup, so we took the essence of these ideas and we implanted them here. We propose a formula: tears + lentils= soup (tears are water). In Man Ray? work, its different: glass + tears= Dada. All the rest are visual comparisons.”

DuChamps, Marcel 1887 — 1968 Painter. Born July 28, 1887 in Blainville, France, the son of a notary of Rouen. One of Marcel’s brothers, Gaston, known as Jacques Villon, was a painter; another brother, Raymond DuChamps-Villon, was a sculpt