Paulette on what’s she’s  learned about a place and its culture through its food…

Central Market, Mombasa, Kenya. Image courtesy Paulette Mitchell

“In my opinion, the local market is the best place to begin in any city. Locals come to the market not just to shop, but also to eat, drink, and to mingle with friends. We are visitors and voyeurs, but the real shoppers in the markets are choosing what to feed their families for dinner. I love to watch how people relate to one another. Sometimes they are jovial, and in other countries everyone seems quite solemn. Some populations are quiet and sophisticated, others more frenzied. Shoppers may bargain, yet in other locales that is not acceptable. When greeting one another, friends may hug and even kiss. Yet sometimes a polite distance is maintained between people. This not only is interesting to view but also offers an incite in how to behave as a traveler.

We are visitors and voyeurs, but the real shoppers in the markets are choosing what to feed their families for dinner.

I like to chat with vendors about favorite recipes using the ingredients at their market stands. I also like to ask them, “What do you do on your day off.” Their minds switch from talking to me as a tourist, and this is how I find some of the most interesting places to go, as well as the best local restaurants.”

The market in Mombasa, Kenya. Image courtesy Paulette Mitchell

In Stone Town, Zanzibar, Paulette discovered a simple yet tasty recipe for Zanzibar Chicken. Scroll down for the recipe!

Paulette’s favorite food markets around the world…

“All food markets fascinate me because they not only offer a feast for the senses but also provide insight into the culture.

Stone Town, Zanzibar. Image courtesy Paulette Mitchell

For example, I love the sophisticated neighborhood markets in Paris, where shoppers arrive without a list and let their five senses take over. In China, freshness in imperative and this is evident in their markets. Live chickens squawk, and fish swim in bins. Even herbs and many vegetables are sold with roots attached so they also are still “alive.” The Chinese believe that food is consumed not only for good flavor but also to promote health, and I think that Americans can learn a great deal from this philosophy.

All is not, however, beautiful and pleasantly aromatic and exploring a local market can force you out of your comfort zone. For example, I’ve witnessed stands of camel heads at the central market in Mombasa, and at sidewalk markets in Luganville, Vanuatu, I was surprised to see piles of fruit bats, which are considered a delicacy in many Asian and Pacific Rim cultures.In Cambodia and parts of Asia, you can smell the pungent odor of durian from afar. So not all is beautiful and pleasantly aromatic. Yet, I love the way that markets show the reality of life around the world.”

Camel Heads in Mombasa’s Central Market, Rambutans in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Images courtesy Paulette Mitchell

So not all is beautiful and pleasantly aromatic.Yet, I love the way that markets show the reality of life around the world.

Paulette on unusual foods she’s encountered…

“When visiting food markets around the world, I seek the distinctive, local ingredients, especially those that are unfamiliar. Rambutan is Malay for “hairy,” and this is the name of a red, spiky fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia. It has now spread to other parts of the world, including Africa. At the Darajani Central Market in the Stone Town area of Zanzibar, the fruit is displayed in colorful clusters in giant bins on the streets. The fruit beneath the hairy exterior is white or pale pink with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor reminiscent of grapes.

I first saw screw pine at a market in Male, Maldives. It’s colorful and photogenic. This fruit, sometimes called pandanus, comes from a tropical plant that grows in rain forests. It changes from green to bright orange or red as it matures. The fleshy pulp of the fruit may be eaten raw or cooked. Sometimes it is pressed to make juice.

Suri Worms and Screw Pine. Images courtesy Paulette Mitchell.

A popular Peruvian food is “suri worms,” a type of Amazonian grub. They are found in the trunks of aguaje palms, which grow in wet areas of South America. Brochettes of this delicacy are skewered and grilled  to make a treat described as “soft, mushy, and delicious.” While in Lima, I photographed vendors selling the worms, but I didn’t have an opportunity to sample this specialty. Maybe next time!”

Paulette’s favorite street food from around the world…

“Street vendors in Mumbai grill corn on the cob over charcoal fires until the sweet kernels are tender and blackened. The corn is then rubbed with fresh lime juice and a potent mixture of spices. The irresistible combination is sweet, tangy, smoky, salty, and spicy.”

Corn on the cob street side in Mumbai, India. Image courtesy Paulette Mitchell

“In Cairo, I just can’t get enough of the traditionally-baked Egyptian pita bread, which rolls out of street-side ovens warm, lightly browned, puffy, and airy on the inside. This bread is the cornerstone of Egyptian cuisine. It’s not only a major component of the meal, but bread is also used as an eating utensil. For me, it’s a welcome snack.”

A baker in Cairo, Image Courtesy Paulette Mitchell.

One of the advantages of taking time to explore food markets and chat with local shoppers and vendors, is discovering new recipes. Paulette shares one of her favorites, a tasty simple chicken dish from Zanzibar. 

ZANZIBAR CHICKEN

Zanzibar is known as the “Spice Island,” and cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper are essential ingredients in their cuisine. If you have the opportunity to visit Zanzibar, be sure to include a spice plantation tour. It’s interesting to see how spices grow and also to learn about their health-promoting properties. For example, in Zanzibar cinnamon is used as a remedy for headaches.

Makes 4 servings

Chicken thighs are traditional, but this aromatic dish can also be made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Serve with rice.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs (2 thighs per serving)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Preparation

Step 1: Combine the cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with the spice mixture.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned but not thoroughly cooked. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a bowl.

Step 3: Add the onion to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.

Step 4: Return the chicken to the pan. Add the orange juice and raisins. When the liquid begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Serve: Drizzle some of the sweet sauce over the chicken and garnish with almonds.

You can purchase Paulette’s cook books over here! 

At Project Bly, we believe that a city is a living, breathing organism, and to get to know it you have to wander its streets, the veins that fork and converge and inevitably lead you to its heart—the marketplace.

www.projectbly.com

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When Linares recovered, he quickly got to reproducing the whimsical beings from his dream. The resulting papier-mâché figurines earned the attention of various gallery owners and artists, and their popularity soon spread throughout the country to places like Oaxaca, where they carved them from copal wood. Today the town of San Martín Tilcajete, a 45 minute drive from the city of Oaxaca is a world-renowned center for the art of alebrije.

Our collection of hand-carved, hand-painted alebrije sculpture was crafted at the workshop of Vicente and Brisia Hernandez in San Martín Tilcajete. Vicente carves each piece, and his wife, Brisia paints them.

HEAD OVER HERE TO EXPLORE OAXACA, MEXICO

Oaxaca, Mexico, photography by Marcela Taboada for Project Bly

Project Bly lets you explore and shop street markets around the world. At Bly, we believe in one-of-a-kind and we are committed to the idea that there is something special in the hand-to-hand transaction. We believe in stories, in history and the way an object can come to encapsulate something much bigger than itself. We believe that a city is a living, breathing organism, and to get to know it you have to wander its streets, the veins that fork and converge and inevitably lead you to its heart—the marketplace.

www.projectbly.com

The post Dreaming in Color: The Art of Alebrije appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Need we say more?

Well yes, actually, we do need to say more about Fearless Nadia, one of—if not the—most badass stuntwomen in Bollywood history. Born Mary Evans in Perth, Australia, she moved to India in 1913 at the age of 5, and learned how to ride a horse on the North-West Frontier Province (modern-day Pakistan). She would go on to study ballet, and later toured with the Zarko Circus. When a fortune-teller told her that a robust career was in store for her on the condition she change her name to something that began with an “N,” Evans promptly baptized herself “Nadia.”

First cast in a film by the prominent filmmaker and founder of Wadia Movietone, J.B.H Wadia, Nadia received rave reviews and with her multitude of skills soon became Movietone’s leading stuntwoman, reaching the height of her fame in 1935 with the iconic film Hunterwali, or “Lady of the Whip,” a roll that turned her into a somewhat curious populist symbol in pre-independence India—the white, blond-haired, blue-eyed woman rallying the Indian people against British imperialism. She would go on to star in many a J.B.H. production, including Diamond Queen, where she was joined by several notable actors, a “stunt car” named “Rolls-Royce ki Beti” (“Daughter of Rolls Royce”) and a dog named “Gunboat.” A woman of many love affairs, Nadia ended up marrying J.B.H.’s brother, Homi Wadia, in 1961. She died in Mumbai in 1996.

This vintage poster of Lutaroo Lalnoo featuring the queen of the screen, Fearless Nadia was found in a little shop in Chor Bazaar, a go-to spot for collectors of vintage Bollywood posters in Mumbai. To explore Chor Bazaar and more vintage Bollywood posters head on over here. 

Project Bly lets you explore and shop street markets around the world. At Bly, we believe in one-of-a-kind and we are committed to the idea that there is something special in the hand-to-hand transaction. We believe in stories, in history and the way an object can come to encapsulate something much bigger than itself. We believe that a city is a living, breathing organism, and to get to know it you have to wander its streets, the veins that fork and converge and inevitably lead you to its heart—the marketplace.

www.projectbly.com

The post Fearless Nadia:Bollywood’s First Stuntwoman appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

But the souks are not the only marketplace in Marrakech. The 12th century red ramparts that encircle the medina are dotted by babs or gates, and the northern gate that leads to the national highway N-9 also leads to a local flea market held every Thursday from eight am to noon.  Marrakech’s other market isn’t a well-kept secret, but few tourists venture here, and you’ll find mostly locals shopping for everything from tagine pots to old toasters. If you look hard enough, the flea market is also full of hidden treasures.

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly

The weekly flea market at Bab el-Khemis is located to the NE of the medina near the National Highway 9. N9 as the highway is known on the map meets up with N8, the highway to Fez close to the gate.

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly.

A few hundred feet from Bab el-Khemis within the medina is a quiet garden of the same name.

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly

As soon as you enter the gate, you’ll come across a wide road lined with vendors selling second hand goods. Keep going! The flea market continues for a while and then there’s a turn-off to the left. It’s in here that we found the good stuff!

Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly

The flea market at Bab el-Khemis is famous for architectural salvage pieces like these riad doors. 

If you’ve got a discerning eye and a lot of patience you’ll find treasure buried in these shops! Scroll down to see what we found.

Top Row: Vintage Carved Tuareg Spoons | Hand-Carvec Chouari Cedar Chest | Tuareg Silver Fibula

Bottom Row: Antique Riad Door Keys | Antique Handira Berber Wedding Blanket | Tuareg Amulet Necklace

Get inspired by our lookbook from Marrakech.

Antique Berber Loom Heddles found at the flea market at El-Khemis hang on the wall. Photography by Jessica Comingore for Project Bly.

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Are rugs art?

Is a rug art or is it craft? If a vase is art, can a teapot also be art? How about a basket?  We did a little research on the differences between art and craft. Here’s what we found:

Alicia Vasquez’s family has been weaving for generations. Lately they’ve been incorporating designs influenced by the likes of M.C. Escher and Picasso into their rugs. Art or Craft? Photography by Marcela Taboada for Project Bly.

“Craft is something that can be taught” argues Turner Prize winning artist, Grayson Perry. Art on the other hand, comes from “the inspired individual.”  Monica Moses, Editor-in-Chief of the American Craft Council points out that “craft has a legacy of functionality” and that “mastery of material” is an important aspect of craft.

Craft has a legacy of functionality, but if a vase is art, can a teapot be art? Photography by Jessica Comingore for Project Bly.

Art historian, Laura Morelli, in this Ted-Ed Video looks at the history of art and craft. One of the primary distinctions in Western culture is that art is defined by a spirit of innovation and individual creativity. Craft on the other hand was defined by collective production.

Ritual and ceremonial masks from West Africa. Photography by Jessica Comingore for Project Bly.

Morelli argues, however, that it’s time to dispense with words and distinctions like art and craft. A basket, mask or rug might be art in one culture, but craft in another, and since the appreciation of an object, she says, is so conditioned by our history and culture, art is truly in the eye of the beholder.

So in the end, it might not matter at all. Our opinion, get crafty with your art. Hang a rug on a wall, or maybe even a vintage coat!

A vintage silk coat from Bukhara, Uzbekistan makes for amazing wall art. Photography by Jessica Comingore for Project Bly.

1. Handwoven rugs from Oaxaca, Mexico | 2. Hand carved masks from Kumasi, Ghana | 3. Vintage brass teapot from Mumbai, India

The post Is it Art or Craft? appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Baskets often tell stories about the earth, its forests, meadows and rivers. Take the Bolga basket for example, sturdy, round colorful baskets that come from Bolgatanga, the Savannah grasslands of North East Ghana. The baskets are woven from Guinea grass that grows in the Red Volta river valley, home to elephants, antelope and crocodiles.

Bolga Baskets from Ghana. Photography by Jessica Comingore for Project Bly.

While people in Bolgatanga have always woven baskets, they were originally used to strain pito beer made from fermented millet. As global demand for these sturdy baskets grew, they’re now commonly used as market baskets, and are strong enough to hold the heaviest of yams.

Yam seller, Hajjia (left), with a friend in Kejetia Market, said to be the largest in West Africa, in Kumasi, Ghana. Photography by Nyani Quarmyne for Project Bly.

Depending on where you go in Vietnam, you’ll find bamboo baskets in all shapes and sizes and used for a variety of everyday activities. Large baskets with back straps are used to collect grain during the harvest, lidded baskets are used to store grains, and smaller ones used to pack a lunch of sticky rice to take to the field.

Most baskets in Vietnam are made from Bamboo. Photography by Ehrin Macksey for Project Bly.

In Hanoi, the Old Quarter is organized by craft with each street selling a different craft. These streets correspond to ancient craft guilds which originated and are linked to craft villages surrounding the city. Hang Bo street for example was home to rattan basket weavers who likely originated in the villages of Bang So and Phu Vinh both about 20 miles or so from Hanoi.

(L) Abastos Market (B) Valeria shows us how to weave a basket. Photography by Marcela Taboada for Project Bly

In the State of Oaxaca, San Juan Guelavia not far from the market town of Tlacolula is known for its baskets. Most baskets are made from cornhusks or palm fronds, are simple and utilitarian and used for holding tortillas, fruits and vegetables or storing grain. Mercado Abastos in Oaxaca is a good place to shop for these baskets.

At the Mercado Benito Juarez, the craft market in Oaxaca, Mexico we met the lovely Valeria who hand weaves baskets called tanates de palma from strips of palm leaves. Pretty and functional, the precision of the weaving and geometric perfection of the design is all the more impressive considering that she makes up the designs as she weaves. Valeria hails from the town of Miahutlan de Porfirio Diaz, and learned the art of basket-weaving from her mother, who learned it from her mother.

Guaraní baskets and other market finds from La Paz, Bolivia. Photography by Kelly Ishikawa for Project Bly.

In the department of Tarija located in Southern Bolivia, the Guaraní people are famous amongst other things for their folklore and mad basket weaving skills. These baskets are made with a reed called tankuarans, and are typically woven by men. Found in La Paz, Bolivia, these baskets tell a story of migration. The lowlands are the fertile bread -basket of Boliva, but with the expansion of cash-crop agriculture and the oil and gas industry, its poorest inhabitants have been forced to migrate elsewhere.

A Baker in Marrakech, Morocco. Photography by Shantanu Starick for Project Bly.

In Marrakech, Morocco bread known as khobz is a symbol of hospitality, friendship and generosity, and if invited into a local’s home, you always be offered bread. It’s no surprise then that bread- baskets are found all over Morocco.

Baskets from Marrakech, Morocco. Photography by Jessica Comingore for Project Bly.

Shop baskets from around the world! 

Follow us on Pinterest for inspiration on incorporating global market finds into your home.

The post Basket Case: Baskets from Around the World appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

Flowers and Plants: bring them inside!

(L) Handcrafted scissors from the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam; (R) Vintage brass from Mumbai, India

Brass candle stands from Mumbai, Vintage tumbler from Mumbai, Antique brass vase from Mumbai

Light your Night: oil lamps and candles are so perfect for summer nights.

Vintage oil lamps from Hanoi, Vietnam

Summer Blues: Whether you’re dining al fresco or staying indoors, blue will remind you of summer days by the ocean. Don’t forget the bread basket!

1. Vintage indigo tai tapestry from Hanoi, Vietnam; 2. Baskets from Hanoi; Vintage indigo river Tai pillow from Hanoi

Table lines from Oaxaca, Mexico; Blue ceramics from Oaxaca, Mexico.

1. Handwoven basket from Marrakech, Morocco; 2. Hand carved fruit bowl from Oaxaca, Mexico; 3. Blue Ceramic bowl from Oaxaca, Mexico

Or if blue isn’t your color, go bright with stars and stripes. We love these vintage pink pillows from Hanoi, Vietnam, which look just as good inside as outside.

Large silver and brass trays are perfect for both indoor and outdoor picnics!

Pillows from Hanoi, Vietnam; Brass tray from Malacca, Malaysia; Silver trays from Marrakech, Morocco

If you are planning a picnic, these vintage striped frazadas and mantas make the perfect blanket.

Happy summer to you!

The post Summer Living: Inside Outside appeared first on Project Bly Blog.

We’re with Bourdain on this one, and like to try almost every kind of food we encounter at least once.  Here are some of the strange foods we’ve chowed down on while traveling. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

1. Sheep’s Head in Marrakech, Morocco

Head to the main square, Jemaa El Fna, for dinner to sample sheep’s head. Served with bread, you can order a half or whole sheep’s head which are surprisingly tender since they’ve been steamed or boiled for most of the day. The vendor will usually chop up the cheeks, but don’t surprised if you do end up with the tongue and eyeballs on your plate as well. The brains are sold separately!

Explore more street food from Marrakech, Morocco

2. Grasshoppers in Oaxaca, Mexico

Crunchy grasshoppers known as chapulines in Spanish are served fried or roasted with lime and chili powder and are a Oaxacan speciality. Head on over to Mercado de 20 de Noveimbre to sample this snack. We liked them wrapped in tortillas!

Explore more street food from Oaxaca, Mexico

3. Horse Sausage in Bukhara, Uzbekistan

This was a hard one for us. We never have and will never sample dog meat and horse meat definitely incites somewhat similar feelings. Horses, however, roamed wild on Central Asian plains and were hunted for their meat for centuries.  Given how many times we were offered horse sausage with our plov, a tasty rice dish cooked slowly with carrots, onions and meat, we finally decided to give it a try. It’s worth a try, but we’ll admit we ate all the quail eggs after we took this photograph at a street-side plov stand on the outskirts of Bukhara, and just a bit of the sausage.

Explore more street food from Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

4. Cow’s Tongue in La Paz, Bolivia

Tripe and tongue! In Bolivia, nothing goes to waste, and every part of an animal is stewed or fried. On Calle Rodriquez, which is home to one of La Paz’ biggest vegetable markets is a covered meat market. Head on to the back of it to a little busy lunch that sells Bolivian soups (Chairo) and stews (Guiso de Carne) made with all parts of cow including tripe. A traditional Bolivian dish using the just the tongue is Ají de Lengua which is spicy stewed tongue served over rice. Despite our initial trepidation after having seen the raw tongues close up, we ate every bite.

Explore more street food from La Paz, Bolivia

5. Eel innards in Kanazawa, Japan

One of our favorite snacks in Kanazawa, Japan available at the famous covered Omi Cho fish market was skewered barbecued eel innards. While a bit chewier than unagi, these skewers were delicious and easy to eat on the go.

Explore more street food from Kanazawa, Japan

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