• “A lot of people say it’s nice to see someone who won’t break in half when you touch them” Curvy but skinny Model of the moment Lara Stone to W.
• “I am still a woman and if you’re compared and confronted with your colleagues, and they’re all half your size, you think, F—, I’m really fat!” Skinny Model Lara Stone.
• “The modeling ideal has been one of girlish frailty ever since the disappearance of the supermodels… Lara’s curves are a perfect expression of that new power.” The Guardian
• “Of course it is fashionable to look fey and feeble, because this suggests you do not eat much, which suggests you are thin, which suggests you can fit into Chanel sample-size clothes, which is the most important thing in the universe. And even if you can’t achieve this state of nirvana, if you pose in a manner that suggests feebleness — such as, say, folding your body in a pose that insinuates your bones have crumbled due to osteoporosis — you can fool onlookers into believing you are on the cusp of collapse. Malnutrition? Oh my God, like, such a good look.” New York Magazine
• “I think the problem is that fashion has become too fashionable. For years, fashion wasn’t fashionable. Today fashion is so fashionable that it’s almost embarrassing to say you’re part of fashion. All the parodies of it. All the dreadful magazines. That has destroyed it as well, because everybody thinks fashion is attainable.” And models think they are fat. New York Times
• “Our customers are still shopping. Their spending is more restrained. It’s now a two-pairs-of-Blahniks-instead-of-five kind of a thing. But it’s creeping back; by fall, it will be three-and-a-half pairs.” Simon Doonan from Barneys. It’s embarrassing to be too fashionable.
• “in paris, coffee and cigarettes looking through jean-paul gautier’s [sic] show and salivating like a starved fashion gangster. C’est genial. xxox.” Tweets Lady Gaga Twitter/LadyGaga
• “I’m really not interested in doing it for my own ego. I’m not a designer. [It's] gotten so ridiculous. The idea of making my own perfume makes me want to vomit.” Emma Watson on celebrity fashion lines. Not a fashion Gangster.
• Read more about Lara Stone here…

I needed a simple round neck long sleeve Tee.
A top to wear under a sharp blazer.
A simple basic that wouldn’t cling to the bad bits.
A top that would sit under the Balmain Blazer without looking bulky.
Can I find a chic fashion one anywhere? No, the world is full of ugly scoop neck tops, daggy polo necks or skanky cotton T-shirts.

My cycling maniac friend Andy tells me to go to Kathmandu. Shopping there is like an adventure sport. I see heart monitors (perfect for shopping in Prada). I see water bladders. Don’t ask. I see a fabulous Merino wool top that has beautiful seams and a fabulous cut. In perfect fine and soft Merino wool. Divine. Plus it’s on sale for $98. It’s all you need for extreme shopping. When I pay the man with the ponytail he tells me that when you go hiking you don’t need to wash it for a week. Me? Hiking? Must have been the lace up gladiators with the spikes.

Available from Kathmandu stores nationally.

What: A grey leather jacket
Which: A leather jacket is the hot piece of the season but why not go for chic vintage grey leather instead of black?
Why: Because grey is softer than hard black. Because the cut is fabulous and is very tailored at the back. Meaning it shows off your gorgeous figure and is very flattering. Because grey will work with soft summery colours as well as black. Because this jacket is not as tough as your monster shoes.
Wear: With a floaty black dress and long soft flowery necklace a la Burberry. Wear over a pretty floral dress. Wear with a sexy pencil skirt and a stripe Tee. Wear with your black peg leg pant (Of course) and a simple Kathmandu knit. Wear with a full skirt and a sequin tank. With all your fabulous Monster Vs Alien heels. Is that everything in your wardrobe?
Where: $199 from Just Jeans.

There are times when you just need a little coverage on your skin before you go out. When you are sneaking off mid morning to the bottle shop or perhaps racing out the door for a quick botox top up. Times when you don’t need to blow dry your hair or apply serious makeup. Which is why you need the Bloom Mineral Plus Sheer Mineral Tint SPF 15. I love it ! The sheer tint gives just a hint of coverage to join the dots of sun spots. It’s moisturising and it has SPF 15. They say it’s water resistant: good if you cry at the Clinic. Plus it has “antioxidant benefits of Gingko B and Ginseng extracts as well as Vitamins A & E”. Because you are always guaranteed to bump into somebody you know.

$47.99 Mineral Plus Sheer Mineral Tint SPF 15 from Bloom.

• Up and coming modeling star Julia Hafstrom (already staring in the new Prada campaign), is the cover girl of one of the 3D issue of the new Dazed & Confused magazine.
• Love this! The Step-By-Step Guide To Getting Shot By The Sartorialist
• Curvy, moi? Lara Stone, a size 10 model is in hot demand.
• “For the first time, the SHOWstudio SHOP will offer for sale some of the spectacular props that have graced iconic photographic shoots and catwalk shows, selected from historical and contemporary fashion imagery and created by set designers and fashion.” Reports The Times Online.
• Sophie Dahl is going to do a cookery show for the BBC next year. Reports The Sun.
• Vivienne Westwood is so cool. And Kooky.
• “What do Richard Tyler, Rebecca Taylor and Collette Dinnigan all have in common? They’re all designers from Australia and if Calvin Klein’s Malcolm Carfrae and former fashion magazine executive-turned-film producer Julie Anne Quay prove successful, more will be on the way to the U.S. The duo are hosting their first fund-raising dinner for their group, Australians in New York Fashion Foundation, on July 22. Reports WWD.
• Jimmy Choo’s Autumn/Winter 09 Collection is inspired by the punk rock of the 80’s — featuring studs, rivets, mesh and glossy snakeskin. Sexy.
• Ossie Clark has announced plans to close. Hopefully Escada and Christian Lacroix can make it out alive. Reports New York Magazine.
• ‘Is Kate Moss ready to leap from billboard to boardroom? Not quite, apparently, though London’s Daily Mail seems to think so. On Monday, the British tabloid ran a story quoting unnamed sources saying Moss is set to partner with Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green and Simon Cowell in their soon-to-be-unveiled global entertainment company. As reported in WWD, Green and Cowell are teaming to form a multichannel brand. Both Green and Cowell denied the claims, dismissed them as tabloids “making mischief. ‘Reports WWD.
• Let’s talk about who will be on the cover of the big September issues of the US magazines “It appears blondes will have most, if not all, of the fun. Vogue photographed Charlize Theron for its September issue. Allure will have “Mamma Mia” actress Amanda Seyfried. Glamour will feature Jessica Simpson.  W photographed Kate Moss for its September cover, and Elle will feature Jennifer Aniston . In Style will feature Jennifer Lopez on its September cover and Marie Claire is said to have shot Ashley Olsen for its cover. Reports WWD.
• The Cut at NY mag gave “Aussie model Skye Stracke a video camera to document her backstage adventures on the fall 2009 couture-show circuit. We’re talking Nutella-filled doughnuts, gorgeous clothes, models, and more carbs in the video.”
• A biography of Isabella Blow is in the works. “The magazine editor who wore extravagant hats to prevent fashion folk from attacking her with air-kisses died tragically in 2007. Reports The New York Observer.
• I love Cathy Horyn’s Blog at the New York Times and what she has to say about Paris Couture. On Valentino she writes: ” They have no feeling for the actuality of life, no sense of a lived experience, and frankly I’d be worried about getting too close to one of those prickly, encrusted numbers. You might get a rash.” Ouch!
• Sasha Pivovarova is in the latest H&M campaign.
• British actress Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies, Land of the Lost) posing topless for the August issue of Vanity Fair’s UK edition.

Google.com

Today Google has launched Favorite Places (a Google Maps feature). It’s amazing. It lets you explore the favorite places of local experts from cities around the world. “Find out where they like to go, and why, from their own perspectives.” You can choose just about any major city in the world from London to New York, and Paris. I clicked on Paris (bien sur). You can see where Kirsten Scott Thomas likes to go in the 6^th arrondisement or where the Bar man at The Ritz likes to drink. Head to New York and find out Diane Von Furstenburg’s favourite places and where Moby and Cynthia Rowley like to go. Oh, where will it end?
Read more here…

• Brad Pitt to Ashton: “Don’t Take a Picture of Your Wife’s Butt it’s silly.” USA Today
• Mischa Barton is in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA where she was reportedly placed under psychiatric hold. Ooopsies. People
• Gerard Butler is getting tired of rumors that he’s dating Jennifer Aniston. For the last time, people, he’s only sleeping with her when he’s drunk. The Superficial
• Robert Redford has gotten hitched. The 71-year-old actor wed artist Sibylle Szaggars, 51, last week in Germany. I am shocked. He is 71. Us Magazine
• If Moscow whispers are to be believed, Pop princess Dasha Zhukova and boyfriend Roman Abramovich are no longer ensemble. Fashion Week Daily
• Model Karolina Kurkova is six months pregnant. People
• Madonna to adopt Stevie Wonder. The Daily Squib
• Guy Ritchie is inching his way back to into Madonna’s life. This makes Jesus sad. Vanity Fair
• Ivanka Trump engaged. People
• Michael Jackson apparently had an insane collection of naked actresses from the 20s to today. - Christ, he was misunderstood. The Superficial
• Whitney Houston and Madonna wore the same gray leopard-print Dolce & Gabbana dress. What?! How could this happen? New York Magazine
• When models fall over… a slideshow!
• Lily Allen’s showing her nipples again. The Superficial
• Why are Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith so loquacious about their sex life? The New York Post
• Why are Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz so secretive about theirs? Vanity Fair
• Time to start bulking up, Renee! Miss Zellweger braces for Bridget Jones 3. Mail Online
• LAPD Treating Jackson Death as Homicide. TMZ
• Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall has split from her much younger longtime beau, chef Alan Wyse. Us Magazine
• Michael Jackson is gay? I don’t see it. The Superficial
• Victoria Beckham has started taking acting lessons after landing a cameo role in the new Sex And The City movie. Digital Spy
• Tony Romo had a big surprise planned for Jessica Simpson on her birthday: he was dumping her. Brutal. Vanity Fair
• At least one person is dead and seven injured after a portion of Madonna’s “Sticky and Sweet” stage set collapsed in Marseilles, France. Mail Online
• LaToya Jackson: “Michael was Murdered” “He was surrounded by a bad circle” who got him hooked on drugs, the late singer’s sister says… (such as her good self) Us Magazine

The Bird Catcher… by Laura Jacobs

“Margret Snow is the quintessential New York woman. She dresses the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue by day and mingles in the downtown art world by night, always searching for her niche in a city intent on capturing The Next Big Thing as it flies into view. Married to Charles, a professor at Columbia, and living on the Upper West Side, the backdrop to Margret’s life is made up of the poetic rhythms and colors of the Manhattan day.
Against this metropolitan whirl, Margret and Charles pursue a lifelong hobby of bird watching but a violent upheaval pushes Margret beyond the boundaries of her hobby. Overnight, she becomes an art world sensation and then just as suddenly has fame ripped from her.
In The Bird Catcher, her second novel, Vanity Fair Contributor Laura Jacobs tells the story of a remarkable woman who is as rare and special as the birds that fill the skies above her.”

US$16.47 Amazon. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (June 9, 2009)

The Christmas List: Manolo Blahnik Drawings… by Michael Roberts and Anna Wintour

‘”My shoes are not fashion, they are gestures.” So says Blahnik in a book that lays out his designs as brightly colored whimsies, sketches deftly convey the essences of his creations. Celeb quotes, interspersed throughout, heighten the spiraling sense of posturing and play. Madonna says, they are as good as sex… and they last longer. You just put on your Manolos and you automatically find yourself saying “Hi sailor” to every man that walks by, says Joan Rivers. Naomi Campbell calls the man the godfather of sole.

Divided by decade, from the 1970s to the 2000s, the collection is diverse and fun, and as documentary as a museum catalogue. It should appeal to any fashionista or design aficionado anyone with a sense of shoes as art.’ Chic !

US$9.28 Amazon. Publisher: Thames & Hudson; 2 edition (June 2, 2009)

Economy Class:

Witchery
Still on sale but there are some trans-seasonal and summery-ish pieces arriving instore: just in time for the snow!

• On sale love the black cotton trench al Burberry with Burberry style lining. Of course I love the trench because I am out to trench the world. This one is double breasted with all the classic trench details now $149. A fabulous price.
• The stripe black and white Tee with a slight scoop neck. You can wear it back to front if you don’t like the scoop now $39.
• There is a new jacket and it’s very Balmain. It’s the pale denim chambray military jacket with black military stitching across the front. So very fashion, it’s a wear now and thrash it kind of piece. You know you can be seriously cool now and then next season you can use it for band practice when you take up the trumpet, $149.
• Check out the cute ¾ drawstring nylon parkas. No, not to keep you warm but to wear when it rains on holiday in St Barts. It has a drawstring and a zip up hood and is chic for those casual weekends away. Go for the stone or the black, $169. I see there is a shorter version in slate grey blue; almost petrol. It’s like a short bomber jacket with the zip up hood, $149.
• Love the light chambray denim cargoes, $149. I think they are cool. Or are they something Bruno would wear? I think with kick ass monster heels and a fabulous sharp blazer it will work.
• Please buy the lovely, light, almost muslin scarf in a gorgeous check in muted tones of navy, light blue, black and taupe, $49.
• The drawstring low crutch, grey marle harem pants will work for you for a season, $99. They have a drawstring so will be so comfortable. Love them in the dark grey too. Once you get into these harem pants you can’t stop wearing them because they are so easy.
• Love the white with black stripe stripe cotton jersey Tee with a hood. This is chic to wear on the yacht sailing around the Mediterranean. Or take it out to dinner and dress it up with cargoes, heels and a sequin tank. Now on sale $99.
• Also check out the long shoe string very summer maxi dress with a navy and cream tie dye print: for you $199.

Just Jeans
Love Just Jeans, you can always find some great cheap but chic pieces. My picks are:

• The black leather blazer (it’s called the double collar crushed leather jacket) or a bomber jackets, $199. (See cheap but chic.)
• You want the long silky maxi dress in a white and blue ceramic print with shoes string straps, it’s so right for summer so I hope you are going away somewhere fabulous and warm. Capri is nice this time of the year, $89.
• Please buy the dark grey matte sequin top with a high neckline and then a loose line so that it’s not tight and glitzy and you are not channeling Gary Glitter, $79. It is understated. Also in horrid colours like watermelon and coral.
• You want the over sized thin stripe baggy Tee, $29. Wear loose with skinny jeans.
• Love the tie dye cream and blue cross back with buttons along the front cami top, $79.
• The black sequin bomber jacket is great with a brass zip: it’s so glitzy the sequins are matte, $149.
• There are serious low crutch-a-rama harem pants here for $49. Wear them, love them, thrash them, $49.
• If you want a chic casual knit cardigan wrap then you must have the grey marl rib asymmetrical cardigan top: its excellent value for $49. Layer it over a cool Tee.
• The Calvin Klein Jeans are all fabulous and the cut is great; love the original dark denim with orange stitching, $150.

French Connection
Always great pieces here for all ages: if you can get the length right. My favourites are:

• The fabulous (breathe in and never eat anything) grey bandage dress, Oh, so Herve Leger slash Alaia. Did you know why it’s called a bandage dress? Good guess: because it’s made up of all strips of bandage like fabric that sits across the body: this one goes in grades of grey through to black with a wide straps with cap sleeves and a square neckline. If you can rock this dress you deserve to have it $179. Wear with aplomb and monster heels.
• Also check out the blue and white fitted stripe Tees with a wide slash neckline, $39. Get ready for a summer of stripe Tees. Thank god I am addicted to stripe Tees as much as Trench coats. The best news? You can wear them together. But don’t forget you can also toss those stripes back with florals if you get the tones and the colours right. Best only do that if you know what you are doing. You could look bad. And we can’t have that.
• Love the black cotton short sleeve very fitted zip through vest: it’s kind of Givenchy. It has buttons as well as frill short sleeves. Almost as if they are shoulder pads under there. Love this with a long sleeve Tee and a full skirt or you guessed it peg leg pants, $119. Also in a dress.
• Love the ruffle top that I always mention; they must be popular because they keep bringing them back! Sleeveless with squished ruffle flowers around the neckline and arms it’s very chic, $89.
• Also check out the cotton tunic dress in a print. Its in sea print and has short puff sleeves and a very loose shape: it’s a casual beach kind of top, $99.
• Buy the very Lanvin inspired cobalt blue and black animal print singlet dress, it’s short so it might be a top for some people. Bless. I am not a fan of animal print it can be tacky unless it is YSL (or Lanvin). Who wants to look tacky I ask you? Pas Moi! But if you go for versions in a blue or navy then I think it’s working. This will be rather fabulous for summer with a short skirt or harem pants, $78.
• Check out the fabulous jumpsuit in black or taupe with a cross front and a tie: it’s sleeveless and the shape could be quite loose… and therefore not too clinging. If you are feeling too fat and old when you wear this you could always jump out of a plane, $169.
• There are some fabulous gold stud gladiators: get ready to see another summer full of these kind of gladiator sandals. Just buy some and make Russell Crowe proud, $149. Also in black.

Business Class:

Country Road
I love the accessories here so this is a run down on the best accessories… more coming but this week I like:

• The new shoes are hot: I want the new T bar heels in camel with a wooden stacked thin heel. Oh la la so chic. Wear them now with opaques. They say if you wear pale shoes with bare legs it makes our legs looks longer.
• You want the new flat gladiators with a twist or multi strap that twists around the ankle, $129, in white or black. Not so many buckles if you are over the mutli buckle gladiators or if you are just too busy to do up buckles in the morning.
• There are other gladiators and just flat T simple but strappy T bar sandals which I love, because they have no studs. They are called the Kiran thongs, $129. Not sure why because they are not thongs.
• Love the black ankle strap platform heels called Erica (whoever she is she must be cool). I am not sure if they are in store (they could have unpacked them without me seeing) but they are on the Country Road website. Talk about tough killer heels. Yes, please, $229.
• Check out the new bags. I particularly like the soft grey leather two handle tote. Not too much hardware and an easy sexy shape that is just what you want for day. Grey is just so perfect for summer or winter and will razz up the black. Talk about a versatile colour. Oh yes, $249.
• Also I see there is a new bag that is in vintage style leather called Edith. If you yell its name hopefully it will come running. It is a two handle kind of Chloe inspired bag with brass hardware and two outside pockets. I like it in the Chartreuse brown. And it’s not too big either so you can always find your phone, $249.
• You want a big wide black belt this season to put around all the pretty floral print dresses. Love this wide black belt with 3 straps and silver buckle for you $129. You can also wear this with your jumpsuits. Just make sure you don’t over dose on buckles with your shoes too.
• Buy the long black knit gloves to the elbow… yes, please. (No eating iced donuts in these.) $59.
• Oh and I love the scarves especially in the grey and the blue bamboo fringed scarves for about $69. They are so chic. They will keep your neck warm. But not if you live in Tasmania. Bless.

Sass and Bide
Always very cool in here but there are also some more wearable pieces that will suit people who are not stick insects born in 1990. My picks are:

• The fabulous black leather bomber with silvery brass zip details, $990. It has interesting triple stitching detail around the collar and a buckle around the collar. The leather is great: the only way to wear this is with a dress or short shorts.
• Love the cute teal blue short dress with shoe string straps. It has white over stitching and a ruffle and lacing up the front, $490. Also in a long version in a teal that has interesting bits and pieces falling off it. Could be a little busy for some. Wear with flats and you will be fine. Not with animal prints or anything scary.
• You want the black Tee with black lace cap sleeves: fabulous, $120.
• Adore the signature Sass and Bide detachable frill neck pieces in black cotton: just throw it over anything in your daggy wardrone and it’s like adding a big fat dose of groove-a-licious adrenaline. There is also a black frill neckpiece with fringing that is quite cool, $180. They are called “small wonders” frill capelet if you must know.
• Love, love, love the dark almost black blue denim fitted military jacket with a peplum: it has small gold military buttons and a round neckline, $290.
• There are grey marle ruched leggings only for the brave: Oh wow they would show off all those fried Mars bars. Also in black or gold or outrageous gold zebra. (Must be for Lady Gaga) $170.
• Also check out the lovely and very simple ivory long sleeve knit cotton V neck Tee. It is in very fine, almost sheer cotton and has extra long sleeves which you roll up. It is slouchy chic and perfect for wearing under everything and just tossing back with harem pants, $115.
• Of course you can’t go to Sass and Bide without checking out all the fabulous skinny low rise jeans but I love their faded ripped over sized boyfriend jeans called “starting something”, $220.

Midas Shoes
I am having a shoe moment so why not make your day by heading to Midas and checking out their latest? You want:

• The new shoe boots in a suede and patent with a small peep toe (so the rain doesn’t get in) and a gold zip up the back, $258.
• There are some fab faux snakeskin simple round toe pumps. What?! No platform? No monster details? These are simple and chic. Also in a white with black snakeskin, $278.
• If you want the hidden platform like Harry Potter then you can have the plain black round toe pumps called Lola, $198.
• I have always loved Faith: and I bless the black knot front T bar heels with a patent trim. You will wear these with black opques and be very happy and send your thanks to the Faith, $198.
• Of course you will try to get your head around the new man style lace up brogues but they are coming back big time and many people will be happy (but not podiatrists because they are making a fortune in wrecked gladiator tortured feet) $198.
• Buy the over the knee flat boots, just don’t pick up a sword or wear a velvet cape or you may get a role in Robin Hood, $628. Although I am sure you could do with some acting work to pay for them. Wear with a sexy short skirt and a short crop blazer.
• Also check out the fabulous little faux python elastic side flats in metallics as well as black and brown. So chic, $198.

First Class:

Belinda
On sale in Transvaal Avenue: Oh there is now another 20% off so everything is now 50% off. So race in here as fast as your Miu Miu can take you… my picks are:

• The Pierre Hardy shoes… the flat, round toe patent black boots are gorgeous now about $600.
• Love the Pierre Hardy gladiators flats (Now you know where a lot of chain stores got their inspiration) now about $380.
• You want the Pierre Hardy black patent peep toe heels about $300
• Adore the Chloe navy bag… oh yes, quite the bag of the season it is a shoulder bag with a gold chain strap. Divine now $1800. Outrageous. (It was about $3000.)
• In the clothing buy the Givenchy grey knit drawstring cardigan (Again, you can see where all the chain stores got their inspiration) now $675.
• Buy the Dries Van Noten amazing gold lurex patchwork coat that is just gorgeous. So special but where to wear it? Paris. I think. Now $2600.
• You will drool and die over the Dries Van Noten gold sequin slouchy unstructured jacket. Incredibly beautiful now $3400. It’s a once in a life time buy.
• Love the Ann Demeulemeester grey cotton twill vest with the most incredible big fat diamante jewels scattered all over it …now about $2300.
• There is a black Lanvin Tee with black jewels along the neckline now $600 and gorgeous Alberta Ferretti dresses… I die, I die, I die and will become Rachel Zoe…
• Also check out the new season Chloe, Jamin Puech bags and Alberta Ferretti… Recession? What recession?

I Spy
You must know about this store. Why? Because I have told you about it months ago when it was in WBJ. Belinda Seper is behind these fabulous Pop Up boutiques (in Double Bay, QVB and The GPO Melb). It’s the place to go for more amazing designer fashion — Lanvin, Givenchy and Marni — at a discount…

Bally
I love the new season redesign of the Logo: it’s the Bally Family crest and coat of Arms. (It’s supposed to be the moon over the Swiss Alps.) This chic little crest is now quietly on a lot of the bags and shoes… New instore you want:

• The divine new flat round toe black patent long boots, $1200.
• The chic de la chic black short suede ankle boots in grey $925, also in black leather so perfect, $975.
• The chic orange or grey suede round toe flats, $695.
• The gorgeous grey or orange heels are all you need to razz up the wardrobe. Orange is the colour for summer and grey is the colour for winter so you are covered in both seasons. Fabulous, $975.
• The beige python bag in a slouchy shape is $4000.
• Love the Estelle python boots in the chestnut colour oh la la, $1995.
• Adore the black slouchy bag with gold chain strap, about $1800.
• You want the black leather two handle tote with gold hardware and buckles and a kind of drawstring shape, $1900.
• I am in love with the black square patent shoulder bag with a gold strap, about $2000.
• The black leather bomber is gorgeous, $2400.

Cosmopolitan Shoes Winter Sale
The decadent destination of the world’s luxury footwear labels, Cosmopolitan Shoes is holding a winter sale — with 50-75% off gorgeous heels, flats and boots from a range of designers including Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, Sergio Rossi and Alaia Azzedine. Sale is on now until sold out!

Cosmopolitan Shoes, Shop 1-5, 22 Knox Street, Double Bay. P: 02 9362 0510

Chickpea and Chicken Soup

I don’t normally like soup: I want to eat dinner not drink it ! But this is like a soupy stew, spicy and Moroccan with lots to chew on. Perfect for a cold winter’s night.

You need for 4 hungry snowboarders, 8 lazy snow bunnies or 20 models:

1 red onion chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 knob of ginger
3 teasp of Moroccan spice (found in the supermarket or you can try Ras el Hanout)
1 teasp harissa
3 bay leaves
10 coriander seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
1 can chopped tomatoes
4 cups of chicken stock
1 can chickpeas
2 chicken breasts + 2 thigh fillets
Olive oil for cooking
Bunch coriander for accessorizing
Couscous or potatoes to serve

• Chop up the ginger into small slivers.
• Chop up garlic as small as Lady Gaga’s sense of elegance. Actually not that small.
• Pour a glass of wine.
• Put on new Tom Ford sunglasses.
• Apply waterproof mascara.
• Chop up onion quite small as a dab of lip gloss.
• Wipe away tears.
• Chop up the breasts and/or thighs. The chicken not yours. Into bite size chunks.
• Now heat up some non designer olive oil in a big saucepan that can hold the soup.
• Throw in the ginger, the onion and the garlic.
• Give it a good stir and wait till the onion is slightly cooked.
• Then add the Moroccan spice, the harissa, the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
• Chuck in the whole coriander seeds (you can crush if you like).
• Give it a quick stir for about one minute.
• Gulp down some more wine.
• Now toss in the tomatoes, the chickpeas and the chicken stock.
• Bring to the boil then turn down to simmer.
• Toss in the chicken and stir.
• Now simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is falling apart and cooked.
• If you like you can also toss in chopped potatoes and then let it simmer away till they are cooked. You can put a lid on it so you don’t lose all the liquid.
• When you serve it you can use a slotted spoon and just grab the chunky bits.
• Serve with lots of coriander, couscous and even some preserved lemon.
• TIP: always better if served the day after so that the flavours all melt in together.
• Divine!