Lulu Frost Tutti Frutti Necklace & Let's Bring Back Book Giveaway!!

We have a really exciting giveaway for you this week, one that we would love to win for ourselves!  We're giving away a Lulu Frost Tutti Frutti Necklace from the Let's Bring Back Collection AND a copy of Ms Lesley M.M. Blume's book, Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By.

The Let's Bring Back Collection is a collaboration between the two powerhouses Lulu Frost and Lesley M.M. Blume.  The collection is inspired by three style icons; Marchesa Casati, Nancy Cunard, and Elsa Schiaparelli.  This necklace comes from the Schiaparelli collection, a woman who had a surrealist sense of style - and an a love of all things frutti!  Summer is officially upon us, and this necklace screams fun in the sun!

: : : THE GIVEAWAY : : :

Lulu Frost Tutti Frutti Necklace from the Let's Bring Back Collection
-AND-
Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By

by Lesley M.M. Blume

: : : HOW TO ENTER : : :

1. Leave a comment on the post answering: Your favorite application of fruits in fashion.

2. *Extra entry* Tweet #TuttiFruttiGiveaway @xxGastronomista and @Lulu_Frost

3. *Extra entry* “follow” @xxGastronomista on Twitter and/or “like” us on Facebook.

4. *Extra entry* share and "follow" Gastronomista: Plated and Served on Tumblr. 

The contest closes in two week (12 pm EST). Winner will be selected on Monday, June 10th, and will be emailed that day.

Good luck, and many thanks to Lisa Salzer and Lesley M.M. Blume!

xxemma

Le Bling Bling Poulpissime

One day we were wondering, what would happen if you coated octopi and squid in gold, photographed them, and digitally overlayed them? It turns out you get magical Medusan medallions -- strange and elegant bling art worthy of P. Diddy's stark white walls.

A while back, we brought you Mangez Moi, the decadent chocolate body parts created by the French "design gourmand" group, Bouchees Doubles. These artists are the ones behind the crazy cepholopods, and they also play around with charcuterie rosettes and cream puff mosaics. Let's take a deeper look at the gorgeous goldies...

Rolled in Gold

Yes, indeed, fashion week is upon us. Time to eat sweets!

Chloe Cakes by Personal Chef Jennifer Lynn Pelka
Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberries, Cream, and Silver Dust

On Monday evening, Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost hosted a pre-Fashion Week party launching her new collection of gold and silver ombre jewelry. Held within the luxe confines of author Lesley M. M. Blume’s home, the event was well attended by a crowd of fashionable editors, writers, and designers and each guest was loaned a few pieces to wear throughout this week’s fashion shows. If you’re at the tents, keep an eye out for the refreshed vintage pieces on the elegant necks and wrists of the likes of Jenna Lyons, Lauren Goodman, Alexis Bryan Morgan, Amanda Hearst, Dalia Oberlander, Julia Erdman, Serena Merriman, Annie Churchill Albert, and Elisabeth Saint Amand. Even Fashion Week founder Fern Mallis stopped in and took home a few pieces. Additional, abundant, fashion coverage from Elle, GuestofaGuest, Hanuk, Paper, and Stylist.

Lulu Frost Founder Lisa Salzer and Hostess Lesley M. M. Blume

All photos by Billy Farrel for Patrick McMullan

Gold and silver ombre necklace by Lulu Frost

Personal Chef Jennifer Lynn Pelka created gold and silver cupcakes and mini-desserts to match the collection, cleverly presented on Blume’s heirloom silver trays alongside the jewelry. Miss Pelka provided us with a detailed account of the gilded offerings, and clued us into her recipe and styling techniques for the Ferrero Rocher-inspired chocolate brownie bon-bons.

Jennifer Lynn Pelka and Lesley M. M. Blume

More silver and gold inspiration by Lulu Frost

...

Daphne Cakes
Milk Chocolate Cakes with Dulce de Leche

Trixie Treats

Cornflake Crispy Cakes with Dark Chocolate and Gold Dust

Priscilla Cakes
Gold Cakes with Cream Cheese Icing, Orange-Elderflower Glaze, and Golden Sprinkes

Sadie Cakes
Chocolate Brownies with Nutella Buttercream and Gold-rolled Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts

Recipe:
Sadie Cakes:
Chocolate Brownies with Nutella Buttercream and Gold-rolled Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts
Makes 36

Diamonds and Chocolate are a Girl's Best Friend

This was how we felt when we heard that Chocolatier Francois Payard was teaming up with Parisian jeweler Mauboussin for his new Francois Chocolate Bar on the Fourth Floor of their New York Madison Avenue Boutique.

Herve Haddad's sexy and seductive ad campaign for Mauboussin

Since Francois Payard's Upper East Side restaurant closed, we have been aching for his beautifully composed verrines, each an elegant and decadent suprise that would make any woman feel flushed. The fourth floor of the store has been flecked with chocolate brown and gold, and every corner is overflowing with gorgeous and extraordinary chocolate confections. This is all after you've passed through three floors of diamonds, pearls and jewels.

FC at Mauboussin

FC at Mauboussin

FC at Mauboussin

...

As if you don't yet have reason enough to visit the Mauboussin store, Architect David Rockwell covered the third floor of the "dreamscape atmosphere of fantasy, discovery and whimsy" in white feathers. Yes, that's right, white feathers. So now we have diamonds, chocolate, and white feathers. MondoArc reports that The Rockwell Group "wanted to transform the 19th century townhouse into an experiential environment that would create powerful connections between the customer and the jewelry. We filled all of the floors with layers of surreal and unexpected materials, textures and accents to capture the magic of the jewelry... The journey through the store begins on the first floor, where a dark fantastical space provides a dramatic backdrop to the spot-lit coloured lifestyle jewelry glittering in glass treasure boxes. Rockwell plays on the traditional notion of a townhouse with walls clad in dark sandpaper and copper stitched moldings. In the center of the space is an illuminated cracked glass wall, rising through all three retail floors, that resembles a monolith of fused diamonds."

MondoArc

Pushing forward the themes of sexiness, design, empowerment, and timeless beauty, Mauboussin has also teamed up with photographer Herve Haddad on this incredible ad campaign:

Herve Haddad for Mauboussin

Herve Haddad for Mauboussin

Herve Haddad for Mauboussin

Visit Francois Chocolate Bar on the Fourth Floor of the Mauboussin Store at 714 Madison Avenue (near 63rd Street); (212) 752-4300.

The Way to a Woman's Heart

Perhaps we should file this one under Foods That Turn Us On - Part Deux because we believe these Voges Krug Champagne truffles to be the fastest way to our ... hearts. The Hip-Hop Truffle is made with Krug Champagne, edible gold leaf, and white chocolate. Now that's what we call bling.