CR Fashion Book: Becoming Human

CR Fashion Book: Becoming Human
By Renee Hernandez

It did not surprise me to see actor Michael B. Jordan’s words, "Becoming Human," in the latest issue of CR Fashion Book. Actors such as Anne Hathaway and Kirsten Dunst among others have contributed short stories or essays in past issues.

In the editorial "Lee Daniels Fairy Tale Theater," Oscar winner Lee Daniels gives us a modern reinterpretation of all the classic fairy tales — Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty — starring Joan Smalls as the heroine and, for obvious reasons, Michael B. Jordan as the leading man. My instinct tells me that Carine Roitfeld is on to something by spotlighting him twice in this issue.

I confess, I have been following MBJ for a while now. He won my heart as Vince in Friday Night Lights (my all-time favorite television show), and that high schooler/super hero with telekinetic powers in Chronicle. I have never seen the series The Parenthood but I’ve read that he was great in that as well. Wallace in The Wire. And now the role of a lifetime in Fruitvale Station where his performance as shooting victim Oscar Grant has everyone drawing comparisons to major heavyweight Denzel Washington.

Fruitvale Station is a powerful yet heartbreaking portrayal of the last 24 hours of Grant’s life. You see a love story develop towards all the people he cares about and yet you know what’s going to happen. I think the real power of this film is feeling that constant struggle between good and evil from within... coming to that inevitable fork in the road and trying to make the right decision. That is so real to me. Michael B. Jordan plays this with just the right balance and nuance. Oh man, I was a complete goner. It reminds me of Jordan’s character in Friday Night Lights because I think he also struggled with the same complicated urges.

I loved reading Michael B. Jordan’s process on getting into character. This is my favorite part:

“To make it as real as possible, in each character you have to find a little bit of yourself, and you have to really be vulnerable and raw. You have to be completely honest with yourself in order to give an honest performance.

I always write a journal for my character: where he’s coming from, his fears, his strengths, what he ate that day, the last time he got into an argument, the last time he got whupped, does he get whupped, is he a hard worker, is he a dreamer, is he a pessimist. All of that molds and shapes my character and how he will act and react in certain situations. It’s cool to see characters make a decision, and I always think I just happen to be playing some really amazing characters who have to make some tough choices in the moment and who people, really, really care about.”

I think Carine Roitfeld is telling us that it is time to pay attention to Michael B. Jordan.

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CR Fashion Book editorial images © 2014 CR Fashion Book.

I Want To Be A Roitfeld: Year Five

Today is 16 May, my favorite day of the year — I Want To Be A Roitfeld is five years old today! It is incredible to note that for half of a decade this site has been devoted to the Roitfeld family — Carine, Julia, and Vladimir — what adventures we have had! Best of all, the lily of the valley, or le muguet, is in bloom today, the most glorious herald of spring, the fragrance intoxicates. In case you are not in a position to smell the wondrous lily of the valley yourself, I picked you posies from my garden to celebrate the day.

First, a virtual bouquet for you, dear reader, for you are our raison d'être, without you we write for naught. Merci mille fois especially to those of you that dare to comment and offer your own opinion on our subjects.

Next, a bouquet for my incredible editorial team, Dara Block, Jascmeen Bush, Jessica Eritou, Renee Hernandez, Montse Ocejo, Bernie Rothschild, and Sarra Salib. I am continually inspired by all of you and I wholeheartedly thank each of you for contributing your talents to IWTBAR.

Finally, a special nosegay for my beloved Michael, Sweet Pea, and Walter, for the constant love and encouragement, ich liebe dich.

xx
Kellina

Joyeux anniversaire, ma geai bleue.

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Carine Roitfeld, Julia and Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld photos courtesy of Fashion Spot. Walter photos © 2014 Kellina de Boer.

Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Lobster Spaghetti With Fresh Tomatoes

Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Lobster Spaghetti With Fresh Tomatoes
By Renee Hernandez

Food and style have always gone together so lure some luxury into your kitchen with Julia Restoin Roitfeld’s lobster spaghetti recipe. I love how Julia brings a little health consciousness to every recipe she develops. In this recipe she uses fresh and naturally nutrient-rich ingredients like ripe tomatoes, basil, and garlic — calling for just enough olive oil to deliver fantastic flavor and richness without overdoing the calories. I was slightly intimidated about selecting and cooking lobster so I opted for frozen lobster meat. It is super easy to cook and still has great flavor.

LOBSTER SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATOES

Ingredients

• ½ cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 2 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and very finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 one-pound lobsters, cooked and shelled, or ¾ pound cooked lobster meat
• 3 tablespoons finely slivered fresh basil, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1 pound spaghetti alla chitarra or spaghettini
•  Red chili flakes

Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5 quart sauté pan or a wide saucepan. Add garlic, cook over low heat until it softens, then add tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for spaghetti.
3. Dice lobster meat. Place 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add lobster and cook until just warmed through. Fold in half of the basil. Cover and set aside.
4. When water boils, add pasta and cook until barely al dente. Drain and place in pan with tomatoes. Stir in remaining oil. Cook, stirring gently over low heat, about 5 minutes, until pasta and tomatoes are warmed and well incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper; fold in remaining basil.
5. Transfer to 6 shallow soup plates. Top each portion with lobster, garnish with basil sprigs and serve, with red chili flakes on the side.

In this video I demonstrate the simplicity of Julia’s recipe which is perfect for a romantic dinner. Overall time for preparation and cooking is about 45 minutes and feeds six. So go ahead and cook like a Roitfeld... Bon appétit!

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Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Lobster Spaghetti With Fresh Tomatoes film stills © 2013 Renee Hernandez. All Rights Reserved.

Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Roast Chicken And Quinoa

Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Roast Chicken And Quinoa
By Renee Hernandez

When I think of fashion and models, food doesn’t even register. Think a model’s diet consists of coffee, cigarettes, and air? Wrong. After reading Cesar Casier’s interview I discovered one model who is passionate about food. His cookbook titled Model Kitchen features recipes from Casier and his top-model friends, including Karlie Kloss, Lindsey Wixson, Lily Donaldson, Milla Jovovich, and Julia Restoin Roitfeld. In Model Kitchen you’ll find 75 healthy recipes that are easy and affordable to make. No self-imposed deprivation here. Just a sensible, thoughtful approach to eating. I especially loved Julia Restoin Roitfeld’s Roast Chicken and Quinoa Salad recipe. Her recipe is on the low-calorie side yet tastes like an indulgence and is super easy to make! In this video I show just how easy JRR’s recipe is. Overall time, prepping and cooking, is a little over 30 minutes and happily feeds four.

ROAST CHICKEN

For the roast chicken you will need:

• 2 lbs. (900 g) chicken (whatever you prefer; breast, legs, or wings)
• 3 tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons of thyme
• 3 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• coarse sea salt
• pepper

Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F. Place in ovenproof dish, together with tomatoes, garlic, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper and salt. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

QUINOA SALAD

For the quinoa salad you will need:

• 11 oz. (300 g) quinoa
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 4 oz. (110 g) cubed feta cheese
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 3 spring onions, cut into thin rings 
• handful of basil, minced
• handful of mint, minced
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice
• paprika powder
• salt and pepper

Cook quinoa and allow to cool in a large bowl. For one cup of quinoa, you’ll need 2 cups of water. Then reduce the temperature of the oven to 150˚C/325˚F. Cook the chicken for 10 more minutes. Add all the vegetables and herbs to the quinoa and pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the mixture. Also add the cubed feta. Carefully fold the ingredients together and season with paprika powder, salt, and pepper. The paprika powder is the finishing touch and gives the dish a pretty color and spicy taste!

Now you can cook like a Roitfeld... Bon appétit!

Order your copy of Model Kitchen on NET-A-PORTER today

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Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Roast Chicken and Quinoa film stills © 2013 Renee Hernandez. All Rights Reserved.

CR Fashion Book: A Message From Amma

CR Fashion Book: A Message From Amma
By Renee Hernandez

Over time the book spine of my first issue of CR Fashion Book has developed a crease marking a spot I cherish. This bookmark opens to a powerful message from Hindu spiritual leader and humanitarian Amma, also known as the “Hugging Saint” — a nickname earned by hugging and bestowing her unconditional love on people from all walks of life. While her official name is Mata Amritanandamayi, she simply goes by Amma, or “mother,” in Malayalam, her native language. Her devotees consider her "as a living incarnation of the divine-mother." What sets CRFB apart from other fashion magazines is its intellectual approach. I don’t know of any other fashion magazine proudly praising the virtues of a new path to inner beauty, do you?

Here are my favorite excerpts from "A Message From Amma, A Spiritual Leader Roadmaps the Path To Inner Beauty." I hope they provide you with the same inspiration and clarity as they do for me.

• “True happiness comes from sharing our possessions. Otherwise, both wealth and knowledge revert to mere ornaments, magnifying our mental burden. We will lack the peace of mind to appreciate what we already have. Our selfish ego will always think, If I give this away, what will be left for me to enjoy? But when we convert a selfish concern into a divine thought — such as, If I enjoy this, will I still have something left over to give? — our inner beauty will surely increase.”
• “In today’s world, people have become very health-conscious. Many of us pursue physical exercise, but most of us neglect to exercise our hearts. Exercise for the heart lies in feeling compassion for the suffering. The beauty of our eyes is not in the eyeliner applied, but in seeing others in a generous light. The beauty of our lips is not in the lipstick, but in speaking kind words. The beauty of our ears is not in the earrings, but in listening patiently to the distressed. The beauty of our hands is not in our golden rings, but in using our hands to perform the right actions.”
• “The foundation of selfless service is unadulterated love. Amma knows that it is not easy to have such a pure, loving mind, because when two people come together, it is two separate worlds that become linked. Love and service are not two — they are inextricably tied to one another, like a flower and its fragrance. True service happens when we understand the hearts of the suffering and serve them. For this, we ought to learn to see ourselves in others, and others in ourselves."

More from CR Fashion Book Issue 1: Rebirth

CR Fashion Book: A Woman's Life
By Renee Hernandez

CR Fashion Book: Elsa
By Bernie Rothschild

CR Fashion Book: High On Rebellion
By Jessica Eritou

CR Fashion Book: Hush Little Baby, Don't You Cry
By Kate Ringo Suzuki

Inside the Pages of CR
By Dara Block

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Photos of Amma-Mata Amritanandamayi by Henry Hopper and Amanda Charchian © 2012 CR Fashion Book.