Star Mountain Art

A fun tool for the adventuresome home chef, this sushi mat set from Helen's Asian Kitchen makes sushi rolls, also known as maki zushi. Sewn from slender but durable strands, the sushi mat rolls into a tidy cylinder to shape the rice, seaweed, veggies, and seafood that make up maki. The sushi paddle is well suited to scooping and spreading sticky rice before rolling. Crafted from bamboo, a renewable and sturdy resource, the set has an authentic look and feel, enhancing the fun of sushi preparation. Washing by hand is recommended. --Emily Bedard

Start making sushi with Helen's Asian Kitchen Bamboo Sushi Mat and Bamboo Rice Paddle set. The mat is traditionally crafted with smooth and stick-resistant bamboo slats strung snugly together for controlled and tight rolling. The rice paddle (also called a shamoji) is the perfect tool for stirring and serving rice. It is also an agile tool to form rice for nigiri-sushi. Bamboo is less absorbent than wood and therefore easier to keep clean and sanitary. It is also a sustainable resource. Safe for use on non-stick cookware surfaces. Mat dimensions: 8.37" x 9.37" Paddle dimensions: 7.75"

Bamboo steamers are typically used for cooking Chinese dim sum, but have many virtues that make them handy for all types of food. The domed lid traps steam efficiently and the two baskets can be stacked to accommodate different foods in each level. These steamers are usually used inside a wok (be sure your wok is about 2" wider than the 10" baskets) but can also be set over a stockpot.

Named for its weblike design, this spider skimmer from Helen's Asian Kitchen line is a handy, versatile tool for any food that needs quick draining. Crafted from rustproof stainless steel, the skimmer is sturdy and lightweight with a rounded shape that keeps hold of dumplings, wontons, and raviolis. Its netted design drains oils and water quickly and efficiently for better cooking results, and its bamboo handle is comfortable and heat-resistant. Measuring 5 inches in diameter, the skimmer is safe in the dishwasher for easy cleanup. A 7-inch version is also available. --Emily Bedard

Durable stainless steel basket. Heat-resistant natural bamboo handle. Sturdy, light and easy to use. Drains food quickly and throughly. Dishwasher Safe.

Here are three dozen pieces of music, all played by Yo-Yo Ma, culled from his extensive discography. Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating. It's really a matter of how much Ma loves whatever he plays here, how entirely he becomes involved in it, and what a fine partner he invariably is to other musicians. This collection is a doozy--it is truly "essential." --Robert Levine

This Covent Garden production of Bizet’s Carmen, makes a vivid musical and dramatic impression. Director Francesca Zambello creates a properly Spanish atmosphere, filling the stage with a profusion of detailed characters. In Act One’s town square each of the many soldiers, strollers, cigarette factory girls, and children are individuals, so there’s a bustle of continuous, realistic activity. That attention to detail carries over to the rest of the opera, involving viewers in the action. Tanya McCallin’s sets are a perfect foil for the direction: simple, movable panels that serve as lightly sketched backdrops for the town square, a tavern, the smugglers’ mountain hideaway, and the final scene in front of the bull ring. But what makes this Carmen special is the singing and acting of the principals. Carmen is Anna Caterina Antonacci, a soprano known for the intensity she brings to her performances. Without taking anything to excess, her Carmen is a fiery temptress, sexy, insistent on setting her own terms for love and personal freedom. She sings all the set pieces well and, with tenor Jonas Kaufmann as her besotted lover, Don José, makes the final scene a hair-raising experience. If anything, Kaufmann trumps her with a beautifully sung, rounded portrait of the village boy turned soldier ensnared in a world beyond his experience. Kaufmann conveys the complexity of the character and etches his slow descent into obsessive madness. His rendition of the Flower Song is extraordinary for beauty of tone, phrasing and the soft singing essential to make this aria’s full impact. The toreador, Escamilio, is finely sung and acted by Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. He makes his entrance on horseback, sings the Toreador Song with brash arrogance, and projects this haughty, self-absorbed figure to perfection. And Norah Amsellem, as the village girl who loves Don José, uses her attractive soprano to depict her purity and innocence. Smaller roles are well done, with special mention due to bass Matthew Rose as Zuniga, the lieutenant of the guard. The vibrant conducting of Antonio Pappano is a big plus here; pacing is perfect, rhythms vibrantly precise, and melodies shaped with care. Under his baton, the Royal Opera House chorus and orchestra complete a rich, well-detailed performance of Bizet’s masterpiece. Lighting designs of Paule Constable add to the atmosphere of each scene, while television director Jonathan Haswell’s cameras always seem to be where they should be. --Dan Davis Carmen is an all-regions disc in 16:9 ratio. Sound options include PCM Stereo and DTS 5.1 Surrdound. Sung in French, subtitles include English, French, German, Spanish and Chinese.

Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Caterina Antonacci bring rare erotic intensity to the drama of Don José and Carmen in this darkly passionate reading of one of the most popular operas. Kaufmann uses his burnished tenor and smouldering good looks to portray the man undone by Carmen's love. As the object of his desire, Antonacci gives a physical and compelling performance.

A haunting, evocative film set in the barren wilderness of Northern Shaanxi province in 1939. The life of a fourteen year-old peasant girl is changed forever by the arrival of a communist soldier.

Jackie Chan apprenticed in a series of straight-faced martial arts revenge films before he found his true calling as the clown prince of kung fu in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and the original Drunken Master. The sprawling clan-war conspiracy adventure Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin is one of his best pre-fame efforts, a tale of tenuous alliances and double-crosses, with cocky young warrior Jackie in the middle stirring up trouble. The sly rascal in the den of thieves, however, is actually an honorable young acolyte on a mission of vengeance. It's the usual story, with a little more comedy and plenty of old "strike and pose" fight scenes energized by Jackie's youthful athleticism. The opening theme song was cribbed from the same music library that supplied Monty Python and the Holy Grail. --Sean Axmaker

Great for party and home decoration. Some color lanterns in the picture may not be available. Contact us for the availability of the colors. To choose colors/sizes by yourself, check out other Just Artifacts products.