Gotham Gal

James Frey, Bright Shiny Morning

Regardless of all the controversy over James Frey,  I really enjoyed reading his first two books, A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard.  Both well written, page turners and interesting stories.  I could care less if a Million Little Pieces wasn't exactly true but then again what story is?  There are about 10 sides to every story and even what you individually remember isn't always accurate.  Bottom line, the guy had a huge abuse problem and got to the other side and wrote a book about it.  He is a helluva writer. 

I picked up Bright Shiny Morning the day it came out.  Loved it.  The book is so brilliantly put together.  Describing Los Angeles through stories of different characters who have found their way to Los Angeles all for different reasons.  His description of their lives as they fill the vast landscape of LA.  The four stories of Esperanza (the Mexican American), Joe ( the Venice vagrant), Dylan and Maddie ( the teenage runaways from Ohio ) and Amberton ( the Hollywood star living a phony life ) are all intertwined though separate.

I also loved how Frey gave the history of Los Angeles over the course of the book from the beginnings in the 1800's to now.  The variety of facts and figures he wrote about over time from how many museums, laws that exist, people who live there, gas that is consumed, Veterans Hospital stats, etc.  A real overview of Los Angeles.  Clever.  I have spent a lot of time in Los Angeles and he really does a great job of giving the reader real insight into the city at large.

I particularly liked the first page which carried the disclaimer, he wrote  "nothing in this book should be considered accurate or reliable".   Made me laugh out loud.

Regardless of all the brouhaha over his first book,  Bright Shiny Morning proves what I have known all along.  James Frey is a great writer and his insight and writings on Los Angeles is a worthwhile read. 

Softball

Josh got to play in the 8th grade softball game this past week because the 8th graders were on their trip to DC.  It was pretty cool for him and his friend to be able to represent the school for the 8th graders. 

The first game was home court, JJ Walker.  The second game, later in the week, was at 36th and First.  Another concrete jungle softball field.  It is one of the things that I love about the city.  No grass, just concrete with a backstop.  It works.  If you didn't know about this place, you wouldn't even realize it existed. 

The park is hidden behind greenery as you enter the midtown tunnel.  Not only a baseball field but a large kids playground that was packed. 

Great game.  We won. 

Return to Commerce

We returned to Commerce for dinner on Saturday night.  Now that they have settled into a groove, here is my take.  The food is really good.  I had the soft shell crab special and the sashimi to begin.  Fred had the chicken breast with sauteed peas and ramps.  All delicious and well cooked.  The breads on the table are also a bonus.  I would continue to come back for the food but here is the problem....the noise level.

The noise level is so high that you can't really hear anybody speak.  In turn, everyone starts speaking louder and louder.  The noise also creates this frenetic vibe that makes the wait staff a little disoriented.  Our waiter, wasn't sure where to stand.  He took our order but then appeared frazzled.  I asked him to get the wine and the bread.  It was as if he was happy to have someone give him direction.

My recommendation to Commerce is to take two days and put some type of fabrication on the ceiling which will reduce the noise level by decibels.  It isn't a 20 year old hipster place and the clientele that they will continue to draw off of for years to come don't want to scream at each other through a meal.  The food is so good and deserves to be served in an environment that is calming and enjoyable vs. tense and loud. 

Walking out on to Commerce street after the meal took my anxiety level down 10 points.  Commerce...fix the noise!

2nd Annual Golden Schmaltz Awards

Sunday night was the 2nd Annual Golden Schmaltz Awards at the New Shul, the temple we belong to.  Conceptually a great idea.  Get everyone together for a fund raiser for the synagogue to taste everyone's food entries and pick a winner.  Last year, the concept was best brisket which worked much better.

The concept this year was twisted takes on Jewish classics.  There were less entries because too much thought goes into the concept.  It wasn't straight forward.  The success of the brisket could have been just moved into a different item like kugel or kreplach or borsch.  Simple and easy.  You also have to bring tastes for 75 people.  Also, the space was small.  They tagged this event with a scavenger hunt at the beginning.  Two things wrapped into one.  The event should have been a community bake off (or cook off), lots of liquor and food, if you don't come to anything all year except for the high holidays...you should come to this.  We need to raise money and we want this to be a big barn raiser.  The event was over thought.  Sometimes simple works.

The judges were Stephen Lyle, owner and chef of Village and Hillary Groffman from Dean and Deluca/owner of an organic farm in the E. Hamptons and Rick Field from Ricks Picks.  They were very serious about their work. 

A few of the entries were green eggs and no ham matzoh balls which appeared to be a huge hit.  Matzoh balls with spinach, Guacamole Zoup which was a chicken matzoh ball soup with a guacamole on the side to add in.  It was actually really interesting and good.  Others were Flankenstein which was short ribs over polenta which were excellent and schmaltzie mushroom risotto.  All clever but again, too much. 

I entered in two different recipes.  Mini kugels and a take on Chinese pork buns that were folded (like Momofuku's) but stuffed with pulled brisket, bread and butter pickles and sauteed red onions with a dollop of barbecue sauce.  Other ideas I had were a soup dumpling filled with chicken soup, finger shaped rugallah filled with a variety of dried fruit ( made it and it was delicious but too much effort for 75 people).  Here are the recipes below.  The kugel is great for a party.  The brisket buns is a major pain in the ass.  Buy the buns pre-made and stuff away but don't bother making them.  Huge ordeal.

Kugel Mini-muffins       

8 ounces of thin egg noodles
1-cup sour cream
1-cup cottage cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 T. butter
½ cup currants
Mixture of cinnamon and sugar (1/4 cup each)

You will need a 24 mini muffin pan.  I used an oil spray to coat the interiors of the tins.  Take a little bit of the cinnamon sugar mixture and coat the interiors of the tins. 

Boil the noodles until al dente.  Drain in cold water and put back in the pot.  Add butter and coat the noodles.  Add the sour cream, cottage cheese, granulated sugar, 3 eggs (slightly beaten), and ½ cup of currants.  Mix thoroughly.  Also, throw a few Tablespoons of the cinnamon/sugar mixture in to coat.

Using a tong, fill the muffin tins up to the top.  Take the cinnamon/sugar mixture and coat the tops. 

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the tops are browned.

BRISKET BUNS

BRISKET
1 5/6 lb. brisket
3 medium/large Spanish onions, sliced 
bunch of Italian parsley
1 bag of small carrots (ready to eat)
couple bottles of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 can of chicken broth - about 2 cups.
salt, pepper and paprika

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a large dutch oven pot. Salt, pepper and paprika the brisket. Layer the bottom of the pan with 1/2 the onions, 1/2 the parsley and 1/2 the bag of carrots. Put the brisket on top of this. On top of the brisket spread the rest of the onions, carrots and parsley. Take your favorite barbecue sauce. I prefer Bone Suckin' Sauce, which I buy in 1/2 gallon sizes. Pour the barbecue sauce over the brisket until is it almost covered. Take the chicken broth and pour on top. The meat is braising so make sure it is pretty much covered in liquid.
Put the brisket in the oven for around 3 1/2 to 4 hours. When the brisket is done, you can easily cut into the meat but it is not falling apart, yet. Take the brisket out, slice it against the grain and put back into the pot. At this point, I generally just leave it on the stove. Sometimes I throw par-boiled whole potatoes in that slowly continue cooking from the heat in the pot. Then, reheat before serving in the oven.
Brisket is one of those meals that always taste better the next day.

For the sandwiches, you really want to pull the brisket apart and slice very thin.

BUNS
1-cup warm water
½ tsp. active dry yeast
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. nonfat dried milk
3 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
Canola for greasing and brushing

Stir together ¼ cup warm water with yeast and a pinch of sugar.  Let stand for about 5 – 10 minutes.  If mixture doesn’t form up, start over again with new yeast.  Whisk in dried milk and remaining ¾ cup warm water. 

Stir together flour and remaining 3 tbsp. sugar in a bowl, then stir in yeast mixture with a fork until dough forms.  Knead the dough with your hands until all the flour is incorporated.  Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until is elastic and smooth and soft, about 5 minutes.  Form dough into a ball.

Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat.   Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature.  Let double, takes about 2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, take out.  Punch the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface and flatten slight into a disk.  Sprinkle the baking powder over the center of dough, then gather the edges of dough and pinch to seal in the baking powder.  Knead the dough with just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking until the baking powder is incorporated.  About 5 minutes.  Return to dough and cover with plastic wrap, let dough rise about 30 minutes. 

Take wax paper and cut 32 pieces that was 3 X 2.

Form dough into a long 16 inch log or even longer.  Cut into about 32 pieces, ½ “ each and keep dusted with flour and loosely covered with plastic wrap.   Roll out 1 piece at of dough into an oval of 3 by 1 inch.  Then remove the excess flour and brush canola oil on top, fold in half, put on top of a piece of wax paper and then set into a large cookie sheet, cover with loosely with plastic wrap.  Once complete, let them sit for about 20 minutes.

Set a steamer rack inside a skillet, enough for the water to reach within 1/2” from the bottom, then bring to boil.  Place 5-7 buns (still on the wax paper) on the rack.  Cover tightly and let steam for about 3 minutes.  You might need to continue to pour boiling water in to keep the water at the right level. 

Remove buns, take off the wax paper, wrap in a wet towel (not terry cloth) to keep warm.  You can freeze them by wrapping tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap for about a week.  Thaw them in the refrigerator fully wrapped and reheat buns wrapped in a damp towel and tin foil at 350 until soft and heated through.

SANDWICH

Slice the bun down the middle but not completely through.  One end should be closed.  Brush the bottom each of each bun with barbecue sauce, put in a few slices of brisket and brush a little more barbecue sauce on top.  Add in a few sliced red onions and bread and butter pickles.  Serve.

The Story of Forgetting

Not sure I how I came upon this book but I am glad that I did.  The Story of Forgetting is a first novel by Stefan Merril Block who is 26 years old so he probably around the book when he was 23/24.  Quite impressive.

The story weaves together 3 separate stories.  The two main characters, Seth and Abel, and each of their stories.  Seth's mother has early stage Alzheimer's and he is determined to look into the history of her family and find out why.  He knows very little about her except that he is his mother.  He is a geeky nerdy kid who is sort of an outcast who's determination makes the book a page turner.  Abel, is a reclusive old man still living in a shack among mansions in Dallas holding on to his land and life.  His story is of his life with his brother, his wife and daughter.  They are also affected by Alzheimer's. 

The other piece is the story of Isadora which is a place where nobody remembers anything.  A tale told through out the book.  Sort of like an Aesop fable.  There is also the piece of history which is how genetically Alzheimer's has moved from generation to generation across continents.

A really well written book.  Interesting voices.  The culmination of all these stories at the end puts the whole book together.  A worthwhile read.   

Taste of the Nation, Share Our Strength

I have been going to the Taste of the Nation event for the past 4 years.  Last year I brought Jess and Josh and this year Em joined along.  Unfortunately for Fred, he is in San Francisco this week.   

There are many things I like about this event.  All the proceeds, due to the sponsors, go directly to their mission which is feeding and educating the hungry.  The event in NYC is also put on in other cities around the country so Share Our Strength is a national organization.  They don't try to reinvent the wheel.  Every year the event is a success and they stick with a formula that works. 

The formula is getting high level sponsors to underwrite the event, get top restaurants and chefs to set up a table and give away tastes from their establishment, have a live and silent auction and above all, enjoy and eat.  It completely works.

My kids loved it.  Going with them is a serious outing.  They go to every single table (there are a lot) and try and discuss each thing.  First we begin with the savory and then make the lap around again for desserts.  The hardest thing is finding water because most of the refreshment tables are liquor.  Josh and I thought the best two dishes were from Union Square Cafe and Kobe Club.  Kobe Club served a beef cheek ravioli covered in a brown sauce with a slight hint of truffles.  I think Josh ate three if not more which is why he was ill by the time we left.  Union Square served a mini thin layered beef lasagna covered with a pea risotto with large peas through out the sauce.  We were happy to see Ricks Picks giving out prosciutto wrapped smokin' okras and sliced baguettes smeared with goat cheese and layered with phat beets.  Right near Rick was Greyston Bakery giving out their brownies. 

Highlight of the night, the kids hanging and chatting up Spike from Top Chef.  They love the show and have watched all four seasons.  Spike is the chef at Mai House which had a table there.  A very cool guy. 

From Up Here

One of my favorite moments last night after seeing From Up Here at Manhattan Theater Club was the crowd at end of the show.  As we were leaving the show, both my friend and I decided we would go home and read the New York Times review again to see their take on the play.  Obviously we weren't the only ones a bit confused when we walked out.  The crowd, which was at least 25 people, were all straining to read the New York Times review that had been blown up and plastered on the wall.  It was a very funny sight.  Smart minds must think a like. 

Conceptually, the play is an interesting topic.  Seemingly a normal family is trying to get back to their day to day life after the teenage son walked into school one day with a gun, unloaded, and a list of who he would like to kill.  Hmmm.  If you over look all of the credibility issues in the play, then the story could be interesting.  You would assume that if a kid did something like that they would not go back to school, have to give a speech to the school apologizing for their behavior, spend time speaking with a teacher (not a therapist), have to work with another random student to help him feel comfortable about his re-entry into school and the only annoying nuisance is having someone check his back pack daily and a parent must sign him in and out of school.  Hmmm.  I would hope that is not how a school or community or family would deal with an issue like this but in this play, they do. 

Tobias Segal, who plays Kenny (the main character) and Aya Cash who play his sister Lauren and Will Rogers who plays the sort of boy friend of Lauren are all fantastic.  They are young and talented and we will be seeing more of them in the future.  That is the good thing.  The other good thing is that the play only lasts an hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission.

Shootings on high school and college campuses happen way to often these days.  Once is too many times.  There have been a few movies that have been made on this topic.  Although the play attempts to tackle this topic from the "normal" family angle, it really comes up short.  I couldn't look past the unfocused plot and the credibility issues. 

I am still a fan of MTC.  The play did give you food for thought but fell short on the execution. 

Greyston Bakery

Greyston Bakery has the ultimate business model.  It is a $6.5 million for-profit business which gives all of the proceeds to the Greyston Foundation.  The Greyston Foundation then supports community development initiatives from low-income housing, childcare, health services, technology education, HIV health care and community gardens mostly for Yonkers.  They supply desserts and baked goods to top-rated restaurants in and around NYC.  They also supply the brownies in Ben and Jerry's ice cream.   From the beginning, Greyston employed economically and socially challenged people.  Through Greyston's efforts, they have helped break the cycle of poverty by creating opportunity for the hard to employ. 

I also like that they are a profit company with a social conscious.  They have decided to pour all their money back into the community but it is run like a profit business which makes all the difference in the world.  The profit world creates a different set of standards which is probably one of the many reasons for the success.  The people who have been employed by Greyston see what it means to run a profit company every day.

They have just launched a new product.  It is called the do-goodie brownie.   You can buy this brownie at Whole Foods, Balducci's, Gristedes, Good & Natural (Bronx), Health & Harmony, Park Slope Co-op and Westerly Natural Market and at their site.  All profits from the brownie are donated directly to the Greyston Foundation so as they say, you can feed your conscience too.

There are four different flavors; chocolate fudge, espresso bean, walnut fudge and brown sugar brownie.  Yes, good for your conscience but they are delicious.  I mean fantastic.  Rich, gooey, full of flavor, intensely delicious.  Also, they make cakes to order.  Next big event,  I am going to buy from them.  They make wedding cakes too.  If the brownies are any indication of what their other sweets taste like, then doing business with Greyston Bakery is a winner on all sides.  Good for the soul and good for the taste buds.   

Mother's Day Gift

I had no idea what to expect.  This year was a total winner.  An espresso machine.  Super strong, user friendly and delicious.  I am looking forward to mornings and being able to  just walk into the kitchen and get a fantastic cup of joe.  I have the French press but just put it in the closet for a hiatus.  The side gift was beans from Joe's, Gimme Coffee and 9th Street Espresso.  Three of the best coffee places in NYC.  Delicious!

ByKids.org

Last night we went to a fund raiser for the organization BYkids.  BYKids give 5 kids, each year, the tools to create a documentary about their life and package them to show to a worldwide audience.  Great idea.  Having just seen Baghdad High where four kids documented their life, through a hand held camera over the course of the year, was incredibly powerful and I would hope that it will be seen by a vast audience. 

What was impressive about last nights event that it was put together by a 17 year girl who is a junior in high school.  She is the daughter of a couple we became friends with when we lived in Chappaqua 10 years ago.  We have kept up our friendship and I get together with the Mom a few times a year for lunch.  Their daughter, who I knew when she was 8, is now six feet tall and beautiful, just marks how much time has passed.  Is everyone taller than me?  She did a fantastic job last night and it is quite impressive that she pulled off this event and raised a significant amount of cash for BYkids.  Bravo.

Jessica came to the event with Fred and me.  She too had not seen the majority of people at the event in 10 years.  One person at the event I actually worked for briefly.  Helped him target new business.  Our families were friends and our kids were all the same age.  We'd hang out on Sunday afternoon with the kids eating and drinking.  A very suburban thing to do.  His company wasn't my thing but it kept me busy as I was also working for Silicon Alley Reporter at the same time and realized quickly that was where I wanted to spend all my time.  It was really nice to see him last night.   No surprise to me, he has grown his business and done really well.  Very entrepreneurial guy. 

Last night, he said to me "you never liked Chappaqua".  It wasn't quite that but I always had one foot in the city.  I never wanted my head to leave the city.  In many ways, my life in the city has benefited from our 5 years in the suburbs (Fred refers to that time as our time in purgatory).  I take in the city with gusto every day.  I also thank my lucky stars that I live here every day.  My friend wanted to know if the kids have any interest to return to suburban life.  I laughed and said our kids are total urbanites.  He asked me what was it that I don't like.  It is simple, I don't like the woods.  Obviously there is more to it but that is the simple answer.

For Jessica, the night was interesting too.  She said that if we had stayed, she would have been just like all the kids there.  She is so completely different than all those kids.  The difference between city kids and suburban kids at that age is huge.  Being empowered at an early age to own your own town breeds a certain maturity at a young age. 

When we left ( which was early ), Jessica thanked us profusely.  She said the best decision we ever made as parents is leaving the suburbs.  She talked to Emily on the phone and continued to espouse that same thing.  Who knows that life would have been if we had stayed but lucky for us we didn't.  Jessica is right, it was not only the best decision we made for her but it was the best decision we made for us. 

Mother's Day

Yesterday someone told me that they tell their kids that every day is Mother's Day.  I thought everyday was Kid's day.  I guess it is all how you look at it.

Happy Mothers Day to all Mothers.  Today is your day to be doted on.  Enjoy it. 

Barrio Chino

In general, I am not a big Mexican food lover probably because I find it very hard to eat just one chip.  For lunch today, I ate at a at Barrio Chino which is located on Broome between Orchard and Ludlow.  My friend who I went with said her friend, from Texas, thinks it is the best Mexican food in NYC. 

What I love about the place is the atmosphere.  Granted it was lunch and the evening is probably a total hipster 20+ crowd but it is quite mellow at lunch.  The windows are open, the noises of the street comes in.  Tables are community style and others are not.  The menu is simple.  The fish tacos, three small little ones with grilled fish not deep fried, were tasty.  Three salsas were a nice addition on the side.  The guacamole is thick and chunky, the chips are home made.  But my favorite part is the grittiness to the place.  The decor is simple, the walls are as is, actually everything is as is.  This is what I love about NY. 

As NYC continues to change and grow, the grit seems to be lost.  Some restaurants are so coiffed, others are perfectly modern, others looks like fern bars from the suburbs but Barrio Chino has kept that edgy down and dirty feeling that I love about NYC.  Gets the juices flowing.

A worthwhile stop.  I will be back for dinner because the cardboard list with margaritas look too good to pass up.

Top Girls

I have been reading about Top Girls in magazines for the past few months and then yesterday in the NYTimes.  It is one of those plays I couldn't decide whether or not if I should buy a ticket.  Last night Fred and I went to see a MTC production ( we are members ) and I had no idea what we were seeing.  We walked up to Biltmore and low and behold, we were seeing Top Girls.  Guess I didn't need to worry about buying the tickets after all.

Just as the NYTimes says, the first act is the best act.  The play was written in 1982 so that is when it takes place, right around the beginnings of the Thatcher era in England.  Marlene, who has just been promoted to managing director, throws a party for herself.  She invites an interesting cast of characters.  Pope Joan who ruled Rome and the Catholic religion until she got pregnant and everyone realized she wasn't a man, Isabella Bird who is a British world traveler having been abused by her husband, Dull Grett a peasant warrior heavy on the peasant and the warrior, Lady Nijo, a concubine of the Japanese emperor who had a variety of children that were taken from her as she slept with the emperor and his pals, and Patient Grisdela who was a commoner that married a Prince who abused her as she smiled.  This cast of characters, all from different centuries, get obliterated while they eat food and toss out their stories of male abuse as they climbed their way to the top.

The other two acts are not as intriguing.  Act two shows Marlene as she is about to enter her role as the managing editor of a job placement agency.  The women in the office interview possible candidates for the jobs that are open.  What is interesting is how the job placement staff (all women) interview for each position telling each of the women candidates that men get these jobs or this is all they can expect.  Funny considering they are women in decent positions themselves.  At one point, a wife of another partner comes in the office and cries to Marlene about how her husband should have had her promotion. She continues on how hard it is for him to be working for a woman and he has a family and this is just awful obviously having no respect for how hard Marlene has worked to get where she is.  Her view is that those jobs are for men, not women.

The last act sums up the role of Marlene in her family life.  Her sister has stayed in the same town she came from, taking care of her mother and daughter (who happens to be Marlene's although the girl doesn't know it).  Her sister is unhappy, her husband left three years ago, the child she is raising (which is Marlenes) is dimwitted.  Come to think of it, everyone is unhappy.  As Marlene says at her party in the first act, "Why are we all so miserable"?  Yet, we are all supposedly so successful.  That she doesn't say but that is the underlying thought. 

What exactly is Caryl Churchill trying to tell us?  That being a woman is one sacrifice after another regardless of your success.  You can't do it all and be happy.  You must sacrifice for any road that you decide to travel down?  Regardless of the many questions need to be answered and discussed, the acting in Top Girls is brilliant.  Marisa Tomei and Martha Plimpton are fantastic.  They grab each of their characters with incredible gusto.  Just keeping an English accent going every night for 2 1/2 hours is plenty.  The level of acting and the first act is worth the price of the ticket alone. 

Nils Folke Anderson

The art world, although huge, is a very small place.  Everyone seems to know each other.  Each opening is certainly a celebration of the artists work but also one big schoozfest. 

Last night we went the Robert Miller Gallery to see the opening for an exhibit of a group of artists titled Geometry as Image.  A variety of artists from young to old who use architecture, math, shapes, etc to create images on paper, canvas, with neon and as sculpture.

We were invited by our friends to see their son-in-laws work, Nils Folke Anderson.  His work is made up of polystyrene (styrofoam) built into large open squares interlocking with 9 pieces of the same size and scope.  It is quite cool.  I stood there with two people discussing the sculpture.  One guy was a serious collector from Florida and the other I am not sure about it.  We all decided it would be fantastic if he could take the structure and have it coated in titanium or steel because it would be a great outdoor sculpture.  Each angle is different.  You want to walk around and around and look.  The styrofoam has started to shed all over the floor and it is really a site specific piece.  Not sure he could do it but it would really take the structure to another level.

The other artist that I really liked was Kenneth Snelson who used steel and aluminum rods arranged geometrically so that the cables were able to hold the piece up with only three rods touching the floor.  It c creates the illusion that the piece is floating.  A piece of art but the mathematical equation behind the piece allows it to stand on solid ground. 

I have been seeing more and more shows that are curated from the galleries with a variety of artists involved.  It creates interesting conversation to see a cross section of artists concentrating on the same concepts but coming up with completely different bodies of work. 

Crooked

I read a rave review about Crooked in the New York Times a few weeks ago, so I bought two tickets.  Crooked is the latest production being put on through Women's Project, a non profit organization that has been around for 30 years.  They support, commission, mentor and are advocates for women using theater as their medium. 

It is the first time I have seen a play there and it was quite impressive.  The play, written by Catherine Trieschmann and directed by Liz Diamond, is a gem.  There are three characters.  A mother, a daughter and the daughters friend.  All the actors were excellent particularly Betsey Aidem who plays the mother. 

A mother and daughter relocate to the home that the mother grew up in.  Uprooting their lives from Wisconsin to somewhere in the south.  Her husband is very sick and she has moved on for a variety of reasons.  The daughter, who is 14, is trying to figure out who she is.  She is incredibly smart and a short story writer.  She befriends a girl at school who is a daughter of a preacher and the first thing that comes out of her mouth when they meet is "do you love Jesus"?  As the daughter tries to find herself, perhaps she is a lesbian, perhaps she has now taken to being reborn, the mother tries to be open yet there is also the underlying anger about her father.  It is the ultimate in teenage angst, gender issues,  growing up, trying to find yourself and dealing with your past for all the characters. 

Jessica loved it.  She is taking a gender class now in English and hopes to get her teacher and class there before the play closes.  Lots there for discussion. 

A very thought provoking play about the world today.  A winner. 

Jose Picayo

Jose Picayo has had success on both ends of the spectrum as a photographer.  One is where you earn your bread and butter which is in the world of fashion.  Shooting covers, advertisements of beautiful men and women for the latest fashion magazine.  The other is using your love and skills of photography as an art form. 

Last night, at the Robin Rice Gallery, was the opening of Picayo's latest installation.  This is truly an installation and one that should be seen.  He has taken over the past six months mug shots of friends, family and extended friends with an old Polaroid camera.  The results are fascinating. 

He made each model write a one page blurb about themselves including their ancestry, if they knew it.  There is a small glass cabinet at the front of the exhibit highlighting 6 people and their pages.  Similar to old historical shows that you might see at Ellis Island.  Then the entire room is filled with hundreds of photos which are reminiscent of mug shots. One shot face forward, the other a side profile. 

What comes through in each of these photos is ancestry.  The myriad of faces that live in NYC.  Asians, Israelis, African-Americans and of course many mixed from racial to different parts of the world. 

A brilliant idea.  Some museum should pick this up.  A wonderful exhibit today and a wonderful exhibit 40 years from now.  Jose spoke and met every person he photographed.  It is pretty impressive and listening to him talk about it is quite cool. 

If you get a chance, go see it.  One of the most fresh and interesting exhibits I have seen in quite awhile.

Small moments

I have been spending a lot of time pondering what should I do next or what else should I do.  Right now, every day is a different day.  There isn't anything that sits in side me that when I get up every day I can dig my teeth into.  On one hand, I really miss that.  On the other hand, will I be able to do that and remain flexible and focused on my priorities right now?  So, I am going down the path of really clearing out the debris and trying to figure out if I filled those 20 hours what exactly would it be.  I could do a variety of things but what is it that would truly rock my world.  Not sure if I will ever figure that one but then again, it can't hurt to try.

As I make my way down this path, I found myself sitting home for three days with Josh who is home with a stomach bug.  Watching movies, hanging out, etc.  I had a few things I needed to do but I basically spent the majority of time at home with him.   Jessica had a bad day and wanted to meet me for lunch this week.  It was about 45 minutes before lunch when she called me.  I was totally available.  We got together, if only for half an hour, and I was able to be there just to listen and be supportive. 

Those are the small moments.  If I wasn't available, it wouldn't have been a big deal but the moment would have passed.  The fact that I could be there was worth a lot and could never been replaced by checking in at the end of the day.  Those small moments go a long way.  Those are the moments that puts life into perspective and why I ( and also Fred ) are a big presence in our home. 

Maybe I don't need to fill those few empty hours during the day....and then again, maybe a few wouldn't hurt. 

Girls Like Us

How could I resist a book about Carole King, Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell?   Not only did I grow up listening to these three rock stars, their music influenced me.   I truly grew up on their songs because it was the time of my life when I started to explore my own musical tastes.  These three women are part of history.  The power of their music still shapes and will continue to shape musicians for generations to come.    The book, Girls Like Us--And the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller is worth the read. 

What I liked about the book is not only learning more about the lives of these three women but their part in the 60's generation.  Each of these women were bold and uncompromising.  They marked their path under their terms.  Each were very different from their parents generation.  Free love, sexual awakening, individuality, single mothers, rock stars.  These woman broke traditions and enlightened an entire generation of women. 

On top of the interesting history of their individual lives and the songs they wrote, the albums they recorded, the musicians they collaborated with and the tours they went on, at the end of the day they are all incredibly naturally talented people.  Music lived in their bodies and still lives in their bodies today. 

Girls Like Us is page turner.  I just loved it.  The book was a wonderful journey down memory lane and of course I learned a few things on the journey. 

Pregnancy Story?

A pregnancy story? Everyone has one.  Something memorable, something unusual, something amazing or something hilarious or just something. 

Ricks Pick is having a contest with Smith magazine.  They invite you to share your story and the winners not only receive a variety of goodies but will have their image and story published on jars of Ricks Picks.  Winners announced on Labor Day (get the pun).

The stories are posted and fun to read.

If you have a story, sign in.  You could be the winner!

Another fantastic evening at Babbo

What can I say?  My friends won the bid at the LREI auction at year ago for this Babbo dinner, again, and we chipped in to participate.  Although we certainly knew what to expect, in some ways it makes it even better.  Pace yourself.

We started in the wine cellar which is in the basement of Babbo.  Slices of salami straight from Mario's dad.  Delicious.  Babbo has a room where they keep the salami before serving.  We had prosecco and/or pomegranate Bellini's.  The cellar is intimate with two huge moose heads hanging on the walls. 

We then proceeded to the dining room.  There is a small room which seats 10 people comfortably.  There is something medieval about the room.  Surrounded by brick, in the basement but it is really cool. 

The first course are culatello ( a type of cured meat ) with braised ramps ( tis the season ) and shaved pecorino cheese.  The perfect Italian kick off.  The ramps made the whole thing.  This was served with a white wine from Liguria that had body to it.   If you like pasta, mushrooms and butter, you really can't go wrong with the second course.  Pappardelle with morels, thyme and lots of butter and olive oil.  Of course, with some shaved parmigiana right before eating over the top.  Delicious and rich served with a chardonnay from Alto Adige. 

Another pasta came as our third course.  Small rich duck tortelli with a very heavy red sauce over the top.  This particular sauce is called the Sunday sauce.  It hangs out all day and there is a little bit of lardo put in at the end to really enhance the taste.   Served with a red wine from Lazio. 

My favorite was next.  Sliced pieces of medium rare pork with a barlotto verde (green spicy salsa) and a caper vinaigrette.  Delicious.  The balance of all the flavors were sublime.  Fred kept talking about it the next day.  Served with another red from Sicilia.  I have never been to Sicily but Mario was giving Sicily a thumbs up on a new place to explore.

The next three were dessert oriented.  The first was a small round tortellini filled with a fruity custard and a mixture of chopped fruit on the top.  A real palette cleanser and different.  Served this with a nice dessert wine from Sicily. 

Classic chocolate tartufino.  Vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate.  One of the best tartufinos I have ever had served with one of my favorite dessert wines, Vin Santo from Toscanny.

Last out were four different desserts which were passed around as we all took a bite.  Banana walnuts olive oil cake, cheese cake, something else chocolate and one other goodie.  Here they served grappa which I stayed clear of.  After all the liquor I have already consumed, one sip of the grappa I was afraid my stomach would go up in flames.

The food was fantastic, the company was wonderful.  A really special experience and you really can't beat Babbo.