This Weekend

It’s a pretty hectic weekend.

TONIGHT

Slideluck Potshow is tonight! I’ve been working as co-potluck director with two wonderful ladies to make the food section of the event as enticing as possible and have brought in local farms and purveyors, activists and educators to join us and share a dish and information about their organization. I just made california rolls for the evening, they’re imperfect but delicious and simple. Make sure to come by, eat, chat and be visually and mentally entertained by an array of amazing photos in the slideshow.

Artists Jenny Morgan and David Mramor will present individually and collaboratively created paintings at Like the Spice gallery tonight, above is an exquisite example of what happens when you take a painter who’s practice involves photorealistic renderings and collide it with another’s intuitive, scratchy and loose brushstrokes. The paintings equally coalesce in its realism and dreamy otherworldiness.

Singer/Songwriter and ukulele extraordinaire Kelli Rae Powell plays tonight at Bar 4. I first discovered her powerful and erratic yet mesmerizing voice at a theater performance and have been a fan since.

Starr Space is hosing a bizarre fundraiser with “strippers” for Roberta’s upcoming installation of a one-acre farm in bushwick. DJs Finger on the Pulse will be there and I’m sorry I’ll miss for I love these bro djs to heart. They make it dance.

SATURDAY

Artist Mai Ueda will be performing “Family Dinner in a Parallel Universe” for Performa 09 at Emily Harvey Foundation. “Ueda invites a selection of her friends–musicians, fashion designers, and artists–to perform, dine and play music at the same time. A not-to-missed neo-fluxus event that will recall the Fluxus Dumpling dinner staged by Maciunas in 1971 in SoHo.”

Artist Jsun Laliberte is having a open studio/party in Dumbo. His paintings are thick and textured, organic and free flowing in form, a short look of nature gone awry.

I’ve mentioned The Prompt performance for Performa already, I’m really looking forward to this one.

I’m REALLY looking forward to experiencing Wangechi Mutu’s performance, she is one of my all time admired artists. In this performance, a multi-layered performance and installation created in collaboration with riveting composer and vocalist Imani Uzuri, takes as its starting point the disturbing stories of women who have been found guilty of adultery or promiscuity being executed through stoning.

SUNDAY

In the afternoon I’ll be making grilled cheese and aww-ing at the children eating and listening at the book reading at WORD which I’ve also mentioned before.

Nick Suarez and Theo Peck are at it again with The Food Experiments, this time chocolate is the key ingredient in this competition and the event is in collaboration with Food 52, to be held at The Bell House. Tickets are pricey but I’m sure you’ll walk out with a gluttonous overdose in chocolate.

Scott Neightly performs at X-initiative in collaboration with Tom O’Neill. Desire Caught by the Tail us a darkly comic play written by Pablo Picasso during the Nazi occupation of Paris in 1941, about a motley group of characters who fight wartime deprivation with sensual acts of indulgence in food, sex, and poetry. I’m intrigued.

I’ve forgotten all about “fuck the pain away”, the song by the infamous Peaches. She’s playing at Terminal 5 and I’ll be there pounding my groin upon a stranger. Just kidding.

The BEST Chicken I’ve made thus far.

The attempted detox diet isn’t going too smoothly at the moment, I indulged in burgers and fries, brownies and wine, tarts and chocolate throughout the weekend, I couldn’t help myself. I mean, who COULD help themselves when given the opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie instigated by a gathering of good food? It was only natural and I’m not one to resist my instinctive (albeit compulsive and fiendish) eating habits.

But it’s the start of the work week and I’m pseudo-back on track. I thought of making salad with plenty varied greens topped by grilled skinless chicken breasts. I had no intention of setting up the grill so decided to broil the free range organic chicken I bought for $7 at The Garden in Greenpoint. I’ve never broiled chicken before and I will make a grand pronouncement: this is THE BEST way to cook chicken breasts.

The turn offish and unappetizing fret one gets when toying with the idea of eating what is possibly dry and tasteless, this method is guaranteed juicy, flaky, soft, delicate and delicious beyond words. I was flabbergasted, absolutely astounded that it turned out this way. Pieces literally just peeled off and the broiling combined with spices and garlic created a crispy outside layer, packed with flavorful taste and juice. I am SOLD.

I tore chunks to put into my salad and haven’t eaten it yet, let’s see if it’s a good combo.

Set oven to broil

Spread them boneless wings on foil (I believe this is what kept the juices from disintegrating) atop a baking tray

Lather and sexily massage the top with olive oil, generously sprinkle salt and pepper, paprika (I’m inexplicably obsessed with paprika these days) and dried basil.

Stick in oven for 12 minutes, flip, and broil for 5 more minutes

Voila.

The Best Fish and Soup I’ve Cooked Thus Far.

On a brisk and sunny Saturday afternoon I rode over to the Farmer’s Market at McCarren Park (their new location far better aligned, on the street on the south end of the park on Driggs Ave) and went down my list of vegetables to buy. I’ve been loosely following a detox diet reading a book recommended by a friend called The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet, written by nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman. It’s nowhere near as intense and traumatizing as the Master Cleanse that I’ve tinkered with before and what convinced me was it maintained and improved one’s relationship to food rather than restricting or nullifying the connection all together. The diet involves eating groups of various vegetables in nutritional and organ friendly vegetables, fruits and lean meat for 7 days, leaving out all wheat, sugar, and caffeine and a one day fast drinking nothing but “the miracle juice” which contains cranberry juice and then back on the diet for 3 more days to get the body back to norm. One thing I realized I never pay attention to are the specific nutritional benefits a certain vegetable can offer and even now I’m too lazy to look up what vitamins and vital minerals broccoli contains. I just know it’s better than brownies, which I am dying for as we speak. So I am currently on day 4, I’ve been void of carbs and sweets except for the piece of chocolate that sneaked into my mouth last night and I’m feeling just fine, and am especially proud of all the efforts I’ve been putting in the kitchen.

I’ve made pan fried chicken with onions atop brown rice with steamed beets, I make an omelet every morning with carrots and chard and snack with plenty fruits and dates. At the market I bought two small pieces of sea bass for $4, a small bunch of dill for $1.50, acorn squash, cabbage, and greens for $3 (a friend works at the stand and winked the balance away) and onwards I went to the kitchen, whipping out the ingredients and referring to Heaven’s Banquet (a pretty amazing collection of ayurvedic recipes) to make cabbage soup and roasted acorn and pan fried sea bass.

I will proudly declare right now, this is the most deliciously prepared fish plate I’ve EVER made. I’ve concluded bass is my all time favorite, whether its sea or striped or polka dotted, a perfect balance between flake and chewy textures, not too bland, just salty enough to require minimum upkeep in the oven or pan. Here I simply poured some oil on the pan and laid the fish skin side down and let it sizzle for 10 minutes till the bottom is gloriously crispy. I sprinkled kosher salt, pepper and paprika to season and crisp the top, and flipped it over, squishing down the fish with a spatula sending hot sparks all over the place. Then onto the plate with nothing at all saved for anyone, eaten straight out of the sea, out of the market, out of the stove, into my belly. It was so good.

The soup was patiently simmering while I devoured the fish and I was definitely skeptical it would taste half decent. The recipe was super simple, stir cabbage in ghee for a few minutes, add broth, simmer, and season with s&p and dill. I added carrots and sweet potatoes and rice because I was never attracted to cabbage and figured they’d be nice additions. They were perfect additions, and I probably overdid it a bit on the dill which only made it more flavorful. I did however add a questionable amount of salt to undullify the broth and toyed with the idea of running out to add kielbasa chunks into it. But I’m on a detox diet so no sausages allowed. The soup ended coming out way better than I would’ve ever imagined. The broth was thickened by the rice which still had a slight pop upon crunch, cabbage was the slightest bit underdone which cave it a crisp and the sweet potato and carrots melted in my mouth without needing to chew. I’m usually averse to soup because I have a compulsive need to vigorously chew my food (grew up with dried squid sticks which are like beef jerky except even harder) and as soup by nature doesn’t require much jaw work I steer away from it. But it’s been intolerably cold and the diet doesn’t allow me to eat carbs of any type so I figured a brown rice soupy soup would do the trick. It was nourishing, homey, and filling.

Cabbage Soup with Carrots, Sweet Potato, and Brown Rice

Heat 3 Tbsp of ghee in soup pot

Add 3 cups of chopped vegetables and about a Tbsp of minced ginger

Stir fry for about 5-7 minutes

Add 4 cups veggie broth, 1 cup water

Add 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes

Add about 1/2 cup of fresh chopped dill, about 3 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper

Sit, consume, enjoy.

Green Edge 3rd year Anniversary and Call for Artists!

I received an email from Nicole of Green Edge Collaborative, a superb networking tool for living, practicing and functioning an eco-friendly lifestyle in NY and the organization is having a party Dec 3rd at Littlefield to celebrate three years of productive existence. The website is a pretty great resource for finding events and projects that support and are at the forefront of practicing sustainability and green lifestyle.

They are also putting out a call for artists whose work references sustainability, environment, society and economy and donate a piece for their annual fundraiser. If this opportunity is calling your name, check here for details!

I’m tempted to build a house of leaves and donate it as an art piece, because you know, I too CAN be an artist.

 

Jason Krugman’s Living Objects at McCarren Park

North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition is finally launching their second project: Jason Krugman’s Living Objects where lit human figures will be installed in McCarren Park. It will be a sight to see, awesome and spectacular.

There is a fundraiser for this project Nov 11th at Berry Park, I will be there selling raffle tickets or just drinking. Make sure to come, drink beer, and support public art! If you won’t be attending you can also donated to the coalition via Fractured Atlas, check the blogsite for info.

The opening/lighting ceremony will be Nov 22nd.

Here is all the info you need!

The Prompt for Performa 09

I still haven’t browsed thru the multitude of events for Performa, and am honestly not planning to attend anything that has a price. But I did get an email from Silvershed, a space that is currently hosting shows for the collective ABCyz and they are collaborating with Kunstverein NY, also at Silvershed for this 4 day performance.  A conceptual social club where cues are offered as conversation pieces, which oddly enough was taught in my social etiquette class to never have conversation starter pieces because it’s just poor taste. But art and taste, judgment, and interaction go hand in hand in this performance with multi-interactivity between performers and viewers/spectators/audience and music.

I rsvp for Nov 14th. BE THERE.

Kunstverein NY and Performa 09 are pleased to present:
The Prompt
a conceptual social club under the influence of Futurist Variety Theater

White Slab Palace, back room
77 Delancey Street, NY, NY 10002
Five evenings, November 11-15, 8-11 pm

Participating artists: Rita Ackermann, Fia Backström, The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Joan Juliet Buck & Cassie Terman, Joshua Kit Clayton, Patrick Cleandenim, Dexter Sinister, Mark Dion, Sylvie Fleury, Joseph Grigely, Jamie Hook, Rashid Johnson, Gabriel Lester, Paul Etienne Lincoln, Momus & Aki Sasamoto, Patrick Meagher, Haley Mellin, Ian Monk (OULIPO), Charlemagne Palestine, Adam Pendleton, Falke Pisano, R.H. Quaytman, Jimmy Raskin, Lucy Raven, Gavin Russom, Salter/Snowden, Dana Sherwood, Guy Richards Smit, Mindy Vale & Danny McDonald, Ben Vautier, Marianne Vitale, Reggie Watts, Robert Wilson, and more.

Curated by Sarina Basta and Michael Portnoy.  Co-produced by Chris Martino and Mary Rinebold.

For a nightly schedule of events please visit http://www.kunstverein.us/next

Admission free. Dinner and drinks available.  Space is limited, RSVP to theprompt@kunstverein.us

“WHEN THE FLUGELHORN BLASTS, YOU MAY ONLY TALK ABOUT BEAR’S MILK.”

Remnants and footage from The Prompt will be on view from November 12 onwards at Silvershed, 119 West 25th Street, PH, New York, NY 10001.

Score! at 3rd Ward Nov 21st!

My dear Jenny has been totally kicking ASS putting together the next Score! Swap, which will take place:

Nov 21st from 1-7pm at 3rd Ward.

What is Score! you ask?

Score! is a pop-up swap — a roving event series that invites New Yorkers to clear out their closets and score new treasure.

No two Score! events are alike. Some take place at indie venues, waterfront parks, artist studios, lofts, or bars. Some have a theme: Vintage Score!, Halloween Score!, “stuff my ex left over at my apartment” Score!, etc. But the formula stays the same: Good music, good drinks, good people, free stuff.

And how does Score! work you ask?

Attendees bring their records, clothes, accessories, housewares, art supplies, books & DVDs to the donation table by the entrance. Volunteers sort and distribute these items to various Score! departments – Music, Apparel & Accessories, Art Supplies, Housewares, Books & Media, Random Gems / Miscellany –  each hosted by different individuals and organizations. Attendees have the opportunity to browse each department and take whatever they like. Everything is free, but custom Score! tote bags are for sale ($5) if attendees find more things than they can carry.

Attendees can also enjoy music (courtesy of local DJs), drinks will be available at the bar, and street fashion bloggers will be on-hand to photograph stylish outfits.

After the event, all left-over items are collected by Rock and Wrap It Up –- an anti-poverty “think tank” that distributes donations to worthy non-profits throughout the city.

This swap will be especially special as proceeds from your $3 entry will support City Harvest!  So bring your old Blondie records, impulse sample sale buys, penny loafers, Jane Fonda workout videos, harmonica chord progression manuals, etc…and score some new treasures! Find a holiday gift for your mom, a smashing scarf for your friend, or a Queen Latifah cassette tape for your own personal collection. All items are free, and all remaining goods go to charity.

Categories:

Clothing & Accessories (Guys, Gals, Kids) – curated by Nisha Gopalan (senior editor, Nylon Magazine)

Music – curated by Showpaper

Art Supplies – curated by Lowbrow Society For The Arts

Books DVDs / Media – curated by The Desk Set

Housewares & Miscellany – curated by Natalie Kamei

3rd Ward // 195 Morgan Ave @ Stagg

1pm to 7 pm, $3 entry w/ RSVP (www.scoredatscore.com)

donations accepted up until 5pm

follow us for updates, treats and surprises! @scoreswap

Sponsor a student for the Automotive HS Garden Program

I received an email regarding what happens to be a most amazing and educational program for youth, combining sustainable food practices with community outreach and a foundation for leading characters.

The program and the garden at the school need funding to continue providing an amazing schedule with trips to farms and hands-on experience with maintaining food products. A list of achievements integrates education with local business support and distribution.

The email:

This email comes to you in thanks and in hope.  For three years I have run a gardening program and taught the “Food, Land, and YOU” class at Automotive HS.  This program strives to “seed knowledge and grow futures” through the following:
Exposing students to the complex social, political, and economic issues that surround the act of eating through high level reading, writing, debates, films, and field trips.
Giving students hands-on experience to make learning concrete – in the garden, with cooking projects, trips to farms, and more.
Offering real world experience that integrate learning and community action – Greenmarket events, market sales, food donations, and collaboration with restaurants.
With your help, both the class and the garden have thrived and the impact on the community and on students is palpable.

Below is a list of our current activities, pictures of what some of you have helped us achieve, and a request for continued (or new) financial support.

Accomplishments and activities:
Diner Journal (the publication of the wildly successful Diner restaurant) published an article about us.
The Huffington Post featured an article about our garden and the program’s impact on one student:
We’ve secured steady funding to support the garden and cooking projects through Slow Food NYC.  We are now a “Harvest Time” School.
We took our first overnight farm trip to Hawthorne Valley Farm last spring as part of a new pilot project at the farm.  Students made bread, cheese and butter from scratch and performed all farm chores (including working with livestock).  The successful event resulted in a partnership.  We’ll return to Hawthorne this Friday.  See pics here.
We’ve been invited to be a part of “Taste of Greenmarket” – a huge fundraiser for NYC’s Council on the Environment (CENYC).  Attendees include notable chefs Tom Colicchio, Peter Hoffman, and Dan Barber.  This is a great opportunity for students to learn about the local food movement and share their learning experiences.  We’ll serve tea from the garden.
Egg Restaurant in Williamsburg (critically acclaimed Brooklyn hot spot) will host a fundraising dinner for us on Nov. 2.  Students will help to cook and serve the meal (learning valuable skills) and produce from the garden will be featured.  More info and sign up here.
Miranda Restaurant, also in Williamsburg, has purchased our basil and featured it on their outstanding menu.
In Nov. and Dec. students will cook and serve lunch at the Bowery Mission, including donated produce from the garden.
We are hosting the Greenpoint YMCA pre-school students to the garden.  Auto students will act in a leadership roll and work one-on-one with younger children in the garden.
On Oct. 16th and Oct. 30th, we will be at the Union Square Greenmarket, cooking and handing out samples.  Students are responsible for running this whole operation and educating consumers.  Stop by if you can! Pics of past demos here.
We have raised over $325 from produce sales at our farm stand.
This program has an undeniable impact on my students and the way they see the world.
Why help?
Food insecurity and a lack of food justice are real issues.  Everyone deserves access to and knowledge about good, real, healthy food.
Most of my students come from food deserts.  There is little opportunity for them to buy, grow, or cook “good” food.
My students are 100% students of color and 84% low-income.  They do not have many opportunities afforded to teens of different backgrounds. Without your help, our farm trips would not be possible.
Their problems are real.  A trip to the farm gives students a safe, fun respite from the city, however brief, and exposes them to a different way of life and a new way of thinking while also putting the themes we have discussed into a real world context.

Needs:
While Slow Food NYC provides steady funding for the garden, it has proved extremely difficult to find funding for our farm trips.  We still depend almost solely on individual donations to make these experiences possible for students.
Total costs for each student to visit a farm this school year are about $6,000.  This includes two overnight trips (fall and spring) and two day trips (fall and spring), each for a differnent group of students.
One overnight farm trip costs about $2400 for 20 students.  That averages out to $120/student.
Our fundraising efforts are in full swing, but after student contributions, produce sales, and the Egg dinner, we still have to raise approximately $4,000 to cover this year’s trips.
No contribution is too big or too small!!!!  Every dollar helps!
We also welcome material donations, guest speakers, field trip hosts, etc.  If you’d like to be involved in some way other than financial, please write with your ideas.
How to contribute:

Mail tax-deductable donations here:

ATTN: Jenny Kessler

Automotive High School

50 Bedford Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11222

Checks can be made out to “Automotive High School”.  PLEASE WRITE “Auto Garden” in the memo line.

If you would like a tax receipt, be sure to include a return address.

Brooklyn Art Studios opening this weekend in Greenpoint

Nearly 200 artists were kicked out of the infamous 5 Pointz building in Long Island City after a staircase collapse a few months back. Many have gathered inside a building in Greenpoint to yet again build a progressive community of creative folks. Brooklyn Art Studios are having open studios this weekend, surely not to be missed:

Former Crane Street Studio artists bridge the Queens/Brooklyn gap and open the doors to their new artistic home in Greenpoint…

(Brooklyn, NY) – Following Crane Street Studios devastating staircase collapse in April, 2009, a creative community of over 200 artists was forced to vacate the legendary 5 Pointz “graffiti building” of Long Island City, Queens. Fortunately for the neighborhood, many of these artists only moved a bridge’s distance away to the nearby vibrant, multi-cultural, budding art community of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to set up their new artistic digs at the Brooklyn Art Studios – a new and improved art and industrial center, only a few short blocks from the Greenpoint Avenue G train subway stop.

The sixteen former Crane Street artists include: Davide Balliano, Installation Artist; Jess Benston, Painter; Erica Buhl, Painter; Tomas Casas, Film Maker; Karen Y. Chan, Film/Video/Sound Artist; Christina Anastasia Dallas, Photographer, Eric Levine, Painter; Kim Luttrell, Painter/Sculptor/Mixed-Media Artist; George Panagi, Painter; Lorenzo Powell, Portrait Artist; Hernando Restrepo, Painter; Carla E. Reyes, Painter/Mixed-Media Artist; Sol Tanne, Portrait Artist; Yu-Whuan, Sculptor/Installation Artist; Kiyomi Yamagishi, Jewelry Designer; Ian White Maher, Sculptor/Installation Artist. They are joined by: Ken Bae, Graphic Designer/Illustrator; Michele Beck, Multidisciplinary Artist; Johnny Bergmann, Filmmaker; Meredith Binder, Filmmaker; BiZZiD, Painter; Joel Columpang, Designer; Astrid Farruggia, Textile Designer; Rose Frisenda, Painter; Cassy Giacci, Painter/Mixed Media Artist; Julio Granados, Illustrator/Graphic Designer; Trisha Max, Painter; Susan Metrican, Painter; Tyeakia Miles, Fashion Designer/Sculptor; Trina Ong, Painter/Mixed-Media Artist; Elizabeth Polish, Industrial Designer; Emily Raively, Graphic Design; Ana Paola White, Painter; Rufus Tureen, Film Maker; as well as writer, Michael Tyrell, and Ally Latourelle of Earthventure Capital LLC.

This unique ensemble of talent will open their doors to the art world and local community to host their first open studio event on Friday, November 6, 2009, 6-9pm, and Saturday, November 7, 1-6pm. Many of the artists will be present at the event to discuss their work, and a wide range of original artwork will be available for purchase just in time for the holiday season!

City of Dreams

My dear Jeff of FEAST recently participated in City of Dreams, a traveling performance by Anna Galtarossa and Daniel Gonzalez. In the course of a Friday lunch hour, a marching band performed atop a sequined and glittering double-decker tour bus and drove around Manhattan, all in an effort to share the power of dreams. Artists created pajamas and costumes for those on board and the posse of dreamers whizzed through Times Square, the Empire State Building, and downtown. Artists Galtarossa and Gonzalez executed a dream of adventuring to NYC and this is one performance of many passages inspired by freedom and possibility.

I asked Jeff a few questions about his organizational input in the project:

How did City of Dreams start?

We started collaborating in 2007 on an ambitious public art project called Chili Moon Town Tour: a floating, utopian city that debuted on Chapultepec Lake in Mexico City.
Our performance City of Dreams was born with the same urge to celebrate the power of dreams and to divulge our own: to bring Chili Moon Town to New York City.

How are dreams manifested through this traveling performance, specifically through a double decker tour bus?

We used a very classic tourist vehicle as a platform to carry dreams.
Our performance is the materialization of a fable through a series of actions around NYC.
The bus was covered in our hand-sequined banners, participants donned fantastic costumes, four marching bands played and various artists participated with further elements such as masks, performances and decorations.

Who are the participants in addition to Anna and Daniel?

Hungry March Band (NYC)
Yellow Hat Band (Seattle)
Environmental Encroachment (Chicago)
Pink Puffers (Italy)
Kristina Semos (NYC)
Brock Shorno (NYC)
Ninaboy (Spain)
Le Metamorfosis de la Palomita (Spain)
Federica Dimatteo (Spain)
Yeray Nauset (Spain)

What were the performances like and what were the reactions from the public?

When our bus would pull over, dozens of performers in our artist-designed pajamas would flood the sidewalks – handing out balloons, starting pillow fights, and dancing with pedestrians. In SoHo, a distinguished soprano sang a lullaby to the street while the rest of us fell asleep on the sidewalk.