Mikey of Las Vegas duo Afghan Raiders took some time to talk to us! I haven't been excited about US dance electro-synth like this in a while. Check the free download of their remixes (my fav is the BADICAL one) and upcoming show flyer at the end of the post! [blt-idm] Vegas huh? Where is the best off-strip dining? In your opinion, which club has the lowest douche factor? Definitely Red Velvet Cafe on the West side of town. It's the best Vegan food and bakery in town. All the clubs have a high douche factor. We like to hang at smaller bars like The Griffen and Freakin' Frog.
[blt-idm] How'd you connect with Metronomy (I love them) for your upcoming San Diego show? Our manager was helping them get some shows here in the US and connected us with them. They make super cool music!
[blt-idm] Do you guys cook at home or prefer to go out? We both love to cook at home. Eating healthy, saving money, and staying out of douchey Vegas restaurants are our top priorities.
[blt-idm] Any food allergies or things you don't eat? Mikey can't drink beer... he's allergic. What a wuss. Beans is allergic to eating animals. In other words he's a borderline Vegan.
[blt-idm] What can we look forward to from Afghan Raiders in 2k9? Tours, lunch boxes, cereal(s), gym bags, and hopefully some more new music
Imagine if this girl did the Beyonce "Single Ladies" dance with these claws. You'd have two dead backup dancers. This video came out 5 months before "Single Ladies" (from Matthew Perpetua).
The last time I saw Fujiya and Miyagi, they played the South Street Seaport for free with Black Moth Super Rainbow (my shoddy cell phone picture above). This February, the trio will be touring with Project Jenny Project Jan (who loves bbq btw) in support of their newest effort Lightbulbs. Their NY date is set for 2/17 at Le Poisson Rogue.
I love these hand written package designs for sexay nekkid chef, Jamie Oliver. The other packages are pretty vibrant and entertaining. Check the rest out at TheDieLine.
Project Jenny Project Jan'sXOXOXOXOXOwas one of my favorite albums of 2007.The Brooklyn party-duo will embark on a February tour with Fujiya and Miyagi. Make sure to catch them on February 7th at Santos Party House before they take off (Photo by Judith Levitt)! Vocalist Jeremy Haines took some time to answer a couple of my questions: [blt -idm ] So, the last track of your cd was all about Brooklyn. How long have you guys lived here? What neighborhoods are you representing?
We [meaning DJ/synth man Sammy Rubin] have both lived in Brooklyn since about 2001. We started off in Park Slope and Carrol Gardens but have since relocated to Williamsburg and Bushwick. But, we both wish we lived in Canarsie.
[blt- idm] Where's the best place to experience both food and music?
There's a great place in Syracuse, NY called The Dinosaur Bar-b-que that has some incredible food, and music. In the city, I would have to say Sunday night at The Cafe Loup with the legendary Junior Mance on the piano and cassoulet in the belly.
[blt-idm] Do you have any food allergies?
I am allergic to blue food and Rubin is allergic to red food. Yin and Yang.
[blt-idm] Do you cook at home?
Rubin cooks more than I do, although I cook breakfast sandwiches that would make your socks roll up and down.
My second choice for NYC Restaurant Week was Danny Meyer's Tabla. I had stars in my eyes for this guy's establishments ever since I read Setting the Table. Does Meyer put his money where his mouf is? Will the modern Indian flare from exec. chef Floyd Cardoz make me cry tears of joy or let down? My partners in crime for this meal were the Pauls from 2pp and J. Marms (my roommate). We were seated at a nice table in the main dining room where they promptly took away our "show plates."
Our bread course was two large warm pads of naan with tomato chutney and green apple puree. One was cornmeal based and the other was flour based. They didn't last long our table, we got another helping midway through the main course!
First course:
Glazed Veal Sweetbreads with Salad of Arugula, Citrus Fruit & Heart of Palm
I finally looked up what sweetbreads were. It wasn't brain. Thank god. They are thymus glands, responsible for autoimmunity in the body. The root is from the Old English wordsweete, as opposed to savory muscle fiber.
My monk fish portion was gigantic! The texture reminded of lobster, wasn't cut flat like a regular fish either. The beans were ok and I wanted more of the linguica sausage. I barely dented this dish and our server noticed, he asked if there was anything wrong with it. Nothing really, I just don't eat very much.
Seared Diver Scallops with Japanese Eggplant, Silk Squash & “Sambhar Broth”
Paul and Paul devoured their scallops. The disprorportionate amount of food between the sizes of our main courses was wildly clear.
Dessert:
Grapefruit Parfait with White Chocolate Cake, Tarragon Oil & Pink Grapefruit Sorbet
I think my dessert was the best looking of the bunch, I'd put a ring on it. I normally hate grapefruit, which is why I went for it. It was a delight. The parfait was not too milky and the sorbet wasn't bitter at all. It reminded of toronja flavored Jarrito's soda.
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Kulfi with House Made Root Beer Soda
Paul described the crispy piece of pastry garnish as a "nacho." I normally hate root beer, too. The in-house soda wasn't syrupy or gross. It had a pleasant medicinal taste.
Milk Chocolate Brown Ale Semifreddo with Tamarind Caramel, Pretzel Praline, Cashew Brittle Crumble & Brown Ale Foam At the end of the meal, we were each given a gift certificate for $24.07 (the Restaurant Week lunch price) to try Tabla's regular menu next month. Service at Tabla is top-notch and probably the most accomodating and intuitive that I've experienced so far. Food-wise, Cardoz plays it safe. Nothing was blaringly spicy, but I can see the faint Indian source material in the ingredients and preparation. A pleasant experience and I'm definitely going back next month!
Selecting Lure Fish Bar was part of my New Year's resolution to eat more seafood. Creatures of the ocean (estuaries, fresh water and so forth) make me squirmy like a worm on a hook. My partner in crime for this meal was Paul Levering of 2PP Prod. 'Twas appropriate since we had went shopping in SoHo last week and were hankering to spend more money. As we descended the stairs to the basement space to Lure, we were delighted by the yacht decor.
My first course was salmon tartare with dill puree, salmon roe and creamy horseradish. The horseradish was a little sour and didn't lend the level of acidity that lemon usually provides. The dill puree was very potent, I was burping it later on in the afternoon. Overall, the little dish needed a little salt and pepper but it was good. I immediately regretted not getting the half dozen of oysters with mignonette sauce, I should have stuck to my adventurous plan!
Stay with me here....my second course was grilled salmon with pumpkin spice gnocchi, broken up brussel sprouts and sage vinigarette. So, that was pretty wussy of me to get salmon again but I really wasn't down with the other dishes. I couldn't finish this (surprise, surprise) because it was a huge piece and had way too much buttery vinigarette. The gnocchi were sweet, but I personally prefer them to be pan fried a little. I understand it was meant to be a foil to the crispy salmon skin, but the salmon itself was a little chewy at the top.
Third course was buttermilk panna cotta with poached apple and oatmeal streusel. the oatmeal was crunchy, gritty and misplaced. It almost hurt my teeth a little bit. The panna cotta was texturally good, but didn't stand out too much. Paul went with the clam chowder with bacon, steamed branzino with jalapeno and espresso brownie. While Restaurant Week is all about low-priced prix fixe menus, Paul and I spent $38.00 on unfiltered sake and Pellegrino. Go with the tap, my friends. Ain't no shame!
Au, organic and whimsical Portland collective, will be gracing New York City's Le Poisson Rouge this Saturday, 1/24. They will be joined by Brooklyn's Stars like Fleas. Tickets are available online. Yo! It's an early show, doors open at 6pm.
I can't get enough of their clapping, lady vox and full sounding experi-pop. It was a joy to find that Sarah Winchester of A Weather contributed vocals to Verbs, too!
I'm excited that my fellow FOODIE sharegrrl, Eeez, will be starting this DIY video series. Maybe someone you know might appear on it some day. WHO KNOWS...?!
Handmade Music at the 3rd Ward tonight! Every 3rd Thursday at 7:30pm. Free PBR and lessons on how to circuit bend and make theremins [3rd Ward].
sqzmylmns is a DJ duo from sunny San Diego, peep their "Oakland" track [DISCODUST].
Maserati and Zombi have a split coming up on Temporary Residence in Feb. I'm still sad I can't go to the Mono Anniversary show at my favorite venue, the Society For Ethical Culture [Brooklyn Vegan].
Can't get enough of the cowbell in this Shinichi Osawa song [Hyperbole]
DANG IT, I MISSED ELVIS' BIRTHDAY CUPCAKE [Grub Street]
Bed Stuy cares about my health! Free classes at the Family Dynamics Center! [Bed Stuy Blog].
$15 Vegan cooking class with of Liquid Liquid [Grub Street]
The Slits (ALL HAIL THE SLITS, P.S.) sign to Narnack [Brooklyn Vegan]
UPDATE: Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick went to Stogo! I am 1 degree away from Kevin Bacon!! And P.S. my portion looks way smaller than Kyra's, maybe because it's her brother's vegan ice cream shop. [Grub Street]
My new friend Akira (better known as IDM DJ magician 8gb), introduced me to his version of Piirakats. The Finnish snacks are warm pastry pockets with either rice or potato filling. Each one is garnished with a mix of melted butter and broken up hard boiled egg.
It was a good post-New Year's breakfast, lemme tell ya.
My picky picky neuroses couldn't help but flag the typographical errors in my awesome Christmas present, On the Line. On page 103, second column and third bullet point ("Places line of barbecue sauce down the plate, places caggabe on the plate..."). Don't get me wrong! The book is exquisite in execution, 'twas a simple error! Hell, I am guilty of many typos--I'm just a jerk that notes these things. Am I the only one that reads recipe books like novels? Someone winced when I said I read Stephen Jenkins' Cheese Primer straight through. I always get a wave of satisfaction whenever I finish a book. Ripert signs off "This is our legacy. May it inspire you..."
Inspiring, indeed! Grub Street reports that Ripert has promised $1 from every meal at Le Bernadin and from every copy of On the Line sold will go to City Harvest to feed the hungry.
Now, excuse me. I want to practice my tomato confit.
In Her Gentle Jaws is cradled comfort in the face of danger. Fuzzed out guitars , steadfast drum beats and subtle ambient 8bit create a perfect hand-holding partner for the hushed, dreamy vocals. My favorite ended up being the title track, it's like the trek up the Super Mario stairs in slow motion, reaching to grab the flaggy---and realizing the Princess isn't in another castle. She is just a cold hearted beezy who just wants to be friends.
Catch The Depreciation Guild for free tonight at the Bell House (Brooklyn), doors are at 8pm.
What this is about: The Condiment Crusade could be potentially funny, informative or painful. I'm on a culinary crusade to try all of the condiments in my fridge. Yes, even that dodgy looking Mayo! Do they take up the entirety of the door's shelves? It's time to figure out what to keep in the Everyday Slumber Party fridge! I have recently come into a large amount of bread, let the the crusade begin! Click here if you missed Round 1.
One of my University professors once said that "humans and frogs don't cut the same kind of mustard," in reference to the Greek Golden age where humanity is the ideal state of being (which is why we didn't worship frogs back then). The phrase stuck with me for many years and I toiled about its meaning--until today. Friends, I will attempt to taste 4 types of mustard from my fridge. I'm gonna cut up this mustard better than any frog ever will !
First up, Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard. Kosciusko is not just the street down the block from me in Brooklyn, but Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian who led an uprising against the Imperial Russian government in 1794. He is the inspiration for the "old world" flavor of this mustard. The manufacturer, Plochman, has a whole webpage about mustard myths and facts (for my favorite, see religious references to mustard). Let's get down to business...this mustard looks mucky, like REALLY "old world" brown. It's got a smooth consistency despite the little visible flecks of seed. It's not that spicy and thus, a disapppointment. Probably meant to slather on sandwiches and blend in with bland mayo. This stuff won a gold medal at the Napa Valley Mustard Festival in 1998. Times are changing Kosciusko, a mustard uprising is in order!
365 Organic German Mustard (Whole Foods) was originally purchased to eat with some duck mousse pate and cornichons. For those of you that suffer from Celiac's disease, this brand is gluten-free. It had a strong taste of cider vinegar, mostly there to compliment the smoky char of Bratwurst. It's not amazing, but definitely more flavorful than the Kosciusko.
French's Spicy Brown bears the brightest hue of all the mustards today. I grew up with the notion that all mustard came packaged like theFrench's bright yellow twist top bottles. Remember, you had to tap it on the nozzle a little bit before you opened it? Otherwise, you got a squirt of mustard water! It's got the crowd-pleasing taste of the original French's, but falls short of uniquely standing out as the "spicy brown" claims it to be.
I have a lot of faith in the Inglehoffer Dijon Stone Ground, because frankly, the previous three mustards kinda sucked. I was waiting for a punch in the face or something to rouse me from my lazy "should I go get my laundry" malaise. Oh yum, this is what I was waiting for. Crunchy mustard seeds, red wine and turmeric--little bit of annatto. I think the key here is that they use a blend of red wine, white wine, balsamic and distilled vinegars. It's a sweet and complex bite. It also helps that it don't look like poop.
It's on! October 23rd-25th, 2009 is the WFMU Record Fair! I'll be there with tote bags of multicolored vinyl and might finally buy a pretty 7" case. Here's my account from 2007:
WFMU in Jersey City is pretty much the patron saint of freeform radio. At KDVS, my co-workers and I tried our hardest to emulate the values and systems that WFMU exhibited for so many years. We were proud to find out that our former general manager, Liz Beg, became the assistant general manager at WFMU. We modeled our fundraiser after theirs and even threw a record swap in the similar style of their record fair--ours paled in comparison, though. I went with Matt and Hector to the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan yesterday. We paid the admission and walked in with wide eyes. Two hours went by so quickly! I ran into Liz Berg (of course) and kinda stalked Noah Uman while he was DJing. It was overwhelming to attempt to browse all bins. I aimed for 90's twee 7", indie pop, children's music, instructional records and lounge. There was a herd of hipped out posers drooling over the soul/funk LPs and punk 7", awkward middle-aged women bragging about their Francois Hardy first pressings, timid old men with large anthologies of reggae circa 1963, dredded bin rats thumbing through the hip hop---surely a sight to see!
Things I wanted to buy, but couldn't afford: Karin Kent 7" - $35 Mark Eitzel 7" - $25 Learn how to Bongo! 7" - $10 Shonen Knife "Secret No. 712" 7"- $15 Children's Exercise Compilation - $40 Gershon Kingsley "Moog Party Time" LP - $55 Gershon Kingsley "And the Moog Synthesizer" LP - $75 Standard School Broadcast - "Music Makers: Drums" - $20 Standard School Broadcast - "Music Makers: Guitar" - $20
I actually bought: Adelaide Van Wey - "Lullabies" 78 - $2.00 Adelaide Van Wey - "Learning Songs" 78 - $2.00
An old man had this massive collection of children's 78s! I never heard of Adelaide Van Way before and was intrigued. The dealer bobbed his head in the most adorable way as we took turns checking out the records on his portable player. They're the real deal! Really fragile and heavy weight. These records are so Joanna Newsome-ey and simple.
Standard School Broadcast - "Music Makers: Keyboard" - $10
The Music Makers was a music education program sponsored by Chevron. They interviewed a range of musicians for each instrument family and had them demonstrate the ways in which they are played. Interviews are sometimes instructional, but are mostly aimed to inspire kids (and adults) to experiment with music. People of various backgrounds , classical and not, are included. The Keyboard edition has Herbie Hancock and Denny Zeitlin (Moog player!). The dealer, Blake, was from Chicago and was watching me because all the other people at his table were swarming the soul and funk LPs, but I went straight for the electronic and children's sections. He has some really interesting educational records. I told him about my record label and the upcoming electronic exercise compilation and he was very interested in helping me out. I got this for half off because he was packing up to leave.
American Music Club - "Will You Find me?/Love Connection in NYC" 7" - $10
I love Mark Eitzel. The KDVS library only had his solo stuff. I remember All Music Guide and discogs directed me to American Music Club, but I couldn't find it at KDVS! This was before Myspace was big on music pages, so I had only dreamed of hearing it. I knew that I would love it. I found a red vinyl 7" copy of "Love Connection NYC" and asked to listen to it before I bought it. Oh, definitely picked this over the Mark Eitzel solo 7-pretty much the root of all my post emo/indie pop jaunts. The girl working this booth worked at WPRB Princeton, not surprising that a lot of these record dealers were ex-music directors like me.
Martin Denny - "Quiet Village/The Enchanted Sea" 7" - $1.00 Martin Denny - "Hawaii/Tiny Bubbles" - $1.25
I found these two Martin Denny 7" at a booth where no one was really looking. They were under an "instrumental" section. I pulled them out and kinda made a squealy sound. The 60 year old man that took my money was kinda shocked that I bought such sleazy music. He asked if I considered Denny to be "cassanova" or "bachelor pad" music. Absolutely! He wondered why such a young lady, like myself, would want Martin Denny. I told him about my old radio show and my first DJ gig at G street was a lounge set consisting of mostly Martin Denny and Esquivel. It's a love/hate thing, cause Denny is an obvious orientalist--one of the main people that contributed to associating lounge music with "exotic" Pacific Island areas (dun dun dun actually referred to as "Exotica" music). I highly doubt Pacific rim musicians had vibraphones or slide guitars readily available. The old man thanked me for giving him more insight about Martin Denny. He asked why there weren't any Martin Denny tribute comps or cds. Good question!
Mikey of Las Vegas duo Afghan Raiders took some time to talk to us! I haven't been excited about US dance electro-synth like this in a while. Check the free download of their remixes (my fav is the BADICAL one) and upcoming show flyer at the end of the post!
