Easter TreatI am shocked, even disgusted that I’ve failed to praise my favorite holiday candy on this blog before! Peeps are possibly the best thing about Spring and I’ve been craving them like crazy the past few weeks. I’ve eaten all the ones that were in the house, so I borrowed the photo from the Brooklyn Public Library blog. Be sure to take a peek at this week’s Peep themed laugh.
from Martha StewartCan you imagine anything more refreshing and perfect for this lovely weather than Cucumber Limeade? It’s simple to make and wonderful!
125 4th AvenueClean, kindly, and convenient: Bellissimo, right near Union Square, was the perfect spot for a much needed pampering with an equally frazzled co-worker. We opted for a pedicure with a ten minute foot massage that was heavenly. I loved the selection of colors as well as the funky soft beads your feet soak in. Next time I’ll be sure to partake in one of their back massages.
Stunning Food BlogInspiring food writer Robyn Eckhardt and the gorgeous photography of David Hagerman will not only put Eating Asia at the top of your favorite food blogs, but Malaysia at the top of your list of places to visit. I particularly love the savory breakfast foods that are heavy on garlic and other bold spices often ignored in Western cooking for the first meal of the day. Some great images from the site are below, all photos are by David Hagerman. Please take a look at the site for even more mouth watering entries.
Click here for the rest of Eating Asia
A Perfect CombinationI love Peeps and I love dioramas, so you can just imagine how I feel about this Washington Post gallery. Below/after the jump are some favorite entries from this and years past.
Click here for the rest of Peep Dioramas
From the Momofuku CookbookOur friend Mike is nothing if not ambitious: if you’ve taken a look at David Chang’s recent Momofuku Cookbook, you know that these are not simple fixins. Mike decided to have friends over the other night to try a selection of FOUR. Most impressively, all were delicious and made in a tiny kitchen sans staff of many to help.
The noodles are nice and simply refreshing. The rice cakes, which he improvised the most, were spectacular in their bold flavor. The cauliflower was a wonderful starter with a tangy vinaigrette, and the pork buns were simply incredible.
Plus, he had no snobby issues with the people eating his food taking photographs.
Click here for the rest of A Selection of Momofuku Recipes
directed by Tony Scott (1983)It stars David Bowie, Catherine Denuve, Susan Sarandon and includes a cameo by a young Willem Dafoe (playing a street punk) and Ann Magnuson. It features the music of Lou Reed, Bach and an unforgettable performance by Bauhaus of Bela Legosi’s Dead. I mean, there’s “cool”, and then there’s Tony Scott’s erotic vampire mood piece The Hunger.
I first saw this movie a number of years ago and remembered a couple of its visually arresting scenes, including that Peter Murphy performance and the rapid aging sequence with its expert special effects makeup; but I’d forgotten how deeply stylized and truly arty it is. Does the artistry sometimes border on indulgent and slow the whole thing down a little bit? Sure, but it makes you miss the audacity behind this kind of moody, visually artful filmmaking that doesn’t seem so common anymore (even though at the time Roger Ebert dismissed it “a movie that has been so ruthlessly overproduced that it’s all flash and style and no story.”) Scott’s take on vampirism has as much in common with today’s glitter skinned wimpy romance as Roxy Music does with The Jonahs Brothers; Marlene Deitrich with Miley Cyrus.
The film was based on a novel by Whitley Strieber (of Communion fame) but major changes were made to the ending to satisfy the perceived need of audiences everywhere to see thousand-year-old vampire Denueve suffer for her misdeeds. A remake is planned at Warner Brothers, but I have very little confidence anything as cool as the original will roll off the assembly line… though Scott, who is deeply involved, has this to say: “I’m not going to tell you how we’re doing it, but I’m controlling it and it’s gone to the next level. It’s not a reinvention or reinterpretation, it starts in New York and it ends up in Sao Paulo, so it’s a very different movie, but it springboards off the original. We’re writing it right now and we’ve got a great writer, Erin Wilson.”
Click here for the rest of The Hunger
David Bowie (1981)Quentin Tarantino recently plucked this gothy Bowie gem from Paul Scrader’s remake of Cat People, putting it back on the cinematic map by powering the big eyeliner application scene with its eerie slow build and dramatic tempo shift. Despite its rather anachronistic inclusion in Inglourious Basterds (which boasts an otherwise era-appropriate score), it’s definitely the only thing salvageable from the 1981 dud.
I’m a fan of the original Cat People, so it was with high hopes that we began Schrader’s interpretation the other night; hopes that were quickly dashed. Even a singularly creepy (even for him) Malcolm McDowell, a dopey young Ed Begley Jr, a bra-less Natasha Kinski and an atmospheric Egyptian sex ritual sequence couldn’t save this drag.
Even though Bowie lends his unique vocal stylings, it’s producer Giorgio Moroder that gets the credit for the song’s unique spooky synth mood, as the music was written before Bowie’s involvement.
Bootsy Collins (1976)The centerpiece of Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band is the fantastic “I’d Rather Be With You”. It’s an absolutely perfect example of the kind of slow groovy/sexual innuendo/hip swaying spectacle that is funk at its best. A live, jammy, white-caped version is also worth a looksee.
I’d Rather Be With You, despite being a huge hit, was (blissfully) left off the play-lists of the oldies stations we grew up with, so it’s been spared the obnoxious overplaying that’s crippled so many genre classics and feels as fresh and exciting as the day it was made – but, even though I’m devoting so digital ink to this one song, I don’t want you to think that the rest of the album is mere filler.
Love Vibes (featuring the lovely vocals of Leslyn Bailey), Vanish In Our Sleep, and Physical Love – they’re all so much fun! Which is exactly what this album is all about, as is pretty clear from the rainbow font and motorcycle photograph on the cover. It’s absolutely perfect listening for the beginning of spring.
I adored Titus Welliver as Silas on Deadwood, and was thrilled when he showed up as the man in black on Lost (whose casting team seems intent on featuring nearly all of Deadwood’s key actors – will the final episode star Ian McShane? That would be awesome). Last week’s episode dedicated to the telling of Richard’s story allowed more screen time for the now silvery haired and dreamily steely gazed hunk.
I hope more appearances on Lost are to follow, because as much as I love the guy I’m simply not willing to tune into The Good Wife.
Click here for the rest of Titus Welliver