November 19th, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
My colleague at AMP3 Public Relations has published a transcript of singer/songwriter Dion Roy’s interview with Billboard Magazine contributor Michael Menachem. Click here to read the interview.
About Dion Roy:
dion roy
Dion Roy is a fresh singer/songwriter on the New York indie music scene. His music fuses his electro and acoustic roots with his knack for writing an unforgettable hook.
About It’s All Very PR:
It’s All Very PR explores Alyson Campbell’s fascinating “6 Degrees of Separation” style life experiences in the PR world.
Posted in: Singer-songwriter Dion Roy
Tags: alyson campbell, alyson campbell amp3, alyson campbell it's all very pr, amp3 pr, amp3 public relations, dion roy, dion roy interview, dion roy interview with michael menachem, dion roy music, dion roy musician, dionroy.com, it's all very pr, singer songwriter, Singer-songwriter Dion Roy
November 15th, 2008 / 2 Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
American Buffalo on Broadway
The play begins with Don, an affable junk shop owner (played by Cedric the Entertainer) offering the slow-witted Bob (Haley Joel Osment) a few pointers on life.
The “Mamet speak” is there, but it’s not until John Leguizamo kicks through the junk shop door, bursting out an indignant harangue over an incident involving a “c*nt” named Ruthie and a slice of toast, that the audience realizes they’re in for a profanity-laden treat.
The play, originally written in 1976, is being cleverly re-branded as a hip “heist” movie, which – for those of you who are familiar with the play – it’s clearly not. This a 3-man play that takes place entirely within the tight (but stunningly decorated!) confines of a junk shop. The theft of the rare, valuable “American Buffalo” coin is strategized (and re-strategized) – but never really executed.
Director Robert Falls prevents the play from becoming an intellectual snooze-fest morality tale on American capitalism and greed by casting fresh, multi-ethnic, multi-talented actors lead by veteran motor-mouthed stage/screen actor John Leguizamo.
Leguizamo’s sensational performance got the most love from the audience on the night I saw the play. He dazzles as Teach, the obscenity-spewing small time crook who thinks he’s a philosopher. Leguizamo brings life to Teach (and Mamet’s words) with his signature zany humor. But I must say that I was disappointed with his subdued delivery during a final, pivotal scene.
Broadway virgins Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment held their own against Leguizamo. Stand-up king Cedric the Entertainer makes junk shop owner and theft mastermind Don Dubrow instantly likeable (but never admirable). Former child star Haley Joel Osment seemed the least comfortable in his role as the good-natured but dim junkie Bobby. Osment lacks his co-stars’ on-stage presence, and his performance – although earnest – was often borderline vacant.
Bottom line: “American Buffalo” is a wickedly funny play that takes on America’s obsession with money, and confronts the dangerous overlap between business and friendship. Captivating performance by John Leguizamo – a new Broadway force to be reckoned with.
For tickets and info, visit: www.AmericanBuffaloBroadway.com
Posted in: New York City Events, Theater
Tags: american buffalo, american buffalo broadway, american buffalo broadway review, american buffalo cedric the entertainer, american buffalo haley joel osment, american buffalo john leguizamo, american buffalo review, david mamet, john leguizamo, mamet american buffalo, mamet american buffalo broadway, robert falls, Theater
November 7th, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
Termeh Mazhari: Tell me about your blog, Kitchen Confidence
Matthew Tivy: I created my blog to share my recipes and thoughts on food with my customers and friends. I also wanted to promote my restaurants and to share my ratio driven recipes. The blog was originally suggested by the agent for my cookbook and it has grown from there.
TM: What is your ingredient ratio theory?
MT: The idea of ratio recipes is that ingredients in a recipe need to be in proportion to each other in order to create a successful result. Professional chefs have been following recipes in this way for years and I want to share that “insider” information with the general cooking public.
TM: You share your recipes on the blog. Aren’t you afraid other chefs might steal your ideas?
MT: Recipes are “freely borrowed” among chefs on a regular basis so it’s not a concern of mine. The trick is to try to get original ideas attributed to you.
TM: You own two bistros: one French (Cafe du Soleil), one Japanese (Tokyo Pop), two cuisines that seem like they couldn’t be further apart. What drew you to them?
MT: French cuisine was my original passion but like many French trained chefs I have a great respect for the tradition and sophistication of Japanese cuisine and I have often incorporated them into my own French dishes. Also when we opened Tokyo pop we didn’t want to compete too directly with Cafe du Soleil since it’s across the street so that was another factor in choosing a Japanese concept. Additionally, chef Nakayama was interested in being involved with Tokyo pop so it was a perfect convergence of events.
TM: What is your favorite dish at Café du Soleil?
MT: I have many favorite dishes at Cafe du Soleil and I am always hard pressed to name just one. Among my top favorites are the seared scallops with truffle sauce, the roast chicken with rosemary roasted potatoes, and the tomate montrachet.
TM: Do you read any other chefs’ blogs?
MT: I like Mark Bittman’s blog, also Michael Ruhlman’s, and there are many other good ones that I wish I had more time to read.
Click here to read Matthew Tivy’s blog, Kitchen Confidence.
Cafe du Soleil is located at 2724 Broadway at 104th St. Daily specials. For more information, visit http://cafedusoleilnyc.com
Posted in: Food
Tags: cafe du soleil, cafe du soleil new york, cafe du soleil nyc, chef matthew tivy, chef tivy, interview with chef matthew tivy, interview with matthew tivy, kitchen confidence, matthew tivy, matthew tivy blog, matthew tivy cafe du soleil, matthew tivy kitchen confidence
November 3rd, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
Here’s a scenario we’ve all been through: It’s dinnertime, and you open your fridge to inspect what ingredients you have to work with: some unidentified meat, maybe one or two veggies, milk that’s gone sour, and a pantry filled with spices and dried herbs. Ok, so now what? A recipe book will prove useless since you’re likely to be short of say a dozen ingredients, give or take. So you probably mix everything together and hope for the best. But the end result is always the same: a mediocre meal that just doesn’t taste “right.”
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a list of all the foods that taste good together? We can all think of a few classic food pairings: chocolate and raspberries, apples and cinnamon, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk, are a few of the matches made in my gustatory heaven.
But what about some of the less obvious combos, like salmon and lentils or carrots and maple syrup?
Now, with a new reference book aptly named The Flavor Bible, you can look up any ingredient and find an exhaustive list of its most compatible flavor combinations!
the flavor bible
With
The Flavor Bible, the home cook or aspiring chef has all the inspiration he/she needs to create a flavorful meal. Besides learning what ingredients work best together, the book also defines the multiple factors that determine flavor, shares surprising food facts from famous chefs, and lists specific restaurant dishes where you can taste some of those perfect food combinations.
Authors Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg were kind enough to answer some of this foodie’s questions.
karen page and andrew dornenburg
TM: How did you compile all the information for the book?
KP: For the past eight years that we’ve been researching The Flavor Bible, we’ve been tracking modern flavor pairings everywhere we’ve encountered them – including in leading chefs’ cookbooks, at well-regarded restaurants and on their menus and websites, and even in highly-praised dishes in restaurant reviews. In addition, we interviewed dozens of America’s most imaginative chefs to delve deeper into the question of “what goes with what” when it comes to creating extraordinary combinations.
AD: As the chef in our family, I enjoyed getting to test out some of the best combinations at home in our Manhattan kitchen!
TM: What was the most surprising good flavor combination that you discovered?
AD: Chef Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington, DC, told us that he uses miso broth instead of chicken stock in his onion soup because it adds more flavor. As a chef, I was surprised that a French-born chef would admit to innovating through this “East Meets West” approach to a French classic like onion soup.
KP: It’s the perfect example of the startling historic transformation that cuisine is undergoing: with the advent of the global availability of ingredients, dishes are no longer based on geography but on flavor.
We believe this radical shift calls for a new approach to cooking – and a new style of “cookbook” that inspires the combination of new dishes based on imaginative and harmonious modern flavor pairings.
TM: What is your favorite flavor combination and why?
Andrew & Karen: Our favorite combinations vary with the season:
AD: Right now in autumn, we love the combination of apples and maple syrup. You can turn it into a breakfast dish, or add cabbage to create a warm side dish for pork or chicken.
In winter, you can’t go wrong with the combination of Brussels sprouts – which hit their peak in December – with bacon and garlic! This is also a great side dish for Thanksgiving turkey.
KP: In spring, we turn to spring lamb and morel mushrooms – and would open a bottle of Pinot Noir to enhance them both!
Nothing says “summer” to us like the combination of tomatoes and basil – just add some extra-virgin olive oil, and you’re in heaven!
TM: It’s interesting how flavors are combined in different cultures and countries. In Iran for instance, where my parents are from, we dip our potato chips in yogurt, and not ketchup like they do in America. Do you think flavor combinations are largely a cultural phenomenon or something that people share across the globe?
KP: The Belgians also dip their fries into a creamy sauce (mayonnaise). And the Canadians even top theirs with curds and gravy (as poutine)! Classic dishes evolved on the basis of regional availability and preferences. But with the advent of air travel and FedEx, not to mention the Internet, flavor combinations are definitely spreading globally.
AD: We’re seeing many more global influences being embraced by chefs within their cuisines, using an approach we might describe as “eclectic.” We’re excited about Brad Farmerie’s food at Double Crown and Public, which spans Asia, Australia and the Mediterranean. Even a gifted classical chef like David Waltuck of the four-star restaurant Chanterelle will tap flavors suggesting Eastern Europe and Russia (in his dish of Blue Island oysters with sauerkraut and black caviar) as well as the Eastern Mediterranean (loin of lamb with green olives, cumin, and mini-falafel).
TM: The word flavor has evolved, from originally denoting an odor, to today, being associated more with taste. How do you define flavor?
KP: We devote the entire first chapter of The Flavor Bible to defining flavor, which we sum up in this equation:
FLAVOR = TASTE + MOUTHFEEL + AROMA + “THE X FACTOR”
While the words “flavor” and “taste” are often used interchangeably in casual conversation, “flavor” is actually a much more comprehensive concept that encompasses other factors including aroma, which is thought to comprise as much as 80 percent or more of flavor.
TM: To what extent do you think the color of food affects their flavor?
KP: In The Flavor Bible, we touch on the fact that a dish’s visual presentation can greatly enhance the pleasure we derive from it. In addition, how a dish looks can affect our perception of its flavor in more direct ways. For example, the deeper the color of a berry sorbet, the more berry flavor is perceived. The stronger the connection between a particular food and a particular color, the stronger the flavor impact – such as berries with red, lemon with yellow, and lime with green.
AD: It just serves as a reminder of the fact that if you care deeply about flavor, there’s a lot to take into account!
TM: Which chef do you feel is the most creative in his/her experiments with flavor?
KP: It’s important to define what you mean by “creative.” Some people say “creative” when they mean “wacky” or “unusual.” We see the most creative experiments as those that are added to the flavor canon.
AD: We begin the dedication page of The Flavor Bible with a quote from Nobel laureate Albert Schweitzer: “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
KP: And we follow that with our dedication: “To Daniel Boulud, Patrick O’Connell, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten – the leading lights of culinary creativity of their generation – whose sparks always rekindle our flames.”
Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg will appear at the first Manhattan signing of The Flavor Bible on Wednesday, November 5th at 7-8 pm at Borders - Kips Bay on Second Avenue near 32nd Street. Moroccan-inspired delicacies will be provided by Chef Lahcen Ksiyer of the authors’s favorite Moroccan restaurant Casaville on Second Avenue near 35th Street.
Buy the The Flavor Bible.
View The Flavor Bible video on YouTube.
Posted in: New York City Events
Tags: albert schweitzer, andrew dornenburg, brad farmerie, chef michel richard, classic flavor combinations, daniel boulud, david waltuck, flavor, flavor bible review, flavor combinations, jean-georges vongerichten, karen page, patrick o'connell, thanksgiving turkey, the flavor bible, unusual flavor combinations, what is flavor
October 28th, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
It’s raining cats & dogs over Manhattan right now, and yet I couldn’t feel sunnier. And it’s not because I just ate an amazing cinnamon croissant for breakfast – although that certainly helps. I’m excited, rather, because I got some great news this morning: my interview with Cool in Your Code was published today! New York Buzz is currently featured on the site’s “Around the Blog” segment! Click here to read.
Cool in Your Code – for those few who haven’t yet heard of it – is an Emmy-winning “infotainment” show that demystifies New York City’s 200+ zip codes and “unzips” the coolest destinations found in each ‘hood. Tune in on Tuesdays at 9pm on NYC TV.
With tools like Cool in Your Code and New York Buzz, there’s no shortage of info on cool things to do in the city. So get out and explore!
cool in your code
Posted in: New York City Events, Public Relations, Reviews
Tags: around the blog, cool in your code, cool in your code new york buzz, cool in your code nyc tv, new york buzz, new york buzz blog, termeh mazhari, termeh mazhari interview, termeh mazhari new york buzz
October 22nd, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
Brazilian butts are famous. But Brazilian jeans?
Kathy Moça, founder of Beija-Flor Jeans, would like to think so. She manufactures her own line of Brazilian, shape-enhancing jeans, Beija-Flor (Portuguese for Hummingbird), claiming that her jeans work “with” rather than “against” a woman’s natural curves.
beija-flor jeans
Now, curves are something I can relate to. I’ve often found jean shopping a major hassle. It’s not always easy to predict just how much they’re going to loosen after a few wears, and we all know how low cuts are fodder for butt crack jokes.
Which makes me the ideal candidate for a pair of
Beija-Flors, considering the company’s promise that their jeans never stretch, have a slimming effect (darker shade on outside, and light in mid-thighs), AND come with a contoured waist that dips in the front and sits higher on the back – hence, eliminating the dreaded “coin slot” effect.
So is
Beija-Flor the solution curvy ladies have been waiting for? I guess I’ll just have to try on a pair and find out…
Check out the
Beija-Flor sample sale with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, on Thursday October 23rd, 2008, from 5 to 8pm at the Fifth Avenue Lot (78 Fifth Ave).
Posted in: New York City Events
Tags: beija-flor, beija-flor jeans, beija-flor new york, how to find perfect jeans, jean shopping, jeans, kathy moca beija-flor
October 21st, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
The PDN Photo Plus Expo is back, and if you want to check out the latest photo gadgets, you don’t want to miss it.
PDN photo plus expo in 2007
Now in their 25th year, the PDN Photo Plus Expo is considered “The Most Important Event in Photography.” Not very modest, are they? But then again, they attracted over 27,000 attendees last year.
I’ve always liked photography, but I really got into it in 2007 when my boyfriend bought me a DSLR, the Canon Rebel XT. I could hardly put it down the first year I had it. Check out some of my shots on Flickr.
Prices for DSLRs just keep dropping, so if you’re thinking of buying one, the Photo Plus Expo is the perfect opportunity to cruise for the best model.
25th Annual PDN PhotoPlus Expo
October 23-25, 2008
Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Visit www.photoplusexpo.com to register
Posted in: New York City Events
Tags: 25th annual pdn photoplus expo, PDN, PDN October 23-25, pdn photo plus expo, photo expo, photography expo, photography trade show
October 15th, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
nightshift nyc
In “Nightshift NYC,” Cheryl Harris Sharman and Russell Leigh Sharman explore the “city that never sleeps,” and interview 200,000 men and women who work the nightshift.
I asked co-author Cheryl if she’d respond to a few of my questions about her fascinating book…
TM: What lead you to become interested in exploring the nightshift theme?
CHS: New York, of course, is the city that never sleeps. That alone is worth exploring. But we also noticed several small businesses in our neighborhood — convenience stores, auto mechanics, laundromats – stayed open through the night. As social scientists and writers, our curiosity was peaked. And folks on the nightshift are hungry for conversation. It soon became clear there was a book waiting to be written.
TM: Who was the most interesting night-shifter you encountered during your investigation?
CHS: We each probably have different answers. Russell and I will always remember Alam, a Bangladeshi manager of a deli in Penn Station, reciting Bangla poetry in a back room at the deli. But honestly, every single person we talked to was interesting in their own way. Whether because of where they work, how they work, where they’re from, or how they adapt to the nightshift.
TM: What was the common thread that you found between these nightshift workers?
CHS: All of them struggle with the health implications of working nights. Sleep is always elusive, healthy eating habits are difficult to maintain, and the cumulative effects of living a life out of phase with the rest of society clearly takes its toll.
TM: What surprised you about nightshift workers?
CHS: Nightshift workers are almost always happy to talk. They truly are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. The city at night seems to shrink to small town proportions and people actually enjoy the small talk that day dwellers tend to avoid in New York City.
TM: Do you work at night?
CHS: I’m a nightowl. I’ve always worked best at night. Though as a writer, I tend to set my own hours. But Russell and I did stay up all night for the year we did the interviews for the book, both to make it easier for nightshift workers to talk with us and to get a feel for what their lives are like.
Cheryl Harris Sharman and Russell Leigh Sharman will be going on a New York City book tour, starting November 1st, 2008. For details, visit www.nightshiftnyc.com or www.booktour.com/author/cheryl_harris_sharman
Posted in: New York City Events
Tags: cheryl harris sharman, city that never sleeps, interview with cheryl harris sharman, nightshift, nightshift new york, nightshift nyc, nightshift work, russell leigh sharman
October 15th, 2008 / No Comments » / by Termeh Mazhari
Monday night, I went to see Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words, featuring an all-star cast of comedians: Rachel Dratch, Kristen Johnston, Richard Kind, Dayle Reyfel, Claudia Shear, Sherri Shepherd, Michael Urie, Kristin Wiig and the show’s creator, Eugene Pack.
celebrity autobiography - partial cast
For those unfamiliar with Celebrity Autobiography, here’s the basic concept: a rotating cast of actors read selections from outrageously funny autobiographies from celebrities. Monday night’s victims included Burt Reynolds, Vanna White and Elizabeth Taylor.
The theater’s 2-drink per person policy definitely revved up the crowd. As soon as SNL alum Rachel Dratch climbed the stage, the diminutive comedian drew a roar of applause, quickly followed by laughter from her signature deadpan one-liners.
Other standout included Richard Kind’s riotously fun and spot-on interpretation of Wheel-of-Fortune’s iconic letter lady, Vanna White, and Sherri Shepherd’s husky-voiced rendition of the incomparable Liz Taylor.
But it was Kristen Johnston who stole the show. The blonde, Amazonian actress took on the infamous Zsa Zsa Gabor in a fearless, side-splittingly funny reading of the Hungarian socialite’s musings from inside her El Segundo jail cell.
kristen johnston
Celebrity Autobiography runs Monday nights at the Triad – a perfect way to get your week started!
