Saturday Session @ P.S. 1

I've organized today's Saturday Session at P.S. 1! Cross the Pulaski bridge (and brave the snow) for an afternoon of performance...


CHERYL, Spirit Quest, Video still

February 6: Saturday Sessions presents Now Playing with performances by Bryan Zanisnik, Noveller, and CHERYL.

Date: Saturday, February 06, 2010
Time: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Now Playing: An afternoon of performance by emerging New York artists organized by Melissa Levin.

Order of performances:
4:00pm Bryan Zanisnik
4:30pm Noveller
5:15pm CHERYL

For Saturday Sessions, Bryan Zanisnik will present a new performance, Unshaved Coiffure and Root, that incorporates the artist's parents and the transference of hair.

Born in Union, New Jersey, Bryan Zanisnik currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He holds a B.A. from Drew University and in 2009 received his M.F.A. from Hunter College. Recent exhibitions include Sunday L.E.S., New York, NY; The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL; The Mucsarnok Kunsthalle, Budapest, Hungary; The Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL; The Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NY. Recent screenings include Artists Space, New York, NY; Broadway 1602, New York, NY; Yvon Lambert, New York, NY; Dresdner Bank, Frankfurt, Germany. In 2008 he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and in 2007 he was a resident at the Art Omi International Artists Residency.

Noveller is the solo project of Brooklyn-based sound artist and filmmaker Sarah Lipstate. She has created music with One Umbrella, Parts & Labor, Nancy Garcia, Cold Cave, Rhys Chatham, and Glenn Branca. Her experimental short films have screened at SXSW, Cinematexas, the 12th Kyoto International Student Film Festival, No Fun: Infinite Sound and Image at the New Museum, and the Women of NY Cinema program at 92Y Tribeca.

CHERYL presents CHERYL (will ruin your life), a HAPPPENING^TM. Video Screening. Dance. Video Shoot. Dance. Dance. Dance. Don a dashiki, dust off your cat mask, comb your wig. Join the CHERYLs for an afternoon of participatory hijinks and museum mayhem.

CHERYL is a video/performance collective that explores the themes of mortality, mania, the feline-human connection, the limits of shoulders, the flammability of dollar-store hair extensions, and the staining power of fake blood. Through themes ranging from topical to bizarre, the CHERYLs revel in the joyous power of dance-induced psychosis/euphoria. CHERYL has been bringing its particular brand of FRESHMAGICK^TM to New York City since colonial times, and has since acquired a dedicated cult following and media attention for over-the-top happenings involving outrageous costumes, exuberant dance moves, and participatory dance floor suicide.

The Meet Hook is Here

I am freaking out about the new butcher shop in town. (And I am remiss for not writing about it earlier.) Tom Mylan's Meat Hook is a lot of wonderful - butcher shop, school, kitchen store, and more. My first trip was all about a plan to make Boeuf Bourguignon, a combination of Julia's and Ina's if you are wondering. I was very excited that Tom Mylan was there to consult, give us a tour of the new facilities, and cut my three pounds of bottom round into 1-inch chunks himself. At the end of our visit, I was honored to receive a sample of the house-made bacon cheeseburger sausage. Verdict = Amazing.

But seriously, I am happiest about finally having a place in the neighborhood to buy fresh, sustainably and locally raised beef, pork, chicken, and duck meat, parts, and stock. Thank you Meat Hook!

Here are the early stages of my Boeuf preparation...


Perfect bottom round, salted, peppered, and ready for the hot pan


Browning all sides


Browned with bacon


White onions, hand-peeled, braising


Onions and carrots begin...


And we're caramelized!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the final product but, I can assure you it was pure goodness.

That's What I Call Breakfast, But Not For Long...

I've been hearing very nasty rumors that Greenpoint Coffee House - the very one I wrote about turning over a new leaf just weeks ago - is closing any day now. So I will be going there as much as possible until that day comes to eat their delicious dishes. I guess it really was too good to be true. This place will be dearly missed. :(

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night I got to baking chocolate chip cookies. I turned to smitten kitchen for her favorite recipe and she does not steer wrong. My favorite thing about making these cookies is that you don't have to wait for the butter to come to room temperature. This is a constant obstacle for me as I like to be spontaneous when it comes to baking and waiting for butter to soften is an endless wait. (And I don't have a microwave to speed along the process.) I also love how she recommends flaky sea salt because I happen to have just purchased some, Maldon to be precise. Yum. Yum. And Yum.

Woke Up It Was a Brooklyn Morning

Nothing quite compares to a Monday off - especially when plans for eating, food-shopping, and cooking with a good friend lie ahead, and all of it in the neighborhood. This particular holiday day began, after I picked up Deborah, with my/our first trip to Bakeri in Williamsburg. It's just down the street, but still took me a few months to make my way there. I was told everything is baked on-site at this really adorable bakery - bread, croissants, tarts, muffins. We shared two mini-croissants, one almond and one chocolate, and a lemon, leek, ricotta tart. (I channeled one of my favorite food-bloggers rachel eats for this photo shoot.) Taking our seats by the window, we sipped our pretty coffees out of those pretty mugs, and soaked in the late-morning winter light.

Lucky that Luger is Local

I feel pretty lucky that Peter Luger is our local steakhouse, as it is also renowned as one of the best in the country. Luck would also have it that our friend Eli has his birthday lunch there every year. It's become one of my favorite traditions, not least because Eli's birthday is on New Years Eve, meaning that this is something we do in the first weeks of each January. Way to start the decade!



The restaurant itself is impeccable, simple, no fuss, wood paneled, white tablecloths. There is just a hint of flair in the nautical design on the ceramic dishes. I love this. The servers are in black bow ties and white aprons, serving each meal with zero mistakes and great humor.

Obviously, we pigged out - all eight of us - ordering bloody marys galore, Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, bacon (not like normal bacon, but smoky, could be your whole meal, melt-in-your-mouth, thick sliced, and grilled), creamed spinach, hash browns, 4 steaks for 2, A BURGER, AND A SUNDAE. Everything is decadent and delicious, and this particular steak was certainly some of the best I've had. I also have to support the burger here, which is a great and an inexpensive way to experience this wonderful place.


Now it's there...


Now it's gone!

The Flea Goes Winter

I've loved the Brooklyn Flea from my first visit - local artists and artisans sell their hand-made jewels, clothing, accessories, and more; other locals sell used, vintage, and antique wares; and the local food scene shows up in force. The new winter location at One Hanson Place, the gorgeous, windowed, and historic Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, only enhances the experience (and only a short G train ride away). Two highlights for me recently have been the earrings and necklaces at Birdhouse Jewelry, handmade in NYC, and the stellar fish tacos from Chonchos Tacos. Also a highlight, my friend Rob down there nimbly runs the show every week. Good on!