I was watching a show on the Food Network called Throwdown with Bobby Flay. It’s a strange show where Bobby Flay searches out people who are the best at making a particular dish and then battles them to see if he can make it better. Two food experts then judge the two dishes and pick a winner. I don’t see the point of the show. Is it there just to feed Bobby Flay’s ego? Regardless, this episode happened to be about eggplant parmigiana. Turns out the master of eggplant parm is right here in the Bronx on Arthur Avenue. 26 minutes later, I needed to have some of this famous eggplant parm. This morning I went to Mike’s Deli on Arthur Avenue. They won the throwdown. I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t been to Arthur Ave in ages. I had so much fun! Mike’s Deli is part of an indoor market with all sorts of meats, olives and various pastas. I was shocked at the variety of meats they had which included brains, pigeons and whole rabbits. I ordered enough eggplant parmigiana for a small village but I’m happy to say that it’s delicious. The eggplant is sliced very thin and then layered with sauce and cheese.
The atmosphere is authentic. Everyone knows everyone and they have all been shopping there for 40 years. Along with my eggplant feast, I got some marinated artichokes and pastries. I can’t go to an Italian neighborhood without getting pastries! I would have photographed them but all that remains is my little canoli.
I have had so much trouble keeping up with July’s project365, photographing only food because I eat everything before I remember to photograph it!
I’m going to make an effort to spend more time on Arthur Avenue before I move. It’s an experience.
I spent the afternoon with Batman, The Joker, Lucius, Harvey Dent and Alfred. Heath Ledger was incredible. All the hype is totally justified.
It’s a great movie. Go see it. Now!
I think I’ve officially changed my celebrity fantasy man. It used to be Matthew McConaughey (plays the bongos naked, hello!) but now it’s Christian Bale. I’ve watched almost every movie he’s been in, including The Machinist, which is really hard to watch because he’s skin and bones. He’s such an amazing actor and handsome one, too!
I was looking through the Emmy nominations this morning and noticed that there is a BEST COMMERCIAL category. I would have thought there would be advertising awards for these but I guess there is so much production that goes into a commercial that it makes sense. Below is a compilation of all the nominees. Which do you like best? I really like the Travelers Insurance commercial but Brother of the Bride is also really cute.
Brother of the Bride - Hallmark
Carrier Pigeons - FedEx
Delivery - Travelers Insurance
Swear Jar - Bud Light
It’s Mine - Coca Cola
Over the past few months, I have decided to pack things up and head north. There are many reasons I have made this decision and all are very exciting. I will be moving to Massachusetts and will be on what I consider a creative retreat. I was originally looking to move to a place where I could settle myself for at least a year or two but an opportunity arose that I just couldn’t refuse. I will be living in a renovated mill that now is an artist loft/living community. There are over 30 lofts, each with a different artist. I will be the only jeweler and really look forward to seeing what I can accomplish creatively. I will be there for only a few months but it’s a fantastic opportunity. The nearest town includes the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) which is very involved in the performing arts. In a former life, I was a singer/songwriter so I look forward to dipping my feet in those waters again, maybe…
For as long as I can remember, I have been moving a big blue box of memories around. The box has grown over the years and now resides under my bed. It’s full of random memorabilia from my entire life. As part of the ongoing process of removing clutter from my home and life, I decided to open up the box and shred what I don’t need. I found notes from my friends in high school, report cards from elementary school, birthday cards and a whole host of other scraps. I’m up to my eighth bag of shredded paper! I kept absolutely everything. I don’t even know who half those people are anymore.
One of the fun things I found was all my old passports. I traveled a lot when I was very young. I have seen many a photo from my youth but my first passport photo cracked me up. My head seems so big! This passport book has only one entry, which was my first trip out of the country to Israel, when I was 7. Nice posture!
Not a morning goes by that I don’t laugh at something the dogs do. We were on our way to the beach with 4 dogs in the car. They usually spread themselves out so everyone has a little spot but apparently Austin just had to see out THAT particular window so she sat on everyone else. They didn’t seem to mind.
I left the house to see Hancock and wound up staying for Wanted. I’m glad that I saw them both and in that order. Hancock was entertaining but a little disjointed for my taste. The action was good, the story was choppy at best but Will Smith, as usual, was very entertaining.
Wanted was great! It’s full of action and loud music along with very cool special effects. The special effects are similar to The Matrix but more updated. Angelina kicks ass and James McAvoy was very manly. I think of him as a girly man (like Orlando Bloom) but he really sported some machoness. It’s a fun film if you like loud music, guns and special effects.
I have a new favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavored ice cream and it’s called Banana Split. It’s banana and strawberry ice creams with walnuts, fudge chunks and a fudge swirl. Delicious! I ate 3/4 of the pint for dinner. Healthy!
Welcome to Sundance Moods. Muse inspired precious metal and genuine semi precious gemstone handmade jewelry. My designs are inspired by art and nature.
