Friday, May 21, 2010

art trips & visiting artists

Swinehart, Nicole, Jillian, Derek and I had a brainstorm & beer session at the Candlelight yesterday afternoon that resulted in these lists. Everyone is welcome to do some research so when the discussion does arise, we can enter it informed.

Trips:
Mexico City: Cross-culture, galleries, museums
LA: Museums, galleries, the counterpart to NY
San Francisco: Has become a a diverse art scene and excellent museums. We could work it out to go for First Thursday (SF) and First Friday (Oakland), plus visit San Jose, Napa, etc.
London: Expensive, but fab..
Montreal: Feels like Europe, interesting snowstorms, tons of artist run spaces
Vancouver: Artist run spaces, West Coast Photography
Detroit: No one will go for this, but there are tons of interesting DIY projects going on, mostly involved with reclaiming the city
Minneapolis: Walker, galleries
Boston & Mass Moca: Also doubtful, but Mass Moca has been cited as a favorite among us

Too Many Suggested Artist Lecturers:
Gus Van Sant
Simon Starling
John Waters
Lucy Lippard
Storm Tharpe
Santiago Sierra
Gabriel Orozco
Enrico Chagoya
John Berger
Nina Katchadourian
Eileen Gallagher
Christine Wong Yap
Emily Vey Duke
Coco Fusco
Anna Oxygen
Chris Jameson
Josh Keyes
Brian Jungian
Kara Walker
Spurse
Jon Rubin
Miwon Kwon
Claire Bishop
Jo Jackson
Miranda July
Waalid Ra'ad
Dave Hickey
Olag Breuning
Zoe Leonard
Steve Lambert
Sophie Calle
Lawrence Wechler
Martha Rosler
Mona Hatoum
Harry Dodge &/or Stanya Kahn
Nao Bustamante
Guillermo Gomez Pena
Francis Alys
Cabinet Magazine
Robert Irwin
Jen Southern and Jen Hamilton
Michael Pollan
Rosa Lee Goldberg
Hal Foster
...




Thursday, May 20, 2010

Recipes for May 10

Spanikopita
Sautee onions till soft
Add garlic, well-washed spinach, S & P
Puree with plenty of feta
Layer sheets of filo with brushed olive oil or melted butter
Score piece sizes/shapes well, as it is a pain to cut when baked
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes

Red Lentil Soup
Another variation- add tomatoes for a savory, acidic edge
Sautee onions, carrots and celery (mire poix) and garlic til soft and releasing juices
Add stock or water, and a large can of chopped tomatoes, soy sauce, a dash of molasses, S & P
Add red lentils and cook till soft, adjusting seasoning as needed

Couscous
You know this one- the more yum yums (fruits, nuts, orange zest, etc.) inside, the better

Black Bean Hummus
Soak beans overnight, drain
Cook beans till soft, about 1-11/2 hours
Drain most of the liquid, reserve
Puree with a clove of fresh garlic, lemon juice, tahini, smoked paprika, olive oil and S & P
Garnish with smoked paprika and cilantro or parsley

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Recipes for May 3

Chana Masala
Soak chick peas overnight in plenty of water, or, if just making a small amount, use canned: it's 10x faster, almost as cheap, and you won't burn a pan multitasking waiting for those darn little ones to cook
Drain and cook, if not following above directions, in fresh water, for at least an hour
Puree 1 onion, a huge piece of peeled ginger, and garlic
Chop another onion
Puree a large can of tomatoes
Sautee chopped onion, and add the following whole spices: black cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cumin
When onions are browned, add pureed onions, ground coriander, tumeric, salt  and chili
When oil rises to surface, add tomatoes
Add cooked, drained chick peas and let flavors meld
Sprinkle with Garam Masala before serving

Curried Potatoes
Boil potatoes in a large pot of cold, lightly salted water
Drain well and add to a sautee pan with butter or oil, cumin and mustard seeds, S & P
Sautee to soak up fat and add coconut milk and curry powder
Continue to cook on low-med until coconut milk is somewhat soaked up

Raita
Toss Yogurt, cucumbers, green onions, radishes, and chopped mint together with cumin, S & P and a dash of sugar to cut the yogurt's tartness
You could add or subtract a variety of fruits or vegetables or spices to change the flavors

Fruit Chutney
Boil any variety of fresh and dried fruits, with equal parts vinegar and sugar, plus ginger, garlic and spices; in this case I used peeled apples and oranges, figs, apricots and mint
When the mixture is thickened, it is done-some varieties might benefit from a light puree