elkenyc

What tastes good, looks good!

It's such an easy, quick dish to prepare and it tastes as good as it looks! 

In a large pot boil water with a pinch of salt, put in thin spaghetti and cook for no longer than 6 minutes to prepare them "al dente". Remove from the stove, strain and keep them warm in the pot together with a little bit of good olive oil.

While the spaghetti are cooking, heat a pan, add about 5 table spoons of your favorite olive oil (there's no other fat on this dish, so go ahead and splurge!), add garlic slices (3 or more gloves) and small shrimp (with or without shell, depends on your likings). Season with very little salt (to be careful on your blood pressure) and lots of pepper or use cayenne pepper if you like it hot. To bring out the flavors, add a good handful of chopped fresh cilantro.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan, toss everything. Heat it through. If needed, add some more olive oil and finish everything up with some freshly squeezed lime juice.

Did you prepare a side salad, while the water was heating up? Bene! Now dinner is ready! Serve and enjoy :)

The night when sideburns jumped the shark

I just love that title and had to use it! Not sure if anybody gets it. Maybe it's really just funny for me and maybe I should add that for the last couple of years, I really, really liked guys with noticeable sideburns. Sometimes, even my heart beat faster. And because of his sideburns, I think I started to like Hugh Jackman. Then again, what's NOT to like about Hugh Jackman? Can't wait to see his and Nicole Kidman's new movie AUSTRALIA, directed by Buz Luhrman.

But back to the sideburns and why they lost their effect on me. Saturday, Oliver and I went to see a gig of the Statues of Liberty at the Bowery Ballroom. It's been their biggest venue so far and the show was absolutely terrific! Before the Statues, another band was playing , "Above" is their name, and I did neither like their sound nor did I like their looks. They were trying too hard. They were trying to evoke a 60ies feel and I just didn't buy it. And one of the guys had these obnoxious sideburns. This was it! Sideburns have officially jumped the shark!

I think, I am back to dark hair and bright eyes.

Mr. James Bond fulfills at least one of these criteria. It's the first movie poster I saw.

Did YOU already see some?  And what do YOU think of the movie's premise?

Strange Wishes Do Come True

Still a movie related photo - this time not a movie poster or some sort of out door advertisement but one of the many, many signs you can spot in New York City when you pay attention. These signs mark the filming of movies.

And in late June 2008, they were filming parts of BROOKLYN'S FINEST in my neighborhood. This is a police thriller, written by a Brooklyn first time screen writer, starring Richard Gere and Ellen Barkin among others.

As much as I would love to be as lucky as this first time screen writer, more on that one another time, I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Back in June, even earlier than I took the above picture, I was buying some tickets for the US OPEN - tennis that is. I thought, let's "splurge" on Arthur Ash tickets for Tuesday, August 25th. Evening tickets of course, because during the day I would be working for being able to pay for these tickets ;)

So, when I bought these tickets, I didn't know who would be playing. Imagine my surprise and huge, huge joy this afternoon when I found out WHO is playing tomorrow? My big idol!

Just because ROGER FEDERER lost his top position, he didn't play today but will be playing tomorrow. But not only that. He's playing tomorrow evening at Arthur Ashe stadium for which I have the tickets.

I am in HEAVEN. On EARTH :)

Recession? Which Recession?

The much talked about significant decline in general economic activity must be happening elsewhere but not Greater New York! Has my Fotolog job ad received more than 100 responses last year in October, it  got responded by a meager 23 people this time of year. Same company, same job, same duties, same pay - even same manager - me:) Maybe something has to change here. .. With less people to choose from, I activated my own networks (webgrrls, linkedin, etc.) but to no avail. I even searched resumes on craigslist for interesting candidates and sent emails to more than 10 people and only 2 so far responded.

Is everybody digging summer, not wanting to work, left alone changing jobs which means even more work at least at the beginning?

Bottom line: I don't think there's a recession happening in New York City, people seem to be just fine! Rents are still high, concerts and other venues sold out faster than you can spell "ticketmaster" and over all there seems to be a big, fat saturation  laming each and everybody! And the temperature is not even in the hundreds yet!

Speaking of concerts, I made it to the free Battery Park concert of the Sonic Youth which was pretty amazing, especially given the thunderstorm backdrop. The 4th of July fireworks was affected even more. But Oliver, Volkmar and I had much fun - nonetheless!

My favorite not-yet-famous-but-soon-to-be New York band, the Statues of Liberty, played the Knitting Factory, last Sunday and there will be another chance to catch John, Hal and Hitomi live this upcoming Friday at the Delancey! And just announced, my "Union Square Market" friend John plays Union Hall this upcoming Sunday. He's opening for The Crimea, a fairly popular UK band. I am looking forward to all these shows!

Also, John Law (Statues) is currently on TV, Fuse that is, with a show called Rock'n Roll Acid Test - Check it out - It's fun and it is unique!

Since we're at "TV" - I am very much looking forward to the new season of MadMan - hands down the best TV show to date! And that on AMC - and not the more likely players HBO & Co! Have you seen MadMan? What do YOU think? Share your thoughts!