i went to go see this really hilarious/awesome 80s movie last night at lincoln center - ladies and gentlemen, the fabulous stains. it stars a young (and foxy) diane lane as she stumbles into her role as a lead singer in the up and coming (fictional) girl group called the stains. a young laura dern also plays a member of the band. rent this movie on dvd, really great. here is a clip and a documentary made of the making of the movie.

i am a bit behind on posting this but i made a ten layer cake for an oscar party and it was yummmm. i wanted to attempt 14 layers but only ended up baking 12 and then when it came time to assemble it, i went with 10 since it was getting a wee bit wobbly. plus i had to walk several windy blocks with it. i got the recipe off the fantastic bakerella, so you can find the recipe here. the only change i did, was that i make the buttercream frosting more of a milk chocolate than a dark chocolate. highly recommend this recipe.

Fantastic article in NY Times Dining & Wine section today about the culinary movement in Brooklyn (featuring our friend Eric Demby!). Check it here. Accompanying it is "An Eater's Tour of Brooklyn."

File this under "on repeat."
The new Phoenix Single, 1901. Cannot wait for the new album in May.
The entire new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, It's Blitz! but specifically Hysteric.
swooooon.

Flying from Sam Fuller on Vimeo.

charming video for a tuesday morning. (via VSL)

Branching Out

I have been branching out into other areas of Brooklyn lately, yes I know, BOLD. I have been trying to hit more places in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Besides coming around to Five Leaves and Caracas, I recently went to the Vietnamese restaurant, Silent H. The atmosphere and the Vietnamese crepe alone were worth a repeat visit. I went to Walter Foods for brunch as well and it was fantastic. Definitely a place I want to go back to. It has a great speakeasy-like vibe, delicious cocktails and just as delicious food with an attentive wait staff. I also finally went to Egg for breakfast and it did not disappoint. Between the amazing Grafton cheddar omelet, the broiled tomatoes, the donuts starters and the grapefruit mimosas, I was a very happy camper as was my dining companion (who got the Egg Rothko). Egg will now be making their breakfast menu available all day.

I am a big Pedro Almodovar fan and his latest film, Broken Embraces is due out later this year. A teaser trailer has been released and really gives nothing away but as always is lush with color and melodrama. Per Variety "(Almodovar) has called the movie "the most novel-like story I have written to date" and says its shadowy look was partly inspired by a series of migraines that rendered him ultra-sensitive to bright lights." As the synposis from Trailer Addict reads "A man writes, lives and loves in the darkness. He was the victim of a brutual car accident fourteen years ago. Not only did he lose his sight, but also the woman of his life, Lena (Penelope Cruz)."

My lovely friend sent me the recipe to make Blueberries and Cream cookies from Momofuku's Milk Bar. I am so making these this weekend!

I know it's cheesy to say but I thoroughly enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and have enjoyed seeing/reading her interviews ever since. So when I heard that she did a TED presentation this year, I sat down for 19 minutes to check it out. She spoke inspiringly and eloquently about the pressure and origins of "genius." It was worth my 19 minutes.

I recently started checking out the vlog "Tiny Kitchen" on the NYT magazine site. It shows Jill Santopietro, cook and recipe tester for The New York Times, making everything from a Neapolitan ragu with chestnut polenta to tangerine sherbet in her tiny New York City kitchen. Her kitchen looks about as incredibly spacious as mine!

i already love fleet foxes and now i love white antelope, robin's solo project. enjoy his lovely cover of dylan's "it ain't me babe." a couple more songs are on his myspace.

i had a playdate with stella this weekend. i'm a lucky girl.

i had a great valentine's day that ended in a big dance party. i think i still have beyonce songs stuck in my head. to honor the occasion, i made red velvet hershey kisses and personalized the greeting for vday and a friend's bday. you can check the recipe here. dipping the molded cake in the chocolate proved more messy than i anticipated but i am told they tasted good. note: i didnt use a box mix because i couldnt find one.

i have been trying to eat healthier and to cook more, trying being the operative word but i recently tried two recipes i thought i would share. i made super yummy asian stuffed cabbage rolls. i want to make these all the time. there were so easy and insanely delicious. i also made spicy bean and cheese tacos, they also were great and made enough to last me a few days for lunch. cook away...

BK Food Updates

- Kuma Inn is coming to Brooklyn. Hopefully it will be a bit bigger than their current itsy bitsy Manhattan location. (via Gothamist)

-Brooklyn Public House in Fort Greene is now open. They will offer simple quality pub fare, 16 beers on tap, and classic cocktails, all in the first floor of a beautifully restored brownstone. (via Clinton Hill Blog)

- I have been wanting to check out Beer Table in the Slope and NY Mag has just written a review of the place. (Image to the left)

- There is a new Scandinavian coffee spot at President and 5th Avenue, called Scandinavian Grace. (via Only the Blog Knows BK)

- Prime Meats is now serving cocktails. A friend and I went a couple weeks back and had some well crafted drinks, she was quite happy with her Manhattan as was I with my rye whiskey and bartlett pear bitters.

- Bar Great Harry is expanding. (via A BK Life)

- Lucali is now charging $24 for a pizza !??!! (via BK Life)

this makes me smile and i dont even like cats.

I just read this great booked called, Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry. Put together to look like an art catalogue, it traces the relationship of a fictional couple and ultimately their break up. Done in an unique, entertaining and charming way, the NY Times recently profiled the author, Leanne Shapton. This book is definitely worth owning.

The Selby is a neat site that showcases the homes of some super interesting people. I love the Mexico one and the upstate one, probably just bc I am dying to go to Mexico and I am in love with upstate NY. enjoy browsing...

more at etsy here.

i love ellipses...

el·lip·sis–noun, plural -ses
1.
Grammar.
a. the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction, as the omission of who are, while I am, or while we are from I like to interview people sitting down.
b. the omission of one or more items from a construction in order to avoid repeating the identical or equivalent items that are in a preceding or following construction, as the omission of been to Paris from the second clause of I’ve been to Paris, but they haven’t.
2. Printing. a mark or marks as ——, …, or * * *, to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or words.

Maira Kalman

Kim Gordon is doing a line for Urban Outfitters. I am totally curious since I really like her line, X Girl (whole Q&A via NYT). Plus I kind of want that dress in the picture.

i can't stop listening to metric.

One of my favorite games as a kid is getting turned into a movie... Candyland.

BBC educational spoof called Look Around You is back thanks to Adult Swim. "Look Around You covers basic school topics—water, germs, sulfur, ghosts—but doesn’t actually deliver any relevant information. It’s dead serious, but the info and class discussion questions are absolute nonsense. The first episode, “Maths,” begins with the question: “What’s the largest number you can think of?" (via Philly Weekly)