My GOOGA MOOGA was a huge success

Posted on May 20, 2012 by

People in NYC are spoiled, but it’s not completely our fault. We as a city have so many options (food, music, movies, museums, outdoor activities, etc) that if things aren’t perfect, we can always move on to something else fairly easily. However, with a SOLD OUT festival such as Googa Mooga, you have to be more strategic as opposed to flying by the seat of your pants. You can’t just show up 15 minutes before the band you want to see and expect to get a close seat and easy access to the food you want without a line.

Let me back up a little. Last night, I had a chance to check out the humorously satirical Mooga Shmooga Twitter account as well as the #googamooga feed, so I had a good idea of a lot of the negatives and planned accordingly:

  1. I got to the festival at 11:30am when they were NO LINES FOR ANYTHING.
  2. I hit up the vendors that were more likely to sell out.
  3. I worked around the lack of cell phone service by having a meetup point for my friends in the event we ever got separated. This is also a plus because I just turned my phone on Airplane Mode to take pictures and enjoy the moment without Twitter or text message distractions.
  4. More importantly, I entered the festival grounds knowing that it was SOLD OUT, so lines and crowds are to be expected.

All this being said, I had such an amazing time. Great food. Perfect musical accompaniment. Incredible company with me.  Also, it seemed like Superfly adapted overnight based on the feedback and addressed a lot of the larger issues on Sunday (except for cell phone service, which was pretty much out of their hands as getting a cell phone tower wasn’t gonna happen overnight).

My girlfriend and her friend Alex pretty much shared everything listed below (in chronological eating order):

  • Dirty Duck Dog from Craft > Glad I got it, but nothing special.  Lacked a heavy duck flavor, but the slaw was crunchy and refreshing on top
  • Pastrami Sandwich from Mile End > Juicy, but not too fatty and just big enough to sample (Honorable Mention)
  • Crawfish from Crawfish Monica (#2) > Crawfish and macaroni with a creamy cajun sauce that had the perfect amount of kick.
  • Oaxaca Grilled Cheese from Little Muenster (PICTURED BELOW) > With a dash of hot sauce on top, it was a crispy, crunchy, fresh and gooey delicious sandwich
  • Strawberry Rhubarb pop from People’s Pops > Fresh palate cleanser
  • Roasted Chicken, Mac n Greens, and Corn Bread from Red Rooster Harlem (PICTURED BELOW) > Chicken (especially the sauce) was simply amazing and was a much cheaper version of what’s in the restaurant ($11 vs $28) (#1)
  • Fried Chicken Banh Mi from Joseph Leonard > Crunchy but not too greasy with perfect ciabatta bread.  I also hate mayo, but found their cilantro aioli to be a tasty condiment.
  • Lemon Ginger Soda from Brooklyn Soda Works > Pre-dessert refreshment
  • Dirt-Cake from Katzie Guy-Hamilton (#3) > Someone walked by me with this clear cup filled with what appeared to be chocolate in four forms.  I stopped her and asked what it was and she told me it was a Dirt-Cake.  There was chocolate pudding, chocolate cake, chocolate crumbles, chocolate malt balls, orange curd (or something similar), butterscotch, gummy worms, and topped with whipped cream.  Nice balance of flavors and when shared with two other people, I didn’t feel like shit.
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Oaxaca Grilled Cheese

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Top 10 Best Roast Chicken I’ve ever had. Moist with a DELICIOUS sauce.

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ART MEETS FOOD.

Relaxing by the Marketplace

As for the music, I wasn’t disappointed in what I saw.  To quote my girlfriend, future BBS band Lucius was an enjoyable mix of the 60′s and 80′s.  Couldn’t agree more.  And then Charles Bradley hit the stage shortly after who was amazing.  Incredible band chemistry, stage presence, energy level, and what a voice!  By the time Fitz and the Tantrums hit the stage, I was fairly burnt out from the day, so I just laid out and relaxed in the sun before heading out around 5pm.

All in all, my friends and I had a blast.  I will definitely go back next year (assuming they’re doing it again and that they change up the vendors).

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A taste of what you’ll hear this summer

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

As I was planning these past few weeks, I tried to dig deep and figure out who would make some cool acts for this summer.  I had a few “reach artists” (like “reach schools” when apply for college, but bands that you want to play your backyard) as well as a fair share of friends and local artists I’ve been into lately. Not only did I want them to be amazing musicians, but I also wanted them to passionate foodies like myself.

So I’m proud to announce a few confirmations so far for this summer.  They’re all drastically different, but all make sense for the stripped down format.  Please let me know what you think…

rubblebucket

RUBBELBUCKET:  I was out to lunch yesterday with our rock star photographer Dominick and told him about my love for them.  I described them as a hippie meets hipster version of the Talking Heads but wayyyyy less serious.  Fun note:  I have seen them over 15 times since they opened up for a band I used to book in Philly almost 4 years ago.

lucius

LUCIUS:  A few friends told me about them and it wasn’t until tonight doing research that I noticed I actually saw them a few months ago opening for Other Lives.  Their sound is old, but new.  Folky, but soulful.  Quirky, but poppy and upbeat.  BONUS:  they’re playing Googa Mooga at 12pm on Sunday.

JONES.STREET.STATION

JONES STREET STATION:  New York is such a small place where you can a good friend and a co-worker’s boyfriend in the same band.  For me, that’s JSS.  They’re 4 friends (+ a rotating cast of drummers) playing, singing, and having a good time.  It’s enjoyable bluegrassy rock n folk.  Their gem is this unplugged tune that they end each show with.

There’s still more to be announced, but let me know what you think of the the selections so far and feel free to leave additional recommendations in the comments!

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The Backyard is open to recommendations

Posted on April 13, 2012 by

I noticed that it started to get nice out, which means I start planning the upcoming summer’s Backyard Brunch Sessions.   Even though I traded in a backyard for a roof, doesn’t mean I’m changing the format or giving up.  Thankfully, I have a few friends with backyards who can step in to help me out and host the event.

As a bonus, I’ll even share a few meals I might make (with my own surprise twist of course):

  • Mishmash:  dish of origin from Montreal – extremely unhealthy scramble of multiple meats, eggs, potatoes, and assorted veggies
  • Breakfast sesame pancakes:  your favorite Chinese sandwiches made for breakfast
  • Biscuits and gravy:  it won’t be the usual biscuit and won’t be a typical gravy

More importantly, I have a few artists in mind that I will contact, but I always value the opinions of people I trust, so please comment below or email me any and all artist recommendations to backyardsessions274ATgmail.com.

Complete side note:  so happy for Givers for getting their song “Up Up Up” on Glee.  I’m not a fan of that show, but if they reap 1/100ooo0th of the benefit that fun. had for “We Are Young” being on the show, they’ll be getting the attention they deserve.

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Succotash with duck [RECIPE]

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

I’m a huge fan of dinner parties more so than going to a loud bar. They’re my means to catch up with friends and meet new people in a comfortable environment. With the knowledge that yesterday I had off for President’s Day, I decided to invite a few friends over for dinner on Sunday.

Succotash is a traditional Native American dish with corn, lima beans, bear fat, and some form of meat (often DOG). However, I can’t easily access bear meat and eating dog is something I will never knowingly do. That being said, I had been trying to use a leftover duck and heirloom beans, so I made this dish my own.

I got the duck from Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown a few months ago for $10. I thawed it in a large bowl with water for 2 hours.

The heirloom beans were from a Napa farm called Rancho Gordo and were given to my roommate by a family friend from California. I haven’t seen them around Williamsburg except Brooklyn Kitchen ($6.99 a bag).

A few hours before I began cooking, I picked up a few new used vinyls, so they became the soundtrack for cooking: Chicago’s “II” (this album is a nice balance of jazzy, classical, and rock), Joe Cocker’s “Stingray” (stand out track was Dylan’s The Man In Me, which was arranged by Peter Tosh), The Moody Blues’ “Every good boy deserves favour” (what can I say, they’re the band my Dad spoon fed me as a child), and Stanley Clarke’s “Journey to Love” (features Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, and Lenny White).

Now onto the recipe–

Soaking the beans

To cut down on the cooking and help kickstart the expansion process for the beans, you gotta soak them. Overnight or a minimum of 6 hours is preferred. Although, since this was a game time decision, I only soaked for 3 hours and it turned out just fine.

Roast Duck

Clean out the skin and inside of the duck. Pat it down until dry. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto skin. I used the rack from my toaster oven and placed it over a medium roast pan. I added water to the pan before placing the duck on top.

I was going for pulled pork vibe for this dish, so I roasted the duck at 375° flipping sides every 30 minutes for anywhere from 2-3 hours depending on the size of the duck. Pay very close attention to the duck when you take it out to flip for the 4th and 5th time to make sure you’re not overcooking it.

Wait 15 minutes for duck to cool down and then cut off the meat. Pull apart the meat (if it’s been cooked properly this task should be fairly easy), place in grease pan, and wait for the beans to cook.

Boiling the beans

Once the beans have been soaked, rinse them off them place them into boiling water. I added some of the delicious duck grease to the water. Once adding the beans bring them back to boil then bring down the temperature to low medium. Depending on how you long soaked the beans and the kind of bean, they should take anywhere from 10-30 minutes. My beans were close to 20 minutes and wouldn’t have known they were cooked properly unless I tasted them a few times for correct softness. Strain the beans once they’re done cooking.

Final steps

In the same pot I cooked the beans in, I added back the beans, pulled duck, salt, pepper, sauteed onions, fresh garlic, chilli flakes, a heavy portion of nutmeg, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir everything together and you’re ready to serve.

I served this dish on top of brown rice with a side of sauteed yellow squash.

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Eating my way through Brooklyn tomorrow (taking additional suggestions)

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

Tomorrow my sister and her best friend are coming up to Brooklyn.  I’m taking off from work and we’ll be eating and drinking our way through Brooklyn. The concept is to try something at each place rather than having a whole meal somewhere.

My sister and I have been to many places in the past.  However, unlike myself, she only goes to places once.  I don’t agree with it, but it’s a barrier that diminishes the amount of places we can go (which is a shame for her friend Rachel who has never even been to Brooklyn before).  That being said, this is what I’m recommending for us:

We’ll have a car, so no place is out of bounds or too far away.  Please comment and make any recommendations you have in place of or addition to my itinerary in the event you know some shit I don’t.  For tomorrow only, nothing is too fatty or too weird to eat.  We’re game for anything.

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Bourbon Applesauce (RECIPE)

Posted on December 21, 2011 by

So last night I had 12 or so friends and friends of friends over for the first night of Hanukkah.  When I cook for my friends, I might as well be on camera.  I always ask myself:  how can I make this recipe my own.

In regards to last night in particular, I made bourbon apple sauce to compliment my homemade latkes.  Likes usual, it didn’t follow a recipe or anything.  I had a good idea of what I was going to do, so I improvised, took a taste test, and tweaked as needed.  Below is most like the best recipe you’re gonna get from me for this:

  • Portion 1/2 apple per person, so I used 6 apples (specifically Honeycrisp).  Cut into chunks and add to medium saucepan.
  • Add apple cider (I used Red Jacket Orchards) until it covers 80% of the apples (alternative:  mix in water if you don’t like it as sweet).
  • Dash in spices to taste (in order of how heavy I used them):  cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice (optional addition:  brown sugar if you like it sweeter).  Please splash mixture around and taste before going overboard with the spices.
  • Add bourbon (I used Brooklyn’s own Kings County Distillery) until it covers 90% of the apples.
  • Bring mixture to boil, then simmer until apples are soft, and take off burner.
  • Use potato masher to crush apples to preferred texture (alternate:  some people like to blend it for a creamier texture)
  • Add two shots of bourbon for an extra kick, put lid back on, wait for it to naturally cool down, then serve!!!!

It tastes as good as it sounds, so give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Posted in Cheap Cooking, Dinner with Friends, Organic Food, recipe, Vegetarian meal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Moogfest Recap (+ all the incredible delicious food I ate)

Posted on November 21, 2011 by

Over a year ago, I was connected to the Moog folks and it wasn’t until Halloween weekend that I actually met them.  I hopped on a plane with my girlfriend to Durham and rented a car to make our way to Asheville for Moogfest.

Moogfest lineup

Just looking at the schedule, a nice mesh of electronic sub-genres from psychedelic masters The Flaming Lips to the electro hip-hop stylings of Flying Lotus.  Needless to say, there was plenty for us to see.

When we got to town, the first thing we wanted to do was eat.  Raki and I delicious meal at The Market Place after some quick consultation with Yelp because of their mission to support local farmers.  Our choice was well through out:  grilled flatbread, roasted parsnip soup, seared yellowfin tuna, and pan roasted duck breast.  By far, the best thing we ate was the soup.  It was smooth, creamy (without any cream), refreshing, and slightly sweet (because of the apples).

After dinner, we headed over to Civic Center for Holy Fuck for some weird instrumental live electronics.  It had been over 3 years since I saw them open up for MIA at Drexel University and I could definitely see their musical growth and stage presence.

A few minutes later, I got a text message from Daytrotter’s Sean Moeller to tell me that he was recording Mayer Hawthorne at a nearby studio.  Having been to some of the finest studios in the northeast, I’m fairly confident in saying that Echo Mountain has amazing equipment, great acoustics, and a really mellow, talented staff helming all the gear.

When their set was over, we made our way back to the Civic Center for a trio of amazing performances:  Tangerine Dream (which Raki fell asleep at), Flying Lotus, and TV On The Radio.  I had never seen or heard of Tangerine Dream before, but they’re apparently a 35-year old ambient group and rarely perform let alone in the US (listen to their 2 hour set here).  I totally zoned out when we sat down and the next thing I know, it had been 30 minutes.

We passed out around 2am, woke up early, grabbed a quick breakfast, and headed to the Biltmore Estate, which a HUGE 120,000 acre plot of land owned by the Vanderbilt family, which contains a ginormous castle-esque home, farm, winemaking facility, forest, and pond (see pictures at the bottom).  Despite the surprisingly cold weather, we trekked throughout the property and made the best of our time.

Saturday night was filled with more food (Laughing Seed Cafe) and music.  Laughing Seed was an inferior version of Williamsburg’s Bliss, but still a solid meal.  As for the music, we hit up Amon Tobin, St. Vincent, Toro Y Moi, and STS9.

Amon Tobin’s performance was mind blowing.  He was hidden inside this moveable cube that had trippy projections on it.  The visuals matched the glitchy bass-heavy electronic music.

St. Vincent was such a blast.  Annie is such a talented, fun, and appreciative artist.  And her accompanying band rocked out a lot harder than I expected focusing mostly on newer songs (off of “Strange Mercy”), which I loved.

It was great to see Toro Y Moi for multiple reasons.  I love his albums, but his solo live set was awful last year when he opened for Ruby Suns.  Seeing him with a full band helped fill a lot of the missing textures that were missing the first time around.  Secondly, it was great to meet Michael from Consequence of Sound and catch up in person after having been on email with him for months for my day job.

As for STS9, I’ve said this for years:  they play intelligent, layered electronic music with the emotional builds of post-rock, but have unfortunately not grown out of the jamband scene.  Their Moog set was first time I had seen them live since 2005.  It started off with a cover of NIN’s Closer followed by songs off their new EP as well some of my old favorites.  I left their set a little early around 1:15am completely satisfied and ready for bed.

After all that music, we woke up the next morning and ate breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe, which was one of the best meals we had all vacation.  In the slideshow below, you can see Raki (trying to) devour the huge sweet potato, pecan, and oats pancake (with emphasis on cake).  As for me, I had fried chicken and biscuits with white gravy and a side of goat cheese grits.

We went for a quick walk around town to help us digest the massive brunch and then made our way to Moog store to say goodbye.  Inside the Moog store, Dan Deacon and Alan Palomo (aka Neon Indian) did an improvised Moog demonstration that was completely about sound exploration leaving any sort of song structure at the door.

Finally, we headed out of town for on a 9-hour journey of mountainous Blue Ridge Parkway down into South Carolina (briefly) and back up to Durham.  We stumbled on waterfalls, mountain peaks, dams, and the random town of Hendersonville, NC for some tasty food.

Overall, I was happy to have had a reason to go Asheville because it was beautiful and filled with such nice people and an appreciation for fine art, food, and culture in general.  As for the festival itself.  It was perfectly run, great lineup of respected and upcoming and coming electronic artists, and attendance grew from 25,000 in 2010 to over 30,000 in 2011 (exact attendance TBA).  But the one major thing I realized for the future is to refrain from inviting my girlfriend to another electronic music festival.

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