I just checked out the Facebook page of Harlem4Obama and its says there are more $100 tickets available to the January 19 event, which is The Obama Victory Fund Concert. Go to this link here and get your $100, $300 or $5000 tickets. They just added more this evening.
I am going with another fellow Harlemite. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don’t want to miss it! Hope you will join me in seeing President Obama at the Apollo!
Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Community, education, Events, Harlem, history, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, The Apollo Theater
Tagged 125th street, apollo, Apollo Theater, fundraiser, Harlem, Harlem4Obama, january 19, marcus samuelsson, President Barack Obama, Red Rooster, victory fund
As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day today, all I can think about are a few things, such as why do all the good ones have to die young?, what would MLK think of our leaders today?, and if only we could clone Mr. King? My answer to these posed questions. They just don’t make him [leaders] like MLK anymore. Oh, how we need leaders like MLK. I miss that about America. We just don’t see leaders on a national stage who can move and inspire us anymore. Hopefully that will change one day. I am hopeful.
To learn more about Martin Luther King Jr., turn to the History Channel.
The women behind 5 and Diamond Harlem are starting off the new year by thinking of others. Lia Sanfilippo and Selene Martinez, co-owners of the Harlem restaurant Frederick Douglass Blvd., are organizing a benefit January 5 called Helping Hands for Haiti. All the proceeds, i.e. 100 percent, from the event will be donated to support grassroots efforts in Haiti in the areas of medical, construction and food distribution. If you would like to attend this event, RSVP to info@5anddiamondrestaurant.com. Suggested donations are listed below.
Hey, if you see Harlem resident and sculptor LeRone Wilson in the area, tell him “congratulations!” Why? Word has it Wilson entered the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, which is a nationwide juried art competition in conjunction with Rush Philanthropic, the Foundation founded by Russell and Danny Simmons, and took home the coveted prize recently.
His piece, “A Path Through the Sky,” was selected as winner of the juried competition, which is a nationwide search for the newest talent in art. Nearly 4,000 artists submitted work for this search. Eighteen artists were sent to a final competition at Art Basel in Miami and two final winners were selected, one being Wilson, for the overall prize of a two-man show at Russell Simmons’ Rush Arts Gallery in Chelsea. That show is scheduled for February 2012.
And if you’re wondering who collects our fellow Harlemites’ work-sculpted 3 
dimensional paintings made from encaustic? According to Wilson’s peeps, Marea restaurant in Columbus Circle own 2 pieces that hang in the restaurant.He was among the first group of artists to hang work at Red Rooster Harlem. And Wilson commissioned pieces for socialite and New York Interior designer Jennifer Post featured in Architectural Digest. Not bad…huh?
So next time you see Harlem resident LeRone Wilson, give him a high-five! And stay tuned here on this blog for more information on the Rush Arts Exhibition of Wilson’s work slated for February 2012.
I found the song “Happy Xmas-War is Over” floating around on Twitter and wanted to share with you since there is a direct connection to Harlem; and it is the holiday season.
You probably know the history around this song. However, just incase here it is: “Happy Xmas-War Is Over” is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. The lyric is based on a campaign in late 1969 by Lennon and Ono, who rented billboards and posters in eleven major cities around the world that read: “WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko.” In 1971, the US was deeply entrenched in the unpopular Vietnam War.
Chef Stephen Putnam from Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar in Harlem recently participated in Macy’s Cellar Kitchen series cooking some of his recipes offered at Lido Harlem, located on the southeast corner of Frederick Douglass Blvd and 117th Street! If you’ve ever wanted recipes from Chef Putnam from Lido Harlem so that you can enjoy some of his creations at home, HarlemGal Inc has two recipes to offer up right now! And these recipes are simple too!
If you try these recipes below, let us know how the dish(es)came out! Bon appetit!
Spaghetti with roasted veal meatballs and San Marzano Tomatoes
6 cans San Marzano Tomatoes
1 bunch celery
2 Spanish onions
5 carrots peeled
¼ c. chopped garlic
Hand full of basil
¼ cup EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl of a Cuisine Art place the washed vegetables into the bowl and chop the vegetables fine. Place a medium size stainless pot on the stove and preheat pot over medium heat add olive oil and sauté garlic and vegetables until translucent. Place the tomatoes in a food mill and put the tomatoes in the pot and cook roughly an hour over low heat. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Sauce can also be frozen.
Veal meatballs
5# ground veal
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs
½ bunch basil
¼ artesian bread with the crust removed cut into small cubes and soaked in ½ cup milk
½ bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
1 TBL chopped garlic
4 shallots chopped fine
2 oz. EVOO
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients. Mix by hand or use a kitchen aide with paddle attachment. Mix well or the ball will fall apart. Using a 2oz scoop make all the mixture and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
Octopus Salad with sausage, potato and orange
1-2-4 # octopus (I like the one’s from Spain)
1# peanut or fingerling potatoes
1# Fennel sausage (sweet or hot) ground
3 bunches Frissee cleaned and rinsed
1 ½ cups Orange juice
Pinch red pepper flakes
Red wine vinegar
¼ tsp. cumin
Olive oil
Gaetta olives
Fill pot with water and add salt until the water tastes like the ocean bring to a boil and add octopus and two corks from a wine bottle to the water. Place the potatoes also in salted water and cook until soft and cool in the fridge. Saute your sausage in a sauté pan until cook through and set aside. Meanwhile place your oj, cumin and pepper flakes in a small sauce pot and reduce until the oj is the consistency of syrup and set aside to cool.
To plate:
Heat a skillet on high heat when hot add olive oil and a pich of salt to the oil and place the octopus in the sauté pan and brown on all sides, you can brown you potatoes and heat the sausage at the same time. In a small mixing bowl put the vinegar, oil and reduced oj and mix well. Toss frissee, potatoes, olives, and sausage together and dress the salad place on plates and slice your octopus and place on top and drizzle a little more dressing on the octopus and serve.
Broccoli rabe pesto
2 bunch basil
16 oz. olive oil
1 tsp garlic
Handful parmesan cheese
1 qt. broccoli rabe
¼ cup lemon juice
S&P
Place everything in a bowl of your Cuisine Art and puree.
Onion Jam
6 Spanish onions
1 qt. white balsamic
½ cup sugar
Slice your onions and cook until lightly brown and all the vinegar has evaporated. Place everything in a bowl of your Cuisine Art and puree.
Its another beautiful Fall day in Harlem and there are several events happening today for your consideration!
This morning Land Yoga is holding its first full LED Primary Ashantga Yoga Class at 11:15 AM to raise money for Mother Hale Learning Center. The cost is $20 dollars. That fee gives you entrance to an afternoon fundraising reception, which will take place at 3 pm at Land Yoga, located near the corner of 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. This event also serves as a Bon Voyage party for Lara, the owner and teacher at Land Yoga. She’s heading back to India for a month!
Harlem Flo is having there annual trunk show featuring several local artists, such as the work of watercolorist Lynn Lieberman. That event starts at 2 pm. Harlem Flo’s Lifestyle Boutique is located at 122nd and Frederick Douglass Blvd.
Nick Coker’s Creative Vision, Inc. presents ‘A journey into the Art, the Psyche, and the Spirit of Nick Coker’s Visions’, a narrated tour and examination of the late Harlem artists’ art, poetry, prose and music at The Dwyer Cultural Center. This event starts at 6 pm and ends at 8 pm!
Nick Coker grew up in Harlem during the Renaissance era. Coker became the first black artist to work for leading advertising agencies and fashion houses on Madison Avenue. He worked for artists and organizations such as Emilio Pucci, the Seventh Avenue Fashion District, Bobby Hooks and the Negro Ensemble Company, along with many others. Coker was also the first artist to put art on t-shirts and remove a piece from the iconic apple that is now a signature of New York City tourism.
The Dwyer is located at 258 West 123rd Street in Harlem.
Posted in art and culture, business, Community, education, entertainment, Events, fashion, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, health and wellness, history, shopping, spending
Tagged 10026, Harlem, Harlem Flo, Land Yoga, The Dwyer Cultural Center
In honor of legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles’ 85th birthday and the release of his new film ‘The Love We Make’, a collaboration with Paul McCartney, Maysles Cinema will present a very special screening this coming Friday, November 18, for one night only, of the director’s cut of the Maysles’ Brothers’ documentary ‘What’s Happening: The Beatles in the USA”. Along with this special screening will be a Q&A with Albert Maysles.
“What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA” was made in 1964 by the Maysles. It is a humorous, freewheeling and candid account of The Beatles arrival in America in February in the mid-1960s. The Maysles follow the Fab Four for five days, from the crazed JFK airport reception to unguarded moments inside the Plaza Hotel in preparation for their landmark Ed Sullivan Show appearance to their equally frenzied homecoming.
To attend and purchase tickets to this event, click here.
Get out your mouse pads folks! Harlem School of the Arts needs your clicks/votes pronto to win $25k in the Pepsi Refresh. The soft drink and snacks company is giving out mucho dinero to those with the best ideas in several categories. Harlem School of the Arts is competing in the Communities category.
How can you help? Go online here to learn why Harlem School of the Arts is competing. Using the same link, you can either register to vote through Pepsi or use your own Facebook account. Voters can also use their smart phone to vote by texting: 109529 to Pepsi!
According to the website there is about 13 hours left to vote! That is dog years on the online community so we have plenty of time to help out Harlem School of the Arts! Let’s go help them win!
Posted in art and culture, Community, education, Harlem, music, New York, New York City, NYC
Tagged arts and culture, community, education, Harlem, Harlem School of the Arts, Pepsi Refresh
Over the summer, I told you about Kidberry,a learning and developmental play center for newborns to ten-year-olds based in Harlem, was working hard to move 
into their new space. Well, its done! They have moved. Kidberry has a new home and its at 2046 7th Avenue. While the physical space has changed, their dedication to teaching children remains the same. What this new space allows is for Kidberry to offer more classes and services, from language to dance, with plans to expand into cooking classes and a kid friendly salon. And by the way, Kidberry was created and is managed by two Harlem moms, Mekia Denby and Pamela Flood Morrison. How cool is that?
For the full class schedule, log onto Kidberrynyc.com.
Posted in Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., business, Community, education, Harlem, health and wellness
Tagged 10026, 2046 7th Avenue, Harlem, Kidberry, Mekia Denby, Pamela Flood Morrison
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