Category Archives: Harlem

Listen to The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir, ‘Happy Xmas-War Is Over’


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.

Participate in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association Online and Silent Auction


There is still time left to participate in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association Online and Silent Auction, but you better hurry up.

MMPCIA’s Online Auction closes Wednesday, December 7 at 10 pm. Go here to bid on several interesting items. The Silent Auction will take place during the Holiday Gala.

The Auction is part of the associations annual Holiday Gala and Fundraiser, which is taking place this Thursday, December 8 from 7:00 to 10:00 pm at Ristorante Settepani, located at 196 Lenox Avenue. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Also required for admission–one toy for a child (up to 10-years old) or canned or dry food for a food pantry. Click here to purchase tickets in advance.

Cook recipes from Chef Stephen Putnam from Lido Harlem, two recipes available

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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.

See Harlem Meer Holiday Lighting

Harlem Meer‘s annual Holiday Lighting is taking place today, Sunday, December 4 from 4-5:30 PM. The event culminates with the lighting of thousands of tiny LED lights strung along the architectural features of Central Park’s northernmost visitor center, the Victorian-style Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. A camera is highly recommended for this event.

Winter Holiday Lighting at Central Park
Sunday, December 4, 2011
4:00-5:30 pm

Holiday Wreath Decorating Workshop happening today in East Harlem


The good folks over at Urban Garden Center in East Harlem are holding a wreath decorating workshop today, December 3, starting at noon for the first workshop and then at 3 pm for the second. At this worshop, located at East 116th Street and Park Avenue,  you will learn how to build your own wreath and receive a FREE hand-made custom bow to go along with your wreath. Urban Garden Center’s in-house wreath and bow maker will be on hand to teach the workshop.

To attend this workshop, there is a minimum purchase of $15. Refreshments will be provided. And don’t forget, once your finished with your wreath workshop, you can walk across the street to check out the Winter Festival taking place at La Marqueta from 10 AM to 8 PM.

Urban Garden Center Holiday Wreath Decorating Workshop
Noon and 3 PM
1640 Park Avenue @ 116th St
Harlem, NYC

Two weeks left to shop at Morningside Park Farmers Market in Harlem

There is only two weeks left this season to shop at Morningside Park Farmers Market in West Harlem! Head on over to 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue to shop for your produce today and next Saturday, December 10th from 9 am to 5 pm. See you there!

Morningside Park Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9AM-5PM
West 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue

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New bar coming to Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem

Harlem’s well-known Londel’s Supper Club is expanding their presence in Upper Manhattan by planning to open up a bar right on the northwest corner of 115th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. That’s the word directly from them to HarlemGal Inc. And from these photos below workers have been present at 2131 FDB address carrying in materials.

A representative at Londel’s said they are hoping to open the new place by the end of the year. This drinking establishment would be their second on FDB. Their first place of business is at 2620 Frederick Douglass Blvd.

As for the Livmor Condo’s, their retail space is practically full. I believe they have one more retail space left?

Congrats to Londel’s on expanding their presence in Harlem. I’m looking forward to checking out their new cocktail establishment! What about you?

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Watch Harlem in Lady Gaga’s ‘Marry the Night’ music video

Lady Gaga has premiered her latest music video, “Marry The Night,” and Harlem plays a part.  Watch the video. I believe she is dancing right by Fairway! Similar to the next Spiderman movie, she choose under the Viaduct in West Harlem to dance the night way in her latest music video. What is it with that part of Harlem that the entertainment industry keeps using in their films or video? I guess those high arched steel beams photograph well. See the video for yourself by clicking on the picture below!

Harlem attracts cool crowds of NYC downtown says Guest of a Guest



Guest of a Guest, the website co-founded by one of the Winklevoss twins whose been battling Mark Zuckerberg for what seems like ages now, has a feature on Harlem this week. It is quite complimentary, however, it doesn’t say anything new that we Harlemites know already. The article names a list of places to check out and most of them mentioned I agree are great places to visit. However, a true Harlem native writing about Harlem would have dug a bit deeper.

For example, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar gives Red Rooster a run for its money, not only in food, but in ambiance as well. The same goes for Cedric French Bistro and Bar in Harlem! What about mentioning a place in East Harlem? Milk Burger has been endorsed by Anthony Bourdain and his lovely Mrs! Also, when you visit Shrine one can’t miss Yatenga, which is a fun place to hang.

Again, as most of us Harlemites know, there are a ton of cool places to hang in Harlem. Guest of a Guest apparently is just coming around (a bit late) and finding out, but hey, let’s welcome it!

To read the full article, click here.

Winter Festival in East Harlem starts December 3

Our Harlem neighbors to the East are celebrating the holidays every weekend this month! Starting December 3, and continuing on from Dec. 10th and 17th from 10 am to 8 pm, its the Winter Festival taking place in East Harlem. Heated tents will be set up in and/or near La Marqueta so that guests can enjoy checking out the local vendors and shop no matter what the weather will be like. All you have to do is get to 116th Street and Park Avenue to enjoy! See you there!