Browse: September 2007

Welcome back to Verbatim, our stage for amateur and professional writers. Today we hear from Jonathan Rose, an immigration attorney by day and poet by night. Each of Rose’s “roses” are short, sweet and designed to evoke a reaction.

Popular

Julius Caesar,

Mid-life crises come in all shapes and sizes. Some of us dabble in sports cars, others pick up new careers. Famed violinist David Juritz, leader of the London Mozart Players, decided to play his way around the world.

The South African-born, London resident is busking (performing in public for donations) his way through six continents to raise money for Musequality, a new charity that funds children’s music projects in deprived areas across the world.

Juritz began his journey in London on June 9 with a backpack, violin and passport. He’s since played on the streets of Milan, Berlin, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Seoul and many more. We caught up with the artist as he performed on Lincoln Road.

Did we puzzle you? Maybe you got them all right? Check 'em out and let us know how you did.

There’s an artists’ colony thriving on Lincoln Road. ArtCenter/South Florida was created in 1984 by a small group of artists hoping to create a “potential cultural renaissance.” Twenty-three years later, it’s thriving as a 60,000-square-foot gallery, workspace and education center.

Step inside the project with our video below then check it out in person tomorrow evening as the ArtCenter celebrates the opening of its Alterego exhibition.

The Alterego celebratory reception runs Saturday evening from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the ACSF Gallery, 800 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. Call 305-674-8278 or visit artcentersf.org for more information.

We love Miami for its beauty, its weather (winter is almost here), its spirit and its dysfunction. Ask any local (five months nets you residency in our book) - wasted time, throbbing crowds, oddball traffic and unnecessary complications are part of the Miami life (hello cable company). We’ve solved four uniquely Miami challenges with these very fun (arguably unnecessary) gadgets.

Challenge: You’ve got 45 minutes to sweat and five pounds to lose before next weekend.

It’s not easy being a Miami Beach bar-goer: pushing through crowds, carving out elbow room, angling for attention - all just to get a cocktail. We dished with some of our favorite local bartenders to find out how to get a good drink fast. Here's everything you need to know.

We know it’s been a long, wet week. Buck up, dig out the umbrellas and head out the door - we’ve got the scoop on what’s going on around town this weekend. And don’t forget to check out our calendar for even more events.

THURSDAY

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Miami Beach City Hall with a tour through Illusory Interior, an exhibit featuring Hispanic artists like Vicenta Casan and Luisa Mesa. Then, pop over to Gnu Restaurant & Lounge for Sing-a-long Thursdays (we hear the food's as good as the music) or head to the Biltmore Hotel for another great performance by local group Square Egg. For a testosterone-pumping night, check out the Marlins as they take on the Chicago Cubs at Dolphin Stadium.

FRIDAY

Start the official weekend with an indulgent over-the-top Taste America Gala prepared by the likes of Norman Van Aken, Mark Militello and Clay Conley to kick off the James Beard Foundation's first national food festival. If you can still move, head to the Beach for a haunted tour with the first Miami Beach Ghost Tour or put your party shoes on and scoot over to Mansion for a performance by STOMP. Alternately, get your musical groove on at Gulfstream Park with a benefit concert featuring Chuck Negron and the Classic Rock All-Stars.

SATURDAY

For a little afternoon action, root on the Hurricanes as they bring Duke into the eye of the storm. Miami Spice is sadly coming to an end (yes, it's the end of September already), so don't forget dinner in the after-game excitement. Art lovers should check out the opening reception of Alterego, a collection of ArtCenter/South Florida's newly-juried artists. Do-gooders, don your walking shoes for Light the Night at Bayfront Park, and help in the fight against leukemia and lymphoma.

SUNDAY

It's a sports fanatic's weekend: catch the Dolphins in their battle against the Oakland Raiders. The evening hours will bring out the more genteel side in anyone. Festival Miami, which kicks off this weekend, offers up its Broadway, Pop & a Little Swingin' Jazz concert at Gusman Concert Hall. Or, head the Wolfsonian-FIU for John Heartfield's photomontage of pre-World War II Germany. And don't forget, tonight is your last night to feast like a king on a Miami Spice dinner.

Get savory and spicy in the kitchen with Wish executive chef Michael Bloise. This episode of Compliments of the Chef heads to the grill for tantalizing Chipotle BBQ Quail with Apple-Cucumber Raita.

Get savory and spicy in the kitchen with Wish executive chef Michael Bloise. This episode of Compliments of the Chef takes us to the grill for tantalizing Chipotle BBQ Quail with Apple-Cucumber Raita.

Chipotle BBQ Quail with Apple-Cucumber Raita (serves 4)

Chipotle BBQ Quail

• 4 quails, de-boned
• 1 bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
• 3 oz water
• 4 oz sugar
• 1 oz chipotle in adobo

1. Cut pepper into one-inch chunks. Sweat over medium heat for five minutes. Add sugar and water.
2. Dissolve sugar and cook about five minutes. Transfer to blender and process until smooth.
3. Remove ½ pepper sauce and season with salt to taste. Chill and reserve.
4. Add chipotle to blender and process until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
5. Marinate ½ chipotle BBQ with quail
6. In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, crème fraiche, lemon zest, and sugar. Season to taste with salt.
7. Add the cucumber, apple, cilantro and mint. Reserve.
8. Grill the quail breast-side-down on a medium-high part of the grill to caramelize the sugars in the sauce. After 3 minutes, flip onto a medium part of the grill and cook for another 3 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, place some of the raita in the center of plate and drizzle sweet pepper sauce.
10. Serve the sweet and spicy quail atop the raita.

Apple-Cucumber Raita

• 1 cucumber, julienne
• 1 red apple, julienne
• 20 leaves mint, shredded
• 20 leaves cilantro, shredded
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
• 1 tbs sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• Salt, as needed

Mix together.

Visit wishrestaurant.com for more information.

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They may be small, but cigarette butts, Styrofoam cups, pieces of paper and other trash make a difference to the planet. This week’s Earth Bytes looks at litter and a few things you can do to improve it.

The Facts:

• The US litters an estimated 180 million pounds of cigarette butts every year.
• Around 100,000 sea animals get tangled in or choke on plastic (soda can rings) every year.
• It costs $3 to remove one piece of gum from a sidewalk.
• A Styrofoam coffee cup can take up to a million years to biodegrade.
• About $10 million is spent every year to clean up roadside litter.

What you can do:

• Don’t throw cigarette butts out of the car. Less waste, less chance for fire.
• Cut up plastic soda rings before throwing them out.
• Pick up three pieces of trash along the sidewalk or road.
• Don’t litter period and save hundreds of dollars in fines.

For more litter facts, visit idealbite.com, ottawa.ca/city_services, or cigarettelitter.org.

It’s berry season. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are all jammed with good stuff. Read on for cool trivia and nutrition facts.

Brain Food

• It’s unknown where strawberries originated, but there's evidence that the Romans cultivated the fruit as early as 200 BC.
• California produces about 1 billion pounds of strawberries a year, or 80% of U.S. production.
• Dried blueberries were a major food staple among Native Americans, who used the fruit in a pudding called “Sautauthig.”
• There are three main varieties of blackberries from three areas of the world: Wild blackberries (Pacific Northwest), Himalaya Blackberries (Himalaya Mountain areas of Asia), and Evergreen Blackberries (England).
• There are over 200 species of raspberries and all are from the rose family.
• Raspberries can be grown from the Arctic to the equator.

Body Food

• Eight medium strawberries provide 160% of the daily requirement of Vitamin C and only 45 calories.
• Blueberries, (a.k.a. bilberries), can improve night vision and are stocked with antioxidants.
• One cup of blackberries has 60 calories, 1 gram of fat and 32% of the daily requirement of fiber.
• One cup of raspberries has 60 calories, 50% of the daily requirement for Vitamin C and 32% of the daily requirement for fiber.

Arturo Sandoval’s passion for music has inspired audiences around the world for over 40 years. Growing up in Cuba, Sandoval began his love affair with music at the age of 12. He's spent the following three decades composing, mastering the trumpet and flugel horn and securing his reputation as a virtuoso among peers, colleagues and fans. Dip into his career highlights below then journey behind the scenes with our video.

A few of Sandoval's career highlights:

• Became a founding member of legendary jazz band, Irakere, in 1973
• Was mentored by Dizzy Gillespie, who also helped him attain political asylum in the U.S.
• Has won six Billboards, four Grammys and one Emmy
• Is a tenured professor at Florida International University
• Opened the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club in 2006 on Miami Beach

Dogs really must be man’s best friend. For who else would we brave heat, humidity and general September nastiness? Puppy love can do powerful things. Looking for a little inspiration for your next outing? Check out our story on local dog parks, scan our photos and get out the door. There's lots of fun waiting to be had:

• Go swimming
• Play catch with a Plum Frisbee (email us photos of you & your pup and we’ll send you one!)
• Have a picnic at the park
• Teach your dog a new trick
• Play fetch

Welcome back to Verbatim, our stage for amateur and professional writers. Today we hear from Denise Duhamel, a seven-year South Florida resident who knew she wanted to be a writer from the time she was 10 years old. Duhamel came to poetry as a freshman in college when she bought The Jane Poems by Kathleen Spivack and “it dawned on me that people (live ones!) wrote poetry.”

Buddhist Barbie explores the intersection of Buddhism and pop culture. Duhamel elaborates: “Buddhism talks about 'emptiness' as a spiritual practice and I thought Barbie would relate to that as she is empty inside.”

Buddhist Barbie

Did we stump you? Did you answer them all? Check your answers here and let us know how you did!

1. Which local city has an average home price of $488,000?

Welcome back to Our Town. We’ve got another round of cool South Florida trivia coming at you, so get ready. Be sure to check your answers and let us know how you did!

1. Which local city has an average home price of $488,000?

2. When was the city of Miami incorporated?

3. Where does Miami International Airport rank in the nation in terms of volume of international passengers?

4. How many gallons of water does the Venetian Pool hold?

5. What's the closest foreign island to Miami?