URBivore

San Gennaro poster

San Gennaro poster
Originally uploaded by BKMD

Have to check out opera night. Will skip the cannoli eating contest, though.

Opera Chic's tribute to L. Pavarotti

From Opera Chic:

As a New Yorker, Opera Chic wants to remember Big Luciano, a huge NYC lover, walking down Central Park South  -- where he still keeps an apartment --  in the wintertime, right before Xmas, his golden voice wrapped in layer upon layer of the silk scarves he loved so much and he considered his lucky charms, a smile on his face, and all that wonderful music ready to be created by his voice.

This is an ad for...?

To further throw you off the track, this was a link on the Amateur Gourmet's blog.
For the answer, go to CleanIsHappy.com

"Redacted" ends with a bathetic aria

Opera chic is reporting that opera fan Brian DePalma has chosen the Puccini aria E Lucevan Le Stelle (And the stars were shining) for the closing montage of his recent, very controversial film Redacted.

Quoting DePalma:

"The pictures are what will stop the war. One only hopes that these images will get the public incensed enough to motivate their Congressmen to vote against this war."

Regarding the use of this aria, I think we can forgive Puccini for the bathos, but not DePalma.

One of the Opera Chic's commenters:

That could work.  Don't know how Cavaradossi singing about Tosca's caresses really fits, but the last two lines:

L'ora e fuggita e muoio disperato!
E non ho amato mai tanto la vita!

[I die hopeless, despairing
And never before have I loved life like this!]

would seem to be apt.

Here is the full text which "is sung by Tosca's lover, the painter Mario Cavaradossi (tenor), when lamenting his coming execution."

And the stars were shining,
and the earth smelled sweet,
the garden gate scraped,
and a step brushed the sand.
She came in, fragrant,
and fell into my arms.

Oh! sweetest of kisses, oh! languorous caresses,
while I trembled as I loosed her lovely features concealed by her mantle!
My dream of love has vanished for ever,
The moment has passed, and I die in despair!
And I never have loved life so much!

Tartufi al Cocco, Matcha e Peperoncino

  Tartufi al Cocco, Matcha e Peperoncino 
  Originally uploaded by °Tuki°

The quest for the matcha chocolate truffle.

Peperoncino?

Matcha in NYC?

  ThinkTokyo Matcha Order! 
  Originally uploaded by Ocha-Neko

I would like to try this Japanese tea:

Matcha is a Japanese powdered green tea. It can be used as an ingredient or made as a tea. With matcha, whole tealeaves are consumed, not just the steep off tealeaves, as with other teas. High-grade matcha is made in limited amounts in Japan, harvested only once a year in the Spring.

And maybe even some matcha chocolate truffles (should be quite a caffeine blast).

Karen Dunlap is a cha-melier, a macaronic title derived from the Japanese word for tea "cha," and the French wine steward "sommelier."

UPDATE: I've found out that one of the few places in NYC where you can sample matcha tea and confections is Cha-An. On Fridays and Saturdays, they have a short version of the Japanese Tea Ceremony (takes place in a private tatami tearoom within the teahouse). You have to sign up beforehand.

Caption?

  Mission 24: Draw 
  Originally uploaded by daisybaxter

DaisyBaxter's submission to the Mission24 group at Flickr for the assignment: Draw.

In all fairness, via Flickr mail, Daisy told me that this is her husband's 44 magnum that he uses occasionally for hunting, somewhere in Kentucky. Mostly, the gun is kept locked up.

Daisy is an avid flora and fauna fotog.

D'ohnut

  D'ohnut 
  Originally uploaded by BKMD

The signature Pepto Bismol pink Homer Simpson confection.

Speaking of cover songs: "Hey Ya" as a folk tune

Posted just over a year ago by Mat Weddle of the Obadiah Parker. Amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS2PRP89eqM

What's cooler than being cool? Ice cold.