The Passage Project

Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World at The Kennedy Center

On Monday, The Arabesque Festival opened at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The three-week program will present the latest in theater, dance, music, film, and more coming from the Arab World. Performers include outstanding Somali hop-hop artist K'NAAN and Heather Raffo performing The Sounds of Desire with Amir El Saffar, a jazz trumpeter and Iraqi santoor player. I saw Raffo's wonderful one person show 9 Parts of Desire about two years ago and definitely would love to see her perform along with a live musician.

And if you like to shop, visit the souk — marketplace — where you can purchase jewelry, handbags, and textiles.

Last night, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer profiled three artists living in Cairo who are participating in this years Arabesque Festival: modern dancer Karima Mansour, jewelry maker Azza Fayma, and Lebanese/Egyptian artist Lara Baladi.

To view a dance performance by Mansour, and to learn more about these three artists, visit NewsHour's website.

Today is Fat Tuesday and I thought I would mark the occasion by posting info on how it is celebrated around the world.

• Celebrations in New Orleans are underway as we speak with the crews, floats and musicians marching through the streets of New Orleans. The The Times-Picayune website Nola.com is providing full coverage of the parade and all of the city's festivities throughout the day.

• Samba schools, costumes and endless music. Welcome to Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval. What most consider ground zero for all Carnival celebrations, Rio's citizens do not hold back. It takes months to plan and it shows. Check out Jornal do Brasil's website and Rio-Carnival.net for details.

• Trinidad Carnival Diary is a wonderful place to find out information regarding Carnival in Trinidad. The blogger, Saucy aka "The Sauce", provides excellent behind-the-scenes details including the bands, putting together the perfect costume and more. What won me over what her recipe for how to prevent the rhinestone's in your costume from snagging your stockings. Please check her out!!!

• Though most of Cologne's carnival activities peaked yesterday on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), there is plenty to do before Ash Wednesday. Kölntourismus will direct you as to where to go.

• Check out the website Toronto-lime.com for a partial listing of Carnival celebrations taking place throughout the world.

The Legacy of Abraham Lincoln at the Inauguration of Barack Obama

Artwork courtesy of Philipp Kuecuekyan.

I am all about the upcoming inauguration these days because my boyfriend and I are planning a day trip to Washington D.C. for the big day. I've heard this year's presidential inauguration is embracing all things Lincoln, so I thought I would look into it. It seems that the sixteenth president's legacy is turning up in everything from the swearing-in ceremony to the food.

Today, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies revealed the menu for the 2009 Inaugural Luncheon and it too has a Lincoln-era touch. From their official announcement:

The menu, created by Design Cuisine, a catering company based in Arlington, Virginia, draws on historic ties to the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Growing up in the frontier regions of Kentucky and Indiana, the sixteenth President favored simple foods including root vegetables and wild game. As his tastes matured, he became fond of stewed and scalloped oysters. For dessert or a snack, nothing pleased him more than a fresh apple or an apple cake.

• First Course: Seafood Stew; Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
• Second Course: A Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck), served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes; Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
• Third Course: Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake and Sweet Cream Glacé; Korbel Natural “Special Inaugural Cuvée,” California Champagne

Image of President Lincoln Bible courtesy of Presidential Inaugural Committee's website.

Other examples of Lincoln's legacy during the inaugural ceremonies:

• The news that Barack Obama will be using Lincoln's bible during the swearing in ceremony broke a few weeks ago. Many presidents have chosen to use President Washington's bible when being sworn in. Obama will be the first to use Lincoln's.
  

• Around 200 guests will dine in Statuary Hall, in the U.S. Capital, with Thomas Hill's painting A View from Yosemite, as a backdrop. Hill's painting is also tied to the former president's legacy because it was Lincoln who signed the Yosemite Grant June 30, 1864, allowing Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to be protected and reserved for public use.

• Some of the china being used during the luncheon are replica's of the china used by Mary Todd Lincoln when she and her husband first moved into the White House.

To download the recipes from the inaugural luncheon, visit the Joint Congressional Committee on  Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) website.

The Film The Garden & NYC's East New York Farms

On Monday I went to see the New York City screening of The Garden, by Scott Hamilton Kennedy. Winner of Sterling Award at the Silverdocs Film Festival, the film documents an urban farm that rose from the ashes of the 1992 L.A. riots and the South Central Farmers battle to save a sacred space spanning 14 acres.

The film is incredible because it vividly shows a group of people fighting to support themselves and their community--actively participating and succeeding in "The American Dream"--only to have it completely taken away from them.

The film will be screening at Cinema Village through August 14th.

To see a trailer of the film, find out about future screenings or to learn more, visit www.blackvalley films.com. To learn more about the work of the South Central Farmers, go to www.southcentralfarmers.com.

About a month ago, my boyfriend and I had our own urban farming experience when visiting New York City's East New York Farms. While there, we took a tour of the community garden, bought fresh callaloo and cherries from the farmer's market, then had the best ice tea I have ever tasted. It was made from a choice variety of fresh mint leaves grown by a woman who has a plot in the community garden as well as a stand in the farmer's market. I had the tea only once, weeks ago, and still think about it often.

The group tour of the garden was lead by a young woman who talked about it's history, including how the community prepared a once empty lot for a future of farm-life and healthy living in the urban jungle. We had the opportunity to see a working bee-hive, a greenhouse and the many plots growing organic vegetables, including those unique to the Caribbean such as karela and bora.

The farmer's market sells produce grown at East New York Farms, in addition to fruits and vegetables from regional farmers. The market will also be hosting cooking demonstrations and workshops through November 15th.

East New York Farms is truly an oasis. Please visit this sanctuary in the city.

East New York Farmers Market
Saturdays, June 28th through November 15th
9a.m.-3p.m.
New Lots and Schenck Avenue
Take the 3 train to Van Siclen or the B6, B15, B83 buses.

Below are photos from our visit. All photos by Philipp Kuecuekyan. (Please click on photos to enlarge.)

 
From top to bottom: A mural outside a community garden in
East New York, the composting area, the greenhouse.

The Barbecue's of Summer

Barbecue grills are a sure sign that summer has arrived and today's New York Times has a great article on the subject called Sweet Heat: For Jamaicans, It's About Jerk. The piece does a wonderful job detailing the history of jerk and the culinary contributions of both the Taino Indians and the Maroons (escaped slaves) to the recipe. Prospect Height's Islands and Peppa's Jerk Chicken on Flatbush Avenue are both mentioned along with a recipe for jerk chicken. 

The article's descriptions of the eateries owned by the local chefs and street-side grill masters in Brooklyn brought me back to my own neighborhood in West Harlem. Here you'll find entrepreneur's, their large charcoal grills and a steady stream of customers down streets like Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (A.K.A. 7th Ave.). Summertime weekends in Harlem mean following the scent of barbecued ribs, burgers and chicken alongside fresh cut watermelon, cantaloupe and desserts.

Next time you are in Harlem on a weekend, don't be shy. Check out the local fare.

Fair Trade Teas at Your Local Grocery Store

After work one day I ran into a mid-town Food Emporium and when I walked down their tea and coffee aisle I was shocked to see the diverse selection of teas there. Adding to the experience was the fact that among them were several brands that were fair trade! Oh, happy day! This is a huge leap for a large chain grocery store (however, I also noticed that Snapple has entered the tea market and I am not sure I'm comfortable with that idea). Maybe this is how it's been for a while but I rarely shop at Food Emporium or the other New York City chain Gristede's.

I try to shop fair trade whenever I can because the actual producers of goods and their employee's get a bigger percentage of the profits, higher wages and working conditions are safer. The fair trade brands I found were Rishi Tea, Zhena's Gypsy Tea and Traditional Medicinals. I bought Rishi Tea's Peppermint Rooibus for about $8. 

I remember a time when you could only find the usual suspects such as Lipton at my local grocery store. I also remember when Celestial Seasonings was considered exotic in my grocery when I was growing up in suburban Chicago. If you wanted something different you had to go to a specialty or high-end grocery store. Times have changed.

Don't forget, when shopping, please look for the Fair Trade Certified label.

Global Fair Trade Tearooms

Back in March I wrote about an unsuccessful trip to the East Village tearoom Sympathy for the Kettle. Well, I would like to report that, yes, they are open. They just open later in the day on Monday's. Stop by when you have the time because they have a large selection of organic fair trade teas and the place is very chill and low-key. I prefer its style over the sleek look and bright lights of places like Subletea. The space is small but the setting and staff make up for size.

I stopped by there not too long ago and had a pot of their Ginger-Lime Rooibos and bought a bag of their Green Rooibos tea for the house. This South African tea is great because the it's naturally caffeine-free, full of antioxidants, and slightly sweet. Other organic fair trade teas for sale include Earl Grey, gunpowder green tea, and golden Yunnan tea. The tearoom also sells a variety of teapots and other accessories, so if you can't make it to their cozy tearoom, you can also order online.

If you want to find a tea shop in your area, check out the website Tea Map from Adagio Teas.  The site is a directory for tearooms throughout the United States and can make your life a lot easier. For those who don't have the time to hunt down a small tearoom that sells fair trade, more and more chain coffee and tea shops like Starbucks are answering the general public's growing demand for socially conscious products.

Below are a few tearooms around the globe that have a selection of fair trade teas:

San Francisco
Samavor Tea Lounge
www.samovartea.com
Yerba Buena Gardens
Upper Terrace
730 Howard Street
415.227.9400

and

Mission - Castro
498 Sanchez St.
415.626.4700

Houston
The Path of Tea
www.thepathoftea.com
2340 W. Alabama St.
713.252.4473

Chicago
Intelligentisa
www.intelligentsiacoffee.com
53 W. Jackson Blvd.
312.253.0594

Swim Cafe
www.swimcafe.com
1357 W. Chicago Ave.
312.492.8600

Montclair, NJ
Terra Tea Salon & Fair Trade Eco Market
www.terramontclair.com
10 Church St.
973.744.660

Toronto
Alternative Grounds
www.alternativegrounds.com
33 Roncesvalles Ave
416-534-6335                            

London
Quench Community Cafe
Salcombe Gardens
Mill Hill East London NW7 2PL
020 8343 9698

The Urban Farming Movement

With the international food crisis making headlines, I thought it would be good to mention some good news regarding agriculture. In cities throughout the world the urban farming movement is catching on. New York City, Detroit, L.A. and Lima, Peru are all part of this growing trend and today's New York Times reports on it.

Urban farmers are taking advantage of city composting programs, vacant lots, and rooftops  Farmers are also growing produce that best suits an urban environment (like not growing corn because it can attract rodents). The Times article reports that many of the urban farmers are originially from communities where farming was part of there everyday lives.

The growth of urban farming reminds us why the numerous community gardens in New York City need to be protected from real estate developers. These gardens are a sanctuary; a retreat from the rush and chaos of city life. They are where kids come to learn and explore nature in their own neighborhoods. They need to be fought for.

Below are some website that provide information of urban farming also list garden locations in areas throughout the world:

Urban Farming
www.urbanfarming.org
An international organization based in Detroit, MI that helps secure urban areas for community gardens.

South Central Farmers
www.southcentralfarmers.com
Urban Agriculture in South Central Los Angeles.

East New York Farms
www.eastnewyorkfarms.vox.com

Urban Harvest
www.cipotato.org/urbanharvest/home.htm
Their program helps communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Moroccan Mint Tea

Yesterday I wrote about my quest for an authentic Moroccan tea pot and tea glasses in NYC. I also purchased gunpowder green tea to include with the gift. Gunpowder green tea is from China and is a key ingredient used in Moroccan mint tea, a tradition that began when green tea was introduced in the mid-19th century by British traders.

I originally went to NYC's Sympathy for the Kettle in the East Village because they have a large selection of Fair Trade teas including gunpowder green tea and Rooibos tea from South Africa. I have hung out here in the past from time to time but when I went to the store this past Monday it was closed. I'm not sure if they have closed their doors permanently because, from the window, the store looked like it was still in business (I've called several times and there is no answer or message mentioning the stores existence however).

I instead went over to T Salon located in Chelsea Market and bought their organic gunpowder green tea. They sell tea produced throughout the world, have an online store and ship internationally.

T Salon
11 East 20th Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (888) NYC-TEAS

Below is a recipe for Moroccan mint tea from Recipezaar.com (I included a copy of this in my wedding gift):

Moroccan Mint Tea
15 min | 10 min prep | SERVES 6

10   sprigs fresh mint, plus extra for garnish
3     teaspoons gunpowder green tea
3     tablespoons sugar (or more to taste)
4     cups water

1. Boil the water and pour a small amount in the teapot, swishing it around to warm the pot.
2. Combine the mint and green tea and sugar in the teapot, then fill it with the rest of the hot water.
3. Let the tea brew for three minutes.
4. Set out glasses for the tea.
5. A shot-glass is close to the slender glasses used in Morocco.
6. Fill just one glass with the tea, then pour it back in the pot.
7. Repeat.
8. This helps to dissolve and distribute the sugar.
9. Pour the tea.
10. You want a nice foam on the tea so always pour with the teapot a high distance above the glasses.
11. If you do not have at least a little foam on the top of
the first glass, then pour it back into the teapot and try again until the tea starts to foam up nicely.
12. Garnish with the remaining sprigs of mint.