Damon Albarn - Kinshasa One Two | DRC Music

MUSIC:

Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) gathered a collective dubbed DRC Music for a creative and humanitarian expedition into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

DRC Music (T-E-E-D (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs), Dan The Automator, Jneiro Jarel, Richard Russell, Actress, Marc Antoine + other artists) collaborated with homespun talent Bakatola System, Tout Puissant Mukalo, and many Congolese musicians.

The goal was to raise funds for Oxfam. Oxfam brings clean water, schools and food to impoverished regions. The inspired jams produced the Kinshasa One Two album.

The drcmusic.org website documents an incredible 7 Day recording session with photos, videos, a documentary trailer, compilation on Soundcloud, interviews, and more.

photo: drcmusic.org

Kinshasa One Two brings to mind Paul Simon recording Graceland in South Africa, with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and an array of national musicians. 

Source: Flavorwire

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Migliorelli Farm @ Union Square NYC

FOOD:

apples + cinnamon = perfect pair

photo: wbj

 Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Applesauce, Apple Butter, Apple Cider...

Migliorelli Farm always has a variety of seasonal produce with great prices.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Collard Greens with Lemon and Garlic

FOOD:

Collard Greens with Lemon and Garlic photo: wbj

Hearty greens are a winter staple that are coming into season. With the chill of Fall in the air, healthful and mega nutritious collard greens are available in abundance at a great price.

Collard Greens are the Ambassador of Soul Food and Southern Cooking. There is probably a collards recipe for every regional accent and dialect below the Mason-Dixon line. Growing up in Virginia, collard greens made regular appearances on the table. I was never a big fan; collards tended to be cooked with fatty smoked meat until withered and soft. I like dark-green leafy vegetables with a bit of life and color.

Collards, kale, mustard greens, and such are becoming popular across the country in trendy restaurants. Now, nutritionists extol the benefits that southern women may have always known in their old wives' tale way.

After experimenting with recipes for awhile, here's my favorite, Sauteed Collard Greens with Lemon and Garlic.

Large bunch of Collard Greens

1-2 lemons

Garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper
Sugar

Crushed red pepper

This is a general guide; adjust to fit your taste and needs.

Wash and rinse the greens several times in cold water. Gritty greens are gross.

Remove the large center stem and any large veins in the leaf. 

Stack the leaves in piles. Roll up the pile of leaves and slice into thick strips, chiffonade style.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil. Drop in the collard greens for 3 minutes to soften. Drain in a colander.

Heat a large skillet on low with olive oil. Add sliced garlic to taste. After a minute, add blanched collard greens and toss to mix garlic throughout. Turn up heat to medium. Cook collards for 5-7 minutes, mixing regularly. Want to make sure the garlic does not burn. Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Toss and mix. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Toss and mix. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Adjust to taste. Drizzle on olive oil for final toss and mix. Garnish with thinly sliced lemons.

Enjoy,

Cooking Lounge

"EAT like a MAN" and SAVE MONEY

FOOD and LIFESTYLE:

On Cooking Lounge, a constant theme is cooking to live better. When you SAVE MONEY, you can improve your lifestyle. In today's recessionary times, a few extra dollars is a godsend. Plus, you can have the added bonus of sharing a meal with friends or even a date.

Esquire has a how-to cooking guide out for men, "EAT like a MAN", aimed to blast away the fear and mystery of the kitchen. I can not say that I have followed the eponymous blog regularly on Esquire. I have clicked on a few links that brought me to the blog, usually worthwhile reading. At Cooking Lounge, we are all for anything that gets you into the kitchen to prepare a meal. "EAT like a MAN" was released early summer 2011, I discovered it through a NY Daily News article that had a spicy, sausage sandwich recipe. By the way, for the Hot Sauce Aioli, I would use olive oil and Tabasco Sauce.
Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Carafe, Decanter, Box - What's Inside Matters

LIFESTYLE:

There is a nostalgic place in food culture filled with red-checkered tablecloths and carafes of house wine. Dining was a simpler affair - bereft of so much choice, so much foodie acumen. The carafe is center stage in romantic notions of smoky, European cafes. Add some candlelight; and, snap transported. 

A carafe is in the decanter family; but a name makes loads of difference. When decanters are part of the table scape, meals tick up a notch - the sparkle and clink of crystal, the timeless shapes. Decanters seem suited for the rarefied: aged whiskey, expensive cognac, fine wine. 

Wine in a box is an ultimate packaging versus product conflict. Boxed wine falls in with the twist off cap arguments about wine. Sure it might be practical, save natural resources, be economical, blah, blah, blah, BUT, the aesthetics. Oh, la, la. However, wine in a box is pushing it's visibility through design and gaining acceptability in the market.

What's inside is what matters. The New York Times, posted an article that rated wine in a box, "Thinking Inside the Box." One selection from Wineberry comes in a wooden box, perhaps a nod to the barrels of the artisanal craft. 

Carafes and decanters let you step away from the packaging and create your own sense of value, place and style while serving quality wine. Go ahead; buy some wine in a box then set a nice table.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Cobble Hill and Court Street with Brandon Maya

Cooking Lounge explored Court Street in Cobble Hill with Brandon Maya. She is a chef and writer, who trained at the French Culinary Institute. Brandon Maya writes about food and shares recipes on her blog, Dresses & Appetizers. 

Cobble Hill is a Brownstone Brooklyn neighborhood lined with great restaurants, food finds, and amazing chocolate (The Chocolate Room). Cobble Hill is a foodie haven that has become a destination for the hip and in-the-know. One block over is Smith Street, stacked with bars for carousing nights. We made a video of our walk around Cobble Hill in the Spring. Have a look.

Enjoy,
Cooking Lounge

Shepherds Pie

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FOOD:

Shepherds Pie

Shepherds Pie is an old school favorite but when not done right resembles scary cafeteria grub. One of the best things about Shepherds Pie is you can tailor the recipe to your taste, budget and servings needed. Go from rich and creamy to simple and low fat with ease. Making a meatless version works too. Add your own twist to Shepherds Pie. The Cooking Lounge Shepherds Pie recipe is traditional with the flavors bumped up a few notches. 

Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:

2lbs lean ground beef
1.5 lbs potatoes (peeled, diced and cooked)
2 large onions
10oz baby portabella mushrooms
4 cloves of garlic, a bit more if you like
2.5 cups diced fresh carrots
1 cup green peas
fresh parsley 
dried herbs, try a mix of sage, tarragon and rosemary
olive oil
1/4 wine (red or white)
butter
milk/cream
salt 
pepper

Preparation Guide:

Saute mushrooms in butter with 1/8 cup white wine and a few tablespoons of milk or cream. Season to taste. Set aside. 
Saute onions in a little olive oil with salt and pepper for 5 minutes. Add diced carrots and continue to saute till carrots are tender but not soft. 
Saute ground beef; season with dried herbs, fresh garlic, salt and pepper plus 1/8 cup of white wine. Add fresh parsley when browned. Add the mushrooms in cream sauce that was put aside and mix in with the ground beef; set aside. 

Make your favorite version of mashed potatoes to top the Shepherds Pie then set aside. This is where you can get super creative by adding cheese, heavy cream, pureed celery root and so on. In the Cooking Lounge recipe, we went light on butter (add some olive oil) and milk/cream then mixed in some fresh chopped parley.

Time to combine the earthy ingredients. Preheat your oven to 350. In a large baking pan (13x9 or larger), spread the ground beef and mushroom mixture evenly, toss the peas on top next, then add the carrots and onions. Layering on the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the top with chopped parsley to add color. Bake until golden brown, approximately 35 minutes. 

I was hoping for leftovers; but, the Pearl St gang devoured the Shepherds Pie. Also, Shepherds Pie is an amazing, almost luxurious meal when made with lamb. Visit soon, more about lamb in upcoming post.

photos: wbj

Enjoy!
Cooking Lounge