A Salute to Spring – I’ll Drink to That!
By Karen Jones
Spring is a cherished season of renewal and to help you celebrate in style, top mixologists from five popular venues (Manhattan to the Hamptons) have shared their favorite seasonal drink. They have also provided suggested food pairing from their kitchens. Cocktail recipes are included so do try these at home…
“The London” from Gordon Ramsay’s The London Bar at the London NYC, New York City, NY
"The London" from Gordon Ramsey's The London NYC
The signature cocktail of Chef Gordon Ramsay’s famous restaurant, The London is clean and citrusy. French aperitif Lillet Blanc’s light orange flavor is a cozy complement to gin, grapefruit juice and champagne. Suggested food pairing: Sweet potatoes veloute with pickled Thai chili, rock shrimp, coconut and cilantro. www.thelondonnyc.com
Recipe
2 oz gin
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz champagne
Directions:
Shake gin, Lillet and grapefruit juice. Strain into martini glass rimmed with sweet orange oil infused sugar. Top with champagne.
“One and Don” from the Todd English Food Hall at The Plaza Hotel, New York City
"One and Don" from Todd English Food Hall at the Plaza Hotel
A play on the phrase one and done, this delectable drink is called One and Don due to its light bodied Don Julio Blanco Tequila. Strawberries provide the sweet while jalapenos add the heat. Pair with lobster guacamole or tacos.www.theplazafoodhall.com
Recipe
1.5 oz Don Julio Blanco Tequila
.5 oz Strawberry/Jalapeno preserves *
.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
.5 oz Agave syrup
Directions:
*To make strawberry/jalapeno preserves blend 2 packages of fresh strawberries, 2 whole jalapenos, 3.5 oz simple syrup. Refrigerate 24 hours. Combine all ingredients in Boston Tin, add ice and shake hard. Empty into a Moscow Mule Mug.
“Elderflower Cucumber Crush” from Haru Sushi, New York City, NY
"Elderflower Cucumber Crush" from Haru Sushi
The Elderflower Cucumber Crush mixes the slightly sweet flavor of elderflower with the refreshing taste of lime, the sophistication of gin and the simplicity of cucumber. Suggested food pairing: Lobster ceviche and crispy spring roll.www.harusushi.com
Recipe
1.5 oz Myers Platinum Rum or Beefeater 24 Gin (your choice)
1.0 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1.0 oz fresh Lime Juice
1.0 oz club soda
0.5 oz sweet/sour mix
Directions:
Shredded cucumber muddled with lime. Mix all ingredients, shake and strain over ice in a pilsner glass.
“Berry Rosado” from Nick & Toni’s, East Hampton, NY
"Berry Rosado" from Nick & Toni's
The Berry Rosado was invented one Sunday morning when mixologist Richard Scoffier had to create a cocktail for last minute brunch guests. It has been a favorite ever since. Suggested food pairing: Warm asparagus & crab with pea greens, orange aioli and slivered red onion. www.nickandtonis.com
Recipe
2 Tbsps (approx. 2 small strawberries or 8 raspberries) of berries or raspberries in season
2oz Bootlegger 21Vodka
1oz Wölffer Estate Rose
1 lemon wedge,
0.25oz Agave
Soda Water
Directions:
Muddle berries and lemon wedge in a small metal shaker, add ice, vodka, rose, agave and shake vigorously. Strain into specialty glass, add ice, top with soda, berry garnish.
“Sanguinella” from A Voce, New York City, NY
"Sanguinella" from A Voce
Elegant and simple, the Sanguinella cocktail combines classic Italian ingredients with freshly squeezed citrus juice. Suggested food pairing: Sarde (cured sardines, tangerine vinaigrette, taggiasca olives, pickled chilies). www.avocerestaurant.com
Recipe
1 oz. Campari
1.25 oz Limoncello Il gusto della Costa
2 oz fresh orange juice and
1 oz fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Pour in a short glass with fresh ice. Garnish with slice of blood orange.
Read More »Travel: 5 Exciting Reasons to Visit England in 2012
By Karen Jones
From Queen Elizabeth and Olympic glory to James Bond and The Bard, 2012 is a year for festive celebrations as England honors its royals, writers and heroes–past and present. Whether you are a Downton Abbey fan, budding Anglophile or cultural connoisseur, England has something for everyone and there is no better time to cross the pond and enjoy the fun.
1. 60 Years on the Throne: The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. June 2-5, 2012
Queen Elizabeth II in the Palace of Westminster © Ian Jones
Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for 60 years and England is awash in revelry. However, the “don’t miss” celebration for the beloved monarch is a special four-day June weekend bash in London. Official events include a massive flotilla of 1,000 boats traveling down the River Thames led by the Queen herself, and a BBC concert at Buckingham Palace featuring Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney. A network of over 2,000 beacons will also be lit throughout the UK and Commonwealth. For more details – Visit England.
2. Let the Games Begin: London 2012: Summer Olympic Games July 27-August 12, 2012 & Paralympic Games through September 9, 2012
The Olympic Stadium © VisitBritain
The game’s afoot as the world’s sporting elite converge on the Olympic Village in London and selected UK locales to compete in this summer’s Olympics. Spectators can choose from 26 sports and cheer on over 10,000 athletes. The Paralympic games will feature 20 sports and 4,200 athletes. When you are ready to leave the playing fields, dive into some of the cultural activities billed under the banner of “London 2012 Festival.” A vast consortium of events to suit every taste from food, art, music, theater, fashion and dance, the Festival has venues throughout London and the UK. For more information on the Festival and Olympics visit London 2012.com.
3. License to Thrill: James Bond’s 50th Anniversary
Lotus Esprit 'Wet Nellie' from The Spy Who Loved Me. Sean Connery as Bond in the background © The National Motor Car Museum
It has been 50 years since Sean Connery first captivated movie audiences as “Bond…James Bond” in Dr. No. The super spy with a license to kill and “gadgets, girls and guns” proved to have staying power and box office clout. A 23rd film, Skyfall, is set for release in November 2012 with Daniel Craig as Bond. The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu is toasting the franchise with the largest collection of 007 vehicles ever parked under one roof in “Bond in Motion” on display through December 2012. Just beware of poison pens and ejector seats. Note: Beaulieu has been in the family of Lord Montagu since 1538 and worth a visit. You can stroll the magnificent Palace House (one of the Treasure Houses of England-think Downton Abbey) the 13th historic Beaulieu Abbey and spacious gardens. For more information visit Beaulieu.
4. Medieval Majesty: The City of York turns 800
York Minster Cathedral organ detail © VisitBritain/ Martin Brent
A vibrant jewel in the northern county of Yorkshire, the medieval city of York is throwing itself a year-long party to celebrate its 800th anniversary of being granted a Royal Charter as a city by King John (of Magna Carta fame). A trip through its cobblestoned streets is a treat any time but this fabled city of festivals is planning a special summer of events. Charter weekend starts July 9th with the Festival of the Rivers, concerts and museum exhibitions. Note: The popular York Cycle of Mystery Plays starts in August. For more information visit York 800.com.
5. All the World’s a Stage: World Shakespeare Festival April 23 through November 2012
Ahmad Saleh Monika as Romeo and Sarwah Malik Rasool as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad © World Shakespeare Festival
William Shakespeare is often referred to as the world’s playwright and no less than 70 productions are being planned by the Royal Shakespeare Company to commemorate him. Drawing on artists from around the globe the festival is an unprecedented in its scope and cross-cultural collaborations. Note: Try to see a production at Shakespeare’s Globe on the bank of the River Thames. It is the closest you will come to stepping back 400 years. The British Museum in London is also presenting an exhibit called Shakespeare: Staging the World July 19-November 25, 2012 which explores London 400 years ago, and the role of playwrights in presenting the world outside its gates. For more information visit World Shakespeare Festival.org.uk
England 2012: Milestones of Note
-Queen Elizabeth II Rules for 60 Years
-Charles Dickens 200th birthday
-James Bond Movie Franchise Turns 50
-100 Years Since the Sinking of the Titanic
-Katherine Parr’s (Henry VIII’s last wife) 500th birthday
-The Sandwich Turns 250
-York Celebrates 800 Years as a City
-150 Years Since Alice in Wonderland
Harrods Dept Store @Visit Britain/Juliet White; London Tower Bridge @ Karen Jones; Union Jack vest in Camden Market@ Visit Britain/Melody Youle;Regiment of the Scots Guards during The Changing of the Guard @Visit Britain/ Pawel Libera; Big Ben @Karen Jones
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Author Access: 10 Minutes with Tamara “Taj” George on R&B, faith and securing a successful marriage
By Karen Jones
click for book info
Singer and author Tamara “Taj” George is best known as one third of the R&B group SWV (Sisters with Voices). Though she fast tracked to success in the 1990s with a steady stream of SWV hits including Weak, I’m So Into You and You’re The One, she is no stranger to life’s challenges. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she endured a difficult childhood which included domestic violence.
After SWV disbanded, George traveled to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career (she was a Survivor contestant in 2009). In 2004 she married former NFL star Eddie George, a Heisman Trophy winner and member of the College Football Hall of Fame. They are raising two sons and share a passion for giving back.
Though neither Tamara nor Eddie George is a relationship guru they have written a down-to-earth marriage guide called Married for Real: Building a Loving, Powerful Life Together (Abington Press) for today’s overworked, overstressed couples. The book features individual and collective stories on hot button issues including money, sex, power, faithfulness–and the George’s six “doable” rules to cope with them.
The Georges credit their strong faith and willingness to communicate as key factors in their successful thirteen year marriage. Their motto: Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
10 Minutes with Tamara ‘Taj” George
Karen Jones: What was your inspiration for writing Married for Real and what do you want readers to learn from it?
Tamara George: Our inspiration for writing this book comes from a lack of having one like it when we were first dating–we may have avoided a ton of issues early on. We hope that our readers will find every step in Married for Real helpful and beneficial and they learn to enjoy the beautiful harmonious side of a complete relationship.
KJ: What is your advice on balancing demanding careers and marriage?
TG:Communication is the key to balancing everything in your life. Without it, your patience will run thin which will lead to frustration and confusion! No husband wants to be around a wife who is frustrated and confused or vice versa.
Tamara and Eddie George
KJ: How key is your faith in maintaining a successful marriage?
TG: The foundation of our marriage was built on our faith. When we decided to get married we wanted to go through faith-based counseling because our lives begin and end with our faith. We believe that God made our lives together possible.
KJ: What is the biggest mistake people make in relationships?
TG: We can’t stress enough the importance of communication. You need to be able to communicate with your partner so they are not alienated. When couples, partners in business, friends, whomever, fail to communicate issues will arise.
KJ: What is the most important element to keeping a marriage on track?
TG: The most important element to keeping a marriage on track is finding a way to keep most of the negativity from outside of your household away from your household. Marriage is tough enough without negative outside influences. Guard your union!
KJ: What is your advice for aspiring writers?
TG: Writing has become a passion for us. Our advice for aspiring writers would be to follow your instincts and put everything on paper or your computer. Never stop writing! It’s a craft that takes some people years to perfect but it’s so worth it.
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Good news for SWV fans. Tamara George has confirmed SWV has reunited with a new CD titled I Missed Us due in April 2012.Click to hear the new release, Co-Sign, from the new album.
For more information on Tamara George and Eddie George visit www.tajgeorge.com and www.eddiegeorge.com.
Married for Real: Building a Loving Powerful Life Together (Abington Press)
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Author Access: 10 Minutes with Elliot Tiber Woodstock, Judy Garland and Gay Rights
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By Karen Jones
Eliot Tiber
Elliot Tiber would be the first to admit he has lived a colorful life. His first book Taking Woodstock describes a wildly dysfunctional childhood and his critical role in the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival. As recounted in Taking Woodstock, and Ang Lee’s 2009 movie version, his family owned a motel in upstate New York near Yasgur’s Farm. Woodstock promoter Mike Lang was desperate to secure a local festival permit, which Elliot was able to provide. He was also one of the original Stonewall activists who gave birth to the Gay Rights movement.
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click for more information
Prior to his Woodstock adventures, Elliot was a top Manhattan interior decorator. When asked to design a shipboard birthday bash along the Hudson River, he was thrilled when he learned his childhood idol Judy Garland was on the guest list. Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland, and Interior Decorating is his hilarious account of that fateful night and more.
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Elliot Tiber shares his South Florida digs with his beloved Yorkshire terrier “Woody” Woodstock and is hard at work on his next book, tentatively titled After Woodstock. His favorite authors are Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote. His motto: Do unto others…
Ten Minutes with Eliot Tiber
Karen Jones: Judy Garland was your childhood idol. What was it about her that resonated with you?.
Elliot Tiber: It started when I saw the Wizard of Oz and I fell in love with her. I had a miserable home life but in Oz somewhere there was a family that loved you and you could go home. I saw her perform at the Palace Theater in 1967. I was sitting front row center and brought roses. When she sat down on the front of the stage to sing “Over the Rainbow”, I handed her the roses. She handed one back to me with a smile. A year later, when I met her on the “Palm Trees” boat party I designed, we got to talking and she was so nice. She told me don’t worry about your family—gay people make their own families. That really stuck with me.
Click here for more info
KJ: Palm Trees on the Hudson refers to a 50th birthday party aboard a Hudson River dayliner you designed that didn’t quite go as planned?
ET: Yes! The party theme was Arabian Nights, and I rented all these palm trees. Later, nearly half the boat ended up drunk and fighting and started throwing the palm trees at the Statue of Liberty. They didn’t hit it, of course, but the trees ended up in the Hudson River. I was desperate and kept saying, ‘Wait, they’re rented!’
KJ: What would you like readers to learn from your books?
ET: Humor. I always dealt with pain through humor. Also, I’ve lived all over the world and I’ve used humor to meet people. I do it here in Florida. I say funny stuff. People can use humor to survive anything.
KJ: What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
ET: The most important thing you can do for yourself, if you really want to write, is to actually sit down and really do it. So many get distracted with all that lofty talk about how they’re going to outwrite Hemingway or make Proust sound like some camp counselor drone by comparison. That’s a trap, and many fall into it. If you really have something to say and you need to capture it forever, just get it down on the page and then worry about refining it later. Believe me, there’s time enough to talk about your writing after you’ve done it. After all, what have you and I been doing here? [laughs]
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For more information on Elliot Tiber:.
Read More »Author Access: 10 Minutes with Mitali Perkins
By Karen Jones
Cultural diversity, Harry Potter and the power of the printed word
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Mitali Perkins moved so often as a child she had to live up to her name, which means “friendly” in Bangla, to make new friends. Born in Kolkata, India she eventually settled in California with her family and studied at Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley.
Books were “her rock” while growing up, says Perkins, who later worked as a teacher and lived in India, Bangladesh and Thailand before putting down roots in Newton, Massachusetts with her husband and twin sons. Today she is the author of award-winning titles for young readers including Rickshaw Girl, Monsoon Summer, Secret Keeper and her latest Bamboo People for ages 11-14.
In between writing she enjoys tennis, hiking, going to church, traveling (still) and is a self-confessed social media freak. Her favorite authors include M.H. Lovelace, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and she is a devoted Harry Potter fan. Her motto: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
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Ten Minutes with Mitali Perkins
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Karen Jones: What was your inspiration for writing Bamboo People?
Mitali Perkins: I wrote Bamboo People because of what I saw and learned during the three years we lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We visited the Karenni refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border and heard about how they are enduring what is basically an attempt at genocide by the Burmese military.
Given this, it would be easy to cast the Burmese soldiers as “bad guys” in any story about the situation, but Burma has the largest number of child soldiers in the world. These young people are taught that tribal people like the Karenni are causing most of the problems in their country… The story deserved to be told from both points of view.
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KJ: What do you want readers to learn from Bamboo People?
MP:I could have written a non-fiction piece about this overlooked, desperate situation, but I know the power of fiction to engage not just the mind but also the heart. I hope readers connect with my two main characters, Tu Reh (Karenni refugee) and Chiko (Burmese soldier), so that when they hear about Burma in the news, they’ll feel as if they have close friends who are affected. My goal in writing any novel set in a “foreign” land is that not only will readers find windows to a different culture but also discover mirrors in the story reflecting our shared humanity.
KJ: You are known for your strong female protagonists but Bamboo People is your first with male protagonists. Why was it time for a change?
MP:It was high time to write about a guy. Bamboo People features two male protagonists–one Karenni young man and one Burmese young man. The real reason for the change was because we have twin sons, and I wrote the book when our boys were coming of age.
Mitali Perkins - visit her website!
KJ: What life lessons do you want to impart to your young readers?
MP: Stories are mysterious in that their meaning is shared between the story giver (the writer) and the story receiver (the reader). As a writer, even if you want to “impart a message,” your readers may derive something completely different from your story. That being said, I hope my readers of Bamboo People take heart when they read about Chiko’s courage in a crucial moment and be encouraged as they identify with Tu Reh’s struggle to forgive an enemy.
KJ: What is your advice for aspiring writers?
MP: I like to talk about the three “r”s of writing. First, take risks–ignore the trends and discover what you alone are designed to write. Second, revise, revise, revise–be willing to change words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, chapters, even the whole plot. Great writing is the result of courageous revision. Last, endure rejection–my second novel, Monsoon Summer, was rejected over 20 times for 10 years before it was published, and I still get sweet letters from tweens and teens who love that story.
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For more information on Mitali Perkins and her books visit www.mitaliperkins.com.
Follow her on twitter @mitaliperkins
Facebook: Facebook.com/authormatiliperkins
To locate an independent bookstore near you visit www.indiebound.org.
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