Alloro
307 East 77th Street
212 535 2866

Chef Salvatore Corea of Alloro offers some of the most imaginative and nuanced cooking in the city. Set menus like that of Valentine’s Day (two full choices) are composed like a symphony utilizing a sequence influenced by flavor, texture, taste, scent and presentation. The chef is an artist…who exhibits no pretension. Gina Rotundo welcomes one as if into her own home. This is an intimate, casual space watched over with care and affection by proud parents. On February 14, guitarist Anthony Lanni will further enhance the mood starting at 6:30 p.m.

Chez Josephine

414 West 42nd Street
212 594 1925

Remember Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris?” Chez Josephine is like going back in time. How could anything bad happen in an atmosphere where light is always flattering, décor resembles cinematic 1930s France, the pianist is indefatigable, and charming, attentive impresario Jean-Claude Baker is everywhere at once. Here, confident, perennially reliable cuisine may diverge from the classical in subtle, unanticipated ways. Chez Josephine is a warm, indomitably romantic atmosphere where fun is an available side dish. Really, all that’s missing is your significant other.

Picholine
35 West 64th Street
212 724 8585

Terrance Brennan’s French-Mediterranean Picholine, redesigned in 2006, is a symphony of subdued purple hues. The restaurant not only offers superb and innovative cuisine but some of the most knowledgeable and unobtrusive service in New York. Attention to detail seems a watchword. This is a room for quiet conversation…or a proposal. Elegance pervades, yet manages to shy from pretension. The wine list and cheese menu are selectively expansive. Special requests are honored. Dress up. Picholine is a treat.

King’s Carriage House
251 East 82nd Street
212 734 5490

Elizabeth King and Paul Farrell have recreated the refined hospitality of a European Manor house with this lovely, old world, two-story restaurant. Antique furnishings, unexpected murals and fine tableware provide the perfect setting for cuisine that reflects the same kind of distinctive, felicitous choices as its surroundings. Exceptional chefs excel in both seasonal specialties and superior desserts. Atmosphere is harmonious, service hums quietly, time passes. A comfortably classic refuge from the modern world.

Sunlight streams through the two story windows of St. Peter’s Church. Pews are crowded in anticipation of Stacy Sullivan’s A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee. Much of this audience knew Lee’s work in the early days of her 60-year career and look forward to enhanced memories; others have come to see what the latest of the musical Sullivan clan to grace our city brings to the table. The answer is a flavorful, satisfying meal.

“I Love Being Here with You” (Peggy Lee/William Schluger) the vocalist sings as lighthearted as the weather. A hint of stage whisper and the slightest growl immediately evokes Lee, but make no mistake, this is not an imitative show, it’s an interpretive one.

“Down in the Valley” (traditional) offered acapella with pianist Jon Weber simply tapping rhythm on the instrument’s wood, sets the scene. Peggy Lee (Norma Deloris Egstrom) grew up on the desolate plains of South Dakota. Her father was a station agent for the Midland Continental Railroad. Life was tough. Lee swore she’d leave “…as soon as I find out where those train tracks lead.” A locomotion-like piano vamp slowly eases Sullivan into “I Got Rhythm” (George and Ira Gershwin). Accompaniment revs up, vocals grow husky, and at full throttle, the song turns into jive.

“I Don’t Know Enough About You” the next number authored by Lee and her first hit song lyric (written with Dave Barbour) elicits something of the icon’s classic purr. Like Lee, Sullivan prefers to sing softly with feeling. “I think it’s a reaction to growing up in a cacophony.” Like Lee, she was the seventh of eight children as, curiously, was Jon Weber. “And (bassist) Steve Doyle…is really cute,” the performer adds affectionately. Meredith Wilson’s “Till There Was You” (case-in-point) is phrased to serve the lyric. Sullivan positively breaths sweet fragrant meadows of dawn, and dew. She’s almost motionless in her poise, focused on the truth of each song. When her arm rises it’s as though thoughts need to expand. “Hey There” you with the stars in your eyes (Richard Adler/Jerry Ross), filled with looping, sustained notes, intoxicates.

The minor key blues “Why Don’t You Do Right” (Kansas Joe McCoy) might have provoked Lee to counter with “You Was Right Baby,” (written with Dave Barbour) wherein it’s the woman who does the cheating. Sullivan’s rendition is stylish and coooool. “Slower, Steve…” she insinuates. Doyle’s bass clearly understands. ‘Do Right segues to a completely original version of Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek.” The piano tiptoes in and out, takes flight, then delicately retreats as the urbane bass steps forward. Sullivan is in command, and having a helluva time. Pairing and treatment of the two numbers is what Cole Porter would call swellegant. “I love to mess with songs, it’s so much fun.”

Patter is minimal, illustrative and effective. Anecdotes fit. Knowledge of Lee’s ill-fated marriage to guitarist Dave Barbour, undoubtedly the inspiration for the Weil/Brecht sounding “Johnny Guitar” (written with Victor Young) makes the song more heart rending. “I Love the Way You’re Breaking My Heart (Louis Alter/Milton Drake) portrays a bond that continued after divorce: Sigh to me, and lie to me, you really know how/It’s gonna hurt tomorrow, but it feels so good now. Warmth is palpable. The pithy “Where Did They Go?” (Harry Lloyd/Gloria Skerov), musically reminiscent of “Is That All There Is,” begins with music-box piano strains which erupt into textured frisson. Though the song is sheer Lee, Sullivan deftly applies her own stamp.

“In 1962, at Basin Street East, she was making ten times the annual salary of Mickey Mantle.” An exuberant “It’s a Good Day” (written with Dave Barbour) is followed by the prayerful “Angels on Your Pillow,” (written with Paul Horner), a phrase with which Lee always signed her letters. Sullivan’s delivery is silky, but strong. Having taken the journey skillfully engineered, there is nothing left but to cry a little. An accomplished presentation.

Musicianship is excellent. Arrangements, which I gather are the artist’s own creation, are impeccable.

All unattributed quotes are Stacy Sullivan

A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee
Stacy Sullivan, Vocals
Jon Weber, Musical Director/ Piano
Steve Doyle, Bass
St. Peter’s Church-Midtown Jazz at Midday
54th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues
March 13, 2012 at The Iridium
1650 Broadway at 61st Street
212-582-2121

I suggest starting your reading with the WORDS SET ME FREE, by Lesa Cline-Ransome. Much of the text is taken from the autobiography of a great American, Frederick Douglass. Born a slave on a Maryland plantation, young Frederick’s prospects were dim until, at the age of eight, he was taught to read by a kindly white woman. But slaves were not allowed this privilege we all take for granted. The lessons were halted, but the child kept on learning. As an adult, Douglass became one of the leading proponents in the Abolitionist movement.

Jonah Winter’s JAZZ AGE JOSEPHINE vividly conveys the story of Josephine Baker, one of the greatest entertainers of her day. In the 1920’s, she left her St. Louis home when whites burned down the black section of town. She went to New York, and got her start in a chorus line. Baker soon found stardom in Paris, where the color of her skin wasn’t a barrier to her success. She eventually adopted a dozen children from around the world, whom she called her “Rainbow Tribe.” Special kudos to illustrator Marjorie Priceman, for her brightly colored pictures.

Before Jackie Robinson broke the color bar 1947 by playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers, many of the finest baseball players in the country were relegated to the Negro League. STARS IN THE SHADOWS, by Charles R. Smith Jr., focuses on one particularly thrilling game. In 1934, the East-West Game was played in Chicago, with players chosen by the fans themselves. This book is written in poetry, which could easily be rapped. There are asides about the spectators in the stadium, and even commercial breaks for sponsors.

BARACK OBAMA, SON OF PROMISE, CHILD OF HOPE was a #1 New York Times Bestseller for author Nikki Grimes. Now available in a workbook size paperback, the 44th President’s life is traced from his boyhood in Hawaii, through his time spent in Indonesia, to his eventual election as Senator, up to the eve of his election as President. There is a great focus on his faith and determination to help others; I enjoyed the asides between a mother and her son as they read the story together.

Black History Month runs through February, so there’s plenty of time to read all these thoughtful and enjoyable books.

Michall Jeffers is an accomplished Cultural Journalist and an avowed bibliophile. She writes extensively, both in print and online. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. Michall is a voting member of National Book Critics Circle. www.michalljeffers.com

Exterior Ideas

Begin your Valentine’s Day decorating outside. In some areas of the country, it may still be chilly, yet small accents such as a tastefully decorated heart or Valentine themed wreath on the front door can add a nice warm touch.

Likewise, yard flags have become extremely popular over the years. A cute red and white flag placed near a sidewalk or front step can provide the perfect look for the holiday – as well as a possible reminder for those who may not have remembered the date!

Interior Décor

The interior of your home can be tastefully done up in the Valentine’s Day theme. Primary color options for the day include, not just red and white, but also pink and lavender, so you have lots of variety in terms of decorations and color schemes.

The kitchen or dining room table is the perfect place for a nicely done center piece. Set a cake plate in the center that can serve as a candlelit focial point. Dress up a plain, everyday plate by placing a strip of decorative paper and ribbon around the plate’s rim and then making a large bow on one side.

Doilies and lace can be added, along with votive candles, red hot candy, and ed and white roses. A nide finishing touch? Eed and white glitter or additional red candies scattered around the table.

End tables are s great place for displaying holiday-themed items, such as wedding pictures, heart or love related figurines, or Valentine greeting cards that hold special meaning. All these extras add a nice personal touch.

Kids Love Valentine’s Day Too

Be sure to include children in the decorating and fun. Have them help bake heart shaped cookies. These can then be placed on the table or counter as additional decoration – at least until they are consumed!

Kids can also create homemade Valentine’s Day décor by cutting out heart shaped construction paper hearts and adding pictures or decorative doilies. Connect several paper hearts to make a nice chain that can be hung across a fireplace mantle or over a doorway.

Kelli McDonald is a hard working writer for many blogs about interior design and home furnishing. She also works with LuxeYard on changing the way people approach home furniture shopping.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The train station is a visual wonderland, made even more appealing when seen in 3-D. While it seems every other film these days requires wearing those funny glasses, few directors utilize this special effect as well as Scorsese has in Hugo. Yes, there are objects that seem to pop out at us, but more often we are given the benefit of special closeups, seeing the facial expressions of the actors, particularly the youthful ones, Asa Butterfield, who plays Hugo, and Chloë Grace Moretz, as his friend, Isabelle.

Besides tending the clocks and seeking spare parts, Hugo must find food, often snitching rolls and fruit from stands inside the train station, and evade capture by Inspector Gustav (Sasha Baron Cohen), who prides himself on sending unclaimed children to the workhouse. Hugo is seen peeking out of the train station’s large clock, assessing danger and studying the people below.

Hugo is resourceful, yet when he is caught stealing mechanical parts, the proprietor of a toy store, played by Ben Kingsley, takes away the blueprints for the automaton. Desperate to get the plans back, Hugo enlists the support of the toy store owner’s god daughter, Isabelle. The two soon become friends and Hugo introduces Isabelle to the silent films made by George Méliès. There are surprises in store, not only does Isabelle have the heart-shaped key, but also her godfather turns out to be Méliès.

Moviegoers may not recognize the name George Méliès, but will be sure to identify iconic images from his films, the most famous being a rocket hitting the man in the moon. (Scorsese has done a masterful job integrating scenes from Méliès films into the current one). Méliès became disillusioned when his films fell out of favor. He does not permit any mention of his previous life in his home, not even from his wife, played by Helen McCrory, who starred in most of his productions, And Isabelle knows nothing about her godfather’s history until she meets Hugo. When the automaton is finally repaired, it sketches a scene from a Méliès film. With his identity at last uncovered, Méliès comes to terms with his past.

While Hugo received a rating of PG (Parental Guidance), younger children may find the plot challenging. Older children, particularly those who enjoyed the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, will find the story enchanting.

The film has another un-Scorsese-like element—a heartwarming, happy ending. No doubt we haven’t seen the last of true Scorsese, the one who gravitates towards darker topics. But we hope Hugo will also not be the last family film he directs.

Although the Whiney offered a number of distinct exhibits on each of its four floors, some of these hardly seemed exhibits at all. On the very first floor, the first thing you see after getting a ticket is Aleksandra Mir’s The Seduction of Galileo Galilei. It’s just one big red rectangular room. On one wall is a huge projection of a 16-minute documentary chronicling the efforts of an unnamed group trying to test Galileo’s law of falling bodies with huge stacks of tires. This would be interesting if what was being tested was made explicit, or if the documentary was mostly the stacking and falling of tires instead of racetrack sounds and seemingly unrelated stop-motions of a faceless women placing caution tape. Opposite the film are six collaged pieces of classical biblical figures integrated with pieces of technology or space. The contrast between the church and science is explicit, but too much so, in a way that almost seems lazy.

But the second floor exhibit, Real/Surreal, was absolutely fantastic. The space was big, there was so much to look at, and so much that deserved to be looked at, too. Charles Sheeler (River Rouge Plant, above), Mabel Dwight, and Henry Koerner’s pieces were all extraordinary. Very bold, metaphorical statements (like placing a group of nuns in a glass prison) were coupled with technical mastery in nearly every piece. The majority of the work was surrealist, but there were a few realist pieces as well, mostly at the start of the exhibit, as a helpful transition and comparison for the wackier works that came next.

Unfortunately, not all of the exhibits were open on the night I visited, but between Aleksandra Mir’s disappointment and the fascination of Real/Surreal sat the rather mediocre Singular Visions exhibit. The idea was to dedicate an inordinate amount of space to the singular pieces that most deserved it, so that the room and our attention could focus on that one piece alone. Some were fantastic, like Alexander Calder’s wire Circus, and some were just rooms filled with blank panels of white. Robert Grosvenor’s Tenerife sculpture (above) seemed to fly and cut through space, but Eva Hesse’s No Title was just technically a huge lump of string.

Unlike most museums, the exhibits and pieces featured in the Whitney seemed starkly hit or miss on the night I was there. Although perhaps a more free-spirited mind would have interpreted these differently, there is definitely no argument against the fact that the Designing the Whitney of the Future exhibit is only one wall long.

Artwork, from top:
1. Aleksandra Mir (b. 1967), still from The Seduction of Galileo Galilei, 2011. Video, color, sound; 16:33 min. Commissioned by Mercer Union, Toronto. Collection of the artist, Mary Boone Gallery, New York, and Galeria Joan Prats, Barcelona
2. Charles Sheeler (1883–1965), River Rouge Plant, 1932. Oil on canvas, 20 × 24 1/8 in. (50.8 × 61.3 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase 32.43
3. Robert Grosvenor, Tenerife, 1966. Fiberglass, plywood, steel, and synthetic polymer lacquer. 66 × 276 × 6 3/4 in. (167.6 × 701 × 17.2cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Howard and Jean Lipman Foundation Inc. 67.51a–b. © Robert Grosvenor; courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery, New York. Photograph by Sheldan C. Collins

Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue

The immensely likeable Gillette shares a cavalcade of career memories, each leading up to or illustrated by a musical number. Sequencing is so seamless, we’re listening to a song before realizing patter has stopped. In fact, sometimes, it hasn’t. The skill with which wickedly funny, anecdote-specific wisecracks are integrated into performance is completely captivating. Bravo, Director Barry Kleinbort.

This is an actress and comedienne as well as a singer. Her timing is pitch-perfect. Whether offering an exaggeratedly hammy Italian street song (with artful, deadpan vocal back-up by Paul Greenwood) or mimicking an old woman whose landlady she was briefly (one of Rue McClanahan’s 7 husbands talked her into buying real estate when work was scarce), she nails each character and moves on with nary a ba dump dump needed to punctuate.

John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “Don’t Tell Mama” from Cabaret is the first of several saucy numbers to which Gillette does full justice. The honey-cured “Nightlife” (Charles Strouse/Lee Adams from All American) and Joe Williams’s “He May Be Your Man” but he comes to see me sometime, are equally frisky.

Gillette moves with innuendo and expresses with implication, utilizing the full stage, locking eyes with her audience. Bawdy remarks are buoyant. The lady’s still got it- in spades. “I met my first husband, Dr. Gillette, over an autopsy… he tried to educate me…” is the lead in to “Teach Me Tonight” (Gene DePaul/Johnny Mercer) delivered with very pretty vibrato and spiked with personal commentary.

After “Extra! Extra” (Jule Stein/Stephen Sondheim), we learn that Ethel Merman saved her understudy job in Gypsy when Gillette was pregnant. Demonstrative gymnastics are a scream. Her rendition of “Mira” from Bob Merrill’s musical Carnival personifies the ingénue she must’ve been. It’s a darker arrangement than the original, more suited to her vocal abilities, but completely effective. Accepting another offer, Gillette quit only to successfully step in for the hospitalized Anna Maria Alberghetti just before leaving. A grudging David Merrick hired her back when the other show quickly closed. Albreghetti received plastic roses “How do you order those?!” Gillette received a bill for the blow-up (photo) of herself outside the theater.

“The Secret Service” (from Mr. President) and a medley of “How Deep is the Ocean” and “Remember” follow. First cute as the dickens, Gillette sings the second two songs with wistful elegance. All three are by Irving Berlin “Mr. B.” with whom she had a long friendship. Just as we settle into a quiet moment, her hysterical story of an inadvertently drunken evening at the Lyndon Johnson White House has us again rolling in the aisles. “Oh Gee!” (Bill Jacob/Patti Jacob from Jimmy—the musical about Gentleman Jimmy Walker) puts a cherry on top with a 1920s number that even has the band grinning.

A clever duet (with Paul Greenwood) of “Yesterdays” (Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach) shows the difference between what Gillette was singing and what she was thinking on the occasion of being the shiksa** asked to sing at Otto Harbach’s funeral. (special lyrics by Barry Kleinbort) There were 14 Broadway shows. Then came film and television. “Besides being dance instructors and floozies, I’ve been everybody’s mother. Believe me, they’re all good kids.” Not to mention the quiz shows. And back to Broadway. Well chosen numbers elaborate.

Anita Gillette’s encore, “Are You Having Any Fun?” (Sammy Fain/Jack Yellen), is completely rhetorical. We’ve laughed, clapped, and swayed our way through a warm, expertly executed evening by a top notch thespian. No one wants to go home.

Paul Greenwood’s arrangements and musicianship are positively symbiotic, and he sings!

*Baby June – Louise’s sister (Gypsy Rose Lee’s sister) in Gypsy

** “Shiksa usually refers to an attractive (stereotypically blonde) gentile girl who might be a temptation to Jewish men or boys” Wickipedia

Photos by Maryann Lopinto

Anita Gillette: After All…
Anita Gillette-Vocals
Paul Greenwood-Piano/Music Director
Steve Doyle-Bass
Steve Bartosik- Drums
Directed by Barry Kleinbort
Birdland
315 West 44th Street
January 30, 2012

If you’re just getting into this method, you must get THE SLOW COOK BOOK, by Heather Whinney. It features recipes for both slow cookers and traditional ovens. In fact, all the recipes include instructions for both systems. Just as important, the beginning of the book is all about technique, including tips for success, such as adding hearty woody herbs like rosemary and thyme at the beginning of the cycle, and delicate ones, including parsley, at the end. It’s also a good idea to sear meats first, and to sauté onions and garlic prior to adding them to the pot.

For those of us still trying to stay with our weight loss resolution, there’s THE EVERYDAY LOW CARB SLOW COOKER COOKBOOK, by Kitty Broihier, M.S., R.D., and Kimberly Mayone. You’ll find over 120 recipes, ranging from breakfast to dessert food, each guaranteed to be tempting to the palate and friendly to the waistline. There’s also a macronutrient count for each recipe, serving suggestions, and info on how best to care for your slow cooker.

As skills develop and trepidation subsides, go a little wild with flavor. Michele Scicolone’s THE FRENCH SLOW COOKER features recipes that will turn your crock pot into a Gallic chef- without the temperament. Scicolone is a renowned wine and food expert; she’s traveled extensively to nearly every region of France, and has become a master of traditional French cuisine. We reap the benefit of her knowledge by being able to concoct County Pate, Fallen Cheese Soufflé, and Crustless Quiche. Personally, I think I could die happy if I could leave my house for the day and come home to a Bouillabaisse as irresistible as the one that is pictured.

If you, like me, feel that nothing surpasses really good Italian food, Michele Scicolone will make you very happy with THE ITALIAN SLOW COOKER. Her version of Osso Buco, here called Roman Oxtail Stew, includes bittersweet chocolate, pine nuts, and raisins. It’s easy to cook, and you can dazzle your friends and family with very little work and a whole lot of flavor. If you’re daring, now is the time to get in step with the “Snout to Tail” method of cooking, since innards come out tender and succulent when slow cooked. A word of praise must be given to Alan Richardson, whose photos grace both Scicolone books. Absolutely scrumptious!

I can’t leave you without recommending two books you may have missed. THE NEW SONOMA COOKBOOK is the updated version by international bestselling author Connie Gutterson RD, Phd. Not only are there over three hundred tempting recipes to help us eat right and keep healthy, but there are also great ideas for cooking with wine- hallelujah! Gutterson features taste treats from around the globe, seamlessly mixing Asian, Mediterranean, and Latin American cuisines with her easy California favorites. Need to whip something up in a hurry? Sonoma Express meals are ready in thirty minutes or less.

It’s rare to find a book that’s both a wonderful romantic read and an homage to good food. WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER is N.M. Kelby’s imagining of the life of the great Auguste Escoffier. He lived from 1846-1935, yet his influence is still in evidence in the haute cuisine restaurants of our day. Presented as a memoir written at the end of his life, the legendary chef tells of his experiences cooking in both Paris and London, and of his love for two dynamic women, famed actress Sarah Bernhardt, and poet Delphine Daffis. Escoffier’s challenge is to perfect, in one dish, food that perfectly expresses his passion.

Foodies of the world, unite! There are brave new worlds to conquer, and sometimes a little patience leads to a delicious outcome.

Michall Jeffers is an accomplished Cultural Journalist , an unrepentant foodie, and an avowed bibliophile. She writes extensively about food, restaurants, and books, both in print and online. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. Michall is a voting member of National Book Critics Circle. www.michalljeffers.com