Posted by Tristan on: February 27 2010
The farmers market has exploded with citrus in the past couple week and this season seems extra abundant to me. I have been receiving oranges and lemons from friends with trees faster than I can eat them. And I can eat a lot of fruit. If you have citrus trees or friends with citrus trees you are probably well stocked on vitamin C at the moment.
In addition to the run of the mill lemons, limes and navel oranges, I spotted at the farmers’ market last week: mandarins, tangerines, satsumas, and blood oranges. Grape fruit can’t be far behind.
If you have not yet had a blood orange I recommend you get down to farmers market on Tuesday afternoon and buy a pound or two. The fruit gets its name from its deep red flesh and juice. The red pigment, anthocyanin, is an antioxidant that reduces the risks associated with many ailments, including age-related illnesses. One medium-sized orange also contains about 260 milligrams of potassium. All the nutritional benefits are great, but I get blood oranges for the unique flavor.
Blood oranges are in the sweet orange family like navels, or valencias, but have a more complex flavor profile. The primary taste is unmistakably orange but there are notes cherry, raspberry and grapefruit. This is especially true of the Moro variety, which, I’m pretty sure are the orange I bought at the market. Moros are noted for their variegated color, both in the flesh and on the rind. Their complex affect on the pallet is like biting in to a fresh and refreshing fruit punch.
I eat most of my oranges cut in to half round or “soccer slices” but I like to make blood orange angel cakes on occasion. Here’s how I do it
6 mini angel food cakes (or shortcake)
2 lbs blood oranges peeled and sliced crosswise into 3/4 inch chunks
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs chopped fresh mint
Toss the oranges in a bowl with the sugar and mint. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature so the fruit becomes juicy, making its own syrup. Spoon over cakes and enjoy.
Posted by Tristan on: February 22 2010
This Saturday I was introduced to a new veggie our local farmers are growing; the Pea Green. I only got a quarter pound (4oz) from Ojai Valley Sprouts at the farmers market, and wish I had bought more. These tasty little shoots are the immature tips of snow pea or sugar pea vines, clipped off as the plant continues to mature. The taste is something between sugar snap peas and bean sprouts. The pea greens are also high in vitamins A, C and folic acid.
The shoots can be used to top a salad, or tossed with a sesame ginger dressing and served as the salad. I can just snack on the raw shoots alone, but I made most of my pea greens in to dinner with some soba noodles.
Try this pea green and soba noodle bowl
Makes two servings.
4oz pea greens
12 oz soba noodles
1 clove garlic minced
1tbs brown sugar
1/3-cup rice wine vinegar
2tbs soy sauce
1tsp chili paste
1tbs finely ground fresh ginger or ginger paste
Wisk together the brown sugar vinegar, soy sauce chili paste and ginger. Set the sauce aside.
Boil the soba noodles according to the package directions, in a pot that will also accommodate the greens. When the noodles are a 1 1/2 to 2 minutes form being done stir in the greens. Drain the mix in a colander do not rinse. Return the mix to the pot, toss with the sauce, and serve immediately.
Posted by Tristan on: February 13 2010
An engaging documentary about the ubiquitous crow
Who should see this film:
People with interest in nature, or cognitive science, Tippi Hedren, and fans of the Planet Earth series.
A nature documentary should fascinate the audience, as well as inspire amazement and appreciation of the natural world. A Murder Of Crows does this, and stands out among the numerous animal documentaries at this year’s festival.
The film introduces us to one of the most common genus of birds -Corvus- through the eyes of the scientists that are studying the crow’s brain. These birds are far more adaptive and intelligent than most of us ever thought. With complex information-sharing and social learning systems, the crow has caught the attention of the scientific community and even the US Department of Defense.
Director, Susan Fleming lays out the documentary in a way that keeps the audience totally engaged. The film is well shot and the narration of Nora Young is beautiful. The only distracting elements are the few close up shots of crow, superimposed over another background, and a small hand-full of cheesy lines in the narration.
Notes:
This film will screen again today, Saturday, Feb. 13, 1:45 p.m. at Metro 4
Posted by Tristan on: February 10 2010
A documentary about the involvement of the Mormon Church in the campaign for California’s Proposition 8.
Who should see this film:
People interested in GLBT issues, civil rights, constitutional law, religious studies, campaign finance law, and understanding Mormon beliefs. Fans of The Mormon Murders and Under the Banner of Heaven
Review:
Before seeing this documentary, most of my knowledge about Mormon beliefs came from the HBO series Big Love, which is entertaining - but probably not the most reliable source. 8 presents a fair and appropriately dispassionate explanation of why the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the LDS) opposes same-sex marriage. The documentary educates the public on the doctrine of the LDS and how they see homosexuality being a threat to the Mormon architecture of heaven.
Director Reed Cowan presents us with documents and letters that illustrate the LDS involvement in opposing equal marriage rights as far back as 1992 when the issue was first brought up in Hawaii. Reed also maps the strategy the church used to mobilize their agenda without the public realizing that they were the driving force behind it.
The most interesting and hard-hitting moments of the film were the interviews with actual Mormons conflicted - or downright angry - about the tactics used by the LDS in the campaign. The strategy included asking these Mormons to knowingly disseminate misinformation, and intimidating church members into giving money by implying their soul was at risk if they didn't. I got the sense that not all Mormons agreed that this was a battle worth compromising the integrity of the church.
Reed also interweaves a more human element into the film. We follow a gay couple married, after the state Supreme Court in California ruled that same-sex couples the right to wed, based on the equal protection argument. We witness their anxiety as prop. 8 threatened their marriage. The film also chronicles the struggles of Mormon homosexuals, including teen abandonment, and a startling suicide rate.
Wisely, Reed is careful to never outright criticize Mormons or the LDS. Instead, he allows the church's members, clergy, politicians, and their actions to speak for themselves. The second half of the film grants a lot of time to Mormons speaking on the subjects of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and abuse of gay Mormons. Notable Utah Senator Chris Buttars is given more screen time than was needed for him to make an ass of himself.
I am sure that making this film involved a lot of difficult editing choices, and it would benefit from a few more. The first half of the film is great, towards the end however, I began to notice how long this documentary was.
Notes:
I saw the copy of this documentary that was at the press office, and labeled “Rough Cut”. It is possible that the final cut for the big screen will be shorter and better edited, but regardless, you should not let the length stop you from seeing it.
8: The Mormon Proposition is a last minute a nominee for this years Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film.
This film will screen:
Thursday, Feb. 11, 9:30 p.m. at Victoria Hall Theatre
Friday , Feb 12, 11 a.m. at the Lobero
Saturday, Feb. 13 7:30 p.m. at the Lobero
Posted by Tristan on: February 09 2010
A humorous look at aging in the twenty-first century.
Who should see this film:
Anyone interested in health and wellness or biotechnology, and people who are concerned about aging and senility or just want to see a funny documentary.
Review:
As more and more Baby Boomers are becoming members of AARP, interest in longevity and anti-aging science has peaked in this country. I should not have been surprised that I was one of maybe four people under fifty at this afternoons packed screening of How To Live Forever.
Middle aged filmmaker Mark Wexler - realizing that he is not getting any younger - embarks on a funny and informative enquiry on how to go about living forever. For Wexler, like most people, it is not death that is frightening but getting old and becoming infirm, senile or both. This documentary gives us a broad scope of the options available to help us combat aging.
Some tips for longevity seem common sense. Jack Lalanne makes an appearance to tell us to exercise, and of course drink fresh carrot juice. Suzanne Somers recommends hormone therapy. There is also cryogenic freezing, laugh yoga, health clubs for your brain, countless diets and Japanese companion robots.
Wexler also asks some notable geriatrics there secrets including: a 94 year old practicing heart surgeon, a 95 year old elderly porn star, and a 101 year old marathon runner who drinks only beer.
By the end you come to realize that all this obsession about aging is only going to cause unhealthful anxiety. But if humor really is the best medicine you’ll get a good dose before the end credits.
Posted by Tristan on: February 09 2010
A documentary about Native American concepts of gender and the murder of a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy.
Who should see this film:
Any one interested in social anthropology, GLBT issues, Native American culture and history, and human sexuality.
Review:
Beautifully shot and composed, Two Spirits tells the tragic story of a life lost to a hate crime, interlaced with a cultural history lesson.
Fred Martinez was a transgendered Navajo boy. In the Navajo tradition he was a Nádleehí or someone who possesses two spirits. As we learn the details of Fred’s life and death, the film takes us through traditional Native American ideas about gender and sexuality. The binary genders of man and woman are but two of the four genders recognized by the Navajo. Two Spirits also chronicles the systematic destruction of Native American culture by the colonial United States and the replacement of indigenous values with those of Christianity. The evangelized culture that resulted lost the concept of plural gender (along with countless other traditional ideas).
The films, director Lydia Nibley interviews Queer Native Americans from around the continent about their experiences growing up, and into their sexuality. Contrary to the mainstream western culture, it was the most traditional members of the community that encouraged and nurtured them.
Two Spirits is an important documentary illustrating that hate crimes have more victims than the person attacked, and gives faces to the family, friends, and communities affected by it. My one criticism is that the film does not distinguish between homosexual and transgendered. I got the sense that this may be because Martinez did not like to be labeled, and the Navajo idea of gender is more fluid than ours. Many people in the GLBT community would argue that it's important for the public to understand that homosexuality and transgender are different; each with their own specific issues-in addition to their common concerns.
Notes:
Two Spirits is a nominee for this years Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film. There is also an educational outreach effort connected to this film through the Fred Martinez Project.
Posted by Tristan on: February 08 2010
A beautiful and stark look at the human rights atrocities of North Korea
Who should see this film:
Anyone with interest in human rights, social justice, Asian history, political science or propaganda.
Review:
Inspired by Kang Choel Hwan’s autobiography of The Aquariums of Pyongyang, director N.C. Heikin created a visually pleasing but stark documentary of the lives of North Korean defectors. Throughout the film Heikin juxtaposes the horrific stories of living in - and escaping from - the oppressive state, with the beautiful Kim Il Sung era propaganda posters, North Korean film/TV and performances, as well as western modern dance. The use of North Korea’s own media provides a striking contrast between what the state disseminates and reality.
Each refugee describes coming to terms with that discrepancy and how he or she decided to escape. Some inspired to flee by such things as western music, or the Count of Montè Cristo, illustrate that the largest threat to the dictatorship is education about the outside world. Others left out of necessity, only to find hardship in China before making it to Seoul, Mongolia or other countries that wouldn’t repatriate them. The documentary includes actual footage of an underground group attempting to smuggle North Koreans out of China.
It is hard for us in the free world to imagine a place where a 'god king' rules and children think it is normal to grow up laboring in prison camps. Kimjongilia brings this tragedy to light in a beautiful and captivating way.
Notes :
Kimjongilia is a nominee for this years Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award for Documentary Film. You can also learn more about the North Korean situation and ways to help from Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) at their website.
Posted by Tristan on: February 08 2010
Visions Of A Universal Humanity is an optimistic documentary in the Humanity Ascending series
Who should see this film:
Readers of Sylvia Brown and fans of Abraham-Hicks The Vortex
Review:
Visions Of A Universal Humanity was billed as a cutting edge look on humankind's potential to create a positive future for the Earth, based on current scientific, social and spiritual realities. This is accurate for the most part, but the description should put more emphasis on the spiritual. Though there is a line up of well-regarded Physicist, Biologist, and other scholars there is also a Space Visionary, and Evolutionary Theologist. The language of the documentary is not that of empirical observation and educated hypothesis that I was expecting. Rather than scientific speculation, the audience was given a lot of metaphors and mystic revelations. For the portion of the audience that does not subscribe to the spiritual point of view of the films host Barbara Marx Hubbard, there is little interest. The uses of terms like “language of light”, “conscious evolution”, and “universal vibration” were a turnoff to those who came expecting a more scientific and sociological analysis of our future.
There are points of Visions Of A Universal Humanity I agree with; we as a species have more agency in our futures than ever, and it is a future of infinite possibilities. The crux of the film however will seem way out there to most viewers. For a documentary the host and speakers are too esoteric and fail to give enough explanation of their vision of the future to be convincing to most viewers. To those operating in the same paradigm as Hubbard, I am sure this film is an enjoyable breath of fresh air in an atmosphere of negative outlooks.
This film will play again Wednesday, Feb. 10, 10 a.m. at the Victoria Hall Theater
Posted by Tristan on: February 06 2010
When I tell people I got a great bunch of beets at the market, I find they are usually not as enthusiastic as myself. So many people I know tell me they don’t like beets, but have never tried them, or have no clue what one would do with the woody things.
With a delicate sweet and earthy flavor the Beetroot is surprisingly versatile. They can be sliced thin for salads, made in to soup, roasted, pickled, and simmered. The greens are savory and can be prepared almost any way you would cook spinach. Lightly steamed or blanched is the simplest way to cook them, but they are also great in soups. Swiss chard is actually a type of beet. Any thing you would make with chard can use beet greens.
Moreover, beetroots are great sores of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The greens are a powerhouse of calcium, magnesium, and a better source of iron than spinach.
Try this beet and root veggie sauté.
1tbs olive oil
2 1/2 cups Golden beets* (about 3 good sized roots) peeled and cut in to 2x1/2 inch sticks
2 1/2 cups other root veggies ( carrots, celery root, parsnips) peeled and cut in to 2x1/2 inch sticks
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 celery stalks cut into 1/2 inch wide sticks
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1cup water
*You can use red beets, but they will turn every thing in the pan red or pink, like washing whites with your luck red socks.
Over a medium flame heat the olive oil. Add the beets and root veggies, season with salt and pepper, sauté for about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and celery, sauté a minute longer.
Add the cup of water. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the veggies are tender but not too soft. The beets should be al dente.
Sprinkle in the lemon zest and nutmeg.
Serves 4 as side dish or server a top pasta with parmesan to make an entrée .
Posted by Tristan on: February 06 2010
A documentary about the world’s disappearing honeybees, and our relationship the Apis mellifera.
Who should see this film:
Any one interested in nature, agro-business, and entomology.
People who enjoyed The Botany Of Desire.
Review
A vital component in the production of thirty percent of our food source, man has brought Apis mellifera, better known as the European Honeybee all over the world. The problem is that with new habitat comes new disease and pest. This documentary follows the real threats effecting bees, and subsequently the agricultural economy that relies on their efforts. The ill affect of monoculture farming, pesticides, and habitat loss are minor compared the plague of parasites is causing large populations of bees to die worldwide. Dr Denis Anderson an Australian scientist is looking for the solution.
Informative, and illustrative Honeybee Blues lays out all the information that comprises the complicated and necessary relationship between Humans and bees. In a time of Industrial agriculture the busy bees are a $100 billion industry involving beekeepers, bee-brokers and bee-breeders that ship from Australia, around the world. Should anything interrupt this industry the consequences could be devastating. Enter Varroa destructor, a disease caring mite.
While the film gives us all the information, it does not convay the gravity of the situation well. Writer/Director Stefan Moore is successful in balancing the mood of the film. The threat infected hives is balanced by the serious but silly looking task of following bees around. The subject matter of Honeybee Blues has all the elements of a dramatic story, and could have used that to the films advantage without loosing integrity.
This Film will be shown again:
Saturday, Feb. 6, 1:45 p.m. at Metro 4
Posted by Tristan on: November 18 2009
It is often said that we can grow anything in Santa Barbara, which isn’t quite true. This time of year you will not find the three hundred varieties of apples they sell by the bushel in the farmers markets of Western New York. Nor do we grow other traditional autumn fruits we associate with the holidays like cranberries. Our zone-ten climate is just too worm for some fruits to thrive. The flip side is that come fall we have a bounty of more exotic produce such as guavas and pomegranates. I would also argue out harvest is more exciting; because when it comes down to it weather it is a Bailey Sweet, a Fall Pippin, or a Hunt Russet, its still an apple.
Yester day at the farmers market I picked up one of my favorite autumn treats, the often misunderstood persimmon. I know a great deal of people with an aversion to persimmons because they are unsure how and when to eat them, or have had the misfortune to eat one unripe. Under ripe persimmons are very tannic and astringent. Eating one is like packing your mouth with dry tea leaves. If you have only ever eaten a sub-prime persimmon you probably thought it unappealing and wondered why people buy them. A ripe persimmon however has a sweet taste akin to apricot with notes of autumn spice and some times vanilla. There are two varieties common to our Farmers Market: Fuyu, and Hachiya.
Fuyu persimmons are squat, resemble orange tomatoes and are less tannic. Eat them when the flesh feels soft and a little squishy. Hachiya persimmons are my favorite. They are more oblong than the fuyu. Because they are higher in tannins they must be really ripe before you eat them. Let them sit out till the point where you would think them rotten and toss them were they any other fruit. If it feels like a water balloon in your hand it is ready to eat. With both verities remove the top and peel, discard with any of the fibers that run through the core. Fuyu can be cut like a peach and served. Hachiya flesh will be gelatinous. It can be cubed and eaten with a fork or mashed in a bowl. I like to make cookies with Hachiya as well.
Below is a recipe for persimmon cookies I like to make for the holidays. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
* 2 ripe Hachiya persimmons, mashed
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup chopped walnuts(optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp and set aside.
3. Sift flour, spices and salt together, set aside.
4. Cream together butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and persimmon. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and raisins.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Posted by Tristan on: November 17 2009
There is a joke I identify with that goes, “My parents are Jews, I’m more Jew-ish”. Which is why when I woke up this morning I was excited to use the fact that we were out of corn flakes as an excuse to try the new bagel shop at 1226 State Street. Ultimate Bagels, which opened just last week, is the idea of young entrepreneur Alex Weinstein. The atmosphere feels more like a coffee shop. With free wireless Internet Ultimate Bagels seems an inviting place to have a leisurely bite to eat and do a little work or studying. The menu starts with an array of bagels then you then choose your toppings a la carte. There is a selection of spreads, meats and veggies. My bagel came out to be a bit on the pricy side as I had lox, probably the most expensive thing on the menu. They were however not at all stingy with the toppings. There was plenty of cream cheese, fish, onion and cappers.
My one criticism is that at this point they are still working on consistency. Some bagels were nice and plump while others were on the small and skinny side. Being as they are hand made I trust that with practice the bagels will be more uniform and plump in the future. In spite of inconsistency they are good bagels. I took half a dozen to go on my way out and will be going back to eat again.
I like to see locally owned businesses on State Street. The fact that it is a young business owner makes me want to support Ultimate Bagels more. Having good food and a friendly attentive staff makes it easy. I wish Ultimate Bagels good luck and recommend stopping for breakfast or lunch.
Their web site is: http://www.ultimatebagels.com
Posted by Tristan on: June 11 2009
Artist Elizabeth Folk, literally takes a playful approach to interacting with her audience in her current work at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum (CAF). Just Play!, is an interactive performance in which Folk explores the economies of labor, space, and class. Folk takes advantage of CAF’s setting in Paseo Nuevo Mall where, shoppers suspend disbelief that they are in a mall. Just Play! Restaurant is a highly artificial environment made up of three spaces–fine dining, corporate restaurant, and diner–each being respectively smaller. At the outset of the game all players are equal., Folk aims to democratize visitors. Like the German playwright Bertolt Brecht, Folk sees performance as a platform for political ideas and the creation of a critical aesthetics. As visitors are assigned an amount of money and a dining space they play the appropriate part in the game, as does Folk who waits on all three spaces in corresponding costume.
Through game Folk is able to explore the way in which we take on roles and learn to navigate society. Play is the earliest form of pedagogy. Children learn culturally acceptable behavior and roles–of gender and class–through play. Visitors may find themselves playing a familiar role in an awkward environment or have the opportunity to try on a new role. In any case, the audience finds the normal experience of eating de-familiarized, becoming hyper aware of the re-contextualized surroundings and interactions, in the gallery, Paseo Nuevo and hopefully beyond.
Folk will be at CAF Thursday through Sunday during normal gallery hours (11 AM–5 PM) to give her performance and interact with visitors.
Posted by Tristan on: June 04 2009
Award winning artists and animator Miwa Matreyek will be at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum (CAF) tonight for Forum Lounge, CAF’s performance art series. A graduate of UCSB Matreyek has won a number of awards for her animation including the prestigious Princes Grace Award.
Tonight Matreyek will perform Dreaming of Lucid Living. In this performance piece the artist herself becomes an element of the animation. In a fusion of contemporary graphic and Lotte Reiniger like aesthetics Matreyek interacts with projected animations to create a dream like look in to her imagination.
The performance is about ten minuets long and Matreyek will give it three times this evening at 7:00, 7:30, and 8:00. Like always tonight’s Forum Lounge is FREE.
Posted by Tristan on: April 09 2009
The first weekend in May the American Cancer Society’s fundraiser Relay For Life will take place at Bishop Diego High School. This year I am a team captain for Relay. I am writing in hopes of gathering support (ie helping our team raise money for cancer research). Your donation will help American Cancer Society achieve their goals:
50% reduction in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates by the Year 2015.
25% reduction in age-adjusted cancer incidence rates by the Year 2015.
Measurable improvement in the quality of life (physical, psychological, social, and Spiritual) from the time of diagnosis and for the balance of life of all cancer survivors by the Year 2015.
On a more personal note, I have lost three family members to cancer, most recently my grandpa. Two members of our team have fathers who are both survivors of throat cancer, and my great grandmother was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. Statistically she will not be the last of my loved ones to be diagnosed. One in two men and one in three women will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. We relay because we want to see those numbers reduced, to celebrate those who have survived, and to remember those we have lost.
Please visit our team page at the Relay For Life web site to make a donation to American Cancer Society and help Team Aardvark reach our goal by May second:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09CA?pg=team&fr_id=13802&team_id=385679
Thank you in advance for your support, together we can celebrate, remember and fight back.
-Tristan Blodgett
Team Aardvark Captain
Page:
Life is nasty brutal and short, but let's try to enjoy it. This blog will concentrate on Arts, Culture, and Food.
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