Today’s MUSICAL CHAIR is Elisa Gonzalez, local Bay Area DJ and jewelry fanatic. Her playlist includes her 10 favorite and essential rock en español bands.
Musical Chairs is a collection of weekly playlists created by selected artists, DJs, and musicians for LITTLE MAGAZINE. For guest DJ inquires, please send M.LittleMagazine@gmail.com a description of yourself, including a bio and musical tastes.
This week’s FOODIE SECTION is dedicated to my favorites, wine and cheese, and comes from David Nayfeld, sous chef of New York’s highly acclaimed Eleven Madison Park. His selection of wine and cheese pairings are delectable and affordable; absolutely perfect for any holiday spread or for a snack, any day.
Truffle Tremor’s semi soft goat cheese is a washed rind cheese that has a slightly pungent exterior when ripe. It’s tart and creamy interior exudes and earthy truffle flavor, making it an excellent pairing with a Vouvray (wine from the Loire Valley in France – often found for under $20). Tart earthy flavors are a wonderful contrast for the slightly sweet and fruit forward wine.
Humboldt Fog Blue Cheese is excellent paired with a German Riesling Spätlese from the Rheinhessen area (often these wine can be found for under $20). The sweet dried fruit flavor of the wine pairs very well with a mellow blue cheese like this one, since the wine has just enough acidity to cut through the extreme creaminess of the cheese.
Vella Dry Monterey Jack is great paired with NV Scharffenberger Brut (also under $20) as the fruit notes of this sparkling California wine cut through the creaminess of the cheese.
It’s difficult finding knitwear that lasts for more than one season and fortunately, She-bible makes quality knitwear with the most incredible fit. She-bible, named after a he/she confusion error in the 1611 version of the King James Bible, is Deirdre Nagayama and Stacy Rodgers, two designers who produce their garments locally in San Francisco.
She-bible’s Classic Dress (pictured here in the long sleeved version) is their best seller and for good reason – the empire waist, princess seams, and cowl neck on this dress is flattering on any figure.
I absolutely love the versatility of She-bible’s Pop Doyle Tunic, which you can wear three ways: down the front, tied around the neck like a scarf, or over the head as a hood.
Today’s MUSICAL CHAIR is DJ Ts. His mix entitled, “A Disco Gift to You”, is a play on Phil Spector’s “A Christmas Gift to You”. He hopes you like it.
DJ Ts is part of Life/Style, a DJ collective consisting of main partner, DJ Roll, and newcomer Oddz. Life/Style is also the name of their weekly Thursday night gig at San Francisco’s Beauty Bar, where they mix anything so long as it compliments indie, disco, new wave, boogie and smooth 70s rock sounds.
Ts got his start DJing mod soul in the late 90s and quickly segued into numerous ‘everything’ parties – first in the basement of SF Chinatown’s LiPo as part of the world famous Fanclub then other club nights such as Plastique at 330 Ritch, Mutant at the Arrow Bar (RIP), Musique and Superrock at Laszlo, The Buttons at Broadway Bar (LA), and the infamous, Space Camp (LA), etc.
Ts’ Upcoming Events:
This Thursday, December 10th from 5p-9p, Dj Ts brings Life/Style’s signature sound to Oakland for a happy hour at brand new bar, The Layover.
December 10th from 10:30p-11:30p, Ts will also be DJing at Beauty Bar SF’s Holiday Party 9p-2a
Musical Chairs is a collection of weekly playlists created by selected artists, DJs, and musicians for LITTLE MAGAZINE. For guest DJ inquires, please send M.LittleMagazine@gmail.com a description of yourself, including a bio and musical tastes.
This week’s modus operandi is The Red Shoes, a Hans Christian Anderson tale about a pair of enchanted red shoes that possesses its wearer to dance uncontrollably. The story has many interpretations, most notably the 1948 film adaptation starring ballerina Moira Shearer. I’ve always been partial to red footwear and dancing, and the following red shoes are destined to make your feet the life of every holiday party.
Musical Chairs is a collection of weekly playlists created by selected artists, DJs, and musicians for LITTLE MAGAZINE. For guest DJ inquires, please send M.LittleMagazine@gmail.com a description of yourself, including a bio and musical tastes.
Films are stories in moving pictures, and the following by Egyptian-born director and photographer, Hassan Said, are beautiful accounts of his story and artistry.
Will Remain Dear to Me by Hassan Said
Using dramatic characters and powerful images to explore the psychological impact of heartwarming and shocking events, Said’s works journey through stories of self-awareness and cruel realities.
Yesterday by Hassan Said
Alexandrie Encore et Toujours by Hassan Said
Said moved to New York at the age of 15 where two years later he studied Communication and Media Arts at Dutchess Community College. To him, films are about “glimpses of a person’s life, a situation, or experience; that’s what makes films more powerful than having a beginning, middle, and an end.”
In 2005, Said relocated to San Francisco to pursue studies in filmmaking and directing at the Academy of Art University. He has worked in a variety of roles in the industry, most notably for Focus Features on the 2009 Oscar award-winning film Milk. He also recently completed an experimental short film, Infamy, which is a surreal experience focusing on the chaotic events of September 11th as seen from his first-hand account. The abstract film is an official selection at the 2009 Edinburgh International Film Festival.
His latest short drama MUTE, chronicles the story of a father who comes home one night to finds his autistic daughter physically abused. The film ended up winning the award of merit for short film and direction at the Accolade film awards. The film also won the German Independence Award for best foreign language short film at the prestigious Oldenburg Film Festival in Germany.
Said currently lives in San Francisco, producing and directing creative projects.
Once, upon a first-time visit, a newer Muse was hit with a nasty dizzy spell while trying to absorb the bustling maze that is the Boss’s office. I remember when I walked in for the first time, I felt a sudden urge to add additional “Os” to the word “room” — the common four-letter word was unfit to describe the most beautiful chaos I’ve ever seen.
Constructing part of the madness are thousands papers swirled into piles like napkins at a wedding buffet table. The piles themselves are also swirled, not just on the Boss’s desk but around the floor as well, creating a field of landmines waiting to gash one’s ankle with paper cuts if not properly maneuvered. The piles are sturdy enough in their disguise of potentially being blown over by the slightest disruption in the air — I used to think the ticking of the clock’s second hand could create enough wind to blow the piles all over the roo(ooooooo)m, but those paper towers are more secure than they appear.
The papers themselves vary from brown, crumpled, and overused to white, flat-ironed, and pristine — but all have been written upon at one time or another. Never failing to impress was the Boss’s ability to find the one piece of paper she needed at any given time. On the rare occasion she couldn’t, Flo could easily navigate that paper sea with candid authority.
The only part of the Business without computer access is the Boss’s office. As far as I know, she’s never needed, wanted, or shown any interest in computers. She’s a “pen and paper” type, possibly one of the first. Her pens are scattered throughout the room almost as frequently as the paper swirls — on the floor, tucked in books, lying on the shelves, next to Fanny and Taffy’s cat food dish; one time, I found a pen in the mini fridge where she keeps her Dr. Pepper and Yoo-hoo.
The Boss is rarely at the beautiful wooden desk that sits along the wall of French windows, and when I walked in that day, she was on the floor next to the fridge, surrounded by a few of the smaller paper stacks. On the wall above her was a framed picture of Liza Minnelli with the lyrics of the “The Singer” right below. The Boss always enjoyed Liza, often hosting little sing-alongs in the office, but at that particular moment, she was far from one of her Minnelli moods. She looked up at me, pushed her glasses back up onto her nose, and sighed, “We’re going to have a company meeting.”
I glanced up at Flo, who nodded and waved her hand with a “what are we going to do with her” swish. The Boss’s phone — which is in the shape of a hamburger and sits on a small plate on her desk — rang softly. Nodding and shaking her head at the same time, Flo went over to the phone, but I could hear every cell of the Boss’s body scream “take a message.” As usual, Flo could hear it even clearer than I. “We all need to meet in the Storm room in about an hour,” the Boss told me, “so could you let Poetry and Tangible know?”
She leaned back and, without looking up from her papers, grabbed a Yoo-hoo out of the fridge and tossed it to me. Flo was still on the burger when I stumbled out of the office as if I had just done five shots of tequila on an empty stomach. Clearly something was going on, and I couldn’t quite decide if I wanted to know what it was — I needed some chit-chat time with Flo. Her mouth could always be trusted to say what shouldn’t be said, and I absolutely loved her the way you can love a rude waitress who gives you extra fries.
Musical Chairs is a collection of weekly playlists created by selected artists, DJs, and musicians for LITTLE MAGAZINE. For guest DJ inquires, please send M.LittleMagazine@gmail.com a description of yourself, including a bio and musical tastes.
Food encompasses one of life’s most sacred rituals. What we eat, the quality of our food, and the care in its preparation determines our energy levels, our health; our livelihoods. I’m very fortunate to have several foodies in my life, and the following recipes by Sophie Sapp make delicious, healthy everyday meals that work wonderfully as Thanksgiving side dishes as well.
Butternut Squash Double-Header by Sophie Sapp
Two autumnal recipes to warm you up, spare your wallet, and impress your dinner guests. Neither of these recipes require precise timing or quantities, so trust your tastebuds and don’t worry if you don’t follow the directions exactly.
Serves 2-3, twice!
Optionally vegan.
Recipe 1: Curry-Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
This is a remarkably easy and quick autumn recipe; the spices really complement the sweetness of the squash. It also happens to be richly satisfying, healthy and inexpensive to make! The only equipment you’ll need is a blender.
-1 large butternut squash, peeled,* seeded, and cut into approx. ¾ inch cubes
*Be very careful peeling and cutting the squash, it is very hard and it is easy for the knife to slip! I use a large sharp knife for this: cut the squash in half the short way, and set the flat ends on the cutting board. Remove the peel in long strips from top to bottom all around the squash, and then in smaller pieces on the rounded parts.
~4 c broth (veg or chicken, homemade or from a box)
~3 T olive oil
-1 T curry powder, plus a little more to taste
-1 t cumin, ground
-½ to 1 t salt, to taste
-½ t black pepper, or more to taste
-1 t medium hot ground chili, I like chili de arbol or cayenne
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss the squash in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and spices until well coated.
Spread the squash on a cookie sheet, as close to one layer as you can get it.
Put the sheet on the middle rack in the oven, and cook until the squash is very tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to move the cubes around a little. When is it done? Probably in about 45 minutes to an hour. Press a piece with that wooden spoon, it’s done if it squashes easily! Or just use my preferred method, and taste a piece, being careful not to burn your tongue (as I always do).
Divide the cooked squash into two equal parts, and put half aside (you’ll use this for the second recipe, below — be patient!).
You will probably have to do the puréeing in two batches, unless you are using an immersion blender. So put half the squash into the blender, and add about half of the broth. Purée until very smooth. If the purée is very thick, add some water and blend some more. Taste it and see if you like the texture. If it is still too thick, just add some more liquid.
Return the purée to a medium/large heavy pot, and repeat the same process with the other half. Return it to the pot and stir until the soup is well-mixed. It is not too late to add a little more liquid if it still seems too thick (I like it quite thick, so a spoon almost stands in the bowl!). Adjust spices and salt to your taste, heat and serve!
This soup is wonderful with a variety of toppings. Try crème fraîche, toasted pepitas, crumbled bacon, scallions, grated cotija cheese, chopped chives, or sage! Serve with some good toasted crusty bread.
Any extra freezes very well for later.
Recipe 2: Curry-Roasted Butternut Squash with Greens and Beans
This meal is a great way to transition last night’s leftover squash into a whole new dish; the combination of beans, greens and squash is healthy, hearty and colorful on the plate.
-½ roasted butternut squash from Recipe 1
-½ lb dried beans, cooked to your taste and mostly drained of their cooking liquid*
*Something rich, creamy and dense is best, such as pintos, yellow eyes, or a firm soup bean like vallartas (I always use Rancho Gordo’s heirloom beans, cooked in the Rancho Gordo manner, of course: www.ranchogordo.com).
-1 bunch cooking greens (I prefer Tuscan kale or chard), cleaned, ribs removed, and the leaves sliced into thin ribbons.**
**Stack the leaves flat, start at one end and roll into a cigar shape, cut once the long way and then, still holding the roll in place, cut across the short way into thin ribbons; this is called a chiffonade. If you are using chard, also cut the stems into small pieces crossways, and add these to the pan a few minutes before you add the leaves.
-2-4 cloves garlic, sliced
-1 small onion or 2 shallots, chopped
~2 T olive oil
-½ t cumin, ground
-splash of vinegar (I like to use apple cider vinegar)
-salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the garlic, onion, and cumin and sauté, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to soften.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the greens and a big pinch of salt.
Stir until the greens are lightly coated with oil. Add a splash of vinegar and stir some more.
When the greens begin to shrink and wilt (about 3-5 minutes), add the cooked squash and beans.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated and well-mixed. Taste to ensure that the greens are tender. If not, cook a little longer. Add the pepper, plus a little more vinegar and salt if you like.
Serve alone or over rice. Or try it with another grain; I like it with something chewy like farro or wheat berries. Keeps very well for tomorrow’s lunch!
