cookin' in the afternoon

i don't often cook for myself, but was inspired to yesterday afternoon, while working from home. i'm doing concepting for a food project for work, so that might have had something to do with it. anyhow, this is moroccan chicken (i used grilling paste from williams sonoma which they dont have on their site) with quinoa. not half bad, i must say -- and pretty simple and quick to make. i also had a small green salad. (not pictured). In July, i'm heading to an event we are sponsoring at Lincoln Center that features 50 top chefs from NYC - that should be fun. maybe i'll pick up some pointers from them.

not your average coffee shop

for many years, my friends & i have frequented the coffee shop. on union square west and 16th street -- steps from NYU dorms, the park, tons of shops -- it's a perfect meeting spot for a beverage or a quick bite. but most importantly, for whatever reason, the coffee shop has a history of hiring the most ridiculous models as waitresses. though the caliber of girls is no longer what it used to be, it's still pretty darn good. the lunch/ dinner food is pretty good too. i usually opt for the coconut shrimp or calamari to start. it's also a wonderful spot for a early morn/ late nite breakfast. additionally, there is a downstairs lounge where my boy DJ EMSKEE, of the controlled substance radio show spins on select fridays/ saturdays. hot chics & good music. perfect.

a friend departs

my friend ian moves to chicago in a few days. he and his wife recently had a beautiful baby boy and have decided to move back to where they have more family, and perhaps better schools and life for their child. i will miss ian's insightful comments regarding marketing, sarcarstic sense of humor, the grabbing of drinks at PS-1 and his general good-naturedness. ian made the often stressful work environment easier to manage. i'm sure he will have a similar effect on others at his new job and world in chi-town, but selfishly i wish he could stay. but hey - the internet is a prolific communication tool, so i hope to stay in touch despite the geographical distance. best of luck in this next phase of your life, my friend!

street fairing

summer in the city means street fairs. lots of them!!! i must admit, most offer the same junk - sunglasses, socks, t-shirts...etc. i still enjoy going to them - the people-watching is great. also, they usually feature some wonderfully unhealthy food product that i love. today, i got an arepa. apparently, they can be plain - or sweet. i like the sweet kind best. additionally, i bought some new sheets. they say they are 600 thread count - which is obviously a lie, but hey they were 20 bucks and feel nice. two weeks ago i did a load of laundry, and stained my light blue sheets - they now have a pink hue to them. not a good look. this is why i usually leave laundry to the experts, aka. the chinese laundry up the street, which delivers.

unity cookie

this cookie pictured here in known in new york city as a "black and white". read more about it here. indeed, it is kind of the consistency of cake rather than a cookie. whatever you call it, it's good. my friend patti dubbed it the UNITY cookie. pretty clever. can't we all just get along? :)

one cool mustache, baby, design & the internet

my cousin anthony (pictured above with the super cool 'stache), and his wife cheryl are having a kid. follow the developments on the blog. 10 weeks away now. anthony started at upshot, a chicago based marketing agency as a graphic designer, but has risen to creative director. along with being a future papa and ad wiz, anthony also spends a bunch of time on the net researching some of his side projects. find below some great music-based footage he found on youtube:

Herb Alpert
Tijuana Taxi - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb2ztCY5smg
Rise - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHgTp3oYbUg
Red Hot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nuAIP08y9A


Archie Bell & The Drells
Tighten Up (crappy video, but good to see) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n7C1AyU-9Q

Stevie Wonder
For Once In My Life - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4-7okZxuHw
Yester Me, Yester You, Yesterday -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_wiIaIkcSs&mode=related&search=

Al Green
Let's Stay Together - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxESSLYUXDs
Belle - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owPq9zlh3b0

raffy in town

my greatest friend, rafique, (pictured on the right) made an appearance in new york this saturday. as many of you know, he lives in jo-burg, south africa, but he is probably on planes more often than i. he decided on thursday to jump on a plane to the states and magically on saturday morning, he was here. he does economic development in africa, for a company called saedf. though he is extremely fulfilled and i am happy for him; selfishly, i do wish he lived closer - so we could hang out more. more pics from raffy's visit : here.