You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2009.
Hold the presses! In my desperate search to find a good karaoke bar, I stumbled upon Movieoke, this crazy new concept that allows you to act out your favourite scenes from movies.
Confused? So was I. So here is a better description from Movieoke’s website:
“The performers hold microphones and perform using the monitor to read along and act out the scene in front of them. We have over 200 scenes to choose from, scenes that will make you laugh, scenes that will make you cry, scenes that will do both and scenes that are just plain classic. One of the biggest differences between Movieoke and Karaoke is that with Movieoke the scene plays on a projector behind the performers. This adds to the excitement of Movieoke – the audience is reminded of classic performances that they know and loved while getting a spontaneous live rendition right in front of them.”
I fully intend to Lebowski it up!
With a collection of movie scenes from films like Titanic, The Big Lebowski, The Notebook, Gone with the Wind, Airplane, Casablanca, Seven, and Caddy Shack, you are sure to find something you can (poorly) act out with your friends.
The next Movieoke event is being held at The Whistler at 8pm on December 7th, but you can see all three December Movieoke events here.
Dev xx
This is the second Thanksgiving I am spending away from my family and old friends (the first was when I was studying abroad in Japan). Although I miss my family, I am thankful this year that the Crimmins family is giving me a place to celebrate.
Whether you are able to make it home, or you are spending this holiday in Chicago with a new group, I want to extend my warmest wishes to you this Thanksgiving.
Happy Turkey (or Tofurkey) Day, Chicago!
Dev xx
When: Thursday 26 November 2009, 8 – 11 am CST
Where: Starts at the intersection of State St. and Congress Ave. and travels north to Randolph St. ACCESS THE GOOGLE MAP, here!
Watch it on TV: Tune into WGN 9 Chicago or WGN America for the live broadcast.
If you think that watching the Macy’s Day Parade (held in NYC) on television is the only way to get your Thanksgiving fill of floats, balloons and performances…think again! Let’s be honest, you are sick and tired of seeing all of those high school bands and you would rather keep it local.
To get the inside scoop on the parade and its vibrant history, I interviewed Phil Purevich, executive director of the Chicago Festival Association.
MCH: What makes Chicago’s McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade different from the one put on by Macy’s in New York?
PP: There is a lot of cultural diversity in our performers and we really focus on that. Chicago is a diverse city and we try to represent that in the parade. I’m not saying Macy’s isn’t diverse, I’m just saying that that’s what we focus on.
MCH: What’s the oldest and newest things at the parade?
PP: The oldest unit is the Barefoot Hawaiian Dancers who have been around for ten years. I don’t know what the newest is, but I do know the biggest balloon. It’s Bullwinkle [J. Moose].
No matter what the weather, the Barefoot Hawaiian Dancers have been in attendance for 10 years!
Sorry everyone, we disappeared for a bit, but rest assured we are back now!
This week will be chalk full of night club reviews, Thanksgiving Day parade information and cool Chicago history. Just you wait…
Gorgeous Nine Dragon Wall in Chinatown. Modeled after the wall in BeiHai (North Sea) Park in Beijing, this wall replicates the large dragons and over 500 smaller dragons painted in gold, red and blue.
And hey, thanks for sticking with us while we live our lives, finish up graduate school and take a step back from the blog for a week! :-)
Dev xx
Tourists (and new Chicago residents) may appreciate this picture for the Chicago skyline while old Chicagoans might like the fall foliage and hint of a Metra train in the background. I love it all.
Dev xx
This past week was amazing. The weather? Amazing. My itinerary? Amazing! Chicagoans I spent the week with? Even more amazing. And with that, I will show you what exactly it was I did this week and why it was so … uhhh … amazing.
1. Locavore spiced pear pancakes.
Because pear season is coming to an end soon, I thought I would whip up a batch of pear pancakes using Mick Klug’s Bartlett pears, Burton’s maple syrup, Ellis Farm’s eggs, Ted’s whole wheat flour and Blue Marble milk. I made the batter as usual and then set it in the fridge while I prepared the pear. I cored a pear and then diced it (with the skin on!) into small cubes. Then I tossed the diced pear into a bowl with a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar and let it sit for about ten minutes. I heated up a frying pan with a tablespoon of butter and once the pan was good and hot, I sauteed the pear and brown sugar mix until they were nice and softened. Then they went into the batter and I cooked the pancakes as per usual.
They turned out heavenly!
2. I finally checked out the Tiffany Favrile Ceiling in the once Marshall Field’s department store
In 1907, Tiffany & Co. installed 1.6 million pieces of Tiffany Favrile glass in a domed ceiling on the fifth floor of the Marshall Fields on State Street. Over 100 years later not one piece has broken and it still remains as the largest example of glass mosaics of its kind. The mosaic is stunning. It glitters even in indirect sunlight and it is so intricate that it can rival even the most famous paintings in the Sistine Chapel.
As the weather gets colder (or in today’s case…warmer!) and the day light is harder to come by, we sometimes forget how beautiful Chicago can be. Whether it is an unusually cool summer or a freezing winter, let this picture help remind you why we are proud to call Chicago “Home”.
Gorgeous panorama I took of Chicago's skyline from Adler's observation deck
Dev xx
by guest blogger Ruthie Freeman (no relation to Paul Freeman, mentioned in the article!)
Courtesy of Chicago Sinfonietta
There were really two ways the Chicago Sinfonietta could go with Laughter. Somehow, draw on the humor of classical music itself, or, use it as a backdrop for the naturally charming Maestro Michael Morgan. Wisely, the Sinfonietta did both: its lighthearted collaboration gave an opportunity to showcase musical composers’ giddier moods and an example of showbiz professionals demonstrating their verve. Part of the Chicago Humanities Festival’s exploration of the theme laughter, the Sinfonietta’s November 2nd audience was lucky enough to experience the one night only performance.
It’s easy to wonder what role an orchestra can play in a festival devoted to levity, but the answer lies within the Sinfonietta itself.
Founder and musical director Paul Freeman began the Chicago Sinfonietta twenty three years ago in response to the dearth of opportunity for classical musicians of color. In 1987, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was all male and all white. Talented and top-notch of course, but a bunch of white guys nonetheless. Even now, less than 3% of musicians in the top 1,000 orchestras are people of color.
Approximately half of the Sinfonietta’s staff, musicians, Board of Directors, and audience are people of color. The orchestra is also gender-balanced, believing truly in “excellence through diversity.” Whatever it is that people typically think of classical music, Paul Freeman has certainly begun to change it. An orchestra with the spark and tenacity to break down institutional barriers most definitely does not shy from pushing the boundaries of what its music is really about.
Don’t forget to check out our “Chicago Locals” page to find out more about Chicagoans we meet.
Photo courtesy of Audarshia
Here is the latest on Rob Levitt, head chef at Mado:
http://makingchicagohome.com/chicago-locals/
Dev xx
Last Thursday, 29 October, The Chicago Tribune reviewed Rob and Allie Levitt’s restaurant Mado, giving it an “Excellent” rating. You can check out the article, here. On the day when the article came out, I was just coming into Mado to help out for the morning.
Every other week, a whole hog is delivered to Mado, sans head, and Rob and company break it down for consumption. This week, I am giving you a sneak peek inside the kitchen to see how this process is accomplished.
Last week, I featured an article on butchering sheep and based on reader feedback, it seems people really are interested in learning how their food gets from farm to table. For the record, the pictures that are after the jump are not as graphic as last week’s, but do feature blood, the insides of a pig and they show, in detail, how a pig gets fabricated into something edible. Please be warned.
Again, I hope this serves as a guide for those of you who are interested in the butchering process.
Of course, as always, thank you to Rob and Allie Levitt for allowing me to help in the kitchen and to Rich Hawley for being such a great kitchen mentor. Thank you.
