Happy Wednesday!
Like my hat? It's only for Wednesday's.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day From Gramercy!
Are you free tonight at 9:30? Why not come down to the lounge and spend some time with your favorite RA's Molly and Sari! Tonight we have a super fun event making Valentine's for your friends around Gramercy!
Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, come on down to the lounge and write a secret note! You can provide words of encouragement, a nice saying, or even a little love note. We will decorate them up and RA's Molly and Sari will secretly deliver them for you! So make someone in Gramercy feel special this Valentine's day!!!
Oh yeah... and of course there will be chocolate....
Oh yeah... and of course there will be chocolate....
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Album Reviews with Kerin: Dia Frampton's 'Red'
Does Dia Frampton sound familiar? She might, considering she was half of pop-rock duo Meg & Dia that peaked around 2007 and was recently runner up on singing competition The Voice. Up until last month she had been completely off my radar since I first downloaded her band's single, "Monster" (a la 'monSTERRRR, how should IiiIIi fEEEeeel), back when I was a sixteen year old scene kid (don't want to talk about it), but she's back and better than ever with her self-titled release 'Red'.
At first I didn't know how I felt about her voice. She sometimes gets borderline cutesy with it and has a fairly interesting way of pronouncing things (sometimes her 'A' sounds make her sound like a sheep?) so my immediate response was to move on. Yet, I still had that song stuck in my head an hour later. Needless to say I went back and listened to it again, and again... and again and then I caved, downloaded the album and listened endlessly for maybe a week and a half. Everyone who got in my car at some point over winter break was subject to this album. I listened to it so much that even though it was released in the last week of December, it quickly marched its way up my Top Albums of 2011 list (where it sits among some of the other albums I've reviewed so far, check out my review on Benjamin Francis Leftwich, I'm proclaiming his album my #1).
'Red' is an interesting mix. It's clearly pop-driven, but her unique voice has been given an equally unique splitting of the tracks into half-indie-electronic-ish and half-acoustic. You've got your heavy hitting hooks with an Ellie Goulding/MGMT influence like "Don't Kick The Chair", featuring Kid Cudi (who I have no interest in but damn, that track is infectious) and "Billy The Kid", which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. On the opposite end of the spectrum there are the soft, break-your-heart acoustic tracks like "The Broken Ones" (her single and one of my favorite pop records this year) and "Trapeze". It's a good mix that keeps me from getting bored during 'Red's duration. At any given point I am feeling 'the fuzzies', dancing around, or probably crying. Not to mention, I think the lyrics for these tracks are phenomenally written. They're vulnerable, relatable and clever. It's an all-around home run for me.
If you like Ellie Goulding, A Fine Frenzy or even Colbie Callait, give this album a spin. Like what you hear? Check out Meg & Dia's album "Here, Here and Here". As you can imagine it's Dia's sound amplified; fuller, but with the same clever lyrics and great hooks. But even without her sister, you can tell this little lady's going places. Check out "The Broken Ones" here:
At first I didn't know how I felt about her voice. She sometimes gets borderline cutesy with it and has a fairly interesting way of pronouncing things (sometimes her 'A' sounds make her sound like a sheep?) so my immediate response was to move on. Yet, I still had that song stuck in my head an hour later. Needless to say I went back and listened to it again, and again... and again and then I caved, downloaded the album and listened endlessly for maybe a week and a half. Everyone who got in my car at some point over winter break was subject to this album. I listened to it so much that even though it was released in the last week of December, it quickly marched its way up my Top Albums of 2011 list (where it sits among some of the other albums I've reviewed so far, check out my review on Benjamin Francis Leftwich, I'm proclaiming his album my #1).
'Red' is an interesting mix. It's clearly pop-driven, but her unique voice has been given an equally unique splitting of the tracks into half-indie-electronic-ish and half-acoustic. You've got your heavy hitting hooks with an Ellie Goulding/MGMT influence like "Don't Kick The Chair", featuring Kid Cudi (who I have no interest in but damn, that track is infectious) and "Billy The Kid", which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. On the opposite end of the spectrum there are the soft, break-your-heart acoustic tracks like "The Broken Ones" (her single and one of my favorite pop records this year) and "Trapeze". It's a good mix that keeps me from getting bored during 'Red's duration. At any given point I am feeling 'the fuzzies', dancing around, or probably crying. Not to mention, I think the lyrics for these tracks are phenomenally written. They're vulnerable, relatable and clever. It's an all-around home run for me.
If you like Ellie Goulding, A Fine Frenzy or even Colbie Callait, give this album a spin. Like what you hear? Check out Meg & Dia's album "Here, Here and Here". As you can imagine it's Dia's sound amplified; fuller, but with the same clever lyrics and great hooks. But even without her sister, you can tell this little lady's going places. Check out "The Broken Ones" here:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Simple Standards
Being an Italian lady, it's pretty much required that I know how to make the standard Italian dishes. But until recently, I hadn't really tried my hand at something simple that I see all over New York: PIZZA. Who doesn't love pizza?! Exactly. And after trying these two recipes, you won't be able to find anyone that doesn't agree. The dough takes thirty minutes to rise, and the sauce should sit for about twenty minutes to really blend all the flavors. Thus, I start with the dough, and by the time I'm done with the sauce, it's just enough time to wash the dishes and preheat the oven.
 |
| Made this one on a real pizza stone. Looks legit, right? |
1 package (.25 ounce) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 cups bread flour (I use self-rising enriched flour, and it works just fine.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the cup of warm water. Let it stand until it's creamy, or for about ten minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Then add the olive oil and yeast/water mixture. Beat well until a stiff dough has formed. I find that using my hands is just fine to do this, also it allows me to add more flour if I think it needs it. Shape the dough into a giant ball in the center of the bowl, then cover it and let it rise until it has doubled in volume, about thirty minutes. Now, move on to the sauce!
*Don't forget to preheat the oven to a toasty 350 degrees F.
Savory and Completely Customizable Pizza Sauce:
*All my spice choices are optional, really. Consider them a starting p
oint to grow from, dependent on your own personal tastes.
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (use the can to measure!)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste
*1 teaspoon anchovy paste (completely optional! I'm not a fan of anchovies, and didn't use any and my pizza tasted great…)
You'll also need some shredded cheese to top the sauce with later, I stick with the standard shredded mozzarella.
You can add anything else you like; mushrooms, onions, peppe
rs, pepperoni, etc.
In a bowl, combine it all together, making sure to whisk it a little to break up any cheese chunks. Let it sit for about twenty minutes, then spread it on the pizza dough and prepare your pizza to your hearts desire! This recipe makes enough to make one cookie sheet sized pizza. I don't own a pizza stone, so I just spread my pizza out on a cookie sheet, spread out the sauce, add my desired cheese and toppings and pop it in the oven at 350 F for about twenty minutes.
Manga!
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