Judah Friedlander Doesn't Just Do Funny

Friedlander stays in '30 Rock' role
Friday, December 21, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Judah Friedlander's comedy act is written across his yellow T-shirt in big, black print: World Champion. Every night that he does a show, he goes onstage and talks about being a great athlete and a role model for children.

The punch line: Friedlander's persona. A trucker's hat saddles his long, straggly hair, above black-rimmed glasses that cover half of his face. His sideburns frame his five o'clock shadow, and he never sucks in his substantial belly.

This is the same look that Friedlander sports on the NBC sitcom "30 Rock." He'll be performing this weekend at Carolines in Manhattan; he spoke recently about staying true to himself and disappearing into an acting role.

Q. Why is your role in "30 Rock" so similar to your stand-up persona?

"30 Rock" is something you film every day for seven or eight months. For doing a character like that on a daily basis, I did not want to have to do something where I would not look like I normally do. The way I look like when I do stand-up -- the hat, the glasses, the long hair, the sideburns -- that's what I look like every day. ...

And a TV show could go on for six years. That's about six years of your life when you're never ever looking or acting like yourself ... that would drive me nuts.

IF YOU GO WHO: Judah Friedlander. WHAT: Comedy. WHERE: Carolines Comedy Club, 1626 Broadway, Manhattan; 212-757-4100 or carolines.com. WHEN: 8 and 10:30 tonight and Saturday; 8 p.m. Sunday. HOW MUCH: $26.75 to $31. LAUGH LINES: judahfriedlander.com.

Q. Are those your real glasses?

They are prescription glasses, and I wear them on a daily basis.

Q. What's unique about your character, television writer Frank Rossitano?

I think I'm the only character on the show who is from New Jersey. I imagine he's from Lyndhurst. I play an Italian guy, and Lyndhurst has a pretty big Italian neighborhood.

Q. How do you balance your stand-up and acting work?

Stand-up for me is still my first love and still my home base and still what I love to do the most. Even when I'm taping "30 Rock," if I have an off day, the night before I'm doing stand-up. That weekend I'm doing stand-up. But now, because of the writers' strike, our show was shut down four or five weeks ago, so now I have even more time to be doing stand-up.

Q. You've gotten a lot of critical attention for your role in 2003's "American Splendor." The persona that you have on the stand-up stage and on "30 Rock" is completely absent. Can you tell us how you got into this role?

When I got the script, I realized these were real people, so I started doing research right away. I collect rare movies as a hobby, and the guy I play, Toby Radloff, was in some super, low-budget, rare horror movies. So I tracked them down. ...

For my first audition, I already had him down pretty well. The casting director told me, "Wow, we weren't even able to find those videos." ...

The night before we started filming, I actually met the real Toby. He basically gave me his entire life story. We spent a couple hours. So I really got personal, psychological, one-on-one information from him, which helped me mentally.

Q. But what about staying with your regular hat and glasses persona?

For a movie, I love doing it: completely change my look, how I talk, how I act. Because a movie's usually one month to three months, tops. ...

I'm trying to get more projects where I can totally change it up.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Lobster Liberation!

Kinder ways to prep lobsters for cooking
Thursday, December 20, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Lobsters might smell like fish and seaweed, look like big bugs and have scary-looking claws, but your kids probably will have named them on the way home from the fish market.

Unfortunately, their new crustacean friends are on the menu for dinner tonight -- or Monday night's Feast of the Seven Fishes.
[Photo by Staff Photographer Chris Pedota]

Lobsters are among the few creatures that home cooks bring home still alive. But with eyes, a semblance of opposable thumbs in the form of claws and a relatively large body size, lobsters are a little too easy to anthropomorphize.

"It's only human nature," said Richard Vellante, executive chef at Legal Sea Foods, which has a restaurant in Paramus. While professional chefs have long since overcome their queasiness in the name of freshness and culinary excellence, those of us used to packaged meat may have some lingering discomfort.

"Things have faces, things move. ... A lot of people don't realize that even when the lobster has died, it will move," he said.

Even knowing this, many of us still feel a twinge of guilt when we hear or see movement inside the boiling pot. The big lobster debate: Do they feel pain? And if they can, some ask, do they experience it on the same level as vertebrates?

Animal rights organizations such as PETA say the answer is yes. "Lobsters feel a great deal of pain when caught or cooked alive," said PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt. "According to Dr. Jaren G. Horsley, an invertebrate zoologist at the National Zoo, lobsters have sophisticated nervous systems that allow them to sense actions that will cause them harm."

But studies vary. Some scientists say lobsters have many fewer neurons than humans and other vertebrates and are much less sensitive to pain. Others say that a lobster's neurons are spread throughout its body, so that it feels pain even if it loses its brain. Still others say that the decentralized neural system diminishes the lobster's experience of pain.

"I put customers at ease by saying we're pretty sure they don't feel anything," said Marcel Bisson, owner of Marcel's Live Maine Lobsters in Dumont. Bisson estimates that 70 percent of his customers buy the lobsters from him live, although his cooked lobster dishes also sell well.

Whatever the case, professionals have suggestions to cut down on trauma in the kitchen. Most of these tricks involve putting the lobster "in a trance," as Vellante put it.

A native New Englander, Vellante grew up with lobsters and other seafood. His secret for easing lobsters into a gentle slumber is to rub the shell between each lobster's eyes. "In about 20 seconds, it will begin to relax," he said. At that point, if you can place it head-first in boiling water, "that will terminate the lobster most quickly," Vellante said.

Putting lobsters in the freezer for about 15 minutes is another method, he added.

"What I do is turn it on its back and gently caress the antennas," said Arthur Tolve, who teaches culinary arts at Bergen Community College. "The lobster stops moving immediately and is very calm.

"Lobster also don't like loud noises," added Tolve, who has been cooking professionally for 49 years. "But it feels your voice vibrations in the air, and that will calm it down. Then I take a boning knife and put it between where the two large claws start and ... and that short-circuits everything and the lobster is dead."

The conventional wisdom, even in the professional kitchen, has changed over the years, said Tolve. When he was in training as a young cook, instructors simply turned a lobster on its back, ignored its wriggling and chopped it in half horizontally before cutting the tail in half. Sometimes they even started by cutting off the sensitive antennae, which would make the lobsters foam at the mouth.

"I always said that's not for me," said Tolve. Over the years, he came up with his own methods of treating lobsters in the kitchen. "It only takes three or four seconds to do the right thing."

One of Tolve's students, 21-year-old David Pilger of Lodi, remembers the class where he cooked lobsters for the first time. Tolve brought in the lobsters in a crate with ice and wet newspapers. He taught them the difference between male and female lobsters, between the bigger and smaller claws.

"He put the knife around the center of the lobster and pushed down," said Pilger. "You could tell once he pushed down that the lobster just relaxed -- all the fins, the claws, everything stopped."

Pilger watched closely as Tolve taught him and other students how to prepare the lobster. "I didn't turn away," he said. "I wanted to make sure I could do it correctly when I had to do it. ... A few people did scream and turned away, but others just watched. I'm guessing they had done it before, and they knew what would happen."

"It sounds so brutal, doesn't it?" said Vellante when asked about the knifing method. This is the most humane way to kill a lobster when you are planning to bake it, he added. "You just do it quickly."

It may be useful to think of the act as a hunter does. "Hunters look at things differently from the way that people from PETA look at things," said Vellante. "They look at it as beauty, and also how to utilize it for eating."

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Lobster Liberation: Addendums

Whole Foods to live crustacean cravers: Go fish
Thursday, December 20, 2007

You can purchase live lobsters at most large markets, but not Whole Foods in Ridgewood or Edgewater.

"We have been working on developing compassionate standards for all of the animals we are selling," said Whole Foods spokeswoman Amy Schaefer. "We realized that we were selling live lobsters, and that that was pretty inconsistent with the stand we had taken with all of the farm animals that we sell."

Whole Foods considered the natural behavior of lobsters, how long they'd be out of the ocean before being consumed, and how they'd be transported from the ocean to the markets across the country. Lobsters are most comfortable when they can tuck their tails between rock crevices, explained Schaefer, and they don't enjoy company. Typically, lobsters bound for markets are transported in crates where they are prone to crushing.

Whole Foods experimented with giving lobsters their own compartments with piping to tuck their tails around, and "de-stressing" them with fresh seawater in a processing plant before being shipped to retail stores, but the store found the process unsustainable.

The only Whole Foods store that now sells live lobster is in Portland, Maine -- right at the source.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *

How the pros cook lobsters
• Steaming: In a large pot, boil 2 inches of water. Add lobster and cook, covered, for 12 minutes, or 15 minutes for a 2-pounder, says Marcel Bisson of Marcel's Live Maine Lobsters.
• Boiling: Submerge a 2-pounder in boiling water for no more than 12 minutes, or until the shell turns completely red, says Arthur Tolve, who teaches future chefs at Bergen Community College.
• Baking: Roast in a 450- or 500-degree oven until the shell is red with slight burn marks. You can then turn the lobster over and stuff it with the same filling you'd use for stuffed mushrooms or zucchini, Tolve says.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Photos, photos everywhere!

Get creative with your digital photos
Monday, December 17, 2007
STAFF WRITER

Maurice Hornblass was perfectly happy with his Wall Street job. But in 2004, something began to bother the Englewood native: He couldn't find the perfect gift for his parents on their anniversary.

"I wanted something personalized," said Hornblass, who kept searching but found that "nothing really was up to my standards in terms of what I was looking for."

That's when the idea for PhotoCrazed.com was born. Hornblass now runs the company out of Teaneck that takes personal photographs, puts them in the hands of skilled graphic artists and turns them into pop art on canvas. Since it was founded in 2004, the company has been featured in In Style and Better Homes and Gardens magazines. It's even gotten commissions from the likes of HBO and Intel.

"Why have someone else's art on the wall, when you can have your own?" said Hornblass.

Why, indeed? Photography has become the most democratic of arts. With digital camera prices lower than they've ever been, most consumers can take decent quality images. What's more, you don't have to be particularly artistic to make something beautiful.

"It's a way of bringing creativity in your life, even if you don't think of yourself as creative," said Jill Enfeld, photographer and spokeswoman for photography tips the Web site TakeGreatPictures.com.

Web sites Can't find what you want at Shutterfly.com, PhotoWorks.com or even local company PhotoCrazed? Try some of these alternatives on for size:
• Kodakgallery.com: Kodak's photo services Web site.
• QOOP.com: Flickr users get 20 percent off the list price.
• Winkflash.com: Any takers for a minibasketball hoop with a photo on the backboard?
• Dotphoto.com: Lots of fun products -- including the Eye-fi card.
• Snapfish.com: Get a baby bib or a men's tie, whatever strikes your fancy.
• Ritzpix.com: Personalized stamps and sports photo gifts and even a doggy dish.

Personalization trend

Mugs and T-shirts have been around for almost 10 years, as have personalized holiday cards. But never have they been so low-cost, and never have there been as many alternatives available. Christmas ornaments, jewelry boxes, playing cards and even baby onesies are all relatively new items that can be made in your image.

"If you look at the trends right now, it's all about personalization and self-expression," said Gretchen Sloan, spokeswoman for Shutterfly.com.

In the past two to three years, the pace of invention has picked up exponentially. In 2004, Shutterfly introduced aprons with photo print. Last year, it brought out a personalized keepsake box and a puzzle in time for Mother's Day, and trotted out photo books for children featuring licensed characters like Angelina Ballerina and Thomas the Tank Engine.

This year, armed with a face-recognition technology, Shutterfly is offering Sesame Street books that actually incorporate the child into the story. All the proud parents need to do is to upload a front-facing picture of the child and wait for a book to come in the mail.

"People are also getting more creative because they can," said Enfeld.

New lines keep coming

The release of new photo products has become so frequent that most large photo Web sites will reveal whole new series of products according to season. PhotoWorks.com, based in Seattle, trotted out a slew of back-to-school products at the end of this summer that included a messenger bag, locker-sized posters, notebooks, sticky note pads, clipboards, bookmarks and even stickers.

"Consumers have really started to understand and grasp what digital photography means for their lives," said Genesa Garbarino, PhotoWorks spokeswoman. "It's not just about taking a perfect picture, preserving that Kodak moment to frame for your wall."

Instead, it's about being able to work images into every aspect of your life. And that doesn't necessarily mean finding a photo service Web site, according to the pros at TakeGreatPictures.com.

Enfeld encourages home photographers to do photo projects at home as an alternative to ordering products online. "If you can follow directions, you can learn how to do these things," she said.

She gives the example of making T-shirts and pillowcases with a personalized image. It's as simple as purchasing transfer paper (available at most major stationery stores) and printing photographs onto it using your home printer. When it dries, iron the image onto cloth.

At-home projects

Similarly, creating a calendar by hand gives you the freedom to attach smaller photos to specific dates for birthdays and anniversaries. Making personalized building blocks or picture books may help a child learn to read with images he or she is familiar with in daily life.

But sometimes, it's just more convenient to let the pros do the work for you. You don't have to be Martha Stewart to get a Martha Stewart-designed photo book (from Shutterfly) for your coffee table. And you can get unified sets of photo products, like the PhotoWorks suites that imprint invitations, save-the-day, RSVP and thank-you cards all with the same graphic theme.

Even the humblest family trip photo book gets an upgrade: Most photo service companies provide myriad layout options and print your images on acid-free archival paper, preserving them for years to come.

Whether you go with the high-end graphic designs -- PhotoCrazed prices start at $130 -- do the work yourself, or pay to enlist the aid of photo service Web sites, there are plenty of options for making unique gifts.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
* * *
Tips for holiday projects
We asked photographer Jill Enfeld of TakeGreatPictures.com and Maurice Hornblass, founder of Teaneck-based Pho toCrazed.com, for some picture-snapping pointers.

• Act natural. Instead of just posing everyone for a family photo, try snapping shots of everyone getting ready for a group portrait. If there are lots of kids, let them play, then shout "Everybody look up!" for a candid shot.
• Step away from the window. The window is not your friend when shooting indoor photos. It's easy to get shadowed faces with a bright background or bright faces with a glare in the window from a flash. Quick fix: Stand at an angle so that the natural light shines on the faces. • Steady as a rock. Get a camera with image stabilization. This will allow you to take pictures with slower shutter speed without getting a blur.
• We're all in this together. Got family members who can't make it to the annual holiday gathering? Just get them to send some photograph image files and stitch them together using a photo-editing program. Ensfeld recommends Photoshop Elements for its simple and easy-to-understand functions.
• Up close and personal. If you're planning on uploading photographs to make personalized items, try to shoot the subject from the front and as closely focused as you can without cutting off parts of his or her body. This is especially important if you are aiming to use a customized service such as PhotoCrazed or Shutterfly's children's adventure books.
• Step into the light. For the PhotoCrazed service, Hornblass suggests that customers try to get a picture with as little shadow as possible. This will create clean lines, making their artists' job easier.


* * *
Unusual gift ideas
Not interested in the standard photo image T-shirt or key chain? Here are some gifts to consider.

• Eye-fi SD Card ($99): A normal SD card for digital cameras, the Eye-fi also sends your images directly to photo-sharing Web sites like Flickr, Webshots, Picasa and Facebook. Photographers will have fun doing live photo essays, and Aunt Millie in Florida can keep up with the family festivities in North Jersey without leaving home. Info: eye.fi. • Clinique Happy Custom Bottle ($52): Clinique's Happy fragrance comes in a clear spray bottle with your picture on it. It's a sweet-smelling frame for personal photographs. Info: clinique.com. • Light Affection Lamp or Night Light ($39.95 to $239): Based on your photograph, the whizzes at Light Affection will carve a translucent cover for a night light or lamp. The result is your favorite photo, framed and ready for display -- oh, yeah, and it glows. Info: lightaffec tion.com.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Lemony Risotto....drumroll...croquettes!

A new leaf: Lemony risotto croquettes
Monday, December 17, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Vegetarian Suppers," by Deborah Madison (Broadway Books, 2007).

Award-winning cookbook author Deborah Madison is back with a re-release of a 2005 collection. Unlike other vegetarian cookbooks she's written, "Suppers" focuses on entrees that home cooks can assemble for a menu.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *



Lemony risotto croquettes

* 4 tablespoons butter, divided
* 3 bunches of scallions, thinly sliced
* 2 cups risotto rice
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
* ¼ pound fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
* ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 3 eggs, divided
* 3 cups bread crumbs
* Olive oil
* 2 fat leeks, white parts only; slivered
* 1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed; peel if thick and sliver
* 2 big handfuls of snow peas, slivered
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh herbs

Bring 1 quart of water to a simmer. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add the scallions. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute, then mix in rice. After a minute, stir in ½ teaspoon salt. Add the rice mixture to the simmering water.

Cover and cook over low heat until water is gone. Stir in freshly ground pepper (to taste), lemon zest, parsley and cheeses, then allow rice to cool. Stir in one of the eggs. Shape into about 18 oval croquettes with hands.

Whisk the remaining eggs in a pie pan. Put the bread crumbs on another pie pan. Using left hand, dip each croquette into the egg mixture, then, using right hand, gently roll in the crumbs to coat.

Generously coat two wide skillets with olive oil. When hot, add the croquettes and cook over medium heat, gently turning them to brown them all over. Transfer to a plate and set in oven at 300 degrees.

Heat half the remaining butter until foaming in a saute pan. Add all the vegetables, sprinkling with sea salt, and saute over high heat for about 1½ minutes. Add the lemon juice and remaining butter, shuffling the pan over the heat so that they combine into a sauce. Add the herbs.

To serve, divide the vegetables among warm plates, then arrange the fritters on top.

Servings: 4 to 6.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Detroit Jazz-man Gerald Cleaver

Jazz without borders
Friday, December 14, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Jazz drummer Gerald Cleaver will be jamming at the Puffin Foundation this Saturday with two long-term collaborators: pianist Craig Taborn and bassist William Parker. The three have played together often as a rhythm section in larger jazz ensembles, but this will be only the second time they perform as a trio.

Originally from Detroit, Cleaver has made New York his adopted home. There, he's become known for his free-jazz music. We spoke to him about the music, the scene and adopting a New York state of mind.

Q. Can you compare the Detroit scene to the New York City scene?

The scene that I grew up in was a super strong, very grounded jazz scene. Detroit is a real bebop kind of town, but it's also real open-ended. It didn't matter if I was interested in playing free jazz and trying to pursue those kind of ideas.

There's a lot more cross-fertilization in New York between different musical traditions. But New York is a lot more scene-y than any other place I've been. And that part I don't like. One of my intentions is to always personally stay apart from the clique mentality. Every ensemble I'm involved in, I try to foster that kind of congeniality with a lot of other types of players.

FAST FACTS
WHO: Gerald Cleaver Trio.
WHAT: Jazz.
WHERE: Puffin Foundation, 20 Puffin Way, Teaneck; 201-836-8923 or puffinfoundation.org.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.
HOW MUCH: $10 suggested donation.

Q. What do you mean by scene-y?

This is the financial engine of jazz, as far as money goes. Sometimes money gets in the way, and sometimes it gets in the way of intentions. It becomes a 'who you know, who you have played with' kind of scene. It's easy to get typecast here. And people want to get typecast, because they'll get more calls for gigs.

Fortunately, I've been able to avoid that, because I want to be involved in lots of different kinds of musical endeavors. I don't want to do just one thing. Because of that, and because I think my voice is strong enough, I've been able to sidestep that typecast role.

Q. What's the difference between a Detroit audience and a New York audience?

People who love music both here and in Michigan show their appreciation. But there are more people here in New York that are used to it, who are spoiled, I would say. So sometimes crowds will have more of a I-want-you-to-impress-me vibe. That's the only difference, I would say. Of course, there aren't that many clubs in Michigan. They tend to be lounge-y, and there can be more talking.

Q. What do you like about New York City as a place to live?

It's incredible in its diversity. That's the thing that I love the most. That there are so many people from so many different places, so many different perspectives. That feels like the future of the world to me. Detroit is not like that. It's real polarized racially.

Plus the food's a lot better.

Q. Do you have a favorite food?

There are so many! I'm going to have some Korean food later, hopefully.

Q. Have you ever played in New Jersey?

I've got friends out there, of course, but I haven't played in Jersey that I can remember.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Chinatown Treasures

Chinatown holiday
Friday, December 14, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Photo left: With one of the largest Buddha statues on the East Coast, the brightly colored Mahayana Temple -- built in a former theater -- is hard to miss. (VEGAR ABLESNES / SPECIAL TO THE RECORD)

So you're in Manhattan with your family for a little holiday fun. The tree at Rockefeller Center? Been there, done that. Window shopping on Fifth Avenue? Check. Stroll around Soho? Yawn.


Instead of going to places you always go, maybe it's time to get a taste of Chinatown, says author Ann Volkwein. And she's not just talking about the Chinatown of designer-bag knockoffs and pagoda-themed Starbucks. In her new book, "Chinatown New York: Portraits, Recipes, and Memories," Volkwein gets into the history, cuisine and quirky little activities that are unique to the neighborhood.

Although you can read the book in the comfort of your home, you also can use it as a guide on your next trip there, whether you are looking for food, sights or an unusual experience. Volkwein recently provided a walking tour of several places mentioned in her book, a sample route through the heart of Chinatown.

We began the tour a few blocks from the Canal Street subway stop at Po Wing Hong (49-55 Elizabeth St.), a general store known for its dried goods.

For your visit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transportation
• Driving: not recommended. Chinatown is notorious
for its scarcity of parking spaces. Some metered spots are available on Canal
Street during evening hours.
• Subway: Take the 6, the JMZ or the NRQW
to Canal. Also try the BD to Grand Street or the F to East Broadway.
• MTA Bus: M1, M6, M9, M15, M22, M103, B39 and B51.
Planning
• Experience Chinatown Walking Tour: by the Museum of Chinese in America. Tours
begin at MOCA at 70 Mulberry St., 2nd floor. $12, $10 students and seniors. Next
tour: Saturday at 1 p.m. Call 212-619-4785 for reservations.

For more information
• Chinatown kiosk: at Canal and Baxter streets; open 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. weekdays and until 7 p.m. weekends. There are free maps, event
information and coupon books for Chinatown shops and restaurants. Or go online
at explorechinatown.com.

"I wanted to demystify stores like this for people," said Volkwein, pointing out dried scallops, abalone and ginseng displayed neatly in glass jars. The various herbs and teas for sale have become increasingly popular with American customers since owners Nancy and Patrick Ng opened shop in the late '70s, she added.

Farther down the street is one of the two entrances to the Deluxe Food Market (79 Elizabeth St. and 122 Mott St.), the window brightened with neon Chinese characters. Prepared food ranging from Cantonese barbecue to bakery sweets is clustered near both doors for a quick bite. Walking into the belly of the beast, you also can find special cuts of meat, crowded live fish tanks and Asian vegetables to use in recipes found in the book.

Exiting the other end of the store on Mott, make a left. Soon you'll find Fay Da Bakery (83 Mott St.) and Egg Custard King Cafe (76 Mott St.), home to tasty treats to snack on as you stroll. The pastries will go swimmingly with Chinese tea, available at Ten Ren Tea (75 Mott St.).

Volkwein includes a miniguide to eight kinds of loose-leaf teas in the book, which owner Ellen Lii calls "a great help" because she now can show it to confused customers. If you call ahead (212-349-2286), you can take part in a tea ceremony. Compared with the Japanese ceremony, the Chinese version is more like a wine tasting with different flavors and grades of tea, said Volkwein.

Continuing south along Mott, you will pass the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (62 Mott St.), an unassuming building for a community group that has helped immigrants since 1883. Worth a quick peek nearby is the Eastern States Temple (64 Mott St.) founded by the Ying family -- who also run the China Pavilion at Disney World.

Keep walking south on Mott. When you reach Bayard Street, turn left. You'll find the almost bar-like, old-school teahouse, Mei Lai Wah (64 Bayard St.), with satisfyingly large Special Big Buns. You'll also see the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (65 Bayard St.), with "regular" flavors like wasabi and litchi and "exotic" fare like vanilla.

Back on Mott, you'll see the Church of the Configuration (29 Mott St.), the largest Chinese Catholic congregation in the United States, according to the Rev. Ray Nobiletti. Over the years, the church has served Irish, Italian and Chinese parishioners, and Mass is currently said in three languages.

On the way to Pell Street on Mott, stop by Sinotique (19A Mott St.), an antique and decor boutique owned by Jan Lee. A second-generation Chinatown native, Lee grew up on Mott Street, and Volkwein details his family's story of immigration in the book.

Pell Street is where filmmakers go to simulate old Chinatown, Volkwein explained, pointing out a painted-over bulletin board that originally was used to post news from China. If you walk along a small, twisty street off Pell called Doyers, you will be standing above tunnels purportedly used by Irish gangs as secret passageways.

Doyers ends at Bowery Street near Chatham Square. If you take a left, you'll soon come to Lin Sister Herb Shop (4 Bowery St.). There, you can get a Chinese medicine consultation, schedule an acupuncture session or even get therapeutic massage. Farther north on Bowery, stop at Wong Tai Sin Temple (20 Bowery St.) and say a quick prayer to the deity for health.

Finish the tour back at the intersection with Canal Street, where the Mahayana Temple (133 Canal St.) stands. With one of the largest Buddha statues on the East Coast, the brightly colored temple -- built in a former theater -- is hard to miss. Venture upstairs from the main hall to end your trip at the gift shop, where co-founder James Ying's collection of Buddhist art is displayed.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com



Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Beep! Turn the Page.

*Look for links to audio clips throughout!

Books go high-tech
Monday, December 10, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER


When Jennifer Hicks went to a book fair recently, she made the mistake of asking attendees if they had ever "read an audiobook." Paper-and-ink book lovers would bristle and reply coldly, "No, we prefer to read real books."

Technically, the traditionalists are right: You consume an audiobook by listening to it, whether that involves popping a CD into a stereo, loading an MP3 file to your portable audio player or picking up a single-use audiobook player. Although most audiobooks stick closely to the source text -- the "real books" -- there is no visual component for the reader to follow. There are no pages to fold or spines to break.

"Some people get really offended," said Hicks, CEO of audiobook lending company Jiggerbug. (Listen to a clip from Walter Mosley's "Blonde Faith.")

Like the mail-order DVD rental service Netflix, Jiggerbug and competitor Simple Audiobooks sell monthly subscriptions that entitle customers to choose from a selection of titles.

Another alternative

Audiobooks aren't the only high-tech challenge to the humble paper book. E-books -- or, books read on electronic devices like the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle -- are beginning to play well with commuters and other customers who like the convenience of having a relatively light, portable library.

Where to find audiobooks
• Audible.com: Subscription service with audiobooks, radio archives and new shows (also try: iTunes store).
• Store.playawaydigital.com: Find locations to buy Playaway devices or buy directly.
• Bccls.org: Reserve, search for or download audiobooks in Bergen County libraries.
• Jiggerbug.com: A rental program similar to Netflix (also try: simplyaudiobooks.com).
* * *
Where to find e-books
• Amazon.com: Kindle files.
• eBooks.connect.com: Files for your Sony Reader.
• Mobipocket.com: E-books for PDAs, smart phones and the Amazon Kindle.

Is this the beginning of the end for the printed book? Not yet. With $24.2 billion in sales in 2006, according to the Association of American Publishers, the traditional book industry still dwarfs audiobook and e-book sales. But if you are simply seeking to engage with the content of books, regardless of format, technology is providing alternatives.

The audiobook is beginning to pick up momentum. Although older books are being published in audio at a slower rate, it would be difficult to find a new book on the New York Times Bestseller list without an audiobook counterpart. Their sales amounted to $923 million last year, according to the Audio Publishers Association.

"Generally, they come out the same day," said Megan Fitzpatrick, spokeswoman for the audiobook division of the Hachette Book Group. One of Hachette's most recent successes in both print and audio is Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Can You!)."

Colbert's audiobook -- the narration credit on the cover says "shouted by the author" -- is a great example of a multivoice audiobook, Fitzpatrick added. Although most audiobooks have been read by single narrators in the past, publishers are getting more creative: They've begun playing with additional voices, sound effects and even extra content featuring the author, much like extra features on a DVD.

Technology advances

The audiobook industry has been building for more than 10 years, with Audible.com, the leader in digital downloads, clocking in at 12 years old. By contrast, e-books are in a nascent stage, just five years old with sales of more than $20 million annually.

The question, now, is whether reader devices can be consumer-friendly enough to make the e-book a viable format. One product suggesting a bright future is Amazon's recently launched Kindle, a hand-held gadget capable of downloading and storing upward of 200 books and periodicals.

"From a design standpoint, we really looked at embracing everything we love about the physical book," said Charlie Tritschler, director of Kindle. The Sony and Amazon machines both use E-Ink technology, which simulates the experience of reading from paper. Color E-Ink screens are in development, so highly graphic books are rarely converted to an e-book version.

On the other hand, Amazon also "wanted to go beyond what the book can do," Tritschler added. "You can look up a word while you are reading, change the size of the print. A book can't become a newspaper, magazine or a blog. "

Digital rights issue

It is also possible, under an experimental program, to do basic Web browsing and to receive e-mailed files for further reading material. But will the Kindle's $399 price tag be too high a barrier for consumers?

A further problem that both audiobooks and e-books face is the question of copyright and digital rights management (DRM). The music industry already has been ravaged by illegal downloads and file sharing. Fearing the same, book publishers and authors have no interest in giving up their work to cyberspace.

(Listen to "Stone Cold" by David Baldacci.)

"Our business would not have succeeded without digital rights management," said Beth Anderson, publisher and senior vice president at Audible.com. "In the music industry, most musicians make their money on tour or through selling T-shirts and other paraphernalia. So they can accept that their music is out there, because it helps to boost their revenue. But there really isn't an equivalent for authors."

While that may be true, audiobook listeners who want to use digital files are in a strange predicament. Audible.com and iTunes have partnered to allow audiobooks to be played on iPods. These files are only for purchase and not for lend. However, competing system OverDrive, which does lend files through libraries and companies like Jiggerbug, is not compatible with any Apple products -- including the iPod.

"There are issues with MP3 players, because our vendors who lend digital files use DRM, and you can't use them on iPods," said Arlene Sahraie, library services director for Bergen County Cooperative Library System. "That's the first thing that most people ask, because most people own iPods."

Incompatibility

Interested patrons can, however, use downloading stations at certain branch libraries to load content onto non-iPod MP3 players. Some branches even have a few compatible MP3 players to lend first-time users.

Another format has been popular, Sahraie added: the Playaway players. These are basic MP3 players, factory loaded with one audiobook and packaged to look like a palm-sized book.

(Hear a clip from "One for the Money," by Janet Evanovich.)

Those less comfortable with technology also are more likely to enjoy the Playaway format, since it does not involve extra downloading steps and does not have compatibility issues, Sahraie added.

E-books also have a compatibility issue: Every time a new e-book device is released, there is a new digital file format, said Siobhan Padgett, spokeswoman for Hachette Digital Group. In January, Hachette will be one of the first publishing companies to shift to a universal file format called "epub"-- hopefully simplifying the process.

As the different formats evolve, we're getting closer to knowing how we will "read" on future commutes. But the turf wars, you might say, are to be continued.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

On the Web: Listen to samples from some audiobooks at northjersey.com/ betterliving

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

CJ Critt

Narrator with many voices
Monday, December 10, 2007

What is it like to be an audiobook narrator? We spoke to C.J. Critt, a Dallas-based actress who is the voice behind the audiobook versions of author Janet Evanovich's best-selling Stephanie Plum novels. Plum is a plucky Trenton-based detective. Critt has been recording audiobooks for 15 years.

Q. What is the relationship between an author and an audiobook narrator?

I probably have the longest ongoing relationship, author-wise, even though we've never met face to face, with Janet Evanovich. Janet has sent me lovely e-mails and autographed books saying "You are Stephanie Plum!"

I've recorded nine of the Stephanie Plum novels, and would love to do them all. There have been rights problems with various different companies. Some play nice and give others a shot at it; others say, "No, it's just ours." I think there's been 13 written so far.

Q: Is it hard for a stage and commercial actor to excel at narration?

I actually do one-woman shows. Creating a universe of characters, for me, is a fairly natural extension of my training as a stage actress. Even as a little bitty kid I would do speech tournaments. Maintaining a voice that is fluid and plastic and communicates well has always been personally important to me.

Q: How do you prepare for a studio session?

I read the entire book in advance to myself. Then if there are tricky, difficult names and pronunciation, I will make a separate little research list. Those are judgment calls I let the studio make. The kind of research I would do aloud: Let's say there are three policemen, all guys, in one scene. How am I going to make all their voices different? I might practice that out loud.

Q: How long does it take to record a book?

A good rule of thumb would be three times the number of finished hours. If a book is a 10-hour listen, it takes 30 hours in the studio. If you're very accomplished, it takes 18 to 20 hours.

Q: What sort of direction do you get when you're recording?

Usually the actor just plunges and makes their start based on reading it and preparing it in rehearsal. Then the director comes in and monitors it: "Oh, that was too harsh ... I think you're coming on too strong here ... Without selling anything, I want you to put a little bit more here ..."

They also pay attention if we need a drink of water, or we all need to have lunch because our stomachs are grumbling. They are good mommies.

Q: Do you actually hold a copy of the book in hand?

It's all printed out. There might be a few old-timers who like to hold the book, but I think it's nutty because the book crunches and makes noise. I like to have my hands free.

Q: Do you listen to audiobooks yourself?

No, they put me right to sleep!

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

I'll Drink to That.

A new leaf: Puff pastry pizza squares with balsamic duxelles
Monday, December 3, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Great Bar Food at Home," by Kate Heyhoe (Wiley, 2007)

Book cover.

Ever dress up and go hungry to a fancy event, only to find that all the hors d'oeuvres are speckled with (or entirely made of) meat? Most of the recipes in this new bar food collection -- like the skewer pictured on the cover -- do involve meat and seafood, but there are plenty of veggie options. The book also has an impressive diversity of food influences, with offerings such as "cocoa nib wine points with pasilla spice," "ghee toasted almonds" and "lighter-than-air nori squares." For those entertaining vegetarians at home: No meat? No sweat.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *




Puff pastry pizza squares with balsamic duxelles

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons minced shallot or onion
* 2 large cloves garlic, minced
* 6 ounces finely chopped portobello mushrooms
* 1 teaspoon soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
* Salt to taste
* 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
* 3 tablespoons prepared sun-dried tomato pesto
* 3 to 4 ounces brie, rind removed
* 1 scallion, chopped (both white and green parts)

To make duxelles, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their juices and most of the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and vinegar and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed, another 2 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Thaw the puff pastry according to manufacturer's directions (usually about 30 minutes). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the pastry sheet. Slice through the folds and across the sheet, cutting the pastry into 9 squares. Arrange the pastry pieces on an ungreased baking sheet. On each piece, smear some tomato pesto, then top with duxelles, followed by a lump of brie, and sprinkle with scallions.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until the pastry puffs and browns and the cheese melts. Let the pastries rest a few minutes, then serve hot or at room temperature.

Servings: 3.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Scroll down...I'm a contributor

Holiday gift guide
Monday, December 3, 2007

By MIKE KERWICK
STAFF WRITER

Amazon.com president Jeff Bezos with the Kindle. Courtesy of smh.com.au.

I was always the first one awake on Christmas morning -- up before mom fixed her coffee, up before dad made us pancakes.

Twenty-something years later, I remember the wrapping paper falling on our family-room floor. In one box, we had the Nintendo Entertainment System; in another, we had a small air hockey table. Our basketballs came with faux autographs of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan; our toy machine guns came with faux pistols, faux dog tags and faux hand grenades.

And then there were the action figures. He-Man, Stars Wars, Transformers, Gobots, Karate Kid, Rambo, Voltron, M.U.S.C.L.E. men ...

The passage of time has sanitized my wish list. Over Thanksgiving, I told Mom I needed a new blue dress shirt (JC Penney, $21.99 to $26.99). Yeesh. Not exactly Fun City.

Well, we tried to load our annual gift guide with products you would want to rush downstairs and find under your tree. We included everything from video games to chocolate, from Tiffany charms to digital picture frames.

I'm still tinkering with my personal list. It won't affect my sleeping habits. Guarantee you I'll be the first one up Christmas morning. And if things go well, I'll tear open that first box and find the only present I really want. They still make He-Man action figures, right?

Amazon Kindle, amazon.com, $399: A great new toy for book lovers with a commute. Download books, newspapers and magazines to this e-book tablet through internal Wi-Fi capability. Each book costs about $10.

Playaway Audio Players, approximately $34.99: Palm-sized custom MP3 players that deliver entire audiobooks on the go. No more fumbling with a deck of CDs.

New York City Chocolate Tours gift voucher, sweetwalks.com, $70: Your favorite chocolate junkie gets ushered through some of Manhattan's best chocolatiers.

Bobolink Dairy Artisanal cheese sampler, shop.cowsoutside.com, $46: This gift comes with 2.5 pounds of two or more of the aged raw-milk cheeses that Nina and Jonathan White make at their farm in Vernon.

Nintendo Wii, $250: Hardcore gamers laughed at the video game console's name, and few industry observers gave it a chance against Sony's PS3 when the two rolled out last holiday season. No one's laughing anymore -- especially not folks trying to buy one, as they scramble from store to store to get their hands on the much-coveted system with the wand-like controller and titles geared at non-gamers.

Guitar Hero III (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii), Rock Band (PS3, Xbox 360), $60-$179 (with peripherals): Two ways to channel your inner rock star. Guitar Hero is the gold standard that launched gamers' desire to be part of a virtual band. But Rock Band -- whose gaming bundle will feature a guitar, drum set and microphone -- has been warmly received by reviewers and will allow players to feel as if they really are rocking out a packed stadium.

Kanye West's "Graduation," $13.98: This is the disc that dethroned 50 Cent as hip-hop's most prominent egomaniac. This time around he also peppers his boastful tracks with more noticeable dance-hall motifs. Everybody wins.

"Flight of the Conchords – The Complete First Season," $19.99: God knows when Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie will be back with more episodes of their wonderfully absurdist comedy series. In the meantime, if you want to see Murray taking attendance or Jemaine channeling David Bowie, this DVD set could come in handy. The greatest thing about "Conchords" episodes: They get funnier with every viewing.

Staff writers Robert Bieselin, Raymond A. Edel, Joe Kirby, Eunnie Park, Virginia Rohan, Evelyn Shih and Elisa Ung contributed to this report.

E-mail: kerwick@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

My Interview with Dar

She keeps her act in the here and now
Friday, November 30, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Courtesy of darwilliams.com.

She remembers the night well. It was Nov. 13, 1992 -- a Friday the 13th, at that -- and she'd just had a big fight with her boyfriend. It was dark, and she was riding an emotional roller coaster, but she was booked for a gig.

On the drive over to the venue, singer-songwriter Dar Williams had a revelation.

"Trying to be this person who I'm not even sure I like seems like a waste of time," she realized. "Why don't I talk about the things that are relevant right now?"

Until then, her act consisted of a scripted monologue that led her from song to song. But on that fateful night, her trademark performance style of off-the-cuff remarks was born.

But Williams, who performs at Carnegie Hall on Saturday and in Brooklyn on Sunday, wasn't the first to come up with the natural, slightly humorous style. "Really, I don't know many performers in my genre who have felt a staged persona really works," she said.

She did, however, learn from the best. While promoting her 1996 album, Williams toured as the opening act for folk music godmother Joan Baez. Once, when Baez was about to play a song written by Williams, she dropped the following jibe in lieu of an intro:

FAST FACTS
WHO: Dar Williams.
WHAT: Folk-pop music.
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday.
WHERE: Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, Manhattan; 212-247-7800 or carnegiehall.org. Southpaw, 125 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn; 718-230-0236 or spsounds.com.
HOW MUCH: $38 to $44 (Carnegie Hall); $30 advance, $35 at the door (Southpaw).
WHERE TO HEAR: darwilliams.com.

"She said, 'I'm going to sing a song written by a very unpleasant person,' " said Williams. " 'This person is so unpleasant that she prides herself on it.' "

Although she was shocked at the time and the audience had a good chuckle at her expense, Williams tucked away the moment in her memory. Now she tries to maintain that sense of spontaneity in her own act.

"To be spontaneous and improvise onstage is a way to tell yourself and your audience that you're still there," she said. "You're not getting your show from the teleprompter. You're present."

Nowadays, Williams headlines her own shows, but she frequently has a guest to bring some unexpected X-factor: her 3½-year-old son, Stephen. Tiny though he may be, he's already sung onstage -- a rousing rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," according to his proud mother.

He travels to about half of Williams' performances, covering a lot of ground for a toddler. "He's slept on the tour bus," said Williams warmly. But it's a tough life sometimes: "He had the most hellacious, embarrassing temper tantrum on a plane recently," she added in the same breath.

He also has an unsurprising kinship with his mother's songs. His current favorite, said Williams, is "Mercy of the Fallen," from her 2003 album "The Beauty of the Rain." More than once, she has caught him singing lines from the song to himself.

Like doing a gig, living with a 3-year-old can be spontaneous fun. Once, when the television news covered an item about the Iowa caucuses, Stephen's ears perked up.

"He said, 'Iowa ... Iowa,' " Williams recalled. " 'That's your song, Mommy.' "

Williams fans will most definitely agree: Her classic tune, "Iowa," is much more moving than politics.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
Copyright Infringement Notice User Agreement & Privacy Policy

Big Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Trendy fashions move to plus sizes
Thursday, November 29, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Lisa Alpern-Cucinotta, courtesy of beautypluspower.com

Lisa Alpern-Cucinotta remembers how her pilgrimage in 2003 left her weeping with happiness.

It wasn't a trip to Jerusalem, the Ganges River or Mecca. No, the plus-size fashionista, then 25, had arrived for the first time at the altar of Torrid at the Garden State Plaza.

Alpern-Cucinotta, a Washington Township native with a degree in design, found herself strapped for clothing options. She had always been a "curvy girl," usually wearing sizes 12 and 14 available in mainstream stores. Though she lived in the limbo between "straight" sizes and plus sizes for a long time, a few extra pounds gained in college put her squarely into the plus-size category.

She thought she would never be able to find trendy clothes again. Plus-size fashions in the early 2000s were, in her eyes, disappointingly dowdy and unflattering. But the selection of clothes at Torrid was different.

"Here were the funny, funky T-shirts that any twentysome-thing girl wants to wear," she said. "They had sexy skirts and sexy shirts. I have never been that excited. I probably took 45 things in the dressing room and spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars."

Plus sizes online
Here are some online options for plus-size apparel.
• Alight.com: The online boutique now has a brick-and-mortar presence in Long Island (998B Old Country Road, Plainview).
• Alloy.com: The Web store serves up extended sizes in jeans, with inseams up to 37 inches.
• Beautypluspower.com: This site links to trendy items that are hard to find, like wide boots. Also see the blog at beautypluspower.blogspot.com.
• Fashionoverdose.com: With an icon featuring a crowned skull and rose garlands, this is not your mother's plus-size clothing line. The fashions skew young and fun.
• Kiyonna.com: The closest stores that carry Kiyonna brand clothing are Herban Legend in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Lee Lee's Valise in Brooklyn.
• SizeAppeal.com: "Be Bold and Sexy Because You Can" is the motto of this line for plus-size women. The collection specializes in party wear.

A fashion desert

Although the demand for plus-size fashion has been growing for at least a decade, many women like Alpern-Cucinotta are still wandering in a fashion desert -- especially when shopping brick-and-mortar stores. Specialty stores are still a tiny minority in shopping centers, and mainstream clothing retailers never seem to have room in their stores for special sizes.

"They simply don't carry the sizes we're looking for," said Christine Alt, a plus-size model who does consulting for Lane Bryant's newly renamed catalog line Woman Within.

Can plus-size women ever find well-designed, quirky clothes that fit their bodies and their personalities? Or are they doomed to shop at a handful of specialty stores?

The answer may be at the click of a mouse. For those who eschew the commute and crave variety, cyberspace may be the new dressing room. Web site portals dedicated to plus-size fashion like beautyplus power.com -- founded by Alpern-Cucinotta after her Torrid adventure -- direct you to deals online and smaller plus-size lines that haven't made it to the malls, advertising their friendly phone and Internet sales services. There are blogs, bulletin boards and countless shopping Web sites that collect the best of the trendy plus brands.

"The Internet is a great sales channel for niche markets because of the laser-like marketing accuracy it provides," said Scott Silverman, spokesman for online retailer network shop.org.

According to projections by Silverman's organization, 10 percent of all clothing sales -- plus-size, regular or otherwise -- are expected to occur online this year. Apparel, accessories and footwear sales reached $18.3 billion in 2006 and are expected to hit $22.1 billion in 2007, a figure that surpasses online sales of computers for the first time in history.

Image courtesy of keepitoff.blogs.com.

Add that to the fact that the latest Centers for Disease Control survey puts the national percentage of overweight adults at 32.2 percent (in New Jersey it's 20 to 24 percent), and you've got a market segment ripe for development.

"With more and more designers realizing that the majority of American women are plus size, the fashions have gotten hipper, cooler and much more accessible," said Alt.

Bigger sizes online

Because they are able to ship products from warehouses for online sales, mainstream retail companies also are widening their range. The youth apparel store American Eagle, for example, sells XXL and sizes 16 and 18 only on its Web site, ae.com. Ann Taylor Loft goes up to size 18 online at anntaylorloft.com.

Alpern-Cucinotta added that plus-size women can do a lot better at a mall nowadays than five years ago. "There is a current trend in body consciousness, in more form-fitting clothing," she said.

Teens are still out of luck, she said, but new lines like Fashion Overdose (fashionoverdose.com) are starting to fulfill their needs online.

It's just in time, apparently, since the next segment of the population that increasingly needs plus-size apparel may be juniors and children. The CDC reports 17.4 percent of Americans ages 12 to 19 are overweight; so are 18.8 percent of those ages 6 to 11 and 13.9 percent of children ages 2 to 5.

"Every third dress we make is for a plus-sized child," said Marge Hyland, formerly of Morris County. Hyland's company, Pegeen .com, tailors formalwear for children. Now based in Florida, she creates perfect fits for young girls by sending out a bodice pattern to the customer for a trial fitting before making the dress.

"A girl might feel like she can't be in a wedding party because she's too big," said Hyland. "It's horrible. ... All little girls want to feel like a princess."

An additional problem for girls now is early development, she added. Girls who develop adult-sized bosoms at 9 or 10 have a difficult time finding a good fit, especially when they are only about 4 feet tall.


Plus sizes for kids, too

While Hyland provides a tailoring service, children's clothing company Gymboree has online-only slim and plus sizes for everyday clothing. JC Penney offers "junior pluses," and Limited Too has "half sizes" in stores. The trend has pushed up to teen brands like Aeropostale and American Eagle -- but in both cases, extended sizes are only online.

Lee Lee's Valise, courtesy of leeleesvalise.com.

The mainstream stores, especially the savvy ones, are learning what their customers want -- and for now, the Internet offers a cost-effective solution. But shopping for plus sizes is still a pain.

While shopping recently at a plus-size boutique in Brooklyn, Lee Lee's Valise (leeleesvalise.com), Alpern-Cucinotta had an illuminating experience. She noticed that thin women who were attracted by the window display were walking into the store -- only to be disappointed when they discovered there was nothing in their size.

"It's usually the other way around," she said with a chuckle.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Do it With A Band

Adding a little oomph to your workout
Wednesday, November 28, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

For those just beginning to get in shape or simply looking to maintain the body, a little exercise can go a long way.

Starz Home Entertainment, the creator of the popular 10-Minute Solution workout series, knows that for a fact. By adding a resistance band and using some popular DVD titles, Starz claims, you can get an extra bang for your buck -- and your time.

The resistance band makes the most sense in Suzanne Bowen's "Slim & Sculpt Pilates" as a stand-in for Pilates equipment. But it also has the pleasant effect of a home-gym-lite in "Tone Trouble Zones!" with Amy Bento.

There's a clear downside in that you're giving up movement and aerobics for extra strength training. None of the three reviewed DVDs requires too much space to execute, including Jennifer Galardi's "Dance It Off & Tone It Up." It would seem that a resistance band would cramp your dance style, but Galardi gets around it by dedicating part of the disc to dance and part of it to the band.

Although thematically split, Galardi's five workouts actually add up to the best overall collection. It's halfway in intensity between the more difficult "Slim & Sculpt Pilates" and the easier "Tone Trouble Zones!"

If you don't have a lot of space in front of the television and don't have wrist problems, this trio of discs will be a snappy new workout.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

10-MINUTE SOLUTION:
Slim & Sculpt Pilates With Pilates Band
with Suzanne Bowen
$16.98, starzhoment.com

What I liked: The "Pilates band" really does add intensity to the workout. In fact, I very much needed a wind-down in the form of the last 10-minute workout, a cool-down segment called "Pilates for Flexibility." I've never done Pilates with machinery like the Reformer and the Cadillac, but it seems as if I'm already working pretty hard against the band. The instructor gave a lot of tips for making each move a more intense workout but always demonstrated the easier version first. For those who enjoy having a good "flow" in a workout, Bowen makes it smooth.
What I didn't like: Although Bowen constantly exhorted me to keep up the flow, I couldn't keep up and simply felt a little clumsy, especially as I was sticking my feet in and out of the band. This may also have something to do with the fact that the workout was a bit of a strain for me. I don't have the most powerful abs, but the 10-Minute Solution series DVDs don't tend to be tiring for me, especially if I do them in 30-minute sessions. This one had me flat on the mat.

The bottom line: Great for core strength.

10-MINUTE SOLUTION:
Tone Trouble Zones!
with Amy Bento
$16.98, starzhoment.com

What I liked: Bento keeps you motivated by reminding you of what you can look forward to after the workout has successfully shaped you into a fitness goddess. More to the point, she gives good notes for what each movement should feel like. I could definitely feel my muscles working against the band, especially when I wrapped the ends around my hands a few more times. I liked the creative use of the band to replace free weights for the arms and upper body workout.

What I didn't like: The workout was pleasant, and I felt good about myself for being able to do it easily. On the other hand, you do want your workout to have some difficulty. If you are relatively fit, this DVD will be too easy for you. It definitely won't push your limits or force you to tap that hidden reservoir of energy -- the hallmark of a great workout. The "10-minute stretch" at the end was a bit of a throwaway segment.

The bottom line: Good beginner disc.

10-MINUTE SOLUTION:
Dance It Off &Tone It Up
with Jennifer Galardi
$16.98, starzhoment.com

What I liked: Galardi has done a similar disc before, and it's clear she knows what she's doing. I liked that she put together moves from different dance styles to keep things fresh. She also does a good job of building the routine through the course of 10 minutes so that even beginners have time to catch on. It helps that she calls out the moves, square-dance style, when running through the full sequence. The "Upper Body Tone Up" and "Buns & Thigh Sculpt" were pleasantly different from similar segments in the other DVDs.

What I didn't like: This DVD tries to do a little too much in one collection. Because of the included stretch-band, I thought we would be using it right away. But it did not come into play until the fourth segment, when Galardi switched to strength exercises. Confusingly, there was little dance involved in the last two segments.

The bottom line: An energetic composite workout.

-- Evelyn Shih

* * *
Best 10-minute workouts
• Aerobic: "High Energy Fat Burner" in "Dance It Off"
• Core: "Pilates for Abs" in "Slim & Sculpt Pilates"
• Lower body: "Butt & Thigh Blaster" in "Tone Trouble Zones!"
• Upper body: "Upper Body Tone Up" in "Dance It Off"
• Stretch: "Pilates for Flexibility" in "Slim & Sculpt Pilates

-- Evelyn Shih

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
Copyright Infringement Notice User Agreement & Privacy Policy
Print | Close

Stew-away

A new leaf: Swiss chard with cannelli

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

“Braises and Stews: Everyday Slow-Cooked Recipes,” by Tori Ritchie (Chronicle Books, 2007)

It’s a misconception that vegetables should be cooked quickly,” writes Tori Ritchie in this new cookbook where each dish takes time, but promises great rewards. Using a Dutch oven method on both sturdy and delicate veggies will unlock different flavors and create powerful new blends, she writes. Vegetarians will find a handful of options in the “Vegetables” chapter; but even then, make sure to check for sneaky meat ingredients — like lamb sausage in the couscous — before starting the stew.

-- Evelyn Shih

* * *
Swiss chard with cannellini

1 bunch (about 1 pound) red, white or rainbow chard
¼ cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 can (14½ ounces) chopped tomatoes
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Trim the stems and center ribs off the chard and reserve for another use (such as minestrone or a braised dish). Rinse leaves, shake off excess water, and stack leaves on a cutting board. Thinly slice crosswise. Set aside.

In a 10- or 12-inch sauté pan or Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat and add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tomatoes break down and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Stir in chard by the handful, letting each addition cook down a bit before adding the next. Stir in the beans. Cover pan and simmer until greens are very soft, 10 to 15 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Servings: 6.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Toys for Specially Abled Kids

Guide lists playthings that develop skills
Sunday, November 25, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Shhh -- don't tell. Jack Foley of Hoboken will probably get a Jump 'n Slide Bouncer from Little Tikes this year for Christmas. The 3-year-old's mom is in cahoots with friends and family, who will be chipping in to buy him the inflatable mesh-enclosed jumping toy.

His 1-year-old sister, Kayla, will be enjoying it, too. She's just learning to walk. But their mother, Kathleen, knows the toy will be especially important for Jack.

That's because Jack has Down syndrome. He's what child psychologists call "developmentally delayed," and he needs special help with fine and gross motor skills as well as speech. The Jump 'n Slide, beyond being loads of fun, will help him learn balance -- a skill that his therapist is working on with him right now.

When he was a baby, Kathleen Foley did not know what to get Jack for Christmas that might also help him develop like other children. Therapists gave suggestions, "but it was hard, because they would give you something vague, but nothing specific," she said. "They wouldn't say 'Look for such and such from Fisher-Price.' They'd say, 'Look for a toy that kind of does this.' "

But two years ago, Foley discovered the "Toys "R" Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids." The guide, which has been published for 11 years, color codes toys by the skills that they help develop in children with special needs.

"Now I just give the guide to everybody and say, 'This is what we're working on,' " said Foley. "It saves a lot of legwork for me."

Jack, who works with therapists through the Stepping Stone School for children with Down syndrome in Livingston, is featured in this year's guide on a Rock 'n Bounce Pony from Radio Flyer.

Kathleen Foley will be sending out copies of the guide, not only because her child appears on its pages -- although it is exciting. But she also trusts the guide because it comes from the research of the National Lekotek Center, which tests toys on kids with special needs in play groups across the country. The research group analyzes the reactions of differently abled kids who are presented with each toy to see if it helps with auditory skills, creativity, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language, self-esteem, social skills, tactile skills, thinking or visual learning.

Higher-level thinking

Toys are key for development, said Corinne Catalano, a psychologist with the Children's Center at Montclair State University.

"We use a lot of play-based therapy," she said. However, parents should think twice before buying too many fancy electronics for their children, Catalano warned.

"Most of the old toys, like wooden blocks that you can be creative with, or dollhouse that doesn't have characters all over it, let you decide what you want them to be," she said. "You want them to develop creativity and higher-level thinking. It's not just about learning ABCs and colors."

This concept applies to all children, whether or not they have a developmental disability, Catalano said. All children begin by understanding toys with their senses. Then they explore the function of the toy: a ball rolls, and a shovel is for scooping and pouring. The final step is to enter the world of make-believe -- "Pretending has more to do with abstractions and the ability to represent things in their life," said Catalano.

Although children with special needs may pass through these stages more slowly than their peers, they still have a lot to gain from being included in games with other children.

Kathleen Foley knows that's definitely true. Jack may not take to the Jump 'n Slide, although 4-year-old Carolyn and baby Kayla will probably climb all over it right away. "But he'll go in and have a great time with his sisters," she said. "He'll see them jumping, and want to try it, not even knowing that it will help him learn to jump."

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Mr. Chaya

Ailey's perfectionist
Friday, November 23, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

When dancers of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ask if they should throw a little "West Side Story" flair into "The Road of the Phoebe Snow," a classic repertoire piece by choreographer Talley Beatty, rehearsal director Masazumi Chaya minces no words.

"No," he says. "It's the same idea-ish. But it's not that at all. It's this way." And if this is a typical rehearsal, the 60-year-old will demonstrate. After all, he was in the last production of this piece himself -- in 1976.

"I'm not going to be able to turn like them or jump like them," he admitted in an interview. "But the timing of the music and how the shoulder moves -- Talley's ballet is very stylistically important to dance. Not just the step, but how they move the shoulder, how they step and then look into the distance."

As he spoke, he could not resist physically demonstrating what he meant. Chaya, originally from Japan, will be honored in the upcoming City Center season of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for his 35th anniversary with the company. The moves are in his bones.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

WHEN: Wednesday through Dec. 31.

WHERE: City Center, 131 W. 55th St., Manhattan; 212-581-1212 or nycitycenter.org.

HOW MUCH: $25 to $120.

Though he joined the company in 1972 as a dancer, Chaya has been rehearsal director since 1988 and assistant artistic director since 1991. In rehearsal, he has an easy rapport with the dancers, many of whom are less than half his age. Dancers ask both him and artistic director Judith Jamison about positioning and style, but it is Chaya who walks among them in the studio and tugs them into place on "stage." It is he who counts out the beat and does the moves with the dancers to make sure they hit the right turns.

Not because Jamison is any less of an expert -- she was one of Ailey's favorite dancers and knows the style as deeply as Chaya. But Chaya is on the dancers' level. He'll chide them gently and add a joke to the end, softening the blow. He'll walk with them to exactly where they need to go.

Yet when it comes to upholding the details of the choreography, dancers will never find a stricter stickler for the rules.

"It's not just, 'I think it's like this,' but 'It has to be this way,' " he said. "Most of the dance I teach and restage, basically I try to do myself first. I try to remember as much as possible so I can show them the way I like to see, or the way the original choreographer wanted it."

He watches videos of earlier productions religiously. In fact, he travels with a standing trunk that houses his tapes and mini television when the company goes on tour. As a bearer of the flame since Ailey's death in 1989, he needs to keep the memories fresh.

Sometimes he even watches videos of himself. "I look at the videotape and say, 'Oh, that's right. Did I do that?' " he said with a chuckle.

Chaya and Jamison are both living parts of Ailey's legacy. Although some of their own spur-of-the-moment modifications made their way into finished Ailey works, it is no longer their place to make changes, Chaya said.

"I don't dare change anything," he added.

But "I don't want to be a museum piece here," he was quick to say. "The dancers now have such a way to experience that is much shorter, quick." He snapped his fingers. "Like a music video -- I love to use their ideas."

After all, Chaya said, Ailey himself used to say, "Use my steps to dance yourself."

He is always brimming with quotes from Ailey, whose picture adorns one wall of his office. Why has he stayed with the company for 35 years? The answer is simple.

"That guy," said Chaya, pointing to Ailey's portrait. When Ailey died, he thought at first that his time with the company was over. But after serving as pallbearer at the funeral, Chaya rushed back to City Center, where the company was scheduled to stage an open rehearsal. Not only was the theater packed; most of the dancers had shown up, as well.

"At that time I said, 'Wait a minute,' " he said. "There's a lot of work to do here. I need to make sure everybody knows what Alvin thought. I have to make sure to finish telling them before I decide to pack away."

And if Chaya's 35th anniversary shows anything, it's that there will always be work for him to do.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

What Say You, Mr. Isaacson?

Another side of Albert Einstein
Tuesday, November 20, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Remember when Albert Einstein was named "Person of the Century" by Time magazine in December 1999? Turns out the odds were stacked in his favor.

Then-managing editor Walter Isaacson had been gathering material on the great scientist throughout the '90s to make the case for crowning him the most important person of the 20th century. Among the other primary candidates were Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Mohandas Gandhi.

Einstein was a personal hero for Isaacson as a boy. Although he studied history and literature in college and became a journalist, Isaacson was profoundly influenced by the man. His father, an engineer, often spoke admiringly of Einstein and made him a household hero.

Isaacson recently published a new biography, "Einstein: His Life and Universe," based on letters unsealed in 2006. He will be talking about the book at the JCC on the Palisades tonight.

FAST FACTS

WHAT: Lecture on Albert Einstein.

WHERE: JCC on the Palisades; 411 E. Clinton Ave., Tenafly. 201-569-7900 or jcconthepalisades.org for more information.

WHEN: 8 tonight.

HOW MUCH: $8 JCC members, $10 general admission.

Q. What do you think you will highlight in your talk about Einstein?

What I'm going to try to show is that what made Einstein special was his imagination, not just his smarts. We all know smart people, and often they don't amount to much. Einstein ... was an outsider. It came from his Jewishness. He was always a rebel, and it made him think imaginatively.

I'm going to talk about why he believed in God, and why his Jewishness was important to him. When he felt the anti-Semitism rise up, he decided to fight back.

Q. Why were some of Einstein's letters only released in 2006?

His stepdaughter [Margot] died in 1986, and the papers dealt with very personal things, such as his relationships with his kids and two wives. So she asked that the papers be sealed for 20 years so that everyone involved would no longer be around.

Q. What do the letters add to our understanding of such a popular figure?

They gave us a sense of Einstein as a person. ... We sometimes think of Einstein as being a cold and aloof scientist. But if you read these papers, you realize how human he was, how passionate he was.

... Most of it deals with the period of 1915, where he is doing his most important work. So it ties in his personal life with his development of the theory of relativity.

Q. Your previous book was "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life," another project where you relied heavily on documents such as letters to re-create a historical figure. Do you think we can get a picture of who these men truly were from their letters and what others say about them?

I think when you read their letters, when you read their diaries, when you read about what other people said about them, you can touch their lives and understand them.

I do worry about the fact that nowadays we don't leave a lot of letters behind, because we're all talking on the phone and writing e-mail. There were 40,000 pages of Benjamin Franklin letters and almost as much for Einstein. But if somebody were to write a biography of someone today, all they'd have is e-mails that have been erased, probably, and telephone message slips, and they wouldn't be able to re-create the lives as well.

People like Benjamin Franklin wrote 20, 30 letters a day, describing what they did, who they met, who they talked to.

Q. What was it like for you to go back to the books and study science for the purposes of writing the book?

It's like reconnecting with a great joy. As kids we all wonder why the sky is blue, or why a compass needle points north. It's great to be able to reconnect with those simple but beautiful questions we had as kids.

Einstein puzzled over both those questions and answered them, by the way.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.