Wednesday, August 29, 2007

NYU grad explores 'gutter punk' culture, mental illness in new book
Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Author Joshua Furst has his mind in the gutter, and he blames it on "Felicity."

When the popular television show started taking over American living rooms in the late '90s, a twentysomething Furst saw a quiet revolution occur at his alma mater, New York University. The NYU he knew and loved was "a place in New York City to experience culture outside the mainstream," explained Furst.

But "the television show was about NYU students: cute little kids who were trying to find themselves," he said. "I had the occasion to walk through Washington Square Park and see many more NYU sweatshirts that wouldn't have been worn while I was there."

It was the curse of "Felicity" that drove Furst, then a playwright and an actor, to places like Greenwich Village and Tompkins Square Park. And it was there that he found an oasis of counterculture in the form of young bohemian drifters that he and his friends dubbed "gutter punks."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Reading, Q&A, book signing with author.

BOOK: "The Sabotage Cafe," by Joshua Furst. Published by Knopf. $23.95.

WHERE: Bookends, 232 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood. 201-445-0726 or book-ends.com.

WHEN: 7 tonight.

"My interest in them was political," said Furst. "They were attempting to carry on a certain progressive tradition that goes back to the turn of the century here. They were a lot less educated in that tradition, so they were consumers of that tradition, in a certain way. And yet that tradition was in the process of dying out."

Although he never joined their ranks, Furst became obsessed with the idea of writing about these frustrated non-conformists who had so much passion but nowhere to go with it -- and who were considered borderline insane by mainstream society. The material stewed in his mind until he wrote his most recent work and first novel, "The Sabotage Cafe."

His main characters, mother Julia and daughter Cheryl, are two generations of gutter punks. When Cheryl runs away at the age of 16, she begins reenacting Julia's experience of being young and on the fringes of society.

But if you think the story is just a heartwarming tale of a mother and a daughter, think again. Furst frames the novel as a retelling of Cheryl's experience in Julia's voice. Although the mother is physically absent from her daughter's adventures, she sees her daughter's life in startlingly realistic visions. Julia's battle with schizophrenia complicates the narrative further.

"One of the things that fascinated me about writing about someone with mental illness is I've always been uncomfortable with the idea of objective truth, that there's one reality we all have to agree on," said Furst. "Having a main character like this allows me to explore subjective realities."

A trained stage actor since childhood, Furst promises that he will be able to "evoke many realities" during his reading at Bookends in Ridgewood. The author hasn't worked onstage or written much for the stage since "Felicity," because of a "nasty habit of firing directors." But North Jersey fans of his fiction will get a peek into his interpretation of passages from the novel.

"In this particular scene, and the punk scene in general, women have always had an uncomfortable role," he explained. "It's a subculture full of male aggression, and yet I think that rage and confusion and raw anger is not specific to men. And I thought it was interesting and valuable to explore the way that that same anger can express itself in girls.

"It is very much the story of an 'angry young woman,' " he said.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

O-ku-ra!

Spice-stuffed okra
Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Modern Indian Cooking," by Hari Nayak and Vikas Khanna (Silverback Books, 2007)
[Cover image left courtesy of amazon.com]

"Modern" means "fusion" in this new book of Indian-inflected cuisine. Hari Nayak and Vikas Khanna use materials not traditionally connected to Indian cuisine and integrate quintessential Indian spices into different dishes from around the world. But if there's anything predictable about the recipes in this book, it's that they're layered with complex flavors. Spice lists run long, but vegetarian options are plentiful.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *

Spice-stuffed okra

* 1 tablespoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon mango powder
* 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
* ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
* ½ teaspoon garam masala
* ½ teaspoon ground paprika
* ½ teaspoon chili powder
* Salt to taste
* 1½ pounds fresh tender okra, rinsed and patted dry
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
* 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
* 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

In a small bowl, mix together the first eight spices and salt.

Remove the ends of the okra stems and discard. Make a long slit on one side from the stem down, stopping ½-inch from the tip. Stuff ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture into each okra pocket. Reserve any leftover spice mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a flat, non-stick skillet and add the cumin seeds. They should sizzle on contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until golden. With a slotted spatula, transfer to a bowl, leaving behind any oil.

Lay the stuffed okra in the skillet in a single layer. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on top and cook over medium-low heat, turning the pieces very carefully, until golden brown. Scatter the cooked onions over the okra and then add any leftover spices. Mix carefully and cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.

Add the tomato to the skillet and cook over high heat until wilted and coated with any spices left in the skillet, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter and serve.

Servings: 6.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

WARNING: Cheesy "Special Section" article

Now's the time to buy tech items for college freshmen
Sunday, August 26, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Cash registers will "ka-ching" many times before youngsters are geared up for the upcoming school year. For parents of soon-to-be college freshmen, the bloodletting may be something fierce to behold.
[Photo left courtesy of educationuk.org]

Still, this is the time to buy: Any earlier, and the products in question will be out of date by midterms. Any later, and the kids are stranded in a tech desert until Thanksgiving break. In other words, things are coming to a head.

But don't let that stress you out: With some smart shopping and a bit of research, you can make sure you're getting your money's worth.

Here are some suggestions for back-to-school tech items to get you started. For each category, we've included a top-of-the-line and a budget-conscious choice. Listings feature the retail price and, occasionally, some lower prices found online.

Cellphone

They've had one since middle school, but the first year of the college is the time to start a new plan and cash in on a discounted phone. You might need to discuss the details of that plan with your teenager -- but hey, first things first. Pick the shiny new toy, and impress upon them the importance of using it to call home occasionally.

• Top of the line: iPhone ($499 or $599). Earn major cool points by snagging Apple's latest must-have gadget -- a combination phone, media player, camera and personal data assistant -- for your image-conscious teen.

• Budget: Virgin Mobile MARBL ($19.99). Virgin's new basic flip phone lets you pay as you go without the fuss of a calling plan. "Basic" in this day and age, of course, means texting, video and Internet capability.

Desktop computer

Although laptops are convenient for taking notes in class or doing work in the library, it's worth considering a desktop computer. The price point is lower, and they come packed with features that would be more expensive -- and heavier -- in a laptop. Plus, with cheap flash drives flooding the market, who needs a portable computer?

• Top of the line: 24-inch iMac from Apple ($1,999). In the cramped space of a dorm room, the iMac takes minimal desk space and doubles as an entertainment center. Luckily, Mac-PC compatibility is only getting better with time. Staunch PC users may turn up their noses, but this Apple is a sleek machine that's easy to use right out of the box.

• Budget: Dell Inspiron 530 or 531s (starts at $349; $499 with monitor). The slim design of this computer is perfect for that small dorm desk. Dell sweetens the deal with plenty of upgrade options and a rebate on several models.

External storage

Whether your child will be working on graphics-heavy projects, transferring essays between computers, or downloading -- ahem -- free files, hard-drive space is at a premium. Desktop computers may have space for upgrades, but laptop users will definitely be able to use some external help. Even those with minimal storage needs should back up important files on a regular basis: Who needs to lose a 20-page paper days before it's due?

• Top of the line: Toshiba 200GB USB 2.0 portable external hard drive ($230; found for $159.99). With an on-the-move lifestyle of a college student, this pocket-sized drive might be the best option for a large-capacity device. That's 40 movies -- er, multimedia projects -- at 5 gigabytes each, fitting snuggly in a laptop bag compartment.

• Budget: SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB USB 2.0 flash drive ($69.99; found for $29.99). Good for all types of files -- papers, PowerPoint presentations or even music -- these thumb-sized flash drives get cheaper by the year. Fortunately, they also seem to be gaining capacity exponentially: Last year's similarly priced item from SanDisk was at 2GB.

Noise-canceling headphones

Not everyone's an audiophile, but when your teen's roommate decides that the weekend starts on the Tuesday night before a midterm, this purchase will be a lifesaver.

• Top of the line: Sennheiser PXC 450 NoiseGard ($499.95; found for $349.99). You pay through the nose for this pair of cans, but they'll have your teen gliding through any noisy courtyard on a sonic cloud. Comes with a handy travel case.

• Budget: Creative HN505 ($39.99). Their sound isn't quite transcendent, but the price is right and they get the job done.

Wearable tech

What will your child do with all of this new back-to-school gear? With these accessories in your arsenal, you won't be leaving them in the dorm room -- that's for sure.

• Top of the line: iPod Backpack from Think Geek ($99). There'll be no digging around for the controls with this little number slung across your back. Buttons control the music player from the pack's strap.

• Budget: Kangaroo pouches from Hyper Gear ($19.95). Who said chic had to be expensive? This one-size-fits-all pouch carries cellphones and MP3 players and comes in more than 100 fabric designs.

Just because

Because it takes some technological verve to have fun in the nerdiest way possible.

• Top of the line: Lava Lamp (up to about $1,000). These kitschy stand-alone lamps from Lava World can come with a glass table attached to the midsection or smolder classic and sleek in a corner.

• Budget: iPod alarm clock from Accurian ($50; found for $19.97). This alarm doubles as a speaker system and wakes your teen for "early" classes by playing selected tunes from his iPod. It features a nine-minute snooze feature that is sure to get plenty of use.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Representin'

A multinational mix of music and poetry in N.Y.C.
Friday, August 24, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

A "casita" may be a diminutive for a small home, but the global village encompassed in Lincoln Center's "La Casita" program is anything but little. More than 25 artists will be performing Saturday and Sunday in a multicultural, multilingual stew of music and poetry.
[above: Rana Santacruz, courtesy of ranasantacruz.com]

"What they're trying to do is to re-create a little bit of the culture in different parts of the world where you have dinner outside, and then you can start singing and sharing poetry," said Rana Santacruz, a musician who will be performing. "They try to re-create the environment of that situation."

The mini-festival, part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors series, was inspired by the Latino tradition of community gardens, brought to New York in the '50s and '60s by Caribbean and Central American immigrants.

"In this day of contested immigration in the U.S., this is a celebration of what has made the U.S. great, and that's immigrants," said Daniel Dawson, one of the curators of "La Casita."

This year there are "poets from all over the planet, representing many different types of poetic and bardic tradition," he added. "It's about talking about your heart and your life, and the importance of your life and your culture. I think everyone can relate to that."

Performers come from across the nation and internationally from India, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador and Ukraine.

"I feel blessed to have grown up here, because you find solidarity with people you wouldn't necessarily have otherwise," said performer Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai, a spoken-word poet.
[left: Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai. Courtesy of yellowgurl.com]

Many artists perform in languages other than English, but translations are provided only when possible, said Dawson. Because the poems and songs mostly come from folk sources, lyrics are sometimes improvised.

But one year, when Brazilian artists did a type of rap battle, "There were little blue-haired ladies who really enjoyed it" despite the language barrier, said Dawson. "We realized that we were really doing something right."

Tsai uses words from her Chinese and Taiwanese heritage in her English poetry. "I haven't had a problem with a lot of people saying, 'I don't know what you're talking about,' " she said. "People say that it stands out for them. ... Even if people are misquoting back to me what they remember, they still remember. They still understand that it has meaning, and different meaning from what it is in English.

" 'La Casita' is very much of that understanding," she added. "A song in Spanish will not be the same in English."

Santacruz, who performs in Spanish, tries to access not only the language but the folk traditions of his native Mexico in his music. "What I'm trying to do is to capture the feeling in the most raw manner I can do," he said. "I think that happens a lot in folk music around the world."

In that pure emotion lies the most universal language: that of empathy. Listeners "resonate with that feeling of conflict, that feeling of exile" when Tsai talks about her family's background, she said. "That's what's cool about art, because you can kind of sneak into people's emotional lives."

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Say Cheese!

Combination pizza fondue
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Fondue," by Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan (Ten Speed Press, 2007)

If you're a vegetarian and cheese is your best protein friend, then this book is for you -- especially if you are looking for good party food. Fondue may seem like a basic concept, but the authors spice it up with different cheeses, special ingredients and a whole plateful of dipping options to go with each fondue. The "Melted Makeover" section gets creative, representing dishes like pizza or chili in fondue form. For chocolate lovers, there is also a section on sweet fondues.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *

Combination pizza fondue

* 8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated
* 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
* 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 small green pepper, diced
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms
* 1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces), drained and liquid reserved
* 1 can minced black olives (4.5 ounces)
* 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or a combination of fresh oregano and fresh thyme, minced
* ½ cup of pinot grigio or other dry white wine

Combine the cheeses in a bowl and set aside. In a fondue pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the flour, stirring to coat the vegetables. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, olives, pepper flakes, oregano and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add the wine and ½ cup of reserved tomato liquid and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Decrease the heat to medium-low, so that the mixture simmers gently. Add the cheese mixture, ½ cup at a time, stirring until melted after each addition. Serve immediately.

Serve with toasted Italian bread, focaccia cubes, crisp breadsticks and cherry tomatoes for dipping.

Yield: 3½ cups.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Real Men Cry.

Carlstadt honors a fallen Marine
Sunday, August 19, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, firefighters from several towns, and the Carlstadt community gathered Saturday to honor fallen Marine Michael Schwarz one more time. [Schwarz, pictured left, courtesy of militarycity.com]

Lance Cpl. Schwarz, who died from a sniper attack in Iraq last November at the age of 20, was a Carlstadt native and a member of the Fire Department along with his father, Ken, and older brother, Frank. Firetrucks were lined up around the block and about 70 people gathered at Memorial Park as the VFW added a plaque in his honor to the town's small war memorial monument.

"We hope that's the last one," said Umberto Antoniotti, the chairman of VFW Post 3149 who had the plaque made.

Schwarz's name joined that of Sgt. Frank T. Carvill, another Iraq war veteran, and Carlstadt natives who died in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and at the Pentagon on Sept. 11. Pamela Schwarz, mother of the honored Marine, said the turnout didn't surprise her. "Most of them were at the memorial" last year, she said. "That's the kind of community we belong to. They don't forget."

Army Spec. Gary Colombo, a childhood friend who came home in July, was shocked to hear of Schwarz's death last November while Colombo was stationed in California. It was the first time someone so close to him had died in Iraq. Colombo, who also served in Iraq, came back for the memorial for the boy who had lived around the corner from him and joined the Marines in 11th grade, at the same time that he joined the Army.

After the dedication, Colombo lingered by the plaque with his friend's name. "I knew there was going to be a lot of people," he said. "Everyone knew him. He was the kind of all-round guy that could be friends with everyone, and it didn't matter who."

It's been an emotional time for the Schwarz family. Less than two weeks ago, the VFW contacted them about dedication. And on Aug. 9, they celebrated what would have been Michael's 21st birthday.

"He wanted to be 21 and have a drinking party," said Pamela Schwarz. "He couldn't wait. Hopefully he's having one upstairs."

To celebrate for him, the Schwarz family brought a birthday cake made of flowers and balloons to his grave. His friends brought beer, and everyone toasted the soldier.

"We put down some cards, had a little visit, said a prayer, told him happy birthday, and left," said Colombo, tearing up.

But he made no apologies for his emotion.

"Real men cry," he said.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Vegan Baking!

Vegetarian recipes
Monday, August 13, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Allergy-free Cookbook," by Alice Sherwood (DK Publishing, 2007)

Vegetarians know how it feels to be left out at the dinner table. Those who have lifelong food allergies are in the same boat, and Alice Sherwood tries to remedy that with her book of flexible recipes. All the dishes exclude one or more of four problem ingredients, and most of them can be free of dairy, egg, nuts and gluten by following Sherwood's tips. However, because it tries to exclude egg and dairy, the book will be more of a boon to vegans than vegetarians. Watch out for the chicken broth and hefty middle section filled with meat.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *

Foccacia (dairy-, egg- and nut-free)

* 1¾ cups bread flour plus extra for dusting
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1½ tablespoons superfine sugar
* 1 tablespoon instant yeast
* 5 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for the cake pan
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1 cup lukewarm water, or as needed
* 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Sift the flour with the salt and sugar into a bowl or food processor. Add the yeast, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the lemon juice and water. Either mix together with a knife to form dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes, or run the food processor until a dough is formed and continue to run the machine for 1 minute until soft and slightly sticky.

Lightly oil a 9-inch cake pan and press the dough gently into the pan with wet hands. Lightly sprinkle the dough with water to keep the crust soft. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Dust your index finger with flour, then gently press it into the dough at intervals to form dimples. Lightly sprinkle with water again, then drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake in the oven until pale golden brown (about 30 minutes). The base should sound hollow when tipped out and tapped. Sprinkle with water twice during cooking.

Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean, damp cloth to soften the crust and let cool.

Yield: 1 loaf.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

No News is Good News

Dische's novel began as a biography
Tuesday, August 14, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

"I don't like facts," said Irene Dische in a phone interview. "I have the greatest respect for journalism. I don't do it very well, because my mind just slips over into fiction so easily." [photo left, courtesy of kiel.de]

Perhaps it's just as well. Dische, a best-selling novelist in Europe, is releasing a new book set partly in Fort Lee -- a book that started as fact and became fiction. "The Empress of Weehawken" tells the story of her grandmother, an anti-Semitic German who married a Jew and fled to New Jersey months before World War II began.

Of course, there are many books claiming to be "based on a true story." Dische's novel differs in that it uses real names -- and she herself appears as a troubled girl. The book began, she explains, as an autobiography and evolved into a fictional account.

Dische says her imagination was fueled by visits to her old family home in Fort Lee, currently occupied by brother Charles and his family. She tells us more about her inspiration and her family in an interview.

Q. How did you end up writing this family story?

I had a very wild childhood between the ages of 15 and 19 ... and my children were always pestering me to tell them about it, and I didn't want to give them a bad example. So I was always telling them I would tell them about it later, "when you're over the age of danger."

So I was going to write an autobiography of that time in my life, and I kept lying. I kept making things up and making myself out to be a nicer person. I decided that I needed to ask somebody who knew me very well, and who was very critical, to be fair. So I thought of asking my grandmother, because she was always very critical.

She had already passed away, but I had her internalized. I sort of let her write it. Of course, most of the book is about her, because she was very interested in herself and her daughter. But I very much had the sense I was ghostwriting it for the lady who's referred to as the Empress of Weehawken.

Q. Can this book be called a novel?

It is a novel in the sense that in every novel, some things are true, and some things are not. In this case, it was going to be my autobiography, but if you read through to the end, the narrator admits that she makes up a lot of stuff to keep herself amused.

Most everything is based on fact where her life was concerned. Of course, I wasn't there during the Nazi time, so I did have to improvise a bit. But she was a great storyteller and a storyteller who loved detail. So I think a great deal of it is simply true.
Q. How was your grandmother able to bring letters, newspaper clippings and even furniture to America as an immigrant?

She could bring anything she wanted because she was privileged. ... As a Jew she wouldn't have been allowed to take anything. But as a Christian, as an Aryan woman, she was allowed to take everything.

I think that she wasn't going to leave the Germans a thing. And when she got to New Jersey, she suddenly went from being a wealthy woman in Germany to being a woman of modest means, and she made do with it. She simply put the stuff in the attic.

Q. And it was all still there when you looked?

After she was long dead, I bought a house in upstate New York. I took the furniture out of that attic, and I practically furnished a whole 4,500-square-foot house.

Q. "The Empress of Weehawken," titled "Granny's True Confessions" in German, sold 500,000 copies in Germany alone and went on to do well in Italy, among other countries. Why do you think it did so well?

I think it sold because the narrator interested the Germans. ... She's really a bigmouth. She says things that everyone says but you're not allowed to say. But at the same time, she's very contradictory: She talks like a Nazi but is very heroic in helping the Jews.

There were many, many people who came to me and said that they felt that this person was their grandmother, that they just liked her so much. I was very glad, because I had a lot of problems with my grandmother, and in the course of writing this book I became close to her. I was very happy that -- she was thrown out of Germany, originally -- she ended up being very popular in Germany.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

All in a Day's Work

Peaceful protest of hiring practices
Sunday, August 12, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Activists on both sides of the immigration debate squared off Saturday on the street that divides Dumont and Bergenfield, rallying within shouting distance of the day laborers who are at the center of their battle.

Members of the pro-immigrant Residents Against Racism showed up to counter-protest an anti-illegal immigration group, the United Patriots of America, which holds weekly rallies on the Dumont side of Columbia Avenue. The UPA has targeted the location for more than a year because of a day laborer pick-up spot across the street in Bergenfield. [Image, above, courtesy of residentsagainstracism.net]

"Our big gripe is with the employers," said Charles Nussman of Westwood, a UPA member. "It's illegal for businesses to hire these people, but they do."

But other than some shouting between the competing protesters, the rally -- which drew about 40 people -- was entirely peaceful. Police made no arrests, although officers from both towns monitored the block, especially in light of a clash at a rally in Morristown two weeks ago for Mayor Donald Cresitello, who favors immigration control.

"We're just standing here to show these United Patriots that there are people in this community who support the workers here, and we don't like them harassing the workers," said Residents Against Racism leader Greg Pason of Maywood. "They don't represent us."

The Columbia and Washington avenues intersection has become a focal point in the debate about immigration in New Jersey over the past year, with Rochelle Park-based RAR showing up regularly to counter protest the UPA.

Though the stand-off continues week after week, day laborers have become accustomed to the groups' presence. To them, the weekly protests are merely a murmur, part of the landscape, and business continues as usual.

"If we are not working today, we are working tomorrow, so our spirit is good," said Edbin Santos, a day laborer from Hackensack who was waiting on Columbia Avenue. "The only thing not good is that the people over there, they have children, and they are not spending this time with them."

The UPA, founded by Ron Bass of Linden, protests weekly and takes pictures of cars that pick up laborers. The group voices their support for a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that would deputize local police officers to enforce immigration laws.

"How can those people be against upholding existing laws?" Nussman said, pointing across the street.
[Image, left, courtesy of upa-bergen.com]


"We compare it to deputizing police officers to be IRS auditors," said Pason of section 287(g). "It also opens up the door to abuse within families or from employers, because [immigrants] would be afraid to report incidents to the police."

The UPA brought reinforcements, including members of the Carlstadt-based NJ Citizens for Immigration Control and the New Yorkers for Immigration Control and Enforcement after word got out about a large counter-protest.

"We put out calls to progressive news services and immigration Web sites" to drum up support for Saturday's protest, Pason said. "We'll try to do this on a monthly basis."

Pason began a weekly counter-protest last summer to show solidarity with the workers when he discovered that the UPA had set up a weekly demonstration across the street with such signs as "Jail People Who Hire Illegal Aliens" and "Save the American Worker/No Amnesty."

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

FRINGENYC

Festival gives North Jersey theater artists a shot at the big time
Friday, August 10, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

New York's Fringe Festival proves, as W.B. Yeats wrote, "the center cannot hold." It's the edges that are most magnetic.

Starting today and playing until Aug. 26, the Fringe is a platform for emerging theater artists, including North Jersey's finest. The fest, which this year features more than 200 productions, is sometimes dark, sometimes funny and always daring.

"You could go to Broadway from there," said Jim Tuohy of Lyndhurst. Tuohy (stage name Tooey) wrote and stars in "Two-mur Humor," about how he survived cancer. " 'Urinetown' came out of [the Fringe]. It's a great place to get people to see you. ... It's the Tribeca Film Festival of theater."

In a town where hundreds of new plays sink sight unseen while hoping to be the one breakout hit of the season, the Fringe is a shot at the big leagues. Rivervale playwright and director George L. Chieffet remembers the painful lesson of an earlier run for his Fringe play, "Notes to the Motherland."

"We had a little run in New York in 2003, but the problem was ... it was during the Jewish holidays, so the whole city practically closed down and no one came to see us!" he said ruefully.

Beyond the exposure, the Fringe Festival also gives theater companies help with logistics. "It is nice that you don't have to book the venues," said Tara Dairman, a playwright and first-time producer from Weehawken. "Producing for the Fringe is not as expensive, because you don't have to rent the venue -- one of the biggest costs, I've heard."

The down side is that participants are on a need-to-know basis for their venue information. Dairman did not know where her play, "PB&J," would be staged until June 15, and she didn't find out performance dates until June 29 -- barely a month before her show opens. The actual performances are also frenetic events, with only about 45 minutes budgeted for the cleanup of the previous play and the setup of the next.

But most participants are simply giddy to have a high-profile gig. "This is the first Fringe show for us, so everything is new and exciting," said Laurie Sales, who co-created "As Far as We Know" with Kelly Van Zile. The two met doing theater at Ridgewood High School. "Last night we went to a podcast recording for nytheatre.com, and it was the first event where we met other people with Fringe shows."

The feeling of community is a great perk for young and budding play-makers. "There's a real spirit of everyone within one show pulling together and making it happen, but also there are people from different shows working together for the greater good and just being excited about being in a festival that's so well-known," said Dairman. "I really like that atmosphere."

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
* * *

Shows with local connections

* PRODUCTION: "Notes to the Motherland."
* WHERE: The Soho Playhouse.
* SYNOPSIS: A one-man play featuring Paul Rajeckas, an American of Lithuanian descent. It was inspired by Rajeckas' real-life pilgrimage to the land where his parents were born. During the trip, he discovers the family's dark secrets -- as well as its redeeming acts -- that were buried with the memories of World War II.
* NORTH JERSEY ARTIST: Director and co-writer George L. Chieffet of Rivervale.
* QUOTE: Chieffet on the first rehearsal: "We didn't really have a rehearsal space at the time, so we did the entire play in my garage in Rivervale. Well, the next-door neighbor was cutting the lawn, and she was wondering what the heck we were doing!"
* WEB SITE: www.paulrajeckas.com

* * *

* PRODUCTION: "As Far as We Know."
* WHERE: CSV Cultural and Educational Center -- Flamboyan.
* SYNOPSIS: Inspired by Sgt. Matt Maupin, who was abducted during an Iraqi ambush April 9, 2004. Creators followed his story through the news media. They visited Maupin's home in Ohio at the three-year anniversary this April to conduct research for the play.
* NORTH JERSEY ARTIST: Director Laurie Sales and producer Kelly Van Zile of Ridgewood.
* QUOTE: On visiting Ohio: "It made the issue a lot more complex for us. Coming from liberal-minded New York City, and knowing how we felt about the war, we walked into a community that touts itself as the yellow-ribbon capital of the world. ... It really changed our view. This is more about a missing child than the military in some ways."
* WEB SITE: uncommoncausetheatre.com.

* * *

* PRODUCTION: "Better This Way."
* WHERE: Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street -- Lafayette Street Theatre.
* SYNOPSIS: A take on the myth of Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring who was captured by Hades, the god of the underworld. Persephone doesn't know whether to stay -- so torn that she is portrayed by two actresses. With projected video of images from post-industrial wastelands.
* NORTH JERSEY ARTIST: Film director Gregory Polin, Englewood native.
* QUOTE: On finding Hades imagery: "Perhaps the coolest place is this place called Centralia, Pa. There was a town there and a coal mine. About 40 years ago, the mine went on fire, and the town became a ghost town. And the mines are still burning today. Steam pours out of the fissures. That was our entrance to hell, basically."
* WEB SITE: deliberatemotion.com/sites/deliberatemotion/btw/

* * *

* PRODUCTION: "Two-mur Humor: He's Malignant; She's Benign."
* WHERE: Center for Architecture.
* SYNOPSIS: This two-person comedic drama is based on the co-writers' real-life experiences with cancer.
* NORTH JERSEY ARTIST: Writer and actor Jim Tooey of Lyndhurst.
* QUOTE: "I was told that I had a brain tumor on April Fool's Day. ... I thought that someone was playing a joke on me," said Tooey. "You have to laugh. And when you can do that, you realize when you're in that place that you really don't have it that bad compared to other people."
* WEB SITE: tumorhumor.org.

* * *

* PRODUCTION: "PB&J."
* WHERE: The Players Theatre.
* SYNOPSIS: Lillie and Millie make the best peanut butter and jelly in Vermont, but their secret ingredient would make men tremble. It's up to radio host Dick Longfellow to discover the truth before he becomes their next victim.
* NORTH JERSEY ARTIST: Writer and producer Tara Dairman of Weehawken.
* QUOTE: On the atmosphere at the Fringe: "There's a real atmosphere of doing risky material. You might not see a play on Broadway every day that's about people putting [body parts] in jelly, but I feel like it barely sticks out in the Fringe."
* WEB SITE: pbandjtheplay.com.

* * *

* PRODUCTION: "7 Stories High."
* WHERE: The New School for Drama Theater.
* SYNOPSIS: Maggie, Oscar, Cora and The Little Girl struggle to determine why their apartment building burned down and what will happen to them next.
* NORTH JERSEY ARTIST: Playwright and producer Hilary Leichter of Demarest.
* QUOTE: "It's a little bit of a whodunit but an absurd, whimsical whodunit about coming to grips with reality."
* WEB SITE: 7storieshigh.com.

For information about times, venues and pricing, call 212-279-4488 or see fringenyc.org.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

You Seat I Seat

Police help motorists with car seats
Sunday, August 12, 2007


[Image left courtesy of nhtsa.dot.gov]







By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

It's not enough to buy your child a great car seat -- you have to install it right, too.

Police Capt. Ron Klein and Sgt. Jim Walters of Little Ferry set up shop in the parking lot of a Starbucks on Route 46 Saturday to help motorists learn how to do just that. Nearly 20 drivers came to the Child Safety Event for a car seat inspection and, in most cases, a proper re-installation of loose seats.

"People don't understand how the car seats work in the car," Klein said. "We see what happens when it's not done right."

Kelly Ydrovo of Rochelle Park brought her car in for a check after re-installing a seat for her 4-year-old daughter, Jacqueline. "We're going on vacation next week, so we wanted to make sure she's safe," she explained.

"It's not just installation we do," said Fair Lawn police Officer Tim Franco. "It's education."

"We see people drive by with car seats, and we wanted to help look out for the safety of children," said Starbucks store manager Darlene McKnight. So McKnight, a Garfield resident, asked the Little Ferry Police Department to have an event in the coffee shop's parking lot.

Franco decided to lend a hand to the event after receiving an e-mail from the Bergen County Office of Highway Safety that asked for certified volunteers.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Installation tips
• The 1 inch test: A properly installed seat should not budge more than one inch when pushed from side to side by an adult.
• The one finger test: You should not be able to fit more than one finger between the child's clavicle and the strap. Make sure to readjust the strap after the winter, when clothes are thicker.
• Leveled harness: The harness retainer clip should be at armpit level. If it is at the belly button, the child could fly out of the chair.
• Heavy weight: When installing, an adult should put his or her weight on the seat to compress the cushion below and pull the seat belt strap as tight as possible.
Source: Fair Lawn police Officer Tim Franco and Little Ferry police Capt. Ron Klein.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Petite Nation

Little frames with one big demand
Thursday, August 9, 2007
By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER
Staff photo, left, by Peter Monsees

Shopping for clothes is a cherished North Jersey pastime. But for more than half of all women, it may be a frustrating experience involving ankle pants that graze the heel, inseams that hang between the legs and armholes that need to be pinched an inch.

A full 56 percent of American women are 5-foot-4 or under -- the industry height indicator for petite sizes, said Banana Republic spokeswoman Janelle Wiggins. And the petite market in women's clothing is a huge, untapped market.

"Petites currently has the highest growth rate of all women's clothing categories, including juniors, women's and plus sizes," she said.

What's more, she added, "Banana Republic Petites customers spend twice as much as the average customer, shop more frequently and are extremely loyal."

Maybe they're shelling it out because it's such a relief to find clothes that actually fit -- and are in style at the same time. Season's fashions are a gamble for the petite shopper: The short jacket this fall might prove to be a lucky fashion coincidence that looks great. But are the wide-leg trousers, popular this season at many stores for career women, too much cloth to carry on a small frame?

The answer is no, said Talbots spokeswoman Betsy Thompson. Petite women can pull off a lot of fashions -- even a horizontal line design -- if the clothing manufacturer does its homework.
"[Over the years], petite women got to know the brands that catered to them," said Thompson. Talbots has carried a petite line since 1985 and was one of the earliest brands to do so. It also created a plus-size petite line in 2001.

Talbots makes most of its regular misses styles available in petites and women's petites, and this requires a special balance of art and science.

"You can't just shorten something," said Thompson. "It's not going to fit the body right. The really important word is proportion."

With a jacket, for example, precise measurements must be made not only to shorten sleeves and body length, but to make sure the waist hits at the right spot. Armholes are smaller, as are design details such as lapels and pockets, said Thompson.

If they are not modified, the same pockets can look like "oven mitts on a petite jacket and postage stamps on a women's [plus size] jacket."

Even the print must be taken into consideration. Thompson's rule of thumb: If the repeat of the pattern is larger than the palm of your hand, there's a good chance the dress will be wearing you instead of you wearing the dress.

Banana Republic Petites launched online in 2001 and has an in-store presence at the Westfield Garden State Plaza branch (sister brand Gap introduced petites in 2006 online only). These lines pay attention to details like cuffs, hems, collars, ruffles and bows -- anything that might drown a petite customer in cloth.

"A little goes a long way when you're small," advised Sharon Haver, editor of clothing-advice Web site FocusOnStyle.com. Too much fabric can drag down a tiny frame.

Perhaps the trick to dressing is the same, no matter what size you are.

"Understand your body," said Haver. "Even if you are petite, you still have a generic shape -- hourglass, athletic or long torso, for example ... you have figure assets and figure flaws. Play to your strengths."

Haver suggests finding a tailor to make modifications. As long as jackets fit in the shoulder, they can be changed to fit in other places. A trend of shorter jackets this fall may help many petite women find a fit in regular sizes, she added.

In keeping with the current fashion of women wearing styles close to men's suits, women can shop at boys' suit stores. There, they can take advantage of the tailoring service, which is more common to men's retail than women's.

Pants are particularly difficult to shop for because of differences in the inseam length, the curve of the pant leg and features like flares that need to be proportionate. Juniors or girls' departments might be a good hunting ground for petite women, said Haver.

Petite shoppers are getting more attention from smart clothing brands, yet the wheels are only beginning to turn. Haver encourages petite women to write to their favorite department stores or designers and make noise if they feel the petite selection is insufficient or limited to a small group of unattractive designs.

"There's no reason to fall into a fashion wasteland," she said.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.Copyright




Where to find petite styles Some other North Jersey stores that carry petites:


• Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor Loft: various stores, including Westfield Garden State Plaza.


• Macy's: various stores, including Garden State Plaza and Paramus Mall.


• Lord & Taylor: various stores, including Ridgewood store.


• Coldwater Creek: Garden State Plaza store. Petites mixed in with other sizes.


• JC Penney: various stores, including Palisades Center store.


• Petite Sophisticate: pure petites store at Jersey Gardens, Elizabeth.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Veggie Sandwiches

Food: Grilled Gruyere with braised leeks on multigrain bread
Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Roadfood Sandwiches," by Jane and Michael Stern (Houghton Mifflin, 2007)

Most vegetarians may feel that their sandwiches are limited to a handful of non-meat options: soy-meat, egg salad and good old peanut butter and jelly. The Sterns cover those bases in this mostly meat book. But they also include unusual veggie selections, breaking the meat monopoly between the slices.

- Evelyn Shih



Grilled Gruyère with braised leeks on multigrain bread

* 2 medium leeks
* ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
* ½ cup water
* Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
* 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
* Scant ½ teaspoon salt
* Pinch of freshly ground pepper
* Butter and Dijon mustard for spreading
* 8 slices of dense multigrain bread
* 10 ounces of Gruyère cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim off the root end of the leeks. Slice them lengthwise and remove any tough, dark green portions by cutting away from the root end on an angle and peeling them off. Clean the leeks thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt. Pat dry.

Heat a large skillet and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, carefully place the leeks in the pan, cut side down. Cook just until they are golden brown on one side. Remove the leeks and arrange them cut side up in a casserole dish. Add the water, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil. Sprinkle the lemon zest, thyme, salt and pepper over the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes. The liquid will reduce, and the leeks will caramelize. Let them cool.

Thoroughly butter one side of each slice of bread and arrange the slices butter side down. Divide the cheese evenly among the bread slices. Cut the braised leeks diagonally into 2-inch lengths and arrange them on four of the slices. On each of the other four, spread Dijon mustard over the cheese. Place the slices together to make each sandwich.

Place a batch of the sandwiches in a large skillet over low heat. Cook on both sides until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes per side. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining sandwiches. Cut in half and serve.

Servings: 4 sandwiches.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

BOOK REVIEW: Afterwards

'Afterwards' questions the past
Sunday, August 5, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

As an opening clause to a sentence, the word "afterwards" implies something has finished. We have only to read the line to see what follows.

Yet coming at the end of a phrase, the word opens the door to judgment. How do we live with the consequences of our actions -- and how will we be interpreted by others? This never-ending revision process, the great big Afterwards, is the central theme of Rachel Seiffert's new novel.

Two British soldiers, one who fought the IRA in the '90s and one a pilot for colonial forces in Kenya during the '50s, grapple with their past participation in now unpopular military actions. The former, Joseph, is the leading man of the romance that drives the narrative arc. David, the latter, is the recently widowed grandfather of the leading lady.

Both find their destinies intertwined with their nation's history of mistakes. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, of course: Everyone agrees in modern-day London that the British should not have colonized and forcibly put down the Mau Mau in Kenya. The violence in Ireland was likewise prolonged and exacerbated by the presence of British soldiers.

Logically, no one can blame the individual soldiers for what occurred in wartime; but for Joseph and David, it is easier to sequester their past selves in silence than to discuss openly what atrocities they may have committed. The self-condemnation that they hide from everyone, including themselves, becomes poisonous -- even explosive -- as the story progresses.

Seiffert structures the plot on a very believable, very charming love story between Joseph and Alice, two lost souls who found each other at a time when neither was looking for a relationship. David enters into a strange triangulation with the young couple when he begins telling stories of his life in Kenya to Joseph instead of Alice. Although his granddaughter is eager to hear him speak of his relationship with his late wife, David finds it easier to relate to her new boyfriend.

Joseph tolerates these cathartic sessions with David, suppressing flashbacks to his own deployment, until one day he simply can't any longer. His self-destructive impulses come to the fore, and everything -- his relationships, his job, his sanity -- is suddenly in jeopardy.

Alice, for her part, knows Joseph and David only in their current state. She belongs to their Afterwards and can only dance along the edges of their turmoil. Seiffert puts her moral questions at the center of the novel as well: Does she need to know everything about those she loves? Where does a need for honesty end, and morbid curiosity begin?

Seiffert's sentences are simple but well-placed, painting a prosaic picture of life going on, day by day, in a subdued tone. She invites the reader to take a ride on the calm lake of these regular people's lives, luring us to the middle of the water just before the brewing trouble suddenly breaks surface.

And she reminds of something that we, as a nation at war, should always remember: that soldiers, too, are human. The war may come and go; but for them, there will be Afterwards.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Here Comes the Drama

Troupe in training keeps the Bard short and light
Friday, August 3, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

The "teaching hospital" of "Grey's Anatomy," Seattle Grace, is a stage for hot young interns to play out all the drama and sex they'll need for the rest of their lives.

The "teaching theater" called the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, based in Madison, has hot young actors play out drama onstage with the sexy words of the Bard. These emerging artistes are members of the company's Next Stage Ensemble, and they'll perform "Twelfth Night" outside the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck on Sunday as part of the company's Shakespeare in the Park(ing Lot).

What will they have in common with "Grey's"? Both shows are about an hour in length. Shakespeare's famous "two hours traffic" has been slimmed down to just under 60 minutes, making the play fun for kids -- and perhaps less of an ordeal for adults. [Above: Next Stage Ensemble doing "Love's Labour Lost." Courtesy of njshakespeare.org.]

"It's hard to focus on the darker parts of the play," said Bonnie Monte, artistic director of the Shakespeare Theater. Monte mentored the director of "Twelfth Night," Tim Nicolai, who adapted the play for this production. She also worked with the cast and crew. "But I think it's still one of [Shakespeare's] best plays. ... It's very funny, but also romantic, and it has some of his best lines."

The challenges of working on a classic play like "Twelfth Night" differ depending on the actor. "For some of them it's getting the language; for others, it's keeping the emotional intensity up throughout; for others it's the physicality," said Monte, who is also a director. "The director's challenge is to deal with each of those problems specifically."

The most difficult adjustment, added Monte, is usually learning to deliver the "rapid-pace performance style in order to get it down to an hour."

For these early career artists, touring with "Twelfth Night" and another one-hour play, "Henry IV, Part 1," is an introduction to what it means to be a traveling actor. The group tours extensively in North Jersey, and in any given year may perform as far away as North Carolina or Maine.

But before the wheels on the bus start turning, the 12 actors, cast and crew stay at accommodations belonging to the theater company in Madison, training for the arduous job ahead. If ever a dorm romance should bloom, "Grey's" style -- or they should realize the confused young love in "Twelfth Night," for that matter -- let's just say they'll have the language to "count the ways."

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

The Good Book.

Summer vegetable casseroles
Monday, August 6, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"The Vegetarian Cook's Bible," by Pat Crocker (Robert Rose, 2007)

Pat Crocker's book lays a claim to the title of bible, not only because of its broad range of recipes, but because it preaches the right life -- for a vegetarian. As any veggie or vegan knows, nutrition is a tricky balance, and Crocker spends the first 130 pages explaining nutritional content and health benefits of virtually all ingredients found in the recipes. She also details the idea of nutrition targeted at each bodily system: cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal, nervous and respiratory. You are what you eat, and Crocker wants you to make that connection with every bite of food you put in your mouth. She also makes the hard sell to non-vegetarians, exhorting them to think of the significant health benefits of cutting out the meat. Recipes take you from breakfast to dessert with all the green goodness in between. Each page includes additional tips on food storage and for making dishes vegan.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *

Summer vegetable casseroles

* 3 ears fresh corn
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1½ cups chopped zucchini
* ½ cup chopped red onion
* 3 cups shredded beets
* 1 cup cooked spelt kernels
* 2/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Slice kernels from corn cobs over a bowl and set kernels aside. Run the blunt end of a knife down each cut cob over a small bowl, allowing remaining solids and corn "milk" or liquor to collect in bowl. Reserve liquid and discard cobs. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add corn kernels, zucchini and onion. Saute for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in beets, spelt, cheese, thyme and corn liquid and stir to combine.

Spoon vegetable mixture equally into six prepared 2-inch ramekins. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Servings: 6.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.