"Fun" Forecast

Fiction with a real storm warning
Thursday, July 19, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

In 1985, then-young weather reporter Bill Evans [left, courtesy of plj.com] was looking dashing on the rooftop of a Mobile, Ala., hotel. The wind riffled through his hair -- which would have been an excellent effect if it hadn't been blowing at 45 mph. He was reporting on a coming hurricane, and the camera had to be secured with bolts and sandbags to keep it trained on his handsome face.

"The strongest part of the hurricane is still coming," said Evans, thinking to himself this was a really stupid idea. "We haven't felt the full force of the storm yet -- "

And as if on cue, a gust of wind knocked him clear out of the camera frame. "People were calling the television station asking if I was blown off the side of the building," said the Emmy Award-winning ABC weatherman. In fact, he had only been thrown against a retaining wall -- and even that was enough to give him a concussion. Evans continued to report through the evening, though his memory was fuzzy at best.

But his foolish attempt to best the weather was not for nothing. "I thought, I've got to put that in a book," he said.

Evans did just that in "Category 7." The novel, co-written with Marianna Jameson, imagines what would happen if a Category 7 storm -- Katrina was Category 3 -- were to hit New York City, tearing down skyscrapers and seriously flooding areas in Connecticut and North Jersey.

As far-fetched as it may sound to some, the weatherman says the scenario is not unrealistic.

In fact, though the tri-state area passes through most hurricane seasons without much death and destruction, it's due for another major storm in 2008. Research has shown that such storms come every 70 years, and the last massive hurricane, a Category 3, devastated parts of the Northeast in 1938.

"Weather repeats itself," explained Evans. Nowadays, instead of pulling live storm stunts, he has turned his attentions to spreading news of this gloomy disaster forecast. "All the signs are pointing toward New York as the next place a Katrina could happen if it's not prepared. The landmass is at a right angle; the stone under the ocean forces all this water into the city ..."

"I wanted to make sure that, after Katrina, what happened in New Orleans does not happen in New York and New Jersey and Connecticut," said Evans, who currently commutes to New York from Connecticut. "We can't do anything about the hurricane. It's our response to the hurricane is what we're going to be measured by."

"Category 7" is not his first attempt to raise hurricane awareness. While at WABC-TV, Evans put together a documentary that explained how the Big Apple might bruise in a serious storm: a completely crippled subway system, city history lost forever, and an estimated $150 billion in damage.

Evans also tried shopping the idea of a book that explained the meteorology behind mega-storms, but was dissuaded by publishers.

"They said, 'Well you know, only 8 percent of people who read books will read a science book. ... If you want to get your message out, you need to make it entertaining,' " Evans remembers. "So that's why I put it into a novel."

What's the smartest thing to do in a storm, whether it's natural or manufactured? Be prepared, and have a plan, says Evans.

And whatever you do ... don't get on top of a building with a camera.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Reasons to go Vegan

A new leaf: Tofu boursin lavash
Tuesday, July 17, 2007

A NEW LEAF

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"The Complete Vegan Kitchen," by Jannequin Bennett (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2007)

When they say complete, they mean it. Not only does Jannequin Bennett teach you how to eat complete proteins, she also provides a comprehensive how-to guide for starting a vegan lifestyle. The book doesn't have many photos, but the ideas are garden fresh. Who said that the only vegetarian sandwiches were hummus and cheese? Bennett challenges this and other misconceptions about vegan cuisine.

-- Evelyn Shih


# Tofu boursin lavash

1 cup cashews, soaked (see note)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt or ½ teaspoon miso
ground black pepper to taste
1 pound medium tofu
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons each of chopped tarragon, basil and parsley
1 teaspoon fresh dill
2 lavash (Armenian flatbread) loaves, 12 inches each
1 English cucumber or 2 salad cucumbers
4 medium carrots, peeled
2 medium zucchinis
6 green onions, thinly sliced
4 small radishes, cut into paper-thin slices

Combine the cashews, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cashews are pasty. Crumble the tofu into the processor and add the lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture is blended well. Add the herbs and pulse until mixed well. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the lavash. If you are using salad cucumbers, peel them and scoop out the seeds. Cut long, thin ribbons of cucumber, carrots and zucchini. Soak the vegetables in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Layer the vegetables on the lavash, alternating colors. [Lavash, above, courtesy of rentcar.com] Roll the lavash into a tight cylinder and wrap securely with plastic wrap. Cut each loaf into 3 pieces and serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Servings: 6.

Note: Put cashews in a large container. Cover with hot water and let the nuts soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the cashews. Cover with hot water and let the nuts soak for 6 hours or more. Drain and rinse the cashews.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

What?! Noh Way!

Japanese theater takes to Manhattan
Friday, July 13, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Shakespeare in the Park? That's practically modern. This year, the Japan Society will resurrect an ancient theatrical tradition -- outdoor noh theater -- that predates Shakespeare by more than 100 years. [Photo left, courtesy of Japan Society]

Samurai in the 14th century enjoyed the tragic Zen-inflected noh plays and the comic kyogen interludes under the stars. This tradition was called takigi-noh or "bonfire Noh" because the stage was lit with torches.

There will be no actual sparks flying in "Noh & Kyogen in the Park," the finale to a spring/summer Noh-Now! program series in New York, says Japan Society artistic director Yoko Shioya. But on the plus side, the shows will be out in the open -- with free seats and standing room for those who have missed out on advance tickets.

"If some people are just interested in seeing what it is like, they can stop by for 30 minutes," said Shioya. The two noh pieces are 60 to 90 minutes each, while the intervening kyogen will run 25 to 40 minutes. "You can just stop by and take a look, and if you like it, you can come back the next day and get a free seat.

"And if you don't like it, you can just go away," she quipped.

Shioya admitted that noh has a reputation for difficulty -- not unlike Shakespeare. The language of noh is poetry, similar to the blank verse of the Bard, and it is set to music. Even a native Japanese audience cannot be expected to catch all the nuances of these 600-plus-year-old texts.

"When you see noh in Japan, you don't see any contemporary wording translation," said Shioya. "But here with the English translation [in subtitles], you can easily follow what is going on -- not only for Americans, but people [from Japan] who are living here."

[Photo left courtesy of Japan Soceity. Copyrighted by Tessen-Kai]

To accommodate the larger outdoor audience, the society will set up two plasma displays for subtitles as opposed to the one screen it has been using for subtitles throughout the season, she said. Detailed program notes also will be available.

But take note: If you consider yourself up to the challenge, the reward is considerable. This final installment of the Noh-Now! series gathers several top stars of Japan's noh and kyogen circuit in one show.

"I am proud to say that even if you are in Japan, you cannot see those stars lined up in the same program," said Shioya.

Among those coming are renowned noh actors Kanze Tetsunojo IX and Umewaka Rokuro and renowned kyogen actor Nomura Mansai. Mansai, who appeared in Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" and spent a year with London's Royal Shakespeare Company, will perform a kyogen with his 7-year-old son, Yuki.

"The Japanese performing arts are inherited through the family, so when you are born into such a family, you are destined to become a performer," explained Shioya. Yuki made his international debut three years ago at a Japan Society performance in New York, a show in which he played the role of Baby Monkey and shared the stage with his father and grandfather.

This time, young Yuki will be tricking two adults with a hat that makes him invisible.

A rascally younger Harry Potter? "I think this story has an international theme," said Shioya.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
* * *
Mini-guide to Japanese theater

Noh: A revered form of musical theater that dates to the 14th century. The samurai were patrons of the form because its spiritual themes echoed those of Zen Buddhism, especially that of transience. During the war era of the 15th century, the ruling samurai class began performing the plays themselves as a complement to their Zen meditation practice. Actors use masks when portraying the main character, women, supernatural spirits, old men or young boys.

Kyogen: The comic mini-plays that offset the heavy, serious tone of noh. Each noh performance consists of two noh plays separated by the kyogen. The name literally translates as "wild speech," but physical comedy also is an integral part of the art form. Kyogen actors also are part of the noh theater.

Kabuki: The Broadway musical to the opera of noh. Kabuki is more flamboyant than noh and intersperses comedy within dramatic plays. Costumes and sets are extremely elaborate, unlike the pared-down look of noh. As in noh, all actors are men, and famous acting families dominate the scene.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Zen Retreat

Buddhist group goes on Zen retreat
Thursday, July 12, 2007

*For more, click and see the official Photo Gallery with my photos!*

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

About 20 minutes into the Zen retreat, I noticed a burning feeling in my bottom. As if, of all body parts, my bonbon were falling asleep.

It was going to be a long retreat.

I was visiting with the Heart Circle Sangha (Buddhist group) of Ridgewood. Retreats, or sesshin as they are called in the Japanese Zen tradition, are common events to this friendly Bergen group, which is saving to build its own zendo, or meditation space, for its growing membership.

This one was attended by 11 people and would last from Friday night to Sunday noon. We went home at 8 or 9 in the evening and arrived the next day in time for an 8 a.m. sitting.

Which brings me back to the numb caboose: The basic activity at a Zen retreat is sitting meditation. The practitioner sits in the cross-legged lotus position on a round cushion called a zafu. This supposedly straightens the spine and takes the pressure off the legs during meditation, although one common complaint for those new to meditation is lack of circulation in the legs.

I, however, had a more interesting problem. I was beginning to feel that I was sitting on nothing -- appropriate, perhaps, given that we were trying to attain a mental state of nothingness.

Luckily, sitting meditation was offset by walking meditation. Time-keeper Alan Seiden of Ho-Ho-Kus marked half-hour sitting sessions by striking a "case" -- a metal bowl that made a lingering, bell-like sound. He then led us as we paced down the hallway, donned shoes and went out to the back yard to circle for 10 minutes, single file. The idea was to maintain the awareness of our bodies and minds while doing a physical activity.

Zen priest Joan "Hogetsu" Hoeberichts' yard was large and well-kept, anchored by a sitting Buddha. I would notice, out of the corner of my eye, the neighbors' kids playing Whiffle ball, and I could hear a dog barking down the street. I felt the unseasonably cool wind caress my face with amazing clarity.

Intense sensual awareness is, in fact, one of the goals of a Buddhist retreat. Long periods of silent meditation are meant to cultivate a state of mind. The effect is more striking in a residential retreat, where the sangha sleeps and eats silently in the same setting for the entire length -- usually waking up at 5 a.m. for the first session.

My retreat was relatively easy and broken up by the fact that I had to drive home each day and interact with family. There were friendly whispers that rippled the veneer of silence to guide me, the newcomer; and there were other modifications in ritual that were meant to accommodate this modern American sangha. But even so, the state of awareness grew in each aspect of the days I spent there.

One obvious problem of spending long hours at Hoeberichts' house, which doubles as a zendo, is that we needed to eat. But cooking, as well as eating, became a part of the meditation.

The cooking of a full vegetarian meal was a part of something called samu, or working meditation. The idea was to cook, sweep or do garden work -- think of Zen rock gardens in Japan -- while maintaining physical and mental awareness of the task at hand. Being present in the moment was the challenge.

My assignment was to help weed the garden. I have never been a gardener, but I found myself becoming knowledgeable about the types of weeds in the yard, feeling around for their respective roots in the loose earth and pulling them out with a loving but firm tug. And when I had become perhaps a bit too attached to the plants, Seiden rang the densho -- a large brass bell -- for lunch.

This was a special retreat for the Heart Circle Sangha because the participants were trying the ceremonial monastic eating ritual oriyoki for the first time. This involved using a set of three bowls wrapped in cloth napkins along with all utensils and cleaning tools.

We chanted a sutra (Buddhist scripture) in time with the unwrapping of the bowls, the serving of the food and the eating. When the meal was finished, we passed around hot water to clean the bowls, using a spatula to scrape the scraps from our bowls, chopsticks and spoons. We tasted the cleaning water at the end -- the sutra calls it "ambrosia" -- as if not to waste anything of our meals.

I realized anew all the actions involved in eating that I usually ignore; and since it was silent, like everything else, I tasted every flavor, every texture, with intensity.

That silence was broken only three times during the retreat: once for a short lecture on oriyoki by Hoeberichts, and twice for Council. Councils are a time for verbal sharing during a retreat. Sitting in a circle, the sangha members shared confidential thoughts and feelings that occurred during meditation.

We also shared creative projects that we did in Practice of Immediacy. Introduced by Maezumi Roshi, Hoeberichts' teacher's teacher who brought his Zen lineage to America, the Practice of Immediacy involves doing something creative: a poem, a clay sculpture, a painting or woodwork. The goal was to reflect your state of mind.

I came out of the retreat, like an eager kindergartner, with a drawing, a poem and a clay rose. But I also emerged with a refreshed mind, ready to engage again with the world -- and my bonbon was all right, after all. I would live to sit again.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Crepes!

Stir-fry of tropical fruits in crepes
Monday, July 9, 2007

A NEW LEAF

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Diabetes Fit Food" by Ellen Haas (American Diabetes Association, 2007)

A new cookbook by the American Diabetes Association proves to be the rare non-vegetarian volume that features new and creative vegetarian ideas. How many mainstream cookbooks have recipes for veggie burgers from scratch? The recipes come from a network of chefs who are used to serving healthful food in their own restaurants. Nutrition facts for each recipe and cooking time estimates are helpful features for the health- conscious and time-starved.

-- Evelyn Shih
* * *

Stir-fry of tropical fruits in spiced crepes

* 3 tablespoons canola oil or grape seed oil
* 1 star fruit, thinly sliced and cut into quarters
* ¼ pineapple, peeled and diced
* 1 cup watermelon, peeled, seeded and diced
* 1 banana, peeled and cut into small cubes
* 3 tablespoons spiced rum
* 1 cup apple cider or juice
* Juice of 1 lemon
* ½ cup honey
* 12 crepes, recipe follows

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When hot, add the fruit and allow it to barely soften, about 2 minutes. Add the rum, cider, lemon juice and honey. Allow the fruit to get softer, and then remove all of the fruit with a slotted spoon to a mixing bowl. Reduce the remaining liquid until syrupy. Strain it into a small saucepan.

Spoon the warm fruit onto 1 quadrant of each crepe. Fold the crepe in half and then spoon fruit onto another quadrant. Serve 1 crepe per person on plates or in shallow soup plates and then, with a spoon, drizzle some of the warm fruit syrup over each.

Servings: 12.
* * *

Crepes

* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup skim milk
* 1 cup flour
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves
* 2 tablespoons canola oil

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Beat in the flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves and oil.

Heat a non-stick crepe pan over medium-high heat. Pour a few tablespoons of batter into the pan while tilting the pan so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. When the crepe is golden brown, flip it and cook the other side until golden brown, about 45 seconds.

Yield: About 12 crepes.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

It Don't Mean A Thing If You Ain't Got That--

Lincoln Center brings dancing to you
Friday, July 6, 2007
[Photo left courtesy of The Lincoln Center]
By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

There's a show at Lincoln Center that you don't pay to watch -- you pay to be in it. For $15, you can get on the dance floor that has taken up residence in the central plaza of the complex and entertain the over-dressed operagoers watching from the windowed balconies of the Metropolitan Opera.

Forget dancing with the stars. Men and women mambo, cha-cha, swing and even tango under the stars at Midsummer Night Swing, a program that continues until July 21. Even kids can get in on the action with a daytime salsa event July 14.

And during intermissions at the center's surrounding performance halls, the plaza's balconies fill with spectators.

"When you go back into the ballet, it must be a shock," says Nancy Crowder, the producer of Midsummer Night Swing, with a laugh. Avery Fisher Hall, she adds, has the best view of the dance floor.

This year the live music lineup sizzles hot with swing on Tuesdays, salsa on Saturdays and a whole selection of styles on the nights in between. More niche dance styles include Brazilian samba, frevo and marcha, as well as an Irish night that Crowder likens to a square dance.

Learning new dances can be part of the fun. Events start every night at 6:30 with a lesson, but the learning curve climbs exponentially when the band starts playing.

"It's nice to dance with somebody at your skill level, but it's also nice to dance with someone at a different skill level," said Crowder.

And don't assume you have to come with a partner and stick with him or her through the evening.

"If someone breaks in, you're kind of supposed to let them," adds Crowder. "It's that dancing etiquette where you're not supposed to refuse anybody. People are really open to dancing when you're out there."

Over the years, Midsummer has created a sort of dance culture of its own. "We have regulars that come back year after year that have been coming since the beginning," said Crowder.

On the programming end, she added, feedback from ardent social dancers has been a source of constant improvement over the past 19 years. "We try to get bands that know the dance scene and play for people to dance," she said. "People will get mad if they can't dance to the music."

After all, this isn't the ballet.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.

Chatting with Madame Mayette

French troupe debuts 'Fontaine'
Friday, July 6, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

This summer, all the world's stage is in New York. The Lincoln Center Festival flies in acts from around the globe, from Japanese kabuki actors to Chile's Teatro Cinema.

"Les Fables de la Fontaine" is a production by the premiere French theater company La Comedie-Francaise. It dramatizes 19 of the more than 250 verse fables by classical author Jean de la Fontaine, who was a contemporary of Moliere, the founding force behind La Comedie-Francaise, and the Sun King, Louis XIV.

We spoke with Muriel Mayette, the current -- and first female -- director of the company, about art that reaches tout le monde -- all cultures and all ages.

Q. This run will be the American debut of "Les Fables de la Fontaine." In France, Jean de la Fontaine is well-known, and his fables are well-known even to children. The production has been very well received in France, where it brings back nostalgic memories of childhood for many viewers. Are you worried that the reception will be markedly different in America, where there is no such deep cultural memory of the fables?

I think the audience is actually going to take more pleasure out of it, because they will be discovering the stories for the first time.

I acted three years ago in "Le Malade Imaginaire" by Moliere in New York, and I remember the New York audience laughed like children, because they picked up on the authentic comedy. They responded even better than the audience did in France.

I think it will be the same for "Les Fables."
Q. One of the actors, Bakary Sangare of Mali, has commented that this production is reminiscent of African oral tradition. Do you feel that working in an oral tradition mode, the Comedie-Francaise is doing something it rarely does?

Yes. This piece is entirely new because of [director] Bob Wilson.

These tales are a good example of how a presentation of naivete can demand sophistication. It is in the naﶥ mode of animals, of the tales we tell our children, but it incorporates La Fontaine's sophisticated handling of the material.

Q. Is this a production for children?

Absolutely.

Q. La Fontaine wrote the fables in verse. What happens to the quality of the language when the audience is reading the translated text in supertitles?

The fables are not only poetry, but are also short stories. They actually use images, especially animal images to represent humankind. The aim of the short stories was to present our human weaknesses. ...

La Fontaine is a universal auteur, and this is an easy piece to tour with. To me, Robert Wilson made a very visual piece that made it very easy to understand for all cultures.
Q. What is your impression of the director, Robert Wilson? What sort of director and artist is he in your eyes, coming from an acting background?

His art is universal because the visual dimension of it is something everyone can understand. His stage art connects with the audience all over the world, and not only that, but all ages. When he created "Regard du Sourd" [a production she appeared in as an actress], he really invented a new mode of theater. He's a great inventor.

Saying an artist has the quality of universality, in my mind, is the greatest compliment.

Q. Are you going toward universality in the future?

Of course we are, because the Comedie-Francaise is the biggest and the oldest theater troupe in France. It is our mission to transmit and share the patrimony of the French theater. We want and need to present to the largest audience possible. I've been working on that since I became the director of the Comedie-Francaise.

Right now, part of the company is in Milan, and another group is in Bourgogne.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.