Napkin Notes: Queso Amazo

Sordid admission number…well, never mind: I often cruise the cheese counter at Whole Foods for small portions of unusual examples I’ve never seen before. Yes, I know that Central Market has over 700 varieties, but you know what DeGaulle said about a country (his) producing that many fromages: It’s ungovernable. The smaller selection is actually easier to cope with—and it’s thoughtfully compiled. While doing the article on Luis Morales’s Camberti, I came across a mention of a similar French cheese in the New York Times, the Hervé Mons Camembert. It was said to be carried by Whole Foods, and despite my certainty that it wouldn’t be found locally, voila! They had it. Luis is a little less enthusiastic than I am, naturally, but I just bought my second, wood-encased round. $10.

This is a good cheese, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary—except in quality. Really out in left field is the Barely Buzzed wedge I recently purchased. It’s basically a simple, nicely aged cow’s milk cheese, but the kicker is the coating: coffee and lavender. Whoa, Nelly. You really can’t just eat this cheese on a polite water wafer; it literally shrieks for wine.

Of course I had some. Many assertive wines, both red and white would do, but the 2008 Roero Arneis from Cantine dei Marchesi Incisa della Rochetta I had just picked up at Saglimbeni’s (the producer was in town) proved every bit its equal. Lime peel, fig, green almond…this wine was anything but wimpy, brie-and-crackers white. (There are some California producers of arneis, but start first with the northern Italians.)

But equally of interest—with this and another Whole Foods find, the Tomme de Esplette, a sheep’s milk cheese enhanced with pimenton chiles—was a red: the 2007  Juan Gil Jumilla. This is a beautiful, appropriately Spanish wine—big, plummy, plush and spicy, yet with a good, cheese-and-ham- friendly backbone. It’s a steal at $18. Less on discounted weekends.

While I have your attention, I trust, I can’t resist mentioning another white I just came across: the 20078 Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley (Gabriel’s at I 10 and Callaghan). Sauvignon blanc can so often be a breakfast bomb of grapefruit and grass (though, for all that, way more food friendly than many chardonnays), but this is unique from the moment you twist the screw top. White flowers, citrus peel, passion fruit (in spades) and maybe even a little ripe gooseberry—assuming you’ve had  truck with gooseberries—all come across in a total package that’s immensely appealing. Maybe try it with the Hervé Mons: creamy versus tropical. Or with Luis’s Camberti—nutty played against floral. The trick is to try, regardless.

Ron Bechtol

Chaléwood No. 28 - Anjelah Johnson

Anjelah Johnson - Our Family Wedding
By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

Funny girl Anjelah Johnson (right) has been keeping busy in the entertainment industry for the last few years. From her performances as a stand-up comedienne to her short stint as an NFL cheerleader, it’s all been a natural progression for Johnson, who moved to L.A. in 2003 to pursue an acting career.

In Our Family Wedding, the second wide-release film of her career, Johnson, who is of Mexican and Native American descent, plays Izzy, the tomboyish sister of America Ferrera’s character who surprises her traditional Hispanic family when she tells them she is engaged to a black guy.

During an interview with me, Johnson talked about her time as an Oakland Raiderette, what kind of advice she got from Carlos Mencia, and what it means to “sleep like a princess.”

You were in one episode of Ugly Betty last year where you interview Betty about her blog. So, I’ll ask the same first question you ask Betty on that show: Who are you dying to bitch out?

Yoohoo! Man, nobody! I’m on good terms with everyone right now, so it’s all good. (Laughs)

What did you think about Ugly Betty getting cancelled?

I’ve been a fan of the show since the first episode. When I heard it was cancelled, I was sad. I’m friends with America and we talked about it. I told her it was a blessing that she was able to be a part of such an amazing show. I’m happy for her and the show because it did get to run for four seasons, but I’m sad to see it go.

Was it your idea to mention a manicure in one of your first scenes in Our Family Wedding since that is a big part of your stand-up routine?

When do I talk about a manicure?

At the beginning of the movie, you talk about someone getting a manicure.

Oh, when I shake Lance’s [Gross] hand I say he has soft girly hands and ask if he got a manicure. I didn’t even correlate the two! That’s pretty funny. (Laughs)

I thought it was a reference to your stand-up.

No, not at all. I try to veer away from that as much as possible.

I heard you say in a past interview that you’re a lot like your character Izzy. Would you consider yourself as much of a tomboy as she is?

(Laughs) Yes, I do, definitely. I’m not over-the-top to where it’s like butchy, but I’m definitely a jeans and tennis type of girl with my hair in a ponytail. But I don’t like to get dirty. I hate it when my hands are dirty. That’s one of my pet peeves.

What would you consider the girliest thing about you other than getting manicures?

The girliest thing about me is that I sleep like a princess. I have like seven pillows all around me in a big U shape. When I toss and turn I always have a pillow to hold onto. I have a huge king-size bed just for me.

Other than sleeping like a princess, you don’t seem to fit in that princess mold. But I read that you were a professional cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders. That, to me, sounds really girly.

Well, I grew up doing competitive cheerleading where it wasn’t so girly. It was more of a sport. We were competing and doing a lot of tumbling and stunts. We would get injured. We were tough cheerleaders. But when I went to the Oakland Raiders, that was a totally different story. It was very girly and showy. That was different for me. When my friend first asked me if I wanted to audition for the Raiders I was like, “No way. That’s so not my skill set.” But it ended up working out.

You only did the pro cheerleading thing for one year. Why did you stop?

Well, it was at this time in my life where I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to act, but I didn’t know how to get started. So, I used the Raiders crew as my sign. I told myself if I make the team I would use it to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. So, I made the squad, cheered for one year and went to the Super Bowl that year, and then came home at the end of the season and packed my bags and moved to L.A. and have been here ever since.

How did you and Carlos Menica get along since both of you come from a stand-up background?

He and I get along great. We’ve worked with each other before. We did a show together where it was me, Carlos, Cedric the Entertainer, and a lot of other comedians on the bill. He actually pulled me to the side and gave me a pep talk. My career in stand-up had moved so fast. I’ve gotten where I am in such a short amount of time. He gave me the heads up and told me, “You know, there’s going to be some haters…People are going to say this and say that.” It was almost like a fatherly-type talk. When we found out he was playing my father in this movie, it was an easy transition because we already established that relationship.

Speaking of haters, both you and Carlos have been criticized for some of your stand-up material. Some people say it’s racist. What do you think when you hear things like that? Are people being oversensitive?

I could say people are oversensitive, but to each his own. What offends me might not offend somebody else and vice versa. None of my material comes from a mean spirit or a mean heart where I’m trying to hurt somebody’s feelings. All my comedy is observational. I just talk about things that I see. A lot of the time it’s true and truth hurts. I guess that why people sometimes get upset.

Is film something you want to focus on now?

Yeah, I moved to L.A. to pursue acting and stand-up kind of fell onto my plate. It’s been a blessing and I enjoy stand-up, but acting is definitely what I love to do and what I came here to do. I’m looking forward to growing and flourishing in my acting career in film and TV. Stand-up will be there, too. It’s like a creative outlet for me where I can write my own material and perform.

Can you tell me about your role in the upcoming Marmaduke movie?

I play a voice of one of the dogs. She’s like the ditzy dog. It was a lot of fun for me. I was able to improv a lot.

On your website, you sell a t-shirt that reads, “I Have a Big Butt.” Can a guy get away with buying that for his girlfriend or wife or would you advise against that?

I’m sure they can if that’s a joke they they’ve talked about and laughed about. I’ve had a bunch of guys buy that shirt for their girlfriends. They’ll come up to me and say, “Oh, this is so perfect for my girlfriend!” I’m like, “Uh, well make sure she feels the same way!”

Napkin Notes: A Toast to Tost

Jean Francois Poujol's re-imaging of the once-and -former Soleil Bistro & Wine Bar is now complete. We think. To get there, he took the "a" out of Toast to arrive at Tost.  Tost Bistro Bar, to be precise. That was the easy part, assuming the name catches on. ("'Soleil' was intimidating to some as a name," says Poujol, reinforcing, perhaps, the trend started by Pavil when it 86'd the term "Brasserie" from its marquee.)

Poujol also began the transformation by contemplating a French-Asian fusion concept but now says "the execution was not there."  Au revoir French altogether, then; hello "Creative American" cuisine--but with "European execution."  We do not think he means burgers with foie gras, however.

In another change from the previous format, Poujol has also applied for a full liquor license, intending to play up the bar/lounge aspect of theplace. New lighting and sound system, new furnishings...more sex appeal, in other words. Though not quite as high-amp as Coco, he implied. A new pastry chef, with previous experience working with the ex-pastry chef of Thomas Keller's French Laundry and Bouchon, has also been hired to add allure to the menu. So far only dinner, but lunch is contemplated.

Lunch is still off the table at Poujol's downtown restaurant, Le Midi--at least for the time being. Just as San Antonians seem to be francophobes, they are also notorious tightwads at lunch, and there's accordingly some "restructuring" going on. "Nicolas [Lebas, the chef] needs to know downtown better," offered Pujol. He assures us that they're surviving on theater and convention trade, plus the occasional local brave enough to venture downtown in the evening for dinner. Consider this a plea for more brave locals. Oh, and for more downtown housing.

Ron Bechtol

SXSW: Latin picks

By Enrique Lopetegui
candombe108@yahoo.com

There are a lot more bands to watch (especially on the Brazilian side), but these are some of my recommended Spanish-language picks.

No Te Va Gustar (Uruguay)
Wed. March 17
Billboard.com Bungalow
708 E 6th St (21+)
10 pm

Fri. March 19
Flamingo Cantina
515 E 6th St) (21+)
10 pm




Banda de Turistas (Argentina)
Wed. March 17
Billboard.com Bungalow
708 E 6th St (21+)
11 pm

Thu. March 18
Flamingo Cantina
515 E 6th St. (21+)
8 pm



ChocQuibTown (Colombia)
Wed. March 17
Antone's
213 W 5th St. (All Ages)
10 pm

Thu. March 18
Momo's
618 W 6th St. (18+)
1 am




Bomba Estéreo (Colombia)
Wed. March 17
Antone's
213 W 5th St. (All Ages)
11 pm



Maldita Vecindad (Mexico)
Wed. March 17
Antone's
213 W 5th St. (All Ages)
12:30 am




Huecco (Spain)
Wed. March 17
Encore Patio
611 Red River St. (21+)
1 am

Fri. March 19
Flamingo Cantina
515 E 6th St. (21+)
1 am




Bajofondo (Argentina/Uruguay)
Thu. March 18
Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake)
Riverside Dr & S 1st St. (All Ages)
6:45 pm
(full disclosure: I wrote the liner notes for Bajofondo’s first three albums)



Ozomatli (LA)
Thu. March 18
Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake)
Riverside Dr & S 1st St. (All Ages)
8 pm




Ana Tijoux (Chile)
Thu. March 18
Flamingo Cantina
515 E 6th St. (21+)
midnight

Sat. March 20
Maggie Mae's
323 E 6th St. (21+)




Grupo Fantasma (Austin)
Fri. March 19
Copa
217 Congress Ave. (21+)
Midnight

Saturday March 20
Emo's Main Room
603 Red River St. (All Ages)
Midnight




Quantic (Colombia)
Malverde
400B W 2nd St) (21+)
Midnight

Glassjaw in Austin

Glassjaw’s popularity peaked during my high school years.  It is the soundtrack to my adolescence.  Oh yes, I clearly remember hanging my arms out a friend’s car window as we drove around, loosing our voices to their last full-length album, Worship and Tribute. The album that also reminds me of frantically trying to hide my septum piercing from my mom every time I came home from school or being heartbroken over a boy with tattooed sleeves and large gages.

It’s been six years since a combination of front man Daryl Palumbo’s Crohn’s disease and the birth his side project Head Automatica took the band on hiatus. The post hardcore band fronted by vocalist Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck is back on tour after playing several scattered festivals around the U.S.  They played to a sold out show Thursday night, on Emo’s outside stage, straight from a show they had in Perth, Australia or as Palumbo referred to it, “Austria or Australia, one of those.” 

Palumbo’s distinctive aggressive vocal style was just as I remembered it but there was a notable difference in his stage presence.  He was older, not less tattooed, but thinner and more homeless looking than the thick-framed glasses wearing homie I remember.   

A sweating mob surrounding the stage swaying and moshing together like a wave out at sea during a hurricane.  It was a scream-a-long event that included tunes off their only releases, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence, Worship and Tribute and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. 

It was hard to stay put as I tried very hard to concentrate on staying grounded and balanced while my camera pierced my chest.  I spent the most of show suspended in air with both my hands up as people around me got to second base with me and traded sweat.  It didn’t keep me from yelling along as confessions of love sprouted randomly through out the crowd.   I closed my eyes and thought, ‘I feel you crowd, I love him too.  You’re right, he is beautiful.’        

Napkin notes: More on Sandbar

This week I reviewed the Sandbar, still one of my favorite restaurants in town, despite a few grumbles about the new location. If I could afford to, I'd eat there at least once a week. Print means limitations, though, so as promised a few notes that didn't make it into the story:

• Sandbar serves an over-the-top iceberg wedge that is like a treasure hunt: Navigate around the fresh avocado island, through a delightfully light sea of dressing to find fresh cheese crumbles, plump and savory tomato confit, and tender hardboiled egg. Fresh chives, shallot, thin slivers of crisp bacon (note: we ordered extra) -- at our house we call iceberg lettuce crunchy water but it makes perfect sense here as the sturdy but unobtrusive anchor.




• Lobster-roll economics: Judging by comments at Urban Spoon, I'm not the only diner who misses the lobster roll at lunch -- in fact, it makes a lot more sense as a meal at lunch -- but not $$-wise, apparently, which is why it's currently regulated to evening-only. Chef Weissman is said to be considering installing a lobster tank, which I gather might make a difference, but in the meantime, if you care as I do -- please order it more often at dinnertime.

• The whole fried fish is served with an addictive sauce with the consistency of ponzu (and like a ginger ponzu, fresh with ginger, citrus, and scallion flavor), but clearly of a higher order. James Martin says it's made with, among other things, salted black beans, fish sauce, and fresh garlic, scallion, and ginger. Which sounds like it could be overpowering, but it's actually almost delicate. I love it almost as much as the fish itself. 

• The hot plate: My biggest gripe will make little sense to folks who prefer their fish hot and cooked, but there are a few other places in town to get very good dishes along these lines (although as always, you'll find more attention to detail at Sandbar, and seldom will something be out of balance), while what was so exciting about Sandbar's debut is that it presented the opportunit to eat seafood like those lucky coastal bastards to the East and West of us. But to be fair, the new Sandbar has a full kitchen, which the original location did not and more seats to fill  -- Current critic Ron Bechtol says they used to cook the whole fried fish at next-door Le Reve, for instance, as well as the unctuous (in a very good way) lobster bisque ...

• ... which James says is a classic French preparation that gets some of that rich flavor from Cognac, and takes something like 7 hours to prepare. I've noticed more complaints about this dish than any other in food-site user reviews of Sandbar (tastes burned, say some; no actual pieces of lobster, say others) and I sincerely hope Chefs Weissman and Carlson pay no attention whatsoever. SA could be on culinary maps for this soup alone.

Alice in Wonderland (1903)

While you're waiting for the latest issue of the Current (hitting newsstands tomorrow), and the Tim Burton Alice remake (opening Friday), check out the first filmed version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, courtesy of the British Film Institute. 'Preciate it, guvnah!

funding Fundred with art hundreds

(Note: This will run in tomorrow's CAM guide, also.)

And you can check out the CAM Calendar all month long!

Special kudos to Kendra Curry who's helped to orchestrate this, and to Andy and Yvette Benavides and SMART for empowering this event!

****************************************

CAM Preview Pick

fundred pickup

Quick! Head on over to fundred.org and learn all about an urgently innovative public art / public works / public health project goin’ on across the nation. Thumbnail sketch: soil contamination is rampant in the US, particularly in post-Katrina New Orleans, where it’s estimated that 30% of inner-city children suffer from lead poisoning, a leading cause of lifelong neurological and learning problems.

(slide of blood scan showing lead poisoning)

A  team of scientists has come up with some very cool strategies to lessen soil lead levels by “locking” the contaminant into bio-unavailable ( i.e. “won’t contaminate people”) minerals, a system that could be piloted in NOLA then implemented in lead-affected cities everywhere (including our own!). Awesome — the only catch is, the estimated cost for “Operation Paydirt” is $300,000,000.

Ouch. This is where “Fundred” comes in; artist Mel Chin has spearheaded a nationwide art movement wherein schoolkids and activists, artists and dabblers and moms and dads and abuelitas and scientists and everybody and anybody each creates an individual work of paper art based on the hundred dollar bill (find some cool templates and instructions here.

Here are some examples:

This accumulated “creative capital” is being picked up by an armored truck called “Sous Terre” from schools and universities and community centers and arts institutions all across the country.

This Thursday, Sous Terre (which means “underground”) will stop in San Antonio. The already-made fundreds by SA kids and artists and those made on-site during the pick-up will be combined with fundreds from everywhere from LA to Marfa, then late this Spring, will be presented to the United States Congress with a request that lawmakers match this grassroots in-kind labor with some very real funding for soil contamination. Help New Orleans and represent San Antonio!

Here's Mel Chin talking about the project:

Farouk, Farouk, Farouk is on fire

He don't need no water, just your vote in the Democratic primary. I had every intention of making fun of J. Xavier's hip-hop tribute detailing Farouk Shami's policies —officially released by his campaign, mind you — but after listening to it I'd rather wipe a booger on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
We don't care who you vote for, but we strongly endorse this song. Any candidate willing to embrace Auto Tune technology's got our — um — attention I guess is the right word for it.
Official press release reprinted below. Somebody record a Rick Perry endorsing hip-hop song, stat.

In a last minute push to win supporters and motivate Texans to go to the polls tomorrow, Farouk Shami has publically released the song "Farouk" from prominent hip hop artist J. Xavier.  The song outlines Farouk's new solutions for Texas, including creating jobs and reforming the education system so it looks out for all Texas children. 

"I thank J. Xavier for his support and lending his amazing talents to our campaign," said Farouk Shami.

A Friday musing

Much of life consists of concocting an acceptable outward appearance, which can be a playful and pleasurable endeavor or — if you find yrself in a state of existential awareness of essential loneliness and Otherness — a helluva job to maintain. Rifts are inevitable. Meanwhile, here's Digable Planets.

An interview with 'Crazies' director Breck Eisner

Breck Eisner - The Crazies
By Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current contributing writer
kiko@cinesnob.net

During a phone interview with me today, director Breck Eisner spoke about his new film The Crazies, a remake of the 1973 horror film of the same name by George A. Romero. In the film, a group of small town folk in Iowa are infected by a virus that causes them to become aggressive psychopaths. Breck, who is the son of former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner, also talked about why he decided the movie needed to be remade and whether or not he thinks he could survive a global pandemic if one were ever to happen.

One could say that the reason we’re seeing so many horror remakes is because Hollywood is running out of ideas. Original scripts are a rarity in the industry. Would you disagree with that assertion?

You know, I totally understand the frustration with all these remakes. I would share that same frustration if every remake was a piece of junk. If a remake is great and people are making them for a reason and there’s something to tell, then go for it. But if a remake is just there to exploit a property and make money it’s no longer a reason to make a movie. With The Crazies, I saw a movie that had relevance when it was first made in ’73 and a relevance that existed today. It’s a different world, a totally different audience, and there are still things to say about the core conflict that makes the original work. For me, the idea of writing off all remakes is wrong. If it’s good then it’s no different than remaking a book or a graphic novel. Do it because there is a purpose.

Why do you think directors like George A. Romero and Wes Craven are open to the idea of their movies being recreated? I know you’ve said in a past interview that you would only remake a movie if you saw a flaw in the original. Do you think they see some of those flaws, too?

I think the flaw – if you can call it that – of [1973’s] The Crazies is a lack of resources. Obviously, having more money doesn’t mean you are going to have a better movie, but in a movie like The Crazies it’s a movie about the government taking over a town. When scaled to that, it’s kind of expensive if you have the desire to do it right. Romero was very limited in what he could do. One of the things I wanted to push against and try to scale up was to depict the military in a realistic way. In terms of their openness to make movies, I can talk specifically about Romero. He owns the rights to this movie. He benefits financially from selling it. It was his decision to allow the remake to happen, which gave me confidence in getting into this project. His point of view on it is this: here it is guys, be true to the original but I want to see your version of it. This is your movie. Go ahead and remake it.

While The Crazies has some gory moments, I wouldn’t necessarily say it focused on that element like a lot of horror movies do these days. Was not overdoing the gore something you did intentionally?

For me I just wanted to make a movie that I would want to see and the style of horror that I like. I certainly recognize that there are gorier movies out there. What I like in horror is a strong concept and good characters that you can invest in so when things start going horrifically wrong for them you have an emotional connection to them. My thought on gore is that it should service the movie itself. It’s fine when it’s in a scene where it’s appropriate. But don’t put gore in a movie for gore’s sake. Don’t just make it graphic because you think that’s what people want.

You’ve said in a past interview that the horror genre is something you hope you can keep doing. You said you’re not mucho of a romantic comedy type of guy. What’s the last romantic comedy you saw?

(Laughs) Oh, gosh, what is the last romantic comedy I saw? Is Wedding Crashers a romantic comedy? I love comedy. I love what the Coen Brothers do and I love comedy with a male point of view. If I was going to do a romantic comedy it would have to have some kind of dark comic take on it. But I love movies and appreciate them so to get the opportunity to make a good one, I would certainly take it.

Do you personally think you would be able to survive something apocalyptic like what we see in The Crazies?

I would absolutely go down in the first page of the script. I would like to think I would survive but I think I would be one of those guys that didn’t make it out alive.

What is something that drives you crazy about the film industry? About life in general?

What drives me crazy in the film industry is just the uncertainty of it. You’re never employed. You’re always looking for your next job. It’s a really unstable life. It can drive you mad. In life: traffic. Sometimes traffic can push me to the brink of insanity.