You Have No Idea

After more than 30 years in the spotlight, as one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment industry, Vanessa Williams has finally released her highly anticipated autobiography: You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-Nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other).

Vanessa Williams as Miss America

photo source

In this "tell all" memoir, co-written with her mother Helen Williams, and along with Irene Zutell, Vanessa holds nothing back. In blunt discourse Vanessa writes about her strong will in childhood, her obsessive affair with her first boyfriend, her amazement about being chosen at age 20 in 1983 as the first Miss America of African American descent. She tells of her, and her family's, fear as vicious hate mail and death threats began to roll in, both before and after the nude photo scandal that forced her to give up her Miss America title.

"Desperate Housewives" Season Finale Event

Vanessa Williams and her mother Helen Williams
Hollywood, CA, USA 04/29/2012
Andrew Evans / PR Photos- photo source

Vanessa credits her professional music-teacher father and mother for inspiring her singing, dancing and acting talents and giving her the strict, but loving, suburban New York City upbringing she often rebelled against. Vanessa gives details about making her Grammy award nominated albums, accomplishing her dream of breaking into Broadway theater, along with movie and television roles, and facts about her two marriages and four children.  Her mother Helen, meanwhile, gives her own account after each chapter of Vanessa's story, revealing facts about Vanessa's early and later life that only a mother could know. Even so, there were shocking details never revealed before in Vanessa's memoir that surprised even her mother!  Vanessa felt the time was right to reveal those facts in her memoir, as they are a part of what made her who she is today.

I enjoyed reading Vanessa Williams memoir because I remember being enthralled by her beauty and impressed by her talent when she was chosen to become Miss America, and then disappointed when she lost the title because of the scandal.  I often wondered about her side of the story, and how she was able to overcome this obstacle to her career.  I was also lucky enough to see her perform in the Broadway musicals Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1994 and the 2002 revival of Into the Woods, both of which exemplified her singing, acting and dancing talents, so I was eager to read about how she launched her Broadway career.  As a parent, I was interested to read Helen's side of the story, which showed that while we can't always control the path our children take when they are approaching adulthood and beyond, we can always be there to love and emotionally support them in their lives and maintain a meaningful relationship with them. I liked the conversational tone of the book and found myself sympathizing with Helen quite a bit, while also respecting Vanessa's work ethic and determination in accomplishing all her dreams.  If you enjoy reading memoirs about strong and accomplished women, I think you'd enjoy reading "You Have No Idea"! *


To read what other Blogher book reviewers say about "You Have No Idea," and join in the book discussion at Blogher's Book Club.

* While I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review, all opinions expressed in this review are my own and have not been influenced in any way by BlogHer or the publisher of this book.

I'm linking this post to Beverly's Pink Saturday blog event! Thanks, Beverly!

 

Walking Brooklyn -- Pratt Institute

Two friends and I have decided to get more exercise by following walking tours from the book "Walking Brooklyn -- 30 tours exploring historical legacies, neighborhood culture, side streets and waterways" by Adrienne Onofri. Our first outing was to the historical Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, an area that was not well known to us, but one we were curious to see.

One of the places the tour took us to was through the front gates of Pratt Institute,  a private art college located at 200 Willoughby Avenue, in Brooklyn, New York. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, Jewelry Design, Illustration, Interior Design,  Digital Arts, Creative Writing, Library and Information Science, and other areas.

It was founded and endowed in 1887 by Charles Pratt (1830–1891), who was an early pioneer of the natural oil industry in the United States. An advocate of education and the arts, Pratt is credited with recognizing the growing need for trained industrial workers.

The enclosed landscaped 25-acre campus contains many historic buildings, which include a library, an athletic center and student residential buildings.

The entire Brooklyn campus is home to the Pratt Sculpture Park, the largest in New York City, and has featured sculptures by such artists as Richard Serra, Donald Lipski, and Mark di Suvero. The Pratt Sculpture Park is curated by Professor David Weinrib and was recognized as one of the 10 best college and university campus art collections in the country by Public Art Review in 2006.

Some of the interesting sculptures we saw on the campus.

A full slide show of the sculptures can be seen on the Pratt Institute website on this link.

Buildings on campus include the Library, Dekalb Hall, ISC Building, Main Building, North Hall, East Building, Student Union, Memorial Hall, Machinery Building, Chemistry Building, Engineering Building, Pratt Studios, Steuben Hall, and the ARC building. Many of the building were built between 1885 and 1936, and are on National Register of Historic Places. The library at Pratt Institute, which was opened in 1888 to serve not only students but the general public as well, was the first free public library in Brooklyn.

Pratt boasts the oldest continuously operating, privately owned, steam-powered electrical-generating plant in the country. The facility's historic value was recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and named a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark.

 The generating plant is open for public viewing and was fascinating to see.

The Chief Engineer, Conrad Milster, was nice enough to explain all the history of the plant generator which was used for many years to generate electricity for the institute. The generators are no longer used for power, but they are still hooked up to the steam plant and every once in a while they are powered up to keep them functioning, in case they are needed.

Mr. Milster's office looked like a Norman Rockwell painting! My friends and I "oohed and aahed" over his antique roll top desk.

In fact, we were impressed with the museum quality of the entire building's artifacts that were on display.

Another fact I found charming about the engine room was that it is home to many of Pratt's legendary residential cats.  Their photos, names and personality traits were listed on a poster on the wall, as well as some of their award ribbons which they won at cat shows, as you can see in the photo collage above.

One of artist Robert Indiana's iconic "LOVE" sculptures in Pratt Institute's sculpture garden.  

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day today!   I also want to thank everyone who gave me suggestions and tips about hair products in my prior post. I found them all very helpful. My "Ladles of Love" giveaway winner that was chosen by Random Generator today has been announced on the original post.on this link.

On my next post I'll continue the walking tour of Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood, so I hope you'll join me!

I'm linking this post to the following blog events:

 "Outdoor Wednesday" blog event on Susan's blog A Southern Daydreamer.

"Alphabe Thursday" for the letter "M" on Jenny Matlock's blog, as Pratt Institute is very much a museum of art and architecture

Al Di La Trattoria -- a Taste of Venice in Brooklyn!

"Al Di La" in Italian means "beyond."  Al Di La Trattoria, a little corner restaurant located at 248 5th Avenue, in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, is  one of New York City's top  rated restaurants, offering Northern Italian cuisine from the Veneto region, beyond compare!

It's not unusual for Brooklyn residents to go over to Manhattan to dine in a wonderful restaurant, but it once was unusual to see Manhattanites taking cabs over the Brooklyn Bridge to dine, except for exceptional quality like Al Di La presents.

You can see by Al Di La's front window that they are deservedly proud of their well earned acclaim!

They are the first restaurant profiled, out of 31 Brooklyn restaurants, that put Brooklyn on the NYC culinary map, in the equally acclaimed The New Brooklyn Cookbook. Cookbook authors Melissa Vaughan and Brendan Vaughan credit Al Di La for being the pioneers of this wonderful new gourmet food scene movement to Brooklyn.

The restaurant is tiny, and they do not take reservations except for a limited amount of parties of 6 or over people.  It is not unusual to see a line of hungry customer queuing up before opening hour -- us among them!
They now opened Al Di La Vino - an extension that offers fine wines in bar seating and an intimate dining room that can accommodate up to 20 more people for those that can not wait for the main dining room.
Owners Anna Klinger, a chef, and Emiliano Coppa, a native Venetian born food stylist who was working in Milan, met while she was travelling through Italy.  When they moved to New York they were both working long hours separately. As a result Anna and Emiliano decided to open Al Di La in Brooklyn in 1998, so that they could could work together, and it became an instant hit!  They did all the restaurant renovations themselves, and were delighted to uncover authentic antique floor tile and and a tin ceiling in the building. They decided to preserve their charm and leave them as is.

The beautiful Venetian glass chandelier in the dining area once belonged to Emiliano's grandmother.

The evening my husband and I dined I chose the Steamed Bouchat Mussels as my appetizer. The plump and succulent mussels were steamed in white wine, with tomato, parsley and chili and served over grilled Italian bread.

My husband chose the Trippa Ala Toscana as his appetizer. It was a delicious blend of tripe, stewed in white wine, soffritto and a few tomatoes. Tripe is one of my Italian husband's favorite comfort foods, and he was very pleased. You can see a recipe I posted previously for my vegetable tripe soup here.

For the main course, I chose the Braised Rabbit with Black Olives and Creamy Polenta. I saw this recipe as one of the ones profiled for Al Di La in The New Brooklyn Cookbook and wanted to try the Venetian version of rabbit, as I was more familiar with the Southern Italian way of preparing it -- see my blog post about that here.

My husband chose Calf Liver Alla Veneziana as his main course. The liver was lightly sauteed with onions in butter, and finished with a red wine glaze. Liver is not something I prepare very often at home, so this was a special treat for him!

We usually do not indulge in dessert when we dine out, but decided to treat ourselves this evening, and I ordered the Affogato al Cafe'. It was a decadent and generous combination of vanilla ice cream and crushed almond praline, drowned with hot decaffeinated Espresso.  Pure heaven in every spoonful!

My husband had his espresso on the side and ordered a desset special,  an Almond Panna Cotta with a Mixed Berry Compote topping. Another taste of heaven in every spoonful!




You can watch this charming short video about Al Di La above or at this link. It also shows a few of their specialties, all made with simple, pure ingredients, yet all tasting so superb.

This link also has two video you can watch, where cookbook author Michele Scicolone interviews Al Di La's Chef, Anna, and shows her preparing two recipes: Risotto Nero and Sarde in Saor.

The evening turned to night and we went home sated and happy!

If you are looking for a taste of Venice in New York City, or just a fabulous lunch or dinner, make sure to cross the bridge from Manhattan into Brooklyn and visit Al Di La!

I am linking up with the "Foodie Friday" event on Michael's blog Designs by Gollum. Please visit Michael's blog on Friday to see links to all this week's participating blogs and their wonderul array of recipes and food related blog posts!

I'm also linking with Beth Fish Reads for her "Weekend Cooking" event and Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking, for her "Friday Favorites" event!

I would also be so happy if  you please visit this link to visit my review blog to see the shopping spree I went on for my bride-to-be daughter and  for a chance to win a $100 HomeGoods gift card by leaving a comment there between June 20 and 30th, 2011! (click here for official rules)

Also, until June 30th, 2011, BlogHer is giving a chance to win one of ten $25 gift cards to HomeGoods on the BlogHer Prizes and Promotions Page that I know you'll want to enter, so you can have another chance to have your own mini HomeGoods shopping spree! Click here to enter! (Here are the official rules to enter

Blogher Book Club Review - A Jane Austen Education

A Blogher Book Club Review:

A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter, by William Deresiewicz

I admit I was never a fan of Jane Austen.  When I was required to read her novels as a high school student, I found her writing long and tedious.  I was more of a fan of the Gothic tales of the Bronte sisters, such as "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights."  They were dark, mysterious tales full of romance and danger, and Austen's works seemed bland in comparison. Yet many of my friends found Austen's novels enthralling, and now I see countless bloggers extolling the wonders of her books and the influences she had on their lives. That is why I was very interested to read William Deresiewicz's book that was provided to the Blogher Book Club Readers by Penguin Group.  I wanted to see the lessons that Deresiewicz, who was a a graduate student in Columbia University at the time he first read Austen, learned from her books, and exactly what I missed. 

 
Please CLICK HERE to go to the Blogher Book Club page to read my review.

 I also look forward to reading all the reviews for A Jane Austen Education  at The Blogher Book Club, as well as other books in the book club, I hope you will too!

Win "Nothing To Wear?" from Blogher!

During the winter I dress very casually and, for the most part, I live in my jeans, sweaters, fleece, sweats and boots.  When spring weather finally arrives, and I am no longer hiding under a winter coat, I am more aware of the need to wear attractive clothes when I go out.  I usually purchase a few new things to reflect the season's updated colors and styles. Its always a dilemma, however, as I change wardrobes, as to what to keep from what I own and what to discard to the goodwill donation pile.  Of course it's always nice to save money and use items I already own and update their look by adding a gauzy scarf or an attractive necklace, or some other accessory, but sometimes I feel like I have nothing to wear for special occasions.

That's why I jumped to the chance to receive this fantastic book called Nothing to Wear? by style experts Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo of Visual Therapy from Blogher.com! 

Here is the books publisher's review on Amazon.com:

"Getting Things Done meets What Not to Wear in this stylish cure for the common closet, based on the five-step process that has made Visual Therapy™ a hit for over ten years with fashion editors and clients alike. In the book, Visual Therapy founders Garza and Lupo walk readers through the process of identifying their natural style (how their fashion “personality” aligns with the image they want to portray), then helps them perform a “love it or leave it” examination of their wardrobe, eliminating the out-of-date, too-tight, too-loose clutter, and reestablishing an authentic sense of style—getting them into their clothes and out of the house looking and feeling like a million bucks."


You can win a copy of "Nothing to Wear?"  too, as Blogher has 50 copies to give away and also a signature piece from Visual Therapy's new VT Luxe collection!

Here is what to do for a chance to win:

On Monday, April 4 at 1 AM EST, Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo will debut their collection VT Luxe on QVC. Tune in or set your VCR's or Tivo's to record the show.  You can also watch a preview of the QVC show on the Blogher website on this link or you can see some previews on their store on QVC by clicking on this link.

As you know, I like to travel, and I've already seen a few lightweight VT Luxe pieces over on the preview on their QVC store that would be perfect to pack for a trip and pair with other pieces I already own to extend my wardrobe. The Feather Print Scarf Jacket would be nice to wear over a tank top to dress it up for dinner out. The Paillette Shimmer Scarf Vest could be worn alone or worn over a three quarter sleeve shirt to add sparkle and make it suitable for a more formal night out. I'm excited to see more pieces of the collection on QVC when the show airs on Monday!

After you've seen the show or the previews, go to Blogher on this link, and tell them in a comment which item of the VT Luxe collection would fit best with your signature style. You could win one of two prizes from Blogher:

(1) ONE lucky winner from the comments will receive her favorite item from the collection free of charge.
(2) Blogher will  also randomly pick 50 commenters who will receive a free copy of Jesse and Joe's book "Nothing To Wear?"

You can enter the contest until April 8, 2011. Good luck and happy shopping!

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

Are you an oyster lover? Oysters are bivalve mollusks which live and found in fresh or salt water. Filter-feeders, they are notably high in protein, low in calories, and are excellent sources of several minerals, including iron, zinc, calcium and selenium and a good source of vitamin B 12 and vitamin A. Preparation of oysters widely varies, as they can be eaten on the half shell, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, broiled, or used in a variety of drinks. My favorite way to eat oysters is raw on the half shell served cold on a bed of ice. Sometimes I top each oyster with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice or I add a bit of ground horseradish or cocktail sauce.  I relish them, as they are a delicious taste of the sea!

I just finished reading this excellent book that follows the history of New York City and the renowned oyster beds in the Hudson River estuary.  "Before New York City was the Big Apple, it could have been called the Big Oyster." according to Mark Kurlansky, author of the 2006 book The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell.  As Kurlansky states in his book: "For centuries New York was famous for its oysters, which until the early 1900's played such a dominant a role in the city's economy, gastronomy, and ecology that the abundant bivalves were Gotham's most celebrated export, a staple food for the wealthy, the poor, and tourists alike, and the primary natural defense against pollution for the city's congested waterways." 

Kurlansky, who is also the best selling author of "Salt: A World History," and "Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World," writes in a wonderfully narrative, rambling, factual style that made me feel like I was auditing a university culinary history lecture. He includes historic recipes, maps, drawings and photos among the pages of the book so the reader is totally immersed in oyster lore and facts. He is such a good teacher that I wanted to learn more, and did some of my own research.

Photo Source: click on photo

Oyster  (1807-1809)

Oysters were extremely plentiful during the early history of New York City, and many were as large as dinner plates, as depicted in the illustration above. The estuary of the lower Hudson had 350 square miles of oyster beds that for centuries fed the Lenape Native Americans, the Dutch settlers, the English, and the Americans after the Revolution. They were a staple of their diet and New York's major export.

Photo Source: click on photo

Oyster stands in Fulton Market. (1870)

New Yorkers rich and poor were eating them in oyster cellars, saloons, stands, houses, cafes and restaurants.  In some places oysters were sold as an "all you can eat" item for six cents.  In 1860, some 12 million oysters were sold in New York markets; by 1880 the area's oyster beds were producing 700 million a year.

photo source: click on photo

Oyster Houses, South Street and Pike Slip, Manhattan. April 01, 1937 -- notice the piles of discarded oyster shells in front of the buildings.

As the population of New York climbed, the constant discharge of garbage and sewage began to take a toll on the harbor floor. Outbreaks of cholera and typhoid from the apparent consumption of infected oysters began to occur and in 1927 the city's last oyster beds closed and purveyors switched to cleaner oyster sources.

The most common variety of oyster in the United States today is the Blue Point Eastern Oyster, which measures 2 to 5 inches across and can be found from the Gulf of Mexico to Prince Edward Island. They also have regional names: Apalachicola (Florida), Bluepoint (New York), Breton (Louisiana), Chincoteague (Virginia), Malpeque (Canada), and Wellfleet (Cape Cod). Because oysters, or any raw fish or shellfish, may contain harmful bacteria, which mainly comes from unregulated waters, pregnant woman or those with compromised immune systems should avoid eating them.

One of the historical subjects in "The Big Oyster" book that I found fascinating was the history of the Delmonico family and the Delmonico's Restaurant, the first of which was located at 56 Beaver Street in lower Manhattan. The restaurant's website states: "Delmonico's, opened in 1837 as America's first fine dining restaurant, continues to serve the connoisseur of fine American food in its premier location at 56 Beaver Street, the heart of Manhattan's financial district. Birthplace of the Delmonico Steak, Delmonico Potatoes, Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newburg, and Baked Alaska, the original Delmonico's offered unheard of luxury - the availability of private dining rooms, an extensive wine cellar, innovative cuisine, and, above all, warm, personal service."

The first building burned down in a fire and the present building seen in my photo above, replaced it in 1891. Many famous people ate at this establishment, including Queen Victoria and her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, Charles Dickens,Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Diamond Jim Brady, Lillian Russell, J. P. Morgan, William Makepeace Thackeray.  Samuel F.B. Morse sent the first transatlantic cable from a dining room. An extensive history of the restaurant can be read at the Steak Perfection website.

A collage of photos from the restaurant's web site, which includes a 20 ounce prime rib-eye steak, grilled to perfection and topped with herbed butter, which is a signature dish that's the gold standard for all steak houses try to achieve.  The restaurant has changed ownership many time over the years, but it still retains the Delmonic's name and many of the signature dishes that have been a part of the Delmonico tradition since its early days.

A video on how to open a live oyster by a chef instructor, Gerard Viverito, of the Culinary Institute in New Hyde Park, New York.

For a truly elegant way to serve oysters try a mignonette sauce and caviar. The following recipe is adapted from The Culinary Institute of America's "Garde Manger, The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen."

Oysters with Mignonette Sauce and Caviar

Makes 2 servings

•2 tablespoons minced shallots
•6 tablespoons chopped chives
•1/3 cup champagne vinegar
•3 tablespoons cracked black pepper
•12 to 18 oysters
•1/2 ounce osetra caviar

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the shallots, chives, vinegar, and pepper and reserve.
2. Shuck the oysters, loosen muscle from bottom shell, then remove oyster with top shell.
3. Place the oysters in their shells on a bed of crushed ice. Top each with mignonette sauce and a dollop of caviar.

No matter if you are an oyster connoisseur, or a history buff, you will find reading "The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell" both entertaining and delicious!

I'm linking this post to  Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday for this week's letter "S" for oyster's found in the Sea that taste so good Slurped right off the Shell!
I'm also linking to Michael Lee's "Foodie Friday" on her blog Designs By Gollum and Sandi's Friday's Favorites on her blog Whistlestop Cafe Cooking.
This is also an Edible Book Review inspired by Jain at Food for Thought, a delicious blog for readers with an appetite for the written word.  I will also be linking with Mary of the blog Home Is Where The Boat Is  who is hosting a "Cook Your Book and Join In The Fun" event March 1st -- I give The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell **** for "good read!"

 Thank you all for your inspiration! Please visit all these wonderful blogs and join in on all the fun!

I will be choosing the winner of my "One World, One Heart" give away tomorrow, February 17, 2011.  Please check the original post on this link to see the winner. Thank you to all who entered!  It was so nice meeting so many wonderfully creative bloggers!