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Taxi to Bangladesh

If there's one thing I love about NYC, it's taxis. My love affair began when I was four years old and first raised my arm in that now-familiar gesture on the corner of 97th & Columbus. My mother promptly informed me that, no, we would be taking the bus. I thought surely she was joking but, much to my dismay, she wasn't. And thus my captivation began.

Perhaps partially in an attempt to rationalize a cab ride (when I could no doubt just as easily take a bus), I generally like to think of a Manhattan taxi ride as an opportunity to learn something new about countries I've never had occasion to visit, mostly by schmoozing with the driver. Call me an old lady - it's okay, you won't be the first.

The other day I had a very pleasant ride with a driver from Bangladesh who had picked some rather charming tunes as the soundtrack for our afternoon excursion. I complimented him on his music choice and he was visibly tickled - the passenger just before me had ALSO enjoyed the music! I inquired as to the name of the artist and was told his name was "Habib" and that I could look him up on YouTube - so I did!

Habib Wahid (better known just as "Habib", kind of like Cher) is a young Bangladeshi composer and musician who mixes traditional Bengali folk music with contemporary techno. Habib is a second-generation performer: his dad, Ferdous Wahid, was a Bengali pop singer in the '70s & '80s. Habib himself has released five albums: Maya, Moina Go..., Shono!, Panjabiwala, Bolchi Tomake and Aboseshe. He is most well-known for his song, "Din Gelo" which you can listen to by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooVJh0CDqU0

Enjoy! And may all your taxi rides be educational ones!

Man On Wire

If you grew up in New York City in the '70s and '80s like I did, you know about the guy - the crazy French guy - who walked on a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Even though he did it in 1974, it was still an active topic of conversation for New Yorkers years later. In one way, Philippe Petit's unbelievable act fit perfectly with the emotional landscape of the time: an insane act for an insane town. But in another way, his daring feat was a testament to the possibility of the impossible and, along with that, a message of hope to a city that had gone a bit astray.

I noticed that the documentary Man On Wire showed on the Sundance Channel last week. I saw the film in the theatre with my husband (another native) and it blew me away for a number of reasons: the simplicity of its story-telling, the chance to hear Mr. Petit describe his triumph in his own words and the love for this town that bathed every frame. Because even though we all know the true end to the story, like any recollection of lost a love, the film focused on the good times and thoroughly respected our memory of them.

If you've never seen footage and you have an extra two minutes and ten seconds, click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAVj2IVC9ko&feature=related

And if you have room for an extra movie in your queue, here's a link to add Man On Wire, if you haven't seen it: https://www.netflix.com/Login

Monday Night Feast

My husband is the most divine chef. I have to say that I am the envy of my female co-workers when I pop open my tupperware, filled up with left-overs for lunch. "Does he do house calls?" they've asked. "Um, no, ladies." I've replied.

When I tell the girls of my menu last night I will most certainly be greeted with envious groans:

Spaghetti with octopus in a red sauce infused with bone marrow

Pan roasted hanger steak with sides of creamed spinach

& roasted assorted mushrooms with bacon

Vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce,

topped with roasted walnuts & pinoli

Pasta cooked to perfection. Yum. A red sauce of which any nonna worth her salt would be justifiably envious. A steak to rival Peter Lugar's. Creamed spinach that made my arteries close up shop for the night and roasted mushrooms just the way nature intended: sautéed with bacon. Double yum.

Our dinner guest was equally impressed as I. Wearing a heavy drape of food coma, he stumbled home with left-overs of his own.

One of the topics of dinner conversation turned to New York City restaurants. Here are a few of our collective faves (in no particular order):

Blue Hill (in NYC and at Stone Barns)

Dovetail

Daniel

Tia Pol

Saul's

Dinosaur

Piece of Chicken

Unidentified Flying Chicken

Patsy's (the O.G., please)

If you are so inclined, chime in on your NYC faves.

The Cleanest Mouth in the Practice

My best friend has been told by his hygienist on several occasions that he has "the cleanest mouth in the practice". He wears this moniker with pride. Frankly, if my dentist and / or hygienist ever said anything nice about my mouth I'd have T-shirts made quoting them and would distribute these T-shirts in Times Square for free.

What constitutes the evening tooth-care ritual for The Cleanest Mouth in the Practice, you might ask? Well, last night I was privy to a behind-the-scenes look at the nighttime ritual of said Cleanest Mouth and I would like to share a few of the enlightening and tooth-whitening tips I learned:

Step One: tongue scraping (it invigorates one's tongue and purges it of germs)

Step Two: flossing (Cleanest Mouth recommends Oral B's Superfloss and, I must say, after sampling a pre-measured piece myself, I agree!)

Step Three: (my personal fave) washing out mouth with homemade mouth wash! How impressive! Recipe as follows:

1 part hydrogen peroxide

2 tablespoons baking soda

5 parts filtered water

dash salt

shake well

Step Four: mechanical toothbrushing with organic toothpaste

Step Five: brushing with conventional toothbrush with baking soda (Cleanest Mouth particularly recommends this step after one has consumed copious amounts of sugar)

And there you have it, folks! Steps for success from the Cleanest Mouth in the Practice. May we all strive to emulate the dedication and care and focus of Cleanest Mouth in the hopes that one day we, too, can have our hygienists say something, anything complimentary about us!

Rainy days and Wednesdays and some snow on the way getting you down? Remedies here!

Whenever the weather turns unforgiving, I sit down and make a little list of all those things that I think make life worth living. Old standards are things like sunshine, foie gras, family, tulips and pickles. I'm sure it's different for everyone but part of the reason I decided to start this blog is that I hope that The Merdjanoff Report can, in some small way, bring us all a little closer and remind us that our differences keep life interesting. And so, to that end, here are a few of my favorite things (in no particular order except that the most important and cutest one is first) and I encourage you all to share your faves, too:

my husband, Barbra Streisand, New York City, tiramisu, Edith Piaf, Christian Louboutin shoes, Christmas trees, The Catherine Tate Show, Fawlty Towers, Absolutely Fabulous, my best friend, lighthouses, Miss Piggy, my Nespresso Citiz machine, Super Tuscans, Eloise, prosciutto, cheese (in general), Betsey Johnson sample sales, watching football, Central Park, Maria Callas, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Yankees, Creme de la Mer, the 2000 Year Old Man, scallops, oysters, lobster, vanille kipferl, rum balls, the beach, the ocean and the stars.

And if you have an extra three minutes and thirty-one seconds and could use a laugh, have a watch / listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmnLRVWgnXU

and / or (this one clocks in at five minutes, fifty-two seconds):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhF-7suDsM

So what exactly is a "frankenpine"?

Well, my friends, a frankenpine is a cell phone tower that has been camouflaged or disguised in some way to look like a pine tree. Exhibit A:

But Frankenpine is also a fantastic band that I saw recently at the Japoly Theatre in Brooklyn! Exhibit B:

What kind of music do they play, you ask? Well, it's kinda country (but not your Mama's country) and kinda indie (but not like early 1990's indie) and kinda rock and kinda bluegrass but generally just a great live show that'll make you tap your feet and bop your head and wonder how five people could possibly play so many instruments so well and sound so great.

Have a look at their website, listen to their songs, see 'em while you can: next stop, Lakeside Lounge on Thursday, February 4th - I'll see you there!