ultraclay dot com

Rest in Peace, MJ.

Posted by ultraclay at 5:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

In those few, precious moments of dry, warm weather, I've found myself appreciating the street musicians I otherwise pass by without a second thought.

Above is one of the many groups I saw one weekend in Washington Square Park. I didn't get a name for their group, but their sound was old fashioned, with the washboard playing and the twenties-style singing. The comeback of this warbling, rustic sound complements the 'speakeasy' trend in the bars and restaurants that have been popping up everywhere.

Below is a similarly old-school group called the Scandinavian Half-breeds, in front of the bike shop on Vanderbuilt during Summer Streets.

The emotions and gestures on display by performers offer ranges much more difficult to find in everyday life. As I spend more time trying to improve my photography, I hope to get the opportunity to capture more of these artists expressions and moments.

If I manage to get enough together, I may put together a series of photos here on the blog along with information about the performers.

Posted by ultraclay at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

I don't know who these dudes were, I passed them on the street the other day while I was walking through Fort Greene with the camera.

One of them yelled out, "Yo! Take our picture! This is history right here!"

Having no connection to them or their story, I could feel their excitement about the big things they're looking forward to.

I never found out who they were or what that history was going to be. It was like walking into the end of a movie, without knowing the characters or their hopes and aspirations, but just brushing against their story. Maybe one day someone will look through my old photos or find this post in the archives and tell me that one or all of them are the the greatest... of all time.

Until then, it'll be a mystery.

Posted by ultraclay at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

On the Saturday night of our DC trip this spring, all we wanted to do was relax after a full day of sightseeing. We met up with Guyvera and and he took us down to Marvin on U Street.

My initial suspicion of a bar picked by a non-drinker quickly faded when I heard the DJ spinning classics spanning genres from the 80's and 90s. We found a spot in the corner and spent a couple hours chilling, listening to music and watching the bar fill up. By the time we left, the place was full and there was line down the block of people waiting to get in.

The next day, we ran down the clock before we headed to the airport out on the roof deck. Another DJ spun Hip-hop while we debated the pros and cons of hipsters and their place in the world.

I don't tend to favor places with lines out the door, but that just seems to be a good reason to get there early and beat the crowd. It definitely rates a return appearance next time I'm in town.

Next time, maybe we'll get a chance to eat in the restaurant downstairs. Looking at the menu online, the blend of Southern and Belgian foods makes more sense than I'd initially expect. Steak Frites does seem to belong on the menu next to Fried Chicken and Waffles and given its recent resurgence, shrimp and grits can naturally whet the appetite for a braised pork shank.

It's all making me hungry as I write this. Maybe another weekend trip is in the plan sooner rather than later.

Marvin
2007 14th Street, NW,
Washington, DC

202.797.7171

Posted by ultraclay at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

If I'm going to really discuss my curing experiments, I have to acknowledge my failures along with the successes. My first attempt at a country-style ham was, sadly, quite the catastrophe.

I've cured a ham before. It was wonderful. I put a pork leg in a brine of Apple juice and hard cider and left it to brine over our honeymoon. When we got back, I let it hang in the basement for a couple weeks. It worked out really well and I served it up at our holiday party in December.

After that, I decided to go a step further. Ruhlman has a recipe for a cure that aged a lot longer and ended up as rich and dry as a Spanish jamon serrano or a southern Country ham. It called for a minimum of 4 months aging after weeks buried in salt.

I think it was the salting where I messed up. I engulfed a 20 pound leg in kosher salt for the nearly entire month of January. Unfortunately, I was out of town for most of the month, so I wasn't able to keep it under observation for that whole time. When I got back from the X Games, a good deal of the top layer of meat was exposed. I'm presuming this is where it all went wrong. I dumped more salt on top, but perhaps the damage was done.

Regardless, it obviously didn't work out. Back to the drawing board.

Posted by ultraclay at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

While walking down the Vanderbuilt Summer Streets I encountered my friend Ethan being stretched out by folks from Prudent Fitness. I hung around to talk to Ethan for bit and ended up seeing Phil here do a martial arts demonstration with a sword. Not something you see every day.

Posted by ultraclay at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Among the reasons for my recent shortage of blog posts is that the end of May brings Birthday season to the Williams household. Tammi and I have birthdays just over a week apart and we tend to do it up right.

We began the festivities with a dinner at Balthazar, the wonderfully lux brasserie in SoHo. Taking lux to its appropriate ends, we had the eponymous dish, a three-tiered seafood platter.

From bottom to top, we had raw oysters and clams, various mollusks, crab claws, shrimp and lobster thrown in for good measure. It was glorious.

Balthazar
80 Spring St
New York, NY‎
(212) 941-0364‎

Posted by ultraclay at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

We tried and failed to get a table at Saraghina the other day, but in the process came across another upcoming gem in the neighborhood (I hope).

Therapy Wine Bar is set to open up on Lewis between Macon and Halseynext month some time.

I'll be keeping an eye out for it, so stay tuned for details...

Posted by ultraclay at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

_MG_1962 - Version 2, originally uploaded by ultraclay!.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of going behind the counter of Provisions in Fort Greene to photograph some butchery in action. Bryan has shown up here before in his experiments, curing lamb and trying to bring kid goat to the masses. I stop in from time to time just to see what he's been working on.

The other day, I asked if I could come in one day when he was taking something apart and he was awesome enough to allow me to watching dismantle a whole beef leg. It was quite impressive to see.

I'm generally working on a photo project about people working with food, particularly meat. I have no idea where I'm going with it, but this shoot should help me develop it further.

To see the photos, in all their gory details, see the set on Flickr.

Posted by ultraclay at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

I discovered garlic scapes a few weeks ago at the farmers market. I had read the name before but had no idea what they were or what to do with them. That's generally enough to inspire me to try something out, but I was particularly interested because of its intriguing shape.

I've heard that a great way to prepare them is to grill or broil them, but so far I've only sauteed them. To date, I've tossed them in with noodles and sausage and Tammi stir-fried them the other night.

We have a few more in the house from our CSA haul, so I might find something else interesting to do with them tonight...

Posted by ultraclay at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

After what feels like an eternity of construction and nonsense, Washington Square Park has finally reopened. It's been easily 15 years since I've spent a significant amount of time hanging out in the park, but walking through it still evokes feelings of home for me.

The renovation, while silly in some places, has made a vast improvement on the park. I walked through it a couple weeks ago, on an unusual summery day and took in the people and the sites.

Now that it has reopened, I hope to spend more time out there people watching and enjoying the new space.

Posted by ultraclay at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Last week I spent about 12 hours traveling in order to have a 2.5 hour meeting in Boston.
Oh, the corporate world.

This is how I saw most of the town that day: through a car or train window. Going there, though, reminded me of how long it had been since I've been up there. Had I a bit more time, it would have been fun to wander around a bit by the Commons or Newbury Street or to check out the Shepard Fairey exhibit at the ICA.

Tammi and I have talked about trying ot make the trip up there, but with so much happening this summer, I'm not sure if I'll make it. The idea of seeing a 'street artist,' even one as mainstream as Fairey migrate from paste-ups and stickers to a full-scale museum show is intriguing. I really hope to have the opportunity to make it up there, before it closes in August.

Posted by ultraclay at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Once again, I have a week of vacation time this year that I haven't planned for.

I'm considering the same set of places that I discussed last year, but heavily leaning towards the Pacific Northwest option of Seattle, with a couple days in Vancouver.

Off the top of my head, going to Pike Place for seafood and sampling the charcuterie at Salumi jump out as 'must see' attractions. I've heard wonderful things about the food and the food culture of the pacific northwest.

The usual concern about this area is that one doesn't typically see the sun at all, given the propensity for constant overcast and rain. Given the way the weather here in New York has been to date this year, I don't think it's likely to be any worse there than it's already been here.

I'll be spending some time in the next couple weeks thinking about what I might do out there, so if you have any suggestions, don't keep them to yourself.

Posted by ultraclay at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

In the middle of the BBQ Fest, a parade of Hare Krishna's marched down Fifth Avenue past the park. Somehow, I doubt that any of them detoured into the Block Party, but I like to think that the temptation was intense.

Posted by ultraclay at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Last weekend, some friends and I braved the crowds and rain for the ultimate goal: barbecue.

It's been a few years since I attended the annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park. The last time was in 2006. It's a great festival, but can be a little overwhelming between all the different offerings and the million other people trying to get it:

I only ended up sampling two offerings. Predictably, both were pork sandwiches, one from The Pit in Raleigh, the other from Martin's in Memphis. It was limited and probably took a total of an hour and a half of waiting time, but at the same time exemplifies what makes the fest so wonderful.

With the variety on offer, we could try out The Pit's sauce-less vinegary moistness and then sample Martin's with a dollop of spicy barbecue sauce on top. We finished off with some corn being served out in front of Eleven Madison Park from El Verano Taqueria before the rain started coming down and it was time to flee.

My real disappointment of the day was that I never got a chance to have any of the magnificent ribs being smoked up everywhere. I suspect next year, I'll just have to give in and get a fast pass and make a weekend of it.

Posted by ultraclay at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

As an extension of last year's Summer Street's program, the city is shutting down traffic on Vanderbuilt every Sunday in June. I went last weekend and got to see Prospect Heights out and about enjoying music and playing games.

There are only 2 Sundays left, so be sure to check it out soon if you're in the area.

Posted by ultraclay at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

According to Gothamist, this isn't actually the wettest June ever. It just feels like it. Yesterday, we had a record-breaking downpour and the weekend is looking wet as well.

It's been the story of the summer so far. Facebook statuses and office conversation have abounded with complaints of crap weather and soaked clothing. Despite this, I've found myself with a crazy schedule that has not included much, if any blogging time.

Here's hoping for a turnaround on both counts with the solstice this weekend.

Posted by ultraclay at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Saraghina, a new artisanal pizzeria opened up tonight in Bed-Stuy.

We had heard the rumors for months. I didn't know when. I didn't know where. But some sort of sit-down pizza restaurant was opening in Bed-Stuy eventually. Sadly, in this neighborhood, eventually can stretch into years.

I was pretty excited when I finally found details on Grub Street about Saraghina. Most important among them was that they would be slinging pies in the 'hood within a week.

Yesterday, we stopped in to talk a look. What we found was the beginning of a friends and family opening party and a chef ecstatic to show off his new place.

We didn't make the opening but hope to get out there this weekend.

Posted by ultraclay at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Here's a quick heads up that DJ Juice E is going to be DJing the "I'm Too Young for This" un-gala again this year. Last year I reposted Emily's email about the event. Here's her message for this year's event:

Hi Everyone!!

About a year ago, I sent out a special request to YOU to come out and celebrate my 1-year out of chemo anniversary at I'm Too Young For This's Stupid Cancer Gala. I must say that I was floored by the response I got. I was amazed by how many of you bought tickets or donated funds. It made me prouder than ever and thankful to know such great people. That's why I was so glad to get a call from my friend Matthew Zachary who runs I'm Too Young For This asking me if I'd wanna spin at this year's Stupid Cancer (un)Gala on Wednesday, June 10. My answer: OF COURSE I WOULD! I CAN'T WAIT!! And now I'm hoping that once again, YOU'll help support this wonderful event for a very special cause.

For those of you who are new in my life, here's the recap: I am a Cancer survivor. And darn proud of it! This past March marked 2 years free from Cervical Cancer (knock on wood PLEASE!). I was initially diagnosed back in '05 at the age of waaytooyoung and subsequently underwent 2 years of on and off poking, prodding, having parts removed, tubes put in, blood drawn, chemicals administered, AND- somewhere deep in my records at Sloan Kettering I believe there are some compromising Polaroids of me that even Playboy would find indecent! (They said it was for radiation, but who really knows?! Look at Farrah!) Basically, I went thru the works. And for the past 2 years I am back at Sloan Kettering every 3 months like clockwork to make sure that those evil little squamous cells don't come back.



This has been an ongoing journey for me and my loved ones and I admit that I'm a much better person for it. I'm lucky. I have tons of family and friends who have supported me thru it all- and since. However I have met many young survivors who have no support system. Which of course brings me to that part where I've gotta ask YOU to cough up some MONEY!! I'm Too Young For This is a wonderful organization dedicated to supporting young adults, 18-40 with cancer. This reason that this is sooo important is that we are the fastest growing group of cancer patients. This is mostly due to that fact that doctors don't expect us to get sick. Therefore we go undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed- which is exactly what happened to yours truly. The other important aspect of this organization is that it has a strong emphasis on the arts. I guess YOU can all figure out why that's important to someone like me!!


I realize that everyone and their mother is fundraising for something or other these days (and I'm pretty sure that my mother'll back me on this one too!) (HI MOM!!) But seriously, please help us out and buy a ticket. Even if you can't make it out. The minimum is $25 but we'll take any small donation that YOU can manage. The event runs from 7-10pm- so plenty of time for YOU to come out, get seriously drunk and still make it to work the next day!! I'll be DJing along with my great friend- and the most amazing DJ I know- DP1. There'll be raffles, food, drinks, giveaways and a lot of very cool people. And just in case ya missed it- I'll be there!!

So there you have it. Feel free to check out their website: http://www.ImTooYoungForThis.Org
http://ungala.i2y.com/
Wednesday, June 10 @ the Taj Lounge
48 W 21st St, NYC
$25 = sponsor a survivor
$25 = admission
$45 = admission + free drink + 5 raffle tix
$65 = open bar! (beer, wine and soda)
Plus you might go to heaven. Who knows, right?

Finally- to all my friends at MSK- Thanks for all your hard work and for takin such good care of me!!
Now buy sum tickets!!!

Hope to see ya there!!!

Emily "Juice E" Rubin- Friend, DJ and very proud Cancer Survivor.

Posted by ultraclay at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Somehow, ten years have passed since I graduated from college. Last weekend I returned to Amherst College for my class reunion. It was my first time on campus since the last reunion, five years ago.

For all my travels, I've only ever lived in two areas in my thirty-odd years. As such, I find myself very tightly bonded to this small town that is so contrary to everywhere else I'm ever drawn to. Returning was comforting, yet jarring.

As a New Yorker, I should be more than a little familiar with the change and progress that transforms the world around us all the time. But seeing it in Amherst fwas slightly traumatic. Dorms were gutted and renovated and the old, decaying bits we thought of as character were replaced with more practical features.

Regardless of the other differences around campus, it was reassuring to take in the same view from the top of Memorial Hill that blew me away as a prospective student 15 years ago.

Posted by ultraclay at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Memorial Day was busy. After hanging out at Habana Outpost, Tammi and I went to the Dance Africa festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

In the last few years, the festival has effectively taken the place of the African Street Festival, which had been a summer milestone every year since my childhood. After moving from Boys & Girls High School to Commodore Barry park under the BQE, it has faltered into obscurity.

Thankfully, Dance Africa is a lot of fun in its own right, though much smaller.

We didn't catch any of the dance performances that are usually hosted in front of BAM this year, but we did wade into the market area and peruse the wares on offer. Carvings, fabric, and all sorts of food could be found as African, American and West Indian music blasted from one booth after another.

And what could mark the beginning of summer more than running into friends I haven't seen in years? In the sea of people, we just happened to see Olivia and Taya, who I don't think I've seen since High School, many moons ago.

Hopefully the weather will begin to cooperate and there will be more such outings throughout the season.

Posted by ultraclay at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Starting Monday, May 25th, the Department of Traffic blocked off traffic on two stretches of Broadway in Midtown. It's part of a pilot program that creates a pedestrian mall for five blocks in Times Square and two blocks at Herald Square.

As someone who worked in Times Square for four years, I can't begin to tell you how much that extra room is needed. Just being able to bypass the tourists will be a vast quality of life improvement. Beyond that, having more outdoor space to sit in the sun and eat lunch in is greatly appreciated.

On Sunday I was in the area and got to see the DOT workers repainting the road. It's exciting to see where the city is going with these pedestrian and bike-friendly programs. It started with more bike lanes popping up all over town, which has been very helpful to me as a nascent bike-rider. Then last year, the Summer Streets programs opened up miles of
road to bicyclists and runners and strolling pedestrians every Saturday in August.

Apparently, this is all the work of Janette Sadik-Khan, the Transportation Commissioner. I won't bother to paraphrase the more extensive New York Magazine article, which goes more in-depth into the commissioners plans as well as her opponents around the city.

I, for one, support the idea that since pedestrians vastly outnumber drivers, we should probably get more space. But that probably makes me as much a 'radical' as she is.

Depending on how the pilot program fares, the spaces will be made permanent and the areas will be redesigned to cater to the new use. For now, orange barriers like these will keep the streets safe for pedestrians.

The unfortunate part of the entire arrangement is that most New Yorkers, myself included will still rush through these areas due to the complete saturation of tourists. But at least we'll be able to get by faster.

Posted by ultraclay at 1:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

I've posted about The Outpost's re-opening every year since I've been blogging. This year, I'm behind the times. They opened up with a street festival as usual that included a performance by KRS-One (that I missed by minutes).

On Memorial Day, Tammi and I had our first Cuban sandwiches of the year and spent a couple hours relaxing over food, drink, and beats provided by DJ Juice E.

This year there were a few subtle decor changes here and there, but other than that, it was still the Habana Outpost we've come to know and love. The place is a lot more crowded these days than it was those many years ago when they first opened but it's still a good time.

Posted by ultraclay at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Saturday night saw the debut of the I Love Vinyl party at Le Poisson Rouge in The Village. Friends DJs Jon Oliver and Scribelove among others went retro and ditched their laptops for an evening of old-fashioned record spinning.

We weren't there very late, but Tammi and I had a great time listening to the beats and feeling the crowd.

The word is that the party was such a success that they're already planning a follow up for next month:

June 26, 2009
10pm-4am

The Gallery Bar @ Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St, NYC.

Posted by ultraclay at 6:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Though it was predictable, it was still disappointing to hear that the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8. It's a sad day when Iowa has a more progressive policy than New York and California, but I guess we take our good news where can these days...

Posted by ultraclay at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

When I read about the new market opening up in the old Fulton Fish Market stalls every weekend this summer, I excited. Visions of weekly versions of the New Amsterdam Market danced in my head.

Saturday morning, Tammi and I toiled in the garden for a few hours before heading into Manhattan. The Seaport was to be our first stop. Sadly, this is as far as we got. I couldn't brng myself to wade through the ridiculous crowd of tourists to get to what I'd been warned by Eric was a fairly underwhelming display.

Some time this summer I do want to check out this market as well as the new Water Taxi Beach, so stay tuned...

Posted by ultraclay at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

I had this Alhambra at an outdoor bar called Rumba Cafe on 18th Street in Washington. It was a dark, malty beer which is unusual for Spanish beer. The body was lighter, according the the website, "adapted to Mediterranean tastes." It was a good find. I hope to find it again here in New York.

Posted by ultraclay at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica.
The flesh of the fruit is thick and reminds me of a firmer scrambled egg. It's typically served sauteed with cod, called saltfish in the 'old country,' along with onions and peppers.

I never had a lot of it when I was growing up, but these days I associate it with visits to see the family over the holidays.

One of these days, I'll spend some time cooking my ancestral foods and maybe I'll give this a try.

Posted by ultraclay at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

When I want to buy a leg of lamb for a party, I typically go to one of the halal markets down on Atlantic Avenue. I prefer it mostly for the ephemeral reason that it just seems a little more authentic. But I also like it because it's not nearly as expensive as the shrink-wrapped New Zealand lamb that I find in my local Foodtown. And it's fresher too.

It doesn't hurt that the place I usually go to is right next to The Brazen Head. Coincidentally, of course.

It's also just down the block from Sahadi's, which is one of the best spice markets in the city. That's a good thing too, as this market is always a little barren. There's a row of legs on display like this and shoulders and other cuts in the walk-in in the back. Besides that, there are boxes of grains and seasonings, but otherwise it's an empty space.

Halal Meat Market
232 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn,
(718) 625-2781

Posted by ultraclay at 5:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

I took this photo five years ago on my first and only trip to London. It was at a Hip-hop show at Shepherd's Bush Empire. The show was called The Message and it starred Gza from Wu Tang Clan, Dead Prez and a number of British rappers I'd never heard of before. Gza was still doing the same songs I heard him do in the late 90's when he performed at my college. And Dead Prez hyped the crowd saying the crazy shit they are known to say. ("And you white people can be down, too. Just give back what you took!")

But what I still remember now was hearing the British MCs rhyming in an indecipherable accent. There was a freestyler on stage lambasting his fellows for trying to sound American when they are "BRITISH!" Coming minutes after hearing Dead Prez reject their nationality in favor of being "An African," I wondered if anyone else noticed the irony.

I also remember the Palestinian MC whose hook was in Arabic. It was the first time I had seen International Hip-hop live. I've been fascinated with the concept of foreign language Hip-hop ever since.

It's a challenge to me as someone who has always listened to Hip-hop as a form of storytelling to listen to a song and not know the words. But it's an interesting experience.

Posted by ultraclay at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |