Cambridge Corn Exchange – 23/11/09

I spent last night shooting rock legends Motorhead at Cambridge Corn Exchange. I very nearly didn’t make it: I received the press pass confirmation email in the afternoon and was due to work in Hunstanton until 7.15 that evening. Fortunately I managed to get home grab my camera bag and leave for Cambridge by 7.50 pm (and I only forgot my wallet!) and made it to the venue just as The Damned were belting out ‘Smash It Up’, a favourite of mine.

After getting my pass (with no problems or need of an email printout for a change) I tried to manoeuvre through the crowds. It was unbelievably busy (and sold out), and people were packed in like hairy, leather-jacketed sardines.  After about ten minutes I finally managed to force my way to the photo-pit and sat down with a few minutes to spare.

The pit was quite luxurious compared to others I’ve seen (I’ve been in photo-pits so tight that I once got my foot stuck!) so, when Motorhead arrived on stage, the other photographers and I could get around pretty easily without getting in each other’s way.

I’ll be honest, even though I’ve been a rock fan for more than 20 years, I’m not that familiar with Motörhead’s stuff, (though obviously I know all their big hits like ‘Ace Of Spades’ and, er…Ace Of Spades ) but I had heard that, due to the dry ice, it might be a challenge to get any decent shots. It was certainly tricky to get any contrast, as the fog made everything look washed out and soft, but I’m pretty happy with what I got in the allotted ‘3 songs, no flash’. What do you think?

I would have liked to get some shots of Matt Sorum (at least I assume it was him) on drums, but the only part of him visible was his hair. Never mind.

Sorry Martin but The Sun is weird. Here are some facts about the tabloid that I find surprising:

* It is extremely popular (with the second highest circulation of any daily English-language newspaper in the world and the biggest circulation within the UK).

* Has featured a topless model on page 3 since 1970.

* It is written by journalists who, for the most part, studied at Oxford or Cambridge university.

* It regularly wins British Press Awards.

* 44% of readers are female.

I see people reading The Sun on the way to work and wonder – why? My only rational answer is that people are reading it as an alternative to a trash mag like Hello. With The Sun you get your fix of celebrity gossip and ridiculous headlines plus a distorted overview of the latest headlines that make the complicated and detailed reporting of The Guardian and the BBC easier to understand.

The Cambridge University Engineering Department developed ProForma.

ProFORMA (which stands for ‘Probabilistic Feature-based On-line Rapid Model Acquisition’) is some cool system that turns any ordinary webcam into a powerful 3D scanning tool.

The 3D models are constructed on the spot while you slowly rotate the objects.

As the user rotates the object in front of a stationary camera, a partial model is reconstructed and displayed to the user to assist view planning. The model is also used by the system to robustly track the pose of the object. Models are rapidly produced through a Delaunay tetrahedralisation of points obtained from on-line structure from motion estimation, followed by a probabilistic tetrahedron carving step to obtain a textured surface mesh of the object.

Pretty cool I say – check out the video

found here

Has Stuart Clark done something to offend? It seems incredible that the man who burst onto the test arena and showed the consistency of Glen McGrath has been left out of the first test against the West Indies.

He was only selected in two test matchs during the Ashes series in England although admittedly in the second innings the Australian attack was pretty impotent. Whereas one has to wonder had he been selected earlier would the Ashes be back in England.

With 94 wickets at an average of 23.86 and a bowler who has proved he can tie batsmen down, you would have thought that he would be the sort of bowler the selectors would be knocking down his door to have him out on the pitch. His age 34, could be one factor that goes against him, as they try to rebuild, but experience counts for a great deal and as long as he is fit why not play him, especially if he is the best or one of the best options available.

Many have questioned the selections of Messer’s Hilditch, Merv Hughes, David Boon and Jamie Cox, and this would appear to be another strange one. In terms of experience these are all, with the exception of Hilditch youngish men to be given the task of selecting the best team, and they seem to lack the knowledge and experience of selectors of the past in working out how to blend a team and bring talented individuals together and maintain a winning formula. The team does not appear balanced, to be the one the captain wants, or a happy one.

One wonders if the intellectual Clark who is studying for a Masters in Commerce is a little too highbrow for the dressing room, and the selectors, hence his non-selection. After all Bob Willis admitted that when he was captain of England he preferred not to have talented left arm spinner and Cambridge university educated Phil Edmonds in the side, as he found his caustic wit too much to cope with.

Surely this is not the real reason behind Clark not being selected?

Whatever the reason he may look forward to taking his frustration out on WA in the Sheffield Shield.

So here it is – the fish I’ve been after for weeks and weeks. I caught it yesterday morning on the River Cam and you can read all about in a big feature in next Wednesday’s (2/12/09) Angling Times.

I look a little tired because I didn’t actually get any sleep the night before, but it was worth it.

Tight lines,

Ben

Perch from River Cam, Cambridge (C) The Hairy Angler: thehairyangler@gmail.com

Perch from River Cam, Cambridge (C) The Hairy Angler: thehairyangler@gmail.com

Perch from River Cam, Cambridge (C) The Hairy Angler: thehairyangler@gmail.com

Perch from River Cam, Cambridge (C) The Hairy Angler: thehairyangler@gmail.com

My radar zeroed in on Craigie on Main soon after I moved to Cambridge.   Scouring websites and magazines like a devout and dutiful f-blogger, the restaurant name reappeared wherever I looked.  Among its heap of honors sits a string of “Best of Boston” awards; but perhaps most impressive of the accolades amassed is Chef Tony Maws’ nomination for a 2009 James Beard award (Best Chef Northeast).  The restaurant relentlessly focuses on local, fresh, and seasonal, and this bistro’s cuisine takes those ingredients and delivers the goods.  My Sunday brunch here was hands-down the best dining experience I’ve enjoyed, probably since returning from my travels in July.  Despite the miscommunication between J and the maitre d’, resulting in a 20 minute wait, her friendliness, the lovely service and lively atmosphere, the promptness of the kitchen, and of course the execution of the food blew this initial hiccup into oblivion.

The exposed kitchen that greets you as you enter.

We did not order the pancakes but they looked good. I think those are huckleberries sprinkled on top.

However, the donuts were too sexy to pass up.

OUR house-made donut with confiture du lait. Consider it dessert before brunch, to accompany the house’s outstanding coffee. So soft and pillowy, oh, the thought of resting my head on this edible cloud every night, nibbling as I fall sleep…

My order: a grass-fed beef burger with Shelburne Farm cheddar on a house-made bun, served with mace ketchup and shoestring fries.

Medium-rare to a tee, easily the best burger I can remember eating (I hate that I’ve used “best” twice already in this post but both are warranted).  The beef was tender and juicy, coarsely ground so the meat retained that chunky beefiness that’s lacking in ordinary burgers. And here I must agree with food pundits, because I tasted for myself how much more natural flavor this grass-fed beef had than the beef I ate growing up. The meat wasn’t heavily seasoned – if anything, the kitchen tends toward underseasoning — but beef of such potent flavor doesn’t need much to make it memorable. The house-made ketchup was mild but distinctive, the aromatic cheddar adding tangy creaminess to each bite. Craigie’s is a judiciously sized burger as well; I’d judge it to be a 10 to 12 biter, which was just right for hitting the spot without leaving me immobilized (though I did need a few moments after the meal to gather myself ). The fries and little sides were forgettable but that was easily forgivable.

J’s dish, Craigie “Dimanche” sausage with a buttermilk biscuit, gravy, and a fresh egg any style. The sausage was generously portioned, three plump logs of porky porky; I found it a bit bland, though J definitely enjoyed it. The biscuit was insane, a must-order side in the future.

Craigie’s beautiful twist on good ol’ corned beef hash, house-brined grass-fed beef with smoked beef tongue. L heartily approved as did I; topped with a poached egg and a hollandaise-y sauce, whose combined creaminess trickled and tucked itself into the well-seasoned, smoky hash. Spooned onto rye toast, I now see the humble hash in a new light.

Our post-brunch plans for Toscanini’s hit the wayside after this delightful meal. There will always be an occasion for ice cream but this day wasn’t it, certainly not after such revelation. I wanted to savor and preserve the sanctity of that experience, keep it as its own, to remind me of how downright delicious, just plain nasty, food can be.

Craigie on Main
853 Main St
Cambridge, MA 02139-3512
(617) 497-5511

Roberta and I went to the book fair at Patio Brasil in Brasilia yesterday. I like going to the fair, it only happens once a year and normally its very good. This time they didn’t seem to have so much stuff, there seemed to be a few empty spaces where no stands were too. We will go again at the end of the week, maybe it’ll have more people selling by then. We managed to get a copy of the newest Dan Brown book, it’s been selling like hot cakes and we had problems getting a hold of a copy. They are only selling hard back versions of the book in English though, not really sure why this is. Every person we asked yesterday said they were only importing the hardback copies. Maybe it is cheaper to import? Usually we bring home three or four bags full of books but this time it was just a couple of books. There were quite a few bible selling stalls, for me this was a complete waste of space, they could have put some more book sellers in these spaces – someone like Cambridge or Oxford publications. A lot of the grammars books we already have copies of, I didn’t see any conversation material either, but then this didn’t matter so much as I already have a bookshelf full of this material. I think Roberta would have liked to see more stalls selling fiction books, we both love to read and usually load up on books at the fair. Next weekend, we will see if there are more things to look at and hopefully more deals as they start to wind the fair down.

“Cash Only”

Cambridge, Mass. – Man sleeping in an ATM booth.

October, 2009

Taken by John Forrester

(flickr/johnsforrester/all rights reserved)

“England Get Out of Ireland”

Cambridge, Mass. – On a bumper

November, 2009

Taken by John Forrester

(flickr/johnsforrester/all rights reserved)

Here’s a peek at my photo session with Violet last Sunday –at only 3 months old, she’s a natural at posing for the camera

“You Can Be  A Wesley”

Cambridge, Mass. – Flyer for a local band, You Can Be A Wesley, on Massachusetts Ave.

November, 2009

Taken by John Forrester

(flickr/johnsforrester/all rights reserved)

“Stop Thinking Like Americans! Start Thinking About Humanity!”

Cambridge, Mass. – Near Harvard University

November, 2009

Taken by John Forrester

(flickr/johnsforrester/all rights reserved)

Cameo Theatre really knows how to entertain and inform. Always a fan of Betjeman, I was expecting (and looking forward to) a series of poetry readings – poems that I have thoroughly enjoyed over the years. When Cameo Theatre began their tribute to this fine poet, their show was far beyond such meagre expectations. In a seamless succession of character sketches and insights into the poet, we were introduced to some new, rarely- heard work but we were also allowed to bathe in the familiar beauty of some of the old favourites such as Diary of a church mouse and In Westminster.  As we witnessed the callous bureaucrat licking his lip over the demolishment of Westminster Abbey or the bickering members of a ‘wicked PCC’ it became obvious how ‘up-to-date’ this so-called ‘old-fashioned’ poet could be. His verses with their regular rhythm never developed the patter of poor poetry, rather they were filled with quipped turns of phrase that subtly cut to the heart of the matter with a barbed tongue.  We met caricatures of a variety of people we know; few aspects of human frailty, wickedness and eccentricity and religious attitude were left untouched.    

Gordon Cummings, Madeleine Forrester, Lindsey McCraig, Mike Morrish, Tricia Peroni, Stuart Warren, Andrew Watts and Martin Woodruff formed an excellent team of highly accomplished thespians. Director and show designer Rex Walford is to be congratulated for such a splendid production.

The show was all the more successful for the vital contributions of Tony Broscomb (Stage Director), Richard Peroni (Lighting Director), Wendy Walford (Costume Director and Production Manager) Linda Jarvis (Assistant Stage Manager).

This was indeed a most fitting “explorati0on and celebration of the faith, fears and foibles of Sir John Betjeman”.

For more information from the Betjeman Society contact: membership Secretary, 386 Hurst Rd.,Bexley, Kent DA5 3JY

“Rum Coco Ab Derb / Robot Kid”

Cambridge, Mass. – In an alley off Mass. Ave.

October 2009

Taken by John Forrester

(flickr/johnsforrester/all rights reserved)

There is a video on this article, where it would appear that the long delayed busway will start services in the New Year.

They should have used some of my software to get it right.

I emailed Phillip Tang a few weeks ago to ask when he thought he’d be opening his hotly anticipated Momofuku-esque restaurant in the old Benatti space in Inman Square. Just got the following reply:

Sorry it has taken so long to write back but I have been inundated with emails recently as I have been seeking employees for the new restaurant.  I unfortunately cannot give an exact date due to the unpredictability of restaurant openings, but I would like to open either in mid-December before the holidays or wait until just after the new year.  Thank you very much for taking interest in the opening of my restaurant, I am very excited about this project.

I can’t wait…

I just updated our Show Listings page for the next few weeks. Nothing more because if you’re like me, Thanksgiving is the most important upcoming event at this point and my attention wavers when anyone mentions anything post-Turkey Day.

BUT OH! Tonight there is a very cool and very free show at the Plough and Stars.

GIRLFRIENDS
THE BOYFRIENDS

courtesy of tentables.net

A cave-like “hole-in-the-wall” restaurant in an out-of-the-way Cambridge neighbourhood is hardly anyone’s idea of basking in the glamour of Boston’s revered fine-dining scene. Then again, it’s all about the experience, and Ten Tables Cambridge is set to prove everyone wrong – it’s all about the surprise.

Step in through the door through the hush-hush alleyway of Craigle Circle and be greeted by a bombé of warm lighting, boisterous chatter, and a beaming restaurant manager. After all, inside the restaurant hardly screams fine-dining with dark parquet floors, whitewashed walls, black Van-Gogh inspired lacquered chairs, Spartan furnishings, a centrally displayed chalkboard of the daily specials, and – gasp – way more than ten tables (at actual count there were actually 13 during our visit).

courtesy of tentables.net

Ten Tables Cambridge’s menu comprises of dishes that are locally sourced and organic. Some dishes in the set-lunch change on a weekly basis while the a la carte menu stays the same for at least a few months. Those who are adventurous should partake on the restaurants’ more nouveau dishes, but they do make an effort to keep things simple and elegant, such as the roasted beet salad and the equinox farm Organic mesclun greens. Although most typical vegetarian salads rarely hit the glam-factor, the beet salad is a must-try with its complex yet focused flavours that hit all areas of taste buds (excluding spicy). At less than $10 each, the salads are almost a steal.

If one is looking for more unique, calorie-induced appetizers, there is certainly the roasted bone marrow with fried capers, parsley, cornichons and toast points; unfortunately, while flavourful, the marrow came undercooked, leaving some of the fat un-rendered. Even the grain mustard and the parsley fail to alleviate the cloying mouthfuls that leave one stuffed – albeit not in a very pleasant way.

But fret-not. The PEI Mussels with Piment d’Esplette is a worthy redemption: expect nothing of the gargantuan, rubbery and fishy freaks of nature known as frozen mussels and instead be treated to a tender yet al-dente melange of mussel accompanied by a light, frothy saffron cream that counterbalances the flavours of the protein and the baby spinach.

Mains fare even better. The pork shank arrives looking like a large hunk of almost blackened “hostile” (Nigella Lawson’s favourite word) meat with maroon and yellow-colored accompaniments. Upon closer inspection and a first bite, it tastes better than it looks (a trend which reversed itself after it dawned upon many restaurateurs that art on a plate equals a diner eating with his or her eyes). A fork would easily disintegrate the shank amongst some fibre and fat, and the mouthful is literally a melt-in-your mouth experience. It does get overly decadent toward the end, and so the maroon and the yellow serve its purposes: the sweet and sour red cabbage almost doubles as the more traditional red-wine and balsamic reduced onion compote while keeping it mellower, crunchier, and subtly acidic to cut the richness of the beautifully cooked meat. And the pale yellow, a silky smooth celery-root apple puree is almost a worthy substitute to Joël Robuchon’s fondly revered whipped potato (thrice-mill-processed), minus the all the butter, milk and those guilt-filled calories.

While it seems everything has soared to a high it hovers back to a low, with the uninspiring pan roasted bavette of flank steak that, quite literally, comes with all the strings attached. Although it is not in any way overcooked, the fibre of the meat parches up to a dry texture that induces awkward conversation pauses with drawn-out chewing exercises. Perhaps the far more worthy aromatic, crispy fries are there to make it less of a chore to finish the beef.

Those wishing for milder flavours and a representation of their sourced ingredients should look no further than the Portuguese-Style Fisherman’s Stew, which consists of clams, potatoes, aioli and fresh herbs. A worthy title of posh-fisherman’s stew, the dish has a clean and elegant character of its own with a clear consommé that takes in flavours of the sea and the herbs. Naturally, the clams are not the least bit-overcooked but the flaky potatoes scream for their waxier counterparts. Even then, the starch addition might seem a little bit too barbarian-fisherman-esque – not quite the original intention of the dish here.

courtesy of tentables.net

At only $8, the desserts are good values  considering every effort is made to make each dish unique. Indeed, the chocolate terrine comes with sea salt and a Thai basil ice cream, the cheesecake spiked with black pepper, and the honey-poached pear with saffron. In all cases, they all are satisfyingly memorable, the terrine being a standout with a bittersweet after-taste spliced with almost herbal yet subtle oriental notes coming from the basil. The cheesecake with black pepper isn’t actually as inane as a chilli-chocolate desert, so go for that too.

With a 27/30 on the ZAGAT Restaurant guide, the title of “Best in Boston” by the city’s magazine, Ten Tables Cambridge is an experience not to be missed. Whether it be a celebration of sorts or a depression-induced urge for good food, this establishment is sure to satisfy with quality that cannot get any cheaper. After all, it’s better to just binge on edible food.

Ten Tables Cambridge

5 Craigle Circle

Cambridge, MA 02138

617.576.5444

-Jon Cheng

Performance on Friday, November 21, 2009 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
The line was already forming outside the First Parish Church as I cruised by at 7:15 p.m. in what I knew would be a vain attempt to find a parking space. I parked in a garage at the other end of Harvard Square and walked back. The line was still down the sidewalk, but the doors were open and Dan Hicks fans were filing into the church sanctuary.

I got in line and the 50-something woman in front of me turned and said, “Are you here to see Dan?”

“No, I’m just getting a good seat for Sunday’s service,” I wanted to say, thinking that was the kind of response that Dan would appreciate. Instead, I politely nodded yes when she asked if I’d ever seen Dan before.

Inside the church, instruments, speakers and lights filled the makeshift “stage” down front as Dan Hicks disciples took their seats in the pews. Seating was also available in balconies lining the left and right sides of the church. I grabbed a seat on the floor level, just to the left of center, about ten pews from the front. The crowd appeared to be mostly 50-plus, with more than a few grey ponytails in evidence – and those were the men.

Shortly after 8 p.m., the opening act Maeve Gilchrist took the stage. She’s a lovely young Scottish-born singer-songwriter-harpist who performed for about 40 minutes and was very well received. At one point, she was plugging an upcoming show at a local jazz club on December 9. “That’s my 24th birthday,” she announced. “Come help me celebrate.” I wondered if anyone told her that she shares a birthday with headliner Dan Hicks.

After a short intermission, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks took the stage, with Dan not looking or acting the part of a man about to turn 68 years old. He introduced the “Lickettes,” Daria and Roberta, and “the Lickmen” violinist Richard Chon, bassist Paul Smith and lead guitarist Dave Bell. “And you all know me,” he added. “I’m Martha Stewart.”

After an instrumental warmup that was interrupted and restarted due to technical difficulties, the band launched into “Canned Music,” followed by the call-and-response tune, “Evening Breeze.”

“That’s pretty much the show,” Dan deadpanned from the stage.

The band continued to experience technical problems, which the audience didn’t seem to notice, but at one point Dave Bell left the stage for two or three songs before returning. Dan managed to cover the glitches with his trademark humor, claiming that Bell had gone to the store to buy a new guitar.

“The bad news for Dave is that he’ll be paid slightly less for tonight’s show,” Dan joked, “so it works out in my favor.” He noted that Maria Muldaur had graced the same stage a week earlier. “I’ll bet Maria Muldaur didn’t have these problems,” he quipped.

The set continued with “Reelin’ Down,” “I’ll See You in My Dreams” and “Blues My Naughty Baby Gave to Me.” There were no more references to technical problems, which seemed to be resolved. But early in the show Dan did complain about the stage lights being too bright.

“Can we bring the lights down a little?” he wondered. “They’re really oppressive. And isn’t there enough oppression in the world?” he added, apparently giving the needle to the Cambridge crowd.

“I scare Myself,” included the now standard interlude where, during Bell’s guitar solo, Dan channels Jimi Hendrix, pantomiming playing his guitar with his tongue.

“Milk Shakin’ Mama” followed, and then “Song for My Father” which Dan identified as a song from the new album, “Tangled Tales.” He noted that the new CD had reached “number 700,005 on the charts, so we’re hoping for the best.”

The show continued with “Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette.” It’s a song I don’t recall hearing much at Dan’s live shows over the years. But it has a great line that captures the morbidly addictive power of nicotine.

Puff, puff, puff and if you smoke yourself to death,
Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate
That you just hate to make him wait,
But you just gotta have another cigarette.

“Sweetheart (Waitress in a Donut Shop)” featured Lickettes Roberta and Daria trading vocals. The girls sounded great all night. As always, they played a series of hand percussion instruments and engaged in choreographed dance steps with Dan. Dan Hicks was quite the hoofer in his younger days, as you can see from some of the YouTube videos available.

Dan announced the final song, adding, “And then we’re going to pretend to leave the building and then come back. We’re not actually going to leave, but we’ll sure make it look like we did.”

The band returned to play “The Buzzard Was Their Friend” as an encore. Relying on memory, I’m sure I’ve feft out a couple of songs along the way. Notable by their absence on last night’s playlist were two songs that are usually staples of the band’s live shows, “How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away” and “‘Long Come a Viper.”

In all Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks played for nearly two hours, and a good time was had by all.