Stiffarming through a sea of drunken seventeen year-olds, I saw Peaches earlier this month at Terminal 5. I’ve only heard awful reports about that midtown venue, and I can now corroborate those reports.

Peaches, however, looked damn good and damn evil. She entered the stage wearing a large black bulb of lace and human hair above her head. She looked like a pregnant black widow spider. My view was interrupted as some wasted waif with facepaint on bodychecked me in his quest to bulldoze to the front. For three seconds I imagined his death, and then I watched Peaches fearlessly body surf, stepping on hands and crotchplanting faces.

At least Peaches doesn’t get that upset about Lady Gaga. Peaches is more upset with the Jonas Brothers.

http://popdirt.com/peaches-lady-gaga-is-doing-her-own-thing/76634/

Three songs. Three feelings. Three beats.

This is one recipe that I really love. Friends and family are always asking me to make it for big and small gatherings. Easy on the budget and packed with goodness, it’s best when made with love, tastes even better the next day and it freezes well. A special treat served with Corn Bread or Bannock.

2 C. dried kidney beans (substitute pinto, romano, Jacob’s cattle or other big beans, or mix 3 or 4 together)

water

1 or 2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic (or 2 tsp. Garlic powder)

oil or fat for frying

1/2 – 1 pound ground beef (or use TVP – see below)

3-4 T. chili powder

2-3 T. cumin

1 T. dried coriander (cilantro), or 1/2 C. fresh

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional, add 2 or 3 times as much for a hot, spicy chili)

dash of cinnamon

large can crushed tomatoes (2 1/2 cups fresh)

1 tsp. brown sugar

2 T. vinegar (white, red wine, apple cider or balsamic)

small can peaches in light syrup (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans in water about 2-3 inches above the beans in a non-metal bowl for 6-8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water, add beans to a large pot and cover with fresh water an inch or two above the beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the beans are soft (1 1/2 to 3 hours).

Cook the ground beef (or dry fry the TVP) until nicely browned and crumbled, set aside. Sauté the onions in a little oil until soft, then add cooked beef, garlic and spices and cook covered, for 5 more minutes. Add the meat mixture, tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar and peaches to the beans and stir well. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least an hour to let the flavors blend, stirring occasionally to prevent burning; this is a good recipe to cook all day in a slow cooker or in the oven. Serve over rice.

Suggestions: Vegetarians and Vegans can substitute TVP dry-roasted with cumin for the ground meat to give a meaty texture and lots more protein. Offer crushed red pepper or Tabasco sauce at the table for people who like hot chili.

Hints: The beans will be more digestible if you add a piece of seaweed (kombu or dulse) to the beans while they cook, or you can add 1/2 tsp. baking soda to the soaking water to make the beans less “gassy”.

Time saver: For a quick chili, use 2 or 3 large cans of cooked kidney beans.

Note: Because this is such a good winter meal, we planned to make you a video of this recipe not too long ago when Brian and I were both in Toronto… didn’t work out. We will be getting to that asap, so stay tuned!

Much love, All My Relations, Gramma Willi

Good Clean Food For Everyone!

Holy shit it’s Miss Piggy singing Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away”! Wow, that’s seriously awesome.

Flazzummed by Coilhouse.

After my bout with the flu, I finally returned to dance class last week for a workout and discovered a new song by Amanda Blank, “Something Bigger, Something Better.” A few months ago one of my music-pushers, Robbie (see Summer Tours), mentioned her debut album, I love You, which came out in August. But I never got around to listening to it. I was immediately hooked on “Something Bigger, Something Better” which sounded like it could have been produced by rapper Missy Elliott. I finally got around checking out Blank’s album. Of course, through my research it turns out that I missed her recent show in NYC with electroclash diva Peaches. I’m, once again, a step or two behind here. But I keep trying anyway. Even though I missed the live show it seems like a good time to say a few words about these X-rated singer-songwriters. (Yes, their lyrics are explicit, so you’ve been warned.)

As I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for good pop music and Amanda Blank seems to be just that. Ok, maybe not straight ahead pop, but certainly catchy. She falls somewhere between electronica and rap, with an infusion of ‘80‘s new wave. Yes, another ‘80‘s throwback. Are we calling this the neo-80‘s sound? Whatever. I guess having been a teen in ‘80‘s I can’t help loving all of it. One of my favorite songs on the album, “Make It, Take It” has that ‘80’s twinge and more of a girl band sound to it. She co-wrote this song with Santigold (see SWIK post), who she’s worked with for some time. She sounds a lot like Santigold as well as rapper M.I.A. with whom she has also worked. Another ‘80’s throwback on the album, “A Love Song” is a remake of rapper LL Cool J’s “I Need Love.” It’s spot on and almost word for word the same song. It includes a sample of Santigold’s “I’m A Lady.” Like LL’s original, this one has a slow, steady hip-hop groove. “Leaving You Behind” is another mellow tune featuring Swedish electronic popster Lykke Li.

Her song “I Might Like You Better” sounds nothing like Romeo Void’s ’80’s tune “Never Say Never,” but it directly lifts the chorus “I might like you better if we slept together.” I’ve always liked this Romeo Void tune. While the message is blunt, the vocals are sultry with a punk edge. Blank’s new twist on the phrase is not one of my favorite songs on the album, but is worth noting. In another ‘80‘s tribute, the song “Make Up” was written by Prince and released on Vanity 6’s only album. It’s not a great song, but Blank offers an improvement on the original.



With all the catchy hooks and syncopation on the album, it’s easy to miss the rapid-fire lyrics. This album could make another solid running mix. Her tunes are also useful for getting ready for a night out or your own mini at-home dance party. But don’t be fooled, Blank is raunchier than most ‘80’s divas. One critic called her a nasty Cyndi Lauper (see SWIK post), taking “She Bop” to its extreme. Her song “Lemme Get Some” is exactly about what what you think and leaves nothing to the imagination.

A Philadelphia native, Blank was a member of the band Sweatheart and collaborated with alternative rapper Spank Rock, who also worked with her on the album. She is part of a growing trend of women taking back filthy and explicit lyrics from the men. Rapper Lil’ Kim was probably the pioneer here, although in addition to Romeo Void, the ‘80’s had Berlin’s “Sex (I’m A…),” the Eurythmics’ “I Need A Man” and of course any songs by Prince’s proteges such as Vanity and Apollonia. Blank has a underlying sense of humor and, for all their nastiness, her songs are well-crafted and catchy.

In writing about raunchy divas, it seems appropriate to say a few words about Peaches, who Blank is touring with right now. You can read a brief review of their NYC show and see photos on Brooklyn Vegan. I can’t recall when I first discovered Peaches. I probably read about her in Bust magazine, where I discover most alternative music. Originally from Canada, but now based in Berlin, Peaches is known for her sexually explicit lyrics in songs like “F*ck The Pain Away,” which was used in the film Lost In Translation. Other Peaches songs have been used in TV shows including Ugly Betty, Entourage, and CSI: New York among others. You may recognize her song “Do Ya” from a Gap ad.

Peaches writes all of her own music, plays the instruments, and produces her albums. Her music is more electronic, new wave, hip hop and even rock, rather than pop, and is part of what is called electroclash. Yes, ANOTHER music genre (see Raveonettes post for my rant on ever-expanding music genres). Her latest offering, I Feel Cream, which came out in May, is her most accessible album to date. I really like the song “Talk to Me.” It’s certainly one of her catchier tunes and sounds like Cyndi Lauper. I also like “Mud,” which is one of her mellower tunes. That said, none of her songs are ever likely to get radio play. The least offensive lyric on the new album may be, ‘never go to bed without a piece of raw meat’ from “Trick or Treat” which has a chorus that sounds like it came right off of a Vanity 6 album. She has a sense of humor, but has more underlying anger than Blank.

So where do I stand on these potty-mouthed women? First, let’s start with the fact that almost all music, particularly popular music, is about sex. (Even most classical music I would argue.) Like so many men before them, these women are just putting it out there in plainer terms. Shock value may be one way to look at it. Taking sex back and owning it is another. Objectifying men is yet another. I do find it fascinating that most male critics seem to quickly either write these women off or at least take them to task and look down on their explicit lyrics. They apparently have a difficult time listening to women use words like f*ck, pussy, and tits. Yet, we never hear a peep from these guys when men use these words. Nor do they bother to question the blatant misogyny and degradation of women in a lot of rap music. Female critics, on the other hand, tend to accept and embrace these women and their lyrics. I believe that these musicians take what they do quite seriously. Peaches, in particular, is certainly out to question some gender norms and push the envelope. I’m all for challenging the establishment and making people think. If you can craft a catchy or interesting tune in the process, more power to ya. That said, to each her own. This music may not be for you. Check out a few tunes for yourself and let me know what you think.

A SWIK ’80’s Sex Mix

If you thought Peaches looked cool on her album cover, look no further than LA-based Brian Lichtenberg for your very own fix. This young man is loved by indie rockers, electro artists and R&B divas alike, and his designs have graced artists such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, M.I.A, Yelle, Santigold, Daft Punk, Lil’ Wayne, Rie Rie, Ciara and Beyonce. Phew! I am in die-hard love with his amazing leggings and sexy dresses. The collection is avaliable to buy on Alex and Chloe, but be sure to check out his myspace too!

Imagine a forty something ex elementary school music teacher, crossed with Freddy Mercury, Ziggy Stardust, and Marilyn Manson and you get Merrill Beth Nisker, the Canadian also known as PEACHES. After seeing Peaches perform at The Majestic in Madison last May, I was hooked. Not only is her music like a drug, her live shows will melt your face off.

Lady Gaga (left) and Amanda Blank (right); musically related.

My friend Kevin and I arrived at Turner Hall just in time to grab a beer and claim a nice spot close to the action before the opener Amanda Blank took the stage. This Philly based rapper/singer had great energy and sick beats; she reminded me of a hip hop version of Lady Gaga (before she went all “poker face”).

Blank’s band consisted of a roots inspired drummer and two DJs mixing the tunes. After (w)rapping up a forceful set, Blank prepared the crowd for her mentor, Peaches.

Peaches, on her Harley made out of ballons that rode around the stage.

Peaches’ band, The Sweet Machine, includes a creepily awesome Gwyneth Paltrow look alike on guitar, a hot young shirtless guy on keyboards and a grizzly looking, long haired drummer. They made their entrance wearing suits of black hair, with Peaches close behind looking something like a cross between a Muppet and Elvira. Opening with her song “mud,” Peaches immediately had the audience entranced. It wasn’t long before things started to get crazy.

Looks like shes standing on solid ground....

Peaches asked “Milwaukee, want to be part of something that’s never been done before?”  Of course we said yes. “Ok, well Jesus walked on water, and I’m gonna walk on you.”  What? We all thought..

...But no, we are holding her up with our mighty muscles.

But she was serious and began taking steps onto peoples raised hands as she continued to sing in perfect pitch. “If you let me fall, the shows over,” she declared as we all gathered in tight to ensure our idol’s safety.

As the show continued, Peaches shed costume after costume ending up in a flesh colored leotard and a blinged out “peaches” necklace that would make any rapper jealous. Right after she performed her hit “F&*% the Pain away” and before she began the encore, Peaches serenaded us with her own acapella version of the theme song from Laverne and Shirley. Despite being sprayed with champagne and spit on (with fake blood), the crowd’s energy never faltered and neither did Peaches’ amazing stage presence.  With her raunchy lyrics,  crazy costumes, dance beats,  and raw style Peaches puts on a show you should NEVER pass up!

Thanks for the wonderful weekend Turner Hall… I am sure we will see each other again soon…

Neighborhood Beat airs Monday – Friday at 12:30pm & 8:30pm on the BCAT TV Network: Time Warner 56, Cablevision 69, RCN 84 and Verizon 44. You can also watch this and other episodes online at http://www.bricartsmedia.org/bit and following the Neighborhood Beat link. Download this and other segments as podcasts via iTunes keyword: “Brooklyn Independent Television.”

Apparently Peaches released a new remix EP and decided not to tell me. What a bitch. All of these mixes are pretty great, but the Cory Enemy and Proxy mixes are the best of the three. Also gonna share with you guys the drums of death bonus tracks off her last album, their mixtape as well (which is getting increasingly harder to find…), and some other peach on peach deliciousness. I know Peaches isn’t for everyone, but “I Feel Cream” was one of the best electro CDs of the year- hands down.

I Feel Cream (Cory Enemy Remix)
I Feel Cream (Blogula Remix)
I Feel Cream (Proxy Remix)
Billionare (Peaches vs. Drums of Death)
Lose You (Peaches vs Drums of Death)
THE PEACHES MIXTAPE!
Lose You (Yuksek and Brodinski Remix)
Mommy Complex (Barletta and Ernold Sane Remix)
Shake Yer Dix (Tigas Where Were You in 92 Remix)
Downtown (SMD Remix)
Fuck the Pain Away (Kids 606 Going Back to Bali Mix)

I know this isn’t all the remixes she has, but you’ll have to find the rest on your own. Sorry bitches!

12 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2-15 oz cans sliced peaches in juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine, melted
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup broken cashew pieces

Preheat oven to 350′. Put sweet potatoes in a large baking dish. Blend together peaches, sugar, margarine and spice until uniform. Pour over sweet potatoes, tossing to coat if necessary. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through. Uncover, stir, top with cashews, and bake another 15 minutes.

when i sat down to think about this week’s top 5, it was so painfully obvious who i would feature with tuesday’s release of kid sister’s CD, ultraviolet. ahhh, yes: women who rap. women who produce damn good beats. bad ass women who do their thang (yes, “thang”) without a care.

get up and dance. it’s friday, hoes.

leading off, kid sister :: right hand hi

[hey, dallas friends: she'll be at the palladium tomorrow night. get in there.]

a little bit rock, a little bit electro, but always fucking awesome, peaches :: billionaire

“the biggest midget in the game,” lady sovereign :: let’s be mates

i can’t get enough of this trio, northern state :: iluvitwhenya

seriously, how could i not include m.i.a. :: bamboo banga

http://sheathsandpills.deviantart.com
is my devART
I haven’t really uploaded anything to it. I will though. I want to add my illustrations rather than photographs. I’ve been too lazy to utilize my scanner but whatever.

It’ll probably end up just being a gurofest and Mr. C will think I’m creepy (he probably already thinks I’m creepy though).

Cheers.
Oh, and I went to see Peaches on Saturday. It was an okay show, so many unattractive pseudo hipsters. I got a shirt that says “Fuck The Pain Away” and I plan to wear it to school tomorrow. Let’s see how that goes.

Mmmm mmm mmmmmmmmmm. Merrill Beth Nisker, or as we all know her, Peaches, the foul-mouthed, androgynous, dick, tits, and all, has wowed the Montréal crowd once again at the Métropolis. Sporting capes, donning skin colored skin tight jump suits, and a flashing clit, Peaches is true to her own hype. She fuckin’ rocks. With her cock out. For real. I am quite surprised that dildos did not make an appearance throughout the show. At least fake boobies did! Hooorah fake boobies! But first, a lady quite deserving of being a Peaches opener…Amanda Blank!

Live in Show: Peaches with Amanda Blank
@ le Métropolis (MTL; 17 11 09)

I first saw Amanda Blank when she toured with Trouble Andrew and Santigold. Regrettably, I only saw her perform for 15-20 minutes due to my usual and unsurprisingly-me tardiness. What I did see though, was a female fierceness that can only come from women that self-empowered and confidant. Once again, she delivered a big fuck you performance. She makes it. She takes it. And godddddddddddd do we feel it in our pants when she does.

Showing off her perfectly toned legs and her shapely bottom, she wears a black one piece covered with a black cape. She is wonder woman. This much is clear. She bumps, grinds, and shakes her way through many songs off of her newly released album I Love You. All my favorite songs were performed,”DJ”, “A Love Song”, “Something Bigger, Something Better”, and “Make It Take It”. The best performance of the night, IMO, was “Might Like You Better”. It was mashed up with Junior Boy’s “Like A Child” and it worked so incredibly well. YO DJ! You guys should do a full remix of this. It is pure gold. You can hear and see a bit of it from this video above.

Overall, a most back bending performance. Full of unremitting runs and no stutter lyrical prowess. I effin’ love this girl.

A

MP3: Amanda Blank – DJ

I’ve been waiting so long to see my heroine. Seriously. I’ve missed her shows at least 3 times now. Tonight…was redemption. Peaches first comes out wearing a huge black wig with bows. Imagine the Fever Ray tribal get-up except with a full head of hair. Her dancers are blond. Hah! After a few songs she strips to reveal a pink super heroine suit. Grand obtuse shoulder pads. High military boots. Hair and makeup to destroy. She plays plays with the lasers. The strobe lights. Her microphone. Her stand. Her ass, tits, and all. Shake you dick! Shake you tits! Shake your dick! Shake your tits! Everything is an object of her desire as she strokes all things phallic to deconstruct and smash patriarchy with her dutiful hands and dirty lyrics into nothing but some fuzz. Peach fuzz. MMMMMM. She has a flashing clit as she struts her way across the stage. She jumps into the crowd and surfs…FOR TWO WHOLE SONGS! Yeah, we held the Peaches up. It was awesome.

She goes through most of the songs on her new album I Feel Cream like “Serpentine”, “I Feel Cream”, “Talk To Me”, “Mommy Complex”, “Mud”, and “Billionaire”. Of course she performs some of her oldies, with my favorite one being “Fuck the Pain Away”. She is a goddess. The band was pretty amazing too. The sound was fantastic and her voice is empowering, immaculate, screamo yet emaciating all at the same time. She is fucking ferocious and nothing can stop her. A mini accident during the show defs proved how badass she is. She was balancing herself onto a speaker and as she made the jump back towards the stage when I guess, she lost her footing and the ground rushed up to meet her instead. Peaches was down for quite a while and at one point there was a little tussle because one of the stage managers went to see if she was alright and was instead pushed back by the guitar player. After about 30-60 seconds, she arose and wobbly walked her way towards the front of the stage. We clapped! We cheered! Aaah yes Peaches is indestructible! Then, she turns serious and stares for a few moments and spits out ALL THE BLOOD in her mouth from her fall towards us. Fuckin’ badass. At first I wasn’t sure if this was a gimmick because I couldn’t even see the pain on her face. But, I think it was real. Regardless. She is awesome. And she did ANOTHER encore after that.

The whole night after…and even now. I’m shakin’ my tits to her. And my dick, of course.

A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MP3: Peaches – Fuck the Pain Away

My mother is a fabulous cook. I’m sure she get’s a bit tired of cooking at times. I mean, we all like to go out to eat. But my mother LOVES to go out to eat. She practically LIVES to go out to eat.

My father can say he’s going to get gas at a local station and she rides along just to get a hotdog. She says they have the absolute best ones in the world. I think she’s just happy she’s not cooking it!

About a year or so ago, my sister called my mother and told her they were going to pick peaches and would she like to go along for the ride. She said my mother was ever so exuberant with her yes and she found that a little weird.

Anyway, they picked their peaches and they started home. When they got to the intersection , they turned toward home.

Mom: Where are you going?!

Sister: Home.

Mom: Home?

Sister: Yeah. Where else would I be going?

Mom: What about the pizza?

Sister: What pizza?

Mom: The pizza you promised me.

Sister: I never promised you any pizza.

Mom: Yes, you did! You asked me if I wanted to go get pizza!

Sister: I did not. I asked you if you wanted to go pick peaches!

Mom: Well, I wouldn’t have gone if I heard you say peaches. I thought you said pizza. I’m not going home without pizza.

Sister did a U-turn and took Mom for pizza. Sister said Mom smiled all the way home.

My Dad, however; does not like to go out to eat as often. Once my brother called and asked the folks to meet him for brunch. Of course, Mom was dying to go, but Dad flat out refused. Mom needled him until she found out why. “You know I hate that damn German goulash”, he replied. He relented when he discovered the meaning of “brunch”. Happy endings for both of them. She got to go out to eat. He didn’t have to eat any damn German goulash!

I am going to have dinner at Mom and Dad’s next Saturday while I’m in town for a few days. As usual, Mom insists that I do not need to bring anything. I insist on maybe making a pie. Is Dad’s favorite coconut or pecan, I ask her. Chocolate, she replies. No, that’s your favorite, I say. She laughs and adds, he’ll eat it though. Guess I’ll make both coconut and chocolate.

You just don’t mess with my Mama and her food. She and my BIL have a battle going. Actually, she has the battle with him. He is the most fabulous baker (and cook) ever. He makes deserts that are to die for. If there is ever the slightest flaw, He throws out the entire item. It annoys the hell out of Mom. I’ve seen her (with a spoon) eat the chocolate from a pie that refused to set. Of course, BIL had intended to throw it out. She especially loves his cream puffs. The pastries of one particular batch did not turn out to his liking so he placed them in a bag to throw out and left for the grocery store for some items to make another batch. When he returned he caught Mom spooning instant pudding from those little snack pack lunch cups into the pastry shells. He tried to take them away, convincing her he was going to make some more. He gave up…I think he feared for his life!

Mom often accuses Dad of selective hearing. She says he only hears what he wants to hear. After reading about the peaches and pizza, who do you think has selective hearing?

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 6 small slices of gluten free bread (cinnamon pecan)                    
  

  Peaches Placed on Bread

• 3 whole eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup low fat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Arrange the slices of bread in a single layer in the baking pan.

Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan.

In a medium bowl, toss peaches with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar.

Scatter the peach slices evenly on top of the bread.

Combine the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.                                            

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Uncover and bake for 40 minutes.                                

Although, we did not top this with anything, yogurt or sour cream would be good with it.

Bottom line:  I must have done something wrong with the recipe. I don’t think that gluten-free bread would make a difference, so I can’t blame that.  I have no idea but the bread seemed soggy and the peaches were a separate entity, not connected to the bread, not physically but taste-wise.  I enjoyed the peaches.  I have a feeling, if made again, I would get it right but I doubt that I will do this.  Check with the other CEiMB ladies to see how this worked for them.  I am taking bets that you will find success.

Collectively I’ve seen Saturday’s line up 8 times this year. Peaches: 3, Amanda Blank: 5.

Amanda Blank was first up and after having seen her set four times this year alone, it was clear that Amanda was bringing something bigger something better to the stage this time around. Her 45-minute set began after 9PM and included 2 DJ’s, a drummer, the obligatory Spank Rock guest spot AND a choreography section with background dancers!

Fans were promised a revamped show for the current leg of Peaches‘ tour, which worried/intrigued me after having seen the incredible shows in May and again in June!

Anticipation and excitement was at an all time high at 10PM when Terminal 5 filled up with smoke and 4 figures took the stage shrouded in hairy monster outfits to the Blade Runner theme song. The music then transitioned from Mud to Talk to Me, in which Peaches shed the monster shell to reveal a Rainbow Brite-like leotard before diving into the crowd for her obligatory crowd surf performance.

The absolute highlight (beside the incredible outfits) was the lazer show for Take You On, in which Peaches and her band Sweet Machine played 3 electronic lazers that produced the backing beat for the song. Monstrously epic. Peaches never ceases to amaze and continuously puts on a show that we will never bore of!

More pictures of Peaches HERE (some NSFW), more Pictures of Amanda Blank HERE.

Setlist:
Mud // Talk To Me // Billionaire //Serpentine // Show Stopper // Shake Yer Dix // I U She + Tombstone medley // More //Boys Wanna Be Her // You Love It // Lose You // I Feel Cream // Mommy Complex // Fuck the Pain Away

Encore:
Operate // Slippery Dick //Take You On // Kick It // Rock ‘n’ Roll // Set It Off

MP3: Peaches – I U She or zShare

MP3: Peaches – Shake Yer Dix or zShare

MP3: Amanda Blank – Make Up or zShare

Peaches c/o Myspace

Peaches is playing tonight at Metropolis y’all. Doors open at 8PM. I gots dinner plans so I didn’t bank on seeing her this time around.  (food before shows but not after clothes) Now that it’s itching closer, I kind of wanna go. AND I like Amanda Blank too, shit!

Amanda Blank Photo from http://fiftyonefiftyone.com/

so i collect recipes…its a hobby. I find them online, in magazines, in books, from friends, pretty much anywhere I can. I have an entire folder of recipes I’ve emailed myself from various blogs, websites, online collections. Many times I never see them again and on rare occasions I’ll find one and forget why I was so drawn to it in the first place.

The reason I tell you this, is last week, my roommate and I had the opportunity to go to the Taste of Home Cooking School that was in Lawrence. The roomie won 3 free tickets on the radio so her and I and one of our other good friends decided to check it out. Aside from being easily some of the youngest participants at the event (we are all twenty somethings), we were not incredibly impressed. As far as freebies go, the bag full of goodies was pretty much a dud with the exception of the Ocean Spray Craisins sample bag, and the Taste of Home cooking magazines. To be frank, I’d never pay for tickets to this event in the future…but if we won them again I’d probably just go get my freebie bag and leave.

The cooking portion of the event was nothing special, they showcased 8 recipes that were in the magazines we were given. We learned what a pate a choux was and that you need to leave meat rest before cutting into…all basic cooking techniques were pretty obvious to anyone who had read a recipe before or watched Food Network. The foods looked alright and the girls and I bookmarked recipes we wanted to try out on our own. Needless to say we didn’t stay until the end…it was just too exhausting watching her make fudge in a microwave…yeah…depressing!

anyway…this weekend I decided to make one of these recipes called Peaches and Cream French Toast…I added on casserole…because that’s what it is. And the recipe can be found on Taste of Home’s website here.

As you may see, it is not rated well…because I’m the first person to rate it of course! Anyway…I was not blown away as you may have noticed. Here are my criticisms:

1. layered = ingredients are not distributed evenly = PROBLEM!

2. a DOZEN eggs…that’s absurd, even though my parents raise chickens (not in the production sense, we just collect eggs for our own use)

3. No seasonings = no depth of flavor.

My changes to the recipe were few: I swapped half the peaches for crushed pineapple because I only had one can of peaches. And I swapped half the half and half for buttermilk because I had a bunch to use up. But even if I wouldn’t have made these changes, they weren’t substantive on the outcome of the dish generally. Which was pretty awful. However, I do have some suggestions that I may try next time that would make this dish successful I believe.

1. NO LAYERING: i repeat, resist the urge to layer! If you feel yourself beginning to layer…stop…walk away…and get help. With that said, I believe a certain amount of layering is necessary. For instance, instead of of dumping the sauce (brown sugar, butter, corn syrup) on the bottom of the pan and floating the fruit in it, just put enough in the bottom of the pan to coat it, put in the fruit and cream cheese…yes! and then stir together the bread, remaining sauce, and egg concoction.

2. Add some spices: to the egg mixture is probably the best time, maybe a teaspoon of cinnamon and maybe 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves and nutmeg.

3. DO NOT BAKE UNTIL CRUNCHY ON TOP…it will be nasty. Because you are now combining the sugar with the top of the casserole, you might want to consider baking half of the time with foil on top so the sugar doesn’t burn.

OK, now you are set ot make my makeover recipe Peaches and Cream French Toast casserole. Of course there is nothing wrong with the original recipe if you like crunchy egg soaked bread with caramel sauce. YUM! NOT!

While I drafted this post, I thought I’d share with you what I was snacking on: rosemary and olive oil melba toast with laughing cow creamy swiss…mmmm!

To make up for lack of new posts over the weekend. I thought i would give out a laugh.

Brotherly Love

 It was peaches birthday on the weekend so i was out celebrating with her! Peaches and i use to share a room when we were little. But we had our own room later in life, but we didnt kill each other so i think it’s all good.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

~carnessie

Alright, this week are mainly songs that will make you dance, dance, dance! And maybe after, you will watch Pulp Fiction. Mmmm Cheeseburger Royale. Enjoy dudes, and watch out! More updates coming, including a mixtape which is pretty much awesome NOT GONNA LIE!

-I am seeing PEACHES ANNNNND AMANDA BLANK TOMORROW AT THE MÉTROPOLIS!!! It is going to be so sick. I’ve waited so long to see her. The day she came to Edmonton, she played at my FAVORITE venue ever, the Starlite Room, but it was also the day before moving out east. So blah. But, her new album, I Feel Cream, is solid solid peaches. Dirty. Raunchy. Gender bending. Back bending. ASS UP! It is only so fitting that Amanda Blank opens up for her. She is also promoting her new album which I happened to review!  Stick around for the review of this show! AND VIDEOS! I can’t wait!

• MP3: Peaches – Mud
  

-My favorite dance duo from Montréal released this single a while ago and it keeps up to the Chromeo standard. Fancy footwork. Cute dog drooly lyrics. Infectious pop synths. The Skream remix of this is SICK. I am currently looking for a good 320 quality of this. HOLLLA!

• MP3: Chromeo – Night By Night
  

-There is barely any info on the dude, but his full name is Ishmael Ledesma. He’s had a great great musical history, touring with the likes of Kool and the Gang, Natalie Cole, Rick James, and more. He was a part of many disco bands in the seventies and eighties. When I first heard this song, I was addicted. It had the Anita Bell-esque disco feel to it. It took me a while to realise that it’s actually a man singing this song. Awesome. Put on your platforms!

• MP3: Ish – Don’t Stop
  

-All I know is that they’re dutch. I guess that says enough. A.K.A. they know How To Party. They have so much knowledge that they christened their recent album with the title, The Art of Partying. The album is Italo-disco meets house. It’s alright…it’s an album that you’d definitely need more help with the first time, like maybe a few beers…shots of Jack’s…some wine perhaps? It doesn’t have the air of say, Modeselektor or Junior Boys, where you can chill out to it at home or dance to it at a house party too! It definitely has tracks that stand out but not many. Enjoy this one, my fave off the album =)

• MP3: Parra Soundsystem – Angel
  

-Six piece band of Indonesian awesomeness. Seven years of playing together produced two eclectic albums, Centralismo and Ports of Lima. You can tell they are influenced very very much by the West yet there is still the Pacific feel behind their tones. Centralismo is apparently one of the TOP FIVE Asian albums worth buying (according to The Times Asia). Plus, the Rolling Stones Indonesia praised PoL as the best album in 2008. And they really really do deserve it. Their music is genius and almost impossible to put into a genre. I felt such a release listening to Sore. Finally something away from all the Stereogum and Pitchfork hyped bands. This is super fresh. Get a glass of wine.

• MP3: Sore – Bogor Biru
  

-AAAAH yes. Another electro-pop duo from Montréal. Haven’t really heard much of their stuff…and I think Omnikrom’s alright, but their collaboration on this is pretty solid.

• MP3: Numéro# ft. Omnikrom – Chewing-Gum Fraise
  

-Vapours is easily one of my top albums of the year. UGH, Nick Thorburn and crew have done it again. the Islands, based out of Montréal (WHAT WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!) create the catchiest indie rock with lyrics to match. I recently saw them at Théâtre Plaza and their magic on stage is no short of one feels while listening to the album. Dressed all in white, armored with silver vests and gold collars, they rocked out in style. I got there a bit late, unfortunately, and I guess they must have played my favorite song of theirs (ahem, below!) in the first fifteen minutes because I didn’t get to hear it. My heart ached a bit because of this…but I think it’s OK. This song, is defs on my top list for the year end and was my soundtrack song for New York while I was there.

• MP3: Islands – No You Don’t