THE PEANUT PRINCIPLE

Shannon and Joe Campagna had delved into a wholesale candy business, when they suddenly went nuts.   Healthy nut butters, that is.  Mostly butters using peanuts.  In fact their  new company is called, The Peanut Principle.

Don’t expect these delicious butters to taste like the bottled stuff you usually buy at your supermarket.  The closest you can come to just their basic peanut butter is by doing into a health food store and getting some dry roasted ground up.  Even then, it may not be the same since Shannon and Joe have some special equipment for grinding.

You may be able to find this brand of nut butters in some supermarkets, but it’s best to simply go to the website.  Oh, btw, there are no dairy products used.  I ordered a bunch to taste and not one to spread on bread but eating a few spoonfuls from the jar that would amount to what I would have spread on bread.  Here are the ones that I sampled.

Keep It Smooth : Dry Roasted Organic Peanuts ground to perfection in our 1950's Nut Grinder.   I happened to have some of the low sugar blueberry spread from my trip to the Poconos and combined this. 

Beat Me To The Crunch: Dry Roasted Organic Peanuts ground leaving crunchy chunks for that great flavor.   I did the same as above.

Almond The Mood For Chocolate: Dairy free Belgian Dark Chocolate, raw coconut and our signature almond butter mashed together.   Okay, this is not a peanut butter.   I didn’t really think I’d love this one, but after getting hooked on Greater’s Ice Cream flavor of Coconut Chip, I had a difficult time eating just the “spread” amount.  

The Dark Side of Peanut (Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter):  60% Dry Roasted Peanuts ground 40% Pure Dark Chocolate.  The Dark chocolate comes from a company in the Adirondacks called Barkeater Chocolates.   In fact, you can purchase the butter at their locations.

Raisin The Roof (Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter):  A Blend of Organic Peanuts, Ground Cinnamon, Currents and a touch of sugar.   Now this is great on French Toast. 

Razz It Up (Chocolate Raspberry Peanut Butter):  Chocolate peanut butter blended with raspberry puree.  A few spoonfuls for dessert or mixed in a smoothie.

Healthy Brain Blend: A blend of peanuts ,almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, brazil nuts, pine nuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, sprouted broccoli seeds, goose berries, blueberries.  Healthy Heart Blend: A blend of peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pecans, chia seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries, banana chips, alfalfa seeds.  I didn’t think I would like these two having all that healthy stuff.   They both tasted great!  

I Think My Flax Are Sexy:  A marriage between Golden Flax Seeds and Dry Roasted Organic Peanuts!! If your need to get your Omega 3's on this is the JAR for You!!  This one is a good “smoothie” choice.

Very Berry: Peanut Butter packed with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, acai berries, gogi berries, cherries, gooseberries and pomegranate.   What can I say about this one?   If you don’t have time for breakfast, at least have three spoonfuls of this one.  

Chocolate Haze: 30 percent dark chocolate and 70 percent hazelnut.   I didn’t really love this one due to my taste for the “nutella” type that has a lot more sugar. 

Open Sesame:  Asia Peanut Butter. This fantastic blend combines fresh ginger and garlic with dry roasted peanuts and sesame seeds.   This is the perfect one to use for cooking! 

The above are only the ones that I have sampled.   There are so many more and various nuts.   Smores fans...beware…this one is a dessert in a bottle.   www.peanutprinciple.com

OY VEY, SOUL DOCTOR ON BROADWAY

 It’s the Vienna City Square 1978 at a public concert where the mayor is honoring Nina Simone (Amber Iman).  She is vamping the song, “Am Yisrael Chai” (keep Israel alive) and introduces Shlomo.   This is Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (Eric Anderson) who has been singing and “bringing light to people all across the world.”  He is playing the guitar and accompanied by the Holy Beggars Band who enter down the steps from the audience and make their way to the stage continuing with this song. 

There is protest from Reb Pinkas (Ron Orbach), Shlomo’s teacher, who is reminding him of what occurred here during the holocaust.  As Shlomo talks about the Reb, the scene changes to the year 1938 where he and his brother Eli Chiam are playing ball during “Shabbiss” They want to enjoy themselves and the Reb says, “Being a Jew is about pain and suffering. Joy is for the Genitiles.”  

Their father gets a letter stating that they must leave Austria in seven days.  With the Torah that has been passed down for generations the move is to New York City.  (What did you expect?).   1941, Shlomo is intent on reading the Talmud and his father starting a congregation.   There have been several songs.  In fact, expect to hear 35 numbers of an approximate 2 hour show with one interpishon. 

As the two boys age, Eli Chiam will be “swept up by the Chassidim who will be dressed in long coats and wearing “peyos”, long curly sideburns.   After much Jewish culture the scene changes to 1957 and Columbia University for a “wild Rosh Hashana dance”.   The brothers, now singing together, are told that they need to “jazz it up” and given a flyer to attend the Smoky Piano Bar.

Scene change with Nina singing “I Put A Spell On You” as Shlomo enters.  He is captured by the music and her.  Nina will never get his name correctly and will pronounce it as “Shaylimo”.   There will be plenty of funny lines in this show.  She explains how it feels to be black and he explains his past in Vienna.   They each realize that they must live their dream as Shlomo sings, “Ki Va Moed” (The time has come). 

Shlomo is invited to a Baptist Church that Nina sings at.   He is inspired by the energy.   As he leaves he is confronted by the Reb and his father.   However, the Reb makes negative remarks about the “schvartzes” and with that Shlomo’s father, a rabbi at his temple, fires Reb Pinkas.  Shlomo’s  father wants him to become a “traditional rabbi”.  Shlomo says that he must do his thing and hands over his prayer shall.

Scene change to Washington Square where a chat with a “blind guitarist” who calls him a “Soul Doctor”.  Shlomo admits that that is what he wants to be.  It is at this point that Shlomo is taught how to play the guitar.

As the show continues songs will be sung that encourage the audience to clap along, but done so when the audience at the theatre is the audience that the performers are playing to.

Rather than continue with the plot line which includes San Francisco’s Haight Asbury (which is a reminder of “Hair” and the beginning reminiscent of “Fiddler on the Roof”). Amber Iman sings only a few numbers and certainly makes a hit with the audience.   Eric Anderson get deserving  thunderous applause many times.    At one point, Shlomo meets Ruth (Zarah Mahler), who has fallen in love with him…love not returned.  She gets a solo with “I Was A Sparrow” which certainly shows off her singing talent.   

As for the show itself, if you are not Jewish or understand the Jewish culture, this may only be enjoyable in regards to the songs,  energy of the show and the humor.   Soul Doctor music was written by the actual Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and is meant to depict his life, with some “less truths”.  Who cares?   See it at Circle In The Square Theatre.  Ki Va Moed.

PASS THE BWOWNIES

Let me get this "straight". The wannabee US dictator Governor of New Jersey doesn't want to pass the same-sex marriage law....BUT...wants to pass a law allowing medical weed for children. Got it. Six year old says to mom..."Can I have the car keys. I need to go to Dr. Highman and get a prescription for my weed. Should I get a little extra...if you know what I mean. After all, I'm too young to bake a batch of brownies."

FIRST DATE GREAT

Take the leading man and woman, add a Greek Chorus, decent music and comedy.    Combine with a good script that you can follow with talented actors.   What you have is a Broadway musical comedy that works. 

Curtain up at a wine bar as men and women are talking having obviously meeting for the first time.  Opening number as scene changes to a West Village gastropub .  Aaron (Zachary Levi) enters dressed in a suit, glasses and nervous.    He’s here on a first blind date to meet Casey (Krysta Rodriguez) funky, pretty and cool looking who has “blind dated” a lot.   It appears that Casey’s sister, Lauren (Sara Chase) has set this up.  Aaron has ordered a “manly beer” and Casey, upon seeing Aaron orders a “something strong” and a chaser “that is stronger”.

Let me first give you the logistics of the other actors who are part of the “Greek Chorus”, each changing roles and only in the minds of either Casey or Aaron.   Each time the imagination comes to play, the scene freezes. 

We have the waiter (Blake Hammond) who will also take the imaginary roles of Casey’s father, a priest as well as a friendly therapist.   Reggie (Kristoffer Cusick) portrays Casey’s gay BFF who is set to bail her out.  He also takes on the role of an Edgy Rocker Guy.  Aaron will also imagine his last girlfriend Allison (Kate Loprest) talking to him.

In conversation, Casey and Aaron find something in common.  Casey grew up in an area of Michigan that Aaron attended summer camp.   Names are thrown out of who knows who.   “Should we continue playing Jewish Geography?” asks Aaron.  “I’m good at this game, even if I’m not a Jew”, she replies.  Patrons now become a “Jewish Chorus” to sing “This Isn’t the Girl For You”, starring Grandma Ida (Sara Chase).  Aaron’s imagination includes Casey’s father.  This is by far the best and funniest production number.

I have to admit that the script does have a lot of clichés and each of the three leads get their solo.  Blake Hammond shows off his singing talent with “I’d Order Love”.   Rodriguez, formerly from the tv show Smash, does her thing with the song, “Safer”.   Toward the end of the show, Levi gets his turn with “In Love With You”. 

Let’s not forget Cusick as Reggie singing “Bailout Song #2”.   He is quite the hilarious one. 

Blind Date is playing at the Longacre Theatre, and performed without an interpishon.    This may not get nominations but well worth seeing for some good laughs. 

MAYORAL "RACE"

With the mayoral race going on here in NYC, the democrats had a television debate.  Ads are out there, of course.  Take Bill Thompson who makes it clear that his parents or grandparents came from the Caribbeans and blah, blah, blah.  Very clear on "race".  Bill de Blasio (who had changed his name from a German sounding one) has his son, in an afro, doing a commercial. Too bad his eyes can't focus on the camera as it's very clear that he is reading the lines.  Ads show his wife, who is black.  Interesting to find out that his wife was a professed lesbian.  It makes me wonder about the marriage and as to whether they conceived making the son and daughter or "pass the turkey baster".   Also left out is a former brochure where the daughter is wearing a gun charm around her neck that wound up getting "air brushed".  So, are we getting a message from his wife that if you find the "right man" you will no longer be a lesbian?  

Would you believe that Anthony Weiner is still in this?   I so hope that Christine Quinn wins!

DANA LORGE HOSTS GREAT TALENT

Comedian-singer-actress Dana Lorge has been entertaining for many years.  I believe I met her in the mid 70s both working as "extras" in a movie.  Both living in Queens and a bit of the same ilk.  I left show biz, she didn't.  Lately she has been hosting an array of talent in some of the New York City nite clubs.  This particular evening took me to the Metropolitan Room, located at 34 W. 22nd Street.

The lineup started with singer-actor Richard Skipper

followed by jazz singer Sue Matsuki.

Dana did her comic banter in between each performer the next being Nicolas Tamagna, a countertenor who sang two songs each in a different range.

We then had Sidney Myer, who does the bookings for Don't Tell Mama

and lastly, pianist-singer Mark Nadler who had us in much laughter performing his rendition of "I Love A Piano".  

 

There is a cover charge and drink minimum at this venue.  I decided to indulge in a drink called "Cosmo-Pear-Itan" made with Absolute Pear Vodka, pear nectar, triple sec and lime.  Delicious.
Being just a bit hungry I opted for the Mediterranean plate consisting of: olive tapenade with feta cheese; roasted red peppers and artichoke tapenade; stuffed grape leaf, hummus, mixed olives and enough mini-pita breads to accompany.  There was certainly no disappointment on taste.  Filling enough for one person.  Sharing if you already had dinner. 

Dana Lorge will be back there on September 8th for a late afternoon lineup: Judy Scott; Vivian Reed, Frans Bloom, Yaffa, and Lois Morton.  Dana certainly has a great snack for delivering talent and that includes herself. www.metropolitanroom.com

THEY CALL IT "BIG Q"

In Queens, unless you're at an airport, metered taxis are not flagged down.  You have to call a car service.  Having a driver that is not on his cellphone or rude is not the easiest to find.  I'm just looking for a pleasant and safe ride as well as one that is not overpriced.  With all of the car services that I have used Big Q stands out.  Every driver has always been polite, obeys the laws, and very helpful as I have difficulty walking.  What's more is that when they say, "five minutes", they mean it.  So, kudos goes to this car service!  718-846-4500