MARBELLA’S RESTAURANT CALLED IT “DINNER THEATRE MUSICAL”

Marbella’s, a Spanish cuisine restaurant in Bayside, advertised having “Dinner Theatre Musical”.   I define Dinner Theatre as watching a performance of a scripted play of some sort and “Dinner Theatre Musical” to be play with much music.  It said, “Simply Me, a show about everything (almost).”   “Featuring Mitchell Robert with his musicians”.   How do you put “featuring” when there is only one person?   I “googled “his name and nothing came up.   Then again if you “google” my name, you won’t see my show business career as I did all my business before the internet was invented. 

Let me first begin with the “dinner” part slated for 6:30.  I, and a friend, was just about the first people to arrive taking a table close to the performer so that I could shoot photos. Drinks. I ask the waiter what is included. Juice, soda, coffee, tea.  I request a combination of juices.  My friend requests seltzer with cranberry and pineapple juice.  I say (to the waiter), “That sounds even better.  I’ll have the same.” I got the juice I originally requested.

Waiter takes the full order. First up, an Empanada, with cheese and black olives.   I give that an “okay”.   We ordered the Spanish soup vs a salad.   We were the last to be served and arrived at about 7:30….tepid.  

The show itself was to commence at 8pm….NOT.   I ordered the Paella and my friend went for the Salmon.  The ad lists the choices of entrees to include the Paella at the price of $49 (plus tax and tip), yet the menu given listed the Paella as being $5 extra.   I notice that the scallops are raw and that one of the clams did not open.   Who is in the kitchen cooking that does not check to see that the shellfish is okay?   I send it back pointing this out to the GM.  He brings me another Paella that has less rice (to hide the other stuff) and more of what I should be having.   I avoid the scallops….if that’s what they are.   Small sea scallops.   The entrée arrives at about 8:15.  Mitchell Robert makes “show business small talk” to stretch the lack of food delivery. 

Dessert…we both had ordered the flan.   GM brings it.  Okay, but with my friend making like the best flan, couldn’t hold up to her recipe and cooking.   As she is in the middle of her dessert, the waiter comes over and says to us, “Did you order the flan or the ice cream?”  He then realizes what’s going on and leaves.

Time for the show.  Here is what I get.  Mitchell Robert likes to write songs, sing and put on a show.  Even with a slight deafness in one ear I could hear his voice going off key, especially when he holds a note.  He “can sing” but does not have a voice that I want to listen to.   I’m not there for the lyrics. 

He tells us that he has been entertaining since “birth”.   He has a music stand in front of him with the jokes written out.   I found all of the jokes and anecdotes to be “mildly amusing”.   I forgot to mention that he had a bunch of his friends and family there.  

Nobody yelled, “more” or “encore”.   He did it for himself wanting to make sure we got to hear another song that he wrote.  I would have run out if it weren’t for my needing a cane to walk.  I think I need to go back into show business! 

I had a flashback of going to Marbella’s several years ago with a few friends.  We ordered drinks.  I had a cocktail.   Entrée was a lobster.  It arrived with a cockroach crawling across the top.   I, of course, pointed it out to which we all got up and left.  The waiter came after me wanting me to pay for the drink saying that there was no cockroach in that.  At least that didn’t happen.

RICE IS LIFE WITH LOTUS FOODS

Lotus Foods has become famous for their "Rice is life".  It is not just your average white rice, the staple has been taught in many parts of the world to produce the healthiest.  Caryl Levine and Ken Lee are the owners of this amazing company that started when they tasted a black rice in China now referred to as Forbidden Rice.  That was back in 1995.  After marketing the various rices they came up with a newer product - ramen noodles made from rice and other healthy grains. Then came the packet of noodles along with the miso soup.  A bowl of the soup could sustain a meal and even better by adding some extra veggies or a few ounces of protein.  There most recent is the rice crackers, a snack food.

“Water smart and women strong way of growing rice” is their goal.  “Almost 4 billion people eat rice daily to survive,” Caryl said.  “Yet, growing rice uses more fresh water than any human activity. If we’re going to grow and eat that much rice around the world, we’re going to have to grow it more sustainably. We have been teaching farmers how to grow using 50% less water, 50% less seed and without chemicals. The result is that they are getting double and triple the yield.”

In 2005 Cornell University contacted both Caryl and Ken and introduced them to farmers who use the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).  SRI versus the conventional ort. "In conventional farming the fields are flooded and the seeds are 30-40 days old,” Caryl tells us. “While in SRI farming the fields are kept moist like watering a garden and taking water on and off. The seeds in comparison are only about 8-10 days old. These younger seeds are very small and they are planted farther apart from each other. This allows the plant to produce more photosynthesis allowing stronger root growth. When roots grow stronger there is more organic matter in the soil allowing plenty of rice kernels to grow. Lotus Foods wants to support farmers who use the SRI and there is a chance we can change the world by the way we do business. How many companies can do that?”

There are so many different kinds of rice that the consumer does not know of and Caryl is out there doing the marketing.  What are some of the rice?

Bhutanese Red Rice has more potassium than Gatorade, and a significant amount of magnesium that has a complex, nutty, earthy flavor, soft texture and beautiful russet color.

Forbidden Rice increased health and longevity. “Legend tells us that this ancient grain was once eaten exclusively by the Emperors of China. Our most popular rice is fabled to enrich health and ensure longevity. This medium-size heirloom rice is treasured for its delicious roasted nutty taste, soft texture and beautiful deep purple color.”  I got this from the website.

Volcano Rice is a mineral packed blend of traditional aromatic West Java rices grown on volcanic soils rich in magnesium, manganese and zinc – essential minerals so often lacking in modern diets. A colorful blend of nutrient-dense Sintanur brown rice and, whole grain red rice and lightly milled red rice that is reputed to restore vitality. 

Organic Jade Pearl Rice. The oldest living peoples of the world eat a staple of rice mixed with a unique, edible species of Bamboo leaf and stem for its good nutritional profile. They consider this warm mountain-grown bamboo the true tree of life.

When cooked, this beautiful jade-colored rice produces the aroma of a bamboo forest, a light vanilla taste, and an explosion of health-giving nutrients.

Grab a rice bowl, heat it up and add whatever you desire as the rice is already cooked.  It’s a large portion.  I have been adding pieces of cooked meat, vegetables and soup stocks for Pacific Foods.  For breakfast I add two eggs as I heat it up.

I’ve never been too fond of ramen noodles until now.  They have two types one of which is simply a pack of 4 “cakes”.  You would never know that they are made from rice.  I cook the noodles while pan frying a protein with a few veggies (and a Pacific Foods soup stock).  After draining, I add the noodles to the pan and stir. 

The second type has single packs that include the powdered soup that contains herbs, spices, and one that even has seaweed.  Great to add to a meal or just have the soup as a snack.

Speaking of snacks…their rice crackers are delicious and nutritious.  Organic rice, baked rather than fried. No artificial flavors or colors.  Three kinds: Shoyu Arari, the least “spicy”; Sweet and Savory Thai Arari, still not spicy; and Sriracha Arara, just the name tells you!  These are all great to add to a salad as croutons, make a trail mix, or even use as soup crackers.

Where can you buy Lotus Foods?  I would imagine that for the best and freshest…go to their website of www.lotusfoods.com    

QUEENS WORLD FILM FEST AWARD NIGHT

It was an award-winning evening as the Queens World Film Festival staged its closing ceremonies at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria Saturday night.

“We are so thrilled by the films shown and the overwhelming response from our audience and the media,” festival directors Don and Katha Cato said in a statement. “This was our largest festival ever with a number of standing-room-only screenings, we thank all of our filmmakers, sponsors, venues and staff.”

Earlier in the week, director Melvin Van Peebles received the festival’s Spirit of Queens Award in recognition of his work, which helped create a new era in African-American cinema.

His ground-breaking 1971 movie “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” was shown as part of the tribute.

The closing evening program began with a screening of the “Smithereens,” the 1982 film directed by Susan Seidelman.

A Q&A session with Seidelman and the museum’s curator David Schwartz followed the film.

Then it was off to the Paper Factory Hotel and the presentation of the awards.

Katha Cato added that the films selected “were inclusive and diverse, truly representative of the world and the world of film.”

Winners were determined by a group of judges, audience members and the Catos.

Below is a list of the winning films:

• Best Animation — “Lima,” by Afshin Roshanbakht and Vahid Jafari

• Best Family Friendly — “Mr. Ready,” by John Galvin

• Best LGBTQ — “Life’s a Drag,” by Robin Royce Queree

• Best Actress in a Short — Marisa Vitali, “Grace”

• Best Actress in a Feature — Sareh Bayat, “Oblivion Season”

• Best Actor in a Short — Calvin Smith, “Better Man”

• Best Actor in a Feature — Timothy Neil Williams, “Read Me”

• Best Ensemble — “Ride or Die”

• Best Comedy Short — “RSVP,” Nicholas Billon

• Best Comedy Feature — “Dirty Beautiful,” Tim Bartell

• Best Cinematography Short — “City of Dreams,” Yana Karin

• Best Cinematography Feature — “Dying Candle,” Rabin Acharya

• Best Cinematography Documentary — “God Knows Where I Am,” Gerardo Puglia

• Best Director Documentary Short — “With Love,” Christopher Ludgate

• Best Director Documentary Feature — “God Knows Where I Am,” Todd and Jedd Wider

• Best Documentary Short — “In the Hollow,” Austin Bunn

• Best Documentary Feature — “Marzia, My Friend,” Kirsi Mattila

• Best Director Short — “Queen Kong,” Monica Lisa Stambrini

• Best Director Feature — “She Sings to the Stars,” Jennifer Corcoran

• Best Short — “A Warm Spell,” Toshimichi Saito

• Best Feature — “H.O.M.E.” Daniel Maldonado

• Special Prize for Motion Graphics — “Hoppla!”

• Special Prize of First Feature — “Nothing Serious”

• Special Prize for Social Impact in a Documentary — “Julio of Jackson Heights”

• Special Jury Prize — “Oblivion Season”

• Audience Award Documentary — “Saving Jamaica Bay”

• Audience Award Feature — “Pop Meets the Void”

• Founders Choice for Short — “Alles Wird Gut, (Everything Will Be Okay)”

• Founders Choice Feature — “She Sings to the Stars”

• Best of the Fest — “Pop Meets the Void”

On Friday, April 22, the Queens World Film Festival will present a free screening of this year’s shorts at Resorts World Casino.

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