AN EASY TO MAKE FALL DESSERT YOU WILL LOVE

by Lara Rabinovitch

Tarte tatin, courtesy of Joe Pastry

When it comes to local and seasonal, the Bible was way ahead of the curve. Every fall Jews around the world mark the New Year ,and specifically its "new fruit," by eating seasonal produce such as pomegranates or apples, the latter often dipped in honey to symbolize the wish for further sweetness in the coming months. Jews also thank the tree that bore this fruit with a customary Hebrew blessing -- and then they chow down. 

To reinforce this honoring of the change of seasons and the beginning of the harvest, apple cake is customarily served -- and in Jewish tradition, "customarily" means "for centuries" -- to finish off the holiday meal. But why not change things up a little? This apple tarte tatin, adapted from Epicurious, both celebrates the season and adds a certain, well, je ne sais quoi to your holiday table. The commercial puff pastry dough this recipe calls for removes an extra step from the process without sacrificing taste or glamor. (The Jewish tradition has enough sacrificing, mais non?) 

Apple Tarte Tatin
1 frozen puff pastry sheet (from a 17 1/4 -ounce package)
¼ cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar

7-9 apples (Gala, Granny Smith, or your local variety), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored

Preheat oven to 425°F. 

Roll pastry sheet into a 101/2-inch square on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. Brush off excess flour and cut out a 10-inch round with a sharp knife, using a plate as a guide. Transfer round to a baking sheet and chill. 

Spread butter thickly on bottom and side of skillet and pour sugar evenly over bottom. Arrange as many apples as will fit vertically on sugar, packing them tightly in concentric circles. Apples will stick up above rim of skillet. 

Cook apples over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until juices are deep golden and bubbling, 18 to 25 minutes. (Don't worry if juices color unevenly.)

Put skillet in middle of oven over a piece of foil to catch any drips. Bake 20 minutes (apples will settle slightly), then remove from oven and lay pastry round over apples. Bake tart until pastry is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. 

Using baking mitts, transfer skillet to a rack and cool at least 10 minutes. 

Just before serving, invert a platter with lip over skillet and, using potholders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto platter. Replace any apples that stick to skillet. Brush any excess caramel from skillet over apples. Shake skillet gently to loosen tart before inverting to serve within thirty minutes, or let it stand, uncovered in the pan, for up to 5 hours, then reheat over moderately low heat 1 to 2 minutes to loosen caramel.

Serve with vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream. 

For more food and reviews follow: BBINT Magazine on twitter and facebook.

OCCUPY OAKLAND PRIDE DISRUPTION AVERTED

Occupy Oakland showed up just behind the main stage at the 2012 Oakland Pride celebration on Sunday as the mic was passed from recording artist LaMont Wheat who'd just finished a performance of his hit song SKIN which represents Unity, Acceptance and love; to headliner CeCe Peniston who's know for the iconic singles "You Got to Show Me Love" and "Finally".  Occupiers showed up wearing all black with an amplifier and with music glaring.  It was unclear what their intentions where other than to be a disruption to the Pride celebration.

The main stage area was packed with celebrating attendees, on lookers and fans as the mob made their approach.  Local law enforcement kept them at bay, and their presence was made know when they breach a portion of the security fencing  at the back of the stage and law enforcement and security scramble to the penetration area to secure the breach.  CeCe kept right on singing her new single "Celebration" and within minutes the mob moved along and the show continued without issue.

LaMont Wheat and CeCe Peniston gave great performances and rocked the crowd and there is speculation of possible collaboration.  Wheat's "SKIN Project" shortly after the event posted a video of the Billboard dance music diva showing support for the SKIN project in a viral video campaign where she states "This is my SKIN."  New  music by LaMont Wheat and CeCe Peniston is available for download on iTunes and you can stay updated by following them on twitter.

I AM THE AMER­I­CAN DREAM

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
NOW SHOWING ONLINE!
The Of­fi­cial 5th An­niver­sary Presentation of
Meak Pro­duc­tions’ In­de­pen­dence Day Cam­paign: I AM THE AMER­I­CAN DREAM (In­de­pen­dence Day V)
Star­ring DYVON and the re­turn of IFA BUMI
with Guest Stars:
Dapharoah 69 and new­com­er, Delante David Meeks!
Featuring the Design Talents of Artistic Vision Productionz

NOW SHOW­ING ON­LINE at: www.meakpro­duc­tions.com
Down­load FREE Wall­pa­pers, Posters and Face­book Time­line Ban­ners

 

 

ANTI-GAY One Million Moms Slams JC Penny for Same Sex Father's Day Ad

JCPenney

Here we go again.
Just a few months after anti-gay group One Million Moms launched a campaign to remove Ellen DeGeneres as JCPenney’s spokesperson because of her sexual orientation, the group is boycotting the department store over a new ad featuring a same-sex couple. The Father’s Day ad shows real-life dads Todd Koch and Cooper Smith playing with their children, Claire and Mason. The ad reads:

“First Pals: What makes Dad so cool? He’s the swim coach, tent maker, best friend, bike fixer and hug giver — all rolled into one. Or two.”

One Million Moms, part of the American Family Association, complained that JCPenney was “continuing on the same path of promoting sin” with this new ad, and recommended their supporters write “Refused … Return to sender” on their JCPenney catalog when it arrives. They also advised members to close their JCPenney accounts and talk to their local-store manager about their concerns.

“It is obvious that JCP would rather take sides than remain neutral in the culture war. JCP will hear from the other side so they need to hear from us as well. Our persistence will pay off! We must remain diligent and stand up for Biblical values and truth.”

The last time One Million Moms and JCPenney locked horns, the store responded by standing behind its partnership with DeGeneres, stating that “Ellen represents the values of our company” — and with this kind of proequality advertising, JCPenney is “continuing to reinforce its progressive values.” It’s not the first fight for either of them; in February, JCPenney distributed a Mother’s Day ad featuring two lesbian parents and their daughters; One Million Moms also took a stance against Urban Outfitters after the store featured two women kissing in its catalog in April.

Art Celebrates Youth Opening Night June 29th

Bruce Lurie Gallery with artist Dominic Dettore invite you to express your pride

and support for the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center and the services of Lifeworks

by attending a fabulously unique art show and charity event in West Hollywood

on the evening of Friday, June 29 for the admission-free VIP opening night from

7pm to 9pm. Show your support during Gay Pride month for the L.A. Gay and

Lesbian Center and the wonderful Lifeworks program that assists young adults

with their mentoring program. The noted fine artist and philanthropist Dominic

Dettore will be featuring his pop art pieces along with large-scale gallery edition

paintings of vintage Vogue magazine covers, in addition to his interactive artwork

to promote the youths in the Lifeworks program. Each piece of artwork portrays

a youth who has utilized the services of L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and

LifeWorks in ways that show them the importance of embracing life, recognizing

and pursuing their talents, and experiencing meaning despite their struggles.

Please come listen to the tender and heart warming stories of these youths that

will open your awareness to the invaluable work done by our L.A. Gay and

Lesbian Center, Lifeworks, and the life-changing and beneficial impact these

important organizations have on our community.

The Friday, June 29 VIP opening night will commence at 7pm and feature some

of these amazing young adults whose lives have been affected in the most

positive and profound ways by the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center and the

Lifeworks programs. Support the community and enjoy the beautiful paintings of

fine artist Dominic. Please come meet some of these strong youths and listen to

their empowering stories as told through a short introduction and recorded video

interviews that will be played on a monitor in the gallery and utilizing a smart

phone with internet access via YouTube. Admission is free, and donations are

kindly encouraged.

Bruce Lurie Gallery will exhibit the artwork of Dominic for the entire weekend of

June 30 and July 1. If you are unable to attend the VIP opening night, you will be

able to experience his beautiful, interactive artwork featuring the stories of these

inspiring young adults from 11am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, June 30 and

July 1, 2012.

Please come support our stars – these inspiring youths, on the red carpet in

West Hollywood on the evening of June 29!

For more information visit:

www.facebook.com/artcelebratesyouthpage

Our calendar link for One City One Pride:

http://www.weho.org/index.aspx?page=1016

The Bruce Lurie Gallery presents:

ART celebrates YOUTH

8727 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood (1/2 block west of San Vincente)

Wine will be served. There is no admission fee to this charity art event –

Donations are kindly encouraged. A portion of the art sales are donated to

support the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's youth programs.

Calling ALL Comics NBC Universal Announces 2012 'Stand Up for Diversity' Open Calls

By Daniel Lehman

May 11, 2012

Tone Bell

NBC Universal has announced the dates and locations for its ninth annual Stand Up for Diversity open call auditions. Beginning in July, comics in the New York, Vancouver, Phoenix, and Atlanta areas will have the opportunity to advance their comedy careers with help from NBC.

According to NBC Universal, "This is not a show that will air on NBC, but rather an opportunity to be showcased for agents, casting directors, and television executives in consideration for future casting and development opportunities. This open call is for comics of diverse backgrounds who are serious about being funny."

Open calls will be held Tuesday, July 10 at Stand Up Live in Phoenix; Monday, July 30 at The Comedy Mix in Vancouver; Saturday, August 11 at The Punchline in Atlanta; and Sunday, September 9 at The Comedy Cellar in New York City. For more information and audition details for each city, view the full casting notice at BackStage.com. (Subscription required.)

Only the first 100 comics will be seen at each audition location, so early attendance is encouraged. Comics will have one minute to perform at their initial audition. A handful will be invited to callbacks later that day to perform a longer set, and the top comics will be selected to perform in a live showcase the next evening. Comics must have five minutes of polished material to be selected for the showcase.

Selected comics will then be brought to Los Angeles to showcase for NBC and industry pros in the Best Of Stand-Up for Diversity show, sign a holding deal with NBC, perform at the NACA (National Association of Campus Activities) National Convention, join the Stand-Up For Diversity Nationwide College Tour, and more.

Past winners and finalists include Hannibal Buress ("30 Rock"), Eric Andre ("Don't Trust the B– in Apartment 23"), Deon Cole ("Conan"), Brandon T. Jackson ("Tropic Thunder"), Hari Kondabolu, W. Kamau Bell, Brent Weinbach, Sheng Wang, and Calise Hawkins. 2011 winner Tone Bell received a one-year talent holding deal with NBCUniversal.

In addition to its annual Stand Up for Diversity program, NBC is also committed to hiring more minority performers of all types through its ongoing DiverseCity talent diversity initiative, which includes casting opportunities, events, and contests.

Military Academy holds it's first gay pride.

Associate Press

NORTHFIELD, Vt. — At the beginning of the school year, gay pride events at a military academy with titles like “condom Olympics” and “queer prom” would have been unthinkable. This week, they’re a reality.
Cadets in uniform at Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military academy, participated Monday in sessions about handling bullying and harassment as part of the school’s first gay pride week. The events are believed to be the first of their kind on a military campus.

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( Alison Redlich / Associated Press ) - Barely six months after the expiration of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy prohibiting gay service members from serving openly, the nation’s oldest private military academy is holding its first gay pride week. Norwich University’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Allies Club treasurer Hailey Libbey, 19, a freshman majoring in nursing from Newport, Vt, right, sits next to Fernando Rincon, 22, a senior majoring in geopolitical science from Lancaster, California, at a Bias/Harassment and bullying seminar with a safe space program coordinator from RU12? (a community center for LGBTQ Survivors of Violence) at the Norwich University library in Northfield, Vt. on Monday, March 26, 2012.

Just over six months after the end of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule that prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces, it’s a different — and less secretive — world.
Until last year, only a select few at Norwich knew of the sexual orientation of Joshua Fontanez, 22, of Browns Mills, N.J., a past president of the student government who quietly laid the groundwork for the school’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allies Club, which held its first meeting the day the law ended.

He had always wanted to be a soldier but figured he’d have to keep his sexuality a secret.
“The aspects of my sexual orientation, how that played in the military, that was something I was willing to sacrifice, being open versus serving my nation,” Fontanez said. “It’s something I feel I was truly called toward and truly loved, so it’s great that I don’t have necessarily to make that sacrifice.”
In December, a group of students at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., formed a group called Spectrum, which has many of the same goals as the Norwich club. A similar organization with the same name is being formed in New York at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
For many of the newly open student leaders, the changes brought by the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” haven’t overwhelmed, despite the years-long political wrangling that culminated in the policy change.
“It was definitely a big change, but it happened over such a long period of time for me that it didn’t seem like that big of a deal,” said Coast Guard Academy Senior Chip Hall, 21, of Monterrey, Calif.
The West Point Spectrum, modeled after the Coast Guard organization, is being formed with little fanfare.
“Everyone has been very professional here at the academy,” said West Point Cadet Andrew Fitzsimmons, 19, a sophomore from Algonac, Mich. “It’s been a very positive environment.”
A group of alumni called Knights Out will hold a campus dinner this weekend and is expecting at least a dozen cadets to attend, said the group’s director, Sue Fulton, a 1980 West Point graduate who was among the first women admitted to the academy.

“The official status has changed dramatically, in that public events that would have been prohibited are happening; but in terms of attitudes, I think cadets and midshipmen have long been supportive of their gay and lesbian classmates,” Fulton said.

Norwich, established in 1819, has about 1,300 cadets and 1,100 civilian students. About 115 of the 200 graduating cadets plan to be commissioned in the armed forces through ROTC.
The gay student club is believed to be the first of its kind in the country on a military campus, Norwich officials said. Thirty to 35 people attend meetings.

The events this week — held at a different time of year from many other gay pride events, which usually are observed in June or October — include discussions of HIV testing; the “condom Olympics,” in which prophylactics are given as prizes; and a dance at which same-sex partners are welcome.
As an institution, Norwich never banned open homosexuality in the corps of cadets, but because many of its students were destined for the military, which prior to the end of “don’t ask don’t tell” the law served to keep people quiet, said Norwich spokeswoman Daphne Larkin.

Some members of Norwich’s Christian Fellowship have been uncomfortable with gay student club, but the two organizations have worked together, with members of each attending some of the other’s meetings, said biology emeritus professor Carlos Pinkham, the Christian group’s faculty adviser.

“We make it clear to them that we use the bible as our guide and that as a result we can’t condone the stuff they do,” Pinkham said. “But the Bible is also equally clear, in fact, even more clear. ... Being judgmental about the sin without extending love to the sinner is another form of sin.”
The groups are a consequence of changing times, said Norwich Vice President Michael Kelley, a 1974 graduate who spent 27 years in the military before returning to academia. He noted the school was among the first to allow female cadets.

“It’s saying that we as a military community are looking to more to the future, that we’re not quibbling about the past, what was or what wasn’t,” he said, “that we can take a leadership role to help move our students to a more enlightened future.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.