Thursday, April 25, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Sant Jordi's Bread -Pa de Sant Jordi-
As you might imagine every special day in a city or country has its pairing with a traditional food, meal, recipe or treat.
In the Diada de Sant Jordi in Barcelona, that treat is pa de Sant Jordi, a savory bread made with three types of dough.
The first dough contains Majorcan sobrasada sausage;
the second, Emmental cheese; and the third, walnuts.
The contrasting streaks of color between the sobrasada and the cheese doughs make stripes resembling the Catalan flag. It’s the perfect patriotic accompaniment to the day, since besides being a guy who once rescued a princess from a dragon, Sant Jordi is also the patron saint of Catalonia.
Some of the history:
Sant Jordi, the Catalan equivalent of Saint George, is a very popular figure in Catalonia. He is the Patron Saint of the region, and Catalonia even have a Saint George Day - El Día de Sant Jordi, on April 23rd. On this day the tradition says that the girls have to give a book to the guys and the guys have to give roses to the girls.
The rose motif stems from the myth, since after Saint George killed the dragon, a rose came up where the dragon's blood was spilled. The book comes from the International Book Day: both Shakespeare and Cervantes died on April 23rd, both in 1616.
In the Diada de Sant Jordi in Barcelona, that treat is pa de Sant Jordi, a savory bread made with three types of dough.
The first dough contains Majorcan sobrasada sausage;
the second, Emmental cheese; and the third, walnuts.
The contrasting streaks of color between the sobrasada and the cheese doughs make stripes resembling the Catalan flag. It’s the perfect patriotic accompaniment to the day, since besides being a guy who once rescued a princess from a dragon, Sant Jordi is also the patron saint of Catalonia.
Sant Jordi, the Catalan equivalent of Saint George, is a very popular figure in Catalonia. He is the Patron Saint of the region, and Catalonia even have a Saint George Day - El Día de Sant Jordi, on April 23rd. On this day the tradition says that the girls have to give a book to the guys and the guys have to give roses to the girls.
The rose motif stems from the myth, since after Saint George killed the dragon, a rose came up where the dragon's blood was spilled. The book comes from the International Book Day: both Shakespeare and Cervantes died on April 23rd, both in 1616.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Types of Paella
Are you familiar with paellas? How many types of them do you know? Would you add snails and rabbit to a paella?
Paella is the Mediterranean dish, originated in Valencia and spread throughout all the Mediterranean coast.
There are three major types of paella: Valencian paella, seafood paella and mixed paella, but there are many others as well.
Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, land snails), beans and seasoning.
Seafood paella replaces land animals with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables, maybe just some red pepper and onions.
Mixed paella is a free-style combination of land animals, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans.
But there are some special tricks that made the Mediterranean paellas special from any others... Most paella chefs use bomba rice for this dish, a rounded rice grain. Other key ingredients include saffron and virgin olive oil.
One of the most spectacular paellas is the one called Black rice or arròs negre. It is a dish made with cuttlefish (or squid) and rice, somewhat similar to seafood paella.
The traditional recipe for this dish calls for squid ink, cuttlefish or squid, white rice, garlic, green cubanelle peppers, sweet paprika, olive oil and seafood broth.
The dish's dark color comes from squid ink which also enhances its seafood flavor.
Another type of Mediterranean rice dish is the so-called Arròs a banda, which shouldn't be considered a paella per se, it's base is the same. The exact translation would be rice on the side, which means that first you cook the rice with the fish broth and then you use it as a side for the main fish dish. All of it with a very rich sea flavor.
You can check here some of the different types of paella that Sandra Martinetto tried in her last trip to the Mediterranean sea, Barcelona. See pictures >>
Paella is the Mediterranean dish, originated in Valencia and spread throughout all the Mediterranean coast.
There are three major types of paella: Valencian paella, seafood paella and mixed paella, but there are many others as well.
Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, land snails), beans and seasoning.
Seafood paella replaces land animals with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables, maybe just some red pepper and onions.
Mixed paella is a free-style combination of land animals, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans.
But there are some special tricks that made the Mediterranean paellas special from any others... Most paella chefs use bomba rice for this dish, a rounded rice grain. Other key ingredients include saffron and virgin olive oil.
One of the most spectacular paellas is the one called Black rice or arròs negre. It is a dish made with cuttlefish (or squid) and rice, somewhat similar to seafood paella.
The traditional recipe for this dish calls for squid ink, cuttlefish or squid, white rice, garlic, green cubanelle peppers, sweet paprika, olive oil and seafood broth.
The dish's dark color comes from squid ink which also enhances its seafood flavor.
Another type of Mediterranean rice dish is the so-called Arròs a banda, which shouldn't be considered a paella per se, it's base is the same. The exact translation would be rice on the side, which means that first you cook the rice with the fish broth and then you use it as a side for the main fish dish. All of it with a very rich sea flavor.
You can check here some of the different types of paella that Sandra Martinetto tried in her last trip to the Mediterranean sea, Barcelona. See pictures >>
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Sant Jordi - The Catalan Festivity for LOVE!
La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day), also known as El dia de la Rosa (The Day of the Rose) or El dia del Llibre (The Day of the Book) is a Catalan holiday held on 23 April, with similarities to Valentine's Day
and some unique twists that reflect the antiquity of the celebrations.
The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones
and colleagues. Historically, men gave women roses,
and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion—"a rose for love
and a book forever." In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is
also customary. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval
times, but the giving of books is a more recent tradition originating in
1923, when a bookseller started to promote the holiday as a way to
commemorate the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on 23 April 1616. Barcelona is the publishing capital of both Catalan and Spanish languages and the combination of love and literacy was quickly adopted.
In Barcelona's most visited street, La Rambla, and all over Catalonia, thousands of stands of roses and makeshift bookstalls are hastily set up for the occasion. By the end of the day, some four million roses and 800,000 books will have been purchased. Most women will carry a rose in hand, and half of the total yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on this occasion.
The sardana, the national dance of Catalonia, is performed throughout the day in the Plaça Sant Jaume in Barcelona. Many book stores and cafes host readings by authors (including 24-hour marathon readings of different classics of the Catalan literature or the Spanish literature). Street performers and musicians in public squares add to the day's atmosphere.
23 April is also the only day of the year when the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona's principal government building, is open to the public. The interior is decorated with roses to honour Saint George.
Catalonia exported its tradition of the book and the rose to the rest of the world. In 1995, the UNESCO adopted 23 April as World Book and Copyright Day.
In Barcelona's most visited street, La Rambla, and all over Catalonia, thousands of stands of roses and makeshift bookstalls are hastily set up for the occasion. By the end of the day, some four million roses and 800,000 books will have been purchased. Most women will carry a rose in hand, and half of the total yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on this occasion.
The sardana, the national dance of Catalonia, is performed throughout the day in the Plaça Sant Jaume in Barcelona. Many book stores and cafes host readings by authors (including 24-hour marathon readings of different classics of the Catalan literature or the Spanish literature). Street performers and musicians in public squares add to the day's atmosphere.
23 April is also the only day of the year when the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona's principal government building, is open to the public. The interior is decorated with roses to honour Saint George.
Catalonia exported its tradition of the book and the rose to the rest of the world. In 1995, the UNESCO adopted 23 April as World Book and Copyright Day.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
UPCOMING CATALAN CULTURAL EVENTS - SPRING 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Kim Foster Gallery
529 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011 / 212.229.0044
Kim Foster Gallery & Galeria d'Art Horizon invite you to the presentation, discussion, and book signing of the publication:
"OUTER HORIZONS" Art & Philosophy | No. 3 Creativity versus Art
Moderated by Ralph Bernabei
The Galeria d'Art
Horizon has been organizing art exhibitions and diverse cultural
activities for more than twenty years. The gallery was founded in Colera
in the northeastern tip of Catalonia by Silvy Wittevrongel
(Belgium) and artist Ralph Bernabei (US). Among some of the projects
they have undertaken are thematic exhibitions such as: "Ex Libris
Homanatge to Walter Benjamin" in 1994 and "Time and Chance" A Tribute to
John Cage and Merce Cunningham in 2008.
For the past seven
years they have been publishing "Outer Horizons" which focuses on Art
and Philosophy. With its trilingual presentation, Spanish, Catalan and
English, there objective has been to synthesize
contemporary culture and thought from a global perspective. They have
brought together thinkers from many countries and cultures to exchange
ideas in the artistic field as well as providing a forum for diverse
cultural perspectives.
Issue No. 1, "The
Urban Era" had the metropolis as a subject, No. 2 "Faire Chanter
l'Espace" dealt with the question of visible and invisible space. No. 3
deals with the complex relationship between Art and
Creativity. These topics have been treated by national and
international names, with the design layout by eStudio Calamar.
The goal of Galeria d'Art Horizon in the future is to continue building bridges without constructing walls.
With the support of the
Institut Ramon Llull.
******************************
April 19 - May 09, 2013
Gallery Hours: Tues – Sat, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Opening reception: Thursday, April 25, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Agora Gallery
530 West 25th St, New York City
EXHIBIT: "INTERPRETIVE REALMS" featuring the artwork by Catalan artist Salomé de Cambra
Catalan artist Salomé de Cambra
paints in a range of materials. Her abstract canvases are so thickly
layered that they are practically bas-relief sculptures, yet she is also
capable of creating delightful
Neo-Figurative landscape paintings. Amidst this varied imagery and set
of materials, the Barcelona-based painter remains consistent in her
sources of inspiration and her goal: to portray environments marked by
human activity that convey a mood or emotion.
This applies equally to her oil compositions of skiers slicing down
soft, powdery slopes resplendent with wintry sunlight, and her mixed
media topographical images of conflict-riddled countries’ landscapes
portrayed from above as if via satellite.
The self-taught
artist’s startling versatility allows her to portray scenes that can be
tranquil and solitary, or charged with gripping visual stimulants. Her
ability to convey evocatively the forms and textures
of settings as disparate as the sea floor, snow-covered mountains and
arid deserts makes for uniquely transporting artworks. This sensitivity
to settings and their surfaces, and an eye for engaging compositions,
make viewers eager to explore her finely painted
landscapes.
******************************
Thursday, April 25, 2013
6:30 - 8:30 pm
New York Public Library
455 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
AUTHOR
@ THE LIBRARY: "GUASTAVINO VAULTING: THE ART OF STRUCTURAL TILE," WITH
JOHN A. OCHSENDORF, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE AT THE MASSACHUSETTS
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
This illustrated
lecture draws attention to an innovative builder and visionary architect
whose work still attracts the eye of visitors to vaulted ceilings,
which are considered structural and aesthetic marvels.
The author features archival images, drawings, and beautiful new color
photography showcasing the most incredible Guastavino vaulted spaces. He
traces the development of the remarkable construction technology from
its Mediterranean roots to its highest achievements
in the United States. The Rafael Guastavino family, a father and son
team of Spanish immigrants, oversaw the construction of thousands of
spectacular thin-tile vaults across the United States between the 1880s
and the 1950s. These versatile, strong, and fireproof
vaults were built by Guastavino in more than two hundred major
buildings in Manhattan, and in hundreds more across the country,
including Grand Central Terminal, Carnegie Hall, the Biltmore Estate,
the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Registry Hall at
Ellis Island, and many major university buildings.
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April 29 - May 04, 2013
PEN WORLD VOICES FESTIVAL
This year sees
the ninth edition of the PEN World Voices Festival. Each year, it
brings remarkable writers, journalists, and philosophers from all over
the world to the City, where they discuss
and debate some of the most sensitive issues of our lives today. This
year the Festival will discuss the notion of bravery in art, in
politics, and in our everyday lives. Additionally, an annual series
featuring an endangered language will be inaugurated.
Friday, May 3, 2013
6:30 - 10:00 pm
Westbeth Gallery, Westbeth Center for the Arts
155 Bank Street, New York
Participants: MICHAL AJVAZ,
NADEEM ASLAM, DROR BURSTEIN, GILLIAN CLARKE, MIA COUTO, EDUARDO HALFON,
NATALIO HERNÁNDEZ, NICK HOLDSTOCK, RANDA JARRAR, JAIME MANRIQUE, MARGIE
ORFORD,
JORDI PUNTÍ, MIKHAIL SHISHKIN, NOÉMI SZÉCSI, PADMA VENKATRAMAN, AND OTHERS
A LITERARY SAFARI
An artist’s journey must always lead “home.”
Explorers may discover a
bedside reading, a dinner table discussion, or a poet in the elevator at
this event, where each ticket buyer is given a map and left to roam the
halls of the city’s oldest and largest artist
community: the notoriously labyrinthine Westbeth Artists’ Housing. The
residents will again open their homes to PEN authors and the public for
this intimate annual event, which ends with a reception and champagne
toast in the gallery.
Check-in begins at 6:30 pm
Readings from 7 to 9 pm
Tickets: $15/$10 PEN Members and students with valid ID; Westbeth residents admitted by donation.
With the support of the
Institut Ramon Llull.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
1:00 - 2:30 pm
The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street, New York
Participants: ESTHER ALLEN, JORDI PUNTÍ, IRA SILVERBERG, AND RIKY STOCK
Moderated by WILLIAM MARX
MONEY AND TRANSLATION
Money, l’argent, diners, 元.
Is there anything we can do, as writers and translators, to break the
causal chain
of financial influence in the U.S. reception and publication of foreign
literature? This panel will explore how funding, policy decisions, and
market forces determine which international literary works see the light
of day—in English—and which do not.
Tickets: $15/$10 PEN/Public Theater Members and students with valid ID. 212-967-7555 or
www.publictheater.org, or visit The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street. Box Office Hours: Sun-Mon 1-6 pm, Tue-Sat 1-7:30 pm
With the support of the
Institut Ramon Llull.
******************************
NOTABLE NON-FESTIVAL EVENTS
Monday, April 29, 2013, 2:00 - 9:30 pm
Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 2:00 - 9:30 pm & Reception
The Martin E. Segal Theatre
The Graduate Center, CUNY
365 Fifth Avenue, New York
Participants: ERNESTO CABALLERO, GUILLEM CLUA, CRISTINA COLMENA, MAR GÓMEZ GLEZ, BORJA ORTIZ DE GONDRA, ALFREDO SANZOL, AND EMILIO WILLIAMS
New Plays from Spain: Readings and Discussion
Hosted by The Martin E. Segal
Theatre Center in collaboration with the Spanish Consulate in New York,
Fundación Autor, and the Instituto Cervantes, this event brings together
seven Spanish playwrights for two days of
readings and discussion. Representing the most innovative and respected
voices working in contemporary Spanish theatre, this selection of plays
offers insight into the evolution of Spanish art and culture in the
context of the country’s current situation.
In collaboration with director Julian Mesri, each play has been paired
with a New York-based director and cast to present English readings of
these new works, fostering new opportunity for future Spanish-American
artistic exchange. New York playwrights and
directors will take part in discussion after each reading.
Free and open to the public. No reservations. 212.817.1860 or
www.theSegalCenter.org
******************************
APRIL 28 - MAY 5 IS MYSTERY WEEK IN NYC!
The Edgars are presented each year to the best mystery writers in books, short stories, plays, and TV teleplays. The week of April 28 –May 5 is hailed as Mystery Week in NYC, this year commemorating the 67th anniversary of the Edgar® Awards.
Monday, April 29, 2013
8pm, location to follow
MYSTERY WEEK READING - WE THREE PRODUCTIONS
Featuring Edgar Nominess: Michael Sears, Lyndsay Faye, Daniel Friedman, and Catalan writer Teresa Solana, author of The Sound of One Hand Killing (Bitter Lemon, May 2013). Solana will be joined by her translator, Peter Bush.
12 Noon - Reception to follow
Instituto Cervantes
211 East 49 Street, NYC
212-308-7720; http://nyork.cervantes.es
THE SHADOW OF EDGAR ALLAN POE: BARCELONA NOIR, A CONVERSATION WITH TERESA SOLANA AND PETER BUSH
Featuring: Teresa Solana studied philosophy at the University of Barcelona and has worked as a literary translator and essayist. The first novel in this series, A Not So Perfect Crime, won the 2007 Brigada 21 Prize for best crime novel written in Catalan. Bitter Lemon Press published both the first and second novel (A Shortcut to Paradise) in the series. Solana has been nominated for a 2013 Edgar Award, in the Best Short Story category.
Peter Bush is an award-winning literary translator, with a specialty in translating Spanish and Catalan to English. He is known for his work on the novels of authors including Juan Goytisolo, Leonardo Padura and Daniel Chavarria. Previously he was Professor of Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia.
With the support of the
Institut Ramon Llull.
******************************
WASHINGTON DC...
March 16 - December 1, 2013
The National Building Museum
401 F Street NW, Washington DC 20001
EXHIBITION:
PALACES FOR THE PEOPLE: GUASTAVINO AND AMERICA’S GREAT PUBLIC SPACES
In the late 19th and
early 20th century, Rafael Guastavino Moreno and his son Rafael
Guastavino Exposito were responsible for designing tile vaults in nearly
a thousand buildings around the world, of which
more than 600 survive to the present day. The remaining buildings are
found in more than 30 U.S. states, and include major landmarks such as
the Ellis Island Registry Hall, the Oyster Bar in Grand Central
Terminal, and the Boston Public Library.
With the support of the
Institut Ramon Llull.
April 15, 2013
6:30 pm
The National Building Museum
Great Hall, 401 F Street NW, Washington DC 20001
LECTURE: "THE ART OF STRUCTURAL TILE", by John Ochsendorf
******************************
MONTRÉAL...
April 22-28, 2013
BLUEMET - METROPOLIS BLEU, literary festival featuring Catalan writer GABRIEL JANER MANILA
With the support of the
Institut Ramon Llull.
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TORONTO...
May 24-26, 2013
NORTH AMERICAN CATALAN SOCIETY: 2013 COLLOQUIUM
With the support of the
Institut Ramon Llull.
******************************
UNIVERSITIES...
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
Tuesdays 2:30 – 4:00 pm
CAFÈ CATALÀ
Casa Hispánica (612 W.116th St.)
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
April 11-12, 2013
CATALAN SYMPOSIUM featuring: Jaume Martí-Olivella, University of New Hampshire
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
April 22-24, 2013
CATALAN CULTURE WEEK with Liz Castro, author of
WHAT'S UP IN CATALONIA (TBC) and Anton Carrera, poet. Screening of ENXANETA.
BROWN UNIVERSITY, PROVIDENCE
April 23, 2013
CONCERT: SALTAMARTÍ featuring Pep Toni Ferrer (TBC)
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
April 23, 2013
A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF CATALAN POETRY, WITH GERARD SEGURA, CÈLIA NADAL AND VITO SPAMPINATO
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON DC
April 23, 2013
SCREENING: ENXANETA
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