Yes, it's true that Taylor Swift was off key and out of tune during  the Grammys Rhiannon duet with Stevie Nicks.  What's surprising is the  growing backlash against Miss Swift.  Barbs are being thrown in the main stream press citing Swift's weak voice and poor choice of material during last week's performance.  Some are now questioning if  she deserves all of the praise and awards over the past 12 months.  Many are missing the real story behind this flap and fail to recognize a true talent when they see one. Her management have weighed in and are calling Swift the voice of her generation, stressing the unfortunate fact that her live performance at the Grammys was indeed flawed but shouldn't really matter.  Basically, shit happens, especially during live events like the Grammys despite best intentions and many rehearsal hours. The official story from Swift's camp is that the volume levels in her in ear monitors were off which caused her to not hear Nicks and the band,  causing her to harmonize off key and off pitch.  Sounds logical to me.   The funny thing though is that everyone seems to be ignoring other performances from the same night from other artists which ...

Tired of boring, overcooked pork roast and pedestrian pork chops?  I urge you to give this recipe a shot ASAP! After an earlier failed attempt over 1 year ago, I set off again this weekend to tackle this seemingly easy crowd pleaser.  Pernil is very popular in Latin America and is typically the centerpiece of a holiday or celebratory gathering.  The prep is relatively straight forward and easy to follow. The most important ingredient is a nice pork shoulder (Paleta) or if you'd like to downsize the recipe, find a nice half pork shoulder -- a Boston butt or a fresh picnic roast are usually easy to find here in the USA.  My particular cut was approx 4.5 lbs including bone.  Make sure you find a cut with a good amount of fat/skin on one side of the roast. After scanning several recipes and cookbooks I improvised and came up with the following marinate which you need to rub into the roast and then refrigerate over night. Easy Pernil The Marinade -2 Tablespoons peanut oil or other oil -2 Tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar -2 Tablespoons honey -Juice of half an orange or lemon -Small handful of crushed chili flakes (Chili Quebrado) -Fresh rosemary or flat leaf parsley roughly chopped -4 ...

1. Jimmy Page.  2. David Evans aka The Edge.  3. Jack White. Those are the three primary reasons why you need to rent It Might Get Loud featuring the interwoven stories of all three and how they came to be uniquely linked forever to the electric guitar and rock and roll. And, there are more reasons which I'll outline below. 4. Headley Grange - This is a mythical place in Led Zeppelin lore and history.  It was here that the band recorded much of Led Zeppelin IV and parts of posthumous albums. Set in the East Hampshire countryside, the film features several scenes in which Jimmy Page returns to the stately home and points to the exact location at the bottom of the entrance stairwell where Bonzo's drum kit was set up for maximum sonic effect.   Page, his white hair in a stylish pony tail,  also strolls the gardens of the estate; the very place where Robert Plant famously remarked that he wrote most of the lyrics to Stairway to Heaven there in one afternoon. 5. Mount Temple Comprehensive School - This is the Dublin high school where Larry Mullin Jr. posted an item on the school bulletin board, seeking band mates to start a ...

A warm Subrosacafe.com welcome to our newest contributor, Shaun K. from Marbella by way of London.  We look forward to frequent guest reviews, recipes & random ruminations from one of southern Spain's quintessential gourmands. On the northern outskirts of the City of London lies the historic Smithfield meat market.  Given it’s propensity for supplying everything and anything carnivorous from all over the world, the area is home to a number of notable eateries taking advantage of the proximity of such excellent produce.  One of the most inspiring restaurants has been there for about 15 years now and has become a modern day pilgrimage site for chefs seeking to pay homage at the feet of Fergus Henderson, the undisputed king of offal and a hearty style of long lost traditional British cooking. One of the most notable pilgrims from the US is Anthony Bourdain who says of Fergus’s signature dish of Roast Marrow Bones and Parsley salad "If I was on death row and I had to choose what would be the last thing I put in my mouth, this would be it". I can think of no endorsement that comes better ...

The Chestnut Street Grill (dearly departed) is my gold standard whenever considering and reviewing a restaurant that purports to be a genuine fresh seafood and fish establishment.  It was one of the first Chicago restaurants to feature grilled seafood, offering the public a welcomed alternative to deep-fried or sautéed fish.  The old Chestnut in Chicago was in the Water Tower Place where you can now find Mity Nice Grill; part of the Food Life monstrosity on the Mezzanine level. Styled as an authentic San Francisco seafood house, Chestnut Street Grill became one of America's foremost seafood restaurants and enjoyed a long, successful run with it's heyday being between the years of 1985-1990 or so.  The restaurant defied the odds as it was tucked deep away within an 8 story Shopping Mall with no on street presence. The centerpiece of Chestnut and the thing that set the restaurant apart from other seafood impostor restaurants was their glassed in display kitchen which extended out into the heart of the dining room featuring a vast, wood fired charcoal grill in which almost all entrees were grilled to order.  The smartly dressed wait staff were all attired in white jackets with black trousers and were expected to be incredibly knowledgeable on each and every fish species or shellfish that the ...

Well, color me impressed.  This device seems to have delivered on just about every tech geek's wishlist.   See all the news that's worthy below from today's announcement.. Steve Jobs introduces the new iPad iBooks on the iPad Email on the iPad Web surfing on the iPad Full features & Specs here.

A French country kitchen par excellence.  This famous restaurant, a stone's throw from one of  Bordeaux city's old city gates, Porte de la Monnaie, has been serving southwestern France regional specialties since 1968.  It was on my hit list for my September 2007 Bordeaux wine country visit and it should be a must stop for anyone visiting the Bordeaux region. As you enter the restaurant you'll immediately see a country kitchen with wood burning fireplace straight ahead of you.  Laid upon a red checked wood display table are baskets of fresh cherry tomatoes, radishes and generous slabs of beautifully marbled cote de boeuf.  You'll also likely see one or more whole ducks or chickens being spit roasted over the fire with a large iron kettle of duck fat also bubbling away; they fry their signature chunky fries in this kettle.  It's a perfect Bordeaux tableaux and sets the scene for a fabulous experience. Specialties of the house include duck and foie gras, grilled cote de boeuf, the herb spit-roasted chicken, duck rillettes, the crispy & insanely flavorful duck fat fried potatoe chunks and for good measure, heritage black pigs and farm fresh lamb from the region. After being seated I was presented with a basket of the aforementioned ...

Neil showed up with Farm Aid partner Dave Matthews for the Hope for Haiti Now telethon/concert.  They joined together in a stripped down haunting version of Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken".  Probably one of the most odd pairings of the evening, this song forced the viewer to pay attention.   It was just one of many remarkable performances, bringing back clear memories of the 9/11 telethon hastily organized in the aftermath of that disaster.  A relentless, selfless performer, Young appeared last night just a day after the death of his long time collaborator and close friend, L.A. Johnson. Alone & Forsaken (Hope for Haiti Now)   Donate Now: 1-877-99-HAITI in US/Canada, or go to www.hopeforhaitinow.org We saw Neil again later that night (although taped earlier) joining Conan on his final Tonight Show, delivering a stellar version of an apropos song, Long May You Run, which originally appeared on 1976's eponymously named Stills-Young Band album.  We'll see more of Neil soon on the upcoming Grammy's and in the Jonathan Demme directed Trunk Show concert film. Neil can always be counted on to show up for friends and important causes, check out his contributions to The Last Waltz--The grand send-off for The Band, his searing version of All Along the Watch Tower for Dylan's Columbia 30th anniversary ...

All systems seem to be a go next week for Apple's latest new product announcement.  The usual online hoopla is building to a crescendo in what is shaping up to be a remarkable announcement next week for Steve Jobs and Co.  The slow rumor leak over the past 12 months detailing Apple's negotiations with publishing houses, newspapers and other old media stalwarts seems all but confirmed that this new creation is certainly Apple's long awaited foray into the tablet/electronic reader space.  The iSlate yet to be named device is being hyped as a game changer in the electronic reader/tablet market and who would bet against Apple?  Yes, the price point is likely to be close to $1000 but my hunch is that the design/functionality and GUI will blow the Kindle and it's cousins out of the water rendering the higher price worth it's weight in silicon and glass.  Naysayers forget how many consumers were prepared to plunk down hundreds of dollars for the original iPods when they first entered and changed the music industry.  It will be interesting to see how Bezos and Amazon counteract Apple to prop up the Kindle.  Word is already out that they are now planning to add snap-on apps to the ...

After your first bite all the worries and concerns about factory farms and cage free chickens melt away.  They're that good.  My portion of 8 drummettes apparently had a direct correlation to the demise of 4 hens but those are just fleeting thoughts best left cataloged in the back of the brain to worry about later during a tedious movie or just before drifting asleep on a rainy night. Cilantro & Sea Salt Grilled Drummettes Empty a packet of  chicken wing-lets or drummettes into a medium mixing bowl. Rough chop a handful of fresh cilantro and toss into the bowl. Drizzle a good glug of extra virgin olive oil into the bowl (About 2 Tablespoons). Sprinkle a copious amount of high quality sea salt into the bowl & toss until all the wings are covered with the olive oil, cilantro and sea salt. Let the drummettes sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Light your gas or charcoal grill and bring to medium heat.  Place the drummettes on the grill and cook until golden brown and sizzling.   Turn the wings at least once during this 10 minute process. Take up the wings, sprinkle with a touch more sea salt and enjoy.