Ingredients

• 1 celery root, cut into ½-inch cubes

• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

• 4 ripe pears, peeled, deseeded, and cut into ½ inch pieces

• 2 qts vegetable or chicken stock

• ½ cup crème fraiche, plus more for garnish

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup roasted hazelnuts

• Sea salt, to taste

Procedure

1. Heat a large sauce pot over medium-low heat and sweat the onions with the oil and a large pinch of salt. Cook, without coloring the onions until they are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the pears, celery, celery root, and thyme and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until the celery root is completely tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Working in batches, blend the soup until it is smooth. Season the soup with more salt and stir in the crème fraiche. Garnish the soup with a dollop of crème fraiche and hazelnuts.

Ingredients

• Rock and rye

• Angostura bitters

• Maple syrup

• Fresh lemon juice

Procedure

Combine 1 ½ oz rock and rye, 1 oz angostura bitters , 2/3 oz maple syrup and ¾ oz fresh squeezed lemon juice in a shaker. Shake and garnish with lemon peel.

By Great Performances

“I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable.”

-Anthony Bourdain

One of the ways we experience, enjoy and learn about another culture is through food. Travel guides and lists often highlight monuments, museums and cultural institutions and invariably will have a section dedicated to food. Enjoying a local meal is one of the ways that we feel we’ve truly experienced another country or culture. Recently, it’s become even more popular to be able to experience this in our own backyards. But more than just visiting the local Japanese restaurant for Omakase or digging into bayenetu at an Ethiopian restaurant, it’s experiencing other aspects of culture including history, music and art.

Within our cafes and restaurants at cultural institutions, we’re careful to develop more than just menus, but experiences that reflect current exhibits and provide guests with an immersive journey.

Enjoying French Cuisine at The Norm at Brooklyn Museum

For Brooklyn Museum’s exhibit, Pierre Cardin: Future of Fashion, we transformed The Norm into an homage to Pierre Cardin’s restaurant, Maxim’s de Paris. The menu features classic dishes from the Maxim’s de Paris cookbook and seasonal dishes inspired by the iconic restaurant. The menu has evolved since its launch in June, moving from the fresh Mediterranean influences of southern French cuisine in the summer towards the more comforting warm and robust flavors of northern and central France as we head into winter.

French chef and restaurateur Eric Ripert, famous for his flagship restaurant Le Bernardin, recently visited ordering Salade aux Poires et Roquefort, Carpaccio d’Aubergines, Branzino en Papillote and Onglet Grillé . He complimented Chef Andy Mejias remarking that the “flavors were so good!”

An Elevated Southern Experience at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center

Recently, Chef Corey Samuel hosted a tasting experience at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Chef Samuel took guests on a delectable journey, exploring the foods of his childhood prepared using classic techniques and drawing on modern influences.

Firmly rooted in southern tradition and anchored with ingredients associated with southern cuisine, international flavors, varied cooking methods and unique pairings elevated each dish. Chef Samuel shared stories from his youth as he presented each dish, engaging the guests in conversations about food, culture and tradition.

Following the meal, guests enjoyed dessert along with a set at Dizzy’s Club, celebrating the natural synergy between soul food and Jazz.

Barbara Levin shares her family recipe for Baked Sweet Potatoes and Marshmallows — a Thanksgiving classic.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

• 4 tbs butter, melted

• ½ cup orange juice

• ½ cup half-and-half

• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 bag large marshmallows

Procedure

1. Add the potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Boil over medium-high heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly and mash.

2. Beat mashed sweet potatoes, butter, half-and-half, browns sugar, salt and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed. Turn into greased 3-quart baking dish. (Can be made ahead up to this point, covered tightly and refrigerated).

3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then top with marshmallows and bake until golden brown.

Emily Bird shares her family’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe which is dotted with peanut butter chips! This makes three loaves, so be sure to freeze one for an easy weekend snack.

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups flour

• 3 cups sugar

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp nutmeg

• 2 cups pumpkin (16 oz can)

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 2/3 cup water

• 4 eggs

• 1 bag (12 oz) peanut butter chips

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease and flour 3 loaf pans. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

3. Blend pumpkin, oil, water and eggs. Gradually add dry ingredients until well blended. Stir in chips and nuts. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes.

4. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely.

Contributions by The Sylvia Center, Liz Neumark and Chef Vanay Coffey

This Thanksgiving, embrace the flavors of fall while celebrating with friends and family. From cocktails to side dishes to dessert, we’ve got you covered with these delicious recipes.

ROCKIN’ THROUGH THE NIGHT

Ingredients

• Rock and rye

• Angostura bitters

• Maple syrup

• Fresh lemon juice

Procedure

Combine 1 ½ oz rock and rye, 1 oz angostura bitters , 2/3 oz maple syrup and ¾ oz fresh squeezed lemon juice in a shaker. Shake and garnish with lemon peel.

CELERY ROOT and PEAR SOUP

Ingredients

• 1 celery root, cut into ½-inch cubes

• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

• 4 ripe pears, peeled, deseeded, and cut into ½ inch pieces

• 2 qts vegetable or chicken stock

• ½ cup crème fraiche, plus more for garnish

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup roasted hazelnuts

• Sea salt, to taste

Procedure

1. Heat a large sauce pot over medium-low heat and sweat the onions with the oil and a large pinch of salt. Cook, without coloring the onions until they are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the pears, celery, celery root, and thyme and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until the celery root is completely tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Working in batches, blend the soup until it is smooth. Season the soup with more salt and stir in the crème fraiche. Garnish the soup with a dollop of crème fraiche and hazelnuts.

WILD RICE and BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD WITH MAPLE BALSAMIC DRESSING

Ingredients

For Dressing

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• ½ tsp sea salt

• Scant ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 clove garlic, minced

For Salad

• 2 ½ cups butternut squash, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil

• Sea salt

• Black pepper

• 2 ½ cups thinly sliced kale (lightly massaged) or spinach

• ½ cup thinly sliced leeks, both white and green parts

• ½ cup dried cherries (or dried cranberries)

• ¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

• 3 cups cooked wild rice, warmed

Procedure

1. Prepare dressing by pureeing all ingredients with an immersion blender or by vigorously whisking

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until fork tender. In a large bowl, combine spinach, leeks, cherries and basil. Stir in warm rice and squash so that spinach wilts slightly from the heat. Stir dressing (recipe below) into salad; taste and adjust salt level if needed. Serve at room temperature.

PERSILLADE SAUCE

Ingredients

• 2 packed cups parsley, washed and finely chopped

• 1 tbsp finely minced shallots

• 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane or box grater

• 3 tsp white wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Sea salt, to taste

Procedure

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt and/or vinegar. Reserve in the refrigerator until needed.

MUSHROOM-HAZELNUT STUFFING

Ingredients

• 12 tbsp (1 ½ sticks) 4 small shallots, finely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 3 tsp thyme leaves

• 1 lb portobello, shiitake, or a combination of wild mushrooms, stems removed, cut into ½ inch chunks

• ½ cup white wine

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 8 cups cubed day-old bread, crusts removed

• ¼ cup chopped parsley

• 3 sage leaves, chopped

• ¾ cup hazelnuts, halved and lightly toasted

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tsp hazelnut oil (optional)

Procedure

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Melt 10 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the shallots, garlic, and onion and sweat until translucent. Add 1 teaspoon of the thyme and the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the wine and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Add the stock and continue to cook until it nearly evaporates. Season the mixture well with salt and pepper and transfer it to a large bowl.

2. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or 3-quart casserole with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

3. Add the bread, parsley, sage, hazelnuts and the remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme to the mushroom mixture and mix everything well. Combine the eggs, cream, and hazelnut oil and stir into the stuffing until well mixed. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

4. Spread the stuffing in the pan, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

SIMPLE SQUASH PUREE

Ingredients

• 4 cups winter squash (butternut, acorn, delicata), peeled, deseeded, and sliced thinly

• 2 cups whole milk

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter

• Sea salt, to taste

Procedure

1. In a pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat and add the sliced squash. Cook until the squash starts to become tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a low simmer. Cook until the squash is totally tender.

2. Drain off the milk using a strainer and puree the squash in a blender or food processor, adding milk as needed to get the mixture to spin. While the puree is still hot add the remaining butter and season with salt. Use immediately or reserve in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Dinner Rolls

Yields 24 rolls

Ingredients

• 4 ½ tsp active dry yeast

• ½ cup warm water

• 2 cups warm milk

• 6 tbsp shortening

• 2 eggs

• ¼ cup sugar

• 7 cups all-purpose flour (3c and 4c), will need more for kneading.

• Eggwash

Procedure

1. Dissolve yeast in water, put in mixer add milk, shortening, eggs, sugar and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth with dough hook. Stir in remaining flour to form dough.

2. Knead dough for 3 minutes, then place in greased bowl and turn over once so all is greased. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size. Punch down the dough to release the air and shape into rolls.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Egg wash rolls and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and fluffy.

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Yields Two 10” Pies

Ingredients

For Flaky Pie Dough

• 12 ½ oz bread flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 8 oz cold, unsalted butter

• 2 ½ oz cold shortening

For Filler

• 5 eggs

• 3 cups cooked pumpkin puree

• 12 oz granulated sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• ½ tsp ground cloves

• 3 ½ cups half and half

• 1 pt heavy cream

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Procedure

For the Flaky Pie Dough:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the firm butter and shortening to the flour and pinch the fat to the size of a hazelnut with your fingertips.

2. Add the ice water and mix with your hands just until the dough comes together. The butter should be lumpy. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disc to help it chill faster.

3. Cover the pie dough and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before using. This step is important to allow the dough to hydrate, since the flour absorbs some of the moisture. Roll the dough out so it is 1/8 inch thick and large enough so it extends about 1 inch beyond the edge of the pie pan. Use the knuckle of your right index finger and the tips of your left thumb and index finger to bend the tip of the dough into an evenly spaced fluted design. Cover the dough in the pan with baking paper and fill the shell with dried bean or pie weights. Bake the shell at 375° F until the dough is set but has not yet started to color (about 12 minutes). Let the shell cool completely and then remove the paper or plastic and bean or pie weights.

For the Pumpkin Filler:

1. Beat the eggs lightly to mix. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Mix together the first measure of granulated sugar, the salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Add this to the egg mixture. Stir in the half and half. Divide the filling evenly between the pie shells.

2. Bake at 375°F for approximately 45-50 minutes or until the filling has puffed slightly and is firm around the edges. Let the pie cool.

3. Whip the heavy cream with the second measure of granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Slice the pies and serve at room temperature with a large dollop of whipped cream.

By The Sylvia Center

It’s almost for the 11th Annual Latke Festival, where guests indulge in a wide variety of creative and delectable latkes from eateries and restaurants all across New York City. Students from The Sylvia Center will create latkes that are representative of their community and use the skills they learned in the kitchen, while adding a healthy twist.

The potato latke is incredibly versatile and fun to experiment with simply by adding different ingredients for taste and texture. Creating a latke that could win the best and most creative is a challenge the students are thrilled to participate in to showcase their skills and celebrate diversity.

All proceeds from the Latke Festival help fund The Sylvia Center programs in New York City, which teach young people real skills in the kitchen that they can use to make healthy choices.

The ultimate celebration of latke takes place on Monday, December 16th, 2019 from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm at The Brooklyn Museum. The latkes—sweet or savory, healthy or indulgent, classic or innovative—will be enjoyed by more than 700 food enthusiasts, including a curated panel of celebrity judges, partners and press, at one of the most delicious events of the year.

Mark your calendars and get your tickets today!

By Great Performances

Kick off the Holiday Season with Events and Entertainment for Everyone to Enjoy at our Partner Venues.

Apollo Theater

Apollo Live Wire

She’s a Rebel: A Tribute to the girl Groups of the 50s, 60s and 70s

Thursday, November 14 at 6:30 pm

Moderated by music journalist and essayist Christian John Wikane, panelists include original members of some of the more popular groups. The discussion will center on their experiences as artists and as women in the music industry, their enduring impact on music and style internationally and their individual careers beyond their girl group membership. Get your tickets today.

Apollo Film Presents

Imagenation’s Cocktails & Cinema: Clemency

Thursday, November 21 at 6:00 pm (Reception and DJ Set with DJ Reborn)

7:00 pm (Film Screening)

Cocktails & Cinema is a quarterly social featuring premiere and advance screenings of Black world cinema. Each event is preceded by a reception with light hors d’oeuvres, wine/beer, featuring a live set with DJ Reborn and following the screening a film talk back.

The Apollo proudly launches this new series with an advance screening of Clemency, the winner of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival’s grand jury prize. Learn more here.

Ballet Hispánico

Friday – Saturday, November 22 – 23 at 8:00 pm

Ballet Hispánico, America’s leading Latino dance organization, returns to the Apollo Theater to celebrate the power of the Latina voice with works by all female choreographers. This season includes the world premiere of Anabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Triburones, as well as the return of Nací by Andrea Miller and Michelle Manzanales’ Con Brazos Abiertos. Get your tickets here.

ASIA SOCIETY

Kai-Yin Lo – A Memoir

Wednesday November 13 from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Internationally recognized designer, cultural historian and teacher, Kai-Yin Lo presents Designing a Life: A Cross-Cultural Journey, her memoir of growing up in Hong Kong, studying history at Cambridge and developing a highly successful career as a designer, author and cultural historian.

Followed by a book signing and reception. Learn more here.

M. Butterfly

World premiere preview presented with the Santa Fe Opera

Wednesday, November 20 from 6:15 pm – 8:00 pm

Asia Society and the Santa Fe Opera’s 2020 Season proudly present the exclusive working rehearsal of Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s new opera, M. Butterfly. Based on Hwang’s 1988 Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer-Prize finalist Broadway play, M. Butterfly is the story of Rene Gallimard, a French diplomat who carried on a 20-year love affair with Song Liling, a Peking opera star with an astonishing secret that leads to Gallimard’s professional and personal ruin. Learn more here.

Brooklyn Academy of Music

2019 Next Wave Art Opening Reception

Tuesday, November 5 at 6:00 pm

Join BAM for drinks and snacks at the opening of When A Pot Finds Its Purpose. View the works in BAM’s brand new gallery, with artist Glenn Kaino and curator Larry Ossei-Mensah in attendance. Learn more here.

Member Mingle

Friday, November 15 at 6:30 pm

Meet fellow BAM Members and the BAM Membership team at a pre-show reception with complimentary wine and snacks. Stop by before a performance or film screening (or just join us for a quick drink before dinner in the neighborhood). Open to all BAM members. Learn more here.

Live Broadcast

Madama Butterfly

Saturday, November 9 at 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm

Anthony Minghella’s vividly cinematic staging returns to Met in HD, featuring soprano Hui He in the devastating title role. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts one of opera’s most beautiful and heartbreaking scores, with a cast that also includes tenor Piero Pretti as Pinkerton, baritone Paulo Szot as Sharpless, and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as Suzuki. Learn more here.

Akhnaten

Saturday, November 23 at 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm

Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo headlines American composer Philip Glass’ transcendent contemporary creation, with Karen Kamensek conducting. Phelim McDermott’s stunning production employs a virtuosic company of acrobats and jugglers to conjure a mystical reimagining of ancient Egypt. Learn more here.

ENCORE: Manon

Saturday, November 30 at 1:00 pm

Massenet’s tale of passion and excess stars rising soprano Lisette Oropesa in the effervescent title role. Tenor Michael Fabiano is her ardent admirer, Chevalier des Grieux, with Maurizio Benini conducting Laurent Pelly’s enchanting production. Learn more here.

Brooklyn Museum

Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion

July 20, 2019 – January 5, 2020

Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion is the first New York retrospective in forty years to focus on the legendary couturier. Drawn primarily from Pierre Cardin’s archive, the exhibition traverses the designer’s decades-long career at the forefront of fashion invention.

Stop by The Norm at Brooklyn Museum before (or after) the exhibit for Maxim’s at The Norm, an homage to Pierre Cardin’s restaurant, Maxim’s de Paris. The menu features classic dishes from the Maxim’s de Paris cookbook and seasonal dishes inspired by the iconic restaurant.

Family Concert: Petra and Wolfie

Saturday, November 16 (Show runs from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm)

Join the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra for Petra and Wolfie, an unforgettable modern adaptation of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf led by Music Director Dorothy Savitch. Discover what happens when Petra, Wolfie and the Dog Catcher find themselves at the Brooklyn Museum, in this musical escapade featuring live comic actors, video, orchestral works by Prokofiev and Modest Mussorgsky and some of your favorite pop tunes. Learn more here.

Thirteenth Annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair

Saturday, November 23 from 11:30 am – 4:00 pm

Meet your favorite Brooklyn authors and illustrators at the annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair! This free event features author readings, illustrator presentations and book-related art-making opportunities with over forty creators presenting storybooks, picture books and graphic novels. Learn more here.

St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble: Baroque Storytelling: Don Quixote

Sunday, November 24 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble opens their season with a concert dedicated to Baroque program music. Written in seven movements, the overture takes the listener on Don Quixote’s journey, from his dreams of adventure and romance through his chivalrous love for Dulcinea and his battle against the windmill. Learn more here.

Caramoor

Thalea String Quartet

Sunday, November 17 at 3:00 pm

Veronica Swift returns to Caramoor after her rousing and lively performance at Caramoor’s 2018 Jazz Festival. At only 25 years old, she has performed all over the world with the top names in jazz, and has won prestigious awards such as second place at the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in 2015. Lean more here.

Dizzy’s

Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice featuring Kris Davis

Monday, November 11 at 7:30 pm

Berklee College of Music returns to Dizzy’s Club for a performance that will highlight its new Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, founded by artistic director Terri Lyne Carrington. The institute focuses on equity in the jazz field and on the role that jazz can play in the larger struggle for gender justice. It also celebrates the contributions women have made to the development of the art form and frames more equitable conditions for all pursuing careers in jazz. Learn more here.

Thanksgiving with Wycliffe Gordon

Thursday, November 28 at 7:00 pm

Continuing popular tradition, Gordon kicks off the holiday season with a five-night stay at Dizzy’s Club and a special performance on Thanksgiving. Wycliffe Gordon is the definition of a good time, and as Wynton Marsalis says, “just his presence is a creative experience.” Joining Gordon for this special evening are saxophonist Adrian Cunningham, bassist Corcoran Holt and drummer Alvin Atkinson, Jr. Learn more here.

Hauser and Wirth

Opening Reception

‘Rashid Johnson’

Tuesday, November 12 at 6:00 pm

Hauser & Wirth warmly invites you to the opening reception of an exhibition of recent works by Johnson that will feature paintings, sculptures, and Johnson’s newest film, ‘The Hikers,’ a ballet shot on the side of a mountain in Aspen, CO on 16 mm film. The works on view in this exhibition address the artist’s recurring themes of anxiety and escapism. Learn more here.

‘Mike Kelley. Timeless Painting’

Tuesday, November 12 at 6:00 pm

Hauser & Wirth warmly invites you to the opening reception of an exhibition organized in collaboration with the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, which is the first in New York to focus on Kelley’s singular approach to painting as a conceptual medium. Over the course of his influential four-decade career, Mike Kelley generated a remarkably diverse oeuvre in an array of media, conflating high and low culture, critiquing prevailing aesthetic conventions and colliding the sacred with the profane. Learn more here.

Jazz at Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center White Light Festival presents: Manganiyar Seduction

Wednesday – Saturday, November 6 – 9 at 7:30 pm

Ten years after it first enthralled audiences at the inaugural White Light Festival, Roysten Abel’s show-stopping dance of delirium featuring Manganiyar musicians returns. Learn more here.

The Abyssinian Mass by Wynton Marsalis

Presented in Collaboration with Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival

Thursday – Saturday, November 21 – 23 at 8:00 pm

Bringing full-throated gospel together with a massive range of jazz styles, The Abyssinian Mass is a sweeping blend of big band bravado, impassioned solos, handclaps, tambourine slaps, and some of the mightiest voices you’ll hear outside of church. Learn more here.

Signature Theatre

Fires in the Mirror

October 22 – December 1, 2019

Following the deaths of a Black American boy and a young Orthodox Jewish scholar in the summer of 1991, underlying racial tensions in the nestled community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn erupted into civil outbreak. Fires in the Mirror was Anna Deavere Smith’s groundbreaking response. Birthed from a series of interviews with over fifty members of the Jewish and Black communities, the Drama Desk award-winning work translated their voices verbatim, and in the process revolutionized the genre of documentary theatre. Get your tickets here.

The Young Man from Atlanta

November 5 – December 15, 2019

Director Michael Wilson (The Orphans’ Home Cycle, The Old Friends), the premier interpreter of Foote’s work, returns to Signature to bring to life this beautiful, heartbreaking play that explores and dissects the American dream while revealing the depths we go to in order to keep ourselves safe. Learn more here.

Wave Hill

Concert: The Alonso Brothers

Sunday, November 17 at 2:00 pm

Virtuoso pianists and Cuban brothers Orlay Alonso and Orlando Alonso return to perform a program scored expressly for two pianos. Their program brings to life Cuba’s rich musical heritage, with mambo, cha cha, salsa, bolero, son, donzón, congo and more. Learn more here.

Black Friday Meditation

Friday, November 29 at 11:00 am

Avoid “Black Friday” busyness! Join Wave Hill for a community meditation focused on gratitude and clearing your mind of holiday clutter. Get inspired by the outdoors and the peace and tranquility that nature evokes, and learn how to work loving kindness into daily life. Learn more here.

By Great Performances

This month we’re celebrating pickled vegetables. Pickled vegetables (when traditionally fermented in brine and lactic acid) are packed with probiotics, B vitamins and antioxidants that promote gut-health, hydration, eye health and more.

Pickled vegetables can be eaten at any time throughout the year and offer versatile flavors to a lot of your favorite dishes. Enjoy our favorite pickled dishes at our venues and be sure to try our recipe below.

Celebrate Pickles at our Cafés

November 17-23

• THE NORM AT BROOKLYN MUSEUM

  • PICKLED HONSHIMEJI

• SIGNATURE CAFÉ AT SIGNATURE THEATRE

  • PICKLED GREEN BEAN FLATBREAD

• THE CAFÉ AT WAVE HILL

  • KATCHKIE PICKLE BOWL

By Chef Darryl Goffreda, Great Performances

Ingredients

• 3 cups water

• 1/3 cup kosher salt

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 2 lb turnips , peeled and cut into ½-inch thick batons

• 1 small beet , cut into ½-inch thick batons

• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

• 4 star anise

Procedure

1. In a medium sized pot, add the water, kosher salt, bay leaves and star anise.

2. Heat on medium stirring until salt is completely dissolved.

3. Let cool then add the vinegar.

4. In a large container with a tight fitting lid, add your turnips and beets.

5. Add the garlic rough chop, or smash with back of knife.

6. Pour the liquid into the container.

7. Let sit for 4 to 5 days in refrigerator. Serve chilled and enjoy.

By Emily Reifel

We live in a world where everyone is fixated on immediate gratification. Everything seems to be about right now, and people tend to use the term “ASAP” way too frequently. Sometimes, it feels like no one can wait for even just one minute. In the world of weddings, it used to be that people booked their weddings far out in advance, and now it seems like a 3-month engagement is the new normal; even the relationships can go from 0 to 60 in a matter of weeks. I prefer working in the short term, but there is something nice about playing the “long game” where things seem a little more zen. And this was truly the case for my lovely couple Jon and Diana.

Jon and Diana booked The Plaza two years out from their wedding date. It felt like their wedding was never going to get here, and just as their engagement was long, so was their relationship as they had been dating since high school. Going on a decade of love and togetherness, this was one couple that I wasn’t worried about for one second, and I knew that they were each other’s soul mates.

When I first met them I wasn’t sure that they would book at The Plaza. They were taking their time looking at venues and after a few weeks I received an email that they wanted to move forward, and everyone involved in the planning couldn’t have been more thrilled. Jon and Diana wanted to make their wedding planning an unforgettable experience and enjoy every minute of it, even down to finalizing details over champagne and Old Fashions in the lobby of The Plaza.

They chose an all-star cast to work alongside as well; Bobby Attiko from Hank Lane Music and Productions for music, Brian Marcus for Photography and Videography and Golf Srithamrong of Tantawan Bloom to design the whole affair. When this crew came in the house, it felt like a family affair. This team, along with Diana’s professional project manager organizer and Jon’s love for production, were all set to create an elegant yet fun wedding for everyone involved. Diana has a big family and Jon’s family is smaller in scale, so putting a wedding together for guests of all ages can be a daunting task, but they did it with ease.

Not being in a crunch for time was a great feeling, and even if we weren’t in touch for a few months every time we got together there was always a great energy; and before we knew it it was summer 2019.

Diana, Jon and I had a meeting scheduled to go over a few last minute wedding details, and as soon as they arrived they could sense that I wasn’t having the greatest day. They immediately built my spirits up and knew instantly that sometimes real life takes over and it’s ok to take a minute from wedding planning to regroup. This night created a bond that made their wedding even more special and fun.

When their big day finally arrived, it felt as if my new assistant Tiffany and I were welcoming old friends back to The Plaza. We did not let any stress get in our way and everything went (almost) accordingly to plan. We will laugh about the little hiccups forever and no one will know about them except for us. Our rockstar team kept everyone on time and dancing the night away. Their guests loved their Old Fashioneds, champagne and of course Bobby’s incredible musical talent. At one point, Diana’s mom came up to me saying that Bobby was playing her favorite song and Brian Marcus stole a quick dance with her while everyone was enjoying their entrées. It was such a nice moment to really see that everyone, including our team, was enjoying Jon and Diana’s big day.

Jon and Diana, I’m so happy we played this “long game” together and I know we aren’t done. Cheers to many more parties, from The Plaza to Brooklyn.

Let Great Performances make your wedding a memorable one. Fill out the form below and one of our planners will reach out to you shortly: