Uzi's Easy ChillOut Chile

This is one of my favorite easy Uzi recipes.  It takes a long time to cook but prep time is minimal and once you've got it simmering on the stove you just et it cook undisturbed for a few hours.  This recipe is very flexible and you can add any ingredients that work for you and adjust the spice level.

Ingredients: two and a half lbs of 85% ground beef, 1 medium-large white onion, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 1 can of kidney beans (I prefer the low sodium kind) 1 can of whole tomatoes (28oz), 1 can tomato sauce (26oz), 3-4 tbs of olive oil, 1 tbs chile powder (more or less to taste and depending on potency and freshness, 2 tsp of salt, dash of black pepper.

 I started by adding the chile powder and 1 tsp of salt to the hot oil In a large enameled dutch oven, then added the chopped onion and let it soften.  When the onion has softened I added the cloves of garlic and then the chopped beef and browned the beef completely, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and added the rest of the salt.  This took about 5-8 miutes.  Meanwhile I rinsed the beans repeatedly and once the meat has browned I cleared a space in the middle of the pot and poured the rinsed and strained beans in the pot so they brown slightly.  Next I added a pinch of pepper and the tomato sauce and can of whole tomatoes.  I broke up the tomatoes with the wooden spoon and let the pot come to a boil.  I lowered the flame to a simmer and then skimmed as much of the fat off the top as possible with a ladle; later once it cooled I got most of the rest.  I let it cook for about 3 hours at first uncovered and once it has thickened with a lid.  I couldn't help tasting it along the way and it was yummy at every stage but it was even better as leftovers a few days later.  I made this version very mild but you can add more chile powder... Enjoy.

Mario Montez at MoMA at the Jack Smith retrospective

'TWAS THE MONTH BEFORE CHRISTMAS

One of my in-laws wrote a very funny poem satirizing the Republican presidential candidates.  I found it very funny and thought I should share it here.

 

'Twas the month before Christmas and who should appear
It was Drunken Rick Perry to give Christians cheer.
He prayed and he joked and then he got serious
"I'm all for the killing." The crowd went delirious.

 

Herman Cain came on next with his big booming voice.
"Where's all the white women? I'll give them their choice."
"I'll find them a job if they do as I say."
"Just give me a b-job and get out of my way."

 

Who could ever forget Bachman's shrill screech
"It is me. It is I and I'm going to preach."
"I know all the right things; I know what to do."
"For I'm the only American who's tried, tested and true."

 

 I will remember Mit Romney as he strolled through the fray
"Just listen to me. I've come to save the day."
"I'll flip and I'll flop with such cunning and dare,
You won't even notice my Holy Underwear."

 

Ron Paul shook his head with disdain and disgust
"Just look at them all. There's not one you can Trust."
"We must destroy the whole system, go back to the start."
"Adhere to the original and our forefather's first fart."

 

Newt couldn't be there but he sent all his best.
His wife was in the hospital and he was hitting on guests.
She wasn't quite gone but he was thinking ahead
"Who next should I have in my home, in my bed?"

 

Then out on the lawn there occurred such a clatter
Ann Coulter was screaming "My new book! It's a Tattler."
"Death to all who doubt me or fall from my grace."
That brought a big smile to old Rick Perry's face.

 

Rush Linbaugh was reporting with his usual pout
But he got very lost when drugs began to run out.
John Bonher was there but had little to say.
Repeating "Yes that's my name but don't pronounce it that way."

 

Eric Cantor showed up but he only walked through
He heard it was for Christians but he was a Jew.
He went to the Tea Party. He thought it would be nicer.
Their motto: "Believe what we say or step into the slicer."

 

Only Christians were there like Condolica and George,
Dick Chenney, Don Rumsfeld, the Republican hoards.
When only the good people, you know who we mean,
the money people who support and are not seen.

 

They closed the doors and they started to sing
About all of the wonders of Christ their great King.
They brought forth the picture of the Christ they had known
It was Ronald Reagan with a crown on a thrown.

Uzi's Easy Baked Japanese Sweet Potatos

I got some lovely Japanese sweet potatoes at the Union Square Farmers Market yesterday and made them for dinner.  Since they turned out amazingly yummy and are so simple I thought I should share the recipe.

I used eight small Japanese sweet potatoes-their skin is more reddish but inside they are yellow.

1lb small Japanese sweet potatoes.  Wash and clean ends.  Make a slit in each potato along its length and going down about 1/2 to 3/4 of its depth.  Place in a 9X13 glass or ceramic baking dish and bake covered with foil for an hour at 350.  Remove from oven and pour or squirt some honey (to taste)  in the slits. I used about 2 or three ounces of a local farmers market honey then added a light sprinkling of kosher salt.  Recover with foil and return to the oven for another 25-30 minutes.  This will serve four.

On today's menu vegetarian cauliflower soup

I had to wait for the refrigerator repair man today and had a large cauliflower on hand so I decided to make some soup while waiting.  I used to make this using a chicken stock but because D.D.'s niece is a vegetarian and eats here occasionally, I have been experimenting with vegetarian cooking.
Ingredients:
One large cauliflower-cut into fairly small pieces, a large yellow onion-chopped, 1 quart of vegetarian stock, 1/2 cup of half and half, teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1 ounce of soy sauce, few dabs of hot sauce, 5 or 6 tablespoons of olive oil.
Heat the oil and sweat onions in a soup pot, add salt and pepper.  Add the cut cauliflower and saute with the onions and oil till cauliflower softens, about ten minutes.  Add the soy and hot sauce and saute another 3-5 minutes.  Pour in the stock to cover cauliflower and cover pot with a lid.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Mash up cauliflower in the pot using a hand blender ( a potato masher will do as a substitute) until the texture is rough but no whole chunks remain.  Add the half and half, bring almost to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for an hour or longer.  Add additional seasoning to taste.

This is delicious served with some grated parmesan on top or a crustini with melted mozzarella.

Mario Montez in Ronald Tavel's the Life of Juanita Castro Slideshow by Uzi Parnes 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9rAiaMH1r4

Pashtida

Uzi's Swampthing Spinach Pashtida
Pashtida is a crustless quiche.  I prepared this particular version for a Halloween eve dinner with the legendary Mario Montez who is in town to speak at MoMA's Jack Smith screening November 13 at 3pm.
It was a particular hit and I've been asked to share my recipe.

1lb ricotta, 1/2lb mozzarella cheese-grated, 1/4lb parmesan-grated, 4 eggs, 1lb frozen chopped spinach, 1 largish onion-chopped, 5-6 garlic cloves-chopped, dash of salt, pepper,  2tbs olive oil.  Heat oil in large skillet at med-high heat, soften onions, add garlic and then spinach, mix untill the spinach has soften and almost cooked through.  Let mixture cool.  Whip eggs in a large bowl, add salt and pepper than ricotta.  When it is an even color add the 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 2/3 of the parmesan to mixture, mix well and then add the cooled spinach and allium and mix well again.  Pour in a ceramic or glass 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top then bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  It is done when a fork plunged in the center comes out clean.  Pashtida is very flexible and all of the ingredients except the eggs can be modified to taste.  It can be served hot, at room temperature or straight out of the fridge and is yummy for at least 2-3 days after baking.

Photo of Jack Smith by Uzi Parnes 1982

Jack Smith at Moma November 13-25

Untitled. Jack Smith. 1982. Copyright Jack Smith Archive. Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery, New York. Photograph by Uzi Parnes

I am very grateful to the Barbara Gladstone Gallery for getting MoMA to give me the photo credit for this photo.

This should be an amazing show and I recommend it to everyone.

It is Ironic that 22 years after his passing Jack finally get a show at MoMA.

When he passed a group of his friends tried to get MoMA to take his films and we were rebuffed...

I SHOT JACK; TWO will be screened 7/27 21:45 at Kino Helios

Glamour photo of Jack Smith by Uzi Parnes 1982

I am thrilled that my expanded cinema performance with Ela Troyano has been included in this exciting festival.  We are doing an all new version of I SHOT JACK; TWO.

NEW HORIZONS is a festival of films that go beyond the limits of conventional cinema.  Deciding about the formula of our festival, especially of its competition part, we asked ourselves a question: is there in the 21st century cinema (shaped by the mass audience and its tastes) a place for directors who go against the current, for individualists who use their own style, their own inimitable language.

Such haughty artists still exist in different parts of the world, although they find it ever harder to realise their projects. And yet their art does have its lovers - it is for those lovers that the festival is organised.

Guided by our own taste, from among hundreds of films that are screened yearly at festivals all over the world, we choose those that due to their unusual form and force of expression will not let the audience forget them. All over the world, they give rise to polemics and discussions, praise and protest. And yet it is such films that usually set the newest trends in world cinema art.

NOWE HORYZONTY is a festival of film visionaries, of uncompromising artists who have the courage to follow a path of their choice against the current trend and to tell about the most important things using their own unique language.

Roman Gutek – Festival Director

The NEW HORIZONS IFF is a member of FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films) - a Paris-based regulator of international film festivals.

info: festiwal@nowehoryzonty.pl

We will be celebrating Mario Montez's birthday with the legend and Superstar in Berlin July 30

One Flaming Day in a Rented World!

Mario is back! Nearly two years after the LIVE FILM! JACK SMITH! Five Flaming Days in a Rented World! festival at Arsenal and HAU/Hebbel am Ufer, we are very happy that Mario Montez, legendary star of the films of Jack Smith and Andy Warhol, will be celebrating his birthday with us here in Berlin. We will be beginning this wonderful day with an autograph session with Mario Montez on the Filmhaus roof terrace. Afterwards, Ela Troyano and Uzi Parnes from New York will present an updated version of their live film performance 
I SHOT JACK TWO. Inspired by Jack Smith’s own performances, they will be re-editing elements of their own films in front of a live audience. The short film CHUMLUM (Ron Rice 1964) then follows, which was created during and after the shoot for Normal Love while Jack Smith, Mario Montez and the rest of those involved were all lying around exhausted in Rice’s loft. Dissolves are used to turn the whole set-up into a playful mix of color and rhythm. We will also be showing video clips with Mario Montez and holding an open discussion with the superstar hosted by Marc Siegel. (July 30)

You can read all about Jack Smith here...

http://uziny.com/Uzi_Parnes_on_Jack_Smith-94.pdf

Jack Smith in Wrocklaw Poland

http://www.nowehoryzonty.pl/film.do?id=5262&ind=idCyklu%3d353%26page%3d0%26typ%3dcykl%26edycjaFest%3d11%26dzien%3d22


See I Shot Jack Two, my show with Ela Troyano on July 27th 9:45 in Wroclaw, Poland and on July 30th at the Kino Arsenal: Sony Center in Berlin, Germany

JACK SMITH: Legendary Filmmaker, Theatrical Genius and Exotic Art Consultant

My 1994 essay adaptation of a chapter from my dissertation POP PERFORMANCE is now available on line on my website.http://uziny.com/Uzi_Parnes_on_Jack_Smith-94.pdf

Detritus 2 and I

I've been asked to introduce four early Jack Smith films at The Barbara Gladstone Gallery on West 24th Street this Saturday at 4pm, hope you can come... and please visit me and Detritus 2 in Brooklyn at 135 Broadway in Williamsburg, Saturday May 14 from noon to six, the entrance to the gallery is directly across the pedestrian exit off the Williamsburg Bridge, on Bedford Street.

More about my Raschenholback at the Detritus show.

“Trash is the material of creators. It exists if you approve or not.” Jack Smith

Uzi Parnes: Detritus 2 – Rauschenholback, 2011, 36” x 36”

Found plywood, found shelf, cardboard, acrylic paint, photos, transfer photos of west side piers on fabric, water pistol parts, metal tape, hinges, feathers, toys, bungee cord, electric lights.

Though I have always used found objects in my constructions—“photo-chandaliers” this Detritus series was inspired by the 2010 Robert Rauschenberg show at the Gagosian Gallery. In particular I was impressed with some of his early work using found materials such as cardboard and wood. The premise for Detritus 1 was “I Can’t Afford To Buy A Rauschenberg So I’ll Try To Make One Myself.” Detritus 2 my Rauschenholback photo-chandalier takes the concept a step further to combine the inspiration of Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Haim Steinbach and also create a final resting place for one of the two priapus chandaliers created for my Day Of The Dead Alter For Jack Smith Installation at the Jack Smith/Live Film Festival in Berlin, 2009.

Revised RAUSCHENHOLBACK for the Detritus show

I was afraid the frayed bungee chord would break and had to replace it...

The Art of Detritus opens April 23

Detritus 2 my Rauschenholback

My newest Photo-Chandalier will be part of the Detritus Show in Williamsburg opening April 23.

It’s happening again! The exhibit “Art of Detritus: Recycling with Imagination" features fine art from cast-off materials created by professional artists from throughout the world. The heart of this exhibit is the message of the three R's: Reduce/Reuse/Recycle & UPCYCLE!

The Show is curated by Vernita N'Cognita

Though I will not be able to make the opening I believe it will be quite a party...

The exhibit will occur April 23 to May 29, 2011 at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center.

New Year's Eve in Madrid

Postcard for Visual AIDS 2011

New work for UNPUNISHED