2,009 people to be thankful for in '09

Thursday November 26, 2009 6:10 PM By Emily Ngo

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but there’s still reason to be grateful in New York City. Here are 2,009 people to give thanks for during this 2009 holiday season:

155: Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, his crew of four and the 150 passengers they saved. Sully safely ditched US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River last January.

87: The 42 children at the Ronald McDonald House in the city who have cancer and got a chance to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, as well as the 45 volunteers who prepared their holiday meal.

1: Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native, confirmed in August to be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

33: The 25 players on the Yankees’ 2009 World Championship team christened their new stadium in style this year. Thanks also to their manager, Joe Girardi, their six coaches and their most visible fan, Kate Hudson.

466: These Department of Sanitation workers swept up the resulting 56.55 tons of confetti and trash after the Yanks’ big ticker-tape parade.
Tom Frieden, the former city health commissioner, was the voice of calm during the swine flu outbreak earlier this year. He was named director of the CDC in May.

1: Jorge Munoz, a Queens school bus driver who spends nearly every night serving hot meals to the homeless and unemployed.

8: At least seven city workers and one Amtrak official who helped to deliver babies in emergency situations on the train, on a bus, in a livery cab and in Penn Station this year.

235: Military personnel from New York state who sacrificed their lives in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including 20 so far in 2009.

3: Brave firefighters whom the city lost in the line of duty since last November. They are Lt. Robert Ryan, Firefighter Paul Warhola and Firefighter Jamel Sears.

2: Vada Vasquez, 15, the Bronx girl on her way to recovery after being hit with a stray bullet in the head, for showing such perseverance in the face of tragedy, and her doctor, Narayan Sundaresan, chief neurosurgeon at Lincoln Hospital.

1: Jay Walder, appointed in July as the new CEO and chair of the MTA, whom we hope significantly improves our transit system.

251: Employees at the Central Park Conservancy, who maintain Central Park.
Approximate number of participants in NYC Teaching Fellows who were left without jobs by an August hiring freeze. They kept up hope and have since been hired.

60: Staff members of New York Cares, the city’s largest volunteer group.

1: Long Island teacher Jennifer Mazzotta-Perretti, who donated a kidney to her former student, Kevin O’Brien, after O’Brien wrote an essay asking whether his classmates would give an organ to save a life.

350: Operators at 311, the city’s nonemergency help line.

1: Maria Corti, of Connecticut, who gave up this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

2: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, for the top song “Empire State of Mind,” a Big Apple homage.

Jason Fink and Rolando Pujol contributed to this story.

***

Turkeys we’re not as thankful for:
* Bernard Madoff, Ponzi king sentenced to 150 years for $65 billion in fraud.
* The New York State Legislature for failing professionally and morally to do right by the Empire State’s citizens.
* Mark Sanchez, disappointing Jets quarterback once hailed as team’s sexy savior.
* Michael and Dina Lohan, publicly feuding parents of an already messed-up Lindsay.
* Bernard Kerik, ex-police commissioner facing jail for conspiracy and fraud.
* State Sen. Hiram Monserrate, a key player in the Albany coup who was acquitted in his girlfriend’s slashing.
* Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs ‘god’ boss slammed for massive banker bonuses.
 

Turkey tricks and tips

Tuesday November 24, 2009 3:18 PM By Lucy Blatter

These turkey tips will ensure a moist bird. (Foodnetwork.com)

From Joel Dennis, executive chef of Adour Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis:

1. To keep turkey from drying out, brine it first.  This involves soaking it in a  salt solution or brine for 8-12 hours.* 
2. Cook breast and legs separately, since they have different cooking times. 
3.Cover turkey in a cheesecloth soaked in melted butter.  This keeps it moist while cooking and also makes the finished bird golden brown.

* Brining directions: The key is to soak your bird in a salt solution, or brine. Clean your cooler with soap and water, then pour in half a gallon of hot tap water, 2/3 cup sugar, and a pound of salt. Remember, different salts take up different volumes. For instance, you need 3 cups of Diamond Crystal kosher salt to make a pound but only 2 cups Morton's kosher salt. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the crystals. Then stir in 8 pounds of ice (that's a gallon of water) and 16 cups (128 ounces) of vegetable broth.


Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up. If your cooler is too big, the brine may not cover it. Set the cooler, lid closed, in a cool place for 8 to 12 hours, turning the bird over once if possible. For safety reasons, it is important to keep the brining liquid at 40F or right below. Check it periodically with the probe thermometer; if the temperature is getting too high, add a few freezer packs that have been enclosed in resealable plastic bags.
 

Takeout Thanksgiving

Tuesday November 24, 2009 1:43 PM By Courtney Crowder

Hill Country's Thanksgiving spread.

Is Thankgiving dinner prep feeling overwhelming?

Fool your guests with ‘home-cooked’ take-out or just enjoy restaurant quality food in your pajamas.

Hill Country
30 W 26th St., btwn Sixth and Broadway
This Southern-style restaurant will serve food for pick-up on Wednesday, November 25, and Thursday, November 26. The turkey, marked by Hill Country’s traditionally smoky taste, will come with your choice of sides including items such as Texas toast stuffing, sweet potato bourbon mash and ginger snap pumpkin pie. Orders come in two sizes: $175 feeds 5-8 people and includes a 9-pound turkey, three sides and a pie. The $255 price feeds 9-12 people and includes a 14-pound turkey, four sides and two pies. 212-255-4544, hillcountryny.com.

Bagatelle
409 W 13 St., btwn Washington St. and Ninth Ave.
The Meatpacking District’s French bistro, Bagatelle, is giving guests the chance to bring gourmet home. The first option is a ready-to-eat roasted turkey with stuffing ($180 for 6-8 people, $200 for 10-12 people) and the second option is a ready-to-cook turkey with stuffing ($150 for 6-8, $175 for 10-12). The restaurant will have sides like butternut squash puree, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pies available for purchase. Pick-up will be Wednesday, November 25 between 4-9 p.m. and Thursday, November 26 from 9 to 2 p.m. 212-675-2400.

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
All six locations of this restaurant will offer guests the opportunity to have a traditional BBQ Thanksgiving. The chain is offering two family-style packages for Thanksgiving take-out: one that is a 14-16 pound turkey ($130) and one that is a 20-22 pound turkey ($150). This turkey is not your normal roast– it is served Cajun fried style. Packages will come from a full array of trimmings including dishes like cornbread stuffing, collard greens and candied yams. The meal also includes your choice of pumpkin pie, pecan pie or apple crumb. 212-244-3503, brotherjimmys.com.

FreshDirect
This city catering staple is offering Thanksgiving to go. The small Thanksgiving dinner costs $150 and includes a Plainville Farms turkey (12-14 pounds), stuffing, four sides, gravy, cranberry sauce, soft dinner rolls and choice of dessert. The medium Thanksgiving dinner ($200) comes with the above plus a 16-18 pound turkey and two desserts and the large dinner ($300) has a 20-22 pound turkey and three desserts. The side options include green beans, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, creamed spinach and maple-roasted yams. Dessert choices include Carolina pecan pie, sweet potato pie, apple crisp, pumpkin pie and double chocolate layer cake. 212-796-8002, freshdirect.com.

Eat, drink and give thanks

Wednesday November 18, 2009 7:27 PM By Ya-Roo Yang

While obsessing about our Thanksgiving meals, we often forget the true purpose of the holiday: to give back.

Next week, why not get into the spirit of the season by supporting a restaurant or supermarket that helps the city and its people?

Note that many restaurants have limited hours on Thanksgiving, so be sure to call ahead.

Restaurants giving back on Thanksgiving
Casimir
103 Ave. B, 212-358-9683
www.casimirrestaurant.com
This East Village bistro is packing a fixed number of Thanksgiving meals in to-go containers and handing them out to the homeless. For Thanksgiving Day, they’ll offer a limited menu selection or three-course prix-fixe for $19.95.

Crudo
235 W. 35th St., 212-695-9001
This Caribbean spot is offering complimentary appetizers on Thanksgiving to guests that donate to youth development organization Harlem RBI. A full menu is available on Thanksgiving.

Emporio
231 Mott St., 212-966-1234
The Italian restaurant will donate five percent of their Thanksgiving proceeds to Bowery Mission. A Thanksgiving four-course prix-fixe is $45.

The Oak Room at the Plaza
10 Central Park South, 212-758-7777
Will donate a portion of their sales on Thanksgiving to the Central Park Conservancy. The prix-fixe Thanksgiving dinner menu is $95.

Stores that give back
Whole Foods Markets
All Whole Foods Manhattan stores work with local charities, but its Bowery store has donated so much food to the Bowery Mission that they’ve received a Good Neighbor Award. This year, the Bowery store is donating hundreds of pounds of stuffing, cranberry sauce, pies and apple cider. The market is also donating 500 apples and giving a 10 percent discount to the Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s annual pie bake at the Bowery Mission. Some of the pies will be sold to raise money for the AIDS Orphans Support Trust group in Africa.

Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, 718-243-0050
Brooklyn Fare will be donating food such as turkeys and stuffing to homeless shelters such as the Salvation Army on Thanksgiving.

Stuffed Artisan Cannoli 176 Stanton St., 212-995-2266
Buy anything in the bakery’s signature pink flavors, and the proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the foundation dedicated to breast cancer research. Pick up traditional pumpkin pie and apple pie cannoli for Thanksgiving and buy a pink cannoli as goodwill.

FreshDirect
A $50 donation on FreshDirect’s site will translate into a holiday meal for eight. The program is done through a partnership with the Robin Hood Foundation, and the goal is to feed 120,000 hungry New Yorkers. Robin Hood supplies more than 1,000 pantries and soup kitchens. This Friday, FreshDirect will make its first drop to the Association to Benefit Children.

Year-round do-gooders
Aldea (31 W. 17th St.) does at least one charity event every calendar quarter. This year they have participated in City Harvest, Share Our Strength and Autism Speaks.

Bar Breton (254 Fifth Ave.) has earmarked five percent of its annual profits to a different charity each year. For 2009, it's Citymeals-on-Wheels.

Landmarc (179 W. Broadway; Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle) donates food to City Harvest once a month and is also involved with the REST initiative, a nonprofit organization bringing massage therapy to chemotherapy patients started by Landmarc chef Marc Murphy's wife, Pamela Schein Murphy.

Rosa Mexicano (1063 First Ave.; 61 Columbus Ave.; 9 E. 18th St.) participates in in City Harvest Bid Against Hunger and Summer in the City campaigns.

Trattoria Cinque (363 Greenwich St.) donates regularly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Virgil’s Barbeque (152 W. 44th St.) gives to Broadway Cares and City Harvest.

From the archives: Have a monstrous Thanksgiving

Friday November 28, 2008 8:34 AM By Rolando Pujol

We blogged this over at amNY's Digital Popcorn film blog last year, but thought we'd share it with Urbanite readers:

TV Guide ad via www.dvddrive-in.com

To this day, I associate Thanksgiving with Channel 9's Holiday Movie Festival. You could forget football, or reminiscing with the family around the dinner table. The real action was in front of the tube as WOR trotted out monster classics from its RKO library. On Turkey Days from 1976 to 1985, New Yorkers were treated to such classics as King Kong, Mighty Joe Young and a host of Godzilla movies.Now, I am not a big monster movie fan, but what appreciation I have for these films comes from repeated exposure by local TV stations back before they spiffed up their schedules, affiliated with networks, and turned their backs on classic reruns, cartoons and creaky movies. Now, you have to go to niche cable channels or turn to DVDs to see films that were once part of a regular TV diet. It's too bad these changes mean many kids today will not be exposed to nontraditional programming fare, nor will they form precious "holiday film festival" memories such as the ones New Yorkers over 30 share.

Indeed, like many longtime New York television traditions, the Thanksgiving film festival faded in the mid 80s as viewing habits changed with the advent of the VCR and cable. Soon, other movie traditions like Drive In Movie on Channel 5 -- a tremendous showcase for rare Kung Fu and horror films -- were also gone. For a superb overview of these TV traditions, visit www.dvddrive-in.com. Here's their write-up on the Holiday Film Festival, along with a tribute to Drive In Movie, Chiller Theater from Channel 11, and Creature Features from Channel 5.

But we digress. Returning to the Holiday Movie Festival, a YouTube contributor who offers rare-as-a-hen's-tooth videos from old New York television has compiled an almost 10-minute-long sequence of movie clips, bumpers and even old commercials for New York staples such as Crazy Eddie that will give you a sense of what it was like to spend Thanksgiving watching monster movies on Channel 9 in the early 1980s. Watch below, and happy Thanksgiving!

-- Rolando Pujol

Urban archaeology: What do ragamuffins have to do with Thanksgiving?

Thursday November 27, 2008 2:16 PM By Rolando Pujol

Ephemeral New York explores one of our Thanksgiving history obsessions. You see, once upon a time in neighborhoods around the city, Halloween really wasn't the season for going "trick or treating." It was Thanksgiving day! Kids would dress up and go around begging. These little ragamuffins would knock on your door and ask "Anything for Thanksgiving" in a kind of way that would make Fagin proud. The outings seemed to be confined to certain Brooklyn neighborhoods populated by European immigrants, but there were reports of the tradition thriving elsewhere in the city.The tradition petered out in most places by the early 1960s, and Halloween became the definitive day when it was societally accepted for children to ask unfamiliar adults for gifts.

Once you're done with your turkey and the games are off the air, take a few minutes and learn about this lost New York City tradition. Here's a look at how the tradition played out in Greenpoint. And even more here and here. And please share your recollections and insights in the comments.

-- Rolando Pujol

Despite fewer travelers, holiday will still cause headaches

Tuesday November 25, 2008 1:42 PM By Jason Fink

By Jason Fink

Don’t be fooled into thinking that traveling this week will be easier than in years past because fewer people are expected to trek to family get-togethers.

“There will be some havoc,” said Robert Sinclair, Jr., a spokesman for AAA New York. “To the average motorist it will be as bad as it has ever been.”

The AAA predicts that there will be a 1.4 percent decline nationwide in people traveling more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving week compared to last year.

Similarly, air travel is expected to drop by about 10 percent this year, said David Castelveter, a spokesman for industry group, Air Transport Association. However, with airlines cutting flights by roughly the same amount, the planes themselves will be as crowded as ever.

“Thanksgiving is the busiest travel period of the year,” Castelveter said.The Port Authority, which expects 1.35 million passengers at the region’s three major airports, is urging travelers to leave extra time and is asking those picking up passengers at Kennedy Airport to use the “cell phone lot,” a free parking area away from the terminals where they can wait for calls from people arriving.

For those traveling by train, Amtrak is requiring reservations for all trains in the Northeast and is telling passengers to allow at least 45 minutes at the station to pick up tickets. Travelers will be limited to two carry-ons, not including purses and laptop bags.

Tomorrow, Amtrak expects 128,000 passengers, a 65 percent increase over the 78,000 for a normal Wednesday. Last year, Amtrak had 665,000 riders between the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after.

A spokesman for the rail line, Clifford Cole, said the agency has not made projections for expected ridership, but said that “a good number of our trains are already sold out.”

T-Day preview: A Smurfy parade

Tuesday November 25, 2008 12:45 PM By Rolando Pujol

By Amanda Magnus

Special to amNewYork

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday will be a little different than the 81 celebrations before it: It will be Smurfy.

Thirteen huge inflatables will float above this year’s parade, including three firsts: a Smurf, Dr. Seuss’ Horton the Who and Buzz Lightyear.

“I’m excited for the Smurf float because my dad used to love the Smurfs as a kid and he’s taking me to the parade,” said 9-year-old Brett P., a New Jersey resident who’s been going to the parade since he was 2.

The parade officially kicks off the holiday season with more than 10,000 participants, including marching bands, cheerleaders, and performance groups. More than 3.5 million people flood the parade route, and more than 50 million viewers tune in on television.Some New Yorkers will be busy cooking or traveling and plan to see the blowing up of the balloons tonight. From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. the public can catch the action on the Upper West Side: Enter at West 79th Street and Columbus Avenue.

Lorraine Flaherty and her 7- and 10-year-old daughters are going to watch the parade on television, even though they’ve come all the way from Seattle to New York for the holiday. Flaherty grew up in Manhattan and used to go to the parade as a child.

“It’s too crowded now, and you have to get there so early. It’s no fun anymore,” she said.

IF YOU GO:

The 2.5-mile parade route begins at 77th St and Central Park West and ends at 34th St and Seventh Avenue. The holiday tradition begins at 9 a.m., but people start arriving as early as 6 a.m. Here are the recommended spots to watch the parade:

• Central Park West from 75th Street to Columbus Circle.

• Broadway between Columbus Circle and 36th Street.

• Limited spots on the south side of 34th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue.

• Questions? Call the Macy’s hotline at 212-494-4495 or visit macysparade.com

Photo: AP

'Canstruction' site puts focus on hunger in city

Friday November 21, 2008 10:57 AM By Rolando Pujol

If it's Thanksgiving, then it's time for Snoopy, even in can-sculpture form. (Photos: Ivonne Snavely)

By Ivonne Snavely

Special to amNewYork

A giant rat on a hunger strike picketed next to a full-bellied Snoopy. Just around the corner, Michael Phelps came up for air as he swam some laps.

Oh, and one more thing: All of these sculptures are made of cans full of food – 161,000 of them to be exact, painstakingly designed and stacked by 40 teams of engineers and architects competing in the annual pre-Thanksgiving “canstruction” competition at the Winter Garden in lower Manhattan.

The teams began work at dinnertime Wednesday and finished around dawn Thursday. Or at least most of them did. At midmorning, at least one straggler was still there, repairing a portion of a baseball-stadium sculpture that had toppled.

Leah Kaplan, who took part in the competition for 14 years and now helps to run it, stood in front of a model of Giant Stadium taller than she is.

“It is a lot of work, but I luckily didn’t have to stay here until the bitter end,” she said, laughing as she described the previous night’s construction frenzy. “There were teams everywhere, cans here and there and the last team didn’t leave until 5 o’clock this morning.”

The high-concept Michael Phelps canstruction ...

New York City joined more than 100 cities across North America this year in holding the event, which is meant to raise public awareness of hunger and contributions for local food banks.

The sculptures will be on display through Dec. 2, after which all of the canned goods used in the structures will be donated to City Harvest for distribution to food pantries, soup kitchens, elderly and day care centers.

“Between natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires and then of course the economic crisis, food pantries need help more than ever,” said Kaplan.

The rules of the competition are simple. No glue or magnets are allowed and tape must be kept to a minimum. This way it will be easier to take apart the cans for donation.

Each piece of art also had a name that had to do with cans or hunger and a description of it. For instance, a sign next to a shark with open jaws proclaimed, “No need to fear, but make no mistake, this one will attack hunger.” And with his claws of canned chocolate syrup and tail of pink soda cans, Scrabby the red rat stood firm with his “Strike Against Hunger” sign.

Another sculpture shaped like a bridge was called the “AlasCAN Bridge to Nowhere,” and was made up of cans of Beefaroni, stewed tomatoes, black beans and coconut milk.

“AlasCAN Bridge to Nowhere actually does span the divide and bridges the gap between hunger and health right here in NYC,” said a sign in front of it., adding that it was a “healthy pork-barrel item.” A Sarah Palin doll stood on the bridge, waving.

“I’m going to take a picture of this. This is so cute,” said John Manages, from Venezuela, while aiming his camera phone at another sculpture.

Within the first two hours after the exhibit opened yesterday, there were about 100 visitors. Peter Panchav of Merrill Lynch stood looking at the sculpture of Michael Phelps, whose head jutted out from a platform of bottled water, his nose made up of red cans and his swimming goggles and cap of black cans.

Panchav said he did not know what the can art was about, but that he thought it looked "amazing."

Admission is free, but visitors are encouraged to bring a donation of canned goods.