Adventures in wonderland

First non-trailer clip from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is out! Anyone else feel like they've been waiting for March 5th your whole life?

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

The soundtrack is a little disappointing though (Avril Lavigne? All-American Rejects? Really, Tim?) so here's my own interpretation.

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit

Rolling Stones - Mother's Little Helper

Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense and Peppermint

The Beatles - Glass Onion

Pogo - Alice

Bob Dylan - Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

The Noisettes - Malice in Wonderland

Lynrd Skynrd - Mad Hatter

The Beatles - I Am the Walrus

Let them eat cake ... and ice cream ... at the same time!

This good news blog is turning into something of a good food blog as of late (but they're pretty much one and the same, no?), so apologies to any freaky readers of the non-foodie variety out there.
But OH. MY. GOD. This news is big: David Chang's palace of saccharine delights, Momofuku Milk Bar, is making dessert-lovers dreams come true for the umpteenth time. After experimenting with such unusual flavors as Cap'n Crunch, Stuffing, and Salt & Pepper, the culinary oasis is introducing a new line-up based on, you guessed it - cake! Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, and Cream Cheese Frosting are available now. Drool.

Internice is the new black

This week's New York Observer features a cultural trend piece by Meredith Bryan entitled "My Town of Kind!" which comments on the "New Nice" in internet culture. For example, social networking sites can function largely as support systems: Facebook allows you to "like" a status update without providing a "dislike" option.
Is a refreshing lack of cynicism, gloom and doom reflective of the millenial generation? Is it somehow spurred by the rise of e-networking?
Even in New York, where success and cigarettes seem to go hand-in-hand, nice doesn't have to mean bland or boring. Nice can be something new. In the wake of a recession, take a minute to breathe, look around, smile, and appreciate that good news.

Pancake power

Today is National Pancake Day, which means IHOP is giving away free short stacks until 10pm, and they're encouraging donations to support the Children's Miracle Network (the same charity supported by Phi Mu!).
If you consider yourself a true pancakeophile, it's worth the longggg wait at Clinton St. Baking Company, home of the most incredible pancakes on the planet, as far as I'm concerned. February is Pancake Month at Clinton St., and if you go between now and Friday, you'll get the chance to chow down on either a blackberry, pecan streusel and warm maple butter variety (Feb 23 and 24) or sample the crunchy banana pancakes with cinnamon-chili-chocolate sauce (25 & 26). Of course, the wild Maine blueberry and banana walnut classics will be waiting all year round.

Turning Japanese

Back in October, I posted about the McG-Tashi Murakami collab for the Tate Modern's "Pop Life: Art in a Material World" exhibit. This video short is now out and stars Kirsten Dunst as a Harajuku anime fairy princess, singing "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors. Weird, wacky, wonderful:

Kirsten Dunst & McG's 'Akihabara Majokko
by allbrice

Designer D.I.Y.

Apartment Therapy's easy Jonathan Adler-inspired faux-pottery project. Perfect for those empty coffee cans and jelly jars that have been waiting for inspiration to strike! These would look great spray-painted gray or black, too.

Cooking with Photoshop

This stop-motion video is crazy-cool: Maya Klein's Adobe Photoshop Cook allows you to bake a perfect batch of butter cookies without getting your hands or kitchen dirty!

Adobe Photoshop Cook from Lait Noir on Vimeo.

Free live goodness

The Postelles are playing a free show at Bowery Electric tonight. Doors at 8, show at 10.
I kind of love these guys:

Cuddle class

This is Kiwi for "romantic": Air New Zealand is allowing couples to purchase three adjacent seats for a mere 25% extra per passenger. Footrests come up to the seats in front, forming a love seat where pairs (or parents with kids) can lay together. 22 of these "Skycouches" will fill the first 11 rows of coach class, and make a 24-hour flight a whole lot cozier.

Thanks to D for sending!

Not-so-manic Monday

Here's how I spent my President's Day off from work:

Chevron nail art:

Tissue paper pom-poms to encourage the onset of spring (instructions courtesy of Martha):

I feel oddly accomplished.

Let the games begin!

The 2010 Winter Olympics kick off in Vancouver tonight with the Opening Ceremonies live at 7:30. I'm a little sad about the Jamaican bobsled team, but I'll be watching out for that Australian speedskater.
Check out this bit of American propaganda created by Colbert & Shepard Fairey (the guy from Obey who made Obama's face iconic):
And don't miss Ryan McGinley's gorgeous photoessay of this year's Olympic athletes, The Highfliers, for the NY Times.

She's a superstar

For theme-ists such as myself, this coming weekend presents a wealth of opportunities for festivity. Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, President's Day, the beginning of Mardi Gras ... I'm almost holidazed just thinking about it.

But the real cause for celebration, as far as I'm concerned, is the news that Miss Molly Shannon will be joining the cast of Glee as Sue's enemy and the school astronomy teacher/badminton coach. Her first episode will air in May.

I guess if you need something to get all excited about before then, you could check out the Barneys Warehouse Sale (starting today). It is Fashion Week, after all.

Snowpocalypse now

If I were lucky enough to have a snow day (instead of being trapped in a midtown office), I would be a) drinking hot chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps, b) making snow angels on my rooftop, c) stirring a pot of quinoa risotto, and d) taking the paper snowflakes down from my ceiling to make them into a funky panel. Instead I'll have to settle for gazing out my work window into the white abyss.

Big Mac-aron

Parisian macarons (not to be confused with their less-Gentile, more-coconutty counterpart, macaroons) are the latest, prettiest dessert trend. What, you're still on cupcakes? Get with it. But they are not, I repeat not easy to make yourself. I tried my hand at both lavender-buttercream and cinnamon-Nutella variations, and let's just say it was an all-day project.
This amazing food blogger has just inspired me to give it another go with a cheeky American riff on the traditional French confection - et voila, the Big Mac-aron!

Doritos did it again

The funniest finalist for Doritos' Crash the Superbowl contest:



Check out all the commercials you missed during your quest for the best nacho here.

Bowled over

The weekend football fans and fatasses such as myself have all been waiting for is finally here: Superbowl Sunday is upon us! Although I can't tell you much about the game (other than that I'll be rooting for the Colts* because I think New Orleans is cool), here are a few things I do have to share:

- Check out Thrillist's master snack repository and Nymag's list of the best bars to watch the game
- If you like your food and your football free, hit up Delmonico's for some gratis Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Double Fried French Fries, and Stella Artois from 5:30-6:30
- Keep your eyes peeled for wizards flying across your TV screen in Universal Orlando's secret surprise ad spot for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, their new magical theme park

Because everyone knows its all about the food, the booze, the ads and the halftime show, which will arrive on Rock Band shortly after the game).

* Post scriptum: Wow, that's embarrassing.

Cowboy, bake me away

Someone please send me on a bake-cation: Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, MI is offering two or four-day pastry and bread classes. Cheaper than a ski trip or the Caribbean, and the souvenirs are edible!

Eat your heart out

With that equally dreaded and celebrated holiday approaching, appreciate your loved ones or eat your feelings with this inventive vanilla-red velvet heart cake. Or save it for your Alice and Wonderland party; it's right up the Red Queen's alley.

I'd like to thank the Academy . . .

Oscar noms were announced today, and despite the weird 10-film development in the Best Picture category, there were some pleasant surprises. For one, thankfully someone with a little sense knew to leave Avatar out of the Best Screenplay category. To me, a film that hasn't been nominated in that department has no place in the Best Picture category, but hey, take what you can get, right? Animated Feature Film is full of good stuff (this is one of the best years for animation in a long, long time), and I can't say I'm disappointed with the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor picks either. But where oh where is the recognition for Broken Embraces, Almodóvar's epic, brightly-lit neo-noir masterpiece? If the Academy has the hots for Penelope (as clearly they, and everyone with an operating libido, do), why pick her writhing performance in Nine over this? Oops, guess I answered my own question. Here's hoping Inglorious Basterds wins every category it's nominated in (although I wouldn't be sad to see Up take Best Original Screenplay), and that James Cameron doesn't get too many more opportunities to speak Na'vi on national television. From now until March 7, I'll be making sure to see A Serious Man, Crazy Heart, Ajami, and Food, Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen, cast your ballots!

Eat, drink hot chocolate, and be merry

Thanks to City Bakery for providing a cure for the February doldrums: The Hot Chocolate Festival is upon us! Starting today, cacao connoisseurs can sample a different flavor every day until the 28th. Banana peel, bourbon, Earl Grey, chili pepper, pistachio, beer & brown sugar ... I'm drooling a little just thinking about it.