annogram: your sizzling summer annogram

Thank you for looking for your July annogram. Annogram was away for the holiday weekend, so I am back to see what’s of interest this month to my uber-creative subscribers. Hmmm…looks like artists may take over!

Lilly Ledbetter with President Obama

Women poets in the work space

Are poets “the unacknowledged legislators of the world?” Mais oui, say Carolyne Wright, Mary Baylor, and Eugenia Toledo, editors of Raising Lilly Ledbetter: Women Poets Occupy the Workspace, to be published by Lost Horse Press this fall. I am thrilled my poem, “First Job,” will appear in this anthology. Despite the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, women still earn only 77 cents to a dollar earned by men. Harrumph.

Theater Diva

Finally, a blog about cultural events in and around New York City! Arts columnist Debra Banerjee, who interviewed me recently, does us all a favor by reviewing concerts, plays and art exhibits. I particularly loved her profile of Marilyn Maye, a cabaret singer still going strong at age 86. Brava, Debra!

Brooklyn Bridge by Linda Simone

(Sub) Urban: Watercolors by Linda Simone

Linda Simone’s extraordinary watercolors grace the Madeleine Gutman Gallery at Greenburgh Town Hall. The opening reception drew a SRO-crowd and well-wishers filled Linda’s arms with roses. Her exquisite paintings run from brooding Manhattan scenes to open seasonal landscapes. See this fine exhibit, curated by Sarah Bracey White, through August 27.

Photo by Michael Cefola

Feast of St. Anthony in Little Italy

Oh, the joys of the Bronx, aka daBronx! Bronxites refer to nonresidents as “the unfortunate.” My husband Michael, our good friend Elaine Nole, and I headed to Arthur Avenue one Sunday for pastry and espresso at DeLillo’s. Little did we know it was the Feast of St. Anthony, the Franciscan saint known for finding lost things, and Michael snapped this great photo.

Deborah Coulter collage

Deborah Coulter will display her outstanding collages and drawings, with work by artist Lake Charles, in an exhibit, “Dreams and Memories,” at the Oresman Gallery at the Larchmont Public Library. An opening reception, this Thursday, July 10, from 6-8 pm, is free and open to the public. Exhibit runs through August 29.

Danielle Jackson photography

Photographer Danielle Jackson’s exhibit, “Lighthouses & Landscapes,” will be on display in the gallery at Ossining Public Library throughout the month of July—I can’t think of a better way to cool off than to take in Dani’s serene seascapes!

Creamy Summer Vegetable Soup

Here’s a savory vegetarian soup I created. Add other vegetables as you like—but don’t cheat on the curry leaves which give the soup its needed bass note. This delicious soup also requires a countertop electric grill with a lid, such as you would use for hamburgers or grilled cheese sandwiches; and a hand blender.

Vegetable oil spray

1 yellow zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise

1 green zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise

1 carrot, sliced thin lengthwise

1 red pepper, cored, seeded, sliced into strips

A handful of curry leaves

Salt

Plain yogurt (optional)

Spray grill with vegetable oil and heat grill according to its instructions. When grill is hot, place vegetables on grill perpendicular to grooved surface. Close lid and cook 10 minutes. Open lid, turn vegetables over, and cook another 10 minutes. The vegetables should be soft with brown or black grill marks. Some may need to cook longer than others; remove cooked vegetables to a plate.

Combine vegetables in saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat. Purée vegetables with your hand-held blender. Add curry leaves and blend until completely smooth. If soup is too thick, add water. Salt to taste. You may add a dollop of yogurt to make it creamier, or to decorate soup once ladled. Serves two.

You can find fresh curry leaves at an Indian or Pakistani grocery. Do not substitute curry powder—it’s overpowering and a completely different flavor.