Here and There - Summer Fun
by Andrea Rademan
Saturday, September 29 Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff’s 25th anniversary edition of the AMERICAN WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL will serve up live bands, a silent auction, and a few surprises in addition to fabulous food, all on Universal Studios’ back lot from 6 to 11 pm. Nobu Matsuhisa (Matsuhisa, Ubon) will be there, of course, as will Northern California’s Charles Phan (The Slanted Door) and Hiro Sone (Terra, Ame). So will Hawaii’s Alan Wong (Alan Wong's), a master of Hawaiian Regional Cuisine who was actually born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a Hawaiian-Chinese father and who fuses French techniques with Island ingredients for his East-West menus, and Sam Choy (Sam Choy's). Floyd Cardoz (Tabla) will bring his Indian treats from New York City but Yuji Wakiya (Wakiya Ichiemicharo) is racking up the most miles, flying in from Japan. He may partner on an upscale Chinese restaurant — yep, he specializes in Chinese cuisine — in New York’s Gramercy Hotel. The former Head Chef to Japan’s Crown Prince and Princess oversees his own restaurants, is a Chinese tea connoisseur and the author of eight culinary books.
Expect dishes on the order of last year’s variety of hand roll sushi; onsen tamago and crab meat in dashi gelee; and lobster with spicy chili sauce. Other scheduled celebrity chefs include Bobby Flay; Babbo’s Mario Batali; Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert; Michael Mina of Michael Mina Bellagio; and Puck’s exemplary team, including Lee Hefter, who is a huge fan of Japanese cuisine. Since 1982, the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation has raised more than $13 million for the Los Angeles Chapters of Meals on Wheels, which serves local homebound seniors and disabled citizens. Info: www.awff.org; tickets@wolfgangpuck.com; or 310-777-3707.
After a brief commercial run at a Laemmle Theater (thanks to Warner Brothers, the studio which also brought us LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA), AMERICAN PASTIME is now available on Warner Home Video. The DVD, which includes a making-of featurette and theatrical trailer, sells for $19.98 SRP. American Pastime is an ironic reference to America’s love of baseball (and jazz), but director Desmond Nakano (WHITE MAN’S BURDEN), who co-wrote the screenplay with Tony Kayden, has something more significant in mind: the Japanese internment in America during WWII. Using period archival footage to frame the story, Nakano fleshes out his narrative about these disgraceful events with a talented cast. It’s virtually impossible to portray such painful events without making the characters stereotypical conduits for political views but Nakano comes close.
The Nomuras, father Kaz (Masatoshi Nakamura), his wife Emi (Judy Ongg), and sons Lane (Leonard Nam) and Lyle (Aaron Yoo), are a close knit, thoroughly assimilated Japanese-American middle class family with middle class values and aspirations. After Pearl Harbor is attacked mass hysteria pressures President Roosevelt to sign Executive Order 9066 and they, along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans, mostly citizens, are uprooted from their homes and sent to isolated internment camps, in this case one in a dusty corner of Utah. Camp guard Billy Burrell (Gary Cole) is a minor league wannabe with a son who is fighting overseas. To show his loyalty, Lane enlists in the U.S. Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat “Go For Broke”team, which suffered huge losses in the war. That has little effect on Burrell, who was a minor league luminary but who has no empathy for Lyle, himself a star pitcher who left behind a college scholarship when he was interned. When Lyle strikes up a sweet but secret romance with Burrell’s daughter, the stage is set for a climactic baseball game between his fellow internees and the narrow-minded townspeople. Seth Sakai is strong in a supporting role that originally was intended for the late Pat Morita and for whom his character is named. Sadly, Sakai passed away not long after filming, but in time to bask in his late life success.
LIVE EARTH, a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series took place on 7/7/07, bringing together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people through live TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels. This began of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group and other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming. Kevin Wall, producer of Live 8, an event to combat poverty, partnered with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who is Chair of the Alliance and Partner of Live Earth. They staged concerts at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo; Giants Stadium in New York; Wembley Stadium in London; Aussie Stadium in Sydney; Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro; the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg; the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai; and HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg.
SEVEN NEW WONDERS OF THE WORLD. After a reported 100 million people voted via the Internet, cellphones and text messaging, seven new sites out of 21 (short-listed out of 77 picked by a jury of renowned architects and ex-UNESCO chief Federico Mayor) were recognized. They are The Great Wall of China; Petra in Jordan; Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer; Peru's Machu Picchu; Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid; The Colosseum in Rome; and India’s Taj Mahal. An estimated 1.6 billion viewers from more than 170 countries reportedly tuned in to watch the unveiling ceremony, which was broadcast from Portugal’s Stadium of Light. A spokesman for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) urged that “sustainability and destination management programs are put in place by the winners.” The original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World existed more than 2,000 years ago, all in the Mediterranean area. Only the Pyramids of Giza remains standing. Among those icons that did not make it to the final tally were Kyoto’s Kiyomizu Temple, the only monument built entirely of wood.
Asian beauty was on view when Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, was crowned MISS UNIVERSE 2007. The 20 year old has been dancing since she was four and loves traveling, visiting museums and watching musicals. Among her prizes: a Mikimoto pearl tiara; scholarship from NY Film Academy; custom wardrobe; advertising campaign; swimsuits from BSC Thailand; a time piece; fashion portfolio; consultation with stylist; NYC apartment and living expenses; professional representation by the Miss Universe Organization and Trump Model Management; and a personal appearance wardrobe.
Other Asian standouts were Miss Korea, Honey Lee (top five); Miss India, Puja Gupta (top ten); and Miss Thailand, Farung Yuthithum (top fifteen. Additionally, Miss Philippines, Anna Theresa Licaros, was named Miss Photogenic and Miss China, Ningning Zhang, won the Congeniality Award.
ASIAN FACES: Essential Beauty and Makeup Guide for Asian Women by renowned makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian (Perigee; $24.95), who shares beauty tips and techniques for Asian women. Taylor is a top makeup artist in fashion, music, film and television. Her makeup tips have been quoted in numerous magazines and the California resident has appeared on Dr. Phil, Extra, and Fox News TV shows. In a profile of Korean beauty Yunjin Kim, she calls her "an international superstar. An accomplished actress who made a name for herself in Korea and all over Asia, she is now making it in America on the hit series, LOST… I was taken aback by her poise and elegance." Foreword by Yoko Ono. Over 100 color photographs and illustrations.
Stephen West wrote in Bloomberg News: “For just 10,500 yen ($86), you can exhibit your art, sculpture, dress designs or child's scribblings at Asia's biggest design fair. That buys you floor space for a day the size of one tatami mat at TOKYO'S BIANNUAL DESIGN FESTA.” It takes place at the International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight), which holds 6,000 exhibitors and has indoor and outdoor stages.
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