Author: Laura Leebove

Cheesy Spinach Bake, and a Dad Rock playlist from my dad

Laura Leebove16 Comments

THE DISH
Cheesy spinach bake (recipe here)

THE INSPIRATION
My dad bought me my first guitar — a tiny, tiny acoustic — when I was about 8 years old. It’s a shame I didn’t learn to play one until a few years later, but he’s the one who made me want to start (he’s been playing since he was 17, and he might kill me if I tell you his age now, so let’s just say it’s been 40+ years). While my mom got me into piano lessons, I think my rock ‘n’ roll tendencies started with my dad. I can remember plenty of trips to various guitar stores in the Metro Detroit area, where I accompanied him as he gradually tweaked and added to his collection (I think he’s got about eight guitars now?).

He took me to get my first real guitar — a “midnight wine”-colored Fender stratocaster, which I bought in eighth grade with bat mitzvah money — and the bass guitar and acoustics that came in the years later, and found me a guitar teacher, a hippie-ish dude who was usually late and told me I would like the Violent Femmes. My dad has always been supportive of my musical endeavors (including the less cool ones, like taking my sister and me to see 98 Degrees at the Michigan State Fair), and much more importantly, he’s always supportive of everything I do. The night before I moved to New York, his toast to my roommate and me was, “To Laura and Mike, and New York: Balls to the wall!” He’s the most supportive, generous, hilarious and genuine person I know, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. So thank you, Dad, for being the best. Happy Father’s Day!

This dish is in no way related to guitars, etc., but it’s one of my favorites my dad makes — because, yes, I was blessed with two kitchen-savvy parents. I should also note that my dad is the king of kitchen gadgets (every time I go home there’s some new and weird toy for me to tease him about), and it’s probably a good thing that the spacial restrictions of New York living prevent me from keeping up with him. The best part of this dish is I actually got to make it with my pops, since I was back in Michigan last weekend for my brother’s high school graduation.

THE PLAYLIST
When I think of my dad in relation to music, I think of the Eagles (“Take It Easy” is probably the most-played song on his guitars), The Lovin’ Spoonful (their greatest-hits album got a lot of airtime in his car when I was growing up) and Fleetwood Mac (we went to see them together a couple years ago!). But I left this list up to him, so here you go! It is Dad Rock to the core, and I love him for it. (Obviously I couldn’t use the real version of the Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends.”)

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Basil-Mint Watermelon Lemonade (Inspired by Beach Fossils)

Laura Leebove9 Comments

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THE DRINK
Watermelon lemonade with lime, mint and basil (recipe here)

THE INSPIRATION
When it’s as hot as it is in New York this week (in the 80s and 90s, aka I AM MELTING IN MY APARTMENT AS I WRITE THIS), the only thing I can think about is watermelon. And now, I can assure you, the only thing I will ever think about during times like this is this drink. It’s inspired by the Brooklyn band Beach Fossils, whose music is equally fit for this weather; they’ve recently become my start-of-summer soundtrack. Their music is breezy and drenched in reverb, and while the songs have plenty of pep and energy, they never seem to be in too much of a hurry, which is exactly how I like to be in the summer. In their song “Lazy Day,” from last year’s self-titled debut, frontman Dustin Payseur sings, “Lazy today, lazy tonight and later on/ All we had to do was nothing at all, under the sun.” Sounds about right to me. Their recent record, What A Pleasure, isn’t as explicitly about the laziness of summer, but still has the same feeling. What a pleasure, indeed.
Beach Fossils on MySpace

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Egg and Smoked Salmon Sandwich (Inspired by Ida Maria)

Laura Leebove2 Comments

“I eat boys like you for breakfast/ Where’s my salt and pepper now?/ Oregano, basil and thyme/ And my Tapatio” — “I Eat Boys Like You For Breakfast,” from Ida Maria’s album Katla

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THE DISH
Frittata and smoked salmon sandwich with hot sauce (Recipe here)

THE INSPIRATION
Norwegian rock singer Ida Maria’s songs are typically about drinking booze, being heartbroken, kicking ass, and getting it on. Her first album, Fortress Round My Heart (home to the song “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”), soundtracked my summer between college and moving to New York, so a couple months ago my mind was blown when I learned she had already released LP No. 2, Katla, in Norway late last year, and I didn’t already know about it. It’s finally out in the U.S. tomorrow (June 7) and it’s fantastic.

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I teamed up with Missy and Mariel, the lovely ladies of What We Wore To Work Today (who are just as sassy as Ms. Maria) to make a dish based on her song “I Eat Boys Like You For Breakfast,” in which Ida shuns a dude for pissing off her dog, insulting her mother, groping her sister and crapping on her father (!!). We made a frittata served on a sandwich with smoked salmon (a nod to her Norwegian roots) and a side of potatoes, and it uses all the foods she mentions in the song: tomatoes, potatoes, onions, oregano, basil, thyme and hot sauce. It’s also linked to Katla‘s super-fun and sorta-raunchy first single, “Cherry Red,” with the cherry tomatoes and Mariel’s lipstick in the photo.
Ida Maria on MySpace

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Herb-Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits (Inspired by Simon & Garfunkel)

Laura Leebove3 Comments

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THE DISH
Cheddar buttermilk biscuits with fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (Recipe here)

THE INSPIRATION
This one’s pretty straightforward: biscuits with the namesake of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1966 album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. The name comes from the song “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” which combined Paul Simon’s lyrics with lyrics from a traditional U.K. ballad.

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ETB mentioned in the Guardian + links to a few other food/music sites

Laura LeeboveLeave a comment

A couple weeks ago, lots of people discovered mariobatalivoice, the cooking blog in which famed musician/sound engineer Steve Albini writes about what he cooks for his wife. Not surprisingly, it sparked a bunch of articles/blog posts about musicians doing food things. British newspaper The Guardian was one of them, and they mentioned Eating the Beats in their story, as an “extreme” example of combining music and food (but hey, I’ll take it!). Check it out here.

And if you’re interested in some other sites that combine my two favorite things, check these out:

Turntable Kitchen: Delicious-looking recipes; food/music pairings; free MP3 downloads; playlists; reviews. I use the base of Kasey’s granola recipe on a very regular basis. (@TTableKitchen)

Food is the New Rock: A Tumblr collecting all things food and music: quotes from musicians talking about food, chefs talking about music, music-related kitchen wares … it’s all in there. Run by the founder of Midtown Lunch. (@FoodisnewRock)

Crumb Run: Indie musicians prove their foodie cred. This one’s still getting up and running, but so far has cooking videos, restaurant reviews, etc. from bands like Hooray for Earth, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Harrys Gym and Harlem. (@crumbrun)

Immaculate Infatuation: Two music-industry vets, Andrew Steinthal and Chris Stang, run this NYC restaurant-reviews site. The coolest part is that you can find a restaurant by searching for which music venue is the closest. Check out my interview with the guys here. (@ImmaculateInfat)

What sites am I missing?

Berry-Banana Muffins (Inspired by tUnE-yArDs + my food issues)

Laura Leebove12 Comments

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THE DISH
Banana muffins with strawberries, raspberries and lemon (recipe here)

THE INSPIRATION
I have a problem with sweets. It’s something that’s tormented me my whole life, and even though I now have more control over my health than I ever have, and I feel comfortable in my body and confident in who I am as a whole (yep, it took 23 years to make that happen), I don’t think my sweet tooth is going away anytime soon. I struggle the most when my lack of self-control gets the best of me and I eat, say, four cookies, and then I instantly feel totally disgusting — not just physically, like there’s a huge bomb hanging out in my stomach, but I’m also emotionally disgusted with myself for not having the control to just tell myself no, and then I feel gross and embarrassed.

tUnE-yArDs’ mind-blowing new record, w h o k i l l, brought some of this up for me: In the song “Es-so,” the band’s mastermind Merrill Garbus mentions a piece of cake and says in a sort-of Valley girl tone, “I gotta do right if my body is tight, right?” In the next verse she talks about sticking “a fucking fork in” and then speaks in total disgust, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.” It reminds me of my relationship with food and the types of excuses I make to myself for why it’s OK to eat more than I really need to: I’m hungry when I’m really not; I was “good” earlier in the day; I’m stressed; I’m sad because my boyfriend broke up with me, etc. etc. I’m sure I’m not the only woman who relates to that song, which is why I’m so glad it’s there.

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Other tracks on w h o k i l l have really been hitting home for me lately, too. The whole record is pure power: The music is confrontational, fearless, adventurous and loud, but it’s also melodic, influenced by African music (the percussion is especially great), and built up with layers of looping. Garbus’s lyrics are strong and she delivers them with intensity (watch the video below). On the album’s last track, “Killa,” she sing-raps, “I’m a new kind of woman, I’m a new kind of woman, I’m a ‘don’t take shit from you’ kind of woman” and then melodically sings, “So buckle up, ’cause we’re gonna move fast/ Drivin’ through things that you gotta get past.” (Seriously, ladies, if you need a post-breakup pick-me-up, however amicable the split, you should probably listen to this record.)

Yourstru.ly Presents: tUnE-yArDs “You Yes You” from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

But back to the food… Even though my self-control now is the best it’s ever been, I’m still in a constant battle with it. But the truth is that I ultimately can still be healthy (and even lose weight, which I’ve done thanks to changing my eating and exercise habits — not dieting) without completely cutting out sugar. Part of how I do that is that I very rarely buy sweets to keep in my apartment, because they definitely will not stay there for long. I’m much more likely to make them instead because that way I know exactly what’s in whatever I’m eating, which cuts down on the fake and processed foods, even if it doesn’t always cut down on the calories. But I often do try to make sweets that are at least a little bit on the healthy side, so even if I am indulging, it’s not always as bad as it could be. (As you can see from plenty of recipes on here, that is not always the case — and that’s OK too.)

As for this recipe: The texture of these muffins didn’t come out quite the way I hoped they would — they’re super, super moist and don’t puff up a whole lot. I think I got a little too creative when modifying the recipe — but they are still tasty. The fruit is because Tune-Yards’ music is colorful, and it has a tropical feel to it (she also mentions the jungle in “Es-so”).
tUnE-yArDs on MySpace
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Indie Rock Deli: We Were Promised Snackpacks (Inspired by We Were Promised Jetpacks)

Laura Leebove1 Comment

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THE DISH
Chocolate pudding with caramel sauce and shortbread cookie crumbles (recipes here)

THE INSPIRATION
The food’s not totally related to Scottish indie-rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks (as with most Indie Rock Deli posts), but I wanted to do a play on the classic Snack Packs pudding cups with a connection to the band’s roots, so I used flavors that make up this tasty-looking treat.
We Were Promised Jetpacks on MySpace

ABOUT INDIE ROCK DELI
It all started here, with a normal day at work that turned into an hours-long giggle fit. Indie Rock Deli dishes are inspired by punny takes on band names and song titles. Leave your own suggestions in the comments and they might be used in a future post! (No, they definitely don’t have to actually be indie rock.)

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Flaming Shots for Partying Hard (Inspired by Andrew W.K.)

Laura Leebove8 Comments


(Apologies for my crappy video-editing skills)

THE DRINK
Flaming shots in Pop Rock-lined shot glasses (recipe here; this could also work as a cocktail)

THE INSPIRATION
I have a huge soft spot for Andrew W.K. More so than for his over-the-top party music, I mostly think he’s the greatest because his sole mission in life is to make other people have fun — whether it’s in the form of, yes, songs like “Party Hard” and “Ready to Die”; the Manhattan nightclub he co-owns (Santos Party House); his TV show Destroy Build Destroy, in which teenagers blow things up; or his Twitter feed full of “party tips” like “Don’t try to think positive. Just party really hard and the positivity comes without thinking,” “People who try to make you party their way are wrong. Always party your own way, no matter what,” and “Love yourself.” His life philosophy is a lot like mine — always being true to ourselves, making things happen, and ultimately living life to the fullest — and I love his overwhelming positivity.

When my friend Brendan and I started scheming about an Andrew W.K.-inspired drink, there were three requirements: It had to be red (for blood), the glass had to be rimmed with Pop Rocks (since he likes to blow things up), and we had to be able to light it on fire (to give it an “extreme” element). I’m proud to say we succeeded on all accounts! Also, today (May 9) is his birthday, so, happy birthday, Andrew! I hope it’s filled with lots of partying.

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Seafood Paella (Inspired by Shannon & the Clams)

Laura Leebove3 Comments

THE DISH
Paella with shrimp and clams (recipe here)

THE INSPIRATION
Shannon and the Clams’ new record Sleep Talk has been a recent favorite around the eMusic office, and the band instantly came to mind during a going-away dinner for a coworker a few weeks ago. We were at a delicious tapas restaurant and the dish was a seafood paella with shrimp, monkfish, mussels and, of course, clams, and it was delicious. The rice was dirty (in the way that a rice dish can be “dirty,” as in it wasn’t white), and so is the band — their music mixes trashy lo-fi with hints of girl-group pop, fronted by powerhouse bassist/vocalist Shannon Shaw. (You might recognize her and the rest of the group as Hunx and his Punx’s “Punkettes.”) They also have a song called “King of the Sea.” Done and done.
Shannon and the Clams on MySpace

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