The Tagaytay avocado shake at Jeepney

Warmer weather makes any New Yorker want to spend an afternoon on a sun-kissed patio, sipping something cool and refreshing. Here are some creative shake recipes you can make at home for a well-deserved break. Put your feet up, grab a straw, and enjoy!

The Tagaytay
SERVES ONE

This unique avocado shake by Jeepney head bartender Tomas Delos Reyes is creamy, refreshing, and full of flavor.

1/2 of one Hass avocado
2 ounces coconut milk
4 ounces whole milk
2 tablespoons of sugar

Combine all ingredients in a blender, add a cup of ice, blend, and pour into a fountain glass. Garnish with toasted coconut shavings.

SLIDE "Hot" Chocolate
SERVES ONE

This sassy chocolate shake may not be hot temperature-wise, but its chili powder kick spices things up. Find it at new restaurant SLIDE, or whip it up at home.  

10 ounces chocolate ice cream

2 ounces milk
1 tbsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. chili powder

Blend together all ingredients and serve in a fountain glass. 

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One of 20 never-seen photographs of Madonna—before she was famous—on view at W New York

 

Photos in the exhibit were shot in and around Madonna's LES apartment

 

All of the clothes and styling in the photos are Madonna's own

 

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When considering the cutting-edge art, music, and fashion of 1980s New York, few capture that era's renegade street style better than Madonna. Though the pop icon has certainly evolved over the years, during the ’80s, she was the poster girl for downtown New York. (For example, who can forget the incredible sequined boots she rocked in Desperately Seeking Susan?)

So strong was Madonna's style, in fact, that even before anyone knew who she was, photographers Richard Corman and George DuBose were busy shooting her now-legendary look—before she was the Material Girl, when she still lived in a Lower East Side apartment.

Shot in and around Madonna's fourth-floor walk up, 20 of these never-before-seen images, shot with a vintage Rolleiflex camera, are now the subjects of an exciting new traveling exhibition in conjunction with W Hotels Worldwide, Glaceau Vitaminwater, and Rock Paper Photo, the online photography gallery owned by Madonna's manager. Madonna: A Transformational Exhibition opened at W Mexico City, and is now on view at W New York through May 12. (Photographs are also being shown at W Union Square, W Downtown, and W Hoboken at this time.)

A grand opening party kicked off the show on April 11, with photographer Corman himself in attendance. Upping the New York ante was a live tagging session courtesy of graffiti artist Alec Monopoly, who transformed two of Corman's works. "The exhibition kind of pushed me to develop a new style," says the 27-year old, who prepared for the tour in his studio, using replicas of the photographs he would be painting live. "Basically, I put acetate on them, which is like clear paper, and I would just practice all day long."

The Corman/Monopoly collaborations will be available for sale online, with proceeds going to Jeffrey Fashion Cares. Madonna would surely approve. To purchase a photograph, go to rockpaperphoto.com/madonna. 1567 Broadway, 212-930-7444

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Kathryn Hunter stars in Kafka's Monkey at the Baryshnikov Arts Center through April 17. 

 

 

Kathryn Hunter stars in Kafka's Monkey at the Baryshnikov Arts Center through April 17. 

 

 

Kathryn Hunter stars in Kafka's Monkey at the Baryshnikov Arts Center through April 17. 

 

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A West African monkey named Red Peter takes center stage at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in Kafka's Monkey, a solo show based on a Franz Kafka story called A Report to an Academy. The monkey in question is played by Olivier Award-winning actress Kathryn Hunter, a Théâtre de Complicité founding member who, later this month, will also be appearing in Fragments, based on texts by Samuel Beckett.

Hunter's captivating physical performance has already been praised by critics, as she portrays this charismatic chimpanzee—clad in white tie and tails, no less—who shares his life story to a group of scientists curious about his more primitive roots. Is he a man? A monkey? A bit of both?

Directed by Walter Meierjohann and adapted by Colin Teevan, the play comments on human nature through the story of this highly civilized West African monkey, who learned to live and behave as humans do when he was captured by sailors. As the story goes, Red Peter began to emulate the sailors who “owned” him, and eventually, become a stage sensation. Kafka's Monkey continues through April 17.

When one door closes, another one opens, and another wonderful show follows. Directed by Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne, an 18-performance return engagement of Fragments begins performances on April 21 and continues through May 5. Starring Hunter, Marcello Magni (Hunter’s husband), and Jos Houben, these five Beckett shorts wowed audiences last season with their profundity, humor, and insight. Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Jerome Robbins Theater, 450 West 37th St., 646-731-3200

Clare Bowen in a scene from Jared Moshe's Dead Man's Burden

Local filmmaker Jared Moshé didn’t cut himself any slack on his first writer-director credit, Dead Man’s Burden, hitting theaters this May. The New Yorker journeyed to New Mexico, along with a cast that includes virtual unknowns Barlow Jacobs and Clare Bowen (currently on ABC’s Nashville) and plenty of horses and guns, to tackle a genre nearly extinct in modern film, the Western. But scenarios like this are ideal for Moshé, who says, “I like to jump into the deep end and hopefully I'll swim and not sink,” when asked about his method. According to critics at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Moshé, who has produced such films as Kurt Kobain About a Son (nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award), is a strong swimmer. Here, the triple threat producer, writer, and director fills us in on what to expect in Dead Man’s Burden, set in the aftermath of the Civil War on a dusty-serene landscape that practically steals the show.

Dead Man's Burden is very unique in that it’s an independent Western. What inspired the film?
JARED MOSHÉ: The film is really inspired by the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, which we’re in the midst of. The Western itself was actually created as a myth to sort of help heal the country after the war. When you have a country that's divided by north and south, what you do is you look west—and then those divisions become less apparent and we're all Westerners. A lot of those wounds are still festering beneath the surface, and I wanted to tell a story that explored those wounds through the lens of a family that was literally ripped apart by the Civil War.

How do you go about making a Western that resonates with modern-day audiences?
JM: The thing about Westerns is the genre is so familiar to audiences that you have to sort of embrace those familiar tropes. You have to have cowboy hats, you have to have a certain look; a certain aesthetic. How you make it modern, I think, is through the characters and the story. For example, in Dead Man's Burden there are two leads, and one of them is a very strong female character who really embraces a more modern perspective on what it means to be a strong woman.  

You wrote the script and also directed. Is this the first feature you've directed, or the first project?
JM: This is the first anything I've directed. I'm the only idiot who decided to go out and make their first project a period Western shot on location in New Mexico with horses and guns . . . One of the important things about Dead Man's Burden is that we shot it on film, which is very rare nowadays, but it was incredibly important that we shoot on 35 millimeter to really capture the aesthetics of the landscape of the world we were in.

Landscape is such a fascinating thing, so loaded with meaning and emotion. It can really inform a film.
JM: I agree one hundred percent. Especially in this genre, the landscape is a character in the movie. In Dead Man's Burden, the land is both a place that’s beautiful and a blank slate where you can start out and recreate yourself—go west and rebuild your life. It also isolates you and keeps you completely separated from the rest of the world.

What's next for you?
JM: I'm working on a TV show that is a modern-day Western that takes the themes of the frontier and transports them into present day. And then I have a script that I would say is a Shakespearean action movie set in the world of private military contractors.

As we ease into spring and look forward to summer, for gentleman, there is one question: to beard or not to beard? Indeed, there’s no doubt beards are a popular male trend both practical and stylish. But certain measures must be taken to properly pull of the look. “A lot of guys come in with kind of beard disasters,” says Mike Sposito, head barber at Williamsburg’s Barber & Supply (101 N 8th St., Brooklyn, 718-522-4959). “It is a balance to kind of keep it full and nice at the same time.” During beard season, even Sposito himself has one of his barber colleagues take care of his grooming needs. Apparently, these pro trims are addictive. “Once they have one, they're kind of hooked.” Sposito says of his bearded clients. Here, the seasoned barber gives advice on maintaining a sleek spring beard. 

The look: “Having a big beard in winter is to keep you cheeks warm, but you can still maintain a fuller look [in the spring] by leaving it a little longer around the mustache and chin area than you would underneath the cheeks and the jaw. You want to give yourself that chiseled look, tighten up the beard around the jaw line, bring the cheeks in lower.”

Maintenance: Sposito recommends a stop in at the barber shop every three weeks to a month, “but if you want to keep a tighter look, you have to come in every couple of weeks.”

At-home trimming tip: “Hug the corner of the jaw, staying nice and tight to the corner of the jaw, and then gradually getting longer as you approach the chin line.”

Tool of the trade: “A quality electric beard trimmer with attachable guards—so you can change the length—is a key beard-grooming tool. Go for a lower guard on the cheek and underneath the jaw line on your chin and mustache area. You can graduate it from the tightest part being around the sideburn down to the jaw, and then the chin would be the longest.” 

Need more inspiration? Take a look at these famous men who've stylishly "let themselves go" and donned a beard.

Chawanmushi with crab and truffle sauce graces the Early Spring Kaiseki menu at Brushstroke  

Japanese cuisine is innately elegant, but Kaiseki, a highbrow style of food and service that evolved from sixteenth century tea ceremonies, is truly an art. In New York, one can experience this tradition at David Bouley’s Brushstroke, which recently rolled out its Early Spring Kaiseki menu ($135 per person).

Executive chef Isao Yamada uses fresh, seasonal ingredients to create the artful, nine-course meal balanced in taste, texture, and presentation. The menu starts with a delicate Scottish langoustine and goes on to include fresh sashimi, chawanmushi with crab and truffle sauce (and optional shaved truffles), both fish and meat courses, a lychee sorbet palate refresher, rice entrées, and dessert. 

Of the fish course options, the seared Maine lobster with somen noodles, creamy uni sauce, and crushed uni flakes sounds divine. And then, following sorbet and sparkling wine, meat courses include a tea-infused duck breast with roasted sweet potato sauce, vanilla salt, and cocoa nibs; a sun-dried tomato marinated Canadian pork belly with tomato water and cauliflower purée; and Wagyu steak with Tasmanian mustard, Angkor pepper, and red wine reduction. 

Chef Yamada's brand new vegetarian and tasting menus (six courses) are also available to satisfy your every Japanese craving. Of course, all menus feature fresh and unique ingredients, as well as optional wine and sake pairings by sommelier Eric Hastings. 30 Hudson St., 212-791-3771

With a famous father (newscaster Brian Williams) and flawless beauty, there’s more to Allison Williams than meets the eye. As Marnie Michaels on HBO’s critically acclaimed Girls, the actress proves that pretty girls have problems, too—big ones.

Now in the midst of shooting season three of the hit show created by director and lead actress Lena Dunham, Williams is also juggling a gig as brand ambassador for Simple Skincare. We caught up with her to talk beauty, season three, and working with executive producer Judd Apatow.

You’re now the face of Simple Skincare, so tell about your beauty regimen.
ALLISON WILLIAMS: I am currently obsessed with all of these [Simple Skincare] products, especially the foaming cleanser. I put a little bit of the foaming cleanser on in the morning on a piece of gauze, [and] I use it to really freshen my face up. And then I’ll use some of the makeup removal wipes just to make sure there’s no makeup remaining on my eyes. And those makeup removing wipes, by the way, are the best.

The season two finale of Girls recently aired, and you’re already filming season three. Anything you can tell us?
AW: Lena gave me a vague overview of what might happen to Marnie. But last year she told me something completely different than what ended up happening.

Really? 
AW: Yeah, because from the minute we wrap she is already thinking about it. And because her brain just keeps one-upping itself, it’s really just her versus her. She keeps coming up with better and better ideas. It always ends up being the best idea, but it goes through a couple of incarnations between now and then.

You also work with Judd Apatow. What’s that like?
AW: He’s the best. The fact that he looked at it as a brand of comedy he could endorse is really amazing. Also, he really lets Lena do her thing. He’s around, and I know he reads every single draft and he watches all of the table reads and he looks at all of the cuts of the show, and it’s edited in his building. It’s really a lot his baby, as much as it is Lena’s, but he just lets it be her voice, which I think is awesome. 

Rock stars who date models aside, the love affair between music and fashion is major. So major, in fact, that a big part of New York living involves having your own portable, personal soundtrack. With audio gear both stylish and functional, Stellé Audio Couture brings this synergy to your everyday life. And now, the brand has teamed up with fashion and accessories designer Rebecca Minkoff on a new line of Audio Clutches.

Available in two styles (Diamond or Studded), the clutches ($399 each) house stereo quality wireless Bluetooth speakers and are available at Nordstrom.com. Stellé Audio Couture CEO and co-founder Anna Perelman says she came up with the idea while watching an episode of Sex and the City: “Carrie says to a pair of shoes, ‘Hello, lover,’ [and] the idea came. Women form emotional connections with items that they want to purchase, so why couldn't we create the same connection that women already have with handbags and shoes with a speaker?”

Perelman’s on-the-go lifestyle also helped inspire the patented design. “I travel frequently and love music, but couldn't find any portable speakers that I could easily throw in my carry-on and that didn't take an army of engineers to connect to my iPhone.” As such, the Bluetooth-enabled wireless speakers have a range of 50-feet and allow you to chat on the phone (hands-free) and listen to your music. Worried about battery drainage? Fret not, the rechargeable battery lasts for 15 hours of continuous play. 

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A Tin of Tuna: tuna sashimi, beets, ginger dressing, and trim-your-own-micro greens

 

Filet of beef served on a hot rock with Brussels sprouts, sauce Béarnaise, raisin steak sauce, and truffled mashed potatoes

 

Acorn risotto layered with boneless lamb chop, mint gelée, and stewed kale—topped with an "acorn cloche"

 

Cardamom beignets, cardamom-poached pineapple, and chocolate and honey sauces

 

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New Yorkers are studied in the art of throwing the perfect dinner party, but every host deserves a break now and then. For those times when you prefer not to get your hands dirty in the kitchen, enlist the help of Pinch Plated, a boutique catering service specializing in interactive dinner parties that, say founders Bob Spiegel and TJ Girard, encourages you to play with your food.

The brainchild of chef Spiegel’s and designer Girard’s creative catering company, Pinch Food Design, the new Pinch Plated propels the brand’s imaginative party hors d’oeuvres into a three-course dinner party setting for groups of all sizes. Actually, Spiegel calls his plates “intercourses,” because they invite guests to interact and have fun with their dinner. For example, tuna sushi and beets with “trim your own” micro salad is served in a peel-back sardine tin with embroidery scissors on the side. Meanwhile, a stacked dish of acorn squash risotto and boneless lamb chop with mint gelée and stewed kale is nestled beneath an “acorn cloche.” And hunks of beef filet are plated onto a piping hot rock alongside bamboo tongs, sauce Béarnaise, Brussels sprouts and truffled potatoes. You get the picture.

Creative tablescapes and inventive presentations are key. They call it “food furniture,” a marriage of design elements with servingware for true conversation pieces. “I think that event planners and caterers tend to not make the riskiest choices in food and design because they’re usually preparing an event for a large group of people,” says Spiegel. “If we can do something that pushes the envelope—does not seem too risky, yet is out on the edge with its presentation and robust flavors—then we’ve made an impact that will resonate with clients and their guests, and hopefully impact the catering industry as a whole.” 212-244-7000

Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel

Journalism lost one of its foremost film critics yesterday, as Roger Ebert died of cancer at age 70. In memoriam, The Atlantic has reposted its 2011 interview with Ebert, wherein the writer talks about his craft, from the interview process to his policy on criticizing actors: “I can employ scorched-earth tactics in writing about a bad movie, but I rarely write sharp criticism of actors themselves,” said Ebert. [The Atlantic]

Music and fashion collide as Hedi Slimane shoots musicians like Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson, and Kim Gordon as part of a music project for fashion house Saint Laurent. [Dazed Digital]

Only in New York can you find someone to help you meet your match on the subway. Enter subway matchmaker, aka The Love Conductor, Erika Christensen. [New York]

For dog-loving New Yorkers, no ordinary pet name will do. In The New York Times’ Home & Garden section, Jan Hoffman explores the strange art of naming dogs. [The New York Times]

We often hear about the successes of our cultural idols, but rarely about their so-called failures, as writer Benjamin Lytal puts it in his blog about the early attempts (“the real treasures, the rehearsals that never got published”) of Nabakov and Flaubert. [The New Yorker]