Win Dinner from Miami's Top Restaurants, plus:FREE PONY RIDES!

Artoconecto, the dynamic Miami arts organization, announces its second annual 'fun' raiser, 'FREE PONY RIDES!', to be held on Friday, February 20, 2009, from 5-11PM, at Carol Jazzar's Contemporary Art Gallery Google Map. There will be live music, food, drinks, art, and, of course, FREE PONY RIDES! Suggested donation is $10 for adults, KIDS FREE (with their parents). There will also be a glamorous yet affordable raffle for luxury items such as:

Epic Hotel ( free luxury stay, two days one night) http://www.epichotel.com/

Casa Toscana (Italian cooking lessons) . http://www.casatoscanamiami.com/

Michael's Genuine ($100 gift certificates) http://www.michaelsgenuine.com/

North One10 (dinner for two gift certificate) http://www.northone10.com/

red light ($50 gift certificate) 7700 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Fl, 33138 Tel: 305-757-7773

Schnitzel Haus (dinner for two gift certificate) http://www.schnitzelhausmiami.com/

Belabumbum Lingerie (luxury lingerie packs) http://www.belabumbum.com/

Funktional Interiors (one day redesign of a child's space) http://www.funktionalinteriors.com/

Mary Kay (beauty products) www.marykay.com/marylene

O2 Spa (health products) http://www.o2spabar.com/

Orinoco Coffee (coffee products and pony rides) http://www.cafeorinoco.com/

Mise en Place Catering (Gourmet Gift Basket) personal chefs: Chef Adri and Chef Rachel mepchef@gmail.com 786-369-3479, 786-423-1491

Mark Springle (Astrological Reading) http://www.markspringle.com/

Mt. Gay Rum (Bottle and Mt.Gay Rum Shirt) http://www.mtgay.com/

and donated artwork from:

Robert F. Merton
Maite Josune
Luis Valle
Sara Stites
Bernardo Reitich
Jose Luis Jimenez
Adrienne Langford
David Rohn
R.E. SANCHEZ
Eurydice Kamvis
Henry Jose Lacruz

Raffle tickets just $10, 3 for $20

Proceeds will help Artoconecto continue its mission of recognizing and promoting new and emerging artists, as well as to help jump-start Artoconecto's new after-school arts programs for kids.

Due to recent budget cuts, the arts may no longer be a part of our children's education in the state of Florida. At Artoconecto, we intend to step in and help fill the void, by offering students of all ages the opportunity to experience the arts outside of their schools. We are launching a program to take children on tours of artists' and musicians' studios in the Design District, Wynwood, Little Haiti, Little Havana, and other artist enclaves; as well as art galleries and music venues. We will be working with artists and musicians across the spectrum, and the children will get to experience art in its most inspiring forms.
So please join us for a great evening of fun and entertainment for children and adults alike, while contributing to the future of the arts here in Miami. And FREE PONY RIDES!

The Carol Jazzar Gallery is like no other. She has transformed her house, loft/garage, and expansive backyard (including swimming pool!) into a serene arts environment, while showcasing some of the best artists Miami has to offer, such as Jen Stark, Gismo Girls, and Guerra de la Paz-whose show, 'Otherworld', will be on display at the gallery through March. The gallery is located at 158 NW 91st St, Miami, FL. GOOGLE MAP

PLENTY OF PARKING AVAILABLE!

For more information, please call Artoconecto at 786.246.2052 or 786-246-2047., or email at artoconecto@gmail.com

{Artoconecto is a federally recognized 501(c)3 arts non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law}

Mr. Cobbs Does 'Cue-Corn and Ribs...PART I

Oh my these ribs and chicken got so much smoke. Mr. Cobbs, named after his corn, of course, can smoke some mean meats. His ribs are like eating a smoked pork chop, they are that meaty, beaty, big, and bouncy. He explained it all to me but all I remember is 'Rib Frenzy'. I can only recall that once before, with the Fat Man (search the blog-I'm too hungry looking at these photos to provide the links). Scroll down to the video and you'll see what makes a barbecue what it is-smoke. For more info hit www.mrcobbsbarbecue.net

Part II coming soon....

Best Coffee in Miami?

Lots of products on the shelves...


Orinoco Coffee...


Moises Bakery in North Beach has a lot going for it. A Venezuelan bakery run by Portuguese (very traditional in Venezuela for Portuguese people to own bakeries), they have all the fresh cachitos (chopped ham-filled baked dough), pan de jamón, hallacas (like super-sized tamales) for the holidays, arepas, and even the Venezuelan-style empanada (thicker than a traditional empanada) sometimes filled with perico, which is scrambled eggs with tomato. And of course tequeños, those long thin melting cheese-filled fingers, the perfect snack with a coffee in the afternoon.

And that brings me to my secret find-Moises is the only place in Miami (for now) where you can buy a bag of the incredible coffee from Orinoco Coffee & Tea, Ltd. Orinoco is a family-owned coffee importer and roaster, whose coffee is only available in certain cities at specialty gourmet stores like Dean & Deluca and Balducci's. In fact, I first met Juan Carlos Ramirez, president of Orinoco Coffee, when he was peddling his coffee by bicycle (pedaling?) on the streets of Washington, DC. This was many years ago, and he has since expanded his business, to the point where the Washington Post has called him "the Juan Valdez of Venezuela". I like to make coffee in a French press-you get the best results that way, as Juan Carlos himself will tell you. You should also buy whole beans, and grind them in the morning before you make your coffee (okay, maybe the night before-who needs that racket first thing in the morning?), for the freshest taste.

Juan Carlos's passion and expertise is the product of "four generations of experience in the coffee business as growers, exporters, importers, and roasters." He travels the world in search of the best coffee (he just got back from Ethiopia), and specializes in organic and fair trade coffees, from exotic locales including Papua New Guinea, Sumatra, and, of course, Venezuela. For more info on his amazing coffees, please go to http://www.cafeorinoco.com/ , or stop by Moises and grab a bag before they are sold out. Sadly, the coffee that Moises sells by the cup is not Orinoco-but maybe with enough demand, they might change brands-I guess it would only make sense for a Venezuelan bakery to sell a Venezuelan's coffee, right? In any event, grab a few tequeños to go, too.





Arepas filled with reina pepiada (shredded chicken)


Fresh-baked cookies...
Moises Bakery
7310 Collins Ave
Miami, FL 33141
305-868-0548

Braised Goat Canelloni

Goat is cheap and plentiful in Miami, and I just braised about 5 pounds of goat ribs for about 5 hours down at 250 degrees in a covered pan. I laid down a bunch of carrots and onions, then covered the meat in coconut milk and raisins. I wanted to stay away from tomatoes, and add ingredients that would emphasize the sweetness of goat meat. After picking the meat off the bones, it went inside al dente cannelloni, then covered by some leftover oxtail ragu and a bunch of cheese. Bake covered at 350 until heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.

Throw the goat in the oven in the morning, then let it rest until it comes near room temperature; then refrigerate and reheat the next day-just warm enough to shred the meat off the bones. You can use any kind of sauce to cover-even the liquid from the goat braise. The whole thing cost me about $20 and made 20 cannellonis.