orphaned land for j. the jewish news weekly

Land of metal: Israeli hard rockers coming to S.F. club
When Kobi Farhi wore an Iron Maiden shirt to an Israeli synagogue in 1993, he suddenly realized what he needed to do.

At age 18, he was already two years into his journey as lead singer of metal band Orphaned Land. “Living in Israel, being Jewish, we should use Middle Eastern sounds in our music,” Farhi remembers thinking at that time. “If we were making American heavy metal we wouldn’t have done that.

“That’s how we became pioneers of Middle Eastern heavy metal.”

gimme shelter: the sonic sukkah for j. the jewish news weekly

JCCSF turns its sukkah into an art experience
Who could have predicted way back in 1969 that a Rolling Stones song title would one day be put to use to reinterpret a Jewish holiday?[...]

tofu dearest for poor taste magazine

Nothin’ Fishy About Vegan Sushi
Perhaps it’s sacrilegious to promote the art of sushi without fish, but isn’t being vegan all about creative ways to make food? And what could be more creative than a meal centered on an ingredient that will not be included?

I used to think of sushi in black-and-white terms, too. Sushi equals fish which equals avoidance, simple as that. Slowly but surely, it dawned on me that sushi could be made vegan by simply replacing fish for veggie for a healthy and tasty Japanese meal [...]

Bar Shacterman for j. the jewish news weekly

Art in motion: Sculptor to make piece of art as audience watches
In front of a swarming crowd, Bar Shacterman will create an original clay sculpture in record time next week, using just clay and an oversize hammer [...]

last night: slayer for sf weekly

Most long-running thrash metal acts either pepper their set with goofy, ghoulish shtick or stick to the hard-pounding basics. Megadeth and Slayer, both members of the elite "Big Four" of thrash metal (along with Metallica and Anthrax), represent opposites sides of the shtick spectrum: Megadeth is slightly more about look than substance, while Slayer lacks in visuals but carries a fearsome punch [...]

pickle column for j. weekly

Make our own pickles, save the (old) world
Most days, all I really want in life is a crunchy snack. Sure, I want happiness for my friends and family, inner peace and a healthy life, but in the meantime I’ll just settle for something crisp and tasty.

If you’ve been following my brief path of columns, you may have come to realize that I’m a music lover. What you may not yet know is I’m also food obsessed.

But thanks to a lifelong vegetarian and vegan diet, my Jewish deli choices often are limited to my own homemade versions of meatless sammies and potato salad — or, if I’m stopping by a deli counter, the traditional dill pickle [...]

Food and Wine at Outside Lands for sf weekly

Food and Wine at Outside Lands: You Should Probably Be Excited
Just imagine: Al Green could chow down on a mint It's-It ice cream sandwich this weekend in Golden Gate Park. Those brothers from Kings of Leon might try a Maverick's pulled-pork sandwich or a gourmet cupcake from Mission Minis [...]

tofu dearest column for poor taste magazine

I recently devoured a flaky, savory mini-pie filled with spicy potatoes, leeks, and Daiya cheddar. No bigger than a cupcake, the tiny faux-buttery meal filled me up and pleased my most important sense — taste [...]

10 thing for under $10 for sf weekly

10 Things For Under $10
Bicycle Music Fest, Renegade Craft Fair, Meeting in the Ladies Room, and 400 Blows [...]

tofu dearest column for poor taste magazine

The Taco Chronicles
Name any kind of meatless, non-dairy ingredient and I’ll find a way to taco it up [...]

column for j. the jewish news weekly

Ooh, baby, baby: Jewish inspiration via a newborn sabra
There must be some sort of Jewish baby boom happening right now. Or at least it feels like there is in my insular world. There’s been an upswing of birth announcements in our Lifecycles section, and while I personally will not be having children for quite some time (I’ve yet to successfully raise a houseplant), I’m in awe of all my friends who’ve recently welcomed children into their lives [...]

tofu dearest column for poor taste magazine

Meatless grilling on a summer’s day
Lately, all I can think about are three syllables: bar-be-cue. Maybe it’s the hazy, pleasant vibe of the summer months in general [...]

dum dum girls for SF Weekly

Riot Grrrls Return
Dum Dum Girls and the new wave of feminist punk.

The Dum Dum Girls sound like the Ronettes — that is, if the classic '60s girl group time-traveled to the '90s to make music with scuzzy beach-punks [...]

tofu dearest column for poor taste magazine

I’ve missed you most of all, pizza
I stared intently at the greasy delivery pizza slice forming grayish pools of oil on my paper plate, fully aware of the impending stomach trauma [...]

Danzig at the Regency Ballroom for sf weekly

Danzig, All Shall Perish and Toxic Holocaust at the Regency Ballroom
The photo you see above, of Glenn Danzig brooding with his eponymous band during a live performance, is not from the Regency Ballroom last night. The reason there's no actual image of his San Francisco show? [...]