EDGE Philadelphia

Grooming

Camo Concealer - this man-friendly make-up by Mënaji Skincare is the world’s first concealer made with jojoba & other natural ingredients such as kaolin & beeswax. Normally I scoff at men wearing make-up, unless one counts the "retro-glam phase" of my college years & my...times in drag. However, there are some mornings when you didn’t get enough sleep because you had two deadlines to complete the day before & the bags under your eyes aren’t...from Prada. It’s mornings like this when you nick yourself shaving. It’s only then you realize you have an important meeting, interview or client. On those mornings you reach for the remarkably light, easy to blend Camo Concealer. The product is a favorite of lifestyle guru Colin Cowie, who discovered it in time for summer weddings, where he handed it to grooms who were not looking...freshly groomed. The matte-finish allows it to cover up any nick, flaw or circle on your face. No one will know the difference. In fact...I’ve used it under my eyes the past two days at work & no one had any idea! This cover-up stick is available at Nordstrom’s in light, medium & bronze.

Noshing

Shrimp & Avocado Cups - are a light, refreshing way to serve avocado. Many versions of this dish require mayonnaise. However, avocado is already rich so...skip the mayo. This dish, which my French host mother taught me as an exchange student at the age of 15, taught me a few simple ingredients can make the most decadent dish. Dice a medium purple onion & 12 cherry tomatoes in half, set aside - take two medium avocadoes, cut lengthwise in half, remove seed - using a tablespoon scoop out most of the flesh, leaving only a thin layer to give the skin some weight - in a large bowl mash avocado flesh with 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil & 3 cloves of garlic which you have put through a press - add in 1 cup of cooked, peeled shrimp, the onion & tomatoes, 2 tbs of cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, one teaspoon of sea salt & fresh grated black pepper to taste - combine well - scoop into the 4 avocado halves. Garnish with a lemon wedge & cilantro sprig. If serving as an appetizer, serve 1 avocado half per guest, as an entrée serve 2 halves with a spinach salad & a citrus vinaigrette. For wine select a chardonnay or chenin blanc - enjoy!

Reading

A Funny Time to be Gay, Hilarious Gay & Lesbian Comedy Routines by Ed Karovski, Jr. - it’s also a great time to reissue a book...electronically, although, on Amazon.com there are still plenty of hard copies. In the 1990s being a gay comic was not only accepted but often encouraged, especially with the famous 1997 episode of Ellen in which Mrs. de Rossi came out on TV. The book offers brief bios of about 30 comics, followed by a transcription of some of their routines, songs, or humorous writing. Bob Smith’s transcribed appearance on The Tonight Show will make you laugh out loud. He came out to his parents by asking his mother to "pass the gravy to a homosexual." When his mother handed the gravy boat to his father a "terrible scene followed." Metina Bevis describes the agony of a break-up...with yourself. "And breaking up with yourself is not as easy as you may think. I stalked myself in bars. I would call myself at all hours. It just got worse: I kept driving by my house to see if I was home!" However, what’s amazing about this book is that it’s held up since its initial publication 14 years ago, this is humor that stands the test of time. In sum, and borrowing from Karovski’s intro, "a funny thing happened on the way out of the closet" for LGBT comedians.

Watching

Gun Hill Road - is a new film starring Esai Morales, Judy Reyes & introducing Harmony Santana, a 20-year-old transgender artist & actor. This movie is a touching depiction of a family facing changes. Enrique, played by Morales, returns home after serving a three- year prison sentence. Things are not the way he left them, his wife Angela, played by Reyes is wrapped up in an affair. His son, in a gripping performance by Santana, no longer likes baseball and instead identifies as Vanessa, his female persona. The distance of three years is depicted touchingly in one scene. When Enrique & Angela first make love he refuses to kiss her - although she longs for such tenderness. The film opens this week at the Gateway Theatre on Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale & will surely be counted among the top LGBT-films of 2011. Call (954) 763-7994 for show times.