Audio By Carbonatix
Saturday August 16
What would a psycho-spiritual movement be without a large-scale ritual? The Hava Nagila celebrates joy, the pilgrimage to Mecca reveres privation and devotion to Allah, and the Hokey Pokey venerates the sacred act of booty-shaking. Not to be outdone, post-hippie, nouveau new agers are once again stirring up the universal consciousness cauldron. This time they are burning Saint Germain’s fire at the Violet Flame Healing, purported to be the latest whammy when it comes to transforming our pained and creepy human existence into an enlightened and peaceful harmony.
Despite the fact that Violet Flame sounds like a good name for a drag queen, it could be a wild and wacky party featuring “transformational breathing,” “trance and spirit dancing,” chanting, chanting, chanting (and no gefilte fish). The event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Charles Deering Estate, 16701 SW 72nd Ave. Admission costs $25. Call 305-665-0179. — By Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Saturday August 16
Fixing Fabulous Food
Between cooking 2 squares daily at her eponymous Coral Gables restaurant, where everything down to the ketchup is housemade, to the time she’s put into countless community charities since moving to Miami in 1989 (passing out brown bag lunches to homeless residents; raising more than $15,000 for the hunger relief organization Share Our Strength at her restaurant), chef Carmen Gonzalez already works from roughly 6:30 a.m. to midnight. So to occupy some of those spare hours, the tireless and tiny (4-foot-11) cuisiniere presents a free seminar today showing shoppers how to whip up 2 signature dishes: Florida lobster and avocado terrine with key lime mayonnaise, and pan-seared red snapper with wilted greens and whitewater clam/chorizo stew. Carmen teaches at 1:00 p.m. at Burdines Dadeland Mall Home Gallery, 7303 Kendall Dr. Admission is free. Call 305-577-2677. — By Pamela Robin Brandt
Saturday August 16
Flirting with Disaster
Do you want to be the life of the next hurricane party? Join the Town Hall Forum on Disaster Preparedness and learn everything you’ll need to stick around long enough to be festive. The North Miami-sponsored forum focuses on severe weather but also touches upon other disasters. (The ones that don’t involve lampshades and bitchy neighbors.) Emergency personnel from FEMA and the Red Cross speak starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Gwen Margolis Community Center, 1590 NE 123rd St., North Miami. Admission is free. Call 305-893-6511, ext. 2102. — By Margaret Griffis