christmas eve we'll have a goose and see i'm thinking we should make some potatoes, kinda like frites, and then put some curds on them taters, then take that goose gravy and smother them potatoes

Just What The Doctor Ordered...

YES! Bravo announced that they'll be picking up Top Chef Masters! What a treat (except for that awful Padma wannabe Kelly Choi)! Also everyone's favourite Canadienne, Gail Simmons, will be joining the already prestigious table of critics. Kudos Gail, and kudos Top Chef Masters!!

Special Specialty

O&Co. Olive Oil Shop. Fillmore St, San Francisco.

Midnight Snack

Chocolate Pudding Cup with Whipped Cream Tower. Indulgent.

Dinner For One

Chicken, spinach and mushrooms in tomato sauce on a bed of arugula
with heirloom grape tomatoes.

Baby Blues BBQ

After a screening of the frightening (and somewhat hilarious) Paranormal Activity my pals and I wanted to grab a drink and maybe some chow. Three of us, on separate occasions, by different people, had Baby Blues BBQ recommended to us.

This is a place with a great vibe and some pretty delicious BBQ. We all chatted and laughed over a few beers, some sloppy ribs and crumbly delicious cornbread.

I opted for The Deuce, which is a platter consisting of 1/2 a rack of Memphis style ribs, 5 of their BBQ shrimp (which were recommended to our table by some random cook who came out for no reason other than to tell us we should order the shrimp - they were delicious), cornbread and my choice of two from an extensive list of "fixins". It reads like a who's who of barbeque: collard greens, potato salad, baked beans, mac 'n' cheese, okra - fried and sauteed, mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, pork 'n' beans, etc. I opted for cole slaw and fried okra. At $22.95 this wasn't such a bad deal.
Top marks went to the honey butter - yes, HONEY BUTTER, that was served alongside the cornbread. It was a true showstopper. I also really appreciated that each table was equipped with its very own roll of paper towels. Not napkins. Paper towels.

Grade: B+

Ultimate Food Weakness

Candy corn

Pink & Cheap Platter

My cousin Sophia and I hosted a joint birthday party this last weekend. The theme was Pink & Cheap. One of the better party themes out there if you ask me. In addition to chili dogs (inspired by Pink's), steak tacos (medium rare and pink) and the famed toasting station (strawberry jam and pop tarts, anyone?) I served up this killer platter:


Pink wafer cookies, Homer Simpson donuts and Mother's Frosted Animal cookies.

Here's a look at the toasting station. It was a huge hit after-hours!

Reaping

Yesterday's Trader Joe's buys. From left: herb salad mix, romaine hearts, baby carrots, dried bing cherries, organic whole wheat penne, organic whole grain quinoa, zucchini, vanilla almond milk, alfalfa sprouts, roma tomatoes, Ezekiel sprouted grain sesame bread (aka fitness bread), portobello mushrooms.

And all for only $34.

Afternoon Delight

Lunch at Silverlakes's Town & Country Café. Roasted beetroot, carrots and garbanzo beans in cumin vinegarette, grilled veg in balsamic. Splendor.

More Perfect

Remember when I told you I had that great midnight snack? Well allow me to one-up myself by showing you what I'll be enjoying tonight.

The man, the legend himself, Thomas Haas, the world's greatest chocolatier, brings us Dark Bark. Perhaps one of his finest creations Dark Bark is, as it appears to be a disc of his finest dark chocolate, adorned with juicy pieces of dried fruit (apricot, candied orange, fig, cranberry) and nuts (pistachio and almond).
Screw my grab bag concoction, this is the real deal.

He has an effect on me, Thomas. His confections, and everything he does, are held in the deepest chambers of my foodie heart. Thomas does only right and brings only sweet joy to the world. He is an inspiration, a machine in the kitchen (and on the mountain, apparently), and a joy of a man to call friend!

I'm breaking this one out in honor of Thomas, who makes me strive to be a better human every time I encounter him, in person or food form.
Warning: expect Dark Bark to last for one sitting and one sitting only.

Corn + Me = Love

I've been thinking about cornbread for weeks now, so I just decided to bake some. Note the amazing molded pan!

Had all the ingredients at hand but the egg. That's what neighbors are for, right? I actually went next door to get an egg!

I spiced up the bread with some scallions, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Perfect with butter and sprinkle of seasalt.

It may not be fitness but it'll make a great dinner! I'm thinking cheese and some herbs for next time...

Food Hotties

Jamie Oliver
king

Giada DeLaurentiis
my girl

Sam Talbot, Top Chef

the hot chef

Nigella Lawson
always a lady

Tyler Florence
the ultimate in adorable

Padma Lakshmi
hostess with the mostess

Bradley Cooper on Kitchen Confidential
enough said

Dreamcake

How insane does this cake look?! That's a cake:frosting ratio a boy could write home about. Courtesy of Whisk Kid, this seems like something I might be trying soon. I'll let you know when/if.

New Acquisition

Vefa's Kitchen by Vefa Alexiadou. Called "the bible of authentic Greek cooking" this goes along well with Phaidon's other bibles The Silver Spoon (Italian) and 1080 Recipes (Spanish). This puppy's still in the plastic and it's delivery was delayed a week due to back order, so please excuse me.

Food Weakness

Red Vines.

Empty Plates

Midnight Snack

Do you think it's got a golden ticket inside??


Sadly no, but:

+

=

Yum!

This week's nut/dried fruit mix:
Raw cashews, pecan halves and brazil nuts
Dried cherries and cranberries.

Telly Says "See This"

Anyone who knows this boy knows that a Streep flick is rarely missed. I was so delighted when I caught this picture today. What a movie! If you haven't seen this delightful Nora Ephron output treat yourself to some delicious film-going before its shelf life expires. Foodies and cinephiles alike will adore this simple yet thoughtful rom-com.

Save from the sometimes grating performance by Amy Adams (how many times does she say "Julia" in this movie?!) and the often poor writing for (and slobbish eating habits of) her on-screen hubby Chris Messina, Julie & Julia is an all-around enjoyment. Bright, funny and inspiring, this is a must-see!!

Food Weakness

Nerds - need I say more?

Bottega Louie

If first impressions make the grade then Bottega Louie scores 100%. The downtown LA restaurant, market, bar and patisserie is first and foremost a stunning space with a brilliantly executed concept. Up front you'll find the shop, selling everything from artisan salts and fine wines to brightly colored macarons and stuffed croissants. A long deli counter houses a variety if prepared foods (while visions of picnics dance in my head).

The vast white space (don't you just love tall ceilings??) continues with the bar on one side, dotted with a few little tables, and an open air kitchen on the other.

It's always a great touch to be able to see the inside of the kitchen, both for peace of mind and for great foodie gazing.

A barricade in the path: the hostess stand. The back half of the place houses the dining room. Packed tables of beautiful people, what more could you ask for?

Let's get to the food: the menu is classic. Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, poultry and meats cooked in various manner and an impressive list of side dishes, from sauteed spinach, roasted peppers and calamari to fennel & onions, peas & prosciutto and portobello fries. And all of it remarkably affordable.

Maybe you're wondering, like I was, "What exactly is a portobello fry?" Well, imagine, if you will (and I think you will), french fries, but instead of a potato it's strips of giant mushroom.

Yoooooowza!! No words. With a little watercress dip, divine.

Now, the ricotta, mozzarella, garlic and rocket Bianco pizza we shared was salivatingly (saliva tingly?) delicious but my main was perfection:

Look at this table! Does it get better than three perfectly grilled pork chops, a side of apple sauce and a dirty Tanqueray 10 martini? I think not, dear reader.

Top marks: Pork chops

Grade: Service docked some points from that first impression, but what a great spot! A-

Kogi BBQ

Unless you've been living under a rock you've likely heard of Kogi BBQ, LA's twitterific Korean-Mexican fusion truck. If not, allow me to introduce you. The Kogi BBQ fleet, now three trucks strong, travels all over LA, from Torrance to Glendale, on a day-to-day basis, informing the public of their locales via everyone's new fave social network, Twitter (@kogibbq).

On weekends Kogi occupies the kitchen at Venice's Alibi Room. This is where I first enjoyed the delicious fare, but as my BFF Brendan was recently in town and we decided to hit up one of their trucks, the way it's meant to be. We accidentally arrived early , which was a blessing in disguise as it took no time for quite a line to grow behind us.


We kept it real by ordering two beef short rib tacos, two spicy pork tacos and their Kogi special, a spicy pork, Jack cheese quesadilla topped with Kogi's new salsa verde.


Doused with some sriracha, we couldn't help but down this shit asap.

Sure, there can be a wait and sometimes it's annoying to run around town after an arguably overrated taco truck, but Kogi is downright delicious. I love fusion and Kogi makes it right.

Top Marks: Black Jack Quesadilla

Grade: B

Dreams really do come true

Coconut cake from Glendale's famous Porto's Bakery

Why I Love Summer

Grilled portobellos, endives, bell peppers, onions, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini and squash. C'est magnifique!