Friday, September 29, 2006, 04:36 PM - Travels, Food
Or, if one has braces, it's more like "cut me up in small pieces and eat me with granola and yoghurt in the morning." One of the best parts of my incessant east coast trips this fall has been returning home with a carry-on full of macouns and macs and even a couple of early northern spies. Good thing I'm well-provisioned since I've been working so much I've barely left the house since I got back the last time. I had wanted to go get arrested yesterday at LAX but there was no room for that in campaign world, especially since I've unexpectedly been drafted back into the data mines....
Friday, September 22, 2006, 06:40 PM - Food
Here is how one of our staff described my tenacious efficiency today:
- I know Catherine is on it like pesticides on unorganic fruit. -
Should I be proud of this?
Monday, August 28, 2006, 11:33 PM - Travels, Friends, Food
I was at a party in Boston Saturday night with 3 (!) other illustrious alums of the Ellsworth Field finishing school (Black Rock Little League). Three of the 4 of us have been social workers, we're all single (Tommy is gay), not a kid among us (although Erin wants one soon) - we're all urban and doing interesting things (Jessica works at New American Paintings and is starting to become a gallerist - Tommy has a brand-new philosophy professor gig, has done lots of radical media organizing, and wrote a dissertation on Foucault and friendship - Erin is a social worker in SF). Left to right we were a Raider, a Buccaneer, and a Yellow Jacket (Tommy?). Jessica still remembers us starting to be friends on third base. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who got out of Bridgeport alive - and apparently not the only one who got out with a serious social justice focus, either (interesting how devout parental catholicism plays out in the iconoclasts of this generation, no?). Additional highlights of the weekend included truly luscious bluefish - portuguese style with mussels and chorizo and greens and so delicious. Can't get this in LA:
Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 11:55 AM - Sex, Friends, Food, Los Angeles
The combination of 14-hour days and some (necessary and wrenching and resolving) emotional turmoil has left little time for writing lately, and I fear that it will only get harder to have the space and focus to be coherent as election madness descends. An old high school friend found his way here - so I got to see his new baby's pictures and find out another friend is on his THIRD baby; a reminder that it's worth it to maintain this. I wish I had more time to chronicle all my new favorite Los Angelesness - thai massage minutes away (it DID leave me in a state of indulgent!), squash blossoms at Grace, cinnamony (greek style?) al pastor at Midnight Tacos, the fact that there's a fig tree (with green but growing fruit) in my backyard (I guess a reminder that I'm not paying attention - at least in an arborial sense - as much as I think), outdoor yoga, sea salt caramels from the local cheese store, and how happy it makes me to swim in the ocean...
Friday, July 21, 2006, 11:31 AM - Politics, Food
;)
No, this is not a post about what the appropriate karmic punishment for the Republican would be...we're all about the future around here (although I probably wouldn't stop you if you wanted to hang around the corner of Francisco and Divisadero with a cream pie). On July 31st there will be parties to kick off MoveOn's fall Congressional campaign - there are already more than 400 'Just Desserts' parties scheduled across the country, but you can sign up to host your own party here - we hope to have at least 1,000 events where people will find out more about how you can be part of the master plan we've been cooking up to win back Congress in November. Can't host a party? Find one in your neighborhood here. All the work I'm putting into building a great GOTV program will be for naught without enough people involved and making phone calls over the next few months. Besides, how many other opportunities to change the political direction of our country involve pie and ice cream?
Wednesday, July 19, 2006, 07:23 PM - Travels, Politics, Friends, Food
My friend Justin in New Orleans has devised a kind of next-year-in-the-Lower-9th ritual for the lost and wandering tribes of the city. Part voodoo, part seder, mostly party (of course) it has 5 questions, candles, bitter pickles, and red beans and rice. Send it on to the displaced and repatriated you may have sheltered last fall.
;)
Monday, July 17, 2006, 09:32 PM - Food, Los Angeles
My dear epicures, I have been neglecting you. I’ve sampled several of the tastiest parts of LA, and haven’t been writing about them at all. Here is your belated roundup:
Zankou Chicken: the perfect picnic for outdoor films at Hollywood Forever cemetery. Great dolma, too, for nongreeks.
Ford's Filling Station: superlative duck confit flatbread, and the best west coast fried clams I’ve run across. Went for a birthday party, and a post-gallery opening dinner. Trout and lamb both delectable. The chef/owner is easy on the eyes, unsurprisingly (it’s LA, so yes he is the son of Harrison).
Edendale Grill: I’m not exactly sure why you’d go here instead of Blair’s, except for the sweet patio in the back for a cocktail. Food was fine, but my fried green tomatoes were awfully red. Jon’s steak was really tasty, but Susie’s risotto cakes were too lemony, even for me who loves lemon most of all.
Blair's: you guys know this is my favorite place in LA so far, right?
AOC: I do love to support the women chefs – and sitting at the cheese bar is sweet. Morel special was divine, if a bit sandy… other plates were not quite as inspiring, but I’d go back. And I did, and the tomato salad made me very happy, but not as happy as the brioche made my dinner companion.
Water Grill: only had very brief pre-Opera oysters and raw fish treats, but they were superb. Made me curious to try more downtown places.
Los Balcones del Peru – down home ceviche and that fully addictive hot green salsa are now sourced locally, which makes me feel calmer.
Geisha House: Slightly overbearing preparation, but very nice fish underneath all the flashy saucing. I get way too much of a kick out of the tacky hollywoodness of these sorts of places. Will remember fondly scenes of de-vegetarianization that transpired. Great cocktails.
Square One: went for lunch yesterday – some innovative touches, but I hear brunch is the reason to go.
Yamashiro : amazing location/ views, food was fine but not outstanding. Probably somewhat compromised by how strange but pleasant it was to be dining with Matt Stahl again after so long.
Dusty's: best brunch I’ve had yet here, both times. But Blair's is starting brunch soon, I hear.
Ciudad: the food is good, but it always feels a little soulless and corporate to me.
New Gelato place on sunset: Red plum/ gran marnier was the best sweet thing I’ve eaten in a long time.
Table 8: solid and delicious but not fascinating. Angel’s calamari was great.
Guelaguetza strange herbs, tasty goat, and the best black mole ever smeared across a tamal.
Still on the list, and feel free to make suggestions:
Philippe Beacon Chameau real sushi places Jar Brandywine R23 Cobras y Matadores Josie Mission 261 dim sum Grace…….
Tuesday, May 23, 2006, 02:01 PM - Food
This morning I ate my first real peach of the season. It was the best kind of early season peach - juicy, tart, sweet, full of promise for the rest of the summer. One of the farmer's market guys told me Sunday that the stone fruit yield will be small this year, but the quality should be great. Based on today's peach, I can't complain. It made me ridiculously happy. 
Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 10:00 PM - Food
On Sunday morning on my run in Griffith Park I saw an unbearably cute baby bunny. I can't believe the natural wonderland that's just outside my door. I hope the coyotes don't get it. And dumbest? That would be the Sunburned Hand of the Man show we went to at Spaceland that night. It was so bad, it was perversely enjoyable. Or maybe it's me for still listening to Flavorpill? Thankfully we had had a delicious birthday dinner for Louise at Blair's, so we were too content to mind very much.Monday, May 8, 2006, 02:17 AM - Food
I spent the weekend in SF (lovely visits with Aurora, Alice, Adam, Augi and Angela and several friends whose names don't start with A). I have been homesick for all the good local Marin/ Sonoma county cheese (is it too dry for milk farming down here?) and got my fix at the farmer's market. Although I was sad to hear that there won't be any more Capricious for at least two months, it demonstrated the Bay Area's preciousness (in the best sense) when the Achadinha cheese company proprietress described the problems of the (2) goats in question. (Not enough milk for a while, hence a gap in production and the current batch is aging.) It really takes the local food ideology to a whole new level when you don't just know your local cheesemaker, but you get the skinny on the goats' inner lives...I'm sure my greek ancestors are glad I'm only one degree removed from goatherding.Back Next
