Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Great Chefs at CBS!

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Once again this Sunday CBS Studios will host its annual “Great Chefs of LA” to benefit The National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. Hosted by George Lopez, himself a recipient of a kidney transplant, it is one of LA foodies’ favorite events of the season.

Piper Heidsieck will be pouring the bubbly, because only the best will do. Hunky Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station and Brian Moyers of BLT Steak will be on hand, along with chefs from Akasha, Loteria Grill, and The Bazaar. I can’t wait to flirt with Celestino Drago and catch up with Josie La Balch. I love them, and they can tell.

The size of the event is reasonable, so you can easily sample most of the bites without feeling too full or trekking all over the place. See how much fun we had last year, even without Paul Stanley. General admission is $150. The event starts at 12 noon and continues until 3:30pm. Purchase tickets here.

Posted in Events, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

This Sunday! LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade!

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Alex. Diagnosed with cancer before she was even a year old, she decided to hold a lemonade stand at the age of four to help raise money for the hospital. She ended up raising an impressive $2000. And every year after that, Alex hosted her lemonade stand.

Soon, people all over the world heard about Alex and started hosting their own lemonade stands to help. When Alex left us at the age of eight, she had already inspired donations of more than a million dollars. Alex’s Lemonade Stand took off from there.

On Sunday, Suzanne Goin, Caroline Styne and David Lentz along with Honorary Chairperson Jennifer Garner and MC Jim Belushi will be hosting a spectacular lemonade stand, LA-style. From 12 noon until 4pm “A Decadent Chef’s Cookout will take place on the beautiful lawn of the mansion of Culver Studios (9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City).

The event will feature cocktails and the food of celebrity chefs including Neal Fraser, John Besh, Nancy Silverton, and Giada De Laurentiis. Tickets start at $150 for a general ticket and $350 for a VIP ticket. Children 9 and under are free! Buy tickets here

 
 
 
Posted in Events, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

LA Mag’s Presentations

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

 

OK, I swear, this is the last LA Magazine Food Event post — this year. Besides a feast of delectables, there were some fantastic chef demos and panels. Chef Rory Hermann of Boucon shows us how to cook vegetables three ways and a lovely roast. Main lesson: let your meat rest!

Continue reading →

Posted in chefs, Events, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

My Top Ten Faves at LA Magazine’s Food Event

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

The LA Magazine Food Event had soooooo much food and sooooo many events, it was just impossible to fit them all into one post. So just think of it like Shark Week. With more food. And no sharks. This year there was noticably less seafood and an awful lot of meat. But I like meat. Meat is good. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite dishes. Keep in mind that I couldn’t try every single thing, so it’s a random sampling.

1. Westside Tavern’s shortrib crostini. Meaty and flavorful, with a nice dollop of creme fraiche with horseradish

Continue reading →

Posted in Bakeries, chefs, cupcakes | 1 Comment

LA Magazine’s Food Event: Is that a Llama in Your Mercedes?

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino


Last weekend Los Angeles magazine was host to one of everyone’s favorite food events of the year. It is so representative of its kind, it doesn’t even have to have a name. It’s just called “The Food Event”. Participants are top-notch every year, like the jams and preserves offered by Akasha shown above. The fig was especially addictive.

Continue reading →

Posted in chefs, cupcakes, Events, Festivals, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

My Scary Neighbor

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino


I live near the studios, which means we have some really intense Halloween decorations and haunted houses. This guy is back after a 2-year hiatus while they have been completely gutting his house. Beware, some of the pictures are pretty gory.

Continue reading →

Posted in cupcakes, holidays, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Out and About: Local Specials

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

The beautiful brie shown above was a last-minute substitution for frites at Cafe Massilia, a fantastic little bistro in Monrovia that I dicovered by pure serendipity this week. They will be hosting a Wine Tasting Dinner Event called “All Around France” on Wednesday, 3rd of November, 2010 at 6:45 pm. The bistro will offer 5 Courses Paired with 5 Wines:

Welcome Drinks: Glass of Champagne

Amuse Bouche au Crabe et Sauce Tartare ~ Crab Cake Served with Tartare Sauce ~LoireValley:  Pierre Luneau Papin, Muscadet, 2008 White

Carpaccio de Boeuf, Salade de Roquette et Lamelle de Parmesan ~ Beef Carpaccio, Shaved Parmesan and Arugula Salad ~Languedoc:  Reserve Sainte Channelle, Pinot Noir, 2008 Reserve

Lotte Meuniere en Robe de Jambon Cru, Feuille de Romaine et Sauce aux Champignons ~ Monk Fish with Prosciutto, Romaine Leaf and Mushroom Sauce  ~ Loire Valley:  Gitton Pere et Fils, Sancerre, 2002, White

Choucrute Garnie

~ Sauerkraut Garnished with Frankfurt Sausage, Pork Skin, Back Ribs and Pork Belly ~ Alsace:  Kuehn, Pinot Gris, 2008, White

Ile Flottante, Sauce Anglaise et Caramel

~ Floating Island with English Sauce and Caramel ~ Languedoc:  Reserve Sainte Channelle, Cabarnet Sauvignon, 2007, Red

Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

How to Make the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich in the World

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I spent some time with the guys from The Foundry, kings of the world’s best grilled cheese sandwich, last weekend at LA Magazine’s Food Event. I’m serious about this sandwich. They even have the trophies to prove it. Check out Josh McKnight as he rocks the grill.

Continue reading →
Posted in Events, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Remember to Pace Yourself Sunday at LA Magazine’s Food Event from the Vine!

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

People, I cannot stress enough the importance of doing your stretches. This Sunday, LA Magazine will be hosting its 5th annual Food Event and you will want to be in it for the duration. Sure, you’ve been to big food events before, but did you ever have to outrun a camel?

Continue reading →

Posted in Events | 2 Comments

Oktoberfest at Rush Street

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I grew up near Alpine Village where Oktoberfest is a big deal and frankly, kind of scary. But when Rush Street invited me to their Oktoberfest, I couldn’t accept fast enough. I love Rush Street and there was no chance of being accosted by an oompah band.

Continue reading →

Posted in holidays | 2 Comments

Roy’s Unveils its Fall Fusion Menu

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I will confess that I had not seen the inside of a Roy’s Restaurant prior to an invitation to join Queequeg for a special sampling of their Fall Fusion Prix Fixe menu. I had always assumed Roy’s would all be sticky, sweet sauces, pork and pineapple. The delicious 1988 Martini with grapefruit and pomegranite juices was  the only tropical treat we sampled.

Roy’s is more of an upper middle-class restaurant with a varied menu. Although it is a chain, the chefs are allowed leeway beyond Roy’s signature dishes and special event menus, so each restaurant features a number of different options. For example, Roy’s Pasadena offers opah, and Anaheim features barramundi, while Roy’s LA is much more meat-heavy.

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Jonathan Gold’s Cocktail party to Benefit Zócalo

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino
Zócalo‘s Gregory Rodriguez: Founder/Executive Director/Executive Editor, Swati Pandey: Managing Editor, Laura Villalpando: Media & Field Producer, Dulce Vasquez: Program Director with Zócalo supporter/award-winning author/bon vivant Jonathan Gold

      

Zócalo Public Square is a Los Angeles-based idea-wrangler. Their popular lectures and panels often focus on politics, food, and the politics of food. But it would be unfair to pigeon-hole them, as their mission is about offering a forum for the entire spectrum, bringing together disparate fields and giving a voice to the unheard since 2003.        

Zócalo also offers screenings, conferences, and produces a web-based magazine. Focusing on community, they They reach out to “…a new, young, and diverse generation…Zócalo Public Square connects people to ideas and to each other in an open, accessible, non-partisan and broad-minded spirit.”      

Continue reading →

Posted in Events | Leave a comment

The Elusive Midnight Buffet

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I grew up hearing my parents’ stories about cruises they had taken with fabulous midnight all-you-can-eat shrimp buffets. Their descriptions bordered on the Bacchanalian. As I prepared for my most recent cruise, people commented, “Lucky you! You get the midnight all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet!”

I retorted, “I don’t believe there is such a thing as a midnight all-you-can eat shrimp buffet! It’s an urban legend. I have been on TWO cruises and there was no midnight buffet in sight.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I love it when we’re cruisin’ together

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

So…by now you are probably all wondering how the food was on the ship. There was a choice between a buffet and a sit-down dinner. There was also a little burger stand out by the pool. I didn’t make it to the two restaurants where you pay to dine. The buffet was the usual thing, not always my favorite. But they did have some wonderful international food, including a spectacular Indonesian chicken curry.

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Pig Hands of Puerto Vallarta

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I had an afternoon to myself to wander the streets of Puerto Vallarta. Why would they ban corgies? Those dogs never hurt anybody, and have no political leanings of which I am aware.

I asked the taxi drivers where they go to eat and they all said they only eat at home. Finally I said I wanted to go somewhere where a grandmother was cooking and they understood. I was delivered with haste to the door of Cenaduria Dona Raquel.

Continue reading →

Posted in mexico, Puerto Vallarta | Leave a comment