Updates! I'm looking for a new apartment in an exciting neighborhood. Rededicating myself to Squid Ink and taking on new responsibilities at the Academy. Is it too early to say the bounce is back?
Food Party Hostess Thu Tran at Everything Is Festival Tomorrow
Wild Goodness Food X Film Series: Chicken Screen Tests + Scorsese Meatballs
And this one. To which I contributed a sweet little nugget of my origins story:
Squid Ink Food Writers' Most Reviled Childhood Dinners
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
9.07.2010
F You Fest
Last Saturday, we all schlepped downtown to L.A. State Historic Park for the 7th annual F Yeah Fest. Despite the negative food situation I wrote about in F Yeah Fest: An Effing Food Nightmare, the day was actually very positive. Blue sky, lots of dancing, and, if you were willing to wait for them, super delicious french fries. Just a lot of love about.
5.11.2010
Aaron's Sake Fest Photos
Remember when we went to that somewhat comical Speakeasy party where that drunk girl got on stage and showed her butt and Aaron took pictures?? Well, the organizer hired Aaron to photograph another of his events: the 2010 Sake Fest.
The complete album's on their facebook page, but you have to be friends with them to view. Hopefully this will convince Aaron to put them on his Flickr page.
The complete album's on their facebook page, but you have to be friends with them to view. Hopefully this will convince Aaron to put them on his Flickr page.
11.09.2009
9.21.2009
Pinot Bistro's Emmy Menu, and the good life
Aaron and I had a fairly amazing time researching our new post, "No Need for Harry Winstons, Pinot Bistro Offers Emmy Menu to the Public". The restaurant's lovely PR people invited us to sample the menu last week and, after about two sips of the most delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, promptly became intoxicated. Consequently, we also became BFFs with everyone at the table and earned an invitation to a Christmas tamalada at the home of LAist food blogger Elise Thompson. When it was over and we'd sobered (enough), we ran giddily to the car and wondered aloud (loudly) at how we got to be so lucky. Quite the night.
8.18.2009
Inky leftovers, some fresher than others...
Last week's doggy bag includes a few vegan stereotypes "Hot Knives Host Vegan BBQ Sunday at Verdugo Bar," and "Rush Street Celebrates Christmas in August with Traditional Dinner + Naughty Elves and Deer Pong"is a giant "snow" cone of sarcasm for what are basically frat parties for adults.
And today's lunch was "Tickets On Sale for the Modesto Reel Food Film Festival."
Sorry if any of these posts stink, they're not exactly fresh.
And today's lunch was "Tickets On Sale for the Modesto Reel Food Film Festival."
Sorry if any of these posts stink, they're not exactly fresh.
7.24.2009
Redefining "Inker": My post on Comic Con
"Comic Con Trades Tights For Toques, Keeps Utility Belts," is my favorite headline.
Although I've yet to develop a taste for Manga -- perhaps something to do with the art and its tendency to under-develop emotional exposition (a grossly sweeping generalization, I know) -- I think I'll pick up some Garume when I'm there on Sunday. Whatever it is I feel is missing from Manga, I hope to find it in Garume.
Also, when I was searching around for my SI post material, I found Mostly About Food, an online collection of one guy's food-focused comics. It includes illustrated restaurant reviews, recipes, food odes, etc., with occasionally wax-on/wax-off-ish samurai themes. I don't really like the art (it's very 80's and I have issues with color), but I appreciate what he's trying to do.
And today, LA Weekly ran a Comic Con slide show titled "Comic Con: 'THE EMPIRE MUGGS BACK' STAR WARS DISPLAY." The collection of Star Wars inspired toys like the Admiral Ackbar Cereal bowl will be auctioned off to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It's all very silly. All very, I can't believe people are actually going to buy this stuff. But the consumer aspect of fandom has always eluded me and, of course, it's for charity.
Although I've yet to develop a taste for Manga -- perhaps something to do with the art and its tendency to under-develop emotional exposition (a grossly sweeping generalization, I know) -- I think I'll pick up some Garume when I'm there on Sunday. Whatever it is I feel is missing from Manga, I hope to find it in Garume.
Also, when I was searching around for my SI post material, I found Mostly About Food, an online collection of one guy's food-focused comics. It includes illustrated restaurant reviews, recipes, food odes, etc., with occasionally wax-on/wax-off-ish samurai themes. I don't really like the art (it's very 80's and I have issues with color), but I appreciate what he's trying to do. And today, LA Weekly ran a Comic Con slide show titled "Comic Con: 'THE EMPIRE MUGGS BACK' STAR WARS DISPLAY." The collection of Star Wars inspired toys like the Admiral Ackbar Cereal bowl will be auctioned off to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It's all very silly. All very, I can't believe people are actually going to buy this stuff. But the consumer aspect of fandom has always eluded me and, of course, it's for charity.
6.12.2009
Top Chef, in Ink
You have to admit, "TOP CHEF SEASON 5 PENULTIMATE BUS TOUR STOP: STEFAN AND FANS TALK HEAVY CREAM AND SEXY SHIT" is the best title ever to appear on Squid Ink.
The event itself was surprisingly funny. Stefan was particularly riotous. He stole my heart.
Read my Top Chef "sexy shit" here.
The event itself was surprisingly funny. Stefan was particularly riotous. He stole my heart.
Read my Top Chef "sexy shit" here.
6.08.2009
Food on Film
Daily Dish ran this breakdown of upcoming food films. The list is only slightly underwhelming. I've actually seen "Pressure Cooker" already and it totally choked me up so I'm optimistic for the rest. Still, a good food-centric narrative doesn't seem like too much to ask for.
'Food, Inc.'
Director Robert Kenner has teamed up with famed authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser to make an expose that he says “started out as a story of how our food gets to our dinner table, and turned into a horror film.”
Kenner, who won an Emmy for “The American Experience,” interviewed several commercial farmers for the documentary, which provides a critical look at our nation’s failing industrial food system and how we got into this mess in the first place.
Opens Friday at the Nuart Theater.
'Pressure Cooker'
"Pressure Cooker" is the culinary equivalent of "Dangerous Minds," showing that a little tough love can go a long way for a few Frankford High School students in Philadelphia. This documentary follows a class as it participates in a culinary training program run by Wilma Stephenson. Stephenson is one tough cookie, but she’s just the type these at-risk youth need to serve up success. The students are prepping for a competition held by C-CAP, where they compete for scholarships to some of the country’s top culinary schools (Iron Chef Morimoto makes a guest appearance as one of the judges). Though it lacks thrills and serious drama, this film serves as testament to the power of food.
Now playing at the Laemmle Sunset 5 and the Laemmle Pasadena Playhouse 7.
'Corked!'
This wine country mockumentary is a spoof on the romanticized ideas of winemakers and producers that "Sideways" and "Bottle Shock" have portrayed on the big screen. The film was co-written and directed by Paul Hawley of Sonoma’s Hawley Winery (who makes a fabulous Viognier) and Ross Clendenen. It packs a few laughs and some stunning vineyard footage, courtesy of the access the boys had from Paul’s papa being in the biz.
Showing through Thursday at the Downtown Independent Theater
'Bananas'
Filmmaker Fredrik Gertten sheds light on the global politics of food and the effects of free trade in his film, which documents the plight of 12 Nicaraguan banana plantation workers fighting a legal battle against Dole Foods over use of a dibromochloropropane-based pesticide called Nemagon (the chemical has been banned in the U.S. because it causes sterility in men and has also been linked to certain cancers). Spearheading the legal battle is a local celebrity, Juan Jose Dominguez, whose ads are on the back of L.A. Metro buses.
Screening at the L.A. Film Festival on June 20 at 7 p.m. at the Regent Theater and June 23 at 9 p.m. at the Landmark Theater 8.
'Know Your Mushrooms'
Fungi gurus Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans star in a documentary about the strange and mysterious world of mushrooms. Foragers and 'shroom enthusiasts will likely get a kick out of this film, which features two of the most highly regarded mycologists in the field.
Opens Friday at the Downtown Independent.
6.07.2009
Armenian Food Fair, a "Holy Fucking Shit" Flavor Fest
The website for the Armeanian food festival claims that "[n]o restaurant can begin to compete with the lavish attention and extraordinary dishes Armenians create in their kitchens." From noon till 10 p.m. on Saturday, they proved it.
We entered the parking lot of Montebello's Holy Cross Cathedral to pony rides and monster trucks. Opposite the plastic chairs and tables where families devoured pounds of pilaf and kebab, children from the local dance studio performed a tango on a wooden stage decorated with white banners that boasted the names of festival sponsors. The music blared, almost drowning out the Middle Eastern men and women whose voices have only one volume: loud. In the parking lot that, for the day, transcended parking lots, things were bigger and more colorful, and flavor was chief among these.
It seemed odd that there was only one stand for savory foods and one for sweets. Festival coordinator Anita Altounian explained that the proceeds from the food went entirely to the cathedral and hall renovation project so the meat was prepared by a local restaurant and the pastry were prepared the night before by a group of ladies in one of their homes. We ordered the beef kebab and a few savory pastries we had never heard of. I've never had bad Kebab, but the restaurant-prepared dish was unremarkable. The pastry, on the other hand, was lovely. Particularly the Piroshki, a ball of deep fried dough reminiscent of that used in traditional Sufganiyot filled with sweet buttery mashed potato, the pastry were all slightly similar to dishes traditionally associated with other Middle Eastern countries.
The same was true of the sweet pastry. After making my way through bites of two of the six homemade pastry - the Perog, a jam-filled cake, the Shakar Lokoom, a buttery sugar cookie - the Bourma stopped me. It's essentially a tubular Baklava with a "holy fuckin shit what is that flavor"-flavor. I've had Armenian food and Armenian pastry, and I've had Baklava, but never like this.
Denise Hagopian, who headed the cooking demonstrations, explained that although the ladies all grew up watching their mothers and grandmothers making the same traditional foods, there are no definitive recipes. "The country is so hilly, so geographically varied, that the spices available on my side of the hill might be totally different from the spices on your side. You always use the best of what's available and that varies from region to region -- so some ladies make their baklava with pistachios and some ladies use cashews." They can end up tasting totally different, but they are both very much Armenian.
Procedurally, though, recipes are more or less standard. So Hagopian gave us a private tutorial on rolling Sarma, Armeanian Dolmas. Though "you should use fresh leaves when they're available," Hagopian said, she used Orlando brand jarred grape leaves for her demonstration.
HOW TO ROLL GRAPE LEAVES FOR SARMA:
-When pulling the leaves from the jar, be careful not to tare them.
-In a bowl of water, wash the leaves thoroughly to get rid of the brine. This will probably require refreshing the water a few times.
-With the veiny side up, cut out the hard stem.
-Marry the two edges.
-Add your rice horizontally (perpendicular to where the stem had been).
-The leaf naturally folds with the veins in, fold it like a burrito: rolling the bottom up around the filling once before folding in the sides and then continuing to fold up.
-When you're finished folding, keep the tail end down.
Like all of the homemade dishes at the Armenian Food Festival, the Sarma samples were delicious and all the recipes are available in the Holy Cross Cathedrial Ladies' Aid Cookbook.
We entered the parking lot of Montebello's Holy Cross Cathedral to pony rides and monster trucks. Opposite the plastic chairs and tables where families devoured pounds of pilaf and kebab, children from the local dance studio performed a tango on a wooden stage decorated with white banners that boasted the names of festival sponsors. The music blared, almost drowning out the Middle Eastern men and women whose voices have only one volume: loud. In the parking lot that, for the day, transcended parking lots, things were bigger and more colorful, and flavor was chief among these.
It seemed odd that there was only one stand for savory foods and one for sweets. Festival coordinator Anita Altounian explained that the proceeds from the food went entirely to the cathedral and hall renovation project so the meat was prepared by a local restaurant and the pastry were prepared the night before by a group of ladies in one of their homes. We ordered the beef kebab and a few savory pastries we had never heard of. I've never had bad Kebab, but the restaurant-prepared dish was unremarkable. The pastry, on the other hand, was lovely. Particularly the Piroshki, a ball of deep fried dough reminiscent of that used in traditional Sufganiyot filled with sweet buttery mashed potato, the pastry were all slightly similar to dishes traditionally associated with other Middle Eastern countries.
The same was true of the sweet pastry. After making my way through bites of two of the six homemade pastry - the Perog, a jam-filled cake, the Shakar Lokoom, a buttery sugar cookie - the Bourma stopped me. It's essentially a tubular Baklava with a "holy fuckin shit what is that flavor"-flavor. I've had Armenian food and Armenian pastry, and I've had Baklava, but never like this. Denise Hagopian, who headed the cooking demonstrations, explained that although the ladies all grew up watching their mothers and grandmothers making the same traditional foods, there are no definitive recipes. "The country is so hilly, so geographically varied, that the spices available on my side of the hill might be totally different from the spices on your side. You always use the best of what's available and that varies from region to region -- so some ladies make their baklava with pistachios and some ladies use cashews." They can end up tasting totally different, but they are both very much Armenian.
Procedurally, though, recipes are more or less standard. So Hagopian gave us a private tutorial on rolling Sarma, Armeanian Dolmas. Though "you should use fresh leaves when they're available," Hagopian said, she used Orlando brand jarred grape leaves for her demonstration.
HOW TO ROLL GRAPE LEAVES FOR SARMA:
-When pulling the leaves from the jar, be careful not to tare them.
-In a bowl of water, wash the leaves thoroughly to get rid of the brine. This will probably require refreshing the water a few times.
-With the veiny side up, cut out the hard stem.
-Marry the two edges.
-Add your rice horizontally (perpendicular to where the stem had been).
-The leaf naturally folds with the veins in, fold it like a burrito: rolling the bottom up around the filling once before folding in the sides and then continuing to fold up.
-When you're finished folding, keep the tail end down.
Like all of the homemade dishes at the Armenian Food Festival, the Sarma samples were delicious and all the recipes are available in the Holy Cross Cathedrial Ladies' Aid Cookbook.
6.06.2009
Doughnut Day Follow-up
Thinking that the actual event coverage might make a nice follow-up to the first Doughnut Day piece, Aaron and I went to Randy's Doughnuts eager for the fete's promised highlights: lassies in vintage uniforms, red kettles, a marching band (maybe), and a jumbo check. But when we arrived at around 9:30, nobody was there.
I asked the lady at the window, "Wasn't there supposed to be some kind of celebration here...? With Salvation Army ladies in vintage uniforms?"
"Yes," she said. "They were here earlier. But they left because of the rain."
There had been rain at 7 a.m., when the event was supposed to start, but it had cleared completely by 8 a.m., and by 9:30 the sky was beautifully blue. They had called off festivities for the day celebrating the Salvation Army's interminable altruism during 34 days of rain in WWI France because of a Los Angeles drizzle? We left chuckling over the irony.
Blue skies and empty lines at Randy's Doughnuts.
I asked the lady at the window, "Wasn't there supposed to be some kind of celebration here...? With Salvation Army ladies in vintage uniforms?"
"Yes," she said. "They were here earlier. But they left because of the rain."
There had been rain at 7 a.m., when the event was supposed to start, but it had cleared completely by 8 a.m., and by 9:30 the sky was beautifully blue. They had called off festivities for the day celebrating the Salvation Army's interminable altruism during 34 days of rain in WWI France because of a Los Angeles drizzle? We left chuckling over the irony.
Blue skies and empty lines at Randy's Doughnuts.
6.05.2009
Doughnut Day, A History
I wrote a short chronicle of the Salvation Army/doughnut relationship, with a few National Doughnut Day celebration suggestions. Read it here.
Aaron and I are off to Randy's for exclusive Live and Active Cultures coverage of the festivities.
Aaron and I are off to Randy's for exclusive Live and Active Cultures coverage of the festivities.
4.29.2009
31 Cent Scoop Night
From 5 to 10 PM tonight, Baskin Robins is reducing the cost of a small scoop of ice cream to 31 cents. The proceeds go to the National Volunteer Fire Council and the National Junior Firefighter Program, so everybody wins.
Details here.
Details here.
4.19.2009
To Cheese or Meat?
This Saturday April 25th at noon, LA food lovers will be in one of two places:
The 1st 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational
at the LA State Historic Park
1245 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
According to the event site, there will be cheese-themed poetry, comedy and music as well as exhibition cheese grilling. But the real selling point is the more 300 competitors vying for the title of Grilled Cheese Campion. Yum. Town.
Last week, Founder/Organizer Tim Walker talked to my brilliant cousin Margy Rochlin about tips for attendees and general event details. They're all here on Squid Ink.
Competition from 1 PM - 6 PM.
$5 Admission fee.
OR!
LA WEEKLY's LA Weekend
Meat Lovers' Panel
Moderated by Jonathan Gold
with Mark Peel (Campanile) and Octavio Becerra (Palate Food + Wine)
The LA Weekend is actually a two-day event celebrating the Weekly's 30 years of publishing. It starts on Friday with some art, some music, some Wil Wheaton, and ends Saturday with the meat panel and a screening of "The Heart is a Drum Machine," among other things.
The two-day pass to the Weekend was going to cost $30, but Nike bought out the event and now it's free and open to the public.
Where will I be?
It just so happens that the only Festival of Books panel I got tickets for/wanted to see starts at 12:30, about the same time as the other two events, so my decision was made for me. From 12:30-2ish, I'll be book festing, then over to Grilled Cheese Invitational for sammich sampling till 5.
The 1st 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational at the LA State Historic Park
1245 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
According to the event site, there will be cheese-themed poetry, comedy and music as well as exhibition cheese grilling. But the real selling point is the more 300 competitors vying for the title of Grilled Cheese Campion. Yum. Town.
Last week, Founder/Organizer Tim Walker talked to my brilliant cousin Margy Rochlin about tips for attendees and general event details. They're all here on Squid Ink.
Competition from 1 PM - 6 PM.
$5 Admission fee.
OR!
LA WEEKLY's LA WeekendMeat Lovers' Panel
Moderated by Jonathan Gold
with Mark Peel (Campanile) and Octavio Becerra (Palate Food + Wine)
The LA Weekend is actually a two-day event celebrating the Weekly's 30 years of publishing. It starts on Friday with some art, some music, some Wil Wheaton, and ends Saturday with the meat panel and a screening of "The Heart is a Drum Machine," among other things.
The two-day pass to the Weekend was going to cost $30, but Nike bought out the event and now it's free and open to the public.
Where will I be?
It just so happens that the only Festival of Books panel I got tickets for/wanted to see starts at 12:30, about the same time as the other two events, so my decision was made for me. From 12:30-2ish, I'll be book festing, then over to Grilled Cheese Invitational for sammich sampling till 5.
4.02.2009
There will be curry ice cream
at the L.A. Curry Festival
Sunday, April 5, 2008, 10 AM - 7 PM
Thai Town
Hollywood Blvd. (from Western Ave. to Vermont Ave.)
Los Angeles, Ca 90027
And it's free.
Sunday, April 5, 2008, 10 AM - 7 PM
Thai Town
Hollywood Blvd. (from Western Ave. to Vermont Ave.)
Los Angeles, Ca 90027
And it's free.
3.08.2009
The Gold Standard
LA Weekly's Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic, Jonathan Gold hand selected 30 restaurants to participate in the paper's first annual food and wine event, the Gold Standard. Here's the list of restaurants:
Alcazar
Angeli
Animal
Anisette
Babita Mexicusine
Beacon
Chili My Soul
Ciudad Border Grill
Clementine
Drago
Hungry Cat
Jltlada
KyoChon
La Casita Mexicana
La Mill
Loteria Grill
Lou
Meals by Genet
Mr. Baguette
Natrallart
Osteria Mozza & Pizzeria Mozza
Palate Food and Wine
Providence
Renu Nakorn
Sona
Tiara Cafe
Upstairs 2
Urth Caffe
Wurstkuche
I will be in attendance, working the ol' Mozza booth. I imagine the event will be something like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but I could be wrong.
I'm so excited I feel vomity.
2.23.2009
EVENTS!
Upcoming food events:
February 24: National Pancake Day
It's a real thing and it's TOMORROW! According to the IHOP website, "Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter, and dairy products...hence the name Pancake Tuesday". So from 7-10 a.m. IHOP will be serving free short-stacks to celebrate.
March 29: Drink: Eat: Play Los Angeles' Cupcake Challenge
Southern California's top bakeries serve mini-sized samples of their cupcakes for you to taste and judge who deserves the title of Best Cupcake LA. Competitors include a few of my favorites: Vanilla Bakeshop, SusieCakes, and Buttercake Bakery, plus many many others. Sadly, it's the same day as my race, but I hope at least one of my buddies will go (so I can get a contact yumtown). More info at their website.
April 4th and 5th: Los Angeles Beer Festival
Unlimited four-ounce international and domestic beers, tribute bands and beer-friendly food vendors. Fun, if you're into that kind of thing.
April 5: Spring Tamalada
Master purveyors lead a day of making, cooking, and eating tamales at Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe. The cost is steep, but on the up side, it provides more of an incentive to get a job. Info about this and other groovy Slow Food events can be found on their website.
2.03.2009
MUSHROOM FAIR
This Sunday, the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden will host the 25th Mycological Society Wild Mushroom Fair from 10am-4pm. The actual mushroom "hunting" is going to be on Saturday. But Sunday's events include mushroom cooking and mushroom cultivation demonstrations.
Admission to the Arboretum is $7 for adults, $5 for students with ID. Parking is free.
LA Wild Mushroom Fair
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia
Admission to the Arboretum is $7 for adults, $5 for students with ID. Parking is free.
LA Wild Mushroom Fair
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia
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