Santa, you still listening?

Um, Santa?

You know that totally awesome stove & oven combo I sent you a couple of days ago?

Well, I'd like to retract that request.

No, no... wait. I have a replacement in mind.

Can I have this one instead?


It would be so nice to have this sexy black stove to contrast against my white chef's jacket.

Last thing I ate or drank: cri-cri peanuts and a ginger ale

Technorati Tags: Food and Drink in Los Angeles

To foie or not to foie?

I have never liked foie gras... that is, until I had it at TRU, Rick Tramanto's Chicago restaurant. In fact, I didn't even like it the night before, at Alinea, when it was served there. I could certainly live without it, but the people who are militantly against it have come up with some kinky duck posters.

 
click to enlarge

In Belgium, an outdoor campaign is hoping to educate people about Foie Gras, that fancy sounding fatty liver dish. Apparently Foie Gras is made from the enlarged livers of geese and/or ducks who are force fed in captivity so that their livers dramatically expand. The campaign was supposed to run in 40 major Belgian railway stations but the railway company refused the posters because they are "too shocking" according to one news report.

(Via AdRants)

To be accurate, foie gras from fattened liver CAN be a natural thing: fowl preparing for migrations gorge themselves to get fat for the flight. It's one of those things that producers now exploit out of season, to the (alleged) detriment of the individual animal. For those who protest the practice as cruel, let's talk about your thanksgiving turkey, your christmas goose, the eggs you had for breakfast, or whatever animal you consumed for last night's dinner.

Last thing I ate or drank: coffee made in a French press. Just for the change of pace.

Technorati Tags: Food and Drink in Los Angeles

Whoring for votes.

I was just checking my referrer stats (one of my favorite ways to find new blogs to read). Lo and behold, three people have nominated me for Accidental Hedonist's Best Food Blog in the "Chef" category.

Wow! With all the blogs out there, someone likes me? How cool!

It would be nice to win, (some of those prizes are really cool!) so I supposed that I'll keep you posted if I get contacted and I'm an actual contestant. I turn 35 in January, so it would be a nice feather in my cap to have something fun like this happen. It would be special to be recognized for entertaining people with the exploits of doing what I love.

So, here's my plug. I went through my stats to see which entries get lots of referrer hits (below). If you liked these, and you wanted to add a nomination for me in any (one or more) of the categories, it would be cool! Here are the categories that apply:

• Best Food Blog - Chef


• Best Food Blog - Theme


• Best Food Blog - Food Industry


• Best Food Blog - Humor


• Best Food Blog - Writing


• Best Post - People's Choice


• Best Overall Food Blog - People's Choice

Hurry, nominations close on December 16th!

A few "blast from the past" entries on the ChefBlog:

ChefBlog: Things you do for friends

ChefBlog: How to be a good client.

ChefBlog: The Life of a Chef to the Stars.

ChefBlog: Recidivist Clients?

ChefBlog: Chef JoAnna's PSA on wedding budgets

ChefBlog: lots to tell, too much to do

Last thing I ate or drank: It's gatorate for breakfast day today! I'm so beaten from last night!

Technorati Tags: Food and Drink in Los Angeles

Exaggerated Reality... but not by much!

*RING* Hi, yes, I know it's December 10th, but can you please cater my cocktail party for 175 people on December 17th?

There will be 24 vegetarians, 18 vegans, 14 people who are still on atkins, 10 people who only eat raw food, 8 who are averse to things grown in dirt, 4 who refuse to eat anything made by anyone who was not born on US soil, and one, the guest of honor, who will only eat fertilized sea bream eggs poached in imported spring water on organic wheat-free toast spread with butter made from the milk of a cougar and seasoned with Himalayan pink salt mined by a one-armed blue-eyed virgin sherpa.

By the way, I'm on a pretty tight budget. What's that going to cost, per person?

A little humor to relieve the holiday stress:

*RING* Hi, can you cater a party for tomorrow night? I want to throw a sushi party for 50 of my closest friends.

There might be one teensy little tiny little accomodation I'll have to ask you to make: my dad, who is rather elderly, is deathly allergic to fish, rice and seaweed. Can you still make sushi for him so that he won't feel left out?

Sorry, that was a silly question, it says right here on your website that you will "happily accomodate dietary restrictions", so it was foolish of me to ask you, I'm sure you have several alternative ways to make sushi that won't kill my already frail father.

After all, it would be a tragedy if he didn't live long enough to see his very first grandson. I'm pregnant, did I mention? Just 3 months along, but thank heavens, 4 years of fertility treatments finally took hold, and I want to celebrate with an intimate little sushi party...for 50 of my closest friends...Oh, and their spouses.

I'll also need you to provide an assortment sake, to go along with the sushi. Maybe you can make several courses and pair a sake to each course? Oh, and of course there has to be non-alcoholic sake available for all my friends who are in AA. Ha ha, just another little accomodation.

Oh, and I'm kind of on a budget, you know, with the baby coming along and all, we've really got to pinch our pennies. Do you think you can keep it under $400?

Technorati Tags: Food and Drink in Los Angeles