A Kitchen in which to cook
Monday, October 8, 2007

Today I was on the set of one of the shows I work on, and in between takes, a writer and I sat and discussed recipes. We shared so many recipes and so many ideas for so much time that my mouth started to salivate. And I was reminded of one of the things that I love about Los Angeles. Kitchens (and a culture) conducive to cooking.

I love cooking. Love. It's therapeutic, it's artistic, it's delicious. And I didn't really do it in NYC. Every so often, one of my good friends blessed with a kitchen larger than a closet would have a few of us over and we'd make dinner and sit around and drink wine. And it was always fabulous and we always said we should do it more often and we didn't. My friend Kate had the most perfect dinner parties of all...sometimes it was a party of just the two of us...but I'll never forget that night of sea bass and cauliflower puree on the Upper West Side or the pasta with the truffle cream sauce in the West Village or the asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and excessive amounts of cheese and wine. Kate is an unbelievable cook. Especially because she's whimsical about it and she cooks without recipes and it's always, ALWAYS delicious. Uch. I miss Kate. But we still didn't cook often enough. Perhaps it was because there were so many fabulous restaurants to choose from or perhaps it was because even if the kitchen was large enough to cook in, the apartment was to small to fit a table at which to eat. And then factor in the lack of car to go to the grocery store...and dinner at one of the 7000 restaurants in the city sounded ideal.

But here, it's different. Here, I get to cook in a kitchen with counter space and a stove that's not ancient. I have a dining room table at which to serve my friends and an outdoor space to have cocktails and appetizers. I have a car to go pick up the groceries so that I can get as much as I need. I have a dishwasher to help me do my dishes.

I love planning menus - whether it's for 2 or for 20. I love entertaining and having people to our home. I love going outside for a moment and looking in - the laughter permeates the walls, the candles glow warmly through the curtains, and my friends sit inside enjoying good food, good wine, and each other. If I walked by our house on those nights, I would wish that I were inside...and I get to be.

I am often excessive. I had 2 friends over last April. We started with dates stuffed with parmesan and wrapped in prosciutto, then we had a grapefruit and avocado salad with a lemon vinaigrette. Next we had chicken stuffed with sundried tomatoes, artichokes and goat cheese and an arugula salad with shaved parmesan and balsamic vinaigrette. And we finished the night with chocolate chip cookies and vanilla icecream. All the while drinking endless amounts of wine. That sounds like enough food for 10 people - not three. But I'm Jewish. My point is, I'd never have cooked like that in New York. And it's one of the things that I truly love about LA.

Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 10:23 PM 1 comments  

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Namaste
Sunday, October 7, 2007

Another one of my absolute favorite yoga teachers in LA is Andrea Marcum. She is a yoga goddess. About a year and a half ago, Andrea opened U Studio on Wilshire. Her classes are incredible - yoga at it's most challenging in a heated room (although not the insane 120 degrees that you'll find in bikram...she's a reasonable woman even if she does kick my ass) with gargantuan windows that let the light flood in. But my favorite part of Andrea's class is what she reminds us of at the end - and it's something I've taken with me to close all of my yoga practices. At the end of class, as we sit on our mats dripping sweat and chanting our communal namaste, we bring our hands into prayer. And Andrea, in her grounded, calming voice, asks us to raise our hands in prayer - first to our foreheads, then to our lips and finally, in front of our hearts reminding us to be mindful in what we think, what we say, and what we do.

I LOVE THIS.

How genius is that statement in all of it's simplicity?

Simply be mindful in what we think, what we say, and what we do.

Let's get honest - how often are we REALLY? Sometimes. Occasionally. Here and there. Some moments more than others. I know at the end of every yoga class I remind myself, but I walk out into the world and some days I forget it the second I get in my car and start driving and some jerk cuts me off and there I am - I think "What an ass!" then I say "What and ass!" and then spend the next 10 minutes acting like a moron being angry at the ass who probably didn't mean to cut me off to begin with. And even if he did, what good is screaming at him going to do me???

So today I'm giving myself a new challenge...today I want to do it more. I want to be completely conscious of the thoughts that cloud my brain so that I can weed out the negative ones, the ones that are judgmental, the things that hold me back. Perhaps (don't fall over when I say this) I will learn to speak less and listen more. And as we all know, actions speak louder than words. So perhaps I should shut up now, and just listen to Gandhi...

What would the world be like if we all got just a little more conscious of what we think, say, and do? What if?

Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 1:13 PM 0 comments  

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Where oh where is Fall?
Friday, October 5, 2007

Apparently my desire for fall wouldn't be met right now even if I did live on the east coast. Rumor has it that as of late, temps have been in the 80's - warm enough to warrant the air conditioning that is probably helping to cause those temps being that high in October in the first place.

I don't know if it's because I'm older and it's hard to be unaware of the affects that ignorance has had on our world, or if my fairly newly found eco-friendly awareness has to do with being in a city where I'm more in touch with nature and the outdoors, but in the past couple of years, it's become way important to me to go green in as many ways as possible. I wash my stuff in cold water, we don't have air conditioning, we bought a Prius, and we changed all our lightbulbs. (I list these things solely because they are quite truthfully, the bare minimum easy things to do for a greener world, and if you haven't done them yet, then start.) We bought cloth napkins and towels for the kitchen, I buy local produce, and I stopped using chemical heavy cleansers. (And people, Target has made this soooo easy for us with Method and Seventh Generation. And before you try to tell me that it's more expensive to live this way or that it doesn't get your house as clean, think about how nice it will be to have all that money in a clean house on an earth that's got more disease, more hurricanes, and fewer plants. And that's IF you're lucky enough to live in a place that doesn't erode away or fall into the ocean.)

On that note, I've found the perfect thing to help me continue to better myself and my lifestyle on a daily basis. Ideal Bite is like Daily Candy for the conscious consumer. It's got tips on everything from the most environmentally friendly way to wrap leftovers to better ways to take care of your body to inexpensive (and even free) ways to live a more eco-conscious life. There are daily "everywhere" tips as well as tips for NYC and San Francisco (don't worry LA, you and Chicago will start getting yours in Spring 2008.) Now you have all the info you need to start living a greener life delivered directly to your in box on a daily basis. I'm smitten.

And while I'm mildly embarrassed to admit that it's taken me this long to take care of this, I'm now off to make sure that we get rid of the Styrofoam cups in our kitchen at the office.

Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 3:17 PM 1 comments  

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Tinto
Thursday, October 4, 2007

The other night, I met my friend Bevin for dinner. Bevin and I traded places a few years ago - I moved to LA about 7 months after she arrived in the Big Apple. Now, Bevin has returned home and to mark the occassion, she told me to pick a new restaurant so she could get back into her usual well-informed ways.

I chose Tinto, a new tapas bar on Santa Monica in Hollywood. When I arrived, Bevin was already nestled in at the coziest and most lush looking bar stool I have ever seen in my life, so we opted to cancel our reservation and eat barside instead (which, notably, always reminds me of New York). I looked around and could imagine myself grabbing a journal and coming to Tinto for a glass of wine at the bar and some great conversation with the engaging and knowledgeable bartender.

The small restaurant is warm, sexy, and cozy all at the same time. For those of you who frequent N (pronounced en-ye) in Soho, Tinto will make you feel right at home. I felt like I had escaped to another country when I stepped in the doors - with the wine rack lined walls and the lush, leather bar stools, the deep red curtains and the small wooden tables. I hopped onto my bar stool and settled in for a few hours of my favorite things - great wine, great food, and great conversation with a great friend.

The bartender made terrific wine suggestions from their list of exclusively Spanish wines - a favorite of mine. And I really appreciated the willingness to let me try before pouring me a glass. It's the little things...

Bevin and I weren't starving so we tried the cheese plate, gambas al ajillo, and the mushrooms in white wine and garlic. I wish that I'd been hungry enough to taste more. The cheese plate was not at all wimpy although I would have loved to know what the cheeses were that I was tasting. In addition, there wasn't a ton of variety in the flavors of the cheeses and personally, I prefer to taste things that vary a bit more. But the accompaniments were delicious - from nuts to jams to dried fruits - as well as plentiful. The gambas all ajillo (shrimp in garlic) were some of the best I've ever had. They were cooked to perfection and I sopped every last bit of the sauce up with the crusty bread. The mushrooms were tasty as well, although there was a flavor (perhaps sherry?) that I wasn't crazy about. I'm looking forward to a return visit for sangria, paella, patatas and the albondigas that many have raved about.

Monday night was calm and anything but a scene, although I've been told the weekends are packed and reservations are a must. I was thrilled to find this new little haunt - I'll definitely return. Now Bevin is one restaurant closer to being back in the know about her hometown and I've found another restaurant to frequent.

Tinto, 7511 Santa Monica Blvd. at Gardner, 323-512-3095

Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 3:38 PM 0 comments  

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Different perspectives
Wednesday, October 3, 2007

One of my readers wrote a fabulous response to my post about Bordello Bar and Downtown LA.
She (I'm assuming it's a she because of her info on a place to go salsa dancing with girlfriends) loves Downtown and has a slew of places that she seems to frequent.

It's interesting to get the perspective of others. This reader doesn't seem to be turned off by the drive (although she lives closer than I do) and says that the abandoned streets are only that way because all of the people are inside the bars partying. She is certain that in a few years, it will be hard to find parking to get to these places.

I am hoping that my reader won't mind if I post her suggestions as she seems extremely knowledgeable about an area that admittedly, I know little about. And for those of you that don't mind the drive, then you will surely benefit from my reader's thoughts.

But I guess my whole thing IS the drive. I don't want to drive twenty minutes for a night out. I know, I know. This is par for the course all over the country...and maybe I'm just really, really lazy, but I want my evenings out to be simple. And in New York, it always was. A hop on the subway or into a cab --and I was anywhere in 10 minutes. I didn't have to worry about parking and I didn't have to deal with traffic or drunk drivers or $8 valet. Some may say it makes me lazy...but I say, it makes me a New Yorker.

On that note, for those of you who don't mind a little drive for an evening out, here are my suggestions from "J" - a different and refreshing perspective:

I like your blog (I am bi-costal from the west village) but do have to say that you were likely in the wrong part of downtown. As a former west sider who now lives in the east hills (Silverlake, Los Feliz) I have to say that downtown is my favorite part of LA. It sometimes feels like a secret club that anybody east of La Cienega does not know about.

Recently, however, more and more people are showing up and I suspect that in a few years time, it will be hard to find parking.

It is amazing how NYC it can feel when you go into a seemingly "deserted area" and walk into the bar to find it absolutely filled with people. I am almost sad that downtown is getting so popular as it is no longer the cool kids playground.

If you ever feel the urge to brave it again, I suggest these fun places:

1. Redwood Bar and Grille (pirate themed hipster bar)- Just threw my bf's birthday party there- got to love the "plank shots"

2. Golden Gopher- The first bar I ever went to downtown which caused me to fall in love with the idea. You will feel like you are in a classy NY bar here.

3. The Library Bar

4. Broadway Bar- very cool place

5. Rooftop Bar at The Standard (obvious)

6. Ciudad- Great mojitos and live jazz

7. The Mayan- Great place to go with your girlfriends Salsa dancing. They have a live Salsa band every Saturday. They also have an upper level that is club, hip hop.

8. The Edison- Looks cool but every time I go there is a line wrapped around the corner. "Hollywooders" fill this place.


In other words, there are a lot of bars downtown, but like NYC, you have to be in-the-know to find several of them. This of course makes them all the better.

-J

Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 2:53 PM 0 comments  

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Fall
Tuesday, October 2, 2007

It's hard to believe it's October. I feel like it was just mid-July and now we're full speed ahead into fall. Except it's hard to feel fall without the leaves changing color. I grew up in Massachusetts where people actually take trips just to see the leaves in the fall. Bright, fiery orange and deep, candy apple red. The perfect mix of yellow-ish green and, as they start to fall to the ground, crackly brown. For me, those are the colors that signify fall. And they're nowhere to be found out here in LA.

There are lots of colors - beautiful fuschia bougainvillea, bright green leafy trees, red pomegranates. I haven't been in LA long enough to know whether these colors come at certain times of year. I don't know if it's because I've been completely unobservant or if it's because they are there for most of the year...But it's not that Los Angeles isn't colorful. It's just not fall colorful.

No leaves changing, no apple picking, no hot apple cider. I've started wearing sweaters but it's just because I'm stubborn. The seasons allow me to rediscover and appreciate my wardrobe and I refuse to give up fall. There's nothing I love more than taking out my boots, my turtleneck sweaters, my lightweight jackets. I miss the first fire in the fireplace (and no, I didn't get that in NYC either...that's from my Massachusetts days). I miss the crisp fall air. And even though I'm no longer going "back to school", fall still signifies new beginnings of a sort.

But it just doesn't feel like fall. I miss the leaves.

Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 9:14 PM 4 comments  

Bordello Bar and Quincy
Monday, October 1, 2007

We ventured downtown on Saturday night to the empty streets of Los Angeles' downtown neighborhood. Downtown LA always baffles me. It's the only part of Los Angeles that truly looks like a city with highrises and skyscrapers and city streets that go one way, so it should feel like home. But it's far from that. I'm sure during the business work week, there is plenty of activity in Downtown LA with the few individuals smart enough to work outside of the entertainment industry. But on a weekend night, Downtown Los Angeles is dead. It's eerie and creepy and people-less. It looks like an absolute ghost town.

Regardless, our good friend and musician goddess extraordinaire, Quincy Coleman, was playing a show at the fairly new Bordello Bar downtown. So we decided to check it out.

Now, first and foremost, any trip is worth making to hear and see the likes of Quincy. Not only is she a stellar musician with a sexy, brooding voice of gold, she's an absolutely amazing performer. I've seen her show no fewer than 30 times in the past three years and I'm always in awe of her ability to make her shows fresh and fun, feisty and warm. Her songs get under your skin and you'll find yourself singing them two days later and longing to get your next fix. If you haven't see Quincy, you're missing out. And chances are good that she'll be in your town soon.

Looking at their future schedule, Bordello Bar has some great up and comers playing and some terrific vaudeville acts as well. So if you're heading down to Bordello Bar for a show, it's worth the trip.

Maybe it's the New Yorker in me, but there's no chance in hell that I'm showing up at Bordello Bar for some random evening of debauchery. How debaucherous can you get when you have to get in your car and drive 25 minutes to get home? We got there early to eat a little something. I hadn't heard anything about the food - just that they had it. And there's a reason for that. Their limited menu is made up of mediocre stand-bys. Kudos, however, for offering mini-veggie burgers in addition to the regular mini angus burgers. But I'm constantly confused by a bar's decision to serve food if it's going to be less than average. While the food sucked, the cocktails are what they're known for. Meredith tried the screaming orgasm and was delighted by it's effects. Just kidding. But she liked it. I opted for a glass of wine which was a foolish move in a place that has 4 wines to offer and is out of the one that you want. The girls were dressed "bordello-esque" - vampy and racy. And the atmosphere is fun and sexy. The stage was cool with a red velvet curtain that rose to reveal the aforementioned fabulous band. The sound could have used a little help and I'm used to seeing Quincy play in a place where people are there solely for the music. It annoyed me to hear the din of the other partyers in the background, but there are definitively rooms at Bordello Bar that are totally separate and not conducive to seeing the shows at the venue.

Bottom line, I'd come here for a fabulous show anytime. But for a drink on any random night? If it were down the street or a five minute drive, perhaps (although I didn't find it sooooo fabulous that I'd be a frequenter even if it were in my neighborhood). But in the ghost town of Downtown? Nope. If I'm going to get in the car and drive somewhere, I'd rather head to Venice....

Posted byMeesh-elle my Belle at 11:30 AM 1 comments  

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