Raquel

OK. Here's a scoop. Someone I know is a make-up artist for the show, and she said that they are heading off to Hawaii in November for filming. They'll be based at the Hilton Waikoloa.

I agree. A couple layers seem to be missing. I am slightly disappointed not to see the corn husk go down in the oil w/ all the rest. Ah well... "Chronic(wha?)cles" of Narnia was pretty funny too. Samberg and Parnell are a great team.

I haven't been on this thread for a while and saw so many delectable treats while perusing the last few pages. gfron1 - beautiful chambord genois & candied kumquat cremoix CanadianBakin' - wonderful, colorful crooked cake Ling - unbelievable sweets in Seattle Klary - very pretty & delicate apple tart I really had a craving for cupcakes today, so I headed out to Sprinkles to get a dozen. They were really low on stock and there was a long line... but @ least I got to stand behind Jake Gyllenhaal ("I wish I could quit you") while I waited! The only flavors left were the basic Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, & Lemon Coconut. But boy were they ever good...

"How to refresh 5 hours old sour taste coffee" - Did anyone see this video? What is the white, granular substance used to take away the sour... Is it salt?

Alchemist, say "Hello" to Dufresne & Red for me...

Those are some of the most satisfying little crackers around ! I love them with the Stilton w/ ginger and mango............. ← Those SAVORY THINS are awesome. I usually serve them with a hunk of goat cheese and hot pepper jelly or Thai sweet chili sauce poured over the top.

I always thought the ice was there to reduce splashing.

Has anyone seen this before? FRENCH FRY ENCRUSTED CORN DOGS

Thanks for the tip, Ling! I'll have to check out Bon Appetit. I haven't seen this month's yet... I would say that the only thing in common this place has to Magnolia is that they picked up on the big cupcake trend. I've had the Magnolia cupcakes and (to me) they are different - drier, looser cake texture and a more gritty frosting that hardens on the outside as it dries. Sprinkles cupcakes are moister - both cake and frosting. And the flavor combinations are more involved, using top-notch ingredients. They do things like Chai Latte or Ginger Lemon. I tend to like the more simple flavors. My favorites were the Plain Vanilla and Orange flavors. The next time I'm out there I'll have to pick up a bigger box! But at $3.25 a pop, it can get pretty pricey.

Sure thing. The place is called SPRINKLES and they specialize in only cupcakes. It's on Little Santa Monica Blvd. right in the heart of Beverly Hills.

There are so many beautiful dessert photos on this thread! Went to a "trendy" place in LA with my sister and cousin to taste their famous cupcakes. We weren't really expecting much... but oh my, were they ever good! The cake itself was super-moist and dense. The tops still maintained that crispy/chewy/shiny texture under the frosting. The frosting was really thick and smooth with a very nice flavor. Clockwise from top: Red velvet cake w/ cream cheese frosting, Belgian dark chocolate cake w/ fudgy milk chocolate frosting, Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake w/ vanilla frosting, Belgian dark chocolate cake w/ bittersweet chocolate frosting. Also eaten but not shown: Fragrant orange cake w/ orange-vanilla frosting & Spiced pumpkin cake w/ cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Thank you M & SD for your informative posts. I've been eyeing some salt cod of late and want to try out this Bacalao al pil-pil dish. Also, I'll be traveling to San Sebastian in a few months and am looking forward to the different variations on salt cod in that Basque region.

I saw a method once where big hunks of de-salted cod are fried (skin side down) in lots of olive oil. After cooking, the dish is left to cool a little. Then the whole pan is swirled around so that the gelatin in the fish skin emulsifies with the olive oil. It turned into a beautiful, golden, thick sauce. Then a red pepper sauce (picarade?) is spooned on top and the whole thing is swirled around some more to incorporate. Does this sound familiar... and does anyone know what this dish is called?

A friend had a loft party Saturday night - much dancing and carousing. Had a wonderfully fresh caipirinha and then a few silo cups of some "wild" sangria (Champagne, brandy, Coke, apples, oranges, one whole pineapple... whole meaning a huge uncut mass floating in the middle of it all, red, club soda, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember). Rolled home at 4:30 am. and was FAMISHED. A huge bowl of steamed rice mixed up with mounds of shredded cheese. Big chunks of roasted chicken crisped in a pan with some good evoo. Sliced sweet grape tomatoes mixed w/ minced garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, honey... Large, rough, toasted pieces of a sourdough baguette. Yummy gravy from the roast chicken poured liberally over all. And finally, Lea & Perrins poured all over the top of this already heaping mess. Fell into bed @ 6 am just as the alarm clock was going off...

I don't know if this is too subversive... but Trader Joes has a boxed brownie mix (Yellow and brown box I believe). On the side panel is a recipe for cookies using the brownie mix. I think you add 1 egg and a whole stick of melted butter. Stupidly simple... but a really good chocolate cookie. There are choc. chips in the mix, so every bite is pretty decadent. Because of the high butter content, they are chewy and rich. Just don't overcook them.

Just yesterday we had the pleasure of dining @ Club 33 and spending a day at the Magic Kingdom with our kids. The "secret" door is just down the way from Pirates of the Caribbean, on the little New Orleans/Mardi Gras street. There is a little gold latch that you lift and then ring the doorbell. The hostess then opens the door and leads you inside. It's all very ornate and velvet-covered. Lots of dark wood and black iron. We then boarded the "lift" and very ceremoniously raised to the 2nd floor. The dining room is posh and full of tall curtains and formally-set tables. We sat in a beautiful spot in the furthest corner, overlooking Tom Sawyer Island & New Orleans square. Later, our waiter informed us that this was Mrs. Disney's table and my little daughter was sitting in her chair. She was thrilled, to say the least. The waiter also told us that the one time Michael Jackson came in, he also sat in the same chair... There is a buffet for lunch with an accompanying main course. The buffet consisted of cracked crab, lobster tails, jumbo (gigantor) shrimp, seared tuna, a variety of cheeses, and about four different salads. Very nice choices. For entrees we ordered the Halibut w/ Lobster. Halibut was cooked nicely... tender and mild. Lobster was pretty dry. The lobster at the buffet was much better. The other entree was the Pasta done 3 different ways: Cream sauce, Pesto sauce and Bolognese sauce (which was nothing like a Bolognese). I would compare the pasta entree to something you'd find at an Olive Garden. The kids had the "Mickey-roni & Cheese" - $46 a pop! (drinks not included). Granted, they had access to the buffet, but they just didn't understand the lure of crab, lobster, giant shrimp or tuna when they could eat Mickey Mouse shaped pasta... Dessert was also buffet style. They seemed like selections that might have come from a "main" dessert kitchen somewhere in the park. Included were cheesecakes, torte/spongecakes, little glass cups of chocolate pudding, blueberry/lemon trifle, etc. And of course, we took advantage of being able to order from the bar...

Are you talking about Palermo ?

Welcome neighbor! I'm right next door in Pasadena. Hope you guys enjoy E.R. It's a cool little town. Here are a couple more places that might interest you: -Golden Deli in San Gabriel. 710 W. Las Tunas Dr. Great cha gio, fried Vietnamese spring rolls... and wonderful iced coffee. And cheap, cheap, cheap. You might run into long lines during peak eating hours. If you're looking for Asian food neighborhoods, San Gabriel, Alhambra and Monterey Park are all good bets. -All India Cafe in Pasadena. Great Indian food in Old Town. Owners and staff are friendly and accommodating. -Fred 62 , off Los Feliz on Vermont. The kids love having breakfast here on weekends. -Trattoria Farfalla , also off Los Feliz... on Hillhurst. Awesome Italian. Order the Tre Funghi pasta dish. -As far as the South American hole-in-the-walls go, I don't know about many that are nearby. There is an Argentinian chain called Empanada's Place , however, that has wonderful empanadas. Many different varieties to choose from. And there is chimichurri sauce to go along w/. Also, their homemade alfajores are the bomb.

We used either a knife or a pair of scissors to cut the blades close to the bulb. If you run your finger one way up the leaf, it scratches you... but run it the other way and it is fine.

Growing up in a Filipino/Chinese home, my experience with Lemongrass has always been as an "infuser". We had it growing in the backyard, and my mom would just have me run out and cut off stalks for her while she was cooking. Most often, she would take the whole stalks and fold them up into a small bundle which would be stuffed into the cavity of a chicken. It was then baked or steamed with other ingredients: soy sauce, wine, garlic, etc. (She always said that Lemongrass/Tanglad took away that "smell" from raw meats.)

Thanks VoodooDog. I'll check it out. But I'll still keep my eyes peeled for the Velho Barreiro and Mae de Ouro. johnnyd, I kept scrolling past your caipirinha pics... and your feijoada meal killed me!

I remember that drink! My mom always made it in the summertime. So icy and refreshing. I especially loved the handmade tool that was used to scrape the cataloupe flesh into long, spaghetti-like strands. Scraping the melon was always the best part!

Oi Chris... That is a killer looking caipirinha. Nice ice crush. I'm suddenly thirsty! I'll have to look around for that "Velho Barreiro" here on the West Coast... Thnx for the recommendation.

Boa noite! All my Brazilian friends keep telling me not to waste my time w/ Pitu . But I have never seen any other brand of cachaca sold in my area (L.A.). Would love any "good" brand recommendations or places to buy other types of cachaca. Dyin' to try some of these Caipirinha variations on the thread! Obrigada por tudo...

House of Nanking in San Francisco has a dish: "Chicken Fillet with Tsing Tao Beer Sauce" It has evolved a bit over the years; but basically it consists of a mild sauce, chicken fillets, and zucchini strips or slices. The sauce is a clear light color with a cornstarch thickener. There is not a strong taste of beer, but it makes it's impression. It's really quite good.