hollywood

Are we ready for the culinary equivalent of John Cage's 4'33"? With art and music, you don't expect to get fed. With cuisine, however, how many gourmets want to go home hungry? Analogies between the arts are difficult to make and surely that's not the only abstract model for cooks to follow. Is there a CD of this work available for me to listen to, if that's the applicable word. I don't see a chef creating a fast as a work of art or dinner menu and surely it's a surprise meal he could only offer once for effect. On the other hand, I could see a chef creating a menu especially suited to ending a day of fasting. If the chef was so talented or his reputation so great, it would not stretch my sense of belief to hear that some truly dedicated connoisseur who had no religious or medical reason to fast, might nonetheless resist the intake of food for the appropriate period of time in order to fully appreciate the menu. Great answer. There are recordings of 4'33" but I think you want to see the video or a live performance instead. So, where's the restaurant and when do we start fasting?

Next time you might try Taira, a French-Japanese seafooder.

Most Americans who travel frequently seem to have a rough sense of what to tip waiters and cab drivers. What are some guidelines for tipping a concierge?

Are we ready for the culinary equilavent of John Cage's 4'33"? With art and music, you don't expect to get fed. With cuisine, however, how many gourmets want to go home hungry?

Or, if you have an old Carta Blanca bottle, you just put the bottom of one on top of the cap of the other and open.

There's this, but it sure ain't no book. http://yumfood.net/articles/screencuisine/...ncuisine-1.html

Trying to get into a Zen mood...... http://www.do-not-zzz.com/

I think he does it with his lighter.

Okay, here's how, but you may have to be Canadian to do it. http://www.duckyousucker.com/dys_bio.htm

Check it out.

See item in right of photo. Sorry, photo's too big. Go to link, click on photo. Look to right of photo. http://www.jalapenojeans.com/images/produc...ts/lighters.jpg

Perhaps a ticket for parking overtime will suffice.

I for one am getting very sick of all the remakes. From what I've read, the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre is supposed to be VERY different, because one of the producers (Michael Bay) is on some sort of anti-violence committee. I think I'll go remake a sandwich without using bread. One reason there've been so many remakes is, of course, greed. The folks who actually made the original--even though they supposedly had points--made virtually no money. The film made a lot of money for somebody, although that somebody seems to be a closely guarded secret. So, because the film was very profitable, the originators keep going back to the well trying to actually make some dough off the franchise.

You guys duke it out. Then we'll put Paris up against the winner.

All Terrail needs now is a sign that says, "over 1,000,000 served."

Not to mention all the topical references to slaughterhouses! There's a lot about the killing and following preparation of things to be eaten. Clearly a very food-focused film! Apparently there's a remake of TCM in process. A friend, Robert Burns, was the art director on the original. He made all the skeletal furniture, mobiles, etc. FWIW, he's also the world's authority on Rondo Hatton. Anyway, he was in Texas slaving away under the hot sun and I was in Santa Monica lollygagging around. He called and mentioned he needed to get some teeth for the flick. I remembered a dentist I knew. The good doctor saved up a couple of weeks of extractions and I mailed em off to Texas. Burns was sitting in his office one afternoon when the postman arrived with a parcel. "That must be my teeth from California," he exclaimed. The mailman dropped the parcel and ran out of the office. He still has most of the teeth and other stuff used in the film, to the extent it wasn't cannabalized for subsequent gore fests.

Whoa! If we're talking about the same Josie, that's a high end New American in Santa Monica. Josie used to be chef at Saddle Peak Lodge which specializes in game. She's broadened her range here. Anyway, for tamales, I think you are looking for Juanito's, 4214 Floral Drive, East LA, however, people now say that La Indiana, 1142 S. Indiana St., East LA, is better. Regarding margs, you've got the on the rocks camp (and in this regard, I think Ciudad, the 2 Hot Tamales' pan Latin American place downtown makes good ones) and the big glass of frozen stuff fans (here, El Cholo--there are several, the oldest being on Western in Koreatown, makes a good one with Cuervo 1800--the food at El Cholo is IMHO very gringo-ized). Re Cal Mex: there are several La Serenatas, which are pretty good and better than average decor for this sort of food; there's the Tamales' Border Grill in Santa Monica which can be innovative or noisy and aggravating. For stand type places, there's Yuca's on Hillhurst in Los Feliz for carne asada tacos and burritos and tamales wrapped in banana leaves; there's the infamous El Tepeyac, 812 N. Evergreen, East LA for big honkin', everything but the kitchen sink burritos; there's El Gran Burrito on Santa Monica near Western for burritos of course; and (some would call this heresy) there's Tito's Tacos, 11222 Washington Place, Culver City for real good Americanized hard shell tacos (get em with the cheese and either red or green, hot, salsa). Again, I commend you to Grand Central Market. Otherwise, good stuff can be had at La Cabana (usually, there's someone there making the tortillas by hand), on Rose Ave near Lincoln Blvd, just inside Venice, and real good stuff at a no atmosphere place called La Bonita, Santa Monica Bl at Hobart Ave in Mid City LA. I'd again suggest you consider Oaxacan, either of the 2 Guelaguezta branches on 8th Street or Olympic Bl in Koreatown, but not the one in West LA. Hope you enjoy your stay.

Los Angeles has Griffith Park which I think is the biggest park inside any U.S. city. Looks like I may have understated the situation. Here's from a City site: Griffith Park has 4,218 acres of natural area and is the largest municipally-owned and operated park in the world. This facility offers 28 tennis courts, numerous picnic and sports areas and 53 miles hiking and equestrian trails. In addition, the park contains the Griffith Observatory, Laserium, Greek Theatre, Travel Town, Los Angeles Zoo, Gene Autry Museum, Pony and Train rides, and three golf courses including a driving range.

Los Angeles has Griffith Park which I think is the biggest park inside any U.S. city. California doesn't count as it's full of Californians. To be honest it's full of folks from the rest of the country who got fed up (or believed the hype), and lots of immigrants, legal and illegal. Hell, there's tons of Brits in Santa Monica and elsewhere. Good for the food.

You might want to be a little more specific. Do you want Cal Mex stuff, Oaxacan, etc.? Also, there's the Two Hot Tamales Ciudad which isn't really Mexican and various Salvadorean, Cuban, etc. Juanitas is one of many respected spots for tamales. Then there's the whole giagantic vs. small burrito situation. At the risk of offending , you might try a search on chowhound.com, the LA board. I believe this and several other tamale spots were discussed recently. If you want pretty authentic and don't care about atmosphere, you should visit Grand Central Market at 3rd & Broadway downtown and search the stalls for tacos, burritos, gorditas, etc.

Los Angeles has Griffith Park which I think is the biggest park inside any U.S. city.

Concerning Awbrig: Just remember: he's your little (smart-aleck)brother! Works for me. If he's a smart aleck, he's only a virtual smart aleck. I hear that in person he's a warm and caring individual who likes Charlie Trotter's.

Does Sears still do catalogs? I'll have to look into this.

Ah...moderators, moderators! I'd like to report Awbrig. He posted a picture of a voluptuous young woman and it looks like he airbrushed a bra on her body. I suspect a coverup. This offending contraption must be removed at once in the interests of full disclosure. Both of them. edited at the request of my good friend Awbrig to remove ambiguities

I tried to find some statistics on this but all Google offered was porn. However, this from the Beeb. 'Britain currently has one of the highest rates of inter-racial relationships in the western world, with 50% of all black children born having one white parent.' Taboo lust?