I’ve lived my whole life here in Los Angeles, and it is a total privilege to be a native of this beautiful City of Angels.  I have learned to take my first steps here and take great pride in being an Angelino.  Yes, I root for the Dodgers. Yes, I love the fact that I can visit a snowy mountain top and a warm beach within the same day if I wish.  Yes, I love that L.A. has one of the best food scenes in the United States. The history of my city is vast and amazing and I have learned about it through The Los Angeles Times as it occurred. This weekend my treasured Los Angeles Times will be hosting The Taste hailed as “The food and wine festival that is authentically L.A.” It will encapsulate the many food cultures that make up fine dining in this glorious melting pot of ours. My excitement expands past it’s snapping point to spend the Labor Day weekend (August 29 -31) in elastic stretch pants as I eat my way through the Taste.

My friend Average Betty and I got to preview a little bit of the Sunday Brunch hosted by Noelle Carter (LA Times Test Kitchen Director) at the actual Los Angeles Times test kitchen a few weeks ago.  Noelle along with Russ Parsons (LA Times Food Editor And Columnist) hosted a gaggle of writers to some extraordinary eats as a little preview of what is to come. We noshed on chilaquiles from Mexican Chef Jimmy Shaw of Loteria Grill,  maple bacon cinnamon rolls (pictured above, recipe will run in the Los Angeles Times Food Section 8/30 Saturday) that Noelle made herself, and some of the most divine pastries (strawberry croissants) from Farmshop and almond brioche from Bouchon Bakery. Wowsers…. All I can say is if you don’t have tickets to this weekends event held at Paramount studios, I highly recommend you get on your computer this instant and buy a pass. The Taste will transform Paramount Pictures Studios’ backlot into the ultimate epicurean pop-up block party Friday, August 29^th through Sunday, August 31^st: Click here to purchase tickets.  This food fest will be like no other and will really remind you what a food festival should be. Be ready for the most sublime flavors to pass your lips and take advantage of the fact that you can sample all the best restaurants of Los Angeles in one place at your disposal for a flat fee. It’s a great way to go down the list of where you must dine, and what you don’t need to desire afterall.  I will be there with bells on and a big smile, cuz I know I’m in for a treat. See you there!

Check out the schedule below:

• Opening Night; Fri., Aug. 29^th, 7:30 to 11:00 p.m.
  The Times’ renowned Food staff, the festival’s co-hosts, and participating chefs and bartenders gather for a soiree with a focused collection of tastings, premium cocktail and wine offerings, and live entertainment. Restaurants include CAFÉ del REY, DeSano Pizza Bakery, Girasol, Guelaguetza, Hamasaku, Mexicali Taco & Co., Pedalers Fork, Phorage, Plan Check, Sotto, Sushi Roku, THE Blvd Restaurant, Waterloo & City.

• Field to Fork – Hosted by Russ Parsons, Times Food Editor, and Nancy Silverton, Chef/Co-Owner of Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza; Sat., Aug. 30^th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.                                                                                                       Local flavors shine at this day defined by fresh, seasonal ingredients with demos from Silverton, Tal Ronnen (Crossroads), C.J. Jacobson (Girasol) and Bruce Kalman (Union). In addition to wine seminars that inspire the palate, the event will feature a roundtable about cooking with famers market finds moderated by Parsons with Roxana Jullapat (Cooks County), Josiah Citrin (Mélisse), Jessica Koslow (Sqirl) and Vincenzo Marianella (Copa d’Oro). Restaurants include BOA Steakhouse, Chichén Itzá, Eveleigh, Girasol, Lemonade, Lotería Grill, Lum-Ka-Naad Thai, Michaels on Naples, Napa Valley Grille, Palihouse Brasserie, Pono Burger, Tender Greens.

• Dinner with a Twist – Hosted by Betty Hallock, Times Deputy Food Editor, Jonathan Gold, Times Restaurant Critic, John Sedlar, Chef/Owner of Rivera, and Master Bartender Julian Cox; Sat., Aug. 30th, 7:30 to 11:00 p.m.
  LA’s formidable cocktail and culinary cultures collide with demos from chef & bartender duos including Sedlar & Cox, Ricardo Zarate & Deysi Alvarez (Mo-Chica, Picca, Paiché) and Michael Hung & Michael Lay (Faith & Flower). The collaborative spirit continues with a group demo featuring Alex Day & Devon Tarby (Honeycut, Proprietors LLC), Max Deaman & Mikki Kristola (The Varnish) and Naomi Schimek (The Spare Room). Restaurants include BierBeisl, Carnitas El Momo, Craig’s Restaurant, Grub, Public School on Tap, RivaBella, Sotto, The Churchill, The Misfit Restaurant + Bar, The Raymond.

• Sunday Brunch – Hosted by Noelle Carter, Times Test Kitchen Director, and Thomas Keller, Chef/Proprietor of The French Laundry and Bouchon; Sun., Aug. 31^st, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  Brunch gets its due at a family-friendly affair with demos from Carter, Karen Hatfield (The Sycamore Kitchen, Hatfield’s) and Casey Lane (The Tasting Kitchen). Russ Parsons will be on hand to discuss 20 years of The French Laundry with Chef Keller and Laundry alums Jeff Cerciello (Farmshop), David Breeden (The French Laundry) and Timothy Hollingsworth (Broad Museum Restaurant). Melissa Nicola (Nic’s Beverly Hills) will join Times columnist Steve Lopez to share edible creations from the students at CAKE (Culinary Arts Kids Eat). Restaurants include Del Rey Deli Co., Guelaguetza, Lotería Grill, Muddy Leek, my two cents, THE Blvd Restaurant, Wilshire Restaurant.

• Flavors of LA – Hosted by Jonathan Gold, Times Restaurant Critic, and Michael Cimarusti, Chef/Owner of Providence, Chef/Partner of Connie and Ted’s; Sun., Aug. 31^st, 7:30 to 11:00 p.m.
  The closing night spotlights the city’s rich and varied tastes with demos from Cimarusti, Evan Kleiman (KCRW’s “Good Food”), Jimmy Shaw (Lotería Grill) and Amelia Posada (Lindy & Grundy). Exploring the art and science of foraging, Gold will talk found fare with chefs Ari Taymor (Alma) and Wes Avila (Guerrilla Tacos) and wild food expert Pascal Baudar. Culinary mixologist Tricia Carr will cap off the evening with a crushed cocktails how-to. Restaurants include Acabar, Ayara Thai Cuisine, Border Grill, Fishing with Dynamite, Horse Thief BBQ, Manhattan Beach Post, Meals by Genet, Mr. Chow, Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza, Phorage, Pine & Crane, Urban Garden.

I feel like I have been preparing for a marathon. Practicing small little jaunts, that are priming me for the big day. My son is going into kindergarten, and even though he has been in preschool for a while now, it just feels different. I have this overwhelming excitement building up in me for various reasons, but one of the main ones is our morning routine. I keep going over the basics of what needs to be done, in order to get out of the house on time and get him there ready to take on his day. This routine I’ve been planning has to be consistent and easy to attain.

1. Lay out the uniform the night before. This will take the guess work out of what he will be wearing and allow him to just focus on putting his clothes on fast.
2. Make him a healthy breakfast. I plan on making a decent batch of bacon or sausage that could last for a few days in the fridge. That way in the morning all I have to do is make an egg and put it between two pieces of toast along with a slice of cheese and the bacon for a breakfast sandwich. He is going to have to be at school all day long, and I want to make sure I send him off well balanced and prepared to take on his scholastic learnings. Plus I don’t know if he will eat at lunch time, and at least I know for sure he’ll be eating a big breakfast.
3.  Make sure he takes his daily vitamin. People have warned me when your kid goes to school he/she is sure to bring home a cluster of different illnesses (cough, cold, flu…. you name it). I am going to take an extra preventative step and make sure he is loaded up on his daily vitamin. I know it won’t keep everything at bay but I’ll take any extra assistance a gummi vitamin wants to help provide. 
4. I’ve been teaching him how to wipe down his table/desk with clorox wipes when ever he eats, or does busy work at his desk. I like the idea of keeping the space where he will spend most of his time germ free. A healthy child means “no” missing school, and a better education for him since he’ll be present. This will be part of our morning routine, having him get his backpack ready with a folder, school supplies, lunchbox and his clorox wipes, so he could wipe away while at school too. 
5. Laying down the rules. I figure I will start each morning with a little pep talk, and a schedule of what he can expect from his day. I will write down the list on a big note pad, and go over the details with him. Then I’ll give him a burst of love and send him off to school with positive energy by his side.

The best part of this routine is I’ll be able to get the uniform pants, ingredients for breakfast, daily vitamins, clorox wipes, and big note pads all from Walmart, which will make it so easy to attain my morning routine throughout the year.

Ingredients for breakfast sandwich:

• wheat english muffin
• 1- slice colby jack cheese
• bacon (cooked)
• 1/2 – teaspoon butter
• 1 – egg

Directions:

1. Toast english muffin in toaster or toaster oven until crisp.
2. Once toast is done place cheese slice on one of the toast slices.
3. Place bacon on top of cheese.
4. In a small frying pan over a medium flame add butter and allow it to melt. Coat the pan with butter.
5. In a bowl whisk the egg until scrambled.
6. Then pour egg into the small frying pan and cook on one side for 3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
7.  Remove egg from pan and place on top of bacon. Top with remaining toast.
8. Enjoy!

You know that feeling you get after you just walked out of a film that was so satisfying on every level? The story line was great. The acting was superb. The cinematography was excellent, the art design was dazzling, and you were completely sucked in from start to finish. That was me with The Hundred Foot Journey. I loved everything about it. I roared with laughter, I cried, I had so much food envy throughout the movie… I just loved it! Here…let me give you a briefing on what the movie is about.

An Indian family loses everything they had and owned in India and decides to flee to Europe, the south of France to be exact. Once there, they open a restaurant directly across the street from a very highfalutin 1 Michelin Star restaurant. The culture clash that ensues with the rival restaurateur Madame Mallory (Hellen Mirren) begins and takes us on a visually mouthwatering adventure.

There is a little bit of everything in this film for everybody. It’s the perfect date film, or a girls night out, or Sunday with your Mom. The Hundred Foot Journey is in theaters now! Go see it!

In complete tribute to the foodie film I wanted to create something I could make quickly but be transported back to the film. Here is my Curry Chicken Salad.

Ingredients for curry chicken salad:

• 1 – pound chicken (cooked and chopped into cubes)
• 1/3 – cup red onion (cubed)
• 1/3 – cup pistachio
• 1/3 – cup champagne grapes ( I used Melissa’s Produce) (stems removed)
• 1/3 – cup mayo
• 1 – teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 – chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine chicken, red onion, pistachios, champagne grapes in a bowl. Mix to combine.
2. Mix mayo, curry powder, and chili powder in a bowl to completely combine.
3. Pour curry mayo over chicken mixture.
4. Mix to combine.
5. Salt and pepper to liking.
6. Spoon salad over a slice of lettuce. Or put on a slice of bread.
7. Enjoy!

Sometimes life throws little surprises on your lap.  A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to interview the cast of The Hundred Foot Journey and that cast included Dame Helen Mirren.  Being that this movie is based around food, and I am a huge film fanatic, I jumped at the chance!  I had lived vicariously through my Mother as she read the book a few years ago and I was now anxiously awaiting the release of the film when I was asked to do the interview.  I had no idea how gorgeous the food and story were going to translate to the big screen, but it is a sight to behold on all levels.  From food that looks like it was created in the heavens to a stellar cast of great performances to a solid funny, touching story that will be considered a classic food-film for years to come.  It will be in theaters this Friday, I highly suggest you go and see it.  In the meantime here are a few things the cast had to say about their food experience with the movie.

Question: How much food training?  What kind of training did you go through for the film to master the tricks of the trade from an appearance stand point?

Helen Mirren /Madame Mallory:  No I did not. Luckily I didn’t have to cook in the film. I just had to break some eggs at one point.  I don’t break the shells the ‘official’ chef way, but I have seen people break an egg like that with one hand and I had practiced that way prior to filming.  Then of course the chefs on the set said “Oh no, we would never break the eggs that way, we would bang two eggs together.”  I did it for theatrical purposes with one hand.  I did though observe a chef in beverly hills for a few nights to watch the kitchen run and it was like a beautiful ballet.  Like a beautifully oiled machine.  Quiet, absolutely silent. Maybe a little bit of talking, but it was absolutely fascinating.

Charlotte Le Bon /Marguerite: I did culinary classes with Manish in a restaurant in the area where we were shooting for a couple of hours, then after that I went to a friend’s restaurant in Paris and watched the chef for two nights.  For sure I am not a great cook and I will never be able to make good food.  So I don’t care about learning to cook a ham. It’s more about gestures and being a leader in the kitchen.  That was the most interesting part was the way the chefs I observed moved, and how they would yell at people.

Manish Dayal /Hassan: In pre-production I did a lot of in the kitchen training.  I had to really understand how things were done in a French kitchen vs. an Indian kitchen.  In an Indian kitchen you’re just trying to get the job done, you move wherever you need to move to get the dish cooked the best possible way.  Where as in a French kitchen there is a very very specific hierarchy, there are rules, you have to know where your skills are, by knowing your skills you know where you are in the kitchen physically.  No one crosses each other in a French Kitchen.  There is always a way to stand to be out of the next persons way.  It sort of functions like a puzzle, with very stiff movements.  And an Indian kitchen isn’t like that, everyone is moving around trying to get the job done.

Question: Tell us about the omelet?  Did you actually get to cook that?

Manish Dayal /Hassan:  It’s my Dad’s recipe.  Oh I cooked it!  And they had some French cooking consultants on the set and they were horrified.  They couldn’t believe how I was preparing it, what I was adding to it.  They were in shock.  The way to make that scene important was to make it my omelet.  It couldn’t be a proper french omelet, or it wouldn’t fit the story.  My father’s secret to an omelet is milk.  It takes longer to cook, but makes the eggs flakey.

Question: What is your favorite food memory?

Manish Dayal /Hassan:  My Mom’s cooking.  If there were three things in front of me, I could always tell you which one my Mom cooked, just by the way it tastes.  She makes rice and dal, and my favorite memory is she would put lots of peanuts in it!  I would eat just that as a kid.

Charlotte Le Bon /Marguerite: Yeah, but it’s usually very bad food.  Like kids food.  I don’t know why but kids love to eat tasty food, and tasty food is always bad food.  I think of the hamburgers my father use to make where the meat, when I was still eating meat, was almost raw in the middle.  Or the foods my grandma makes and still does, It’s the odors… odors are the best souvenirs.

Helen Mirren /Madame Mallory:  My mother was not a great great cook, but she was a good cook, and she made several signature dishes.  She made these wonderful ‘piroshki’ cabbage pies.  And actually chocolate, chocolate is an incredibly memorable thing for me, because I didn’t eat chocolate at all because I grew up in England after the second world war, and had never had chocolate until I was about 7 years old.  My first taste of chocolate was pretty amazing and I never quite forgotten it.  More than the taste of it was the smell of it.  I love milk chocolate.

Question: Were you a cook prior to starring in this film?

Manish Dayal /Hassan: You know I wasn’t. I knew basic things like how to make eggs. One thing I did know how to do well is BBQ because my Dad is a big griller.  I would always watch him do that, so I kinda picked it up a little bit.

Charlotte Le Bon /Marguerite: I don’t cook a lot. I’m kinda lazy actually. I’m a vegetarian too. I do cook to impress when I’m having guests over.  I’ll make risotto and fancy pastas.  Lots of parmesan.  They never come out like I want them to.

Helen Mirren /Madame Mallory:  My great cooking secret is my showtime grill.  It’s genius.  I saw it on an infomercial one night and got my credit card out.  The showtime grill arrived and it’s fantastic.  You can not go wrong.  It’s the most wonderful, wonderful thing.  I can’t say enough about the Showtime grill.  Aside from cooking chicken on my grill I love making soup, because it is an endlessly changing thing.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY arrives in theaters everywhere on August 8th!

I don’t know about you, but I love finding quality products and pay the best price the market has to offer for them. No one likes to be overcharged. Right? Especially when it comes to groceries and other household items. I know a few of my friends clip coupons and look through the ads to find the best prices possible on things they need around the house. Or only shop on certain days when their supermarket offers super low prices. Well don’t waste another minute doing this kind of research… Walmart will do it for you. They have this new program that I have been testing out as a sneak peak called “Savings Catcher,” and what it is is a reward program which allows you to shop knowing you are getting the lowest price possible, and that goes for groceries too. At the end of your shopping experience, all you have to do is log into Walmart’s Saving Catcher site, and type in your TC # on the receipt. The saving’s catcher would then populate all the stores in your surrounding area and compare the advertised prices from their stores to Walmarts’, and if any of those surrounding stores offered an item at a lower price… Walmart will pay you the difference. How does this happen? It’s so simple and easy to do and will be available to the public starting this August 4th! Let me explain further….

1. Log into Walmart’s Saving Cathers Site. 
2. Create an account or log in with your password, where it says sign in.
3. Then this page will appear.  Take your receipt and type in the TC # (at the bottom of your receipt right above the bar code) into the savings catcher site along with the date. 
4. Next will receive an email letting you know that Walmart received your receipts and are looking for lower prices.
5. Then a few days later you will receive another email letting you know that they either found lower prices or didn’t.
6. When savings are found, you can accumulate your saving’s catcher credit and redeem it at any time onto a walmart gift card to spend at Walmart!
7. Once you redeem your savings Walmart will send you an e-gift card right to your email box. LUCKY! Get ready to shop and know you REALLY are getting the lowest price.

If you’re still not clear on how to use the program, check out this video:

The thought of melted chocolate on anything my heart desires makes me go all googley eyed. Yes, I’m a chocolate fanatic. In fact, I went to a brunch last year where a free flowing dessert fountain oozed with an abundance of melted chocolate that could spark the envy of Willy Wonka. I was tempted to jump in and swim in a pool of chocolate, but I behaved myself and acted like a grown up. Instead I opted to make a cozy little seat at the rim of the basin and eat until my heart was content. As I sat at the edge of the fountain reaching over to dip my strawberries and marshmallows, I thought to myself “If only I could have a small portion of this melted chocolate to dip whenever I wanted. Oh that would be such giddy fun!” I imagined all the spectacular  projects I could do with my son, or how decorative the snacks would be at my next party. 

It seems Wilton has granted me my wishes, because they now have this amazing little pot to melt your chocolate melts in: Wilton Candy Melts™ Candy Melting Pot.  You choose the flavor, add them to the silicone lined pot, and let them melt. What you choose to dip or drizzle is up to you. Plus Wilton has the coolest tools to help make the whole dipping process a lot easier. Here’s the cool part, when your done, all you have to do is let the chocolate cool completely in the fridge, then pop it out of the silicone lined pot… So easy, and more importantly there is very little mess if any at all.

A few weeks ago my friend Ericka from Nibbles and Feasts hosted a “dip and drizzle” party here at my house, and invited over a handful of delicious friends: Wilton candy melts, pretzels, strawberries, marshmallows, cookies, potato chips, Wilton Candy Melts™ Candy Melting Pots, and a bunch of blogger friends. We had such a swell time dipping and drizzling, and of course the snacks were gone before we could even let them set and harden. Here are a few pictures from the party. Oh, and do yourself a favor…. melt some chocolate and dip away. 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wilton. However all opinions are my own.

There are only a few events that sincerely steal my heart each year, and AltaMed’s “East LA Meets Napa” is one of them. I love this awesome event for a number of reasons, but the one that really stands out to me is the fact that they donate all proceeds from the event to my local community to help support with health insurance and other services.

AltaMed has been a lending hand in my neighborhood (East Los Angeles) since as far back as I can remember. I have seen their clinics pop up around town, and it gives me great comfort to know they are there if I or any of my neighbors should ever need them.

Then 9 years ago AltaMed started having this annual celebration of bringing delicious food from the East side of Los Angeles and pairing it with some of the best vineyards from Napa Valley. East LA Meets Napa was born, and has been growing every year. This premiere food and wine fundraiser event is one I really enjoy. It is a night of live entertainment, dancing, and of course all the food you can eat and all the wine you can drink! Oh AltaMed how I love you!

A few days ago I had the privilege to preview a few dishes that will be served at the event along with a couple glasses of wine. My tastebuds danced with excitement as I bit into Chichen Itza Restaurant’s panucho , a fried corn tortilla smeared with black bean puree, and topped with turkey and pickled onions. I washed down the meal with homemade aguas de guanabana and chaya! I knew these tastes were just the tip of the iceberg, for the actual event is going to be loaded with many other great dishes as well. With plates being featured from Rivera, Seta, Chalio, Loteria Grill, Portos Bakery, Rocio’s Mole De Los Dioses, and many more.

Here is a little collage of the preview tasting.

This year the event is going to take place on Friday July 18th, 2014 at Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. It promises to be a beautiful evening and I’m going to be there!

Get your tickets for AltaMed’s East LA Meets Napa here! Hope to see you there!