Red Carpet Glamour Cocktail

By Andrew Hunter

The 84th Annual Academy Awards are quickly approaching, and for those of us in the food business, especially in Los Angeles, Oscar time is party time. No Oscar party would be complete without the perfect drink for a celebratory toast, or two. Each year an official cocktail is poured that best represents the trends and flavors of spirits. This year, the honor goes to our friend, mixologist Adam Seger.

Adam’s cocktail, called Red Carpet Glamour, is created with Moet & Chandon Champagne and Hum, his own botanical spirit of pot still rhum infused with fair trade hibiscus, ginger root, cardamom and kaffir lime. It’s sweeping the nation! Moet & Chandon announced Adam’s selection this way:

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Sandwich Dinners to the Rescue

By Lori Powell

Life has been so super busy these days. I mean, crazy busy to the point that I have not read a book that wasn’t food-related, nor have I had time to go to the movies.

Actually, forget about recreational activities. I barely have had time to pay my bills or keep up personal hygiene, such as getting the laundry done or taking a long bath....

Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as all that! I somehow stumble into the shower each morning and muster up a respectable-looking outfit. At least I have not noticed any snickering or laughter when I walk by. Or maybe I’m just too tired to notice. So at least I am managing for now.

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Sloppy Joe Tacos

By Katie Barreira

A recent unearthing of my great-grandmother’s acclaimed Sloppy Joe recipe got me thinking about the nostalgic loose meat sandwich. I admit, the soupy sando has never been on my list of faves. Perhaps it’s the association to the commercially canned sauce, or maybe it has to do with the way it’s served – on fluffy white buns that begin to disintegrate the moment they come into contact with the saucy filling. The whole mess really puts the slop into Sloppy Joe.

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Dim Sum with a Twitter Friend

By Sandy Hu

Joining Twitter is like being the new kid at school. Everyone else already has friends, everyone is chattering away in their little cliques, and you are standing alone on the sidelines, trying to find a way to break in.

You begin to follow people and start commenting – tentatively, at first – looking for common ground. Like any in-person conversation, you try to engage in the conversation going on around you. Someone tweets that they are cooking a certain dish. You tweet back, “How do you make it?” Someone is back from vacation. You ask, “How was your trip?” And you hope these strangers will respond and follow you back.

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Southern Fried Chicken

By Marilyn Hunter

When my niece first told us she was coming to L.A. for a visit last summer, the boys and I quickly made a list of things to do and places to eat. There’s certainly no shortage of tourist attractions or dining experiences in the City of Angels but the boys wanted to find the perfect spot to please their Southern cousin. They decided on The Ivy, not because it’s a paparazzi-heavy celebrity hangout, but because they have great fried chicken.

Fried chicken is a dish that has well stood the test of time…through generations of change and tradition. There’s a reason this comfort food can be found on menus from roadside diners to fine dining, and for a Southerner, it’s a dish that celebrates mothers, grandmothers and generations of cast-iron cooks.

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