Why can't I quit you Slaw Dog?

Hidden along Lake Ave. in sunny Pasadena, 15 miles northeast of Downtown, are the purveyors of the coolest most over thought wieners in town, Slaw Dogs.  Much like the hamburgers with smears of essence of this and birds nests of fried organic purple onion that have taken over the brew pubs all over town, these dogs have kimchi piled high with fried egg, veggie dogs covered in mint ponzu ginger slaw, and even potato salad makes the toppings list. With surprising and creative specials that change often, you can go every day and have a completely different experience each time. My buddy Brian and I went one afternoon and almost couldn't pick just one from the epic menu. We compromised by agreeing to split two along with tater tots.  Seriously, how could we not get tots? We ordered the special which was beef topped with sweet potato fries, sirracha mayonnaise, bacon, kimchi and a single fried egg.  I love love love that fried eggs are the new Gorgonzola. Creamy, decadent, and full of delicious cholesterol, eggs on anything say, "I'm a hedonist and loving it." The second Dog was the Picnic Dog, beef wiener with potato salad, BBQ sauce, onion rings, and a dill pickle spear. Holy S**t I heart pickles. 

We got our dogs, promptly whipped out the camera and snapped away. The minute you see these creations you realize they are special. Crammed with so many ingredients it's hard to even figure out how to eat these suckers. They even have a dog on the menu that has so many toppings that they have to do away with the bun and just wrap it in a freakin' tortilla. It's on the verge of being as crazy as the Taco Town Spoof on Saturday Night Live.

I won't go into a whole food porn description of every single bite, but I will say that it was definitely indulgent, delicious, and worth ever fat cell now joining the jiggle party on my tush. 

They also have a location in Woodland Hills and they're location in Duarte also serves breakfast and sandwiches. Oh and I guess I should say that the DO have salads in the menu but I glazed over that part of the menu, I had serious eating to do. 

Read More...

Gaudi: Creative Ideas from the Master Mosiac Guy

It's Gaudi's birthday today, which reminds me to revisit his work as a source for inspiration. He made mosaics from found objects a trend way before 'recycle' was even a glimmer in our collective spirit. What better place to see his work up close and personal than Barcelona on a sunny spring afternoon.

After being immersed in the luxury of his colorful work, I take away with me flashing memories of glittering mosaics, rich in cobalt blues and the surprise colors of cracked pottery and glass, re-purposed into undulating cement benches that have remained glorious for a century.

Aren't these collages of colored crockery in cement inspiring? Maybe it's a good time to create our own pathway stepping stones, wall treatments or even a bench in the Gaudi style. Why not? LA has been using ideas from Spain for centuries.

Read More...

Easy Tofu Bahn Mi aka Vietnamese hoagie

Happy Meatless Monday folks. For those who haven't heard of Meatless Monday, it's a day started by Meatless Monday, a  non-profit initiative dedicated to reducing meat consumption for health and environment. In honor of the day I have an easy lunch that even the meat lovers at my work love. 

Báhn Mì is a trendy little sandwich from Vietnam. It's served on a French baguette but here in LA I buy bolillo rolls at my local Latino market. Typically it has lunch meat or pâté, mayo, cilantro, pickled carrots, julienned cucumber, fresh chili pepper slices. 

For ours we are going to use:

Baked tofu, any flavor, sliced thinly 

Bolillo roll or French baguette sliced in half lengthwise 

Picked carrots- julienne carrots or use carrot slaw, soak in a mix of rice vinegar, sugar and water. Let sit overnight or for about 6hrs. 

Fresh cilantro leaves

Fresh jalapeño, sliced 

English cucumber, julienned

Sweet chili sauce, red pepper sauce found in the Asian section of market. 

Mayonnaise 

First spread mayo on sides of crusty roll, then add tofu, carrots, cucumber, jalapeño and cilantro in order listed. Dress with chili sauce and enjoy!! 

Read More...

A. Quincy Jones: L.A. Designs

Picture this: a dream house overlooking LA, with huge view windows and a deck launching out over the brush covered hillside. If what you're seeing is a mid-century modern with open beam ceilings and an atrium, then you share my ideals. Neutra, Eames and others: after so long, the origins of these great homes are coming to light.

A wildly talented, but lesser known local architect who helped to shape the look of California living during the 1950’s, 1960’s and later, A. Quincy Jones is having his day with a rich and informative exhibit on his work called “Building for Better Living” up now through September 8 at the Hammer Museum. Probably Jones is best known for his contribution to the Eichler housing developments designed during his partnership with Frederick E. Emmons, which they called “merchant-built” homes, sold as a retail product to new home owners.

Born in 1913, Jones would have been only 33 years old when he opened his post-war business in southern California in 1945. His partnership with Emmons was formed in 1950. The affordable Eichler homes they built across the landscape of Los Angeles could be bought for $15,000 in 1959. This made them available to a successful middle class family. His huge legacy is the focus of this exhibit, which is not to be missed if you have even a passing interest in California design during this era, or love atriums and hillside views.

Exterior view of Jone's hillside home in Brentwood


Floorplan: Jone's home


Living room of an Eichler home


See more at the Hammer Museum exhibit, on view now through September 8, 2013: Building for Better Living



My photos: Top: architect's home in Brentwood
The photos and information used in this post are from a book of this period: Architecture, USA by Ian McCallum, Reinhold Pub, N.Y., 1960, a slim volume filled with the works of 33 architects, most from the post-WWII decade.

Read More...

Black Rock City Baby

When you hear the name Burning Man your mind goes to dirty half naked hippies tripping on Molly (MDMA) in the desert to a soundtrack of Dubstep. You are partially right there, but there is so much more to Burning Man than rave music and nudity.  Once a year an entire city is built in a dry lake bed in Nevada. Thousands of people gather to create art, music and build relationships with complete strangers. My first year I was floored with how generous people were with their time, supplies and spirit. I'm a bad hugger. Seriously, I have a hard time navigating the angle, timing and whether or not it's even appropriate. But at Burning Man there is no bad hugging. People go all in and all the time. Participants don't just hug, they give you gifts, invite you to dinner, tell you their dreams, wash your body, and wear incredibly elaborate costumes. 

Miguel Montalvo, epic costumer and all around craftsperson

Did I get dirty? Yes. Did I see nudity? Oh definitely. Did I dance to music that I normally find abhorrent? For sure. But I saw incredible feats of engineering and crazy gorgeous art installations in the middle of dust storms that clogged my every pore. Many people don't know that much of the 'Burner' community is made up of incredibly talented artist building huge works, some vehicles that shoot fire, some buildings that invite interaction, some sensory installations. Each year they gather and develop new works to engage and amaze the participants. 

My good friend Miguel Montalvo says it better than I could hope to, "There is a "maker-ness" to the citizens of BRC that is magical. From epic maker-ness like the shipwreck, to the tiny maker-ness of free hugs. Each as valid as the other. It's like Christmas... Where everyone becomes an artist. Even if their art is only to hang some lights on the garage. The playa at night is like Christmas every night."

The Golden Mean and Front Porch- my two favorite art cars.

The other side of the event that I personally love is the DPW, aka Department of Public Works. These are the folks that come months in advance while the site is mere dust and wind to set up the entire infrastructure. There are lights to be rigged, fences and boundaries to set, roads to lay out and a recycling center to name just some of what this group accomplish. They also stay to break down and clean up the mess that an entire city of people can make. Sure the motto of Burning Man is "Leave no trace," but there is certainly a big fat trace left by the participants. It's inevitable when you have that many glow sticks,  zip ties, baby wipes and watermelons, you are going to have detritus.  You can spot a member of DPW by their gnarly vehicles that look straight out of Mad Max and their generally surly demeanor. For me they are a welcome island of punk rock amongst all the electro-blinking light insanity that can overwhelm a folk musician such as myself. I gladly look forward to sharing bottles of whiskey and swapping profane jokes with the black clad clan of misfits that are the DPW. 

I shot a documentary my first year there. It's not the typical experience, but then again there is no typical with Black Rock City. 

Burning Man for Beginners from Andrea Harrell on Vimeo.

Read More...

Clownin' at Jumbo's

The other day my Facebook events page had a peculiar invite. The invite was as such: dress up in "whiteface," which I have learned is slang for clown makeup, and head to Jumbo's Clown Room in Hollywood for a booze fueled night of exotic dancing. Of the many strange and fun costumes I've worn, clown is not one of them. Gauntlet thrown, I painted my face white and went with a French/burlesque influenced clown.  I've lived in this town pretty much my entire life, minus the handful of college years in NYC, and had never NEVER been to Jumbo's. I had until this birthday outing only been to one strip club in Vegas, a surreal dark damp hole with lots of orange bodies in glow in the dark bikinis. While at this Vegas club I was hit on by a young girl clearly on massive doses of mood altering chemicals and gave a few dollars to the only girl with a natural set of ta-tas, but that is an entirely different story left for the memoirs I will never write.

Back to Night of the Jumbo's- we met in north Chinatown at the art studio complex where the birthday gent has his welding space. I was relieved to see other clowns gathered in the parking lot drinking from flasks. Up to that point I was worried that this was one of those painful 80's movie moments where I misunderstood the invitation and it was all a snarky joke in which I was the big fat butt. But no! Other strange wonderful folk also dove into the deep end awaiting whatever the night had to offer us. I'm so glad I found a group of friends as down to say "YES!"

We got to Jumbo's and found a table in the small room with short bar barely large enough for two bartenders. Despite the crowd they were great at keeping pace with drink orders which isn't hard when 98% of the drinks served are beer and a shot. If you need a cocktail with 37 steps and a garnish prettier than Kate Middleton's fascinators go to Harvard and Stone down the street. Maybe I was clueless, but it didn't seem like anyone cared that our motley crew was a carnival of clowning, after all Jumbo's is famous for being where Courtney Love was a dancer. And boy howdy were these dancers awesome! The heels alone are worth a visit. Lithe ladies in bikinis twisted and pirouetted their bodies all over the 5' stage and pole. The entire crowd cheered as the girls displayed acrobatic miracles to a playlist that varied from punk rock to Michael Jackson. Most of the gals were talented at the whole twisty pole dancing but the one that really outshone the others was covered in gorgeous black tattoos and had serious stage presence. I gave her ALL of my spending money, not so much making it rain, I certainly made it drizzle.

Read More...

Biscuits and gravy sausage muffins!

I am sitting here on a soundstage taking a break. I've been here since 6:30am and have only Cheeto puffs and a cup of coffee keeping the acid in my stomach company. So my mind turns to food. What do I wish I was eating this very minute? Biscuits and gravy. Lord how I love gravy. Once I tried to change my Facebook relationship status to "in a relationship with Mushroom Gravy." Sadly it wouldn't let me. 

These biscuits and gravy with sausage are so easy it's stupid. Take Pillsbury grands and line a greased muffin tin. Then add chopped up Lil Smokies and a dollop of white gravy. I used instant gravy because when you are cooking for ravenous crews there isn't time for whisking up the perfect gravy. Bake until the edges on the biscuits are golden. Get ready to eat too many of these bad boys. 

Read More...

Netflix Instant Addict- "Mere Dad Ki Maruti"

Did someone say Bollywood?!! Recently on Netflix Instant I've been delving into the depths of the Bollywood offerings, the one's WITH subtitiles. This week I've picked "Mere Dad Ki Maruti," a fun flick centered on a Punjabi wedding. Boy howdy do I love a good Punjabi wedding movie, remember Monsoon Wedding? So good. All that rain and pent up sexual tension. No wonder it's so hot there.

 I'm not going to go into the whole dang plot of this movie. What I will tell you is that it has fast cars, gorgeous saris, decent musical numbers and young foxy actors. It's got a very MTV fast editing and looks sharp. Also, it's not an epically long movie so it's great for a dinner and a movie date. Just pick up some Tasty Bite and you have an instant experience. If you love this movie also try the movies below. I'll post up the previews for ya.

"Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" - There is one musical number that will knock your socks right off.

 


"Rocket Singh"- Cute and not song and dance numbers for those of you allergic to musicals.

Read More...

India Sweets and Spices- Culver City

I love Indian food the way many people love pizza or Chinese. I could eat it almost every day. Today I'm prepping a show that will be shooting at Sony. I decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to check out Sweets and Spices on Venice Blvd. Culver City is thick with delicious Indian options. 

Here in Los Angeles there are several  indian grocery stores that also have a vegetarian lunch counter. Typically there are combo lunches served with samosa an roti, flat bread similar to a tortilla or lavash. I went with jackfruit curry and Chana masala, chickpeas in red curry. 

Oh man this was the best idea I've had all day! So good and the flavors are on point! Creamy, tangy, sweet and altogether well cooked. No soggy sad mystery sludge here. Just to top it off I got at Tamarind Jaritos, Mexican soda. Total- $11 

Ok back to work. 

Read More...

My New Blendtec is Going to Make Me Awesome.

That's right people, I bought a Blendtec blender today at Costco. Pushing that painfully empty cart along the double wide monolithic aisles, I remembered I was in the market for a juicier that didn't suck. My juicier collecting dust under the sink wasn't cutting it. I needed something new to make me feel guilty for not joining in with all the juice fanatics. There amongst a crowd of moms and grandparents stood the Blendtec demo dude whippin' up a batch of strawberry sorbet. BOOM just like that, there was creamy fresh dairy-free sorbet. He had my attention but I was not wholly convinced. But he had my number, he said, "and it makes almond milk." ZOING. Brother had me. A handful of raw almonds, water, ice and a few seconds later: creamy almond milk. Sold.

Got her home and instantly threw her on the counter. The key to using this blender to make juice is the way you stack the ingredients. Liquids in bottom, leafy greens, then any frozen fruits, and finally the ice cubes. 

I went with maple syrup, organic blueberries, organic kale and cucumbers.  Fantastic! Tastes great and gave me the energy to go for my daily run. When I got back I mixed it up and did: maple, blueberries, pear, kale, cranberry juice and raw cashews for some protein. I will say this, no wonder juice places give you the drink in an opaque cup because this stuff looks less delicious and more like Soilent Green. Either way, it tastes great and is an easy way to get all the vitamins people tout with juicing but also the fiber they lose out on with a typical juicer. 

Read More...

Fiore Market Cafe

My mom and I were out and about in Alhambra, hitting the Home Depot for potting soil and other exciting chores, and we needed light lunch to keep up our momentum. We've got basil to pot people!

We hit Fiore in South Pasadena on Fremont St. Nestled into the corner next to the Fremont Center Theater with a large garden patio, they have a small menu with fresh simple sandwiches on fresh baked bread and perfectly sized salads. A deli case holds enticing salads like curried cauliflower and cold couscous. 

We both ordered the shredded chicken cobb salad. The ingredients were awesome and very farm fresh. There are stacks of home dec and gardening magazines everywhere to persuade as you wait for your lunch. 

My favorite part is the garden surrounding the patio. Raised beds with climbing vines of heirloom tomatoes, tall artichokes and wooden planters with small fruit trees. I'm so inspired to get home and start gardening! 

Read More...

A Fine Day for Fennel Salad

It's Summer here in East LA and that means fennel is shooting up everywhere. A quick and easy recipe for fennel salad is coming at ya!

I'm not a recipe author by any means, unless skohsh, smidge, and toss are measurements. This is more of a guide to ingredients that are great in the same bowl. If you have Trader Joes you are in luck because every ingredient is straight from their shelves.

Fresh Fennel Salad with Brussels Sprout Slaw

Start by cutting the end off two heads of fennel. Cut the head in half lengthwise and slice into thin shavings (if you have a mandoline use it). Add a cup of sliced almonds, one bag of shredded carrots (about 2cups) one bag of shredded cabbage (1 1/2 cups?) and one bag of shredded brussels sprouts (3 cups?). Toss in about a 1/4 cup sesame oil, 1/4 rice vinegar, and 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce. Admittedly I'm spitballing here. Toss the salad with tongs getting it all wet. If it tastes too sour- add oil and chili sauce. Too oily? Add vinegar. Add in some red pepper flakes for a surprising heat and you are good to go. I'm pretty sure this is vegan (as long as the chili sauce is) if you are gluten free or vegan sub out the store sauce for agave and chili flakes. 

Eat up!!

Read More...

Craft Services Explained

when you wear gloves all day you get pretty excited about matching them to your hair.

Recently a family member at wedding said to me, "So I hear you work in catering." I respond, "We'll actually no it's not quite that, I'm crafts service." A puzzled look formed on their face. "I make snacks. I'm a snack lady of sorts." Clearly, I need to figure out a better explanation. 

Dearest readers, all three of you including my Aunt Robin, crafts service is basically an all day smörgasboard of snackery. Depending on the show it can be as epic as breakfast burritos, vegan potato hash, bagels and fruit salad, or a cornucopia of packaged snacks in baskets like if Martha Stewart opened a 7-11. 

Typically, I am on my feet cooking casseroles and quesadillas for 12 hours. Some days I can go through 144 cups of coffee and 40 bananas. I've worked on movies, commercials, photo shoots and a whole lot of reality television. 

I love my job. It's stressful, crazy, messy, smelly and delicious. I get to make people smile and feel spoiled. When a crew shows up and says "oh man! Nice spread!" I know they are talking about my table, get your mind outta the gutter. Working on set also means I meet tons of great  people, have pink hair and can swear like a Victorian sailor. 

hard at work making cookie butter sandwiches.

They'll stick my tables just about anywhere.

Why is it called crafts service? Well, many moons ago when studios were starting up there was a need for someone to be on hand to help any department that needed it. Light in the way? Crane in the wrong place? Need a hand with painting? Dirty set? We serve the craftspeople on set. Who knows when, but one day the crafts person probably set up some coffee for everyone and thus the crafty you know today was born. Even on set few people know that we still sweep, lift, move, dispose and do odd jobs. 

So, get ready for recipes and fashion straight from set. 

Read More...

what the heck is the other side of L.A.?

Los Angeles is a giant swirling mass of people and culture, a crock pot full of chunky bits of crazy and little slivers of sublime. You're probably used to Los Angeles as the home of Hollywood, traffic, smog, housewives with quilted silicone faces and tattooed "gangsters." We have all that but there are also mohawk sporting rocket scientists, korean tacos, hula hooping teachers, Frank Lloyd Wright homes, pie baking elementary school teachers, bridges upon bridges, vegan ice-creameries, and underground bee-keepers. This isn't exactly all about those people and places, more inspired by all the things that come from the edges of the city. From San Pedro to Pasadena to Northridge, I hope to bring you recipes, music, art, gardening and all around interesting things coming out of this great "town" of L.A.

Read More...