TV. Food. Pop Culture.
WIth millions of people around the world paying their last respects to Michael Jackson today, I felt it only appropriate to chime in with my own special tribute to the King of Pop. And what better way to pay homage than by cooking up some black and white cookies in honor of MJ’s music, appeal, and, well, skin color. Consider this my loving sendoff.
As many of my friends (and now readers) know, I have a penchant for Korean food. Actually, I have a penchant for Asian food in general, and when I find myself a few drinks deep at the end of the night, I like nothing more than to venture into Los Angeles’s famed K-Town (a.k.a. Koreatown) for some BBQ or tofu or pho (and yes, I realize pho is Vietnamese). Unfortunately, I can’t always find a driver or willing participants for such activities, and such was the case Friday night when I found myself stranded at my apartment with no mode of transportation to ferret me to and fro the late night eateries just east of Western Avenue. What to do? Well, after calling three or four people, I took matters into my own hands. I strutted down to Ralph’s, which is open twenty-four hours, and purchased a small jar of overpriced kimchi at 1:45 AM. I returned to my apartment, consulted a cookbook, and in about four minutes, I had a delectable late night snack.
Photos after the jump…
Continue reading “ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Late Night Kimchi Pancake Edition”
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Last night, the cabal of judges known as Bob, Susie, and Bobby whittled the field of contestants on The Next Food Network Star down to just five potential superstars, and now that we’re more than halfway through the show’s run, I thought I’d check back in and see how our stars are progressing. Do we have a star in the making? Or is this season going to be a bust? Thoughts and ideas after the jump…
Last week I kick-started Project Scallion, a nifty experiment that would test the proposed theory that green onions would re-generate themselves if the bulbs were placed in water. All appearances seem to suggest that the answer is yes; although, the success of Project Scallion cannot be gauged until a full stalk has grown AND been deemed tasty. I haven’t reached that point yet, but in the meantime, the scallions continue to thrive — so much so that I felt compelled to upgrade their habitat from a random, pebble-painted glass to a full-fledged vase. One trip to Ikea with Sly and IndianJones later, and my scallions were ready for a Beyoncé upgrade.
The new and improved vase lifestyle after the jump…
Continue reading “PROJECT SCALLION: In The Immortal Words of Beyoncé — Let Me Upgrade!”
Remember when Project Runway was the hippest reality show around, beloved for its urbane appeal and sophisticated style? Well, now it’s on Lifetime, and if this promo is any indication, the emphasis has moved away from upmarket elitism and more towards Middle American mom-jeans milquetoast. If I sound snobby, well, that’s because I am. Truth is this commercial plays more like a Sears ad than anything else. It’s so tragically unhip in every way. Even the music is outdated. I love Basement Jaxx as much as anyone else, but that tune is eight years old and has been used in more stupid commercials than I can shake a fist at. The only thing worse would have been to select a song by Smashmouth. I’m pained, I tell you. Pained.
The real question is if the show itself can survive the shift to its new home, or will the core audience feel simply too isolated by the onslaught of Lifetime shlock-appeal? And let’s not forget that Project Runway is switching to Los Angeles this season. Hmmm… My Jump-The-Shark-dar is certainly beeping like crazy…
What do you think?
I was bored today; so I decided to have some fun. What would happen if The Real Housewives headed into the many worlds of Super Mario Bros.?
Pics after the jump…
Continue reading “The Real Housewives Enter The Mushroom Kingdom!”
Scallions can really be a pain in my ass sometimes. If you buy too many, they wilt. If you buy too few, you run out. It’s a balancing act that can drive a man to tears, but thankfully, I think I’ve stumbled upon a solution. You see, during last week’s episode of Next Food Network Star, one of the contestants imparted a helpful tip to the audience: if you stick the white bulbs of a scallion in a cup of water, the stalk will grow back. Could it be? Does a solution so simple truly exist? Might this signal the end of my scallion woes?
Well, after some cross-referencing with the Internet — which is always factual — it seemed like yes, this method does work. I couldn’t wait to try it. Luckily, my Korean burrito adventure last week required the use of many scallions. I was sure to save the bulbs and place them in a glass of water on my windowsill. This would be an experiment of the ages, and as such, I’ve decided to document it religiously here on the blog in what I call Project Scallion.
The experiment, which is only four and a half days old, has already proven to be quite exciting. Images after the jump…
You know what’s annoying? Having THIS helicopter hovering over your apartment ALL DAY LONG. Yes, it’s one of many Michael Jackson Grief Helicopters (a.k.a. the local news) that are hovering over Hollywood, capturing images of people flocking to the aforementioned unflockable Michael Jackson star. I’m all for the mourning process, but the choppers have to go.
Continue reading “Bemoaning the Michael Jackson Grief Helicopters”
“Don’t drink the water, and don’t get AIDS.”
Yup, that pretty much sums up The Real World Cancun so far. The quote, as spoken by Joey on last night’s premiere episode, serves as the two major guidelines for what looks like a silly, silly season. I’ll admit that my expectations coming into this season were beyond low — going to Cancun seemed like a horrid step backwards for a franchise that had seen revitalization in the more career-centric Hollywood and Brooklyn seasons. But if there’s anything I should have remembered, it’s that if my old employers Bunim-Murray know anything, it’s how to do Cancun. Yes, I saw The Real Cancun in the theaters (produced by Bunim-Murray), and I loved it. So far, this season looks to be an unofficial sequel.
Continue reading “REAL WORLD PHOTOCAP: "Don't Drink The Water, and Don't Get AIDS."”
Los Angeles has been undergoing a major fusion craze for a few months now, courtesy of Kogi’s Taco Truck, which has made Asian tacos all the rage. I haven’t actually partaken in Kogi-mania as the reported one hour lines (not to mention surly public relations staff) seem a bit much for a few meager tacos — especially when one can just as easily waltz into one of the many, many Korean eateries here in L.A.. Still, I respect the idea behind Kogi’s taco truck, which is why last night, when I fired up some homemade Korean bbq of my own, I decided to change things up and go (drumroll please) FUSION!
Yes, that’s right. I decided to forgo the taco truck experience and instead do my own thang. Truth was I already had some daeji bulgogi marinating in the fridge, and as dinnertime approached, I realized I didn’t want to have the same old bowl of meat-on-rice. How to switch it up? Well, I’d throw a tortilla into the mix. And so the daeji bulgogi burrito was born. Well, not born. I’m sure others have made it. But this was its grand debut, as it were, in my kitchen. My creative process after the jump.
Continue reading “ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: The Homemade Korean Taco Truck Experience”