B-Side Blog

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Revisiting Tuna Salad, Courtesy of Ina Garten

I had a downward spiral at the supermarket today. No, I wasn’t depressed or anything, but it was one of those trips where I walked into Fresh & Easy starving and emerged with much more than I had anticipated to buy. I just wanted a few basics, but then I got to thinking that it might be a good idea to make some hummus. And then once I’d gathered some hummus fixings, I decided I’d try Ina Garten’s funky tuna salad and hummus sandwich. Next thing I knew, my basket was bubbling over with cornichons and celery, and my formerly brief and thrifty trip had turned into a $35 dollar affair.

I wanted to think this was money well spent, but as I stared at my $5 jar of gherkins, I couldn’t help but think I was going to use two or three and the rest of the pickles would go to waste. Had I just overindulged?

Well, I haven’t made the tuna and hummus sandwiches yet, but I have made the tuna salad. Results after the jump (the sandwiches will appear in a separate Adventure in Domesticity)…

Continue reading “ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Revisiting Tuna Salad, Courtesy of Ina Garten”

Scenes from The Get Up LA Brunch Event

There were many food festivals in Los Angeles this past weekend, and I sadly was only able to make it to The Get Up LA in Silver Lake. I was there on the early side; so it hadn’t quite filled up yet, but as I left, more people were coming in, including none other than Jaleel White (a.k.a. Steve Urkel himself), and so while other events may have pulled Top Chef clout, I believe this was the only one with some live, in-person ’90s nostalgia.

Anyway, pics from The Get Up LA, including a disastrous egg incident, after the jump…

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REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NJ PHOTCAP: Catching The Christmas Spirit

Christmas is drawing close on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and that can only mean one thing: time for fights! Luckily, we had Kathy and Teresa around to do the heavy lifting, and when that dustup proved to be a bit too tame, Joe Giudice had a tiff with Melissa’s brother-in-law Joe (no relation to her husband Joe, her father-in-law Joe, or Kathy’s son, Joe). And then, when THAT incident didn’t deliver the fireworks we wanted, we had old, trusty Kim G. I guess she’d been less naughty and more nice this year because Santa had brought her two new, plumped up lips. Looks like she’ll be getting coal next year though because her bringing Monica Chacon to the party was pretty low, even for Kim G standards.

Nevertheless, this episode had it all: Gorga fights, Kim G meddlings, and Ashley idiocy. All that was missing were Kim D and her hair fangs. Oh, and I suppose a cannoli made of cannolis. Still, pretty solid hour all the same.

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Cecconi’s of West Hollywood Serves Up Gut-Busting Italian Meal (That’s A Good Thing)

Oh the joys of finally reaching the ranks of “food blogger.” Earlier this week, I was invited to a media-comped dinner at Cecconi’s, the Italian restaurant that took over the former Morton’s space (famous for its Vanity Fair Oscar parties) in West Hollywood, CA. I didn’t know much about the spot going into the evening except that it was Italian, fancy, and probably out of my price range. Well, I’m happy to report that I was misinformed on two of those points. Yes, Cecconi’s is indeed Italian, but it’s not ludicrously expensive, and furthermore, its casual ambience and bright patio make it a wonderful summertime destination.

It also helps that the food is really, really good.

Pics after the jump…

Continue reading “Cecconi’s of West Hollywood Serves Up Gut-Busting Italian Meal (That’s A Good Thing)”

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NYC PHOTOCAP: LuAnn’s Music Video Not The Hot Ticket She Expected

What if you made a music video, and no one came to be in it? Would it still make a noise? That’s the philosophical question that I’m sure someone asked when watching last night’s catty, penultimate (sniff sniff) episode of The Real Housewives of New York City. The big news was that LuAnn was putting together a music video for her soon-to-be radio smash “Chic, C’est La Vie,” and naturally all the women would want to be in it, right? Not so much. First Ramona expressed concern because she felt the video would send a poor message to Avery. Then Alex dropped out because she simply a) hates LuAnn, and b) hates the idea of a song that celebrates jetsetting and “class.” In fact, we learned that Alex hates the word “class” entirely, noting that those who have it don’t flaunt it. Point well taken. However, as Alex and Simon grumbled about LuAnn, I couldn’t help but cringe at the inevitable clash this would lead to in the reunion, especially when Simon suggested taking the “o” out of “Countess.”

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Bastille Day? More Like Bast-DEAL Day!

Bonjour, mes amis! Today is Bastille Day, which means it’s your duty to grab a beret and mime your way over to the nearest quiche or croque monsieur. Failing that, you can go to L’Épicerie in Culver City and enjoy French cocktails and small plates for $4 a pop. Ce n’est pas mauvais!

I’m not sure I’ll make it to Culver City, but I will try to find something French to eat. Hmmm… could an Adventure in Domesticity be on the horizon? Zut alors!

L’Épicerie Market
9900 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA

EMMY NOMINATIONS: Let’s Look At The Ballot, Shall We?

The 2011 Primetime Emmy Nominations came out today, and generally they look pretty solid. It was the usual mix of old standbys and random new faces. The only difficult thing for me was realizing that I watch so much reality TV now that my authority on scripted fare isn’t quite what it used to be. No problem though: an uninformed opinion has never stopped me from pontificating.

After the jump, a look at the nominees in all the major categories and my thoughts on each one. Continue reading “EMMY NOMINATIONS: Let’s Look At The Ballot, Shall We?”

Fly Over Carmageddon with JetBlue!

When Carmageddon strikes Los Angeles this weekend, locals may find themselves stuck in whatever corner of the city they find themselves. This could be very bad news for anyone who needs to get from, say, the South Bay to the the Valley, or vice versa.

Well, travelers fear not! You can now FLY over the gridlock thanks to JetBlue. That’s right, the airliner is offering flights from Burbank to Long Beach (and the other way around) on Saturday, July 16th. And it’ll only cost you $4 each way! That’s cheaper than a DAMN CAB RIDE FROM MY HOUSE TO HOLLYWOOD AND VINE (ie. one mile). No word on whether or not the trip includes Terra Blue Chips.

Be sure to book now! There are only four flights total…

Details here: CAR-MAGEDDON FLY-OVER

Thanks to @Erin_Murphy for the heads up…

Countess LuAnn Has An iPhone App

“Ladies and gentlemen: this is the Countess speaking. We have arrived. On your phone.”

That’s what I imagine LuAnn De Lesseps’ new iPhone app says when you start it up. Yes, you heard me correctly: LuAnn has a new iPhone app. Money can’t buy you class, but it can nab you “Countess LuAnn” for $0.99. The application offers many useful tools, such as a primer on etiquette, an “Ask the Countess” feature, and most importantly the ability to create images of you and LuAnn. That alone might be worth the dollar.

Additionally, users can take “Etiquette & Manner” polls and thumb through LuAnn’s bio, photos, and videos. There’s also much, much more, which only makes sense for someone enjoying the “Chic, C’est La Vie” mobile lifestyle. Features that don’t appear to be included:

Create your own dismissive insult.
A haughty laugh recording that allows you to punctuate any dig by pressing a button and hearing LuAnn’s guffaw.
A GPS feature that seethes, “THIS IS NOT THE PLAZA HOTEL. THIS IS Ralph’s Italian Ices of Syosset.”
A Groupon-esque feature that with every deal always reminds you, “See, I share my deals with you. I’m not like Ramona, who won’t share HER deals. That’s an awfully BITCHY thing to do.”
A camel safety video.
Push notifications for the app to occasionally ask you, “Would you believe she called me a snake? How nasty! The mouth on that one!”

To purchase the app, click here.

Via OK magazine

UPDATED: Carmageddon Deals and Events Around Town!

Batten down the hatches! Carmageddon is nigh! Los Angeles will be paralyzed for 53 dreadful hours as the 405 freeway is shut down from the 10 to the 101 this weekend. The sky will turn red as fire descends on this fair burg and judgment is doled out to those who dare trek to the Westside!

And in honor of this special occasion, many establishments are offerings deals for citizens looking to wile away their immobile weekend. After the jump, a revised list of deals and events around Los Angeles, with the new stuff in red.

Enjoy! Continue reading “UPDATED: Carmageddon Deals and Events Around Town!”