Season's Eatings. When in doubt…shop, but shop well.

The holidays are a time of festivity, food and giving/receiving. If you love to eat but are "kitchen skill-challenged" it doesn't have to mean that your only option is to show up with a supermarket pie, tired veggie crudite platter or cooked-to-hell pre-baked something or other.

Show your host or guests some culinary effort and make your holiday dinner contribution a stand out. Here are a few "make them say wow" foodie favorites to add to your online shopping cart:

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Caramel Pecan Levee High Apple Pie (An Oprah favorite) 

$49.95

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Miss Grace Lemon Cake

$29.99

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Beecher's "World's Best" Mac & Cheese

$58-$160

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Candied Yams (2 lbs arrive frozen and you bake)

$80

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Linda's Latkes

$35 on up to $144 (for latkes, smoked salmon and all the fixings)

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Deep Dish Fudge Pecan Pie

$29.95-$55.90

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Gravlox and Smoked Salmon from NYC's Zabar's

$17.98 to $325 for a platter for 10

-Make a platter by adding creme fraiche, lemon wedges, capers, minced onion, minced boiled egg, caviar and sliced toasted bread (crust cut off).

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Cronuts (delivered white-glove style from The Dominique Ansel Bakery in NYC)

$100-$1000 

or if you are in LA buy them fresh from Bistro Laurent or at Beckers.

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Cheese Plate

$24-$495 at Dean & DeLuca…To make a platter just add crackers + fig paste or honey.

If you have any food favorites let me know so I can spread the word!

Culture, Food and Fashion in Culver City: 2nd Saturday Has Arrived

Culver City Arts District has been an established understated hub for the art world for a while but its burgeoning status as a foodie destination is a more recent development. Up until recent years this forgotten stretch of Culver City was defined by the historic Helms Bakery District and In-N-Out. Surfas, Father's Office and Let's Be Frank are pioneers of the foodie scene and have recently been joined by other notable establishments hoping to make a mark. This more recently gentrified area of Culver City has boundaries that stretch from the north by Venice Boulevard, to the south by Washington Boulevard, to the west by Helms and to the east by La Cienega.  Click here for map of the area and local galleries.

A great way to explore or rediscover this area is through it's art galleries, shops and food scene. The Culver City Arts District 2nd Saturday is a new monthly event highlighting all three. The first 2nd Saturday kicks off this Saturday, April 13, 2013. Food trucks, galleries, retail stores and restaurants will be open from 12 noon until as late as 9 pm. If you can't make it this weekend, try again next month. Some of the featured participants include:

Bar and Garden
Cognoscenti Coffee
Coolhaus
Gramercy York
Honor Fraser
Koplin Del Rio Gallery
Le Basse Projects
Maxwell Alexander Gallery
Minnie T's
Muddy Leak
Thinkspace

Food Goodness Sakes

So as if there were not enough reasons to love Mike D of the Beastie Boys he has messed around and upped the quotient by enhancing his food game with a good cause. He and his friend/restauranteur Robert McKinley launched a food truck called the Rockaway Plate Lunch. The truck serves hot meals for free to distressed and underserved communities. Yasha Wallin of Good.is did a great profile piece on this initiative. Check the rhyme at the end of the article. It's a foodie classic. What! Thought you knew!

Photo courtesy of Rockaway Plate Lunch

Foodie Alert:

I came across this posting for an in-store demo to be conducted by Jason Neroni while I was on one of my foodie wanderlust adventures at Disneyland, I mean Surfas. 

In an era studded with celebrity chefs who tantrum worse than rock stars, Chef Jason Neroni is making himself available for cooking demonstrations. I guess I should not be surprised given that he is the same chef who in spite of training in pristine establishments like Spago and winning Eater LA's 2012 Chef of the Year admitted to having "a soft spot" for Hot Dog on a Stick. Got to love a man who keeps is real...especially in Hipsterville (sorry Venice, you've changed...ech)!

Foodie Quotes

"Thighs are the new breast."
-Al Roker (Today's Kitchen "What's For Dinner" segment featuring pan roasted chicken thighs)

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!

Bienvenidos mi gente. It is National Margarita Day on Friday, February 22nd!

For those of us who are lovers of the agave gift of tequila, everyday is a fiesta and today is saucy as usual. But for those with gluttonous tendencies and more restraint today is a good reason to indulge in a little slippy-sippy during the work week.

A great local place with a delicious food, a nice tequila arsenal with a  balanced approach to margarita mixing is Tortilla Republic located in West Hollywood, CA. Or if your lucky enough to be in Hawaii check out the location in Poipu, Kauai. For all of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans, this restaurant is located next to Lisa Vanderpump's Sur Restaurant and Bar...and yes Ken and Lisa are seen their often.

For those staying at home my personal margarita recipe (warning: strictly for grown folks only) is a double (or triple if your feeling it) shot of tequila, juice of half a lime and a splash of liqueur (St. Germain or Grand Marnier).

Also on deck for today's celebration if you are looking for something a little different a friend of mine produces a naturally pink tequila branded under the name Luna Rosa. It is as strong as the pink is pretty.

¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro! ¡Salud!