Recently in Food Fun Category
Various folks had a day of bacon blogging yesterday, I have been having a whole week of bacon. Right now my Mom and I are on holiday in Ireland and England. Due to my food allergies (no diary, eggs, or tomatos) and gluten-free world a full Irish or English breakfast is out of the question, so I have been eating rice bread toast and bacon every morning at various B&Bs.
Since, I <3 the pig, this is good.
Since, I <3 the pig, this is good.
i just had one of the best crew meals ever...
last night we shot at a place in Koreatown called "Aroma Spa & Sports." it's a multi-story building with a spa (of course), multiple mall-style shops, salons, and restaurants, and the craziest yet most brilliant golf facility ever. some genius thought, "hey! if i chop off the side of the building and put a net over the parking garage, i could have a multi-story driving range!" (photos here.)
anyway, since we were shooting at the driving range, our (Asian) executive producer decided it would be easier if we all just got petty cash to eat at the downstairs food court, and the (Asian) director agreed. at first, there was a muted outcry from a few (non-Asian) crew, but the longtime (any ethnicity) Los Angeles dwellers/eaters quickly shepherded them through the delicious Korean food choices, and soon everyone was sitting down to pure deliciousness.
it was somehow a very joyous experience to look around and see all these people eating things they'd never heard of before -- hot and spicy tofu soup, various incarnations of bi bim bap (vegetables & meat layered over rice with a red sauce), all sorts of noodles, and of course, their discovery of the yumminess that is banchan (a particularly fabulous feature of Korean cuisine, which basically is little dishes of stuff -- pickles, kim chee, potato salad, onion cakes, fish cake, glass noodles, etc.) i had a scrumptious bowl of dol sot bi bim bap, which means it came in a hot stone bowl which literally grills the rice to a crusty gloriousness.
since this was all on petty cash (i.e., the production manager hands you cash, and you use it or lose it), everyone also had frozen yogurt with red beans or boba tea for dessert. more slurping hilarity ensued.
it was no accident that everyone was in unusually good moods the rest of the evening and we actually wrapped early, we were so efficient. it was gratifying to see that so many people were quite pleased with themselves for going out of their comfort zones and getting another stamp in the food passport.
last night we shot at a place in Koreatown called "Aroma Spa & Sports." it's a multi-story building with a spa (of course), multiple mall-style shops, salons, and restaurants, and the craziest yet most brilliant golf facility ever. some genius thought, "hey! if i chop off the side of the building and put a net over the parking garage, i could have a multi-story driving range!" (photos here.)
anyway, since we were shooting at the driving range, our (Asian) executive producer decided it would be easier if we all just got petty cash to eat at the downstairs food court, and the (Asian) director agreed. at first, there was a muted outcry from a few (non-Asian) crew, but the longtime (any ethnicity) Los Angeles dwellers/eaters quickly shepherded them through the delicious Korean food choices, and soon everyone was sitting down to pure deliciousness.
it was somehow a very joyous experience to look around and see all these people eating things they'd never heard of before -- hot and spicy tofu soup, various incarnations of bi bim bap (vegetables & meat layered over rice with a red sauce), all sorts of noodles, and of course, their discovery of the yumminess that is banchan (a particularly fabulous feature of Korean cuisine, which basically is little dishes of stuff -- pickles, kim chee, potato salad, onion cakes, fish cake, glass noodles, etc.) i had a scrumptious bowl of dol sot bi bim bap, which means it came in a hot stone bowl which literally grills the rice to a crusty gloriousness.
since this was all on petty cash (i.e., the production manager hands you cash, and you use it or lose it), everyone also had frozen yogurt with red beans or boba tea for dessert. more slurping hilarity ensued.
it was no accident that everyone was in unusually good moods the rest of the evening and we actually wrapped early, we were so efficient. it was gratifying to see that so many people were quite pleased with themselves for going out of their comfort zones and getting another stamp in the food passport.
not counting Bobo's Stunning Bluefish, a dish that was the specialty of my Chinese grandmother, this is one of the best pieces of random fish i have ever eaten. okay, since her bluefish wasn't random, i'll say this was the best piece of random fish bought from a food stand i have ever eaten.
in America, firefighters have pancake breakfasts as fundraisers. (why, by the way?) but in Germany, they have "fishfests." it's a grand old time -- all the firetrucks get pulled out in front, and they give kids rides. big tents go up, and long tables with benches are set up. it's a state-fair type atmosphere, with plenty of beer available. the fish is all extremely fresh, and you pay by weight. there are lots of demonstrations and activities for the kids, and of course this involves setting loads of things on fire, so the firemen can demonstrate their firefighting gear. Germans love setting loads of things on fire, i think.
in any case, you get your grilled or lightly-battered whole fish wrapped in paper, a cone of chips, a tall glass of something, and have at it. no utensils except for a small wooden pronged thing that is utterly useless in the end. no worries, since you WANT to lick your fingers...
in America, firefighters have pancake breakfasts as fundraisers. (why, by the way?) but in Germany, they have "fishfests." it's a grand old time -- all the firetrucks get pulled out in front, and they give kids rides. big tents go up, and long tables with benches are set up. it's a state-fair type atmosphere, with plenty of beer available. the fish is all extremely fresh, and you pay by weight. there are lots of demonstrations and activities for the kids, and of course this involves setting loads of things on fire, so the firemen can demonstrate their firefighting gear. Germans love setting loads of things on fire, i think.
in any case, you get your grilled or lightly-battered whole fish wrapped in paper, a cone of chips, a tall glass of something, and have at it. no utensils except for a small wooden pronged thing that is utterly useless in the end. no worries, since you WANT to lick your fingers...
101 Cookbooks on Chocolate Coconut Pudding (dairy free!)
Elise at Simply Recipes on The Meat We Eat. Excellent post / photo blog on sustainable free range pigs on the Willis Farm in Iowa. I love the photo, midway down, of the mama pig and her piglets walking through the grass.
Something in Season on How to Make Gluten Free Biscotti, Part I
Elise at Simply Recipes on The Meat We Eat. Excellent post / photo blog on sustainable free range pigs on the Willis Farm in Iowa. I love the photo, midway down, of the mama pig and her piglets walking through the grass.
Something in Season on How to Make Gluten Free Biscotti, Part I
