Single Serving

STOKED: Made the switch to Wordpress... finally

2010-04-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

I can't bring myself to delete this link or have it automatically be redirected to my new site I learned so much & grew so much as a person on my very first blog, March 23rd made it my one year anniversary. The new one is sleeker, easier & I must admit more organized, so PLEASE check out www.singleservingbytes.com. I hope you all enjoyed the show. I'll be giving my 2 cents, behind the scene details & recipes to make to coincide with viewing the episodes & a swanky cocktail for the shot game.

Between My Headphones: When I am wrong... I'm WRONG!

2010-03-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

Yup & I ALWAYS admit it when I am & this is thee biggest pill I've had to swallow yet.... in 2010. Many times, even on here I've expressed my dislike for Lady GaGa aka GagGag, but unexpectedly the hook & sick beat for "Bad Romance" got me & the video made me wet myself... from sweating, DUH! I thought it was a fluke so I paid no mind to it, I gave her ONE hit & that was it... then I watched her on Oprah & saw what she did for Haiti & how genuinely humbled she was for her success & the blessings she has recieved from her generous "Little Monster" fans, so I gave her TWO! Then the song Telephone came out, I tried to play it off "ok that's cool"... a week later I secretly had that jam on repeat & told NO ONE! I was like a binge eating bulimic for the hectic, multifaceted beats.

Then yesterday the video came out & DAGNABBIT... I'm freaking HOOOOOKED! That's THREE... Diva did a hat trick on me. The utter filth, rawness, girl power sexy, confident, trash, balls, all that insanity, Miss B looking like a Black Bettie Page, non sequitur images & dialogue, couture, mad unabashed product placements, mayhem, mass murdering, drop bass that just smacks your ass, 11 flippin' costume changes, raunch & glam all wrapped up in under 10 minutes... UGH, it's a wrap for me! I wouldn't say I'm a Monster but God blessed the chick is SICK & I HAVE to give her her dayum props, not like she needs me to cosign for her on her talent... HA! I can't wait to hit the club with my Gays tonight & dance this madness off! So "tonight I'm not takin' no calls cause I'll be dancin'... I'm BUSY!"

STOKED!: I'm A Member Of The Food Network Family

2010-03-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Actually I'm SUPER STOKED! This is why I've been MIA & I had to wait for all the details to be concrete before I could say anything. I am so excited & am so happy I can share this experience with all of the amazing Chefs especially Chef Stuart & Chef Brian & my uber cool boss & friend Tom. We got a super cool time slot after Diner, Drive Ins & Dives... FN's #1 show. Here is Food Network's official press release:

FOOD NETWORK TASTES THE GLAMOROUS LIFE IN

“PRIVATE CHEFS OF BEVERLY HILLS”
New Primetime Docu-Soap Premieres on Friday, April 9th at

10pm ET/PT

NEW YORK – Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 – Food Network peeks into the high-demand world of culinary glamour in Private Chefs of Beverly Hills. Premiering Friday, April 9th at 10pm ET/PT, this delicious docu-soap follows six gifted cooks from Big City Chefs, Beverly Hills’ premiere private chef placement agency. On-call 24/7, the chefs must cater to the whims of their over-the-top and eccentric clientele in Los Angeles’ most posh neighborhood.

“Viewers go inside the world of private chefs who cater to the ultra high-end and even higher maintenance Beverly Hills clientele,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production, Food Network. “These six chefs bring humor, skill and creativity to each encounter making for a very funny, compelling and entertaining series.”

With a litany of outrageous requests coming in to Big City Chefs owner Tom Stieber, each episode features the chefs tackling assignments like cooking for both humans and canines in a doggy spa, injecting flavor into a salon’s Botox party, pampering young millionaire’s glamorous camping (or “glamping”) trip, indulging aging 80’s hair rockers intent on living the rock ‘n roll lifestyle, and becoming unwitting participants in a medieval murder mystery party held behind the stone walls of Los Angeles’ only Scottish castle. The cast includes six chefs with varied culinary expertise and backgrounds.

Jesse Brune: As one of the break-out stars of Bravo’s show Workout, Jesse Brune is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef, personal trainer, and lifestyle consultant living in Los Angeles. Specializing in healthy and organic cuisine, Jesse has catered a wide range of events and teaches cooking classes across America.

Manouschka Guerrier: A former model, Manouschka Guerrier learned all she knows about cooking from her mother Jacqueline and professionally-trained Haitian grandmother, Olga. As the quintessential single, Manouschka owns and operates Los Angeles based brand Single Serving, where she celebrates the single life and teaches other singles how to serve up chic, easy, and affordable meals.

Brian Hill: Brian Hill got his start in the culinary arts by catering parties for friends as a side job. His talent for American, European, and Caribbean cuisine quickly attracted celebrity clientele, such as Eddie Murphy, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey. In 2006, Brian appeared on the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef. In March 2010, he launched a gourmet street food truck in Los Angeles.

Stuart O’Keeffe: Irish-born Stuart O’Keeffe discovered his love of cooking at a young age while helping his mother and aunt prepare family meals. He studied at the Dublin Institute of Technology where he earned a degree in the Culinary Arts. After moving to Los Angeles, Stuart soon became a highly sought-after private chef and is the face of Tupperware® as their North American chef.

Sasha Perl-Raver: A self-taught freelance private chef in Los Angeles, Sasha Perl-Raver has been cooking since age 16, her clients currently include directors, producers and celebrities, and her recipes have been published in four volumes of the “Little Big Book” series (Welcome Books). In 2007, she made the jump to food and entertainment journalism and is currently a featured contributor to NBC.com.

Brooke Peterson: Brooke Peterson discovered her interest in food as a young girl, learning from her grandmother how to cook for large groups on small budgets. Brooke’s introduction to lifestyle entertainment began with her teen cooking show, Cook with Brooke, on Varsity Television. In 2007, she hosted the original Yahoo! Daily Web series, Cheap N Easy, teaching viewers to prepare meals in five minutes with five ingredients for less than $5.

# # #

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and averages more than 9 million unique web users monthly. In its first year Food Network Magazine doubled its rate base and passed the one million circulation mark. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com) and Cooking Channel, is the manager and general partner.

STOKED!: I Have A Song!!!

2010-03-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

I know I've been MIA, but until 7 am PST on 4/10/10 I can't explain why, trust you're going to be just as stoked as I am... but I had to come on here prior just to share thee most AMAZING gift I have ev-ER received... actually I'm lying it's a super tie with Shannon Pope animating me for Single Serving, that was a dream I always had... but inspiring a song, being a Muse for such an incredible thing as music is a notion I never thought I deserved. On top of that, aside of material things I don't have much, I rent... I'm single, I finance my car... shoot neither of my folks own a home for me to go to. It's been my life's mission to have a place of my very own... to own something, something that is mine & NO ONE can take away from me. To belong to something, to inspire someone, to belong to someone... hmm, didn't expect to say that publicly... (screw it!) but I will say that I am extremely lucky enough to own a spot in the hearts of those that care about me the most & I am proud to announce that I have a song of my very own. My very talented, beautiful & BRILLIANT friend has written one for me... WOW, I'm speechless. I can't do this justice by trying to find the words to explain how this feels. Click below to read the lyrics & hear the gorgeous song by Ken Christianson to hear "my song". I hope you enjoy it half as much as I do:

http://wp.me/p8ki8-ks

Between My Headphones: X-Mas Muzak!

2009-12-24T16:12:00.001-08:00

While my Christmas Lechon is marinating in the fridge I'm online trekking for new tunes to inspire me in the kitchen when I should really be writing my blog about my Holiday party on November 27th, I'm so damn lazy BUT it has been a while since I've contributed a musical offering to the Blogosphere & while I was in NYC 2 weeks ago my friend Irene generously commented that she holds me responsible for her great taste in music & that's her favorite part of coming on here... awwww Ireenie! Here's the best I found, this is my X-Mas present to you... ENJOY!

I lost the love of my life today, Diviana...

2009-12-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

she was someone that stuck by me literally for 11 years when I was both at my best & at my worst. She was more than my other half, I could never be as good as her... she encouraged me to love even when I didn't want to & now she's encouraging me to fight as I frantically search for the strength to go on the rest of my life without her. I never even intended to have her, but I'm glad I had that $50 in my glove compartment box all those years ago to purchase her.

I can't stop thinking about how people could go on & think that God doesn't have a sense of humor. He's like... "I'm going to give you this warm, fuzzy life & it will love you unconditionally for it's ENTIRE life like no human possibly can. It will encourage you, stay by you, honor you & be euphoric by your touch... but it will never speak to you to tell you they're hurt, or to go screw yourself if you give them nasty food they don't like or that they're sick or need your help. They will LOAD you up with kisses & keep you up at night with their farts & their snoring Oh & in the state of California by law you HAVE to pick up their CRAP! They will make you laugh all the time & you will feel sheer terror every time you drive to the vet the whole way there making promises that are nearly impossible to keep when you wait for the Dr to say they will be ok & you will only have them *he squeezes his index finger & thumb together* for this amount of time OH & ONE year is equal to SEVEN friggin' years... HA! Good luck with that"

Thank you Diviana Ophelia Guerrier, my D.O.G. for CHOOSING me, for LOVING me & sticking around long enough to see me follow my dream. My greatest loss is the honor I had to be your Mother here on this earth... being loved by you has been my GREATEST experience & achievement. Make sure to find my Grandmother today & I look forward to seeing both of your faces, first when I'm blessed enough to meet you at the wonderful place you are both at. Today I feel incomplete... may feel this way for a while but having you these past 11 years truly was a gift from our very funny God.

A mir, mir Mami... fais do do Cherie. I love you, thank you for loving me.

Stoked: I Finally Land A Guest Spot This Year... HA!

2009-11-21T00:43:00.000-08:00

Ok so not on a TV show but on one of my favourite blogs! My girlfriend Sarah Sido & her partner, the equally delightful, Claire Winters run this pretty cool blog called Brains of Minerva, they inform Actors & people new to the scene inside tips to help them reach their dreams out here in LA LA Landia. They were kind enough to not only ask me to make cupcakes for their party on Wednesday evening... I made Pumpkin Egg Nog & Barbancourt Rum Cuppycakes, they also asked me to write an article on my FAVE places to eat in LA on a budget. Here's part 1 of my 12 Top LA Eats for Under $12... this was SO much fun to do & PLEASE check out their site. Thank you Dolls for helping a sister out xo

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Manouschka Guerrier’s Top LA Eats for Under $12

Manouschka Guerrier’s Top LA Eats for Under $12

By Special Guest Friday November 20, 2009

Single Serving’s Manouschka Guerrier is a savvy single girl, with an affinity for planning quick affordable meals for herself and for throwing lavish dinner parties on a tight budget. Her style of cooking is delicious, inexpensive, swift, stylish and figure-friendly. She whips it all up and manages to have a ball in the kitchen in her Louboutins and her Le Creuset. This ain’t your Mama’s kitchen!

She’s not a classically trained chef by any means, but a cook who received lessons from her Grandmother Olga (who attended a prestigious French Culinary School in Haiti). She started a thriving private catering company “To Serve With Love.” She found success by combining inspiration from her Grandmother’s classics with her appreciation for international cuisine (which she developed upon her travels around the world as a former Model and Miss Hawaiian Tropic Miss Caribbean America).

Now with Single Serving… she brings her simple “super sexy single secrets” from her kitchen to yours, helping other singles serve up delicious meals whether they are eating alone, entertaining friends or looking to impress someone special.

I have to say I’m pretty blessed, I am so not a Starving Artist. Between my work as an Actor & Writer I have had some great success as a cook, a caterer & bartender. With that being said, I am beyond picky of where I go to eat. I figure if I’m going to go somewhere & pay for the food & pay for the service it’s got to be ridonkulous! Or I should stay at home make something myself & suck it up & clean the dishes after. When I moved here many, many moons ago I made it my personal mission to find the best places to eat on a budget (I have a shoe fetish I prefer to spend my money on that) & with the state of the economy I really feel like my research has paid off, pardon the pun. Here are four of my top places to eat in the Land of LA for $12 & under – a tour with my tongue & wallet as your tour guides shall we say?

Noshi Sushi (best sushi) 4430 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles CA 90004 (323) 469-3458

Not only is this my NUMBER 1 sushi choice but honest to God this is my number 1 place to eat! If I were ever on death row, arrested for the crime of being a 34 year old Black girl still addicted to Hello Kitty, THIS would be my final meal hands down! I’ve been coming to this place since early on into moving to LA so I’ve had years comparing this spot to many sushi spots all over LA, especially on the infamous Sushi Row aka Ventura Blvd (how do any of those places stay open?!) In the mood to beat the crap out of someone instead of playing punch buggy? Drive down Ventura & punch someone every time you see a Sushi Restaurant. You won’t go an entire block without being completely covered in welts!

Sorry, rambling! Yes it’s amazing you can get an array of sushi for $3 & under but what really makes this place stand out for me is the flavor of it… it’s bloody fantastic & talk about getting a bang for your buck. The rolls are the size of hockey pucks – so I swear, 3 rolls in you need for someone to rub your belly after & take a nap. I suggest their infamous spicy tuna rolls. I have been all over the world & have been to the so called “best sushi places” around & I swear no one has been able to hold a candle to Noshi’s tuna roll… it’s BRILLIANT! What I like about Noshi also is that they give you the freedom to create your own roll. For texture I created a squid legs cut roll with sweet eel sauce & no sesame seeds. Even people I have had try it that are terrified of squid love it.

For $12 I usually order 2 spicy tuna rolls, squid legs roll & a bottle of hot sake… YES that’s 3 bones too. Other suggestions is their creamy, chewy, decadent & delicious Dynamite for $6. It’s a mix of scallops,shitake mushrooms, scallions, masago (roe) in a creamy mayo based sauce broiled in the oven for this crispy au gratin-like topping served with lemon wedges… To. Die. For! You may kick your mother in the face for this one. A half order of salmon sashimi for $7 that just melts in your mouth?! And for $7.50 (although it is a half order but it is MASSIVE) try the Albacore salad.

Oh btw… it’s cash only & there’s a long list of rules like no babies & if sitting at the bar there’s a minimum…Yeah the list is long & can rival Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi,” but the service is kind-natured & it’s worth abiding by all the rules.

Kassava (best lunch) 8600 W 3rd St Los Angeles, CA 90048 (310) 385-0233

Maybe I am biased picking this spot because I am Haitian, but honestly Haitian food is thee best, most underrated cuisine in the world. It’s a lot like Cuban & Jamaican food with the staples being rice, beans, plantains & a protein. But Haitian food is spicier, bolder & more flavorful. If you like Cajun/Creole food you will LOVE Haitian food (well of course you should, being that Haiti is the birthplace of the Creoles). I can pretty much make everything Haitian, but alas as I said earlier I don’t like doing dishes, so when I want a day off from the kitchen this is my DEFINITE go-to spot… OH & they deliver too… in a snazzy tricked out Cadillac Escalade… oh how the food Gods LOVE me!

Even though the median price of all their food is roughly around $16 what I love about them is their daily lunch specials from 11am- 3pm, M-F for get this…. $6 flippin‘ 95!!!! $6.95. Depending on the day, you can get Creole chicken which is chicken baked in a light tomato sauce loaded with aromatics & spicy seasoning and a heaping side of my all-time favorite red beans & rice. Aside from my grandmother’s & my stepmother’s, their red beans & rice is the best I have ever had! They offer a choice of sweet yellow plantains (which is a ripe fried plantain) or green plantains (which is a crispy green plantain flattened) fried & sprinkled with salt. I love both ways so much I can never pick, so I have both & the sweet sexy ladies of the kitchen Vanessa & Jessie cater to my indecisive whim. This is touted as a Caribbean spot because they also make Jamaican staples such as Jerk Chicken or Jerk Ribs (the ribs for $7.95). Both from time to time also make appearances as a lunch special. Succulent Tassot which are beef bites or their beef stew… Jamaican patties (Beef, Chicken, Seafood & Veggie) & Champagne Cola… oh dear God I’m going to call them NOW to deliver. The Haitian Pumpkin Soup makes me want to cry & can be a meal within itself.

In America it’s the burger, in Italy it’s pizza, for Haiti our national dish is Griot, savory pork shoulder bites boiled to make them tender, the seasoned & then fried and topped with our favorite condiment piklis (which is a shredded cabbage & habanero pickled hot salad that we like to put on EVERYTHING!) The mix of crunch, heat, tang & acidic flavor of the vinegar will bring a tear to your eye & not just because of the heat hidden in what you would assume was an innocent slaw but how damn good it is! The fried chicken will make the Colonel rise from the dead & my personal favorites Oxtail stew & Crispy goat are truly what dreams are made of.

Make sure to grab one of the juices & shakes, they are so authentically Caribbean. They are also available for catering your next event. So if I’m not available to cater for you definitely spread the Haitian love & get all the praise for enlightening your guests to such flavorful food & hire them.

Blue Marlin (best Italian) 2121 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025(310) 445-2522

I know I have rated a Japanese spot as best Italian but hear me out for a second. This little gem hidden in a neighborhood in Sawtelle Village I am branding the “Little Tokyo of West LA” has jacked the crown from my favorite Italian spot Amalfi. It’s a fusion spot that melds the best elements of Japanese, Italian & French cuisines. The portions are massive & I swear it doesn’t matter what you order – everything on the menu is divine… a party in your mouth every time. My favorites are the Uni spaghetti & the uni Risotto. Now for years I thought I hated Uni (urchin). After having it here I can kick myself for the years I have missed out not ordering it.

Last week I went to Noshi & I ordered the uni. It was good, I won’t lie, but the Uni at Blue Marlin is something truly special, and when mixed with their cream sauce in the spaghetti you will have many moments oohing & aahing with your eyes closed (note - if you’re the type that fakes the big O, I suggest not to come here with the person you faked it with, they will KNOW instantly you were faking it… I’m just sayin‘). These are over the $12 (about $13 or $14) but worth chucking the extra pennies for. The carbonara & bolognese are incredible for under $10. I like to order extra crispy bacon of $2 and they have an array of extras you can add to your meal.

The chicken cutlet with spaghetti in an arrabiatte sauce is so crispy, creamy & dreamy & HELLO comes in a cute Le Creuset pot (another obsession of mine I prefer to scrounge my few measly dollars to invest in ) – that’s how massive the portions are for one person.

Everything either came in a 2 qt cast iron french oven or a cute paella pan. Speaking of French the toasty, tangy & soft inside hot French bread is thee best French bread I have ever had & I go through about three loaves just mopping up their fantabulous sauces. There are heaps of pasta dishes for under $12 & I also suggest if going for their wonderful Japanese curry opt for the spaghetti instead of rice… oh my! If you don’t want to take my word for it how fantastic the pasta is PLEASE try their Omu-rice. It’s a dish I have never heard of until I’ve gone there. It’s fried rice, wrapped with an omelet on top & you can top it with anything from a pork or chicken cutlet to shrimp or beef or my favorite Uni… this is definitely a sensory experience you MUST have!

El Cochinito (best Cuban) 3508 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026(323) 668-0737

Now I am from Miami so this too can be considered as biased but good food is damn good food no matter WHERE you are from! When LA people talk about Cuban food, often mentioned is Versailles. Yeah that place is great for amateurs of flavor, but if you want real down home smack-everyone-in-the-room food, that is filling, delicious & by the good-grace-of-the-ghost-of-Desi -Arnaz cheap, I suggest heading over to El Cohinito in Silverlake. Hands down this is my second favorite Cuban spot EVER! It blows away plenty of places I have had in Miami even. It’s second to my fave La Carreta in my old hood & just narrowly, beating La Caridad, a Chinese/Cuban spot I ALWAYS go to when I hit NYC. The reason it beats La Caridad is because I usually stay in Flatbush, Brooklyn, & La Caridad is in the Upper West Side in Manhattan & I loathe subways & the chances of getting a cab ride back from Manhattan to Flatbush are as good as Megan Fox winning an Oscar! I’ve had cabs refuse to take me back at 4am in front of 1 OAK & I missed my flight… that’s just RUDE!

The roast pork with moros & cristianos (mixed black beans & rice) & yucca in a tangy garlic sauce called mojo is just so incredible. Please, I repeat please always ask for a side of mojo sauce as soon as the bread comes out & dip errythang in that & I mean errythang – take some home even & spread that sweet, sweet garlic love & rub it all over your meat… yes, I use it to marinate my meat… oh what did you think I meant? TERRIBLE! The pork is spiced brilliantly & cooked perfectly. The layers of crispy, tender & juicy perfectly proportional marbled meat is just *swoon* – where are the friggin words I want to describe this?!?!? Listen, if you LOVE pork belly but are sick of dishing out the $20+ for it & it only comes on top of a frisee salad, this is definitely the place to get your porktastic fix! EVERYTHING I mean EVERYTHING on their menu is mind-blowingly good! Another favorite is the medianoche, Cuba’s national sandwich made with the decadent roast pork, topped with Swiss cheese, ham & mustard in between glorious soft Cuban bread toasted in a flat Cuban press, like a panini press sans the grill marks.

Order TWO of these, you hear me? Eat one there & take one to go so the next time you’re piss drunk & come back home there is no better meal to have. Unlike Miami when you can get Cuban food 24/7 especially this amazing sandwich… oh MAN you will be on the floor slop-PY making sweet, sweet love to this sandwich, rivaling David Hasselhoff with that gross Jack in the Crack burger! The Cuban style fried rice is KILLER as well as the bistec de palomilla (flat steak) & the garlic chicken (for $15.95 as a takeout special you can get a whole roasted garlic chicken, a large order of rice & beans & plantains…). QUE RICO!

Definitely walk into your house screaming “Lucy I’m Hoooooome” as you proudly wave the bag over your head. Sometimes on Wednesdays or Thursdays they make red bean soup you can pour that over your rice instead of the black beans, so be sure to ask for it. You can also substitute their white rice & have the yellow saffron rice with your beans. Another great tip, every winter for $14 I buy two huge orders of their chicken soup & freeze it just in case I may become too sick to make my own. Whole pieces of chicken bone & all, noodles & veggies mixed with fresh lime juice will DDT the H1N1 for sure. Don’t believe me? How many Cubans have died from the swine flu? I’ll wait. I discovered this place around the same time I discovered Noshi so I have been coming here for EONS & it always makes me feel good. Treat yourself & someone you love to one of the best flavor experiences you may ever have in your entire life.

Manouschka will return with more of her favorite LA restuarants after the new year. In the meantime, visit her at www.singleservingblogs.blogspot.com.

Photo by Dennis Apergis

1 Comment

Sabrina on Friday 20, 2009

Awesome – I’m hungry just reading this. And I must say that I have respect for any blogger using both “ridonkulous” and “You may kick your mother in the face for this one” – love it!

Worth Repeating: I Want To Live In My Dreams

2009-11-16T16:41:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah time just stops when I listen to this. It's so simple, sexy, hopeful & so beautiful. Dreamworld by Robin Thicke... enjoy! RIP in Shaniya.

(The embedding to Robin's video on youtube is disabled so here's a video clip that I made as a tribute for a benefit my friends & I held to raise money to help the victims of the Australian Bushfires)

Stoked: I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

2009-11-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posts I broke the screen to my Macbook & have been bummed beyond belief. Today I was feeling pretty craptastic, Flo's in town (so I'm already hormonally emotional & JACKED up!) & I just found out about what happened to that precious, precious baby girl Shaniya Davis & how she was found murdered. The image of her tiny hands holding on to a person she trusted, leading her to her subsequent death is MESSING ME UP beyond words. Why are people so cruel? I wrote an earlier blog about my friend Lee's film "Precious" & how Mo'nique convincingly played the mother from hell but little Shaniya's egg donor takes the crown. I really wish I were in a position where I can help Women & Children everywhere. I really feel like it's my calling, I pray the good Lord will make this dream of mine a reality & no more will innocent lives have to endure such horrible, horrible fates. It's really hard for me to snap out of these moods I emotionally crawl into after hearing such devastating stories, I actually went back to bed. The ugliness that lives inside of people scares me, but then I realized I am one of the lucky ones, I have amazing friends. My friend Lucas Culshaw painted this picture of me. YAY I'm a Culshaw Girl!He like Single Serving's director Mike Kallio work in the Horror industry & the way they view me, care for me, protect me & genuinely want the best for me lifted my spirits today in what I thought I would easily spend the rest of the day numb to life. Lucas even painted this while listening to death metal.. HA! Awesome. I'm a huge fan of pin up girls & there aren't very many Black pin-ups, Vargas, my favorite artist in this genre, only painted four. Don't even get me started again on my excitement that in mere weeks I FINALLY get to see a Black Disney Princess *swooooon* too bad Shaniya won't, there was no one to protect her. OH a piece of me died today, I swear! That poor little girl!

Well I don't really want to go back & forth on the subject of the matter anymore & I'm sure you don't want to read anymore it's such a sad story. The interesting thing about time is how much can happen, how much can change from mere seconds to an eternity & the dichotomy of life. From my perception of horror that crippled me to another who makes a living from horror that lifted my spirits right back up in a matter of minutes, today was most certainly an affirmation for the abundance of blessings I have & an intersting study of what it means to be human. Thank you Lucas. May God bless & keep baby girl Shaniya, I will never forget you. "For Precious girls everywhere" -Lee Daniels

Tickled Pink: DOWN with Lady Gag Gag

2009-11-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

AND I swear if they even think of casting her in this I will go Postal. What fantastic news to wake up to this is an article according to www.jezebel.com written by Margaret Hartmann.... YAY I wanna play the Black drummer Shana Elmsford... I LOVE JEM!!!! Oh my inner 12 year old is just too STOKED for words oh AND I'm waiting to hear if I got free tix to see the Pixies tonight, may this day NEVER end! WOW I was JUST talking about her at the Hello Kitty event & blogged about it earlier see previous post here.

Jem's Truly Outrageous Comeback

Hasbro has successfully revived the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises, and now a Jem and the Holograms film or TV series is in the works. High School Musical writer Peter Barsocchini is attached.

How We Do: Lucky Girl Surrounded By Love

2009-11-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of my girls & I at David's party. SO bummed I took off my Vampire costume by then & was in full Catering clean up mode but glad to have these moments with my dearest friends on film... I mean digital, you get the gist ... OOOOOOOOOOOH Blogger made some changes I LOVE it!!! I may not jump ship to Wordpress now... NICE!

Brain Food/Ab Work: I Love Being A Girl

2009-11-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Found these two videos that have me tickled pink this morning & I felt like sharing. Have a great week everyone xoxo

Between My Headphones: The Land of (fa la la la) LA I'm inspired

2009-11-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

Ok so last night BLEW! Just one of the many pitfalls of being single in this new era of technology but I guess one of the cool parts of 2009 is that I can put on blast or praise someone via this blog. In my action packed weekend I spent a lot of time talking about my adventures on Saturday & Sunday & although everything went so well on those days my favorite & probably one of my favourite days all year was on Friday. Now for the upside of being a single chick in the Land of LA. I hung out with this sweet, sweet guy for a second time. The first time we hung out we played records all night... VINYL!!! Who does that anymore?!?!? It reminded me of the Sundays I had growing up when my dad would take a dip in the pool in the morning grab his towel come back into the house & sit on his towel on the floor for hours playing his records.

He'd play thee widest range of records from Haitian standards like Tabou Combo to Patsy Cline to Stevie Wonder to Gato Barbieri to Redd Foxx comedy albums to Charles Aznavour to Oscar De Leon to Roger Whitaker & Earth, Wind & Fire. My brother & I didn't dare speak to him during this time, for hours it was just him & his music a world he so gladly wanted to reside in for just those few hours on a Sunday & we all respected that, hell we were being entertained also by the vast array of recorded brilliance. I definitely inherited this ability from my father to live between my headphones. To hear the popping sounds of the vinyl on this guy's speakers as we kept the volume low in order not to wake anyone because it was late was a sense memory I greatly missed. He introduced me to an incredible country crooner Ray Price. I adore musical discoveries & learning about someone I would have not had the opportunity to know about.

The whole night I was mesmerized by him & kept referring to him as this old soul. He was 27 at the time & I was just in awe of how much musical knowledge he had & that he still played records I mean in this day of texting to start & cancel flipping dates I mean really... WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE?!?!?!? He was a perfect gentleman the whole night, it was really sweet. Cut to Friday night I went to his new place he made me a drink & asked me all sorts of questions about who I am & where I'm from & what I want from life... that was cool. Living my life publicly online I have so many people that think they know me & I share blood with people who have absolutely NO CLUE who I am so it was really nice to have someone ask & gauge by their expression whether they gave a hoot or not as I peeled away the layers of myself. He asked me all these questions as we stood in the kitchen, he had a red KitchenAid food processor the same one I have & exclaimed Sur La Table was one of his favorite stores & that he had mad skills in the kitchen that was pretty cute also. I asked him to show me around his new place & he gladly accommodated.

When we got to his room there were Blackbirds he stenciled all over his walls, a futon mattress on the floor smack dab in the middle of the room, a closet full of bits & pieces of motorcycle parts, a massive desk with every gadget known to man, a big screen TV & a wall of books loaded with the classics. I sat at his desk facing the Blackbirds & the books trying to absorb every piece of this space I was in. John Steinbeck, Ayn Rand, Ray Bradbury, Chuck Palahniuk I mean the lists of books can go on & on & I could smell them from across the room as if I were in the library that's how many times these books had been open & shut shaping this young man's perspective about life, loss & love. I was in absolute awe & wasn't hiding this fact. He asked me what I liked to read & I told him although it was something I have always wanted to do when I was younger, aside from reading poetry, I never built up the confidence to read, I mean to lose yourself in a book is a very intimate experience & I still kick myself for never trying. I let my ADHD get the best of me. I asked what he was reading & sure enough he pulled a dog earred riddled book from his satchel... a book by one of his favorites Ray Bradbury, he opened it took a whiff of the book, flipped the pages, closed it & then held it near his heart. A sentiment I understood just by watching him do it but never personally experienced.

Now it was my turn to interview him. He's from the Midwest, Minnesota the home of Prince. Attended art school at Cal Arts, by trade he sketches & designs rugs for high end clientele & on the weekends he fixes & builds motorcycles. Sitting on his dining room table was this huge old engine he used for practice this thing was loaded with carbon deposits & high speed glazing... some of the spark plugs were removed as if he were piecing together pieces of the puzzle to understand how to make his engine better for when it came time to & he was confident enough in what he did to this old engine he can go off to soup up his baby that was waiting for his care. I thought that was pretty damn cool too! Even though motorcycles scare the crap out of me & I've lost 4 people to accidents on those things. It was another thing I could identify with even though I didn't understand. Then he said his real passion was music... he's a musician *tire screeches* ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR HOLD UP?!?!? Besides being passionate about books, art, vinyl records & motorcycles there's still room for you to make music?!?!?

His G4 was playing his itunes the entire time so I asked did he have anything on his itunes? He said yes. I asked "can you play something". He got all coy & humble & was like it's on shuffle, something will come up... I was insistent "NO, I want to hear something of YOURS"... again he gets all modest "don't worry something will pop up" he says. I was like screw that I start typing a K in the search of his itunes, he pops over & was like "fine" he finished typing his name & literally HUNDREDS of songs popped up... he was like the White Tupac there were so many! I had one of those cartoon moments when my eyeballs leapt from my eye sockets & then he played a song called the "Twelfth of Never" this old Johnny Mathis song my Mom loved & a cover from Jeff Buckley that I absolutely adored from his Live At Sin-e album. It took everything in my power to not burst into tears, the haunting sound of his voice was so reminiscent of one of my very favorite artists of all time & a live version of Jeff Buckley's Elton John cover We All Fall In Love Sometimes that I listen to every other day... it's my therapy

Hell I LOVE a lot of music & have a hard time listing who my favorite artists are in order not to leave anyone out but I ALWAYS name Jeff Buckley as one of them, hey it's even on the profile description to this blog, he Chris Cornell & Stevie Wonder keep me sane... ok rambling again.

You can tell in his stylings that Jeff Buckley is a HUGE influence on him but as we went through more & more of his library his voice changed & adapted to whatever mood he was in or what his song was about & what inspired him at that exact moment. At one point he played one of his live songs & I was like "WHOAH you can totally tell your eyes are closed here & you're standing in a room of strangers with your eyes closed baring your soul.. singing, how freaking ballsy is that?" Again with great humility he brushed this off as no biggie. We must of went through 50 or 60 songs every one of them as fantastic as whatever preceded it. He played the guitar, the piano, the flippin' violin & wrote & arranged every single one of his songs & recorded them in his bedroom, hence the mattress on the floor... he needs the space for his creativity to flow. At one point I just grabbed his head my fingers ran between his vaguely salt & pepper curls & said "all of this is in your head", he was like "what do you mean?" I replied "All this passion & respect for literature, art, music & flipping engines are in THAT head?!?!?" He laughed & replied "yeah".

I stayed there until 3 soaking every ounce of this Man's creativity in. His birthday was the week before he's now 28, he made it past Saturn's return & I see nothing but greatness in his future. Before I left I excused myself to the bathroom, there was a book of haikus in there, I flipped through it took a whiff & placed it against my heart... hell I guess I can do that too... they're 3 line phrases of 5 then 7 then 5 syllables my ADHD behind can handle that!!! We exchanged blog addresses. I thanked him profusely for sharing his gifts with me he walked me to my car & we hugged.

The whole way I drove home a little past 3 am I was so happy to be this single chick that gets to experience meeting someone like that only in the Land of LA... yeah this place has it's perks & that's definitely the best part of it. All these young, brilliant & ballsy people all within this creatively palpable radius it was such a treat & an experience I will never forget. We're all just trying to make a difference it's the getting there part that's super difficult but man when we reach our destination... finally I wouldn't exchange a single experience I have had for the world... BELIEVE THAT! Sure enough when I got home & checked out his blog he submits a haiku a day... *swoon* this boy is good, he is damn good! Check out http://kenchristianson.com/. Thank you Ken Christianson for sharing. If any of you lasted this long please check out his MySpace & get the chills for yourself

Worth Repeating: Still On A Plane Waiting For The Dive.

2009-11-03T00:08:00.001-08:00

I would like to once again thank Sean Lennon & his Friendly Fire album for getting me through this evening. I had a date cancel by text message tonight. I LOATHE TEXT MESSAGES!!!! They're so impersonal & another trick people are using nowadays to feel connected to one another but without having to risk ANYTHING in order not to get hurt. I feel like I live in this world where everyone is feeling safer being an arms length apart. I don't like them! Do I need to buy airtime for people to understand this?!?!? Listen, I know I'm not old fashioned but I KNOW I deserve the respect to be given a proper phone call a chance to hear your sincerity & a chance for you to hear that I'm ok with this cancellation.

Damn.. I keep holding up these standards in the land of LA no one is even trying to reach... bummer BUT thanks to music I am always inspired to hold on. The video for this is stun-NING but the embedding is disabled so please look it up on youtube if you've never seen it click this. I wish Sean wasn't treated like John Lennon's untalented bastard son trying to ride his coattails! He is so talented & under-appreciated! Well that's enough of my ranting for the night, this is not the tone I want to set on this blog but I had to just let it out, I'll just listen to this on repeat until I fall asleep. Sweet, sweet lullabies.

Lyrics:
Love is like an aero plane
You jump and then you pray
The lucky ones remain
In the clouds for days
If life is just a stage
Let's put on the best show
And let everyone know

[chorus]
Cause if I have to die tonight
I'd rather be with you
Cut the parachute before the dive
Baby don't you cry
You have to bring me down
We had some fun before we hit the ground

Love is like a hurricane
You know it's on the way
You think you can be brave
Underneath the waves
If life is just a dream
Which of us is dreaming
And who will wake up screaming

Cause if I have to die tonight
I'd rather be with you
Cut the parachute before the dive
Baby don't you cry
You have to bring me down
We had some fun before we hit the ground

Cause if I have to die tonight
I'd rather be with you
Cut the parachute before the dive
Baby don't you cry
You have to bring me down
We had some fun before we hit the ground

Cause if I have to die tonight
I'd rather it was you
Cut the parachute before the dive
Baby don't you cry
You have to bring me down
We had some fun before we hit the ground

Let Me Cater To You: Starstruckartf*ck... 1 Vs 100 Part Deux

2009-11-02T13:22:00.001-08:00

I LOVE my business cards & the sassy stiletto card holder I carry them in. Sorry had to cover my digits there! SO my homeslice Chef Lovejoy hooked a sister up... AGAIN (love you Boo) & passed over my 411 to a group that needed a caterer for their monthly Film meets Art meets Music meets Food & Booze in this FAB Artist loft in Downtown they aptly called MVSEVM, Marcel from 50 Films produces this event along with the raddest, baddest 6 ft Amazon sex Goddess chick Corrine Costello. When I was hired I was told that it was for 50 guests they would have already had dinner & they just wanted some morsels for them to nosh on.

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum SIKE-L-BERRY!!! 100 peeps showed up & they were FAMISHED!!! I figured they we were wasted the night before on Halloween probably rolled out of bed & came straight to this spot for more booze & food to wipe out the booze of the night before.

As promised I made the Roasted Garlic & Tomato Bisque with Basil Shots & Mini Grilled Cheese. I was 16 the first time I ever had a grilled cheese sandwich & tomato soup. It was after Hurricane Andrew & I was staying with my BEST friend Erin Une, her sister Melanie & the best mom EVER Anita, may she rest in peace. You see my Mom cooked EVERYDAY! We never had anything like that in the house, so imagine how brilliant that first bite of 5 minute to make yumminess was & I was old enough to REALLY appreciate it & describe in full detail how that tasted... it's a time I will NEVER forget & I can't thank the Une family enough for sharing their home with me. For years I have wanted to share that feeling with everyone so I thought hell let's doll it up & make it trendy by sticking it in a shot glass & everyone can have a food memory of their first bite of one of the greatest comfort foods of all time!

Sour cream topping
I grilled some sourdough baguettes on my trusted MASSIVE George Foreman grill... that thing has saved me on SO many events!!!

Sun-Dried Tomato Quesadillas
Jambalaya Martini.
Because the budget wasn't very high I wanted to make cheap & simple stick to your ribs comforting food that not only soaks up all the booze but made guests actually feel like they ate something, I mean how many more canapes, crabcakes, crudite & tuna tartare cones can a person take at a party anyways? I also had a shrimp ceviche which was gone before I took a picture of it. Over the course of the night I made about 60 of these Jambalayas & I swear only 2 of them had about 2 bites left in them. All 58 of the others were MOPPED up... It was thee BEST feeling! I am so in LOVE with doing this... feeding people!

Extras for whomever wanted seconds... it was GONE in 60 seconds.
Atmosphere
My girlfriend Carolyn what a FANTASTIC surprise it was to see her!
Aside from my Mother, my Uncle Lesly, some Cousins & my Grandmother Olga when she was alive (boy do I miss her!) I'm not one who is particularly very close with my family, I used to get bummed about this... but I will say what I have managed to thrive on, the constant source I have always been able to depend on the kindness of strangers, of course this is something that some members of my family are at odds with me about... thhhhhhhhhhhhhppppppppppppppffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff! Anywho, every time I cater an event I ALWAYS have someone willing & able to help me. This time it was this sweet, sweet angel Chrissy that stepped up to the plate.
She stood beside me ALL night cleaning all the glassware so I can keep refilling, helped with garnishing the bisque's with the grilled cheese, cleaned the entire kitchen so I wouldn't have to, kept the scragglers away from my kitchen like a bouncer would & was just this constant source of moral support that I SO needed. The last 3 parties I catered I had Mimi be my SUPER MIMI so I got used to it & this rockstar brought it all back into perspective for me on what Single Serving is all about. I spent the whole 2 hours professing my love to her & we managed to knock out of the park enough apps for 100 people!!!!

It's when I meet people like Chrissy or I'm surrounded with thee greatest friends a broad could ever ask for my soul thrives. So today I dedicate this blog to you Chrissy... THANK YOU for bringing it ALL back!
One of the 4 performers... she was amazing, reminded me of a sassy Patsy Cline

DAGNABBIT I uploaded an upside down one AGAIN!!!! This was the awesome Artist featured doing what he does best & rubbing his belly after woofing down Mama's Jambalaya

Super cool rooftop after party!

Field Trippin': HAPPY 35th Birthday Kitty!!!

2009-11-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

I WANNA beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-EEE Anarch-KITTY!!!
Ok I had a HARD time picking which chapter title this one gets... it was between How I Roll, because hell I'm a nut for the cat & this is how I roll. How We Do because she's a year older than me & still looks fabulous & this is how we do. TERRIBLE! because I'm 30freaking4 years old & I am still fascinated by this damn thing but because the fabulous EDB came with me & is just as old & ridiculous about it as me & is SO not terrible so I am titling this Field Trippin'. EDB & I cruised to Culver City to Royal/T Cafe & Gallery for their Three Apple Event celebrating the Kitty we all adore's 35th Birthday!
EDB taking a picture of me taking a picture of her we're so avant garde
They were passing out gift bags to the first 100 Kitty Heads, I went to bed by 1 am & only had 4 drinks on Halloween so I was up to be fresh & ready for my gift bag. We woke up at 7, didn't anticipate the fanatics that would show up & cop a squat at at 4 am.... HATERS!!!
Freak like me
Us in the back of the line behind 500 people :-(
How cute, doesn't she look like a sexy Hello Kitty candy striper?
We were worried because we were behind 500 people we weren't going to get our ears, I was starting to plot either beating up the boys or flirting with the boys who got one before me & so didn't appreciate it.... whatever's clever Mate I can do both! I walked to the front of the line & got us 2 ears & walked back with the peeps who were passing them out & YAY everyone gets one... yes I'm gay as in happy!
So EDB goes off on a kitty recon mission because the 93 degree heat was kicking our cans... it's NOVEMBER FLIPPIN' FIRST... 93 FREAKIN' DEGREES?!?!?!?!?!?! This blows!!!! Once again we won't have a Fall it will go straight to Winter for like 2 weeks & I'll freeze my nips off... it's amazing what I complain about, huh? She calls me to tell me they formed a second line for people that want to go to the gallery only & not the store selling one of a kind collectibles. I haul tail over there, sure enough EDB got us from 501 & 502 to like 21 & 22 in line... SWEET! That line started to get crazy & people wanted to know which line was for the brunch? The wait for the brunch was an hour & they turned the line we were now standing in to the brunch line. Because EDB & I are dorks we already own a HK sandwich maker & HK waffle maker no need to do the brunch we have EVERY Kitty kitchen gadget already so we're GOLDEN!

EDB decides she's over it goes & talks to the door girl & was like we don't want to go to the store or do the brunch (let's face it we have enough HK crap) we just want to walk around the gallery... the chick says "walk right in "MANOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUSCHKA, get over here!" EDB screams. Now as if it weren't perfect enough the parking Gods smiled on us & we found free parking around the corner mere feet away we no longer had to wait in a ridonkulous line... YAY... we walked right into this....

Up, up & away in my beautiful balloon
I wanted this phone & my own phone line in Jr. High SOOOOOOOOO bad... lucky White girls... HA!
Kimora Lee Simmons designed these *swoon*

Tea Party brunch
DAGNABIT... I forgot to flip this one
DJ Kitty on the 1's & 2's
I want this tattoo... Hail Kitty

PINK pumpkins!!!!!! I'm tickled pink
Rollin' wit my homie
Lady Gag Gag!!! I don't buy this chick at all... all gimmick, no substance & she's absolutely ridiculous!
I'm actually a tad jealous of the Lady Gag Gag for this.. ok fine I'm INSANELY jealous over this!
Jem was TRULY outrageous, truly, truly, truly outrageous... this chick is just a HACK running the biggest con of '09 since Bernie Madoff!
Is her 15 minutes up yet?
Rice cooker!!! Mine is cuter though.. HA
I love this almost as much as I love the Lobster grab tank at Happy Ending, this sports bar in my hood where for $2 if you grab a lobster it's yours & they cook it... it's more fun than darts if you ask me
I wanted to buy this SO bad
Bling, Bling Kitty
More crap I don't need but COVET!

Check all the icons... Carmen Miranda Kitty, Boy George Kitty, Captain Mc Douchy Douche Douchebag Kitty aka Kanye, Frida Kitty, Pamela Anderson/Baywatch Kitty, Bjork Kitty, Cleopatra Kitty, Little Kim Kitty or is that Patra? Damn Black people look alike... HA! Marie Antoinette Kitty, Tron Kitty, Flavor Flav Kitty, Cyndi Lauper Kitty, Devo Kitty, KARL LAGERFELD kitty... SO COOL! Who else do you see?
FEROSH Kitty... Christian Siriano would LOVE this!
Mona Kitty

Now who's grandmother didn't have a velvet Elvis painting in her livingroom... FIERCE!
Dia de los Muerto Kitty
Buddha Kitty! NMRK

The time had come for us to skidattle... our stomachs were cussing us out! On our way out we peeped the cupcake selection... yum again NO LINE for this one. EDB treated & got a strawberry cupcake & got me a red velvet. Because of the heat we got 2 SUPER sweet Ginger Lemonades... I swear I didn't drink lemonade ALL summer but from October 24th-Novemver 2nd that's all I've been drinking... it's just too God blessed HAWT out here... terrible!
Checked out the Kitty's apartment on our way out.. I swear this would have been my dream home when I was 12... or 34... SHUT UP!!!

To that Cat Mobile we go... around the corner!!! We got our booty & jetted for our next spot... Father's Office
LATER... suckaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs!
All that Kitty love, crazy kids!
Waiting for F.O. to open we ate our dessert first. Still had 30 minutes to kill so I took EDB to this RAD kitchen supply & gourmet food store called Surfas... it was all cupcake liners & jimmies for my cupcake goddess EDB I LOVE that place. If ever in Culver City that is a MUST stop spot to see!
EDB ordered a Duck Prosciutto salad
NOW I have been on a 3 month long burger crawl (blog about that to come next week) supposedly... I saved thee best for last. Word on the streets & even on Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate was the burger at Father's Office is the shiz-NIT! There's a trend quickly spreading around (Hel)LA of these spots that won't allow you to make substitutions & alter your meal in any way. NOW when I went to Animal for my birthday & saw how packed it was & how these cats are making very unconventional American cuisine trendy I found that it was ballsy & kind of charming that they were like "screw you this is how we do & even though the economy is craptastic you will STILL wait in line, pay a ridiculous amount of money & eat what we serve you... NO EXCEPTIONS!!!" BEAT!

Of course nothing I ordered that night had my vile nemesis the dreaded cooked or carmelized onion! I CAN'T STAND those things. I like my onions raw & yes I do cook with onions but I chop them super small so I don't know they're in there... SO GROSS!!!! At first I didn't like them because of the noise your mouth makes when you chew on one... the ear is WAY to close to the jaw I tell ya. My Mom would always cook with these big HONKING pieces of onions & slap them on EVERYTHING ruining my meals....

UUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH! I'm not a fan of char tasting things either so carmelizing onions then deglazing them off a pan they're burnt to makes me want to hurl! I'll still make it for my guests & some recipes but I want that crap NO where near MY plate!

Well wouldn't you know F.O. has only ONE damn burger loaded with my arch nemesis & they don't modify anything so either I get this coveted burger or F.O. gives me a big fat F.U. "order something else then" I sucked it up & ordered the damn burger. Unlike Animal I didn't find this quality from F.O. charming & I will explain in FULL detail later I promise in my blog about the burger crawl NEXT week. Here's my damn burger
All those nasty ass onions I had to put on EDB's plate!
Nasty ass onion juice ruin-ING my fries!
More nasty ass onions!!!! I had to drink 3 glasses of water & I swear I never took so long to eat a burger in my ENTIRE life!!!

Look I GET it Chefs work REALLY hard to get these flavor profiles together but to deny someone due to an allergic reaction or dietary restriction or the fact that cooked onions are DANG nas-TY is just cruel!!! Can't wait for you to see how they fared on my burger list

Cooked: Tongue Wrastlin'

2009-11-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

How beautiful is this?
On Halloween I went back to my friend David's. He lives in such an amazing home & neighborhood I knew I wanted to be there with him for Halloween to see & scare the bejeezus out of some proper trick or treaters. David like myself LOVES tongue. We decided to swap tongues & have a Tongue-Off. He made a veal tongue with a green sauce I made Beef Tongue in a Veracruz sauce. HA! What's scarier & yummier than tongue?!?!? I think a new Halloween tradition has started, enjoy the pics!

Candy IS dandy

David our Master of Ceremony carried around a shovel & blowhorn & chased the kids in this... terrible!Bribe money for whatever kids we made crap their costume!
Alan waiting for them at the gate!
Bill was in charge of passing the candy. It took 3 hours to turn him into Dr. Manhattan... brilliant!
I LOVED our decorations

I found my costume in the storage unit at my building... so cool! I wasn't even going to dress up this year. It was a size small & I didn't rip it... spank you VERY much Halloween Gods for bestowing this on me... *snort*Yup kid scored some loot.. he pissed himself!
Is there anything scarier than leaf blowers in LA?
Long lines ALL night. The kids emphatically said this was the best house in the whole hood in Hollywood!

Little Red Riding Hood & I rocking the white thigh highs!
Spooky Dinner. Beef Tongue, Red Beans & Rice & Tostones (fried green plantains) Nicole (Little Red) mad the SWEETEST yams I have ever had!!! Great dinner

My favourite (yes I added the U in favorite again... get used to it xo)

Nicole's yamstastic yams! *swoon*

David's green Veal Tongue & my Red Beef Tongue... safe to say it was a tie. Both so different yet so flavorful. His was tangy & savory while mine was decadent & spicy too good for words, honestly
Call me Hot Chocolate, Swiss Miss at your service

Field Trippin': Purple Reign

2009-10-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

OH MAN! Yesterday I drove an hour to the Le Creuset Signature Store in Chino Hills.... good googly moogly aside from the Christian Louboutin store in NYC, Royal/T Cafe that is hosting Hello Kitty's 35th birthday & Jumbo's Clown Room this is thee HAPPIEST place on earth. Yeah I know you're thinking Jumbo's?!?!? But C'MON how brilliant is a spot where strippers come to die?!?!? That has it's own scent, a combination of dreams gone awry mixed with the smell of over the hill glamrock stars from the 80's tears, cigarettes & failure. A place where 1/4 of the population is praying the valtrex won't wear off & you could swear you heard the raucous, raunchy laughter of Bukowski sitting in the corner with Tom Waits downing well whiskey. I love, love, LOVE that place. Anywho... while I was waiting for my Lilac Mist sexpot word on the streets is that Sur La Table is replacing the Dijon line to showcase a purple one.

Aww... The Color Purple one of my favourite movies (yes I spelled favorite like they do in England & Oz... that's how much I LOVE it) "you told Harpo to beat me?!?!?" "That razor look dull ta me, Miss Celie!" "all mah life i haid ta fight..." Man, Oprah KILLED it as Miss Sophia! Someone posted that the signature store (which there are only SIX flippin' stores in the entire Country) carries a color called Fig.... here starts the obsession.

Here is the glamorous line they are touting as Fig here in the US, it's actually called Cassis & it's exclusive to a store in the UK called Fenwick
I called the store a couple of days ago & spoke to this really awesome salesperson named Chris... ok I didn't just call... I damn near accosted him several times that day.. & the next & the next so 3 days later, yesterday, he told me to come in for their 20% off event & if I came in yesterday I could get an additional 40% off a second item or I can come in on the 2nd & get 30% off of everything.... DUDE what's a girl to do? 20% off 1 & 40% off another or just take the damn 30% for the one thing I frickin' needed... a braiser in Fig!!!! Ugh this is why I haven't had a credit card in over 12 years I would be SO screwed!!!! He was only working until 3:30 & he wasn't working again until next week. I figured he deserved the commission since I bothered the crap out of him.

After a couple more phone calls to the store (I'm sick I tell ya but I'm also a realist) I started calling all of my friends & posting on Facebook for someone to accompany me so I won't go nuts, nobody could so I decided to be a big girl, armed with my headphones & head there myself. I chanted the entire hour there to prepare myself. I always wanted a piece from the Caribbean line to call Harry Belafonte but I was quickly realizing that naming my sexpots were starting to overshadow my focus on things I actually NEED-ed. I parked my car & put an hour in the meter... because I knew I would be battling myself the ENTIRE time & I walked into this...

SWEET CHEEZUS!!! I SWEAR from what I saw then heard that must be what the gates of heaven must sound like
The deliciously sexy Caribbean line, reminded me of my Breakfast at Tiffany's homage
New Pearl & Onyx cocottes... so SASSY!
I couldn't WAIT to get my braiser home & set up the table!!! Ladies & Germs in honor of both the radiant Miss Sophia Loren AND Oprah's stunning performance from The Color Purple please welcome my new baby Sophia.
When I was in college & when I first moved to LA I had my shoe guys that gave me the sickest discounts... now I'm in my thirties & have shifted my priorities, Chris has replaced in my heart those shoe guys *swoon*. As I contemplated what to do & REALLY wanted to make the drive out there worth it I couldn't bring myself to buy another piece... no matter how BADLY I wanted to make my Harry Belafonte sexpot dream come true. I also came to the realization after over a year of aggressively searching to amass this awesome collection that I was 1 pot away from being done. I'm done, what else will I do with my free time?!?!?

It was so scary to realize that but I am also super proud of what I accomplished. I got some pretty cool & super rare pieces in such a short amount of time. Trust me for that extra 40% I REALLY tried to find something else & Chris saw how badly I wanted to get something else. So I just bought the mini cocotte recipe book & I asked Chris if it were possible to give me 30% he surprised me & said no I'll give you 40!!!! I bursted out into tears, hugged him & professed my love. His Mom is also a huge collector & I told him to tell her I love her too... hahaha we had this running joke the entire time of how she must be SO proud of him that he works there. Some peeps want their kids to be Doctors or lawyers but her son working there blows those tightwads out of the water!!!! Damn I should date him... *snort* HA! FORTY frickin' PERCENT!!!! The list price was $270, they sell it for $200 & I walked out with that puppy for $120+ tax
So not to be one to pass on a dream I have decided to switch the name of my turquoise blue paella pan from Luke to Harry Belafonte. It's smooth & the color reminds me of the Islands & they're mine so SUE me for deciding to change a name!!! Now only to find that elusive pink 5 qt Loewy Coquelle I have my heart set on to name Princess Grace my 30+ LC collection is officially done, WELL unless I may want to name one Julia Child, somebody SLAP me. This was an awesome experience. Oh Le Creuset how I adore thee xoxo. OH FYI the Chef that did the demonstrations there quit so I offered to come in over the Holidays & hold demonstrations myself, fingers crossed that I get the gig... MAN to cook in an LC store, Lord HELP ME!!!
The cute berry mini cocottes

OBSESSED to try my new babies I ran to the store & bought short ribs to braise in my braiser

Mascarpone & Garlic Mashed Potato Bake

Our signed bottle of Sangiovese we busted out to celebrate!
My dames... Elizabeth Taylor & Sophia

Food For Thought: For Precious Girls Everywhere

2009-10-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

For Precious Girls Everywhere... that was the quote on the screen when one of thee most powerful movies I have ever seen concluded. On Wednesday I went to a screening presented by Vanity Fair of my dear friend & artistic influence Lee Daniels new film Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire... which is also produced by my mentor Simone Sheffield. 2 days later I am STILL shaking! There were SO many elements to this film I identified with, personally & looking around the theatre & seeing all the women as shaken as I was I realized how hard most women in the world have it. It was beautifully shot, kind of reminded me of an urban Amelie. It was SUPER funny amidst so much tragedy, very reminiscent of life & this is why Lee's films always stand out for me. He has this incredible gift to interpret the juxtapositions of life... good, bad & hopeful & putting it all up there on screen in it's raw & visceral form...

Diana, Lee & I
Me telling Lee I worship the ground he floats over

Lee holding court, he deserves the very BEST!
Speaking of raw & visceral the performances were MESMERIZING! First off Mo'nique WILL get an Oscar for this anyone that can make you hate them that much in a performance then have you cry with them & find some sort of reasoning in all that insanity & you see the humanity in such a monster is worthy of every acting accolade given this year.... but as powerful as her performance was, actually EVERY ONE'S performance... such a fantastic cast (even Mariah Carrey killed it & Paula Patton was a revelation) but I can't stop beaming with pride over the performance of newbie Gabourey Sidibe.
Gabby's ethereal balls to the wall performance... I mean she was the biggest, darkest & everything I was conditioned to believe was NOT star worthy female lead I have ever seen but literally so tragic & this STUN-NINGLY gorgeous artist at the same time, possibly the most stunning actress I have ever seen... as an artist I have been WAITING to see a performance like this, secretly I've ALWAYS wanted to be the one but due to fear was waiting in the wings for someone to do it first! As a viewer I have SALIVATED for a film like this to make me put EVERYTHING in my life into perspective & inspire me to propel myself to bigger & better things that I deserve to experience. I couldn't stop hugging her & thanking her for having the courage to give a performance like that. She was so cute I wanted to put her in my pocket. SO much humility & grace she kept saying thank you when I wanted her to understand how grateful we all were for her performance. Anyone sees that performance of hers will be changed FOREVER! She has solidified her place in film history.

Both my mentor Simone & Lee get little Black girls (Monster's Ball), big black girls (Mo'nique) & now big Black queens (Lee) OSCARS!!!! Almost a millenia in the making. I can't WAIT for the day I can return the favor & show Simone I am worth the investment she has made in me. I don't think I have ever cried so much in my entire life & at the end of the film when it was dedicated to the "Precious girls everywhere" never have I had more truer words resonate in me & inspire me. Please, please, PLEASE RUN & see this film when it comes to a theatre near you on November 6th... Life is PRECIOUS!

My friend an incredible Actor Sammi Rotibi

My girl Di ROCKING the carpet

Who's Your Mama?: A very special delivery

2009-10-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

My best friend Gigo of 20 years came to LA to see U2 perform for his & his wife's birthday. I BEGGED him to bring his daughter Alicia & I'll babysit while he's at the show since I don't get down to Miami very often I was afraid I was going to miss seeing her as an infant... too flippin' cute! Because I slept at David's & was preparing for the party for 3 days I missed another special delivery but waiting for me downstairs Sunday morning I found my new baby Dame Elizabeth Taylor... *swooooooooooon*.

These were only sold exclusively in Japan & South Africa, luckily but not luckily my girlfriend Dana just moved to South Africa.. that was the luckily part, the unluckily one was when she came to stay with me before she moved I loaned her my $400 VINTAGE leather Chanel Camellia Brooch... she lost it (bummer) I knew replacing it would take YEARS!!! SO I asked her if she could send me a Le Creuset pot in either the coveted Antique Rose (pink) or Lilac Mist (Lavender). I already have 2 pink pieces so I was salivating over this one.

On my weekly ebay search under the keyword Le Creuset Rare I found this!!! Granted it's not $400 & it won't ever replace my stun-NING brooch but nonetheless I am super stoked & tickled pink by my new baby & I can't thank Dana enough for keeping her word & doing everything possible to make it up to me. I MISS you Dana Dane, I am SO proud of you & you are forever my sister... believe that girly! You have been such an invaluable addition to my life. I love you!

She's captivated by both the pots & herself in the mirror... I LOVE her!
A love story begins, gotta start them young!
How delicious is she?
How delicious are my new babies? HA! I'm ridiculous!

Let Me Cater To You: To Fang or Bang? That really was the question

2009-10-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

One of my nearest & DEAREST friends, David Armstrong... actually one of the first friends I have ever made when I moved out to LA, many, many moons ago... hired me to cater his birthday party. David is a photographer & I was his first "muse". We used to spend HOURS shooting at his home with the master of horror Clive Barker, sometimes the 3 of us would shoot until the wee hours in the morning, the brother would even call me over at midnight because he just had a super cool idea & I had to come over to "play". One of my favorite shoots I dressed up like Marilyn Monroe & Courtney Cruz was Bettie Page & the way he shot it we looked JUST like them... HA a Black Marilyn Monroe... fierce! Speaking of black... here is a picture we took one late night & I was painted completely in black. He calls it his "favorite" picture & he gets to see me everyday... all 10+ feet of me... awwwwwwwwww! I will say it took weeks to get all that black off of my body it was e-ver-y-WHERE!
For the party this picture was placed in the window to greet the guests... I am a VERY lucky girl, I have some AMAZING friends. Speaking of amazing friends the theme of the party is based on David's favorite show "True Blood" guests came to the party dressed as either Vampires (Fangs) or Vampire lovers/victims (fang bangers... brilliant). 300 guests were invited & if it weren't for my sorry to be repetitive... amazing friends Mimi, Perri, Curtis & Vinda there's no way I could have fed them all & have everything ready.
David's daughter created this... word!
The bed in the master bedroom was replaced by these, I slept there the night before but chickened out last minute! I couldn't bring myself to sleep in there, so the crew brought the bed we placed outdoors inside & I slept in the living room... in front of my massive picture, I know... terrible!
The Feast. My whole menu was red & carnivorous & I had to keep in mind that there was A LOT of alcohol at this party I wanted items that would soak up all that hooch & sober peeps up properly. We had a whole roasted pig, an oohy, gooey cheesy Italian Fondue in the crock pot, red beans & rice in the dining room to greet the guests as soon as they arrived.

These coffins were cool but this one....

was thee COOLEST!!! I rented a chocolate fountain added red chocolate & loaded the interior of the coffin with goodies to dip in the chocolate.. let's just say this was to die for.... Man, I had corny lines ALL night especially the ones I chucked at Jesus, yes Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth was there too, remember the same Jesus from the prop 8 march I blogged about earlier click here ... he kept offering to help in the kitchen, yes he was my Savior too, the Lord was my shepherd he guided all the dishes into the sink of holy water *snort* HA...oh man you should've heard half the crap I said... it was AWESOME!

Living art David wanted to show a glutton in baby Hewey garb watching porn & eating fried chicken all night... yeah I don't question "art" or artistes.
Baby Brie Bruschetta
Caprese

Shrimp ceviche
Spicy Devil Shrimp with Thai Coconut Red Curry shots
Turkey Meatballs
Chicken & Pesto pizza
We made 8 pizzas from SCRATCH! Pepperoni, Spicy Arugula, Tomatoes, Garlic & Olives, Prosciutto & Spinach & plain cheese. I also made Pomagranate chicken wings since I had a whole batch of Pom BBQ sauce leftover from my last gig & tomato soup shots with mini grilled cheese on the rim, I'm catering another party on Sunday so I'll take pics of those then. It was a HIT especially since it was getting quite nippy outside.
Thank the Lord for Mimi (yes I got to thank him personally remember he was there) I got a chance to take a shower & dress up like everyone else. She was on FIYAH in the kitchen banging all the dishes out!

Vampires take another victim

Sarah Palin... the biggest blood sucker of them all!

I walked in & busted Perri whipping this guy a new one... literally... SO FUNNY!
The incomparable burlesque goddess Miss Courtney Cruz

Christ Almighty!!! Perri gave the Lord a lapdance, it's ok they're both Jewish!
My chocolate fountain bit the dust! That machine was craptastic... I got bummed for a minute but got over it quickly, everything at the party was amazing!
The party boy Sir David Armstrong... blood sucker
VAMPIRES!!!!!!
The Lord keeps kosher!

Sound Bite: We've Got The Scoop

2009-10-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

"Scoop!" I purr in her ear. Her hips press down into the mat. She exhales in a long drawn out breath, her abdomen is scooped and hollow... squeezing... pulling... drawing in and up.... ahhhhhhhhhhhh yes now in our newest adventure I have the lovely Manouschka fully committing herself in my pilates sessions, I've already got your blood pumping just reading this, huh? Yeah... I am that good.MyNouschka and I will be heading East to spread some holiday cheer/shenanigans. We have 6 weeks to get our butts in gear to become total bombshells, so we are on a strict exercise plan. I am leaving our healthy meal plan up to our glorious goddess of greens, and I will be handling our workouts. We live on opposite sides of town, so when I arrive to work I deliver virtual moral support (read: do this or I WILL find out and I WILL kick your ass) via morning workout regiment emails. I have prescribed an hour of cardio per day, 4 days a week, either in the gym, or around town. I'm tempted to count shoe shopping because nothing gets our hearts racing like a curvy heel, a little toe cleavage, and that peek-a-boo fiery soul! (Sorry boys, our hearts belong to Monsieur Louboutin.), but in the end nothing sculpts like a Pilates session.
In my last post I gave you guys a peek into the lofty world of competitive pole dancing. I have the distinct privilege of teaching these aerial Titanias, and as a fan of the style myself, I can attest that this skill comes at a price. In January of this year I started a pilates instructor certification program, in part to rehab myself, and with the long-term goal of helping others prevent pole shoulder. Akin to frozen shoulder, it is the nemesis of flexibility, and completely debilitating to anyone who needs to extend their arms by their ears for any reason. In essence pilates teaches practitioners to move from their powerhouse (comprised of the abs, lower back, pelvic floor and smile muscles otherwise known as your glutes - smile muscles sound much cuter!), but I've found that people are confused about what the powerhouse really is, and what it means for healthy movement. I once described it thus: having had a martini or two, I looked down at my pinky, which I have a hereditary habit of sticking out when I drink "pilates is knowing how to move your pinky finger with your abs." This got me thinking about all the other movements I would miss that originate from the powerhouse:

1. That little scoop in the belly I do every time I walk by a cutie.2. That little tilt of the head and shy smile I get when I see my crush that says: "Come talk to me."3. The swagger - no explanation necessary!

4. Anything that involves hip movement like salsa dancing, belly dancing or the horizontal tango.
I bet your thinking: Gee, there really are some things I'm gonna miss if I'm not connected to my powerhouse! Well you should try pilates, ladies and gentlemen, and you might learn to feel a thing or two you've never felt before!

Let Me Cater To You: 1 vs 100 Housewarming & My Brother's Rehearsal Dinner

2009-10-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

Man I am SO lazy. I have SO avoided writing this blog about the housewarming & rehearsal dinner I catered back in August. Hell a picture is worth a thousand words right? I'll let the pics speak for itself & lay off on my infamous long winded commentaries. The night before I left to Atlanta for my brother's wedding I catered a party for two of my friends from my old softball crew Lance & Martha... 100 people showed up it was NUTS! I planned & prepped the whole menu myself & the morning of the party Mimi surprised & said that she wanted to come & help... I LOVE this woman!!!! She was so killer in that kitchen. She is such a wonderful addition to my life & has the best intentions & plans for the growth of Single Serving. Check out these bad boys we concocted:

I made the Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes because we drank a lot of car bombs when we played softball & this was thee first thing Lance requested
Star Studded Cast: eggplant for the eggplant crostinisBalsamic vinegar & sugar for the balsamic simple syrup for the watermelon, tomato & basil skewers

Getting ready to mash the eggplant

Baked & ready to spread on top of a crostini
Star Studded Cast: Smac-K-N-Cheese
I add kielbasa sausage to mine
as well as red, yellow & green peppers
Laying the 6 cheeses
Hot sauce makes the heart grow fonder

Pork shoulder for the Griot
I haven't seen bitter orange or mojo this big since Miami I was so STOKED this is what I used to marinate the griot
Marinated griot (Haitian pork chunks)
Star Studded Cast: bread, chimichurri & parmesan for crostini

Finished Griot with Piklis (Haitian pickled hot salad with habaneros)... the BOMB no self respecting Haitian lives without this!
Mimster building the Watermelon, tomato & basil skewers
Empanadas with chimichurri

Griot
Mmmmmmmmmmm PIKLIS!!!!
Smac-K-N-Cheese
Arroz Primavera (Veggie Yellow Rice)
Pretty darlings
Bacon Wrapped Nanners... the easiest & BEST appetizer in the WORLD!

Prosciutto, Arugula, Mushroom, Red Onion & Black Olives Herbed Crust Pizza with Truffle Oil
Mimi laying out the truffle oil
My rock... STAR
Mini Phillies

Someone walked into the sliding door & did THIS! You just can't let EVERYONE in your home... HA!
Entertainment. I love this kid

Lance & Martha

My brother married a Mexican girl & the entire process of their wedding was being filmed by MTV 3 called "Quiero Mi Boda" it's a reality show focusing on cross cultural marriages. I wanted to marry the cultures with the menu also by mixing both Haitian & Mexican influences. It was a MAD house so unfortunately I don't have a lot of pictures of the food. It was a 3 hour sit down dinner because we had to stick to the show's "schedule". Guests arrived 2 hours late. I literally had an hour to finish 5 courses. The experience still makes me sick to my stomach. Hands down thee WORST day of my life. Here's the menu:
(Click menu below to view what I made)
As soon as I got back from the store I took everything out of the bags & started practicing the table setting at my Uncle's house, I'm a DORK!
I made wine tags with each guests name
I fell in LOVE with these bowls by Rosanna I found at Tuesday Morning. I brought 12 back with me.

Serving trays

I couldn't find Canton Ginger Liquer so I made a vanilla ginger simple syrup myself. Did you know you can't buy beer out there on a Sunday AND they don't sell liquor in the grocery store?!?! Terrible! I added the syrup to tequila, soda & muddles grapes & cucumbers so damn good, yup that drink got me through one extremely bizarre day... it also put me on my ass too!

Ingredients for Coconut Polenta
Cream of Coconut
I love the chunks of coconut from the coconut water.
Allowing the polenta to set.
Cutting them

I made eggplant crostinis again
Ingredients for Avocado & Coconut Ice Cream... my Mom ate FOUR bowls of this

Lime Mexican Wedding Cookies I decided to make last minute to surprise my brother's wife

Along with the wine tags I had picture place settings for the guests
Mango Salsa for the Coconut & Masa Encrusted Tilapia
Cutting the Jicama for the Haitian Carnitas (Griot) skewers
Breading station for Coconut & Masa Encrusted Tilapia
Grilling the polenta
Coconut & Masa Encrusted Tilapia
Avocado & Coconut Ice Cream

The day before I left my Mom threw me a birthday party. My first one with my family in 17 years. She made ALL of my favorites. Griot, macaroni au gratin, tongue, rice & beans... the woman smacks my ass in the kitchen

Field Trippin': Sweet Caroline... so good, so good, SO GOOD!

2009-10-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my little Buddha crew & I hit the beach. It was 2 days after I catered the Pom Wonderful event & after the impromptu leftovers party I had after the event I still had some food stuffing the fridge. For a couple of weekends my boy Zak would cruise by the house & scoop Vinda & I & we'd set off for a new adventure at a different beach... the perks of living in the land of LA LA.

Mito & Curtis joined in so I decided to make a picnic out of it. I had some crispy pomegranate duck left over from the pom king duck , some Vietnamese noodles in the cupboards & takeout boxes. SCORE!

I made a Japanese Cucumber salad to cool off the heat from the noodles

Driving through the Valley to get to Zuma the sun was kissing the hills, the music had us swaying, we were talking about spirituality & how the mystic law is changing our lives & the breeze from my windows down had my hair blowing... I've been rocking my REAL hair lately Boo Boo & it has been looking & feeling FIERCE! We were so stoked. We get to the beach ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...... hold up, are we in London?!?!?

We couldn't see the water, hell we couldn't see our hands as we stretched out our arms... the fog was so dense, maybe it wasn't fog I don't know what it was I'm not a beach person but apparently out here you're supposed to check a "surf report" before you head out. Where I'm from you open the shades & if the sun smacks you in your face it's a great God blessed day to hit la playa... to you gringos or non Miami folks that's the beach. And it was as cold as a witches boob out there... not cute at all! After paying 7 bucks to park & the 45 minute drive out there we decided to brave the frozen tundra & accept our fate & we copped a squat. Happy I added all those chilies to our noodles it was a good time to lay out the food & eat it to get warm.

Mito's way of making the "best" of it... HA!

Since you can't drink at the beach, trust me Vinda & I learned this the weekend before when the ATV beach police came to smell our thermos & Zak was convinced they were going to take us in the back of their ATV's & arrest us... HA! I LOADED up a bag full of all the fruits that were leftover at the bottom of the jar from my pomegranate sangrias... PARTY, PARTY Baby! I was loaded!
Everyone loved it... except for Zak, he didn't eat he was so bummed about the weather, jokingly Vinda started chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the sun to come back, it was after 2.... the chances of that happening was as good as Rush Limbaugh owning a Football team (what is WRONG with that guy?!?!?) Never one to question the mystic law, we all chimed in to the chant, laughing. The noodles got to me & as usual after I eat the "itis" struck & I put my head down, wrapped all the towels around me & slept with the fishes...

AND I woke up to THIS!!!!!
It's well after 3 o'clock & the sun is kick-ING!!! It was beautiful... oh I also woke up to this, poor Mito I stole his towel & he made this to keep warm... pobrecito.
We took lots of pictures & laughed, I cranked up the music & our oceanside party began. Zak went from near depression to SHOCK! He kept saying "but it's after 3, it's after 3, why is the sun out like this?!?!?" Vinda the Boriqua Buddha from da Bronx just kept answering in her thick don't mess with me I'm from da boogie down accent, "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo"... it was awesome. I started playing some extremely inappropriate Miami booty bass & although I wanted to dance SO badly I just sat down with Curtis chair dancing... terrible.

A classical aria by the 2 Live Crew "Doo Doo Brown" came on... the not so radio friendly version played... Mito & Vinda were going off & I just watched in awe of how uninhibited they were. They were jokingly smacking each others cans & dropping it like it's hot! Next thing you know this precocious little girl wearing a life vest came over & she just danced circles around us.

Around & around she went, I was fixated on this & then realized the lyrics are talking about not popping bottles but popping a woman's... ahem & the guy keeps grunting "Doo Doo Brown!!!" quickly I change the music but wanting to keep the Miami theme I switch to some Freestyle.

I play TKA, Lissette Menedez, Stevie B, George Lamond, music that's way past it's expiration date but the novelty of it & the same beat coursing through every single song no matter who sang it still held on to it's brilliance.

This bundle of superb energy, Miss Caroline, did not stop. Round & round she goes, hypnotizing us with her infectious positivity. I turn to Curtis & say "what happened to us, we used to do that, we used to be so carefree?" Curtis without hesitation answered "life" this bummed me out a bit but still I was under this little fairy's spell.

Round & round she went sprinkling her fairy dust I looked at my ipod to find more music & next thing you know... there it was. The song that makes me SO damn happy if an Earthquake struck & I were left with nothing... absolutely nothing, I swear if ANYONE played this song, I would just start dancing & clapping like a feral seal jumping up & down with sheer joy, what could this piece of musical genius be you ask?!?!

It's that song you know, that you're embarrassed about it's like that date you take to the dark & dingy corner of that dive bar no one would expect for you to be caught dead at but hell it's a free drink... ok fine DRINKS & he's paying & he's not a bad kisser... yes it's THAT kind of song! Is the suspense killing you? Ladies & Germs click play:

Oh it was a WRAP! Vinda the Diva, Curtis the fab Gay, Caroline my Tinkerbell & my bitter, bitter ass LOST IT!!! We danced round & round & Caroline lead the way! Her mother & friend were looking over & laughing... they knew EXACTLY what she was doing "spreading her magic". Her Mother Chrissi & Chrissi's friend Briana were photographers & an impromptu photo shoot began... WERK!

We just kept dancing & dancing, round & round we went all of a sudden we were the little kids I spoke of earlier that were untouched by "life" well unscathed by it is a more appropriate term to describe it. They kept shooting away at our exuberence as the sun shared it's last kisses. I then switched to a White Party remix of one of my FAVORITE songs of all time, doesn't matter WHO sings it, it just makes me happy, riddles me with goosebumps & makes my soul happy, "Let The Sunshine In".

It was super poetic as the sun we were worshipping went down, round & round we went thanking both it & Caroline for their mystic blessings, round & round we went the music is begging us "you got to feeeeeeel it... you GOT to, Let the sunshine.... when you are lonely, when you are lonely... you GOT to feeeel it". Round & round we went... "FEELING it" Vinda, Curtis, Myself & wait...

where's my little stinkerbell Caroline?!?!? She was off to sprinkle her pixie dust on someone else. She was back sitting with her little brother kicking her feet in the water splashing in delight knowing full well what she had done. I will NEVER forget her & I thank her for setting me free! We continued to dance to let the sunshine in as the sun shone out. I jumped for joy as I no longer felt constrained by my needing to feel "grown up" thank you Caroline for reminding me of quality of life I have long forgotten.... what a feeling!
Photos courtesy of Caroline's Mommy Chrissi Richards: http://www.chrissirichards.com/

Who's Your Mama?: To Serve With Love

2009-10-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

Being an Island girl from Miami it is an impossibility to not have the utmost respect & admiration for one of the greatest talents of all time, the incomparable Mr. Sidney Poitier. I owe everything to this Man. He is the reason I fell in love with film & acting in the first place.

When I first started my catering company it was originally called To Serve With Love, a play on one of my favorite films & after his most memorable performance from "To Sir With Love". Every now & then I get a little bummed this is no longer the name of my company how else can I show my appreciation for what this Man has done & the road he paved for me? Imagine my amazement when I walked into Tuesday Morning on 10/01/09 & found this gorgeous, gorgeous cocoa GOD for $44.99.... please join me in welcoming the newest addition to my family my Espresso Le Creuset covered baker Mr. Sidney Poitier. Now I get to continue to SERVE with LOVE!

This is going to look so lovely next to my Pink LC's

AAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN-D! my pink & chocolate brown polka dot teapot & coffee cups.... I smell a Brunch coming!

Stay tuned because any day now I will introduce you to a VERY rare sexpot I have named Dame Elizabeth Taylor.... *swoooooooooooon*

I PROMISE as soon as I get my elusive 1958 Raymond Loewy 5 qt Coquelle in pink I'm naming Princess Grace... I'm DONE *she crosses fingers behind her back*

♥

Let Me Cater To You: A Pom WONDERFUL Affair!

2009-09-29T17:24:00.001-07:00

On Thursday I catered an event for Pom Wonderful at Roll International Corporation. I wanted to infuse Pom Wonderful into my dishes. I'm not one to back away from a challenge I decided to put it in EVERYTHING! SO fun!

The theme of the party was 1920's Speakeasy, luckily I got to keep with my Black, Red & White catering theme & I found great decorations & favors in those colors. Here's what I came up with:

Two night's before the event I decided to try Alton Brown's Pomegranate Molasses recipe. I made two batches. One was a molasses & the other I didn't reduce as much so it would be more of a syrup.

We had some lamb chops & neck in the freezer so I wanted to test it out. I made some kale & herbed pommes frites, blanched & double cooked... sweet cheezus was that AMAZING! ♥
We couldn't stop munching on these. I used a Mediterranean blend & some herbes de Provence for this.

Ingredients for the pork & pom empanadas. Instead of using water or stock to cook the ground pork, I used pomegranate juice & in lieu of raisins I used this really cool Pom & Cranberry blend from Trader Joe's. It has currants & cherries & just so much numminess! ♥
Had some Pom vinegar on hand & used it for the lamb lollipops
Soba Noodles with Pom & Peanut sauce

Pear & Walnut salad with bleu cheese & Pomegranate Vinaigrette in a crispy baked wonton cup

Grilled Lamb Lollipops marinated in Pom Molasses & Pom Seeds

Seared Ahi Tuna with Wasabi Caviar on a Cucumber with Pom Syrup
Pom BBQ Chicken Wings

Pomtini with Ginger & Vanilla Simple Syrup
Pom Hummus
Mini Beef Wellies. I used Pama Pomegranate Liqueur for the duxelles.

The Mimster
Our take on Peking duck.. Pom-king Duck on steamed Asian Buns
Pom-Rose Sangria
Pomegranate Cupcakes

EVERYONE had a blast, one of the party goers had more fun in the kitchen with my staff putting all the fun stuff together than having to shmooze with her colleagues.

I was in charge of the music too & had a great mix of classic 20's legends such as Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith, Louie Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Biederbecke, Red Onion Jazz Band Annette Hanshaw, Billie Holiday & of course there was The Charleston... this party was swing-ING!

I can't get over how much fun I have doing these parties. It was an extremely stressful 48 hours everything that could go wrong DID... I don't want to think about the money lost in broken plates & glassware but when it was time for the show... boy did we put on a helluva show. I am SO proud of everyone on my team, proud of this event & can't WAIT to do more ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Brain Food/Ab Work: Truly Outrageous

2009-09-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Man... I MISS this show, so glad this was on when I was growing up. This had a HUGE influence on me... Girls ROCK!!!

Sound BITES: A View From the Top by guest contributer Perri Kraus

2009-09-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a wonderful contribution, a sound bite if you will, from one of my FAVORITE writer's Perri Kraus aka "Cupcake". She'll'' cruise by ever so often to contribute a "bite". I am HONORED to have this be her very first contribution to Single Serving Blogs, I look forward to more of her literary delicacies & I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

A day never used to pass when I wasn’t upside down, sideways, hanging by the seat of my panties, lying on my back, up, down, front split vertical, center split sideways, arched back, bent in half, 360 spinning, and ladies and gentlemen, it was all in 6 inch heels.

Then I hurt myself, and I had to stop pole dancing (you all have dirty minds! What did you think I was talking about?)

I’ve missed being a part of that community so much, that when my favorite Mistress of Meals, Miss Manouschka, gave me the go ahead to contribute to her superb blog, Single Serving, I knew what I had to write about.

When I came to BeSpun I was exercising myself of my most recent relationship. I was in deep, and then he dropped me, so I was going to make every pore cry, until he was gone, and I would never have to think about him again. When I heard about pole dancing classes, I couldn’t resist the poetic justice of getting over this man, and simultaneously learning to attract more. The owner, a 26 year old, out going, big sister type, was more than happy to share her moves and her confidence, and to impart crucial lessons like how to shoot Jack and stay upright in your heels, and why vegetables play a crucial part in this process. (Shout out to balanced meals Noush.)

It didn’t take me long to start coming every day. At first it was simply to distract myself from a broken heart, but it became a challenge. I wanted to master the better, bigger, harder moves. I wanted to make them look effortless. I wanted to put my own style into moving in and out of them. It became my form of expression, that release of frustration that comes from crying or punching a wall, but it was beautiful.

I started teaching about nine months into my own training. I’ve seen girls come to class for any number of reasons, but they all stay for the challenge. This shared challenge has created the most dedicated, badass community I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. How is this relevant to Single Serving you wonder? Well this is how I met the Sorceress of Sweets, the Virgil of Vegetables: my Manouschka. She came to class with an indomitable attitude, and a smile and a laugh for everyone! She brings the beautiful out of the ordinary. She is the shining paradigm of a pole-dancing student.

So ladies and gentlemen, next time you bend over backwards, somersault, cartwheel, or walk with extra swagger, enjoy it, because you can do it. Don’t sweat the whys or the hows? Love challenges because they let you live more intensely right now.

STOKED: Single Serving Blogs gets it's very FIRST exclusive! Aish & the Hubs are on Oprah!!!

2009-09-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

YAY!!!! My girl Aishwarya & her hubby are going to be on Oprah on Monday & I get to be one of the first to announce it & show this exclusive pic from The Oprah Winfrey Show... YAY sooo STOKED for her!

♥

Tune in to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Monday, September 28, 2009, as Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai sit with Oprah for their first interview together. They will be part of an episode featuring some of the most famous people in the world. (Check local U.S. television listings for airtimes.)

http://www.oprah.com/tows

Brain Food/Ab Work: Single Babies

2009-09-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Why do I LOVE these "Single Ladies" youtube renditions?!?!? This one you will NOT watch just once I promise! I'm super excited for the Pom Wonderful event I am catering tonight & all the cool things I'm doing with Pom Wonderful & pomegranate seeds full report to come soon. Please enjoy this smile til then

Food Fight: Tomayto/Tomahto

2009-09-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

It makes me sad how people choose to let out their aggression. Yes fight for what you care the most about, but not at the expense of another or letting your frustration get the best of you & losing sight of the bigger picture. I firmly believe everything happens for a reason & when we learn from our lessons, bigger more substantial opportunities arise & new bonds are formed with people you otherwise would have not had the chance previously to meet.

I recently wrote an entry to update my friends, family & the few I don't know, but I hold dear, that indulge me by cruising on by this blog on the blessings I have just received because I had not told anyone yet & I was really proud about what I wrote & what I had experienced, I still am.

I'm not one to believe that all press is good press but in the past 24 hours this blog has had a massive wave in new readers. I wish the intentions were all positive but unfortunately for the time being I have had to disable the ability to leave comments because some "anonymous" people have felt compelled to unleash their discourse here. I hope this passes soon & my comment box will no longer be held hostage & maybe even a healthy discussion on the matter may arise.

Food is what brings us together NOT tear us apart & Mr DeLaCruz who so graciously chose to contact me personally by email waving that virtual righteous finger... I am sorry but I have to disagree with you on your statement. We are NOT only "judged by the company we keep" but we are judged by our character, the willingness to understand one another, the ability to overcome adversity & our propensity to love. I hope everyone's anger... by now, days later has lost it's grip on them & thank you for choosing to have an open dialogue with me, I have learned a lot from this, I mean that with all sincerity.

Damn Mercury in retrograde.... HA! Peace & hair grease peeps ♥

Brain Food/Ab Work: I'm a Fool to Want You

2009-09-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to get married at Union Station ever since I went there by chance with a former lover to pick up some friend's visiting from Australia 9 years ago. Something so romantic & sexy about train stations & trains. The chugging of the train is reminiscent of the beating heart & when it releases steam & the whistle blows it's like the sound you make inside when you meet someone that can potentially change your life. The architecture is stun-NING from the ceilings, moldings, archways, paneled walls to the marble floor, God IS really in the details.

They really don't make places like that anymore but what makes me love Union Station the most is sometimes I like to go there by myself & sit & watch people waiting in anticipation to greet loved ones they've greatly missed pacing back & forth & when that person coming from the gate is no longer a silhouette but that loved one who is just as relieved to be back in their arms, I choke up.

Or watching strangers say goodbye to the loved ones they will try to desperately find the courage to go through that period of time without. It's one of the few times I sit back without judgment or opinions & have complete optimism of how much we all need one another & the importance of having that one extremely special person to share your life with & share theirs. When I do meet him I can't imagine a greater place in the world for us to exchange our vows.

With that being said I didn't watch the Emmy's because I was shooting G.A.R. but someone posted this on their blog & I ♥ ♥ ♥ LOVE it!!!! Every single second of this is perfection & so many elements that I just ADORE! Not only is it directed by the director & starring the star of one of my favorite movies of all time Amelie, it's an ad for Chanel & I LOVE Chanel perfume*swoon* (Allure is my signature scent).

It takes place on a train & in a train station somewhere in PARIS, with a supermodel looking hot leading Man to fawn over, the clever way of symbolizing potential lovers as two trains passing in the night ON a train but no let's top ALL of that by brilliantly adding the element of the incomparable Miss Billie Holiday singing her haunting "I'm a Fool to Want You" from her album Lady in Satin playing in the background... I swear if they threw a Red Velvet Cupcake in there with a decadent slice of Pork Belly, a glass of Malbec & a pair of Louboutins I would've PASSED out because too many of my favorite things in 2 minutes is just TOO MUCH!

Well I've rambled enough. Here's to someday my train coming in & yours also...

OH & check out this new pic my Lovebug Shannon made for me for my birthday... couldn't you just DIE?!?!? Cupcakes & pink & heels & animated OH MY!

STOKED: Believe it or not I'm walking on air!

2009-09-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

It's been SO long since I've blogged I don't even know if I remember how to do it anymore. There's so much I need to catch up on & so much I am still processing. My life has changed massively in the past couple of weeks & yesterday may have been one of the best days EVER!

While I was in Atlanta I got a call from ICM to audition for a show called "Search For the Greatest American Recipe" I swear I've had at least 10 people email, call & text me about submitting myself as a contestant for the show, so when ICM called I almost fell out. The Producers wanted me to come in thee NEXT day, I wasn't getting back to LA til 8 days later I asked if they could see me then. They weren't sure so I chalked it up as a no biggie, it wasn't meant to be. What's meant for me is coming.

I enjoyed hanging with my Mother & my family, she threw me a birthday party, my first with her in almost 20 years... damn I LOATHE I'm at the age when I can say "20 years ago..." anywho... my Mother is SUPER low key & jolly. She's been through A LOT in her life. I don't really go to her for advice when I have problems because she's not really the type to give sage advice anymore, going deep isn't really her steed & I respect that, she's just cruising for the rest of her life. She has worked too damn hard & deserves the break & I have INCREDIBLE friends for that.

She told me "you are leaving your Jesus Year, 33 is the hardest year of your life & you have survived & overcome SO much! You made it past these difficult times & didn't let that year break you. I promise your life is now for the better. I am so proud of you"... OK seriously I don't think I've cried SO much or could EVER cry so much in my entire life, not even after a "Color Purple", "Sophie's Choice", "Imitation of Life", "Terms of Endearment" back to back marathon. I knew right then & there what my mother said would now be my new truth.

I came back to LA on the 7th, my birthday was on the 9th (09/09/09) & my roomie & his new wifey took me & my brand new Lobou's I bought for my brother's wedding to Gordon Ramsay at The London for dinner & I got to have everything my little heart wanted on the menu & didn't have to decide *swoooooooooooooon*.

Christian Louboutin Carnival ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

The HAPPY couple on their BIG day ♥Chips & dip
Lobster Risotto
Kumamoto Oysters that MELT in your mouth, Hamachi with Yuzu, ginger & Caviar & Prawn with watermelon & cardamom sauce

kumamoto oysters... PERFECTION ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Wagyu Beef Cheek
Pork Belly with crispy Pig's Head (FAVORITE dish of the night!!! ♥♥♥♥)

HAPPY birthday to me ♥

I didn't think my life could get any better. I woke up the next morning on the 10th freshly minted as outta my crazy ass "Jesus Year" then within minutes of my new year my favorite cupcake EDB wanted to stop by & drop off my birthday present a MASSIVE Hello Kitty goodie bag loaded with Hello Kitty stuff & THIS...

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥I mean SERIOUSLY?!?!?! 2 of my FAVORITE things into 1... INGENIOUS! If this isn't a sign I don't know what is?

I rip open the package set it up in my kitchen & just stare at it for the longest realizing I CAN do this... I SWEAR within minutes after I realize this I receive a call from ICM "are you free on the 20th?" I answer yes & they're like GOOD you're working as a Recipe Expert Judge on Lifetime's "Greatest American Recipe" hosted by Chef Tyler Florence.....

GET THE HE-YELL OUTTA HERE!!!!! Shut up?!?!? As if it wasn't cool enough ICM got me a job or my Mom's advice came true or I get to work with people from Lifetime or that I am being deemed as a "recipe expert" yes ALL of that IS spectacular but the ULTIMATE.... COOLEST stand out moment was getting to work with & meet Tyler Florence!!!! He is part of my Trinity: Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain & Ty-LER friggin' Florence!!!! I still can't stop getting all teary eyed when I think of it. Ok damn... ICM hooking me up is the Ultimate too, but bear with me on this one, there's something Mystic & life affirming at hand for me here.

I've worked with, met & even dated heaps of "famous people" OK I've only dated a couple not heaps... settle down Beavis, but this was different, this was life affirming. I'm only a year & a half into pursuing my culinary TV dreams. I've been writing & acting in LA for almost 12 years & this is my second pilot in 10 YEARS!!! "Tyler's Ultimate" is one of the shows that changed my life & it's not just because he's this great Chef, hell I can't taste his food well... unless I make it myself to the T of his recipe but how he lives his life to the ULTIMATE!

No fear, no doubts, no apprehension... FULL of passion & a joie de vivre in EVERYTHING he does. From the way he cooks, to his love of food, his passion for his wife, the adoration of his kids (have you seen the video he posted on Facebook taking a bath with his baby?!?!? To die FOR!) his impeccable taste in music, the sheer coolness of his Mill Valley store, his respect for his parents... the Man is seriously one of the most inspiring people EVER! He ultimately lives thee BEST life that he created & is lov-ING every moment of it, it's so empowering & he's so proud of his life & he's open to share his favorite moments online & on TV making you feel like you too can have the life you always dreamed of & even better!

Over 2,000 people showed up... it was mind blowing! All with a recipe, a personal story & the dream that their recipe would be named thee "Greatest American Recipe". I am a Cook so judging fellow cooks that want the opportunity to showcase their dish on TV so they can change their life is VERY much a sentiment I understand. I didn't want to be too tough on them like on Chopped or Top Chef, those people are professionals & attended some of the best schools in the world & or apprenticed under the greatest Chefs to hone their craft. Critiques from their peers is part of their process to become better Culinary Artists.

SO many contestants were SO nervous, some even impossible to hear I just wanted to set them at ease to tell their stories & share their recipes. I tried to make them laugh & convey to them that I wanted the best for them I'm not just "judging" them & I wanted them to understand that I was grateful that the recipes they share with the dearest people in their lives they are willing to share with all of America.

I mean they showed up with pics of their families or their entire family & are risking putting their family's biggest recipe secrets without the guarantee of winning or even getting picked. Some even found ways to modify a great grandmother's recipe so it wouldn't get lost forever because so many people in the family had severe food allergies & couldn't enjoy it... couldn't you die? I met a handsome devil yesterday who did just that so his great grandmother's recipe could live on in his family so many, many more generations can enjoy it, how freaking considerate & damn sexy is that? I could just kiss him... I SWEAR!

The hardest part for me judging was when the littlest ones didn't make it to the next level but man I can't tell you how refreshing it was to see SO many kids put down the controllers & their Nintendo DS & instead are so passionate about expressing themselves & creating fantastic dishes in the kitchen. The future for foodies like us is safe in the hands of these tater tots.
So PROUD!!!

Well here's hoping the show gets picked up, I mean how could it not? It's like American Idol for cooks & I hope that I can continue to be a part of it. If not, the experience will last me a lifetime (no pun intended) & I know I am on the right path in getting closer & closer to ALL of my dreams coming true. I learned so much yesterday & feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks for indulging me. Goodnight ♥

Between My Headphones: Sweet Stevie & Syreeta

2009-09-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

It's BEYOND worth repeating I've had this which feels like I may have kept it on repeat for the entire day is this super under-appreciated song from my favorite Artist of ALL time. I'm going to let my guard down & enjoy life more.

Field Trippin: I'm going back to Cali

2009-09-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Been in Atlanta for 2 weeks for my little brother's craptastic wedding... TERRIBLE! Going home today & I CAN'T WAIT to get back into this

I LOVE my bed, it looks like a big Chanel Cambon purse *swoooooooon*

AND kiss my sweet babies! Full report to come soon...

Ab Work/ Brain Food: Don't Poke Me!

2009-08-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

WOO HOO made it to my 100th post... who knew? It's been a while since I've posted up a daily smile, OOOH that rhymes... werk! This video was sent to me by my extremely sexy & edible friend Max & I can't stop laughing Facebook is such a friggin' HEAT UP! Enjoy!

PS check out Max doing is sexy thizzle here: