mmm!

guess who's excited about the long beach crawfish festival august 3rd?


...(here's where you pretend you don't know...)


*I* am!


mmmmmmmm!!

sometimes you just have to laugh.

my therapist tells me that when I'm uncomfortable, it generally has to do with me. he's right. but that doesn't negate the fact that sometimes the rest of the world seems so ridiculous that all i can do is laugh. because really...REALLY...is that (insert something here) important in the scheme of things? Probably not.

so tonight i'm laughing. just not out loud.


sar

p.s. oh, and another thing. i don't care what the movies say. I don't get the big deal over pinot. I'll take a Duckhorn merlot over a Burgundy any day...

my date with new york food royalty!

Somehow this week I managed to one-up myself in the yum department. Earlier this month I made jerk chicken like, five times until I got it so right that I keot having dinner parties with different people invited, just to show it off. The week began by my being a guest on Gary Vaynerchuk's Wine Library TV. Since Gary is my hero in wine, attitude, marketing genious, and coolness, this was, of course, the BEST. THING. EVER. You can watch it ( episode #494) any time at http://tv.winelibrary.com.

As if things couldn't get any better, yesterday I had a lunch date with New York City's food royalty, Jesse Sheidlower (OED Editor-at-large and well known NYC foodie) and Robert Sietsema (food writer for the village voice and various other publications).

Jesse and Bob had arranged for us to be on a certain train, Bob on the platform, and we'd meet at a specific stop and ride to Jersey City to eat at one of the many vegetarian Indian restaurants that line the 800 block of Newark Avenue. Once out of the subway and into the humid light of this late June afternoon, there the three of us were, Jesse looking proper in his khaki suit and blue polka-dotted tie with Oxford wing tip shoes, Bob in brightly colored shorts with vertical stripes and a shirt with horizontal stripes, and me, straight outta Los Angeles with a very casual skirt, tank top, and flip flops.

We followed Bob, who cheerfully pointed out every building, the nuances of its deterioration, explaining the history of the town like he'd written a thesis on it or something. Every restaurant, bakery, or pub had a story, 'it used to be a this-or-a-that, now it's an Irish bakery with great bread', 'look at that big stone wall that used to be the end of a bridge that doesn't exist any more', 'this block is more Indian, this one more Filipino'.

We arrived at Newark Avenue, the smells of incense and garam masala wafting subtly at us with a cool breeze or air conditioned air every time we passed by a shop. Bob pointed out all of the restaurants, detailing which ones were which, and we finally stopped at Sri Ganesh's Dosa House, at 809 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306. The place itself was simple enough, nothing fancy, with numbers on top of veneered tables, that we were meant to pick up and give them with our order, that way, when the food is ready, they'd call our number. Bob pointed out that we'd be eating Southern Indian food, allvegetarian but not Gujarati. We let Bob order for us, and what we hot were Butter Mysone Masala Dosa, Masala Idly, and Upma. What it tasted like was like nothing I've ever tried before, even in my native LA's area of Artesia.

Jesse and I sat down while Bob got us water and sambal. The Sambal, though related to the Indonesian chili sauce of the same name, was more like a tasty, spicy soup with onions and squash. The Idly was a soft, breadlike textured substance made of ground lentils and rice and topped with fresh cilantro, and served with a coconut relish that would make appearances with the rest of the food, too. The delicious Upma, was sort of like cream of wheat. It had lentils and black mustard seeds in it, and also was topped with fresh cilantro, and served with the coconut relish and a hot red sauce on the side. Bob explained that it, like wheat, was introduced to India by the English.

Probably my favorite of the dishes, and the restaurant's namesake, was the Dosa, an extremely thin crispy pancake, awesome by itself, and here stuffed with potatoes, that cam with the coconut relish and an unusually fantastic spicy peanut sauce. It was amazing!

All in all, I felt between Jesse's word knowledge and Bob's food knowledge, I was hanging out with the equivalent of man-cyclopedia's, only they were living breathing, and the opposite of dull, and said cuss words at their will.

This was one of the greatest and most informative food adventures ever, and now I can strive to bring this kind of awesomeness to my LA foodie friends. HOORAY!

the diva den

went last night to hear my friends kathleen grace, kristin korb, and inga swearingen perform. All three of them are wonderful musicians, and together they've put together a show called "tales from the diva den". it was so great! if you haven't check them out, please do, you'll thank me.

oh, and did i mention?

that I love Gary Vaynerchuk?

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch wine library tv at:
http://tv.winelibrary.com

I'm going to be on it. ;)

Also, tell your NYC friends, I'll be there next week!

What's more, my voice is going to be in a Jessica Simpson movie and a Coffeemate commercial.

Yippee!

and I say, no, no, no

This is my niece. She's 2. And apparently she knows the Amy Winehouse song. Copy and paste the link. You DIE laughing! She sang this to me over the phone today...

http://www.saraleib.com/AUDIO/noarehab.mp3

:) - s

the mermaid chair...

Well, i've just stayed up for the last two and a half hours, reading through my sleepiness, and eventually, my tears. I needed to finish this book. It's called "The Mermaid Chair" by Sue Monk Kidd. Here I am with tears in my eyes, both for the beauty and sadness of the story's ending, and for that fact that Kidd's words have ended, and I won't wake up in the morning, earlier than planned, just to get glimpse on the page into Kidd's vivid imagination. She threads the words together in ways I can't imagine being able to do. She expresses and feeling, a smell, a moment in time, a fleeting thought--in a way I can only compare to that incredible feeling of being moved my music, that endorphin rush that leaves you confused as to whether to laugh or cry. I'm blessed to have had so many of those experiences, and to have granted them to others. It's so beautiful to witness other art forms in that same, familiar way. I wonder if that's the way some people feel when they look at paintings. Or buildings. Or nature. Or see their children born.

Sue Monk Kidd, you're my heroine tonight. Thank you for taking me on this journey through your words. It's been so sincerely my pleasure.

the article i wish i hadn't read...

...

I guess this wasn't anything I didn't already know, or hadn't assumed over time, but it does take some of the glamour of the show of which I've been a devotee for entire adult life. Only read if you don't mind knowing that Iron Chef is bogus. Still enjoyable to watch. And Robert Sietsma, the Jonathan Gold of the East, is a darn GENIUS.

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0808,iron-chef-boyardee,302520,1.html

profesional jazz singer puts on a few pounds due to amateur gourmand status...

...so i've been hitting the gym for the past week and a half. I figure maybe I need a gym membership to counteract my love for food.

The last food adventure was Chinatown, looking for the place that sells turtles, as documented here. The one before that was when Josh was in town and we went on a journey to find the best gumbo in Inglewood.

I believe my next adventure will Singaporean food. I've tried Yazmin in Alhambra (which is fantastic).

Here are the other options:

Litz Restaurant:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/litz-restaurant-monterey-park#hrid:ppi8uRaZyKG37A7q-T3b_Q/query:singapore

Singapore's Banana Leaf:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/singapores-banana-leaf-los-angeles#hrid:O4XpW-M7gXcQ_JyGjqv-6w/query:singapore

Simpang Asia:
http://www.simpangasia.com

Savoy Kitchen (solely for the Hainanese chicken rice)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/savoy-kitchen-alhambra#hrid:dvnRN0kteSmrbJcvwd7SEQ/query:singapore


Indo Cafe
http://www.menupages.com/partnermenu.asp?partner=6&restaurantId=25201&t=1212007283&auth=7780b40d6249cd6f2a82d6f2cff9ab84

Here's hoping I can find someone to come with me!

chef leiby...

so i took full advantage of the day and tested out a new jerk chicken recipe and also made a pot of lentil soup.

haven't had the soup yet, but the chicken was so good, i thought i'd share the recipe, with you, my adoring fans and devotees (just go with me on that one):

One whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
3 teaspoons black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably light)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (you could probably use pineapple or lime juice as well)

Combine dry and wet ingredients in a dish or ziploc bag to marinate chicken. Let marinate for 3-24 hours, and grill, on low, until cooked through.

Note: Traditionally jerk chicken will have in it scotch bonnet or
habanero peppers. I made this tonight for my friends who have two 5-year-old twins, so I skipped that part, but feel free to add them in to your liking, but use rubber gloves when handling--they're REALLY hot!

Eat, enjoy, and be merry!

i have a lot to do, for someone with nothing to do...

today i taught a couple lessons, was a guest at a friend's class, saw El speak at the ACLU, and ate my first Nepalese meal. Not bad for a Tuesday, eh?

tomorrow, shopping at a chinese market that supposedly has live turtles (don't worry, i'm not cooking any turtle), and then to a music meeting with Paul for the night.


Feeling fruitful, but also sad at all of the terrible loss that my brothers and sisters in bhurma and china are feeling right now...

the real world...

maybe I'm acting the fool by outing myself as someone who even *watches* this show, but...OH MY GOD. Do they purposefully go and try to find the biggest idiotic losers they can find? It's scary, truly. I mean, I'd even encourage you to watch this drivel *just* so you can see the ridiculousness.

wow...

ahh, nothing to do...

but cook. So I made cajun dirty rice with chicken and greens.

Looking to maybe sing in China in 2009 and hopefully back to Guatemala for the jazz festival there.

Yippeeeeeee!


s

summer...

well, it's the beginning of summer, and I'm feeling great.

new management, good shows, feeling supported.

plus, Dominique Eade (check her out if you haven't, she's a goddess, http://www.dominiqueeade.com ) came to LA with Ken and Jed, my old music compadre...and every time I see them it's just laughs from the very first second. They're the funniest. That plus Thai foods makes Sara a happy girl.

Should be more to come...

sar

sometimes life means...

fro yo (p-berry)

simply p-berry.

lots of p-berry. it's a good substitute for many thing. baby back ribs. martinis. whole bottles of wine.

saffron and cinnamon

..not for any reason, just because of the alliteration. And because I'm watching Iron Chef...in a rare, but treasured moment of respite from this busy, busy month.

My Guatemalan friend from below, thanks for writing! For some reason, I can't seem to access your email address, so please write me at my regular email address...it looks like I'll be back in Guatemala sooner than later, so, it'd be great to meet you.

News: There's going to be a cool, one night only performance in a few weeks at the Catalina Jazz club. See the live page for more information.

What else is new? I'd like one day to fulfill the dreams of eating at Thomas Keller's French Laundry, as well as at Adria's Il Bulli in Spain. Have any of you readers been to either one?

Went to a Thai New Year Songkran festival this weekend...it was wonderful, and delicious, because, as you may know, I like Thai food more than maybe anyone.

Let's go catch up on some food and sleep, shall we?

Guate

So Guatemala was awesome. Went to Tikal, Chichicastenango, all over the place. And the gig went great at IGA, and got written up in a couple of different newspapers.

Just got back, exhausted. I know I haven't written in a long time, but I'll write more soon!

Fantastic foodie fabulous fun!

For those of you who like reading blogs, maybe you don't know it but I'm a huge foodie. HUGE. It's a wonder I even fit into my outfits.

Point is, I wanted to let you readers and music fans know about my food blog! Here's a link:

http://www.leib/yelp.com

I enjoy finding new places and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and I love reading food blogs. Hope you enjoy!

-S

never say this in front of a two-year-old...

never say "botched abortion" in front of a two-year-old...

or this might happen!
http://saraleib.com/AUDIO/botchedabortion.mp3

HA!! enough said.

newsy newsy news

so, uh, i guess i've been bad for like 6 months at writing in this blog. i don't know if i've been busy, or if i've just become obessesed with reviewing food on yelp.com...

anyway, for news, I sang at the Oscars (you can see a clip on the website), ond, oh! on the NBA finals little commercials, too (you could catch me if you TIVO'd it)! Um, I've been teaching quite a lot, too, at a community school, at a university, and now I'm on vacation in new mexico (i know, why am i on the internet?...mostly 'cause there's free wireless in the hotel, and how can i NOT take advantage of that?!).

hmm, what else? can't think of anything much you might liek to hear. over and out. -leiby

what is metta?

Universal Loving Kindness (Loving Friendliness), or "metta" (in Pali)

by Venerable Gunaratana Mahather

May all those who are imprisoned legally or illegally,
all who are in police custody anywhere in the world,
meet with peace and happiness. May they be free from
greed, anger, aversion, hatred, jealousy, and fear.
Let their bodies and minds be filled with thoughts of
loving friendliness. Let the peace and tranquillity
of loving kindness pervade their entire bodies and
minds.

May all who are in hospitals suffering from numerous
sicknesses meet with peace and happiness. May they be
free from pain, afflictions, depression,
disappointment, anxiety, and fear. Let these thoughts
of loving friendliness embrace all of them, envelop
them. Let their minds and bodies be filled with the
thought of loving kindness.

May all mothers who are in pain delivering babies meet
with peace and happiness. May they have the patience,
courage, understanding, and determination to meet and
overcome the inevitable difficulties, problems, and
failures in life. May they be well, happy, and
peaceful.

May all single parents taking care of their children
meet with peace and happiness. May they have the
patience, courage, understanding, and determination to
meet and overcome the inevitable difficulties,
problems, and failures in life. May they be well,
happy, and peaceful.

May all children abused by adults in numerous ways
meet with peace and happiness. May they be filled
with thoughts of loving kindness, compassion,
appreciative joy, and equanimity. May they be gentle.
May they be relaxed. May their hearts become soft.
May their words be pleasing to others. May they be
free from fear, tension, anxiety, worry, and
restlessness.

May all rulers be gentle, kind, generous, and
compassionate. May they have understanding of the
oppressed, the underprivileged, the discriminated
against, and the poverty-stricken. May their hearts
melt at the suffering of their unfortunate citizens.
Let these thoughts of loving friendliness embrace
them, envelop them. Let every cell, every drop of
blood, every atom, every molecule of their entire
bodies and minds be charged with thoughts of kindness.
Let the peace and tranquillity of loving friendliness
pervade their entire being.

May the oppressed and underprivileged, the
poverty-stricken and those discriminated against, meet
with peace and happiness. May they be free from pain,
afflictions, depression, disappointment, anxiety, and
fear. May all of them in all directions all around
the universe, be well, happy, and at peace. May they
have the patience, courage, understanding, and
determination to meet and overcome the inevitable
difficulties, problems, and failures in life. May
these thoughts of loving friendliness embrace all of
them, envelop them. May their minds and bodies be
filled with thoughts of loving kindness.

May all beings everywhere of every shape and form,
with two legs, four legs, many legs, or no legs, born
or coming to birth, in this realm or the next, have
happy minds. May no one deceive another nor despise
anyone anywhere. May no one wish harm to another.
Toward all living beings, may I cultivate a boundless
heart, above, below, and all around, unobstructed,
without hatred or resentment. May all beings be
released from suffering and attain perfect peace.

A post taken from from "yelp.com" food blog, on Grace restaurant, in Los Angeles, CA:

Yay! Another 5 star review! I LOVE writing 5 star reviews. Better yet, I love eating 5 star meals! To set the scene, here we went to Grace at 6 on a Sunday night. When we arrived, we had the entire place to ourselves, which was nice, but it filled up a bit later.

For appetizers, my mom and I shjared the fois gras, which was perfectly cooked with an ice wine gelee and a liver reduction with apricot polenta. It was plated gorgeously with the beautiful three dishes front and center. YUM!!!! My brother had a trio of fish special, which was tuna tartatre with seaweed salad and ponzu, alaskan halibut sashimi with yuzu gelee and ice wine vinegar, and north sea eel with hijiki and hot mustard. The seaweed that came with the tuna wasn't my fave as it was kind of overpowering, but the halibut and the ell (and especially the yuzu gelee!) were just lovely, and tasted like they must've been swimming earlier in the day. My girlfriend had a beet salad, which soundssimple, but was delicious, with Humboldt Fog cheese, and an onion relish underneath the greenns that gave the dish a sublte, smoky/sweet undertone. Dad had the fried, stuffed squash blossoms that came with a burratta cheese--YUM! I was sort of like a jalapeno popper, but with squah blossoms. Fried and yummy but not so heavy that you couldn't stomach the entree.

Speaking of entrees, here they come. I had the braised pork, which our amazing waitress Angela suggested. When she told me it was smoked over hikory all night, I just sat there gaping, starting to salivate, and when I fonally got it together, ordered witb glee. When it came it was so huge (like a brontosaurus chop!) and falling-off-the-bone fantastic that my mother stared at it, saying "Oooh! Can I taste that?" and then, "Oh, can I *share* that with you (of course we did)? My goodness it was fantastic. It came with garlic rapini and sliced potatoes with fried chorizo. Muriel, it was heaven.

Mom got wild boar with spaetzle and some other yummy vegetables that were hard to make out (I did notice some brussel sprouts). the boar was perfectly cooked and quite tasty without being gamey. It was somewhere betweek pork and venision. Great.

My girl got halibut that was so crazy good, she actually said it was the she's ever had. It had fresh peas and green gnocci and a primavera sauce, and when I tried it It felt like I was tasting butter, it was so melt-in-your-mouth.

My bhrother and dad got the black bass with roated purple califlower, artichokes, and summer truffles in a lobster reduction. I actually didn't try it, but I did try my brother's lobster reduction (dad got his without it), and it was wonderful. Sweet and lobstery with a hint of wine. It would be the perfect thing to eat with a crustly bread. Ooh! The bread was good. So was the butter. The bread was these little ciabattas from Il Fornaio.

Fo dessert, we all think we ordered the best thing. I had the Boca Negra cake, which was this crazy cake that was so rich and dark chololately, I could even come close to eating it all. It came with a curried (read: cardomom-y) rice cake underneath, siam tea ice cream (that was nice, but everyone else thought was sort of gingery-it wasn't), and best of ALL?! the passion fruit caramel. I happen to personally believe that fresh, sweetened, passion fruit is the best taste on earth. It's tropical-y, tasty,and tart in that key-lime-pie-but-better sort of mouth puckering, rich way that makes you feel like you're having a mouth-gasm with every bite. So yeah, I enjoyed *my* dessert.

Mom had an almond apple pithivier, a sort of apple tart that I failed to try as I was wrapped up in my own dish. My girl got the butterscotch doughnuts, which is a rarity for her, as she usually goes with all things chocolate, but the lovely Angela suggested these, so she went with them. And boy were they amazing. W're going to go back for them. They were stuffed with a butterscotch cream filling that tasted sweetly homemade and not like traditional butterscotch. I don't know how to explain it, but to say it was this sugar-covered fried gorgeousness that one person at your table should for sure try.

The whole thing cost about $75 a person (without tip), including two drinks and two $20-a-bottle corkage fees. And whiile I recognize that there are some people in the world who make that in a year, if you dine out at fancy restaurants regularly or occaisionally (and hopefully you give to charity, too), this is a wonderful one to go to. And don't forget to ask for Angela to serve you. She had every aspect of service down to a T, from service to suggestions to fielding all of our (and let's face it--we ask a LOT of them--and sometimes all at one time) questions. She was amazing, as was everything else about the place! Grace can wear its 5 stars proudly.
07/01/2007

We were driving up Fairfax by the time Josh realized that we live in the valley now and that I'd driven all the way to pick him up in mid-wilshire, and we were on our way due east to monterey park for some post-christmas dim sum. You see, he lives in Santa Cruz so we only get to see one another once or twice a year. I guess he didn't know we moved. I wasn't sure if the look on his face was astonishment or delight that I would drive so far just for breakfast. I assured him this would be no ordinary breakfast. Josh (and avid breakfast-lover) had called up and told me visits to LA always put him in a rut. Same old relationships with people, same old breakfast places (which isn't to say the the Griddle and Doughboys aren't awesome), and that he was in the mood for a Sara food adventure, as none of his other friends ever wanted to go any place new or out of the way. He lamented a story about some sad Mexican restaurant in Silverlake his friends had taken him to, where the salsa was poor and the chips were undercooked (the waiter simply said, "yeah, we're famous for that").

So off we were to Ocean Star. Part of the marvellous fun I must explain. You see, after knowing someone for a long time, there are things you just take for granted. Where most people might get annoyed that no one there really spoke english or when I kept wanting to see which delight was under every single steam plate on every single cart that came around, Josh just smiled and craned his neck to see along with me, as we discussed whether or not we thought we'd enjoy chicken feet (we didn't). I guess after 23 years of friendship you learn things by osmosis. We talked about our parents and families and rediscovered (as we always seem to) that both of us have good perspectives on other others' life, because we've generally been around for all of it. In the meantime we dipped our har gao and chili sauce and munched on delicious chicken and pork buns. Josh poured my tea for me like a gentleman, which made me smile inwardly and marvel at how I can still love spending time with someone after so many years.

On the way out they even gave us plastic new years posters, which delighted Josh, as his had some kind of saying on it (his roommates love to write wise quotes up on the board in the kitchen). Josh's had koi fish on it, mine had cute little cartoon characters. All in all a real delight of a morning, not to mention enlightening (or at least fantastic) conversation.

some favorite foods...

no reason, was just in a mood to write a list the other night. here it is:

string cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, strawberry fruit rolls,
lychee ice cream, lychee anything, lamb chops, chicken
masala, strawberry haagen dazs, black pepper enrcusted
london broil, diet cream soda, Pinkberry, pork satay,
larb gai, chicken kabobs, beef kabobs, and most kinds
of meat on a stick, green beans, savignon blanc,
gnocci, chicken fried rice, tom kah gai, tom yum
goong, green curry, mango with sticky rice, boba, bi
bim bop (in a hot pot), chicken corn soup, beef stew,
carrot sticks, apple sauce, Pocky, Canfields Diet
Chocolate Soda with rum, minestrone, Calamansi,
Roscoe's smothered potatoes, linguini alfredo, german chocolate
cake, Morningstar Farms fake sausage, steak picado,
ginger cookies, rosemary scones, saganaki, coconut,
fuji apples with almond butter, grits, toasted pine
nuts, tangerine juice, rooibos, roast beef, smoked
spare ribs, gumbo, french dip sandwiches (preferably
doughboys), cheesecake, deep dish Chicago pizza, el
pollo loco chicken, tacos asada, maple cream top
yogurt, grilled swordfish, red hawk cheese, decaf iced coffees,
blueberries, rasberries, seedless watermelon, beef
rendeng, chicken noodle soup, soup in general, key
lime pie, grilled sausages, arugala, chicken breasts,
hot cocoa with droste, water and splenda, Postum, burned
marshmallows, fresh corn, pesto, jerk chicken, buffalo
wings, gravy, rice pudding, canned peaches, creme
brullee, sliced turkey, shwarma, micro greens, stew,
guavas, rice pilaf, egg drop soup, shallots, latkes,
cream cheese frosting, dark chocolate, passionfruit,
tamales, sour cream and cheddar chips, horseradish
sauce, roasted garlic cloves, lobster with drawn
butter, egg drop soup, crispy chicken skin, flourless chocolate cake,
meyer lemon oil, fried shrimp, broccoli, new potatoes, salami, aged gruyere,
Brillat-Savarin cheese, morbier, raclette, grilled chicken,
beet greens, mexican wedding cookies, baklava, hummus,
dumplings pretty much any kind), jicama, pad see ew,

my awesome birthday week!

let's face it. people who have birthdays around
christmas/channukah time always feel that they
sort of get the shaft. I, on the other hand,
feel that it dramatically enhances the celebrations,
not to mention the gifts! As a kid, I'd always get a
combined gift, that would turn an ordinary channukah
present (bouncy balls, bath and body works lotions, or a new pair of shoes)
into something entirely more wonderful (I can recall a ukelele,
a new keyboard, I even think that back in the day
I might've gotten those Reebok double-tongue
shoes during the last week in December...). Okay. So *this* year (25)
it just so happened that just as many people were
coming into town as were out of town, so all week
gave me the opportunities to have dinner here,
a hannukah party there, it couldn't have been lovlier.
As we all know how much I love an excuse to eat.

Saturday nght we went out to my favorite restaurant (Nook)
and then Borat with friends. Sunday P was in town from
Israel so we all went to sushi and then ice skating in
Pershing Square (props to me for finding out about the outdoor rink).
Nevermind that after 20 minutes we were cold and our ankles hurt
so we went home and made hot chocolate. And never mind that
Aaron maintains that one should use milk chocolate when making cocoa. Inane.

Monday night some friends from my teaching job and I
all went out for Ethiopian and then to Pinkberry.
Can it get any better?! You'd think not, and then it does!

Tuesday nght it was off to Candace and Diana's
for a lovely Hannukah party, complete with homemade
latkes (try creme fresh along with your sour cream, it's the bomb) AND
homemade Morrocan doughnuts (oh the wonders of a deep
fryer...those ladies have THE coolest kitchen gadgets).

Wednesday night (last night) we went to Patina. Oh. My. God.
I know I always eat good food and sa it was the best meal
I ever had. So I won't do that here. But what I
WILL do is say that out of the fantastic five course
tasting menu, one dish stood out as possibly the
best single dish I have ever eaten. EVER...
what, you ask, could possibly make me say that?
Well it was listed on the menu as:
"Uovo in raviolo with shaved alba white truffles
filled with quail egg yolk, buffala ricotta-fine herb
parmagiano and buerre noisete".
Okay, the genious? ...was that the outside
was this thin membrane of a noodle with gorgeously-crispy
fried cheese and browned butter, and when you cut
into it was more cheese. In the middle was a totally
and completely runny (not at all cooked) quail egg yolk.
I know! How could it be fried in the outside and have the yolk
so beautifully runny? I was in awe. Never mind that.
I didn't even think about it until after I'd finished it,
I was too taken with the truffles and the yum. Real,
serious, yum. Plus, I'd never had real live white
truffles that hadn't merely been infused into olive oil.

Tonight was awesome Greek family night. Awesome
and raucus and belly dancing, lamb chops, wine-tasting fun.
And today during the day it was everthing I wanted to do!
Lunch at Fisherman's Outlet downtown, consisting of the best,
freshest frigging sea bass I've ever eaten (along with Mariscos
Mazatlan in Cabo San Lucas).
We went to Little Tokyo and went to the Japanese
supermarket, where I found fresh yuzu (!!!!) and many weird flavors of Pocky I've never tried . We perused two great import shops for coffee
tables (no luck, but great stuff I salivated at).

So, all in all it was a great week. Yes. Happy birthday to me.

yes!

the show "so noTORIous"?!

amazing.

s

the cutest in the whole wide world

lucy on the left

What's YOUR favorite spice?

what's YOUR favorite spice?
I WAS gonna call this blog "I wanna be just like my mom", but I thought the current title was more captivating. I"m here to write tonight about spices.

I'm staying over at my parents house tonight after picking up my dad from the airport. This worked out perfectly, because I have to borrow his SUV tomorrow to pick up my Eames Lounger (!!!!...and if you think THAT'S exciting, just know it's the first of two cool chairs I'm about to get, I'll take pictures when they're all situated). Anyway, it's also perfect, because I have a couple rather extensive recipes I'm making for dinner on Friday, and even though I have to go to Thaitown anyway, I thought I'd do a little shopping in my mom's spice cabinet. This is no ordinary spice cabinet, mind you. My dad custom made it for my mom, with the idea that when she retires all she'll be doing is cooking anyway (more true than misogynistic). It's pretty much the spice cabinet of all spice cabinets, floor to ceiling shallow shelves, and alphebetized, and it makes me swoon with envy. So as I was stealing tablespoons of ground coriander and loas powder from my mom (I snagged a few cans of coconut milk, too, she doesn't mind), I was reminded of the good things in life. Like garam masala and turmeric. The thing is, spices are never good on their own. But combined well, sensitively cared for, and nurtured (and heated, too!), they can make life so unbelievably pleasurable. Anyway, I thought about my favorite spices. They have to be:

1. Rosemary (the pure versatility of use is astounding...sweet, savory, lamb, baked goods, it's endless!)

2. Basil (same here, though I've never made baked goods with it, it IS versatile, from pasta and pesto to thai curry...mmm)3. Curry. Now I know I'm cheating a little here, because "curries", depending on the country from which they hail, are all different (like Thai versus Indian, and they vary regionally as well) plus they're a combination of lots of different spices, but I wanted to include it anyway.

3. Cardamom. I recently made my own rooibos chai. It was an entire saturday afternoon of combining cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg together in different combinations, taste-testing and burning my tongue, filling, and sealing my seal-yourself teabags with an iron. Anyway, after several rounds of beating open cardamom pods with a rubber mallet (best 99 cents I ever spent...at least on a kitchen gadget), I began to really enjoy it's unique aromtic quality, so I'm going to include it here. And hopefully soon I'll try my coffee and cardamom souffle recipe.

Here are a couple of my least favorite spices:

1. Star anise. Blech! And I even like anise okay! Unlike some, I've always been a friend of Sambuca and the black licorice. Star anise is a staple in Chinese cooking (though not as much the friend rice and sweet and sour chicken variety as the 'duck hanging in the window' kind) thought I didn't know much about that 'til a recent trip to Hong Kong, where I realized that the smell I so loathed was that of this yicky, yucky, spice.

2. Paprika. I don't care what my brother says about the hugarian variety versus that kind we get here, I feel it's totally useless. Unless Andreea's making me goulash, I frankly don't see the need. Some may argue that it peps up deviled eggs and serves as a fantastic coloring agent (well there WAS that time my cousins came to Passover dinner with a 'moses crossing the red sea' paprika-stencilled on top of the mashed potatoes ...no I'm NOT kidding).

3. Parsley. And finally, my number one cooking pet peeve. Parsley. A perfectly fine garnish when kept whole and on the stalk, parsley (IMHO) ruins everything it touches when added as a spice. For instance, parsley in chicken soup. Also, parsley in my beet/carrot/apple juice backstage (Blue, I think you'll feel me here). I'm just saying, it's useless. Comepletely useless. And it's a crutch. A crutch for cooks who don't know what else to do so they throw a little parsley on top and call it a night. Blech, parsley.

Anyhoo, here's the point of the blog. Comment me back with YOUR favorite (or least favorite) spices!

warmly,sar

what it's like

what it's like
i feel like i've heard this song a million times over the years on the radio, but never really *heard* it until recently. great song, huh?

"what it's like" by everlast

Weve all seen a man at the liquor store beggin for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange
He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes
Get a job you ****ing slob, is all he replies
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
cause then you really might know what its like to sing the blues

Then you really might know what its like...
Then you really might know what its like...
Then you really might know what its like...
Then you really might know what its like...

Mary got pregnant from a kid named tom that said he was in love
He said, dont worry about a thing, baby doll
Im the man youve been dreaming of.
But 3 months later he say he wont date her or return her calls
And she swear, God damn, if I find that man Im cuttin off his balls.
And then she heads for the clinic and
She gets some static walking through the door
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner
And they call her a whore
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes
cause then you really might know what its like to have to choose

Chorus

Ive seen a rich man beg
Ive seen a good man sin
Ive seen a tough man cry
Ive seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I heard an honest man lie
Ive seen the good side of bad
And the downside of up
And everything between
I licked the silver spoon
Drank from the golden cup
And smoked the finest green
I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times
Before I broke their heart
You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start

I knew this kid named max
He used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs
He liked to hang out late
He liked to get shit-faced and keep the pace with thugs
Until late one night there was a big gun fight and max lost his head
He pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit, and wound up dead
Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of this pain
You know it crumbles that way
At least thats what they say when you play the game
God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news
cause then you really might know what its like to have to lose

Then you really might know what its like...
Then you really might know what its like...
Then you really might know what its like...to have to lose

revisited.

yourmusic.com is great. you pay $6 a month and make a list of (not brand new) CDs that you want, and they just send one to you every month.

it was from just this list that came "the randy newman songsboook, vol. 1" , a lovely little surprise on my doorstep yesterday. and it has me revisiting so much of his beautiful work. he is beautiful, sad, sarcastic. sometimes peppered with historical references, sometimes poking unbelievable fun at us or at himself. and sometimes heartbreakingly, simple, sad:

"everyone's got something
and they're out trying to get some more
they got something to get up for
well i ain't about to...baby, it's so hard living without you."

truth is, he's exposes and expresses some gut-wrenching essences of the human condition as well today as he did in the early seventies.

maybe i'll write a song, "if i was as good a songwriter as you, i'd have no reason to sing the blues." ...and follow with a list fo "except when's"...

rules to live by

so i just thought of a good story:

when i was in kindergarten or first grade, i was given the assifnment of making a list of my own 10 commandements (don't worry, it was a perochial school, not a public school...i late went to public school and learned all about darwinism and evolution).

so, naturally, i had some GREAT commandments. Two of which were:

DON'T blow mouth bubbles that are really sticky.

Never shut the door on your pet bird's neck.

Needless to say, my mom still has the assignment filed away.

lucy(s) and sushi

try new things. like youtube. there is this person who makes a video blog named Lucy (props on the name alone), and she's trying to make it as an actress in LA...it's so cute. you just have to see them, I guess. Her Youtube name is LucyInLa. Maybe with alll the hits she's getting a casting director will see her.

In other news, I discovered yesterday that Lucy (*my* Lucy, the Greatest Love-Dog, in case you haven't been keeping up on my blogs) likes spicy tuna rolls. That's right. I'm a terrible mother with no discipline who feeds my dog table scraps. But she just seemed so interested in the sushi, how could I say no to that face? I was worried at first that it would be too spicy for her, but, 5 hand cut pieces later, she was still looking for more. Oh Lucy, you're the cutest and greatest. Could YOU say no to this?

busy busy busy

Apparently I'm busy. I know this because I've bought CDs that I haven't even had time to *listen* to yet! If you don't know, I always listen to a CD when I get it. It's almost as exciting as getting it out of the shrinkwrap.

Currently yearning to jump out of their cases and into my CD player are:

Arlo Guthrie, "Alice's Restaurant"
Christina Aguilera, "Back To Basics"
Amos Lee "Amos Lee"

And I've barely gotten to listen to my complete Bessie Smith box set, Common's "Be", John Prine's "John Prine", and The Magnetic Fields "i".


So I guess this is less a list of what I *am* listening to and more a list of what I want to be and don't have time for...maybe I'll take two hours this evening and check out some of it...

huh, um...

I think i had a dream last ngiht that Nat King Cole was still alive, a little crazy, and really a woman. I'm totally not kidding. it was really weird.

what's up with the music?!

the AMAZING malvina reynolds song "little boxes" from the show "Weeds" is changed! they have someone else singing it! why?! WHY?!

tofu festival!

today we went to the tofu festival. that's right, a festival of tofu in little tokyo in downtown LA. There was fried tofu, tofu lettuce cups, tofu ice cream, curried tofu (more than one kind), schezwan tofu, tofu satay, tofu meatball sub sandwiches, and much more that i can't even remember (or didn't get to, as i was full after having stuffed myseif with the aforementioned items). don't you wish you'd come?

welcome!

So...welcome to my new blog.

I have to say I thought of like 5 things to blog about today, but of course after just getting home at 11:15 I've forgotten. The dog left dog hair on the couch, meaning she'd BEEN on the couch, meaning now she's in trouble (as she's not ALLOWED on it, as it's a new leather couch, and we're afriad she'll scratch it up). If you haven't heard anything about my amazing new foster dog, check the myspace blog, because she's the cutest, sweetest thing. I'm not mad (about the couch).

Had some lovely tea with my friend Richie this evening (http://www.richiebarshay.com), and I'm reallly ecxited about hearing him play tomorrow night at the hollywood bowl with Herbie Hancock. Then had a very Leib-ish experience driving through Korea town with my brother and his girlfriend, Anne, who've just officially moved here. Rather than deciding on a place to eat, we drove around in three separate cars, looking at menus and conferring by cell phone. We didn't find a place until after 9 (which displeased me as I was really hungry and had to pee). If this sounds ridiculous to you, just spend some time with my family...it won't seem so weird after a while. Which is to say there's much weirder.

I guess I should say that we've just put up the new website. I'm very excited about it, and also about the new music I've just recorded and mixed, which I'll put within about two weeks.

As I was writing this, the dog went across the room, picked up my flip flop in her mouth, and brought it back to her dog bed (sitting just next to me, and the couch). I think the more comfortable she gets, the more rambunctious she's comfortable being!

I think on this blog I'll put up my thoughts, and on the myspace one I'll leave for my silly little anecdotes. I don't know, we'll just see how it turns out, huh? --Oh yeah. This weekend I'm going to the tofu festival in LA, and I'm very much looking forward to it already (it's tuesday). I forwarded the website for it to a few friends, suggesting we go, and Erin wrote back that she generally opposes eating contests on moral grounds. I replied, saying it's a "festival of tofu! not an eating contest...but now that you mention it, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to making our OWN tofu eating contest!"
Mmm...tofu.