rants
zin city
When I received the invitation to Artisan Masters, (an email, of course, nobody bothers with the elegance of letters any longer), I paused. Ordinarily, I discard invitations to events in Northern California, or pass them along to my mother, Ronie Reiley, a sometimes editor for Eat Something Sexy. But this invitation was different. It... »
ken oringer, how do I love thee?… let me count the ways
I love the for your bread and the depth of wines on Clio’s list. I love thee for Clio’s soft light and the purity of your cuisine’s flavors. I love thee for your uni and lobster cassoulet, your raw fish and your foams. I love thee for the Champagne bubbles that tickle the nose,... »
a sweet farewell
Last night I attended what would have been a bittersweet finale to a two-year love affair but when the farewell is to my favorite bakeshop in the whole world, bitter is a taste that is simply unfathomable. Sadly, baker Chrysta Wilson has decided to move her Kiss My Bundt bakery in Los Angeles to... »
magnolia vs kiss my bundt: my personal cupcake wars
In July 2010, New York’s most famous cupcakes opened an outpost just down the street from what I have for two years considered to be the best cake in Los Angeles (and some of the best in the country), Kiss My Bundt. So, of course, I had to do a cake-off. Joined by friends,... »
a once-in-a-lifetime wine tasting
Sometimes my career allows me to experience incredible things. This week I was a part of an almost dumbfoundingly unique, unprecedented and delicious tastings in American wine history. If you’re thinking I’m exaggerating, I promise you that I am not. I was invited to Chateau Montelena to taste 35 different vintages of their world... »
when a book debut tastes bittersweet
Yesterday my new book, The Love Diet, hit the shelves. Normally, a book release is a beautiful thing. But not so when your co-author has been incarcerated. (The LA Times blog did a wonderful job of summing it up. You can read their interpretation here.) The first copies of the book arrived on my... »
wine country on the other side of the world
I’ve already dedicated 3 posts to my odyssey in South Africa but the one subject I’ve yet to broach is the industry that took me to the other side of the world. Although the safari was a-m-a-z-i-n-g and the opportunity to try all the wild game was a food lover’s dream (see previous post)... »
on a secret cupcake mission
The day after my day of eating LA with Chef Annette, I met up with Chrysta Wilson, author of Kiss My Bundt and baker extraordinaire for a cupcake reconnaissance mission. As the owner of Kiss My Bundt bakery, Chrysta has to keep up with what the other sweets bakeries around Los Angeles (and around... »
the cupcake tasting notes: 16 cakes, 20 minutes, one opinionated eater
After Chrysta Wilson, creator of the Kiss My Bundt bakery and I returned to her shop from a Beverly Hills cupcake reconaissence mission, (see my previous post on a secret cupcake mission), we lined up our booty (16 cakes from 3 bakeries) like an army of sweet soldiers awaiting battle. In order to taste... »
Happy Valentine’s Day
Today is my first day off since January 2. I am indulging in Nicolas Feuillate Champagne, chick fiction and some amazing weather. For me, Valentine’s Day represents the end of my personal “Christmas” season. This year is especially nice for me because Valentines is a Sunday. I don’t have to do press and I... »
