July 12, 2011
“Are we really doing this?†I asked, uncertainly nibbling on a grilled shiitake mushroom. Eriko paused before answering. “I know I was talking some pretty ambitious stuff the other night, but I think we should try it,†she replied. “We could end up pulling off something really cool.†I vividly recall the tipsy conversation that […]
June 15, 2011
Mash-ups has been en vogue for over seven years now. Every time Britney or Gaga release a new smash hit it’s instantly mashed up with an old Kylie Minogue or Human League hit. Sometimes, it’s because mixing and mashing creates an entirely new song. Sometimes it’s for promotional purposes. And other times, it’s done in […]
June 8, 2011
Do you serve your best food on ugly plates? Are you still using the saucers from your mom’s back closet from when you moved away from home? Or do you instead spend all your birthday money on new additions to your Floral Heaven dinnerware set, dreaming of one day completing the whole thing to impress […]
June 7, 2011
The Japanese Grill: A Whole New Level of Summer Favorites Thursday, June 16 @ 6:30 pm Japan Society, NYC You may think grilling is a signature American summertime sport, but it has been used in Japanese cuisine for a very long time as well. Unlike babyback ribs, burgers, or dogs, Japanese grilling has much more […]
June 1, 2011
Like a whirlwind, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic came and went in a flash, leaving a trail of devastation and destruction in its wake. Except in this case the damage wasn’t in the form of homes and property, but rather brain cells and livers. After many many jamba juices and wheatgrass shots, full recovery was finally […]
May 3, 2011
All Photos by Yoko Kumano. About a week after our initial GIFT OF FOOD fundraiser in San Francisco, Yoko and I were approached to help organize a similar event down in LA, to benefit the victims of the 2011 Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami. Could we pull it together in less than a week? HECK YAH! […]
April 28, 2011
Annual Sake Tasting & Lecture: Back to Basics! Tuesday, May 10 @ 6:30 pm Japan Society, NYC Every year, Japan Society hosts a sake lecture and tasting, inviting dozens of brewers from Japan. Over the years, we’ve covered so many topics on sake–from water, rice, milling, sake vessels, molds, to even bottling. Sake is becoming […]
March 25, 2011
MUSICAL LINE-UP (Update Tues. 3/29, 11:50am PST) Tommy Guerrero Gadget (Function 8 ) TophOne (RedWine DJs) DJ Orb Gabuã¡ã‚ƒã‚“ (Amoeba Records) +++ The night of March 10, here in Oakland California, was like any other night. I finished my shift early, was home by 10pm, slipped into my pjs and grabbed a beer from the […]
March 10, 2011
My friend Tessa Liebman, the executive chef at the Housing Works, is hosting a very special dinner on Saturday, March 12th at the Housing Works bookshop in SoHo. She has spent months working with artist Balint Zsako to create a unique, collaborative event. Tessa wants to keep the elements of the dinner a surprise, but […]
February 1, 2011
February is upon us, and for those of us in the Bay Area it brings Strong Beer! If you have not heard, February is Strong Beer Month in San Francisco, a time when two of the local microbreweries Magnolia and 21st Amendment each feature six strong beers (all over 8% ABV). When you drink all […]