new year.

Happy New Year! Hello 2015!

After a busy holiday and a lazy New Year's Eve, I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. I'm doing that now, with a series of New Year's posts. But don't worry, I'm not making any resolution to blog more or better, because we all know that will last about three days.




I got together with some of my lovely friends this morning, and afterwards I was struck by the word "intentions," and how much more I like it than "resolutions." It feels more open and open minded, more about an idea that you throw out to the universe and less about whipping yourself into an all new super-person this year. So, I'm going with "intentions" this year.




I'm also going with the camellia as evocative of the New Year. Why? Not sure. They're just the most fascinating flower, their stunning symmetry representing the perfect order in nature. I think I described them before as being like Japanese origami dresses. I walk by a lot of flowers, but I rarely walk by camellias without stopping to check them out. Endless wonder. Always new.




So, that's it. The camellia is the New Year flower. Stay tuned--more to come.

double feature #2.

We are back! With Double Feature, round two. In celebration of the McConnaissance, this week we watched Bernie and The Lincoln Lawyer.

I'm just going to come right out and say it--Bernie is a wonderful film! Such a fascinating slice of human nature, told in a half-drama, half-documentary style. I know we all tire of Jack Black's schtick, but he was mesmerizing as Bernie. McConaughey was perfect as the small-town D.A., and his mom, Kay McConaughey, makes a hilarious cameo as one of the townspeople.

Next up was The Lincoln Lawyer, based on on the novel by Michael Connelly. I'm just going to come right out and say it, too--I'm not a Connelly fan. I would like to be, since his books take place in my favorite city, but they are rife with hokey, cliché cops and evil-for-evil's-sake sociopaths and serial killers.

But director Brad Furman did an amazing job adapting the story to the screen. The narrative, while not earth-shattering, is lively and engaging, and Matthew chews it all up as the always-hustling lawyer who finds himself hustled by a new client. I can even forgive Ryan Philippe for playing Ryan Philippe again.

What wowed me about The Lincoln Lawyer was its view of Los Angeles. This will be one of the great L.A. movies (a blog entry I've been meaning to write for awhile now). It steps away from the cliché L.A. of 90210 (which I love) and takes us East, highlighting landmarks like Cole's downtown, The York in Highland Park and Jim's Burgers in Boyle Heights.

And the soundtrack is off the hook! I definitely recommend checking it out. I love anything that exposes me to the lesser-known music of the 60s and 70s. Highlights included the opening with "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" by Bobby Bland, "107 Degrees," by Citizen Cope...

...and the majestic "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw that plays over the closing credits.

 

Since I got home for the hospital, I've received some lovely gifts from friends and family. Tulips from my dad...

...lavender from my friend Devon....

...found fruit from Jean Marie...

...and lotería cards, too.

I discovered this wonderful blog, Under the Hollywood Sign, History and Filmmaking in the Heart of Hollywood. 

Hollywood Poinsettias, Tommy Dangcil, via Under the Hollywood Sign

 And started a new book--I'm actually reading something that came out this year.

Finally, I leave you with some photos of stunning flowers in bloom.

That's all for now. I'll be back soon with another Double Feature.

double feature #1.

If I could be anywhere right now, it would be here.

Dreaming of Malibu.

Alas, I am couch bound for the next few weeks, and can't stray too far from...my couch. Since I have a lot of time on the couch, I thought I would start a new feature called "Double Feature." So, let's all settle into couch potato mode and catch up on some of the films I've wanted to see.

First up: The Awakening and The Woman in Black.

I'm a sucker for good old fashioned, Gothic ghost stories. Throw in some English accents, and I'm an even bigger sucker. I just can't resist.

Luckily, I found two recent entries into the genre: The Awakening, starring the wonderful Rebecca Hall and The Woman in Black with a post-Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe.

The movies feature similar plots-- small, English countryside towns terrorized by ghosts. They both feature the amazing British character actors I love--Dominic West and Imelda Staunton in The Awakening, Ciaran Hinds and Janet McTeer in The Woman in Black.

The Awakening is the superior film, with a far more complex story, where the haunting arises from buried guilt and emotions of the protagonist, and a nifty double twist at the end. The Woman in Black, while gorgeously shot (reminding a lot of True Detective), features a deathly slow, hackneyed plot--the revenge of The Mother--that's rife with empty scares.

So, see The Awakening--a stunningly-acted ghost story for adults, but pass on The Woman in Black.

While I'm a little bummed that I'm housebound and not operating at full capacity, it doesn't mean I can't do and find fabulous--on the internet and out in the world. Here are a few I would like to share with you.

M Café's Macro Meal

I've been really wanting to step up my diet--go seriously vegan, at least during the week. And there's no better place to kick off that resolution than M Café in Hollywood. On the way back from the hospital, I stopped in for their Macrobiotic Bowl, filled with veggies, adzuki beans, seaweed and brown rice. My commitment has to a new way of living has begun.

I also picked up a couple of new items at Trader Joe's--the Melodious Blend of green garbanzos, red and green lentils, in the freezer section and a bag of the new black rice. WARNING: the black rice is a bit messy. But put these two together with some lemon and herbs, and you've got yourself a satisfying weekday lunch.

I also came upon this great, new blog: Running with Tweezers. Check out these recipes for green gazpacho and a roasted eggplant and white bean dip. I will be whipping these up in the near future.

I don't generally like to use this blog to post what's wildly popular on the internet. I prefer the undiscovered, the gems yet to be mined. However, I couldn't resist this one: photographer Andrew Knapp travels everywhere, placing his border collie Momo in "Where's Waldo" type scenarios and then Instagrams it all. Bonus: it's a book, Find Momo.

So much fun, and I haven't even gotten them all yet.

Photos via @AndrewKnapp

So, if I were able to get out and about, here's what I would be doing:

The L.A. Chamber Orchestra is throwing a Strad Fest! Why didn't somebody think of this sooner? It's a two-night extravaganza featuring more Strads than you can shake a horsehair bow at. The Stradosphere gala takes place on March 29th at the very exclusive California Club and tickets are a cool $750. But on the night before, there's the Strad Fiddlefest at the Broad Stage, and the program looks pretty incredible.

  The Da Vinci Stradivarius, 1725

Another not-to-be-missed music series that kicked off this weekend is Minimalist Jukebox, hosted by L.A. Philharmonic and Disney Hall, but also featuring artists and chamber groups from around the city.

The stars of the program are the Kraftwerk 3-D concerts, and tickets are going fast. But if I had my choice, I would opt to see the incredible Calder Quartet perform in the Green Umbrella Series, the equally awesome Lyris Quartet perform Philip Glass in the Jacaranda Series and John Adams conduct the Colburn School Orchestra in his own pieces, Hallelujah Junction and Gnarly Buttons.

AND there's a good chance that I'll be recovered enough to attend these events, so I just may report back to you on them.

I'm also playing with Mextures these days, the next wave in filtered photos. It's pretty sophisticated, a step up from Instagram, Pixlromatic, Picstitch and the like. The effects are more refined, and to blend the right ones together is a bit of a learning process. But I am having fun with it.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for my next Double Feature.

more love.

Sorry, but I just couldn't stop at 10.

I love the Tumblr Sad Desk Lunch.

 Photo via saddesklunch.com

I did not have a sad desk lunch yesterday. I had a lovely lunch date with my friend Fran at Mercantile.

The house-cured salmon, escarole, white bean and lemon salad at 

Mercantile. Delicious? Yes. Lunch? Er...

I love this blog The Terrier and Lobster, especially this post on trompe l'oeil book wallpaper.

All photos via The Terrier and Lobster.

I love this dog that poked its head out on our walk. My dog? Not so much. Lots of barking and leash-pulling ensued.

I love this statue I spotted while hiking in the Hollywood Hills.

I love Chinatown.

I love this sign.

I love this car I was behind on the 101.

I love bougainvillea, up close and personal.

I love the blog 101 Cookbooks so so so so much, specifically for all the amazing soup recipes.

Clockwise from top left: Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, Ginger Coconut Milk Soup,  

Posole in Broth, Simple Tomato Soup, all via 101 Cookbooks.

And I love these dresses made from vintage sheets.

Photo via Naughty Shorts!

That's all for now, but I'll be back soon. xoL.

love.

10 things I'm loving now. Here they are.

1. The Morning Glory Salad at Jitlada.

All photos by Toy Tanks, unless noted.

Much has been written about Jitlada and its exhaustive typewritten menu of authentic Southern Thai dishes and the walls lined with drawings by Matt Groening (a regular). So I don't need to re-hash it for you. But I will say that if I had to choose my one favorite dish since living in L.A., the Morning Glory Salad would be it.

I suppose I should explain what it is. I'll try: lightly deep-fried morning glory--the vegetable, not the flower--tossed with shrimp, cilantro, onions and tempura bits, all in this amazing lime dressing (they wouldn't tell me what was in it).

I had only had Americanized Thai food before moving to L.A., and I hated it. Sampling ThaiTown's  strip mall holes-in-the-wall--and there are tons of them--has been quite an experience. Actually, my go-to for Thai these days is Ganda. Fish Tom Yum this first thing I ate after recovering from the flu this year. Jitlada is where I go for something special or to take out-of-towners.

One of my favorite food bloggers, Jo Stougaard of My Last Bite, has "trained" her taste buds to handle the unparalleled hotness of Jitlada dishes by first eating a habanero pepper a day, then graduating to a ghost pepper a day. That is dedication to a restaurant. She is determined to eat her way through the menu and you can see her progress on her flickr page.

2. Pho Café is another strip mall gem on the stretch of Sunset between Silverlake and Echo Park. I love it, because there are numerous vegetarian options, and it's super authentic--so I don't have to venture into the wilds of the San Gabriel Valley every time I crave pho.

On the other hand, it's in Silverlake, which...sigh, you know how I feel about this. Yet the food is worth enduring the Silverlake-esque conversations that surround you. On my last visit, I overheard a hip, young fella ask his dining companions whether he should get a tattoo of his face on his face.

I'm thinking of starting a feature on TTandCF called "Places that Make Silverlake Somewhat Bearable." What do you think?

3. Just started this--the audio version--and I'm loving it, a sweeping epic novel, the story of Logan Mountstuart, novelist, spy and art dealer, told the form of journal entries.

"We keep a journal to entrap that collection of selves 

that forms us, the individual human being...

riotous and disorganized...I am all these different 

people--all these different people are me."

Photo via pbs.org.

Once I'm finished, I'm looking forward to the Masterpiece Classic adaptation. Yes, I have become my parents.

4. Another feature I'd like to start on the blog is "I Can't Believe I've Never Been to..." I'm going to kick it off with Mariscos Chente, one of the top spots in the city for Sinaloan seafood. I finally made it over there (well, it is on the Westside!) and loved it. A total family-run vibe, burning-hot salsa, a jukebox, and I was the only gringa (or gaba as the Mexicans really say) in the place.

Photo by one of George's schoolmates, parents or siblings.

5. I love this photo of George Harrison.

6. Camellias blow my mind. Love them. They are like architectural Japanese dresses.

The Hollywood Walgreen's is not your mom's Walgreen's. Oh, no.

7. Sushi from Walgreen's. That's right. Also, shut up. It's incredibly good. Yes, it's of the "rock-n-roll" variety, which horrifies sushi purists, but I have become obsessed with it. I love the chefs who make it. They seem so proud of their creations and inform me every time I'm there, "Everything is made fresh today." And it is fresh, delicious and perfect for lunch.There are dragon rolls and "spicy chili rolls," all with lots of that crunchy stuff, and one day there was even a roll topped with diced strawberries--and yet, I'm not offended by any of it.

8. I love the sign at the Malibu Pier.

9. I am making a commitment to get to the beach more this year. I'm ashamed my dog has yet to experience the ocean, but beaches that allow dogs are few in the L.A. area. My friend Gerry told me about Mugu Point, near Leo Carrillo. Both dog-friendly. I see a pilgrimage some time in the near future.

Photos and original design by David Schwen.

10. I love these Pantone food pairings by Minneapolis-based graphic designer, David Schwen.

Thanks for checking the blog out. I'll be back soon. Love, L.