Lowrider Show Los Angeles Convention 2011

Slid through the Lowrider show at the World Famous Los Angeles Convention Center today to check out the freshest Lowrider cars you will find on the planet.
I would say a good 20,000 people or so were attendance by the time I slid out the back door.
Much respect to the Clubs and Solo Riders that put it such hard work to produce these beautiful show pieces and all the people who allowed the day to go off without any acts of violence (as far as I knew of anyways.)

Heres a few pics until later when I get everything up loaded.

Le Creuset - Revolution Silicone Tools

When the word Revolution is thrown into a sentence it can enhance the sound of things dramatically. What once was a fight between neighboring cities became “The Revolution” Doesn’t it sound much cooler that way?  Apply that same thought process to a tool or utensil that gets used more often than a pencil and it could potentially become life changing.

Everyone needs a tool to make life easier, whether it be a fine hair paint brush used to bring out the most intricate of details in a painting or a Silicone spatula that is virtually resistant to stains, sticking and warping. Tools make life easier.

Le Creuset needs no introduction on this site and hopefully not in your home either. We recently got our hands on the Revolution Silicone Tool Set and found out that our trusty wooden spoon had some hefty competition headed its way.

We busted the tools out, washed em off and got to work. Making a few soups and stews and a huge pot of Spaghetti sauce we were able to put almost every tool to use right away.

The Revolution Silicone Tool set comes with 6 tools and a really sturdy base, which is heat resistant as well, so having to move it away from burners on a stove or a hot pot has become a thing of the past.

(Click on Read More for the entire review)

Recipe Of The Day: Supreme Plate Red Velvet Oreo's

We like to improvise on the classics in our test kitchens and this is one of our favorite creations from our "Substitutions Cost Extra" line of custom made goodies. This Oreo Cookie of sorts fuses the great taste of Red Velvet Cake into cookie base, then gets filled with an amazingly smooth, fresh made Vanilla Creme.
Although they may sound like an impossible mountain to climb, these are truly easy to whip up and can be made a day in advance and stored covered at room temperature (or chilled in the fridge if you like your Oreo's cold.)
Enjoy!

National Creme Brulee Day

Desserts hold a special place in my heart. As a child growing up, I was without a doubt the pickiest eater in my family. Every meal basically revolved around whether or nor I wanted to eat something found on the menu, at the establishment of choice. But over time my family discovered a sure fire way to get me to act accordingly, and that came in the greatest form of payment known to mankind, bribery.

If I knew before hand that we were going to a place that had just one single dessert that I liked, most likely I would be a perfect angel the entire evening. One evening while visiting my Grandmother who lived just a stones throw away from the beach in San Clemente, I was introduced to something that would later play a small part in inspiring me to attend culinary school, Crème Brulee.

Crème Brulee, a wonderful dessert made of Crème Anglaise and Burnt Sugar, at the time to me was the most fascinating thing I had ever had the chance of eating. That dessert has long stuck with me and has been ordered on some of the most amazing nights of my life, where food has played a part in making wonderful memories.

Having introduced many of my friends to it over the years, I feel like each and every time I pass on the knowledge of such a delicious treats existence, I am tipping my hat in honor of my beautiful Grandmother who to this day, checks in to see if I am eating what I like and what makes me happy.

In my Grandmothers honor and in honor of National Crème Brulee Day, I give you my personal Crème Brulee recipe.


Enjoy!

Soulful Sunday - The Blackbyrds "Wilfords Gone"

Soulful Sunday - "This Is For The Lover In You" Shalamar

Soulful Sunday - George Duke "Reach For It"

Soulful Sunday - George Duke "Dukey Stick"

RIP Amy Winehouse

Buena Park High Food Truck Fest July 30th 5-10pm

National Lollipop Day

Enjoy National Lollipop Day

Some people Hate em, Some people Love em

McDonalds

I remember when LOUD Records used to get boxes of these delivered weekly. #Memories

The Greatest Shoe of All Time, Nike

Apple

Lacoste

Gucci & Yves Saint Laurent

Mercedes Benz & Chanel

I can't imagine how much money kids have made throughout the years selling these in school

Of course no trip to Disneyland is complete without a quick stop by the candy shop for a few Lollipops

The New Super Strawberry Chupa Chups

In Honor of National Daiquiri Day... The Kiwi Daiquiri

With Nationwide heat waves creating a record high 9000 new records this month (a first for as long as they have been recording temperatures) it is only right to afford yourself a few moments to relax and get a few cold drinks.

Today being National Daiquiri Day means that after work, before work or sometime during work if you’re a Boss like that, you should take a dip into the pool and make yourself an ice cold, strong libation. Not too strong though, you don’t want to be the person passed out by the pool from liquor and heat exhaustion.

Bringing us to the Recipe of the Day, The Kiwi Daiquiri, goes with just about any form of food you can imagine. From BBQ to Italian to Fajitas Y Mariscos this drink simply doesn’t let you down, especially after having like 5 or 10 of them.

Try them with some grilled shrimp, langoustines and clams tossed in a Rum & Mango Juice reduction.

You wont be mad that you did.

Enjoy Responsibly.

(click Read More for the entire recipe)

Baked Sweet Potatoes & Caviar

A lot of people are just plain scared to try Caviar. Whether it is because it is the cost or the thought of how it might taste, some people are just afraid to try it.

I can say that without a doubt 90% of those people who are scared to try it, once they have had it, will want it time and time again. Caviar is truly great because it needs no dressing up, just a cracker and a simple spread and your in business.

Now for those of you who are so inclined at your spread making, here is where you can really shine, but for this recipe, som simple Crème Fraiche (found at almost any market) mixed with some Chives chopped on the bias and your on the road to righteousness.

Once you determine how much is just the right amount of Caviar for your liking you will find ways to allow yourself to spend a few bucks on Caviar more often than you would think you would.

Henrys, Trader Joes and stores of that nature carry very high quality Caviars and should be able to supply your fix.

Enjoy.

 Click read more for the entire recipe.

Fly Libations Are Headed To The Inland Empire...

Toast of the town

Restaurateur is bringing upscale food, drinks to Rancho Cucamonga

Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer

Posted: 07/16/2011 06:08:24 PM PDT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Karim Webb, whose family owns many restaurant franchises around the Inland Valley, is attempting to bring a new restaurant and cocktail lounge to the Inland Empire called Ra Pour.Ra Pour, Webb said, will be something he thinks the Inland Empire lacks - an upscale place where people can socialize and sample crafted cocktails.
"It will be one of the only, if not the only, place where you can have the custom cocktail experience," Webb said.
That kind of remark may well be a challenge to the bartenders who are already mixing drinks for Inland Empire patrons. Webb expects to open in October, so there are a few months for him, his associates and the 90 employees he plans to hire prepare for living up to that statement.
In the meantime, Ra Pour is still a work in progress at Victoria Gardens. The project is taking shape in the southeast section of the shopping center, adjacent to a T.G.I. Friday's in a space previously set aside for a Mexican restaurant that never arrived, Webb said.

That means big changes for what's inside the future Ra Pour site. The bright yellow paint, not to mention one of the walls, has to go, said Webb and consultant Bee Nguyen, who is CEO of a Hollywood-based marketing firm called Grand Tactics.
Webb and Nguyen plan to replace what would have been a cantina-like aesthetic with elevated VIP seating, an open kitchen and features like a waterfall and blown glass.
"The experienceyou're going to have here should equal, if not trump, Las Vegas or Hollywood," Nguyen said.
Webb lives in Los Angeles but has ties to the Inland Empire through Webb Family Enterprises.

The Ontario-based family business, separate from Ra Pour itself, owns 16 Inland Empire McDonald's and Buffalo Wild Wings franchises, he said.
With Ra Pour, however, Webb is betting that people living in and around Rancho Cucamonga do not only want to eat, drink and socialize at well- known chains.
"We know that there are thousands, thousands of people who are traveling to south Orange County, Pasadena or Los Angeles to get an upscale dining experience," Webb said.
"Businesses can really make a splash when you're filling a void," he said later.

National Caviar Day

The final picture is from an Iranian company named Almas. Almas is the Russian word for Diamond, seeing as how this is the most expensive Caviar in the world, coming in at $49,800 for just under 2 lbs, we feel the name fits it perfectly. 

Caviar for those that don't know is nothing more than fish eggs. People expect them to taste horrible, but good quality Caviar taste like little bursts of Salt Water mixed with the most amazing purest Fish flavor you could imagine. 

Truly a delight, once you get around what your eating, hell its no different than eating a chicken egg right?

Now don't let that last brands price scare you off, sure Caviar is a bit expensive, but no more so than the shoes and clothes we buy ourselves or any of the other billion harmful habits we partake in on the daily that cost us more than our time and money.

Put a few bucks aside and go to your local quality store (Henry, Trader Joes, etc) and pick up a tin, some good crackers and enjoy yourself some Caviar.

National Caviar Day I am sure will go unnoticed by most of the World, that is unless your balling with no budget.

Enjoy. 

*Editors Note*

We got a few emails and comments from a people asking if we thought eating caviar was cruel because we were consuming unborn fish? My question back to them is, well then isn't eating anything that lives cruel because you have to kill it?

Soulful Sunday - Love Unlimited "Under The Influence of Love"

Soulful Sunday - "Do Your Thing" Lyn Collins

Recipe Of The Day: Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

This one goes out to a friend who sent me an email saying the love of their life was sick and needed some TLC. Needless to say, what more can be done to show someone that you care, than to stuff em full of Lobster Macaroni and Cheese? On a recent showing of Barefoot Contessa, she had made a version of this but left out a few crucial ingredients to help pull this beautiful dish together. With a little bit of adaptation of ingenuity we present you with a classic old school dish reworked to fit todays highly trained palates.

True there are many dishes in this world that evoke the feelings of love much more efficiently than this one here, but who can beat a bowl full of delicious fresh seafood, macaroni AND cheese.
The other reason you should make this is because it is National Macaroni Day. I know a lot of people have cut the carbs out of their lives but every so often you should have a nice big bowl of Macaroni & Cheese.

It is one of those things that takes you back to your youthful days as well as allows you to put a grown up twist on things you haven't had in ages.
Its what we like to call The Natural Progression of Good Food.

Enjoy.

Spread on Melrose: Is It A Sex Food Shop?

Photo Credit: Aaron Stein-Chester

​
"We're making couture for your insides," Spread owner Andrew Schiff responds with total commitment. It's a good, quotable answer: Spread is place to pamper your digestive system. But it's not the answer we came for. In the few weeks since Spread opened on Melrose, we've become increasingly convinced that it is a sex food shop. The little jars of spread, which are the only items sold in the shop, are meant to be eaten off your partner's body during sexy times, right? We're looking for confirmation. And in case he answers to the affirmative, a high five.

Consider the evidence. First, it's called Spread. In noun form it can be something to put on toast, like Vegemite; in verb form, something you do with your legs in intimate situations. Second, the phrase "edible innuendo," is printed across the window (in a bold white font not unlike that at Thread, the hair removal salon two doors down). From the Latininnuendum, meaning to hint, it's most commonly coupled with "sexual," referring to dirty double talk. (Naming your body butter shop "Spread" would be a good example of this.)

Aaron Stein-Chester

​Schiff is unphased by the facts. He's a pro. The kind of guy who makes tag lines sound conversational and never goes off book. He explains that Spread is the name of the restaurant and private dining club he and his wife Robin own in San Diego. That Tyler Florence gushed about a certain creamy white chocolate pretzel spread of theirs on the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Nutty." That he has many high end clients, including actors and actresses, business executives and chefs. And that outside of their San Diego location and the internet, the L.A. pop up is the only other place you can get their signature spreads.

Schiff uses phrases like "internal landscaping" and "culinary conscious revolution" with complete earnestness while simultaneously opening a few of his small 4 oz. jars labeled with hot pink lettering. He offers tiny spoonfuls of spread and says, "If you don't like it, it's you." Luckily, we do like it. It's like peanut butter plus.

Actually, it is peanut butter plus. Every spread is 92% peanut or almond, with a bit of something different added to each. There are more than 130 flavors of spread in total, including dark-chocolate-curry peanut spread, "Cannabis Kissed" chocolate peanut spread, butterscotch-almond butter, and gold and dark chocolate peanut spread, which is made with 23K edible gold. All are hand-mashed and organic.

Still, it's hard to imagine these spreads used like conventional peanut or almond butter, paired with jelly and bread or packed into celery boats and topped with raisins, especially at $10 per 4 oz. jar. Schiff shows us the little gold spoons he's thinking about adding to shop's inventory. "It's about conditioning people to enjoy bites of excellence," he says. A tiny spoon offers a certain kind of perspective that can resonate beyond your diet and into your world view. It invites questions about what is essential and what isn't, and how much we really need.

But wait, did he just say these are nut spreads?! We cut the double talk. How exactly do you use it? "The uses," Schiff says, "are up for liberal interpretation." Message received: Spread on the nut butter and enjoy! In moderation.

Spread: 7350 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036

Aaron Stein-Chester

There's also nut butter for your dog. Story courtesy of Emma Courtland Photos courtesy of Aaron Stein-Chester

It Goes Without Saying...

Recipe Of The Day: Spicy Sweet Potato French Fries

In honor of today being National French Fries Day, we wanted to hit you off with a little delicious recipe that completes & compliments a myriad of dishes, so we present to you The Supreme Plate's Spicy Sweet Potato Fries.
A recipe such as this calls for only a few ingredients that are commonly found in every kitchen so there should be no need to plan a trip to the market.

There is something great about life even during hard times. Life is something that should be celebrated every day, for instance the weather is a little overcast as of right now, so lets enjoy the fact that the people without Air Conditioning aren't dying from heat exhaustion.

Everyone could always use a few strong drinks to warm themselves up, so you might as well bust out a few shots and hell why your at it, why not just go all out and finish off the meal with one of our  Supreme Plate Turkey Burgers, I am sure your workout routine won't hate you the next day for enjoying all of these great things.


Enjoy them today!!
For the Recipes & More Click Read More.