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Food Fashionista - Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers

                   "There's no place like home" - Dorothy

No matter what age or where I'm at in my life, I can never switch the channel when I find the Wizard of Oz  playing on the television set. Besides the mesmerizing colors, lovable characters, and feel-good music, it's an ageless classic and timeless reminder of what's most important in our lives. 

As life goes on, we often discover, that everything we had hoped and craved for, were actually within our vicinity and reach all along.

Long live courage, brains and most of all...love ♥

Morimoto Lunch at WP24 - Los Angeles Food and Wine

Kin Medai Snapper w/Geoduck, Papya, Peanuts & Coconut Foam paired with a Grieve Sauvignon Blanc, Napa 2009

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto hosted an exquisite wine-paired luncheon as part of the Lexus-sponsored Los Angeles Food and Wine festival. The event was held at Wolfgang Puck's WP24 located high above the L.A. skyline at the Ritz Carlton. Although there was no sighting of Wolfgang, WP24 Executive Chef Sara Johannes along with pastry chef Cassie Ballard worked seamlessly with Morimoto to create a lunch one will soon not forget.  

Peking Style Duck Breast, Warm Chantrelle Salad, Ten Spiced Confit Figs, Smoked Duck Cracklin' paired with a Recuerdo Malbec Mendoza, Argentina 2010

Washugyu Flat Iron with Veal Cheek Tempura, Compressed Apple and Chili Soy paired with Blackbird Vineyards, "Arise", Napa Valley 2009

Caramel Roasted Apple, Butterscotch Miso, Sesame Crisp, Edamame Ice Cream paired with Ice House, "Vidal", Niagara Peninsula 2006

 

For more photos from the 2011 Los Angeles Food and Wine Lexus Grand Tasting, visit HERE.

True Blood Beverage - Tru Blood

When it comes to the HBO series True Blood, there are three things that come to mind - sex, gym, and red wine. If you watch the show, you will know what I am talking about.

Big thanks to our chic and ultra-talented novelist friend Kyra Davis who shared this photo of Eric Northman -the sultriest bar owner in Shreveport with us. Oh yes, some of you may know him as the keeper of vampire-bar "Fangtasia", while others may recognize him as the most powerful bloodsucker in area five of Northern Louisiana. For those in the minority who do not watch HBO's True Blood, you may have no idea what I am even talking about. In that case, just focus on the pictures.

We here at Food Fashionista have been addicted to True Blood since its inception and so it seems have a lot of other folks. Therefore it comes as no surprise that you can now purchase and gulp down the vamp's beverage of choice Tru Blood at Merlotte's. According to the drink's website, it's "a delicious blood orange carbonated drink inspired by Bill's favorite synthetic blood nourishment beverage. Tart and slightly sweet, Tru Blood pours like a regular soda but appears stormy and mysterious when poured into a glass."

Although we are guessing you'd like to sink your teeth into Eric Northman, take the consolation prize and sink your teeth into a bottle of TRU BLOOD HERE.

 

Avec Eric - Perfect Pairings w/Chef Eric Ripert & Sommelier Aldo Sohm

Below is a previous post we featured on the show, Avec Eric. Recently, it won a James Beard Foundation Award for best Televison Program. If you haven't had the chance to check this wonderful broadcast out yet, we highly suggest it. Congrats to Eric Ripert and team for a job well done!

Chef Eric Ripert of New York's Le Bernadin recently launched the second season of his web series, Avec Eric. This time it's Avec Eric Perfect Pairings - a 13 video series showcasing the delectable recipes of Chef Ripert paired with wines recommended by Le Bernadin's wine director Aldo Sohm, named "Best Sommelier in the World" by the Worldwide Sommelier Association. These short, but informatively sweet 2-3 minute videos are focused on dispelling common myths about wine pairings such as Red Wine Always Pairs Better with Red Meat and White Wine Always Goes with Fish. 

             Braised Halibut in Casserole w/ Morel Mushrooms

The Avec Eric web series is a superb interactive way to bring a Three-Star Michelin Chef and an award-winning sommelier in to your own home kitchen. With enlightening cooking tips, wonderful recipes and educational wine pairing suggestions, Avec Eric is a series that you and your friends will be looking forward to every week. Good news is you can purchase season one right on Eric's blog.

To watch Avec Eric Perfect Pairings, visit AVEC ERIC

For Chef Ripert's Braised Halibut Recipe (above), visit HERE

Top Chef Season 5 New York Premiers Tonight

The uber popular #1 foodie show Top Chef is back for a fifth season premiering tonight on Bravo. This really is one of the best cooking shows on television. You can feel the passion, excitement, and heat in the kitchen as if you were right there leaning on the stainless stove. I was a huge fan of Season 4's Richard Blais and am really looking forward to this season's culinary standouts. With 17 new contestants, this time in New York City, Top Chef Season 5 should definitely be one of the best (at least I hope) yet.

The triple threat, Tom Colicchio of Craft Restaurants, Gail Simmons of Food & Wine and the sultry Padma Lakshmi are back on the judges stand and ready to set the stage for the contestants in their home town of NYC. Season 5 will also introduce Toby Young, a food critic and author of the book How to Lose Friends and Alienate People to the judges table. This season will feature familiar faces Martha Stewart, Foo Fighters, Jean-Georges, Eric Ripert, Rocco DiSpirito, Wylie Dufresne, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Natasha Richardson.

The countdown is on to see which chefs can take the heat and prove to be "Top Chef" worthy and seeing who melts in the kitchen and is sent home packing...

Here are the Top Chef Season 5 contestants below:

Alex

Age: 33
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Current Home: Los Angeles, Calif
Profession: Executive Chef, Restaurant 15
Culinary Education: The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) – New York, N.Y.

Ariane

Age: 41
Hometown: Verona, N.J.
Profession: Chef/owner of CulinAriane in Montclair, N.J.
Culinary Education: AOS, Culinary Institute of America

Danny

Age: 26
Hometown: New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Profession: Chef de Cuisine, Babylon Carriage House
Culinary Education: C.I.A Hyde Park

Fabio

Age: 30
Hometown: Florence, Italy
Current Home: Moorpark, Calif.
Profession: Owner, Cafe Firenze Italian Restaurant Martini Bar
Culinary Education: I.P.S.S.A.R Aurelio Saffi, Hotel and Restaurant Management School in Florence, Italy

Gene

Age: 33
Hometown: Whitmore Village, Hawaii
Current Home: Las Vegas, Nev.
Profession: Executive Chef, Executive Sushi Chef & Chef Consultant
Culinary Education: Self-taught

Hosea

Age: 34
Hometown: Taos, N.M.
Current Home: Boulder, Colo.
Profession: Executive Chef, Jax Fish House
Culinary Education: Self-taught

Jamie

Age: 30
Hometown: New York City
Current Home: San Francisco, Calif.
Profession: Executive Chef, Absinthe Brasserie and Bar
Culinary Education: A.O.S Culinary Arts, C.I.A

Jeff

Age: 30
Hometown: Niceville, Fla.
Current Home: Miami, Fla.
Profession: Chef de Cuisine, The DiLido Beach Club
Culinary Education: Johnson & Wales University

Jill

Age: 28
Hometown: Latrobe, Pa.
Current Home: Baltimore, Md.
Profession: Executive Chef, Red Maple
Culinary Education: Baltimore International College

Lauren

Age: 24
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Home: Fort Stewart
Profession: Chef Tournant, Jag's Steak and Seafood
Culinary Education: B.P.S. Culinary Arts Management, CIA

Leah

Age: 27
Hometown: Scarsdale, N.Y.
Current Home: New York, N.Y.
Profession: Sous Chef, Centro Vinoteca
Culinary Education: A.O.S./ B.A., CIA

Patrick

Age: 21
Hometown: Quincy, Mass.
Profession: Culinary Student
Culinary Education: A.O.S Culinary Arts, C.I.A working on BPS Culinary Arts Management

Radhika

Age: 28
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Home: Chicago
Profession: Executive Chef, Between Boutique Café & Lounge
Culinary Education: A.O.S. Culinary Arts, The Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago

Richard

Age: 27
Hometown: Sayville, Long Island, N.Y.
Current Home: San Diego, Calif.
Profession: Executive Sous Chef, Confidential Restaurant & Loft, San Diego
Culinary Education: Diplome Professionale du Commis de Cuisine, San Diego Culinary Institute

Stefan

Age: 35
Hometown: Tampere, Finland
Current Home: Santa Monica, Calif.
Profession: Chef, StefansCatering.com
Culinary Education: CMC, Wurzburg Schweinfurt

Melissa

Age: 28
Hometown: Maryland
Current Home: Boulder, Colo.
Profession: Sous Chef, Centro Latin Kitchen and Refreshment Palace
Culinary Education: Baltimore International College

Carla

Age: 44
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Current Home: Washington, D.C.
Profession: Owner/Chef, Alchemy Caterers
Culinary Education: C.C.T. L'Academie de Cuisine

Chef Rocco DiSpirito on Dancing with the Stars - DWTS

Chef Rocco DiSpirito

So it was recently announced who the 13 "Celebrity Contestants" will be on the upcoming seventh season of the wildly popular show, Dancing with the Stars and one is a very familiar name in the cooking world, Rocco DiSpirito. I have never tasted his cooking, but it seems the camera loves him. DiSpirito is a recipient of a James Beard Award and his name and face became familiar with television viewers back in 2003-2004 with a reality show detailing the highs and extreme lows of opening a restaurant on the show, "The Restaurant". Rocco DiSpirito has also made appearances as a guest judge on Top Chef and will soon be featured on the show,"Rocco Gets Real" in which he helps local New Yorkers plan an upcoming meal for an event.

w/ DWTS Cheryl Burke at a Fashion Show

Chef DiSpirito's dancing partner will be Karina Smirnoff. No relation to Smirnoff Vodka. I've seen the show several times, and at one point, DWTS was going to possibly use my home kitchen for some video they were shooting or going to shoot, but this season looks like an exciting one. I'll route for Rocco and Karina, but I still have a bit of Olympic fever, so will also be routing for Cheryl Burke (pictured above) and Olympic Gold Medalist Maurice Green. Let's just hope for Rocco's sake that his stint on Dancing with the Stars ends up much happier than on the show, The Restaurant. Maybe he can slip the judges some of Mama's Famous Meatballs before judging time.

Dancing with the Stars Season 7 Premiers Monday, September 22nd on ABC

For more information on Chef Rocco DiSpirito visit:  Rocco DiSpirito

For more information on Dancing with the Stars visit:  DWTS

For Rocco's Mama's Meatball Recipe visit:  Mama's Meatball Recipe