It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without my dad’s pickled shrimp. It’s a nice twist if you’re a little tired of the same old tail sauce combo. They go insanely well with a nice cheese platter.

legumes packaged in cloth bags, and a selection of Indian dal and spices. I was wowed at first by a huge selection of bulk candy, but then found that key items such as licorice twists were stale. Likewise, there’s not much...

-pilot, my fingers were finding the point at which with a quick pop and a twist, I could disjoint it! Well, I dropped his foot, and had momentary shudder, then laughed at myself. I realized that my hands were strong enough to...

, and Rotisserie Charcoal-Grilled Sika Venison with ‘cipolline’ Onions, prosciutto, and Figs 38.00 Wild King Salmon with Heirloom Tomatoes, aïoli, and Basil 27.00 Polpettoni fritti of Willis Farm Pork with Cherry Tomatoes and...

and a good kick of red pepper flakes. They twist it to a perfect mound on the plate and garnish with some parsley – DELISH! Why can’t I duplicate this? Or do have to toss in the towel and travel 3000 miles every time...

I’m not deterred by 20 million ingredients or hunting high and low around town, and raisins don’t faze me, but I have one very specific and totally irrational deal-breaker: Individual scooping/shaping, as in many...

A Sazerac is THE classic New Orleans tail. It is made with rye although some people (and most restaurants) substitute bourbon. The original recipe is in Charles H. Baker Jr.'s deathless classic “THe Gentleman's...

coffee ("I’ll have a half-decaf capuccino with skim milk foam, nutmeg, and a twist of lemon..."). Here in Canada, we have a chain called “Second Cup”, which actually predates Starbucks by several years. They...

cookies (e.g. the one I use makes a consistent 4 dozen cookies from the classic Tollhouse cookie recipe). It’s fast and efficient, and I know my yield ahead of time. Great for planning, particularly when making cookies for...

Totally agree about with the popcorn. I go through phases where it’s all I want. My favorite (strange) seasoning mix is basically medium-sweet kettle corn with black pepper and cumin added. It sounds twisted, but man, what...

and dining guides by miscellaneous publications. Click here to view these links now. For a twist, this tip sheet ends with a quick list of over-rated restaurants to avoid that either continue to be hyped despite being mediocre or...

Angeles that reminds them of Japan. Cora’s Coffee shop on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica. Fancy foodie coffe shop done just right. The Metro Cafe on Washington Place in Culver City. Classic updated diner food done well at a place...

is at least half if not more. French Laundry, the only 3 star, adheres to the classic French model the closest. Few other places adhere to it. Most places have a specific Californian twist. The French service model rarely works...

Batali not “go” Italian? Did Juilia Child or Jacques Pepin not “go” French? Sometimes taking a risk IS taking what you know and doing it in a completely different way or developing new twists and uses of...

- izakaya: teba saki specialist, great rare duck breast, fried halibut 2117 – sawtelle – euro with japanese twist - affordable gourmet, good prix fixe lunch. better than: sawtelle kitchen – sawtelle - fusiony:...