ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Tomato Salad with Queso Fresco Edition

Posted on May 24, 2013 by B-Side

As anyone who listens to Watch What Crappens knows, I recently took a trip to the Costco of Inglewood. At the time, it seemed like a prudent decision, and after witnessing a fight in the parking lot upon exiting, I realized it was actually a HILARIOUS decision too. A lot of weaves were pulled that day.

I’m proud to report that despite accidentally wearing gang colors (red), I survived my Inglewood adventure with my weave intact. Even more exciting: I emerged with two pounds of cherry tomatoes. Why? Well, why not? But truth be told, there was a method to my madness. I bought the tomatoes in bulk because I was eager to try yet another recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday: Tomato Salad with Queso Fresco, Pan Roasted Green Onions, and Guajillo Chile Dressing.

Pictures, my friends, after the jump…

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THINGS I ATE: Bites at Badmaash, Rattlesnake at Wurstküche

Posted on May 24, 2013 by B-Side

There’s not enough Indian food in Los Angeles. We have oodles of Korean restaurants (no complaints here), and there’s a Mexican spot on nearly every corner. Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese are also omnipresent, but alas, when it comes to Indian, our options are few and far between. My go-to place is Crown of India, located in a scenic strip mall often populated with vagrant trannies and the occasional meth head. Half the thrill is wondering if your car will still be there when you emerge from thali paradise.

Therefore, when I heard that Bread & Butter PR would be hosting the launch of their digital division at Badmaash, a new Indian gastropub Downtown, I was totally stoked to go. I’m always on the prowl for Indian food in this city, and even though the party would not promise to be a full-on meal, even just a few tasty hors d’oeuvres could make my evening. And so with my friend Kambra in tow, we headed to Badmaash where I proceeded to take pictures of everything BUT the food. I’m a real pro like that. I guess I’ll just have to go back!

Pics of Badmaash and bonus stuff from Wurstküche after the jump…

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ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Baked Mango Chicken Edition

Posted on May 23, 2013 by B-Side

How do you solve a problem like tomatillos? Make salsa! In my case, I had about five, sad tomatillos sitting in my crisper, quietly veering toward death. I couldn’t let such a wretched fate befall my green pals; so I recruited them to service via my trusty Spring cookbook, Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. I quickly found a recipe I could make with the ingredients I had on hand — Toasty Guajillo Chile Salsa — and got to work.

But what’s the fun of salsa if you’ve got nothing to slather it onto? Enter Rick Bayless’s Spicy Baked Chicken with Mango. A few grimy pics after the jump…

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REAL HOUSEWIVES OF OC PHOTOCAP: Hog Wild on ‘Hot In Cleveland’

Posted on May 23, 2013 by B-Side

Hot in Cleveland just got a lot colder with the arrival of Heather Dubrow on this week’s episode of Real Housewives of Orange County. Yes, the former sitcom star (or perhaps appear-er) made her triumphant return to THE STAGE with a guest role on the TV Land sitcom seemingly tailored for her. Heather played some lady who was hellbent on landing a gig on The Real Housewives of Tampa, which of course is fictional — and yet I’d watch it.

Nevertheless, the whole gang headed up to LA for the second week in a row. This is like when black bears invade suburbia and everyone panics. I truly fear an infestation. Maybe we should erect a fence on the Orange Couny line. Sounds cruel, but you know 75% of the county voted to barricade Mexico; so they should be fine with it.

Anyway, Heather did just fine in her guest gig, and in the end, all was well with her and Terry (not to mention Vicki and Tamra, who seemed to lightly bury the hatch). In other news, Lauri Waring Peterson emerged from her money crypt to tell Tamra that she didn’t like Vicki anymore. Slade, meanwhile, surprised Gretchen with a very special birthday present: a new Rolls-Royce! And wait, there was a second surprise: Gretchen would have to pay for it! Oh, and a third surprise: it’s only a lease! Gentleman of the year!

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THINGS I ATE: Corn Dogs and Cookies at Disney!

Posted on May 22, 2013 by B-Side

Over the weekend, my friend Nic treated me to an afternoon at Disneyland, an experience teeming with thrills and adventure — and that was before we even stepped on a single ride, thanks to the exhilarating people-watching. The populations roaming about were thoroughly fascinating, and our new guessing game (“Valley, Inland Empire, or Orange County?”) kept our wits about us. Of course, analyzing the geographical nature of a bad dye job can be exhausting, especially if you’ve been just shaken about like a craps die in the Tower of Terror. And thus we had to indulge in some Disney sustenance.

When it comes to amusement park food, things can get a little hairy (both figuratively and literally, unfortunately). Luckily, we kept the cuisine simple and the quality high. Pics after the jump… Continue reading →

WATCH WHAT CRAPPENS #76: Hot In Orange County, Atlanta

Posted on May 22, 2013 by B-Side

New episode is up!

This week on “Watch What Crappens,” Ronnie Karam (TVgasm.com), Matt Whitfield (Yahoo!), and Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) talk about Heather DuBrow’s return to acting on “Hot In Cleveland.” But Heather’s not the only actress on “Real Housewives of Orange County.” Enter future thespian Alexis Bellino and her brilliant future in the theatre. The guys talk about her and all the other crazies from the OC as well as the kooky dames of “Married to Medicine.” Then it’s on to “Newlyweds: The First Year,” “Million Dollar Listing: New York” and the RHoNJ special. Plus, lots of gossip (Jill Zarin vs. a kayak, anyone?) and more tangents than you can shake a TJ Maxx decorative stick at. Come on in!

Listen to us on The Sideshow Network here.

And subscribe to us on iTunes here!

THINGS I ATE: Hwe Dub Bap at A-Won; Also, Dessert at Cafe Mak

Posted on May 20, 2013 by B-Side

For a few years now, I’ve been hearing about the Hwe Dub Bap at A-Won Japanese Restaurant here in Los Angeles. This Korean dish, which is basically sashimi piled on top of lettuce and other veggies, has been thoroughly documented by the local media, blogs, and various Yelpers over the years. However, I’d never actually tried it before. I certainly had come close — going so far as to actually sitting down at the restaurant with every intention to order the dish. The thing is that A-Won also specializes in albap, a rich rice bowl topped with a beautiful assortment of caviar, and try as I may, I simply am not one who can ever resist a giant bowl of fish roe.

This weekend, however, I finally decided to MAN UP and go for the much-heralded Hwe Dub Bap. I had spent much of Saturday afternoon ambling about Disneyland (as one does), and while there had been a midday corn dog to stave off a wave of violent hunger pangs, the shocking truth is that it simply was not enough to sustain me. By the time dinner at A-Won rolled around, I knew a meager bowl of fish roe simply would not due. Delicious, yes. But enough to counter a ravenous post-Disneyland appetite? Hardly. And thus, the landmark decision by me to eschew my beloved albap for hwe dub bap was made.

This was a good thing.

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BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #54: ‘American Idol’ Behind The Scenes! Also, Katie Perry and Amy’s Baking Company

Posted on May 17, 2013 by B-Side

You guys — this was a fun one!

This week on Banter with Ben and Lisa, Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) talks about his experience going to the live finale taping of American Idol. Observations about Mariah Carey and Colton Dixon ensue. Then Lisa Timmons (wherelisalives.com) spills the tea about her brush with a big time, real deal celebrity. Finally, the two break down the whole Amy’s Baking Company / “Kitchen Nightmares” fiasco. This is definitely one to listen to. For real, yo!

Listen to us on the Sideshow website.

Subscribe to us on iTunes.

And LIIIIIIKE us on Facebook!!!

THINGS I ATE: Papa Cristo’s

Posted on May 17, 2013 by B-Side

Image via Food GPS

Los Angeles is not a city brimming with Greek food. In fact, I can only think of about six or seven Greek restaurants total — Le Petit Greek in Larchmont Village, The Great Greek in the Valley, Tony’s Taverna in Malibu, Ulysses Voyage at The Farmer’s Market, Petros in Manhattan Beach, and Joseph’s Cafe in Hollywood, which I think is probably closed by now, and I wouldn’t eat there anyway. But I digress.

Supposedly at the top of that Aegean totem pole is Papa Cristo’s, located in the Byzantine-Latino Quarter of Los Angeles. And yes, LA does have a Byzantine-Latino Quarter. It’s basically Koreatown. Anyway, Papa Cristo’s has earned raves from newspapers, magazines, and of course, lowly blogs. I’ve wanted to visit the place for some time, but annoyingly, the restaurant closes at 8 PM, which is highly inconvenient for me.

Nevertheless, the other night I managed to finally make my way into the BLQ an snuck into Papa Cristos with just under 25 minutes left before the doors shut. Did the place live up to the hype? A few grainy pics after the jump…

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ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Sweet Potato Salad Edition

Posted on May 17, 2013 by B-Side

Sweet potatoes, I’ve been told, are chock full of nutrients. Plus, they taste good (I wasn’t told that — I already knew that). And thus when I saw that Rick Bayless had a recipe for “Sweet potato salad with caramelized onions, watercress, and guajillo chile dressing” in Mexican Everyday, I figured I might as well try it out. And that’s exactly what I did.

Pics of this latest culinary adventure after the jump…

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B-Side Blog

TV. Food. Pop Culture.

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Tomato Salad with Queso Fresco Edition

THINGS I ATE: Bites at Badmaash, Rattlesnake at Wurstküche

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Baked Mango Chicken Edition

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF OC PHOTOCAP: Hog Wild on ‘Hot In Cleveland’

THINGS I ATE: Corn Dogs and Cookies at Disney!

WATCH WHAT CRAPPENS #76: Hot In Orange County, Atlanta

THINGS I ATE: Hwe Dub Bap at A-Won; Also, Dessert at Cafe Mak

BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #54: ‘American Idol’ Behind The Scenes! Also, Katie Perry and Amy’s Baking Company

THINGS I ATE: Papa Cristo’s

Image via Food GPS

ADVENTURES IN DOMESTICITY: Sweet Potato Salad Edition