![[LA Weekly] Ricardo Zarate’s New Mo-Chica: Sangrecita, Paiche + More Ceviche](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/mo-chica-estofadodealpaca.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] Ricardo Zarate’s New Mo-Chica: Sangrecita, Paiche + More Ceviche")
Ricardo Zarate wants you to know something before checking out his new Mo-Chica. Slated to open Wednesday, May 30, it replaces an earlier version of the same name thatclosed yesterday. “Peru. It’s in South America,” says Zarate, mock-serious. “Its limits are Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.” He recalls how one guest had thought Peru bordered Spain. “The point is, I’m trying to introduce my country through my food.”… Continue reading
![[LA Weekly] Jonny Edwards: Ax in the Box](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/jonnycoffincover.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] Jonny Edwards: Ax in the Box")
One of the fascinating Angelenos featured in L.A. Weekly’s People 2012 issue: When in character as his alter ego, Jonny Coffin, Jonny Edwards sports a black trench coat, gloves and a top hat. With his flowing dark hair, chiseled features and dramatic makeup, he exudes an aura of sinister mystery. Completing the look is his highly curious black guitar case, which is shaped like a coffin, made from wood and vinyl, and lined with plush velvet… Continue reading
![[LA Weekly] Ricardo Zarate Closes One Mo-Chica May 24 + Opens Another May 30](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/011.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] Ricardo Zarate Closes One Mo-Chica May 24 + Opens Another May 30")
This Thursday probably won’t be your last chance to try chef Ricardo Zarate’s renditions of Peruvian staples such as aji de gallina or lomo saltado. But it could be your final opportunity to eat them at Mercado la Paloma — the colorful warehouse-turned-marketplace just south of downtown. Zarate has just announced he’ll close Mo-chica on May 24… Continue reading
Readers of Joel Stein’s column in Timemagazine may remember when Stein hobnobbed with the super-rich over bottles of wine valued at more than $5,000 each. The night he sampled dishes inspired by Escoffier’s 1903 cookbook in the Alinea kitchen. Or the time he gobbled up KFC’s Double Down sandwich, made with fried chicken instead of bread. … Continue reading
![[LA Weekly] Josef Centeno’s Bar Amá Coming This Fall](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/barama.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] Josef Centeno’s Bar Amá Coming This Fall")
Most diners at Bäco Mercat have probably tried to guess chef Josef Centeno’s upbringing from what they see on their plates. Jonathan Gold has observed that the menu mixes “flavors from Italy, France and Western China, Georgia (U.S.) and Georgia (eastern Europe), Tuscany and Peru.” In fact, the chef comes from San Antonio, Texas. Hence, the new restaurant he plans to open next fall: Bar Amá. The menu? Tex-Mex, the food Centeno grew up with… Continue reading
![[LA Weekly] Cookbooks Panel at LitFest Pasadena](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/081.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] Cookbooks Panel at LitFest Pasadena")
Cookbooks have long faced competition from magazines and newspapers. But now, it’s the Internet Age. Print publications are putting their recipes online, and websites such as Epicurious and Food help you find instructions for virtually any dish with just a few clicks. Meanwhile, blogs are offering their own perspectives and kitchen tips. Many of these websites are beautifully designed. (Just check out the tomatoes atGilt Taste.) Still, cookbooks persist with their hard covers, thick pages and glossy photos… Continue reading
![[LA Weekly] Where to Eat on Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles: Food, Drink, Party](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/033.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] Where to Eat on Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles: Food, Drink, Party")
Every year, we read articles revealing the true origins of Cinco de Mayo. Nope, not Mexican Independence Day, which happens Sept. 16. Cinco de Mayo commemorates a minor battle in the state of Puebla in 1862 where an army of mostly Mexican Indians beat Napoleon III’s French troops. The holiday isn’t celebrated widely in Mexico. It only became popular in the U.S. during the 1970s when Chicano activists grasped the David-and-Goliath symbolism and gave the holiday a boost, recognizing a parallel to their own cause…. Continue reading
![[LA Weekly] Highland Park Kitchen Opens on York Blvd. + What’s Happening in Highland Park](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/highlandparkkitchen-d-solomon.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] Highland Park Kitchen Opens on York Blvd. + What’s Happening in Highland Park")
D. Solomon fries and sliders Highland Park Kitchen on York Blvd. had been open for only about ten days in early March before a front page L.A. Times article declared Highland Park a soon-to-be “outpost of hipster cool” with York Blvd. its “ground zero.” In recent years, the northeast L.A. neighborhood has seen an influx of hip, trendy businesses in an area … Continue reading
![[LA Weekly] A Cabaret-Ballet Mash-up at the Swanky Alexandria Ballroom](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/blankenshipballet.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[LA Weekly] A Cabaret-Ballet Mash-up at the Swanky Alexandria Ballroom")
When the Blankenship Ballet Company performs Saturday, women will pirouette en pointeand fold their bodies into arabesques. Men will soar and spin, and lift dainty dancers onto their shoulders. But it won’t be a typical night at the ballet — far from it. The evening is being styled instead as cabaret theater. For creative producer Mark Blankenship and his wife, artistic director Bertha Suarez Blankenship, the event illustrates a commitment to time-honored classic technique in a way that is accessible and entertaining for audiences who aren’t necessarily ballet aficionados. Continue reading
Valentino Herrera abides by two philosophies: Try everything, at least once. And share unusual experiences with others, especially when it comes to travel and eating. Both ideas are evident on his blog, Trippy Food. Don’t expect hallucinogenic mushrooms. For Herrera, “trippy” means unusual items, ranging from pork spleen to deer penis soup and nutria to iguana. He eats it all, and with gusto. In our interview, Herrera explains the appeal of bizarre foods, declares a fondness for gallina rellena and comments on the local food blogger scene. Continue reading
Lotus land 