Gastronomy 101

I hate to do this, but I think it's time to talk about a sad truth. These days we SEE so much cooking, but most of it isn't real. That is, we see it on television, or in magazines, or on people's blogs, and mostly what we see is the result, or the idealized version of the process, but we don't really see how it works to develop a dish or make a recipe that first time. I think it's easy to fall into believing that cooking is a talent, which you are either good at, or you aren't. That's totally false. While truly genius and inspired cooking is often a matter of talent, especially the creative part of it, the actual mechanics of cooking can be learned by anyone and any dish can be made with practice. The truth is, that most people don't just pick up a brand new recipe and know immediately how to make it perfectly. The first time you make something new is always a practice and if it comes out well, it's usually luck as much as skill. With any new recipe...

Mark your calendars, foodies! On February 26, Aid for AIDS, in conjunction with local restaurants is having a fundraiser. For the entire day, breakfast through dinner, participating restaurants will give 20% of their earnings or more to help prevent homelessness and hunger for individuals and families impoverished by HIV/AIDS. To see the list of participating restaurants, check the website: www.GoEatLA.org . The list is updating so make sure to check back close to the event if you don't find your favorite places on there. About the organizations: Aid For AIDS , a non-profit organization founded in 1983, is one of the oldest, continuously running AIDS assistance organizations in California. The agency mission is to prevent homelessness and hunger and to encourage independent living for impoverished women, men and children with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County. Aid For AIDS helped more than 1,000 last year.

I am a skeptic. Slowly but surely throughout life, I've learned that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is; and if something seems like magic, there's probably a trick to it. As hard as I tried to go to Narnia, Narnia would not come to me. You can't cure cancer with a grass, and you can't move pencils with your mind. No one knows the future and the past wasn't any better than today, really. But there's a different kind of magic that comes when you give up the magic that isn't real, and it's the magic of what's real. The stars are even better when you understand what they are doing, and life is still sparkly when you learn how to enjoy the things that are real as much as the things that are imaginary. One of the closest things to a magic potion I have ever made is liquor 44. It has strict rules for its making. You have to take an orange and puncture it 44 times, then insert a coffee bean into each hole. Then you drop in white rum, and...

For some reason, butter seems like it would be incredibly hard to make. I think perhaps it has something to do with having grown up on Little House on the Prairie books and perhaps getting the idea that homemade butter is something that necessarily requires intense physical labor and equipment that one doesn't just have laying around the modern kitchen. As a matter of fact, when I told people around my age I was going to try to make butter I invariably got asked whether I had a churn. Well, guys ... it's modern times! And I am a modern girl. The recipe that gave me the inspiration to make butter was all by hand, although it requires nothing more than a bowl and whisk, since you're not making a whole cow's worth of butter. However, I haven't the peasant arms to pull that off, and even if I were inclined it wouldn't be the pleasant and relaxing task I envision when I set out to make something. But I am a modern girl, and I've got modern equipment and a healthy...

In a press luncheon at Gordon Ramsay at the London today, Jean-Luc Naret and Michelin revealed the 2009 Los Angeles and Las Vegas guides hot off the presses. The guides go on sale tomorrow with this year's restaurant and hotel listings and the coveted star awards. So what about all the stuff you really want to know? 1. Still no three star restaurants in Los Angeles: Los Angeles still doesn't make it to the world stage with any three star restaurants. I am not surprised at this, really, nor am I that sad. Los Angeles is a town that caters to celebrities, and that means that in some of the more high-end restaurants, the focus is a little different than it is in luxury eating destinations in other cities. Any restaurant that was good enough to be a three star restaurant here would probably be inaccessible to most people, even if you wanted to save up for a special trip. 2. Providence moves up to two stars: I was really happy to hear this announced. I love this restaurant very muc...

Wow, lots of stuff in my inbox lately, check it out: RESTAURANTS: Granville Cafe has a location in the Americana at Brand now, in addition to its original Burbank location. It looks as if they're planning to conquer the world, or at least SoCal and cover it with casual gourmet cafes. Local is new breakfast and lunch place in Silverlake from Jason Michaud, formerly of Cobras and Matadors. It's fresh, seasonal, farmer's market menu take on the local diner. They're looking to expand to dinner soon. Local is located at 2943 W. Sunset Blvd. You can see pictures and a review at Hobson's Choice . Take a Bao is new in the Westfield mall in Century City. It serves eight flavors of the steamed Asian dumplings for a good to-go lunch. They also serve rice bowls, noodles, and salads. EVENTS: K&L Hollywood Champagne Tent Event : Saturday, October 18 from 25 p.m K&L is will set up a tent wherein they will pour champagnes from the most sought after (vintage Cristal and Do...

Andrew Steiner has just opened Andrew's Cheese Shop on Montana Ave. Mr. Steiner was the former Maitre Fromager (Master Cheeser!) at Patina and he has not only a longtime love of cheese but has developed relationships with some of the top cheesemakers of the world through his professional experience. These relationships will allow him to provide difficult to acquire cheeses for his clientele. The shop is intended to be a place not only where people can go to buy cheese, but where people can go to relax, browse gourmet products, talk with the friendly staff and knowledgable owner and learn, or sit with their friennds and enjoy grilled cheese or fondue. Steiner will have over 200 varieties of cheese, helpfully grouped in categories that will allow the customer to choose what it best suited to his or her tastes, with the opportunity to try things that fall outside of their normal cheese world to perhaps find new favorites. The shop is set up to each type of customer personality. The s...