Pacific Standard Time

During the winter break from work I had a day to spend at LACMA.
I went to see the California Modernism exhibit, all part of the Pacific Standard Times exhibits happening in L.A. at the moment. Its a great display of furniture, graphics, toys, clothes, cars, and trailers that define California post WWII. I spent the whole day strolling thru the exhibit.

There are hundreds of thing I wanted or grew up around. Best of all was the Eames living room, which has been completely transported to the museum. "Its a mash up before there were mash-ups." - Ice Cube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRWatw_ZEQI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Enjoy.

Wino Wednesday

So an early day brought me home to chill out from the past few weeks of utter craziness. Holiday breaks always come just at my breaking point.
Braving the L.A. traffic home we made our way down the street for two pizzas from Hosteria de Picollo. One with heirloom tomatoes and olives, the other with sausage and olives. Both on homemade thin crust pizza dough.

Being that its Wino Wednesday I grabbed a bottle from our teeny tiny wine rack. Problem is SB and I can't remember where we purchased it. However that isn't stopping me from talking about it.

Vina Ecoyen Reserva Navarra
Product of Spain

My Tasting notes: Cherry and Vanilla, oak lingering flavor. Its not a heavy wine, very light Cherry taste.

Here is what the bottle says:
This Reserva, has been aged in American and French barriques for 24 months, before being bottled and held for a further 12 months prior to release. The resulting wine is crammed with red cherry and black fruit, mellowed by the creamy vanilla as a result of the oak aging. It still continues to mature well in bottle and will be at its best by the end of 2010. Perfect with hearty stews and casseroles.

Lemon Pistachio Cake

At Intelligentsia in Venice. Made by Cake Monkey. Delicious with my cappuccino this morning.

Love to see a busy Entertainment executive with passion for cakes make it a business, that's the origin of Cake Monkey. I think I need to turn my passions into something tangible.

Wurstkuche Venice

A month ago I was driving down Lincoln Blvd which is the main vein on the Westside that gets you from North to South.  I saw this huge line of people outside a building that once was called Air Conditioned (Supper Dance Club).  I've seen this place a million times, but never have gone in.  It use to be a pretty seedy place many moons ago.  But this day the building had a new facade.  I quickly took down the name and Googled it on my iPhone.  To my surprise this was the opening day of a hot dog, I mean exotic sausage place that had it's birth in downtown L.A.  I know I'm a bit slow, but I never get downtown much these days.  So I talked a few friends into going one Sunday afternoon.

When you first walk in the center, near the wood striped massive sliding doors, your not sure what to expect.  It's pretty small upfront, a display case of every imaginable sausage and a draft beer counter all stainless steel with brick walls behind.

 

This is what you see when you first walk in.  Exotic sausages of all kinds.  Classics (Bratwurst, Hot Italian, Veggie) Gourmet (Mango & Jalapeno, Apricot & Ginger, Chicken Apple & Spices) and Exotic (Duck & Bacon with Jalapeno Peppers, Rabbit, Veal & Pork with White Wine, Alligator & Pork, Rattlesnake & Rabbit)

Draft beers range from Belgian, German, North America.  Bottle beers include the same with one English Cider.

I had heard the space was cool so before I even ordered I snaked my way around the backside of the front people down a very dark hall into an amazing light room with textured brick walls, long warm wood beer tables, a sleek bar and cool lighting from the windows (it was afternoon) and inventive modern chandelier light bulbs.  

I was in, so were my friends, we ran up front and quickly ordered.  I just wanted a normal bratwurst, double fried Belgium fries and a Chimay beer.  You get to pick two sausage toppings and two dipping sauces for the fries.  I went basic, sauerkraut for the dog and curry ketchup and bacon bleu cheese for the fries.  This place is cool, I can't wait to take SB back, they even have Veggie sausages so with beer, I know he'll be in.  The space is awesome.  I hear party coming to this place soon.

 Bratwurst

 Belgian Fires (Double dipped fries).

Mustards on the table.

Here's the menu  Take a peek at this great place.

Venice location

623 Lincoln Blvd
Venice, CA 90291

Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque

When I was a little girl living in Albuquerque I use to go to the balloon fiesta with my grandmother.
We would park on the side of the road and run in the dirt to meet the balloonist. Grandma had an autograph book she kept for years. After the balloons took off we would jump in her car and chase them to wherever they would land, which would be in the mesas, driving down dirt roads.

Grandma told me a story once of her running in the mesas to meet the balloonist and tripping over s lava rock, there are lots out there.
As she fell to her knees the balloonist looked down and grandma looked up and said, "will you marry me?" He laughed heartily. Gotta love a granny with a sense of humor.

I came back a few other times when I lived in California. Still there was dirt, and you could still park on the side if the road. However, there aren't as many mesas open with the building boom that happened here in the 90's.

Then back again a few years later and there was a balloon park with a museum. Now 40 years later, no dirt just beautiful grass and balloons of every size and shape. Finally SB gets to see it first hand.

We got up at 430am, drank coffee and made it down to the field before 530. They have it very organized and there were about 15 balloons already blowing up.
Since it was dark still they glowed in the early morning dark blue sky. I had never seen this part up close.
It was exciting. If you followed my tweets that morning you probably saw many of the pictures below, which included a Darth Vadar balloon with Storm Trooper crew, and yes I was humming the dark side theme of Star Wars.

I will have more to share from our real digital camera, SB got some awesome shots. He got really close, he was determined to get in the belly of the balloons, so much that they had to tell him to back away.