Haunted Hollywood

So! I've been, as usual, busy with life. Much to my dismay, I haven't been cooking much lately. Or I should say, I haven't been cooking anything too fancy. And when I do.....I forget to photograph it.

So....what have I been up to? I took a fun "Haunted Hollywood" tour this past weekend with some friends. I took a peek at a bunch of LA/Hollywood vegan restaurants but my friends weren't brave enough to try them, so we went to California Pizza Kitchen. I got a delicious Japanese Eggplant veggie pizza, and it was very satisfying after a day of stomping around the city.

Some highlights (aside from the awesomely spooky theme music my friend put on a CD):
driveway to the Playboy mansion.....I had to get a shot of the sign....until the rock next to me told me to get off the driveway.


Duckula von Duck and Techno Frog posing in front of the Hollywood sign (about as close as you can get to it)


me at the altar near Bela Lugosi's grave....

My Favorite Cooking Show on DVD!

I just discovered the full DVD collection from my favorite cooking show. So naturally, I bought all of the seasons!

Mexico, One Plate at a Time airs every Saturday (in southern California) on PBS. I love it, I always joke that its my favorite time of the week. And it really is! Sometimes I have a margarita while I watch that week's episode, to get in the proper fiesta mood.

While this show is omni, the show's host, Rick Bayless is a master chef and he shares many recipes that are vegetarian and vegan friendly. The guacamole he makes always looks so good. It is one of my goals to eat at his top-rated Mexican restaurant, Topolobampo the next time I'm in Chicago.

118 degrees

Tonight I finally had dinner at 118 degrees. I've been very excited about this all week, and I have to say flat out, it was better than I was expecting.

Since she has become vegetarian, my mom has been pretty adventurous with food, and so I met up with her after work. I think she liked it even more than I did, if that's possible.

I had the trio of enchiladas with a lemon apple ginger drink. My mom had the golden tostada. It wasn't just dinner, it would be better described as an interactive social event. Everyone in the restaurant was looking with admiration at what other people at other tables had ordered, and everyone was talking to each other to find out what they had ordered. I ended up talking to the family to my left, and the son, who was about my age, ended up ordering the enchiladas as well as the same drink as me because it looked so good. His parents ordered a similar dish to what my mom had.


We talked to the group on our right as well. Best of all, almost all of their ingredients are locally produced and organic.

It was probably the most unique dining experience I have ever had, and OH MY GOD it was so delicious! Yay raw food!

Before dinner I stopped by Humanitaire to buy some high top shoes, and I ended up buying not only those (they were only $25...and sweatshop free!) but also a new pair of 8 hole docs......the non-leather variety. My docs that I am retiring are about 13 or 14 years old, so I figure this is a justified investment.