Pebble Beach Food and Wine

Am excited -- we're about a week away from the 2nd annual Pebble Beach Food and Wine. I need to brush up on wines, magnums. and the 30-plus chefs that will put their art to the burners. I have a full schedule on tap, since I'll be covering the whole event (April 16-19), and will have total, full, complete access to everything. Yay!

Last year, my station didn't really cover the event -- I think they didn't think they could get access. I was lucky to meet a woman who took me through the Pebble Beach golf course where I followed the Cristal chefs' golf tournament on opening day. It was pretty amazing to see Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Ming Tsai, Masaharu Morimoto (aka "Iron Chef Japan"), et al hitting the green.

This year should be another exciting event. I'm so thrilled to meet Eric Ripert, Jaques Pepin, Michel Richard, Rick Tramonto, Hubert Keller, Michael Mina, Nancy Oakes -- and looking forward to seeing Thomas Keller and Tom Colicchio again. (Forget Hollywood, these top chefs are my idols). Some highlights this year: the "Tom-Tom" dinner (Keller vs. Colicchio) and The Cristal dinner presented by Champagne Louis Roederer, battle between San Francisco and Los Angeles chefs (Mayors Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa will there!) Also, Stefan Richter and Jamie Lauren will also be there doing a "Top Chef" cooking demo.

Whew, there's a lot more on my plate. Stay tuned for more PB Food and Wine coverage. I will be blogging about the event and will post pictures. Come back soon!

Gym Etiquette

Just a few requests (cough, alright gripes) for people who go to the gym. I'm usually pretty zoned out at the gym. Total tunnel vision, concentrating on my workout and my breathing, in my own sweaty (TMI) bubble. But I do observe some behaviors that...well, I just have to blog about.

What precipitated me writing this? Hmm, probably the man who played musical treadmills tonight. I'm at the gym, headed straight for an empty row of treadmills. I go to one in the middle. Four treadmills to my left, a man starts clodding on the machine. He gets off and gets onto another one. Five seconds later, he moves to another one...and another....and another. He ends up right next to me. Seriously? All I could think about was Goldilocks sampling the porridge and beds of the three bears.

Here are some others:

1. Get off your cell phone. If you can talk and laugh, you're not working hard enough.

2. Spit out your gum. If you're smacking, popping or blowing bubbles, you're not working hard enough.

3. Wipe off the machines. I thank you if I were a CSI, but unfortunately I'm not, and I don't want to see or accidently touch your sweat.

4. Zip it. No one cares to hear your loud and annoying chatter. (Also, no one cares to listen to you try and sing out loud what's on your earphones.)

5. Bathe and do laundry. I get it, it's a gym. But there are also things called soap and deodorant. And ladies, there may be a "club" in your gym's name, but that doesn't mean you should treat it as a "club" and douse yourself in toxic perfume or air-freshener scented lotions. Clean gym clothes are always nice.

Stay tuned for my "requests" for drivers.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Priceless. A freeze frame of me anchoring a story about Bush and the economy. I think my face says it all. To be fair, I was reading the story, and my friend happened to find this clip of me.

Click on the image for a better view.

The Express Line

As I stood in the checkout line this morning at Safeway, waiting to pay for my fruit, milk and cereal, I didn't think the Express Line was going to take long as it did. There were two customers in front me: the first had a bag of Tostitos chips and the second, two flats of water and baby wipes. There was a hold up in the line. I thought it was just a simple matter of the chips being scanned twice. But that wasn't the case.

The customer, an Asian man in his late 50s or so, was trying to tell the checker that the chips were only suppose to cost $1.77, instead of the $3, or something. The woman standing next to him, I assume his wife, looked confused. She didn't say anything. As the checker tried to explain to the man that he got his discount from his Safeway Club Card, he kept on insisting that his separate cut-out coupon on top of his Club Card should have made the final cost $1.77. As the minutes went on, the transaction continued. I picked up on the fact that he didn't speak English well, and was trying to understand why the total didn't turn out to be the same as the three numbers on the coupon. The guy in front of me picked up the Enquirer and the little kid behind me picked up a copy as well. (I let out a little giggle when I saw that). I thumbed through an issue of Vogue. I admit, I was a little frustrated.

But as I stood there, superficially flipping through the glossy pages of Vogue, I was listening to the man with the chips. I think he honestly believed that he was overcharged. He and his wife glanced over at the growing line and looked embarrassed. He placed his hand on a neck and gave a nervous smile. I wanted to mouth the words, "it's okay," but part of me was also annoyed. I was foolishly impatient.

After 10 minutes or so, it was finally understood that you needed to buy two bags of Tostitos, to get a deal. There was a twofer deal with the Club Card, and with the Sunday paper coupon, you could get a third bag for $1.77. (...or something like that.) The man and the woman walked away, I don't know if they went back to get the other two bags of chips or if they left.

Every day, we read and hear stories about people affected by the recession. Families having to foreclose their homes, kids putting off college and people losing their jobs. On print, we know these people by their names. On television, we hear sound bytes from them. But we all know someone on a first-name basis who has lost a job, lost a home, lost their savings. I'm seeing more people -- strangers -- affected by the down economy. They're not people I know, or read about, they're people I see. People who stand in line in front me at the grocery store.

Bach: Violin Sonata #1 in G, BWV 1001

I have Nathan Milstein's beautiful version of Bach's Violin Sonata #1 in G, BWV 1001 on repeat. It is my piece of the moment. It's simply a work of art. I've included the fourth part of the sonata, "Presto."

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

My current running song.
(Wish I were there: BK.NYC.07.)

"Is that like, a restaurant?"

A funny phone conversation I had with my friend today that manifests I am a (Northern) California girl. Greg lives in Wyoming.

Me: So what are you doing today?

Greg: I'm driving up to Duncan Ranch.

Me: Is that like, a restaurant?

Greg: May, you've been in California too long when you think a ranch is a restaurant.

Me: Well, I don't know...I mean, there are animals and wooden fences. But, there's like a restaurant there too with like a wheel spoke out front, right?

Greg: (Laughs.)

Bad Chef

After an inspiring, exciting and sometimes annoying season, "Top Chef 5" ended Wednesday with a disappointing finale. For those who've stumbled on this site and haven't yet watched the finale, I will hold off on revealing names until a later post. I was extremely, extremely disappointed with the winner. As someone who values skill and intelligence when it comes to cooking, I felt the winner came up way short. I didn't think the judges took into consideration the overall performance by the chefs when making their final decision. I agreed with Gawker's write-up on the season finale.

"Nation, laissez les bon temps rouler!"

Had a laugh attack again tonight, this time courtesy of The Colbert Report. I had tears from laughing at Colbert's opening bit. He did a quasi-hulu dance proclaiming, "laissez les bon temps rouler!" for Mardi Gras, and threw a bead to the audience asking them to show a nipple. Lol. From there, things just got funnier. On Tuesday morning, media reports said the stock market flashbacked to 1997, so Colbert did a whole 1997 bit. Dancing to Hansen's "Mmmmbop" (quasi-hulu dance again), dialing up a modem to connect to AOL on a green iMac. I think the part that killed was listening to the modem dial and then having his "mom" pick in the middle saying, "Hello? Hello?" Ridiculous. Later on the show, he did his "Nailed 'Em," feature, which featured buffet crime. It's too funny to summarize; you have to watch for yourself.

"You could read with one hand"

Jon Stewart returned tonight with a new episode and, as expected, he spoke about Hugh Jackman's hosting duties at Sunday night's Oscars. Stewart devoted his lead segment to the Oscars, and even had commentary by John Oliver. Hilarious! The Moment of Zen was oddly funny too. I think Jackman did a good job, but I secretly, kind of still love Stewart as a host. No, he doesn't have the "Hollywood" factor and his humor and intelligence are a hit-and-miss with the crowd. (I mean, seriously, not everyone in the audience reads publications other than US Weekly. And I have a sneaking suspicion that many don't watch shows that don't involve the words "Entertainment" or "Access.")

Anyway, Jeff Bezos was the guest. And honestly, I don't know what was funnier: the fact that Stewart brilliantly mocked Amazon.com's pricey Kindle 2 or Bezos's loud and abrupt laugh attacks. I found myself cracking up really hard every time Bezos would laugh. When Stewart questioned whether the e-book reader would be practical, Bezos says, "you could read with one hand." Classic.

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The Man Behind "Slumdog" Music

I think one of the reasons why I absolutely fell head over heels in love with "Slumdog Millionaire" was the music. A.R. Rahman does a fantastic job with the score and original songs. Talk about emotional pull. I'm really, really hoping he wins at least one Oscar out of his three nominations tonight. I am rooting for this little movie that could, and did. And how great was it that all the child stars in the movie got tickets to go to the Academy Awards! It was their first trip ever on a plane...I hope they get to go on stage when "Slumdog Millionaire" wins (wishful thinking) the best picture award. I promise, I will cry when I see that.

J'adore Dior

I'm the first to exercise refrain in this current economic crisis in which we're all living. But I have to say I completely fell in love with -- and in awe of -- John Galliano's Spring 2009 couture collection in Paris. The video sums up what I can't put into words. Yes it is decadent, rich and over-the-top, but it's done with enough restraint and panache that one can't simply help but admire, gush and dream. I've always been a fan of Galliano, and his show this week made me an even bigger devotee. J'adore Dior. (On the side, I've been living out my fantasies during some of the shows at this year's New York Fashion Week. Sigh...we can all dream, can't we?)

Classic Conan O'Brien

Am really enjoying the classic clips that Conan O'Brien has been playing these past 2.5 weeks on Late Night. Ahhhh, the memories of late-night cram sessions in college while watching Conan, Max and Andy (we can't forget Andy!). Tonight, they aired a clip from 2002 with "Triumph, the insult-comic dog" interviewing fans waiting for "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" in Manhattan. I love Triumph. After Friday, it will be an end of an era.

Rainy Sunday

Been a rainy, wet and cool weekend in California. The kind of weather that makes you want to just curl up in a blanket with a cup of hot cider. Contemplating whether or not to go into office (I know it's late) -- have a lot of catch-up work to do. Watching "Austin City Limits" now with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Their harmonies and singing are like a lullaby, and it's very soporific.

Mr. President, meet Julio Osegueda

(Picture courtesy Huffington Post)

Hear the one about the college kid who got the question of his lifetime with President Obama? One of the best stories I've read this week. If this doesn't put a smile on your face, then...

Angelina, meet Nadya

Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks Nadya Suleman, new mother of octuplets, bears a strange resemblance to Angelina Jolie. It may be a stretch, I just thought she kind of wanted to look (and be) Angelina?

This is from today's HuffPo.

Bob Dylan and Will.i.am

New NY Times Puzzle

The New York Times has given us another reason to read newspapers (wink, wink...nudge, nudge). They revealed a new logic game today called KenKen. This Japanese numbers-based brain puzzler shares some of the same properties with Sudoku. It involves numbers, squares and grids, but KenKen, or "cleverness squared," also requires basic math. Have a go and have fun.

Okay, so maybe puzzles aren't the answer to saving newspapers, but it may make a few people grab a copy.

And The Answer Is?

Always been bothered by Jeopardy contestants who beat their opponents by a buck. Take for instance tonight's final Jeopardy question. The category was music legends and the clue went something to the effect of "this person's obit in 2003 ended with 'fade to black.'" I immediately knew it was Johnny Cash. Gail, the returning champ wrote "Chris Farley," and the other two ladies wrote Cash. The second place lady doubled her $15,200 and ended with $30,400. But the night's winner -- who went into final Jeopardy with $15,600 -- wagered $14,801 to win with $30,401. Second place lady didn't look happy, and the camera quickly wiped to Alex. But I've just always wondered why people do that. Do they do it because a) they feel bad beating the person with a wide margin of money or b) they're vicious?

A Conundrum

I've been told I can be verbose at times. Yes, I'll admit that I sometimes talk too much. I ramble and I can be tangential. If that were the case, why I can't I say five words. Five simple words. Funny how we can utter the most mundane and random thoughts without batting an eye to strangers, friends, boyfriends, relatives. But then the unexplained happens. Certain situations render the most gregarious of us speechless. Total, utter paralysis of speech.

Happy Fifth, Facebook!

Birthday Alert: Happy Birthday Facebook. You turn 5 tomorrow, and your millions of friends from around the world will Superpoke you, give you a gift, buy you a drink, post on your wall, tag you in 25 Notes About You. You've grown since your college days as a Crimson. Now you are an international entrepreneur who have been all over the world and have witnessed many historic events. I also want to take the time now to say thank you for giving me and the 150 million-plus Facebookers out there an addictive hobby with which to pass time during work, school, weekends. Again, Happy Birthday. Don't forget to post pictures and tag people in them.

Update

You can no longer see the Jason Mraz SNL clip from my previous post because NBC Uni took it off. Sorry. But you can still check out his live show with Toca from South Korea. I included a link Cheers!

Jason Mraz on SNL

*****UPDATE: The video is no longer available on YouTube.*****
Loved it when I saw it then, love it now. Mr. A-Z on SNL 1.31.09. Not many performers do well live on SNL, this one's great. He and Toca also did an acoustic show in South Korea that sounded amazing.
Check it !

Funny, But...

...what about the Coca-Cola ad with Charlie Brown getting the soda at the Thanksgiving Day Parade? Love the Bud Light ads. A stroll down Super Bowl 42.

Super Bowl Sunday

Watching Cliffs Notes version of 2008 football season. Is it just me that confuses the Super Bowl with the Oscars? Is it because they're in the same month? Who knows? But the Super Bowl can be like the Academy Awards of sports -- celebs, stars, fights, food, alcohol. As for a winner? I think it's going to be a close game -- should be good. Bring on the (good) commercials.