Almond Florentines are one of those holiday treats that I look forward to every Christmas. Light and crunchy, these decadent nibbles are super easy to bake and make a great holiday gift- but watch out, they're also highly addictive! 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup honey 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 4-5 cups sliced almonds 1 cup chocolate chips 5-6 aluminum pie plates Combine butter, sugar, honey, and whipping cream in a... [continue]

Science and art rarely mix. And yet, despite the near polar opposite natures of these two fields, there's something that makes a collaboration between science and art undeniably captivating. Perhaps it's because behind the often sterile and calculated shell of the world of science, there lies the same human stories we find in every other area of life. And while we regularly see tales of greed, corruption, triumph, racism, fame, and passion acted out... [continue]

REDCAT opens it's space to Los Angeles dance, theatre, music and multimedia artists tonight in the second performance of Studio, a quarterly series featuring new works and works in progress. Tonight's event features: Linda Carmella Sibio: White Lilies, Black Mud Photo credit: Blake Brousseau Hana van der Kolk: Justin Poor Dog Group: Hey, hey man. Hey. Dann M. Torres/Knossos: Harold Budd Version 2 (for oud and electronics) Photo credit: Courtesy of the Artist...... [continue]

Remember in high school when you had a crush on that guy a few grades older than you and you couldn't stop thinking about him or telling your friends about how you were totally going to go to prom together, and fall in love, and go to the same college, and live happily ever after- if only he knew who you were? What about in ninth grade when you dressed up as a “space... [continue]

As California transplants, my family home up north has been a revolving door for visitors ever since we arrived in the Bay Area. While the constant influx of visitors can sometimes get a little tiring, it has had its benefits, primarily that my family has gotten to know NorCal's tourist destinations pretty well, particularly the Napa Valley and Sonoma County. For some reason I always seemed to miss out on wine tasting excursions when...... [continue]

October is a remarkable time of year. It's around this time that I always get an unbelievable urge to see the seasons change. I long for the dramatic oranges, reds, purples and yellow that signal the end of summer and the beginning of a long, hard winter (well...not exactly, but you get the point). As a kid growing up on the prairies, when fall rolled around it always looked as if someone had dipped... [continue]

Photo of Volunteer Park in Seattle by sunrisesoup via Flickr Forget New Years resolutions! Now is the perfect time to make a change in your life and make a difference the lives of others. Here's a very brief list of just a few organizations around L.A. that are currently looking for volunteers. For additional resources visit www.vcla.net or www.laworks.com. Animal Support Friends of Animals- works to cultivate a respectful view of nonhuman animals, free-living... [continue]

Do you remember your first car? Chances are you do. In fact, you probably remember all of the seminal life events that took place in that car, and in every car thereafter; whether it was making up, making out, breaking up, breaking down, losing your cool, losing your mind, or losing your love. The events that take place inside of a car are of a nature so intimate that they are rarely shared outside... [continue]

This week marked one of the proudest moments in recent Canadian history. Well, not really...but pretty darn close... On Monday the Canadian dollar traded at $1.0091! That translates to about 99.12 Canadian cents to the American dollar, the highest rate the currency had traded at in over 30 years! The “loon” has been steadily increasing over the last month up from its typical rate of around $0.80-$0.85 Canadian cents to one American dollar. The... [continue]

A few months ago I came home from work to find one of my roommates sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in hand. From the time I first met this friend, one thing was very clear: he loved wine. In fact, he had a very special relationship with one brand in particular, Charles Shaw. Good ole' Two Buck Chuck was a loyal friend to my roommate all through college. Chuck had...... [continue]

While searching for a one-act play to direct at an upcoming director's festival, playwright, dramaturge, adaptor, and director Cindy Marie Jenkins stumbled across a collection of interviews from individuals affected by the Chernobyl disaster. Deeply moved by the stories of these survivors, Jenkins immediately began adapting the interviews for the stage. Voices from Chornobyl premiered at Open Fist and was later showcased at L.A's annual theatre festival, EdgeFest. Now in its third incarnation, Voices... [continue]

When I received my Thai One On assignment I was pretty pumped. Online Yelp reviews had unanimously agreed that Thailand Plaza has some of the best food and service around. Maybe that's why my experience at Thailand Plaza was such a disappointing one--my expectations going in were way too high. Not so say that everything about my Thailand Plaza dining experience was bad; parking was free with validation. Bonus! However aside from free parking,...... [continue]

One part Greek tragedy, one part Shakespeare's Henry IV, one part hip-hop concert Clay, a one man show written and performed by Matt Sax and directed by Eric Rosen, rocks the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Chronicling the life of a young man who "comes of age through the theatricality of hip hop", Clay has an unexpectedly moving quality about it. Raised in what can only be described as suburban hell, Clay's lead character, Clifford, is...... [continue]

Promoted as a "rock-and-roll fable," Clay kicked off its month long run at the Kirk Douglas Theatre last Thursday. Chronicling the rise of a fictional hip-hop superstar, from suburban hell to undisputed fame, the "one man hip hop musical" features Clay's writer, composer and lyricist Matt Sax in the title role. A recent graduate of Northwestern University, Sax, along with director Eric Rosen, bring Clay to Los Angeles for its West Coast debut after...... [continue]

Let me just come right out and say it. I'm not a huge Pirates of the Caribbean fan. Never have been. All of that swashbuckling just makes me feel sea sick. I know that for some folks such a statement might be enough to have me walk the plank, but it's the truth. However, despite my shallow enthusiasm for the Pirates trilogy, and really, pirates in general, I do have a confession to make....... [continue]

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