Photo by Sister72 via Flickr It's 8:30 a.m. and by the count on this list, at least five Irish bars are open right now: Brennan's Pub, Casey's Irish Bar and Grille, Clancy's, O'Brien's Irish Pub, Patrick Molloys and Tom Bergin's Tavern. Whoops, make that six (derrr, the morning O'Doul's is already kicking in). Oh, speaking of that non-alcoholic beer, O'Douls is sponsoring the Pershing Sqaure celebration today starting at 11:00 a.m., which happens to......

This banana bread recipe is so good. So good that you'll find you've finished half a loaf without noticing. No. Really. So good that it's totally worth waiting for those bananas to turn black and attract a swarm of fruit flies. (Well, maybe don't wait THAT long). So good that you might just find yourself talking to it while it's toasting up in your toaster oven the next day. "There's a good lass. Only a......

A hot cocoa mix that’s not for kiddies Recently, a group of friends came over unexpectedly and I didn’t have much to offer as a proper host. Scanning my bare cupboards, I found a box of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate packets and a bottle of Bailey’s. Ding, ding, ding! With the cold weather and rain, the warm beverages were a hit – even for the dudes who don’t usually like girly drinks. One excited......

Ed LaDou, the father of modern California-style pizza, has died of cancer at age 52 in Santa Monica. LaDou is best known for his work at Wolfgang Puck's legendary Spago; LaDou was the first to experiment with unusual and innovative pizza toppings like duck and smoked salmon, and he also helped develop the menu for the casual dining chain California Pizza Kitchen. From The LA Times: "Ed really set the tone for the pizza,"......

This is the summer cookie that works well in winter - especially in LA, where women are still wearing flip-flops on Christmas Eve! At every holiday party, the dessert table is full of heavy chocolate confections, heady alcoholic affairs (figgy pudding!) and dense fruit-cake-y type items. If I'm just not up for making sugar cookies (and the insane hours it takes to decorate them all!), I make these instead. They're lighter, fresher. Oh so yummy......

" src="http://laist.com/attachments/lindsayrebecca/gingersnapsinapile.jpg" width="375" height="318" class="left"/> I can't remember a time when I wasn't baking cookies. My mom used to sit me up on the counter and let me pour ingredients into the mixer. I had to hold the measuring cup with both hands. I started baking these gingersnaps one Christmas soon after I had moved out on my own. They are from one of those Family Circle cookbook sets with 15 volumes. I have......

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” are Chef/Owners of Border Grill Santa Monica, Border Grill Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and Ciudad in Downtown Los Angeles. Last week we brought you a report from their fantastic Holidy Cooking Class (including two amazing recipes) and now it is our pleasure to share with you their tips for making your holiday gathering a deliciously smashing success. 1. Impress your......

Tis the season - for cookies!!! Cookies are one of the most versatile treats you can make. They are perfect for gift-giving, office parties, dessert, or a quick snack. They please children and grown-ups alike. Most cookie batters freeze well so you can make cookies anytime you feel like it. Cookie recipes are easy to make and hard to screw up. You just need to keep an eye on them so they don't burn.......

It's tamale season! Every year around this time, our family spends one Sunday wrapping tamales for Christmas Eve. It's easiest to make the meat the day before, then have the wrapping party the next day. This is not a solo project. Stock up on beer and make something easy, like chili, and invite all of your friends over. Call every Mexican restaurant/deli/store in your phone book and find one that sells the masa pre-prepared. Some......

Thai food can be an issue for vegans. Everything has hidden fish sauce or oyster sauce in it. Luckily, here in LA there is always Bulan Thai, California Vegan, Vegan Glory, and Vegan House. Some Thai Town restaurants will prepare the food vegan upon request. But depending upon where you live, you still might not have a convenient corner takeout. So why not make it at home? I've made authentic Thai curries from scratch,......

Zucchini and other squash are abundant right now at farmer's markets and in home gardens (it's one of the easier vegetables to grow). Making big batches of delicious Italian-style zucchini soup is a good way to transform your bounty, and this dish uses flavors that will please even the most zucchini-fatigued palate. This soup can be a main course for two (put some crusty bread and butter on the side), or an appetizer for......

Bills just came in. Rent's due. I made a major and very necessary computer purchase that needs to be paid off right away. My credit cards are tired. I'm poor. There won't be any lavish lunches or fancy foreign cheese purchases from Whole Foods happening for me anytime soon. If I'm not careful, the next few weeks might be Top Ramen City -- what's a budget-minded foodie to do? Luckily, I have two dozen......

This is a fast, fun, and ridiculously delicious way to prepare the last of summer's beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Make sure you choose tomatoes that are fairly round and symmetrical -- a plate filled with several different colored varieties will be beyond gorgeous. Stuffed tomatoes are also great for getting rid of leftover bits of veggies that are hanging around in your fridge -- I chose onion, mushrooms, and swiss chard because that's what I......

You can reproduce the amazing flavors of true Santa Maria BBQ in your backyard on a much smaller scale, using a 2-3 lb. tri-tip in place of a 20 lb topblock. Looking to watch your urbane clique revert to their primal roots, forsaking knife, fork, and plate for fingers, bulged eyes, and wide smiles? Want to see your veggie and vegan friends split into groups of people either salivating because they want a taste, or are fully repulsed at such a carnivorous feast? Want to make something awesome, with $20, and at the last minute for a group of 4-5 people? This is your answer. ...

It's summer, it's hot and I've been craving some cold dishes with the pizazz of freshness. Then it hit me - Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles. Yum! Great! But wait... Another thought smacked me on the head: store bought Asian peanut sauces are the worst tasting sauces out there. I've never been able to find one to satisfy my pallet. That leaves only one option: do it myself. I headed to Epicurious.com and found their......

Like most people, I have gone through my vegetarian phases, my vegan phases and the worst of all - my low-carb phase. So my cooking is pretty versatile. I have a lot of vegan friends who love barbecues, and it only takes a few minor changes to make them more comfortable. Even if you are super-carnivorous, you can still host a barbecue that will make your vegan friends happy. First of all, you want......

This is the recipe for a perfect summer pie. Not only is it light and citrusy, but the oven only needs to be on for 20 minutes. For parties, I buy pre-made graham cracker tart crusts to make individual servings. I like to decorate the center of each tart with a single curled strip of lime zest. This recipe makes one pie, or about a dozen tarts. Key lime juice is sold in bottles......

You know what I hate? Birthday cake. I've hated it for years. In fact, I really don't remember a time that I DID enjoy birthday cake, or any kind of layered cake with that icky sugar icing and stupid tasteless sugar sprinkles. Problem is, I don't really like pie either. Or pastries, or muffins, or chocolate-anything (maybe a bite of dark chocolate every now and then). When I get ice cream, I usually get......

From what I’ve gathered, book clubs are about two things: books… and wine. Or at least mine is! So in the interest of sending my friends home with something to soak up the fruit of Bacchus in their tummies, I make these yummy treats: garlic naan pizzas. These are super yummy, and if you make them with low-fat or fat-free cheese, they aren’t that bad for you. They’re also super for a last-minute meal,......

One of the coolest, most classic things about that most classic of old-school Hollywood restaurants, Dan Tana's, is that the servers will toss your Caesar salad for you right at your table. The white-clad waiters wheel the whole station out on a little wooden cart, and fling those frilly romaine leaves about with a kind of carefree showmanship. Besides the tart, creamy taste of freshly made dressing, what puts their salad over the top......

This seriously takes 5 minutes to do. It's so easy, it's so fresh, we had to share. Ingredients - 1 lb. firm tofu - thai curry sauce (we are fans of the one from Trader Joe's) - broccoli, carrots, onions and other veggies of choice - olive oil (we're lazy; we use spray olive oil) Directions - Spray olive oil on bottom plate of George Foreman Grill and turn grill on to heat up.......

Just as yogilates is the new pilates, Joe Lieberman is the new Ralph Nader and turquoise is the new pink, there's a new libation that's rapidly becoming the Mixed Drink of the Moment. It's the Moscow Mule, and it is to summer 2006 what the Mojito was to the summer of 2004. Contrary to its name, the Moscow Mule hails neither from Russia nor a Midwest horse farm. It is a pure LA concoction,......

We've just heard about a local event devoted to the perennial classic of American comfort food: Macaroni and cheese. Oregon-based Tillamook Cheese and the Pasadena location of the higher-end seafood chain eatery McCormick & Schmick’s are sponsoring the 2006 Macaroni and Cheese Recipe Contest. It's a cook-off for Angelenos who think they are the absolute cheesiest--when it comes to macaroni, that is. So what's the prize look like for this feather in your cap?......