Elise Thompson

If you want to celebrate the Obama way today, you might want to cook up a big pot of presidential chili. Although it is not quite as renowned as Hillary Clinton's chocolate chip cookies or Lady Bird Johnson's lemon cake, Obama's chili recipe has been all over the internet. It's got a few surprise ingredients. Red wine vinegar, OK...but turmeric? Really? Really? We will just have to trust our new commander-in-chief on that one....

It was standing room only at the wildly succesful launch of DineLA yesterday at SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. More than 100 of Los Angeles' finest chefs filled the rooms of The Bazaar, chef Jose Andres restaurant in the brand spanking new hotel. The building is dazzling with blinding white walls and lots of shiny shiny chrome; the interior design accented is by unusual and exotic pieces. It was like a high school reunion as...

The L Word is finally coming back! After what seems like forever, the last season of The L Word will premiere tomorrow. LAIst sat down with Jon Wolfe Nelson, who plays the love interest of Max (Daniela Sea), to dish about the final season, the other cast members, and what really went down during that man on Max love scene. So the new season of the L word starts Sunday. Are you excited? Of...

Lori Drew's sentencing for charges related to the precedent-setting MySpace Suicide Case has been scheduled for April 30th in Los Angeles According to Associated Press. Lori Drew, who was not present at the hearing, was convicted November 26 of three counts of accessing computers without authorization. It is believed that the suicide of 13 year-old Megan Meier was a result of Drew setting up a fake profile on MySpace of a boy who romanced and then dumped Meier in 2006.

If you can't absorb Suze Orman's sage advice because it gets lost in the shrillness, this video may be the answer. Steve Martin and Amy Pohler ponder getting out of debt the obvious way....

Photo by Elise Thompson. Disclaimer: This is a mixed berry pie, not a bumbleberry A long-time family favorite of my good friend David Peeps, this recipe is originally from The Buffallo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Alberta. The apples mellow out the tartness of the berries, and the berries liven up the sometimes humdrum flavor of the apples. Recipe after the jump!...

Tired of the same old movie for Christmas? A traditional white Christmas and an encounter with the not-so-traditional green Grinch await guests at Universal Studios. "Grinchmas" is included in the entry fee, with "tons of powder-fresh snow, meetings with The Grinch, Cindy-Lou Who and Max the Dog and a "Whoville" jubilation at the original movie sets where the classic "Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was filmed." Hours of operation Christmas day are 10:00...

There was a warm communal vibe at Harry Shearer and Judith Owen's singalong December 5th. It was held in the Steve Allen Theater, which is small and homey enough to remind you of being in a high school auditorium. In fact, it was almost like being at your kid's high school holiday chorale -- if your kids were all over 40 and went to the most awesome high school ever. The first half of...

Photo by Elise Thompson. Pie by The Wheel Inn This one is an unusual take on a holiday classic. For years a personal obsession has been the peanut butter pie at the Wheel Inn at Cabazon. There have been many disappointments along the way to a duplicate recipe, with versions full of Cool Whip and broken dreams. This recipe seems to really hit the mark and is the closest you can get without a...

Photo by Elise Thompson. Pies by Dee Thompson Some pies are traditional for Christmas -- like pumpkin, pecan and mincemeat. Why not try something new this year? The bright tartness of a traditional lemon meringue pie can bring a litle sunshine to the holiday table and really wake up the palate. Fresh-squeezed lemon makes all the difference in the recipe. Some people are intimidated by meringue but if you follow one rule you can't...