About
Men with hats and the fish that brings them together (l to r, Enrique Valdez, Sean Colgin & Justin Mitchell)
The rock & roll canyon. Where Neil Young recorded “After the Gold Rush,” and Jim Morrison wrote “Roadhouse Blues.” Where people who are old enough can recall Joni Mitchell playing at the Corral and Charlie Manson living in a bus down at the Rodeo Grounds by the sea. Here, amidst the wild sage and oaks of coastal California, we hang out — me and my wife and our three kids — cooking food, listening to music, enjoying life. Here, in our oak-shady hills we keep chickens and make pasta from the eggs, grow tomatoes and artichokes, share meals and our family wines — Bruce Patch Wines from Sonoma County — with our friends and neighbors. We venture out to the great ethnic markets and eateries we are blessed with in the Los Angeles area. Sometimes I cater meals and give cooking classes. I eat a lot, cook a lot, read and think a lot about food. And wanted to share some of what I’ve figured out here with you. — Sean Colgin, Topanga
Thoughts, questions or insights: info@seancolgin.com
skinny girls & mayonnaise 
Jan 07, 2011 @ 06:35:26
Hey Sean;
I’m really impressed with your site. It reads great and looks super cool. Almost as good as a prime shortloin or rib. Can 4 people eat 6 lbs of meat? Hell if I’m invited 2 people may leave hungry, unless they fill up on one of your bisques or chowders. Leslie is a lucky woman, keep cooking and writing.
Jan 07, 2011 @ 15:23:45
Thanks Joe! And thanks for guest starring in my meat post. Now that you’re in the neighborhood, Leslie says “We gotta have Joe over for dinner!” Maybe a BBQ when the weather warms up — you bring the meat! ; )
Jun 11, 2013 @ 03:41:45
Great blog you have, glad I followed you can’t wait to see your updates.
Jan 11, 2011 @ 07:12:40
I would definitely bring the meat, or I’ll invite your family to our place for a BBQ. My 10 year old daughter would love to play with your two little one’s, and my middle son is just about Flynn’s age.
Take care, Joe
Jan 11, 2011 @ 16:22:29
Wherever we do it, we’re looking forward to it!
Feb 24, 2011 @ 21:04:17
Hey, as always, I love your website. I made up this recipe last night. Thought you might like to try it. Garlic-Rosemary Lamb Meatballs, Shiitake-Marscapone Sauce over Pappardelle with Lemony-Pecorino Pesto.
http://chicagochef.blogspot.com/2011/02/rosemary-lamb-meatballs-with-marscapone.html
Even if you don’t try it, I’d welcome critiques of my recipe or method. Yeah, you inspired me to write a blog. However, I’ve done it in the past and I always give up and delete it sooner, rather than later.
Feb 24, 2011 @ 22:08:12
Yeah!!! It’s a proud moment to inspire another blog. I like it, Ben. Very cool. I agree with being annoyed by NYC claiming to have discovered anything remotely food-related. They claim Nobu Matsuhisa after De Niro discovered him in L.A. at the restaurant he’d owned and been cooking at for 20 years. Anyhoo, recipe sounds great, I’ll try it sometime…
Dec 16, 2011 @ 01:26:43
What a refreshing point of view! You’re wise to skip New York’s Chinatown—you guys on the west coast have all the luck. Can’t agree with you on the Kraft “cheese” though…
Dec 16, 2011 @ 01:29:28
It took me awhile to come to terms with it, Michelle. 😉
Jul 30, 2012 @ 01:17:32
Love your blog. Just wanted you to know I’ve nominated it for the Kreative Blogger award.
Jul 30, 2012 @ 01:25:34
Ah, you’re very kind, thank you so much!
Oct 30, 2012 @ 00:53:30
Beautiful blog! I am a follower now 🙂
Oct 30, 2012 @ 00:57:43
Thank you! Let’s follow each other! 😉
Oct 30, 2012 @ 01:10:14
Thank you!
Nov 04, 2012 @ 15:15:02
http://chicagochef.blogspot.com/2012/11/your-grocery-store-is-ripping-you-off.html
I think that you’ve done shopping-centric posts before. Here’s one of mine.
Nov 04, 2012 @ 17:16:13
That’s a good one, Ben. Beer bar at your grocery store? I wanna live near you. I wrote a nice reply on the blog, but when I clicked “Publish” it vanished and I got frustrated. I have an adversarial relationship with Blogspot, I think it knows that I’m a WordPress guy. 😉
Nov 04, 2012 @ 18:53:28
yeah, the Whole Foods in Lincoln Park is (I think) the second largest one in the nation, next to Austin. There are two bars, a sushi bar, noodle bar, pasta bar, pizzeria, diner, smokehouse, and a taco stand in it. its like food nirvana, and we’re getting an Eataly here soon too.
Dec 13, 2012 @ 14:41:34
Dear Sean: I’m going to the in-laws this year in Saint Paul where at Christmas morning after Mass, I’m usually stuck at a brunch with ham, cheesy potatoes, and a quiche. (Thankfully, I usually make the quiche, thus it’s delicious.) However, this year I’m going to man a “Retro Corner”. Thus far, I’ve decided I’m going to attend to my corner and make Bourbon Old-Fashioned’s and tend to a genuine chafer dish stocked with Pigs-In-A-Blanket. I can’t wait to open and light the chafer dish warmers with the weird, low blue flames. Here’s the challenge, I need other similarly themed retro apps, preferably ones I don’t really have to make and/or involve minimal labor. I’ve also considered Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts but for some reason, that’s just not ringing quite true with me in complement to the P-i-a-B and the OF’s. What say you? I know that you’ll hit the nail on the head. I only want to serve a max of two apps, possibly three if it makes it hilariously ironic. Help me out, buddy.
Dec 13, 2012 @ 16:46:11
An excellent approach to rescuing a potentially yawn-inducing after-Mass brunch! Bravo! I’m with you on the rumaki — they’re retro, and bacon goes with everything… but I’m still not convinced water chestnuts should EVER be included in any dish under any circumstances. The place my mind goes to immediately (a tall, fruity Trader Vic’s cocktail in hand) is to crab puffs — gooey crab and cream cheese encased inside crisp wonton wrappers. It doesn’t get any more retro than that, hombre. Serve with some of that sweet, mildly spicy Vietnamese chili sauce. Swedish meatballs are another fun favorite from the 50s, as are deviled eggs (that would play into the “brunch”/egg part of it cleverly). Or you could have a bubbling pot of gooey cheese fondue! Let me know if you need any more ideas than that. And LET them be chafed!! (They ARE in-laws, after all…)
Dec 13, 2012 @ 16:55:27
Thanks for the ideas. I, of course, did consider the meatballs but I hate the toothpicks and napkins that get left about the house, and the deviled eggs involve an amount of labor I’m not not necessarily willing to put out on Christmas morn’. However, your idea of Crab Puffs is genius. I shall add it to the menu. I’ll leave the rumaki undecided for now; my wife would totally agree with you on the need for water chestnut’s very existence.
Apr 05, 2013 @ 02:33:17
Sounds like a most beautiful life… Cheers to food, family, music and wine! la dolce vita!
Apr 05, 2013 @ 13:27:21
Cheers to you. Life is indeed sweet.
Apr 23, 2013 @ 18:15:06
awesome intro! MORE MORE MORE!!!
Sep 13, 2013 @ 01:51:38
Your site is very impressive, I have to admit, your photos are beautiful and this site looks like it’s going to be so much fun to read! Thank you for the follow 🙂
Sep 13, 2013 @ 01:58:11
Thank you Julie! I like your site too! 🙂
Nov 25, 2013 @ 17:31:56
Very well done. Love your blog Sean. We share the same name… 🙂
Dec 02, 2013 @ 02:08:48
A “girl” Sean!? How cool… Look forward to sharing Seanmusings…
Jan 01, 2014 @ 15:57:00
How strange – I assumed from your blog title you were female! Hello Sean!
Jan 01, 2014 @ 16:43:32
Nah, I’m a boy! Hallo Holly!
Feb 14, 2014 @ 08:32:12
i also thought from the title that u were a female …..uppss sorry n HELLO SEAN!
Feb 14, 2014 @ 15:33:59
No worries, mate! I’m one of those sensitive males. 😉
Feb 26, 2014 @ 02:09:56
Hi Sean,
– I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. You can see how it works on my award post here on Armitage Agonistes, http://wp.me/p3DuBO-1hP and if you decide to participate, you just need to follow the rules for the award, which are:
• Display the Award Certificate on your blog (just cut-and-paste it from my post)
• Write a post and link back to the blogger who nominated you – that’s me!
• Nominate 15 other bloggers (I’ve kept to 10 as 15 seemed quite a lot)
• Inform them of their nomination via comment on their blog
• Post 7 interesting things about yourself.
Whether you join in or not, I just want you to know that I nominated you because I enjoy your blog and thought you would like to see it shared with some new readers
Perry.
Feb 26, 2014 @ 17:55:08
Very kind of you Perry, thank you.
Aug 01, 2014 @ 20:29:56
Hi! Thanks for the follow! Your blog is very interesting and entertaining to read. 🙂 🙂
Aug 02, 2014 @ 16:59:39
To mutual blog admiration! 🙂
Dec 19, 2014 @ 03:30:31
All the while I thought this site is ruled by women and to my surprise it’s a family site and I am enjoying your site promise 🙂
Dec 19, 2014 @ 04:44:39
Thank you StheWW! Yes, it’s mostly a MAN’S site with a lot of women circling around it. 😉 (And kids and chickens.)
Sep 18, 2016 @ 14:45:42
Thank you for stopping by my blog.
Sep 18, 2016 @ 15:36:43
And likewise to you. I enjoyed your blog.
Nov 03, 2021 @ 06:06:03
So I grew up in Westlake Village in the 70s and 80s. My wife was from Canoga Park. We’re in Connecticut now; our center of gravity being NYC. Thank you very much for helping me to revisit memories of Sierra’s, Orange Julius, and Dar Marghreb. Your details brought up details of my own – the tabletop Ms. Pac-Man machine in the Sierra’s bar, the delightful and completely inauthentic Machaca Tostada, to name a few. Your stories were both beautiful and wistful. Thank goodness Tommy’s still exists!
Nov 03, 2021 @ 14:28:47
Thank you Aldo, for your comments and compliments. I remember the tabletop Ms. PacMan!! 😄 All the best to you, and YES, I’ll be off to Tommy’s later.