Skinny Girls Roadshow, LIVE from Mexico — Casa Tres Coronitas

02 Oct 2012 14 Comments

by scolgin in On the Road Tags: , , , , , , , ,

It was two or so years ago, at the preschool silent auction. I may have had a drink or two, I can’t recall. Browsing the yoga classes, crappy wine baskets and tickets to Legoland, I discovered seven nights in a house in Puerto Vallarta. The opening bid was $1,000. The value was $10,000. Nobody had bid, so I figured I’d go ahead and get things rolling. Puerto Vallarta was my favorite town in Mexico, and if I won, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.

I won.

Vista bonita — Casa Tres Coronitas

Fast forward a year. We hadn’t yet claimed our winnings. And once again, there was the week in Puerto Vallarta at the preschool auction. Our friends Nat and Shirley had bid the opening $1,000. Wouldn’t it be nice to have two weeks, I said to my wife. So I bid $1,100. “Stop overbidding us!” Shirley insisted. I agreed, on the condition that we combine our time — after all, the literature said 5,000-feet, two master suites, ample room for children — and go either two consecutive years, or for two weeks. They agreed. More

Chiles Rellenos, High Speed Chases & Le Creuset

17 Sep 2012 15 Comments

by scolgin in Food, Humor, Observations, Video Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I was in kitchen, making dinner, when my 8-year-old son yelled from the family room. “Dad, car chase!”

Here in Los Angeles, we have our share of high-speed car chases — if you’re old enough to remember the O.J. Simpson murders, you’ll recall we even have slow-speed car chases. We’ve got a lot of cars, a lot of freeways, and a fair percentage of people doing things they shouldn’t be. I typically don’t pay much attention — it seems prurient, like staring at a car wreck or a topless woman on a European beach. But once in awhile, I get sucked in. Which is what happened the other night, as I cooked chiles rellenos. More

The Gringo Taco

07 Feb 2012 6 Comments

by scolgin in Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Growing up in suburban Los Angeles in the latter part of the 20th century, they were one of my favorite foods. If you grew up here too, you’ll know what I mean (unless you’re family was actually Mexican). They were ubiquitous. You loved it when your mom made them, and if you were staying the night at a friend’s house and you asked what his mom was cooking for dinner, you were ecstatic if he said that magic word: “tacos.” But not just any tacos, gringo tacos.

The gringo taco, updated

That’s not what they were called at the time, of course. They were just tacos. But having put a lot of time, travel and taste between myself and those halcyon days, I see them for what they really were. More

The Tamale & the Toothpick

23 Dec 2011 5 Comments

by scolgin in Eating Out, Observations Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve never liked office holiday parties much. People stand around awkwardly, drinking punch and nibbling bad food. But this year I was fortunate enough to be invited to one at the much hyped new Los Angeles restaurant, Playa.

Wiped plate and torn menu, Playa

Chef John Sedlar had success with his downtown restaurant, Rivera, and the investors lined up to help him open another. He seems to be one of the nicest guys on earth. Most of the really good chefs are. More

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