Hot Buttered Rum: Official Drink of Presidents Nos. 1 and 2?

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7-manly-cocktailsby Risa Nye

Here in the Bay Area, the rain and cold weather have finally made their presence felt — and just in time for National Hot Buttered Rum Day, Sunday, January 17. Why does this particular cold weather drink deserve its own day, you may ask. Have you ever had one? If so, you will appreciate how hot rum drinks warm the body and soul and make the long, cold, wintry nights easier to withstand. In addition, imbibing toddies and the like is a long-standing tradition in America, beginning with the earliest colonists – and a tradition well worth observing in the New Year. Continue reading →

Baker’s Dozen: The Secret Cake of the Brown Derby

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IMG_1362by Dianne Boate

You should always be ready for surprises. In researching the origin of one of my favorite cakes, chiffon, I discovered it was invented in 1927 by a caterer named Mr. Harry Baker, in the Los Angeles area.

Louella Parsons (left) dining at the Brown Derby.

Louella Parsons (left) dining at the Brown Derby.

He kept the recipe a secret for a long time and finally sold it to General Mills. But before that happened he had the brilliant idea to take a cake to The Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, where it became a popular item on the menu with movie stars – and Louella Parsons, one of the leading gossip columnists of the day. Whatever Louella wanted, Louella got, so her idea that grapefruit was nonfattening resulted in a grapefruit-flavored frosting for the popular cake. (Do we want to try that? Maybe…)

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Critics Corral: THE REVENANT

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revenant-gallery-20-gallery-imageOver a period of 15 years, one person directed a series of complex and challenging feature films: Amores Perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006), Biutiful (2010) and last year’s Oscar-winning Birdman.

His newest, The Revenant, follows a more traditional narrative than director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s previous films but still has a magical realism influence. It is also the first time the director has made a big-budget Hollywood studio movie and the process was filled with challenges. Continue reading →

Letter from the Editors

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Dear Friends,

The New Year is here and after a week’s break we are back with a lot to enjoy.

First we have breaking news about a very special appearance just announced for the February 12-13 screenings of Vertigo with the San Francisco Symphony’s live accompaniment.

Daniel Barnes and Darcey Self-Barnes share their unique His & Hers Beer Notes about Paris of the West from the Almanac Beer Company. Continue reading →

Game of Scones recipes, Two Views of Hateful 8, Long Island Iced Tea & Mamma Mi (a), Wild Western Shorts

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H8teaserDear Friends,

You are curious about Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful Eight aren’t you? Is it great or has he run out of ideas? You can expect a lot of controversy but that isn’t new with QT.  Two of our critics take sides and tell you what they think in this week’s Critics Corner.  As a bonus you will find information about Quentin’s push for 70mm showings, where you can see it that way in the full-length version, Samuel Jackson explaining how they made it, the search for 70mm projectors,  QT’s favorite Westerns and much more in Quentin Tarantino’s Wild Wild West on the Really BIG SCREEN. Continue reading →

A Baker’s Dozen – Private Christmas Gift-Making Factory: Your Kitchen

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by Dianne Boate

I used to buy chocolate in 10-pound bars from a company near the old produce market in San Francisco. The bookkeeper there made me a Christmas cake every year and it was terrible, but I loved it because she made it for me.

We will venture forth here with quality recipes easy to accomplish (Sugar Plums! Velma’s Mother’s Tennessee Refrigerator Rolls!), something a little different, something you can make yourself and be loved for doing it.

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