Here I am

Oh dang I’m sorry I don’t really write enough. I’ve been busy working my arse off and then putting it back on at dinners like the one I attended at The Meadowood in the picture above. That was the finale of my trip to the Professional Wine Writers Symposium which was a dream. Oh no it was real. Real dreamy.

I’ll try and post a bottle here more often. I swear. In the meantime I’ll be gabbing on The Wine Situation and writing about things silly and not like whether wine is vegan or not over at Delectable so enjoy and forgive me for not being here.

Maybe I should start a new thing? I could always try to juggle more.

A tribute to Jonathan

In the past five years, writing about food and wine had played an ever-escalating role in my life. These days more wine than food but I enjoy both for the same reason I love being an actor. Both food and comedy offer a respite from the world, and form new ways to connect with other humans.

Drama, comedy and flavors toe the line between the intellect and animal sensibility in a way I cannot define but wish to express and share. Hence my need to to make you giggle or cry, or to ply your tastebuds with whatever groundbreaking thing to consume I’ve happened upon.

Jonathan Gold died today. He was the food writer whom we (especially angelenos) looked up to. If you haven’t seen the documentary City of Gold you must. Jonathan Gold took a meal and made it history, an art lesson, and slice of life all in one that somehow made us all feel closer to our city and closer to each other.

He will be missed. I only hope to that I can continue to learn from his writing and spirit.

I don’t know what I’m saying with this post except that he made an impression on me and many, and we should all raise a glass, be it wine or water to a man who touched so many.

New column! Crack the Dom Ruinart!

I’m going to be contributing to Delectable–first column here! For those of you not aware Delectable is the app arm of Antonio Galloni’s Vinous. It serves as both a way to keep track of what you drink, and a way to see what others are saying and drinking! I’ve actually made friends using it. Do take a read of what I titled:

The Big Guys V The Rest of the World

For my first column I spent the weekend at Effervescence LA, a three day celebration of bubbles, and wrote about the difference between Champagne and other traditional method sparklers. Check it out! I’ll still be putting things up on Scrumptious Gruel, and The Whine Situation podcast is coming up on a one year anniversary so there is much to celebrate. Thank you to everyone who is tuning in to any and all of my wino exploits. Someday I wish to toast with every one of you.

❤

Gratitude

This week’s picture and recipe both courtesy of my deep need to pimp my latest column for Hello Giggles. You can get the recipe for Death by Chocolate Until You’re Blue-berry in the Face, and my musings on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory here. So to kick off this week’s list of giving thanks in honor of Thanksgiving, I’ll say thank you Zooey Deschanel, Molly McAleer and Sophia Rossi for founding a stellar website and letting me spew silly stuff about books and food on it. And now because I am sitting here biding my time on a bus back from LAX to home, I shall regale you with all that I am thankful for.
1) first and foremost my family. They are the best. Everyone should have such great parents. I really don’t have enough room to tell you how wonderful they are.
2) acting work. In this last year I’ve gotten to work with an awful lot of talented people. I’ve been in a movie on the Chiller Network. I’ve met some great casting directors and finally gotten into some casting offices I’d dreamed of getting a shot at. I finally felt like a part of pilot season. Now to keep it up!
3) improv/comedy: I am on an improv team I LOVE. We get the opportunity to perform every single week (Every Sunday unless there are 5 in a month-then we don’t do the 5th- 7pm! The Neon Venus). I also have a practice group from UCB classes I adore who hopefully will start doing shows soon. And I’ve done some scaryscaryscary stand- up.
4) auditions-still going out all the dang time and have a buddy who is always there to help me prep, and who I help get ready too. It’s good having an acting teammate.
5) writing. Up to episode ten on the episodic I’ve been writing. Blackboard Eats still sends me to some snazzy places, and I got the gig to write for Hello Giggles-so now I can claim that all my reading and cooking is in the name of my work writing The Book Cook.
6) You guys! Thank you for reading this. I’m sending y’all love, love love. Cause love is all you need.
7) friends. Hot dang I have some good ones, near and far. Now is a good time to thank Skype for keeping me closer with the far ones. As for the near ones, hot dang they’ve got my back. And they are into having pie parties. What more does a girl need?
8) baseball. A girl needs baseball. Finally got to a game. Granted I’d be even more grateful if the Cardinals had won the World Series but I’m proud of my hometown team all the same.
9) Patti Smith and Trent Reznor. My two biggest musical idols and I got to see them both.
10) Los Angeles. City I love you.

It hasn’t been ALL amazing, sure. There have been arm surgeries and jobs I didn’t get and traffic jams and foiled plans but all in all, I’m awfully happy.
I’m going to go hug the world now. Lies. I’m going to go home and do work worky work work just as soon as I get there.
Love,
Ellen