Today begins our series with the Los Angeles Angels. LA is known for many things but the one that excites me the most in culinary terms about this city is its influence from Central and South America. Though tacos seem to be our number one focus in Latin cuisine, today I’m bringing you something a little different with ceviche. During the hot summer months ceviche turns up often on my dinner table. Anything ...

"Okay, I wanna see what happens, next week. Go 'La La La', please." Then this happens while I sing the last minute of this with my eyes closed, fingers in ears. It's a little ritual that keeps our family running smoothly. A similar tradition (in tone if not practice) happens at movie theaters. After the Jodeci retreads have played and we've answered the trivia cards, the lights come down, the green rating s ...

Early next week the Royals take on the Houston Astros. With its proximity to Mexico, Texas gets a huge boost in culinary influence from its neighbors to the Southwest. There’s nothing that pairs with classic Mexican cuisine or the blended Tex-Mex foods better than a great margarita. This is, in my opinion, the ultimate, end-all-be-all version. No store-bought mix for me. I want the true acidity from fresh s ...

Just a quick couple of Netflix recommendations today. Our passions and our professions are to a huge extent what define us. When they're one and the same, however, the overlap can drive us nuts. Artists, politicians, athletes, moguls, yogis. A certain level of passionate obsession isn't healthy in combination with some personality types. As such, so very many chefs are insane or brilliant or a combination o ...

There are so many dishes that New York City is known for.  Black and white cookies are one iconic items that you find in almost any deli or bakery you step into. For the Royals series with the Yankees this weekend I am bringing you a different take on the classic sweet with Black and White Pudding.  You get the mix of rich chocolate and creamy vanilla without the pain of frosting a ton of cookies. To add a ...

We haven't seen Zero Dark Thirty or Drive. We missed Life of Pi in the theater and probably won't be seeing RIPD when it comes out. Our nights spent in dark rooms with light shining on the big wall and sound coming at us like a tide of rhinos while popcorn and Sour Patch Kids flow freely are limited to PG-13 extravaganzas with some amount of family appeal. Animated movies loom large for us, as do comic book ...

FX is having a grand old time with its original programming. Basic Cable in general is in a golden age of sorts. With Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels and The Killing, AMC is the current monarch of Basic-Cable Awesome. TNT/USA's approach is stubbornly scattershot: green-light everything and throw it out there, who the hell knows what will work? This has given us greatness in The Close ...

The Royals have been taking on the Tampa Bay Rays this week. In honor of the two wins we have over them so far (the 3rd game is being played as I write this today) let’s celebrate by noshing down on a classic Tampa Bay dish: the Cuban sandwich. Obviously Florida has a lot of influence from Caribbean imports and we can be thankful for this inspiration of cuisine. The Cuban has got to be one of my favorite sa ...

Today, Jane Alice Peters is my favorite actor. I’m a little obsessed with Hollywood name-changers. Archibald Leach, Marion Morrison, Norma Jeane Mortenson and Bernie Schwarz are classic examples of stars who probably wouldn’t have been. Michael Douglas, James Stewart and Albert Einstein were all forced to change their names for even more obvious reasons. To be honest, Jane Alice Peters is a perfectly servic ...

In honor of the Royals' series with the Indians this week I am bringing you a sandwich that hails from Cleveland. Big and indulgent, a full meal in and of itself: the Polish Boy. It is a Polish kielbasa piled onto a bun with coleslaw, French fries and barbeque sauce. I’m adding my own spin to the dish by creating a simple coleslaw out of sauerkraut for a bit of extra bite.   Polish Boy Polish Kielbasa ...

One of the best ways to start off any party is to hand your guests a drink right when they walk in the door. A nice way to do this is to have a specialty cocktail available that is easy to mix beforehand and simple to serve, and is light and refreshing to not weigh anyone down right off the bat.   I made this blood orange punch for my last gathering and it was a big hit. It was an excellent aperitif to ...

Just a simple series of recommendations, today. Let’s look back at some of the best Boston movies. I find that I can only take so much media speculation at times like these, so it’s useful to take a step back and just breathe until there is more factual information for journalists and news readers to impart. In the meantime, I watch movies. There are ton to choose from, here, since Boston perhaps only trail ...

Think of a movie. This is your favorite movie or the best movie. A classic. It’s a movie you could watch every week for the rest of your life or one you make it a point to watch once a year. Maybe it’s a movie you saw just the one time twenty years ago and it’s stuck with you ever since, like this picture of Gary Busey. You can’t just unsee that; it’s there in your head forever. This movie I’m talking about ...

I love hosting people for many types of parties so I’m constantly trying to figure out the best way to feed a crowd without completely breaking the bank. A pasta dish seems to always be the best go-to when you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed for little dough. A meaty red sauce is a classic, favorite pairing.   Instead of using straight hamburger I add extra flavor and heat with a hot Italian sausag ...

“I hate actors.” On the written page, that’s a fun little line. It’s the dying expression of a black-hat villain in a forgettable 80s comedy in the style of The Prince and the Pauper. The movie was kind of terrible. It was non-remade into Dave a few years later. That wasn’t a great movie, either, but it was clearly better than Moon Over Parador. Dave at least had Kevin Kline (NSFW) while he was still funny. ...

I was all set to write a column about remakes and the foolish/justified/entertaining way we prejudge them. I will keep my research and write it when another high-profile remake is set to premiere (shouldn’t have to wait long). But I can’t let the events of this afternoon (Thursday) pass without typing whatever feelings want to escape tonight (also Thursday), as I drink a bit of bourbon and think about the p ...

With Opening Day happening earlier this week, minds are turning towards summer. Ready for the sun, warmth, being outdoors, game days, beers in hand. I also find my brain wishing for the summer produce, such as my favorite sweet, fresh, in-season corn on the cob. There isn't much better. But until the day that corn actually shows up in the farmer’s markets I make do with the frozen stuff.   This recipe ...

It’s opening day in Royals Land and optimism couldn’t be higher, which means that I am personally pessimistic. That’s just how I roll. I’m a Royals fan, and kind of live by the motto “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me 27 times….” Which is not to say that I’m down on my team, I love all of the players, coaches, fans, Hudlers, even the umpires. I believe that Alex Gordon will get MVP votes. I know that Sal ...

Twenty-two episodes used to be industry standard. A production company (a network, really) would order a pilot to be produced. On the strength of that one hour (or one half-hour), seven episodes would be ordered. Or maybe thirteen. If the pilot showed real promise, maybe a full season would be contracted. Twenty-two episodes and the show would be off and running. Of course, there were exceptions. Cheers reg ...

Going on a bit of a “Mexican Feast” trend for a couple of weeks now here on Batter Up and Fry. Started off last week with an appetizer of guacamole and next week I’ll bring you one of my favorite Tex-Mex inspired sides. This week I have for you a quick and easy main course: quesadillas. This version features the spicy kick of fresh chorizo, a little added heft with mashed beans, and a gooey cheesiness thank ...