Wow, there's a headline I never thought I'd write.

Actor Hugh Grant was arrested in London yesterday for allegedly throwing a plastic tub filled with baked beans at photographer Ian Whittaker. Whittaker says that Grant also kicked him and yelled at him before he threw the beans at him.

A plastic container filled with baked beans? This could have been much worse. He could have thrown cans filled with beans at the photographer, or glass jars filled with tomato sauces or pickles, or maybe even cling peaches...in heavy syrup.

Grant was released on bail and no charges have been filed.

So far, Nicole and Sarah have given their thoughts about Alan Richman's GQ list of "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die." (A .pdf of the entire article is available here.) Since Sarah and Nicole have both hit at least a few spots on Richman's list, I figured it was time I start catching up, especially since I live only minutes away from the restaurant that occupies the number one spot on the list, Le Tub, in Hollywood, Florida. Le Tub has had roughly the last half a century to garner praise for its burgers, and the evidence, in the form numerous framed and yellowing newspaper clippings, is obvious throughout the restaurant. The rest of the decor is also worth mentioning. The rickety, open-air bar and restaurant sits perched on the Intracoastal Waterway, and it's as if the entire place has been whittled from a huge chunk of driftwood and is now held together by little more than fishing nets, banyan roots and the occasional rusty nail. And, of course, there is a bathtub planter outside, as well as a variety of toilets and toilet seats strewn about the lush, overgrown property.

Consumers in India may be asking themselves that very question soon. In their effort to achieve world coffee-selling domination, Starbucks has been planning expansion into India for some time now. However, Indian entrepreneur Shanhaz Husain is hoping to claim some of the java-seeking market for herself with the introduction of "Starstrucks" - a glamour-themed coffee chain complete with posters and memorabilia of Hollywood stars.

Apparently, Starbucks has filed a complaint with India's Controller-General of Patents, Designs, and Trademark, saying the name is deceptively similar to their own. Though Husain claims her stores will have a completely different look, I don't think there is much question that the name of her proposed coffee chain was chosen deliberately.

She is planning to open 25 of the Hollywood-themed stores in her first year. Starbucks, on the other hand, is supposedly still sorting through branding issues with the Indian government, but hopes to have their first store in India open by the end of 2007. I would love to see those two businesses on opposite sides of the street from each other.

For over ten years now, Wolfgang Puck has been serving the stars at the Governor's Ball - also known as the official "after party" for the Academy Awards, where all the nominees congregate to look glamorous, talk to the press and eat dinner. Not all of the secrets of the Oscar ceremony itself, like what the stage is going to look like, are revealed ahead of time and the menu for the Ball was clearly a bit hush-hush to start. Fortunately, little by little, information leaked out.

The Ball is not going to be a sit-down affair, but an elegant/casual cocktail-type of party, an the overriding theme this year will be "Oscar goes organic." The food, in addition to being organic and/or humanely raised will be small or bite-sized, and will include favorites (and Puck standbys) like sushi, grilled Kobe beef, Spicy Tuna Tartare in a Sesame Miso Cone, Smoked Salmon Oscars with French Farm-Raised Osetra Caviar and Roasted Pumpkin Squash Ravioli with White Truffles. And, of course, there will be plenty of champagne and chocolate Oscar statuettes to go around.

Click past the jump for a preview of the whole menu.

Earlier this year, Disney announced that their theme parks would start selling healthier fare. The said that they would eliminate trans fats, place limits on the number of calories per portion and limit fat and sugar for snacks, sides and main dishes. Not wanting to be left behind, or accused of not caring about the health of their visitors, Universal Studios has announced that they will also be eliminating trans fats from their park menus.

The first phase of the switch officially took place on Christmas Eve, though the foods have been in development for some time, and now over 90% of the foods at Universal Studios locations are cooked in trans-fat free oils. The few items that are still cooked with trans fats, including churros, will be trans-fat free by the end of next year.

The parks will also be offering other healthy options, like fruit bowls and skim milk, both on kids and regular menus.

I don't know how this one slipped past me: The New York Times' Travel section spends 36 hours in Hollywood, but on a slightly different plan than the typical tourist. There is quite of activity, but of course, we here at Slahfood care all about the food, and were happy to see that they made it to some cool places that we have tried.

Friday night, dinner is at Palms Thai (which I have tried), where a Thai Elvis shimmies and shakes while you suck down frogs' legs and fried air bladder. Late night, Birds Cafe is a "scene"-less rotisserie chicken joint.

Saturday morning, roll out of bed and head to Square One for eggs. A late lunch? Perhaps it's an afternoon snack? They recommend hot dogs, either from Pink's or Skooby's. Ice cream afterwards has to be from Mashti Malone's. For late night eats, Magnolia and The Bowery and right next to each other for your choice.

Last stop on Sunday morning is for brunch at Off Vine.

 

 

It's a constant battle for celebrities to stay fit and look good on camera, and in Hollywood, even non-celebrities feel pressured to slim down. Some celebrities take their dieting too far, but others, like Janet Jackson, have lost weight and stayed healthy with the help of Fresh Dining.

The company offers prepared gourmet meals that are delivered straight to your door (before 6 am) in the Los Angeles area. Their menu is based around a plan of lean proteins, fresh fruits, vegetables, good fats, and low glycemic carbs, and an all organic option is available as well. Each day includes three meals, a snack and dessert and a total of 1000 to 1400 calories. A sample menu includes cranberry and walnut oatmeal, Chinese chicken salad, grilled filet mignon with chipotle butter and veggies, shrimp cocktail (as a snack) and blueberry crumble for dessert.

The LA Times described it as "as fabulous as anything you'll have in pricey restaurants" and their other press has been equally glowing. With prices that start around $40 a day, it isn't something that has to be limited to celebs, either.

In the kitchen, burrata is the silkier, creamier cousin of the mozzarella family. Make the twist on French Pot-au-feu that is served at Lou's in Hollywood, called Lou's Chicken in the Pot. The cookbook to look at is Daniel Young's Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris. Maybe you can find something to make with blood oranges.

Maraschino liqueur is a clear, slightly biting drink that's fine to sip, but works wonders as a secret ingredient in cocktails, which you can learn to shake just right with a few tips. And since it's the Golden Age of the Cocktail, now you can visit a museum.

The Wine of the Week is 2004 Albarino Pedralonga from Spanish Basque country. It's "crisp and minerally" and pairs well with shellfish, peel 'n' eat shrimp, seafood paella, light summer dishes. At $19 a bottle, it pairs well with my bank account, too.

Out on the dining scene, it's all about Korean pig at Honey Pig. SIV visits Michael Mina's Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point (which we've blogged about before) and gives it three stars (***)!

[photo: Los Angeles Times]

William Conway, the blogger at Never Trust a Skinny Chef, was able to realize one of his foodie dreams this week: he met Alton Brown. Actually, he got to be an extra on an episode of Good Eats. Unlike a high-budget Hollywood-style production, Good Eats is low key and relatively low budget, William described it as a "school play affair." That didn't make it any less fun, though. Alton is a down-to-earth, smart and very likable guy. He was coming up with stories and lines for the script at the spur of the moment - even giving William himself a line to say in the show: "'There ain't no barracuda round here!"

To see William on TV and hear his line, look for the episode, which is about scallops, to air throughout the week on the Food Network!

On the restaurants scene, chefs are taking cobblers and crisps to the next level. SIV goes for midnight munchies at Magnolia Hollywood, then writes about camera-equipped kitchens for bi-coastal chefs. Tropicalia Brazilian Grill sizzles.

In the kitchen, a recipe for the chili from downtown Walt Disney Concert Hall and many ways with the artichoke. Giada de Laurentiis' new cookbook makes elegant dinners.

The Wine of the Week is 2003 Domaine de la Begude to perfectly pair with an Easter leg of lamb, but don't forget about the Greeks. Passover begins next week, so a few choices beyond Manischewitz.

[photo: LA Times]

In her role in the movie Ask the Dust with Colin Farrell, Salma Hayek plays a 1930's Mexican woman with curves. While Salma has curves in real life, the role called for someone a bit heavier. To prepare for the role, Salma went on a diet - a hamburger diet. The actress admits that she "ate a lot of hamburgers" to gain weight and was nervous showing off her slightly curvier body for the movie's nude scenes, but felt more comfortable once she had gotten a good look at herself. Her co-star helped put her at ease, too, since she reports that Mr. Farrell was a gentleman and "kept his glance at [her] eyes." The romantic drama should hit theaters later this year.

[Image from IMDB]

Roll out the red carpet, check the TV listings for Joan Rivers and, most importantly, don’t forget the snacks – it’s time to get ready for the 78th Academy Awards! Planning a menu can be difficult. First of all, the show takes a long time and when you're hosting a party that takes several hours, you'll probably need a lot of food. I think that popcorn, parmesan or microwaved, is a movie must-have and you can never go wrong with veggies and hummus. On the other hand, you might want to get into the spirit of Hollywood by having a movie themed menu at your party. This year's best picture nominees - Brokeback Mountain, Good Night and Good Luck, Capote, Crash and Munich - are not really huge inspirations in the food department. If there were more foodies in the Academy, maybe they would have nominated Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, since there are definitely Hollywood-types that would do anything for chocolate. At it stands, though, the options look like barbecue, lamb and apple pie from Brokeback Mountain and brisket and stuffed cabbage from Munich. I can't say that I recall seeing any food in Good Night and Good Luck at all. Fortunately, the staff at Allrecipes.com has put together an extensive set of menus from each movie.

As for me, I'll be giving a nod to Wallace and Gromit and noshing on cheese and crackers. And maybe I'll take a tip from the Seattle Times and have some really snarky snacks, like "Japanese food for Memoirs of a Geisha, but in honor of the ethnically inaccurate cast, it has to be made by Chinese people."

Odwalla is launching a new line of juices at the Sundance Film Festival, called the "PomaGrand" varieties ("Uniquely combining the wonders of the red spectrum from nature's harvest, PomaGrand combines the goodness of pomegranate juice with wild berry extract"). Quaker Oats is sponsoring the "Steel Cut Oatmeal Power Breakfast" [pdf link], "where Hollywood's dealmakers will be invited to the Premiere [magazine] lounge to find both the next big deal from the Festival as well as a healthy breakfast."

They both seem a little, well, ridiculous. Quaker Steel Cut Oatmeal has (as far as I know) nothing to do with movie dealmakers. Pomegranate, while good for you, is so over. Hollywood is now doing the Acai thing. The hip health nuts have moved on. Yes, the attendees of this festival are truly hip (after all, some of our favorite people are going!). But are they really a mainstream grocery store food audience? Do you really think Robert Redford shops at Safeway?