Raw Food Weekend in Santa Monica

Morning in Santa Monica

I travel to the Los Angeles area a lot for work and over the last few years, the west side of LA has become my second home. There are great hotels, a wide array of restaurants and just plenty to do and see. With average temperatures hovering at around 70 degrees, Santa Monica is simply an outdoor lover’s paradise. From surfing to sailing and biking to hiking – there is simply always something to do outdoors here.

My friend, Kirsten Gum lives and works here – so, I always have a real place to call home when I am in the area. Kirsten and I worked together on Cash and Treasures for Travel Channel. While Kirsten is great on-camera as the host of Cash and Treasures; what most people do not realize is that she is also a Raw Food Chef! Kirsten strives to live a completely green lifestyle in Santa Monica; getting around town by bike or bus (she does not own a car), composting her kitchen scraps and recycling wherever she can. So, whenever I come to visit she puts me through what she calls “K-Camp” where she coaches me on how to live a more healthful, green, and peaceful life. She called this weekend "Raw K-Camp" where she was going to teach me a few all-raw recipes that I can make at home.

Our first stop was over to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market to pick up some fresh ingredients to create an all raw Italian menu for dinner. Raw cuisine is all about preservation of the naturally occurring healthy nutrients found in foods. So, buying organic ingredients is key and there is no better place to find fresh, locally grown, organic produce than at your local farmers market. We walked through the stands and picked up some zucchini, fresh herbs, mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, spinach and a bushel of fresh flowers for the table before heading back to the kitchen.

In my family there has been a constant battle over whether or not to pre-boil your noodles before you build lasagna. There is also a discussion about whether or not to use ricotta – which I will firmly state that ricotta is a sure way to ruin a perfectly fabulous lasagna. I suggest using a béchamel sauce and layering that with a homemade red sauce that I simply call “gravy” (never a marinara). But alas, this is raw lasagna and there wasn’t a single noodle or a slice of cheese to be had.

We sliced the zucchini using a mandolin and then soaked the strips in a salt water brine to help with the drying process. The strips then get laid out on tea cloths for an hour or so to drain the remaining liquid. While the strips are dry, they are still flexible which will allow us to use them as our noodle in the dish.

Meanwhile, we prepared a quick raw pesto by tossing a bunch of fresh basil, some raw olive oil, pine nuts, miso paste ,some chopped garlic and a dash of Himalayan salt into a food processor. A few pumps on the processor and we have a vibrant green sauce that will tie this lasagna together.

Kirsten had already prepared a fresh raw marinara sauce and some pine nut paste for the dish. She told me that the pine nut paste will serve as our cheese. (I snickered to myself thinking about what my Italian Father-in-Law would say to that one!) We also marinated some fresh button mushrooms in some lemon juice and garlic and sliced up a few heirloom tomatoes for the build.

Using a small spring pan, we started by coating the bottom with a tablespoon of the pesto. We then placed the zucchini slices just as you would a pre-boiled lasagna noodle (notice that I will never give up on that fight). Then a little marinara, some mushrooms, a handful of fresh spinach and then the “cheese.” The pine nut paste is squeezed through a cheese cloth around the sides of the round pan to hold everything together.

We continue with the layering process, ending with a latticing of pine nut paste on top for presentation. Ok, so now you have what looks like a lasagna pie and since there is no cooking, I couldn’t help but ask, what’s next?

Kirsten walks me over to a dehydrator where she tells me that we will warm the lasagna to 105 degrees. Raw foodies believe that heating foods over 115 degrees is a sure fire way of cooking away all of those healthy enzymes that allow your body to absorb nutrients and aid in digestion. Kirsten sticks to 105 degrees to make sure that her foods never hit that dreaded 115 degree mark. An hour later, we are ready to eat. We made a few of the little lasagnas so we invited a bunch of friends over for a raw dinner party.

Raw Lasagna

Before everyone arrived, I dug a bamboo fork right into the center of one of those little lasagnas for a bite and I have to say… it was really good. Now, I will say that a pine nut paste is no replacement for any cheese let alone a nice mozzarella. However, if you just remind yourself that this is not traditional lasagna, you will be able to appreciate this nice healthy take on the original.

Dinner with Kirsten and friends in her backyard in Santa Monica

As I stepped on the flight back to the East Coast on Sunday afternoon, I was inspired to bring my new raw food education home with me. In a way that’s exactly what happens every time I travel. I take home bits and pieces of a destination and bring it home with me. Will I now argue with my family that we should use pine nut paste instead of mozzarella in lasagna? Probably not. But it’s not really about having to change anything; its about opening your mind to new ideas and flavors to inspire your taste buds and your cooking.

Travel On.
Lori

Getting my Blog Back On!

Hi all...

Thanks for all of the emails and tweets! We are all super busy here at travel with the relaunch of TravelChannel.com coming this October! Have you signed up for Travel Channel GO? Get on your mobile, blackberry...whatever and download the APP asap! It's super helpful when you are out in the world and just looking for quick bites of travel information!

I have a bunch of stuff coming your way this week! Stay tuned to hear about my run-in with the "cricket" burger at the Cherry Cricket in Denver! It was one of the burgers featured on Man V. Food and Girl Won! I even had a little room for some choco cake for dessert! BIG thanks to Adam and the team there!



I also traveled out to LA to spend a grueling three days at K-Camp! What's K-Camp? How about a fun weekend hanging out with Travel Channel's own adventure girl, Kirsten Gum! Kirsten and I biked, yoga'd and spa'd our way through a fab weekend in Santa Monica! I'll tell you about the most amazing yoga class of my life, a movie under the stars at Hollywood Forever Cemetery AND how you can get professionally bathed at a Korean spa.


Oh yeah... I had some personal vacation while I was on hiatus too! The entire Ansaldi clan headed up to our lake house in Lake George, NY! It's a great getaway for a family on a budget!


For now, I leave you with this... a quote that was sent to the staff at Travel Channel this morning by our President, Pat Younge. It reminded me of how important it is to take time away from our busy lives every now and then. Travel is all about reconnecting with yourself, your family and your friends. Too many of us think of a "break" as a luxury... it is a necessity for your soul. Don't take my word for it...


Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgement will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgement. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller, and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and a lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen."- Leonardo da Vinci

Travel On.
Lori

All About the Travel in 2009

TREASURE HUNTER: KIRSTEN GUM

ALL NEW PREMIERES STARTS SATURDAY, JAN 3RD AT 9PM

only on the TRAVEL CHANNEL

I was sitting at New Year Eve dinner the other night with my husband at one of our local Italian restaurants when this blog started to take shape. I could not decide how to start my 2009 without the old standby cliches... out with the old, in with the new stuff. As I was sitting there eating a 5 course meal, my husband and I could not stop complaining. The service was slow... they did take our order fast enough, the first course was too skimpy, the second was fine, the third was undercooked... it went on and on. I was so irritated that I was actually excited about making a nasty blog about the place. So, I came home and started to write and the more I wrote, the more I deleted. Was I really going to write a travel blog about my five course dinner out with my husband that had gone bad? It became apparent to me that the fact that my husband and I could afford a nice dinner after a very fun (and expensive) Christmas vacation in Florida with our family was more of a blog than the little scallop and overly seasoned cabernet reduction.

So, after a year of bad news and non-perfect hotel stays ... I offer you this.. a look ahead to what I think is going to be the major travel trends of '09.

(1) Business Travel will be cut significantly. What does that mean for you? Business travel is where the airlines make their cash. These are the travelers who do not have any flexibility in their travel schedules and they end up paying dearly for that. It could mean that airlines cut flights even more creating less seats per route. Your best bet... book early and search my fave sites to get the best deals.

(2) Vacation Rentals instead of hotels. Watch out Marriott! Local homeowners are coming to the table to pull even more travelers out of your hotels. With business travel cut backs and the growing vacation rental market you may very well see those hotel rates drop to fill their beds.

(3) American's are going to continue to Staycation this year as the economy tightens even more in 2009. We also see a lot more "Family Reunion" type travels coming in 2009 where families vacation together and save on everything from nightly rates, meals and attractions.

As I look ahead to 2009, I see many paths unfolding that will change my future forever. My daughter starts preschool this month... I have a new position at Travel Channel where I have been given the opportunity to work on shaping a new world of online video for the network. I am also responsible for the Travel Channel Academy and all of the graduates who are out there making travel video for us.

Here are a few new pictures from our family trip to Florida. We hit Disney the day after Christmas and WOW that place was packed! I mean wall to wall people. Loads of "family reunion" t-shirts walking around. I feel good about that trend...

Enjoy 2009 and stay with me this year... I'm about to blow out TravelChannel online with some amazing new travel content including a style web series with my close friend, Sammy B's stylist, and total hottie Christina Burns. (Coming in March)

Talking about hotties... be sure to catch all new episodes of Treasure Hunter: Kirsten Gum coming tomorrow night at 9pm on Travel Channel! This season is all about adventure and Kirsten is one adventurous chick. Check it out.

BIG SHOUT OUT to Kirsten Gum and the entire Treasure Hunter crew at Indigo Films who literally risked their lives shooting this show. You are my rock stars!

Travel On,

Lori

China... a Year Later...

I just realized that the Beijing episode of Passport to China premieres tonight on Travel Channel and it reminded me of that trip to the other side of the world. It was almost a year ago since I made the journey and the entire experience still has a profound effect on me. China held a lot of firsts for me (no, I had already peed outside in Costa Rica)... it was my first time to Asia, the first time I held a Panda, the first time I felt like a minority and the first time I used a "hole" toilet. It was also the first time that I realized how lucky we are to be Americans.... where we are free to come and go as we wish... we are free to think as individuals and respect any religion we choose. We are free to have as many children as we like... and we are free to study and research the truth of our history (good or bad). I came home a changed person. I was no longer afraid of trying new things and I was eager to conquer my existing fears. Yes, going to the bathroom outside is now fine for me... but, I also went camping and took a ride on a jetski this summer... things that I would never consider doing only a year ago. This past weekend, I took my daughter to the beach with friends and I was able to confidently take her into the water (almost to my knees) and I was fine and enjoying it (NOTE the shark stories that came out this weekend in Smyrna Beach... ) This morning, as I write this entry I realize that a lot has happened this year. My father took sick and is currently back in the hospital after suffering a heart attack this past weekend. There was a major earthquake in Chengdu where this picture with the panda was taken. Luckily the panda reserve was not harmed, but tens of thousands of people are still homeless in that area. It reminds me how important it is to get out there and see the world. This planet was made for exploration. Not just for you to go to a new restaurant or stay in a fancy hotel. It is about exposing yourself to other ways of life... understanding that we are all humans living on the same planet in very different ways... and how much we can learn from each other. Please try to tune in to Passport tonight... and leave a comment to let me and Sam know what you think. Travel On.. Lori

Emmys and Fathers Day in NYC

It's true... I am a full week behind in my blogging. So, I am going to give you two this weekend. Can you handle it? I know you are just biting your nails waiting for this next installment! Just lie to me and let me think you are up at night wonderding where I am and what I am doing. OK, so let me take you back to New York City and the Emmys.

I left you all in Manhattan at The Benjamin Hotel . Peter, Eva and I took a walk in the morning down Lexington Avenue from 50th street to 26th. It was a perfect morning in the city... not too hot, no humidity and you could smell the dirty water dogs being loaded into their carts for the busy day ahead. I was in the market for a spray tan... a fake and bake... I needed to look "goddess" for the evening ahead and I found a place down on 26th that had California Tanning for $15! I pay $24 at home... so, I wanted the bargain. Peter took Eva to a nearby park to play while I stood naked being sprayed with self tanner. (Good visual... huh?) I have to say... the results were amazing. The only problem was that unlike Mystic Tan, this one was sticky and I could feel it seeping onto my clothes. Oh, well.. at least I was not staining good clothes!

My cousin, Melissa hooked me up with a girl from her work to babysit Eva while Peter and I went to the Emmys. We dressed and headed over to The W Hotel on Lexington and met my friend Dov for a little pre-game cocktail. We then hopped in a car and headed to Jazz at Lincoln Center for the main event.

We were first ushered into a room for a cocktail reception and light dinner. The room was amazing with floor to ceiling windows with great views of the Park and Central Park South. We all mingled and had another few drinks before making our way to the theater. It was fun to see who was there... Alex Trebec, Christopher Llyod, the guy from Cash Cab and Oscar the Grouch. You heard me right... Oscar the freak'n grouch was there! (Which might be one of the coolest star spottings of my career)

We were nominated in three categories and we lost all three. Kind of a bummer... but it was super cool to be there again. I think when you start to expect a nomination or if you take any part of this business for granted... is when you start to lose sight of things. I still have one of the coolest jobs on the face of the earth and it affords me a ton of opportunities and plenty of cool travel and things to do. Who am I to be bummed? (And did I tell you about my shoes!!! Diane Von Firstenberg... gold... to channel the Emmy gods. They did not work... but, they looked good.)After the Emmys we went out for a few drinks and snacks and then Peter and I turned into pumpkins to relieve our babysitter back at the hotel.

The next morning, we all got up bright and early and grabbed some Starbucks as we made out way to Central Park. Eva and I planned to take Peter on a carriage ride through Central Park for Father's Day... and it was special! I highly reccomend it... its just one of those quintessential New York Experiences. It cost me $40 and the ride was around 20 minutes. At the end of the 20 minutes you are really done and ready to walk on your own.

After the ride, we took Eva into the park to ride the carousel. Another true NY experience.. and I am so glad that she is getting these opportunities to experience New York.

After a bit more playtime, we decided to walk over to 74th street for a little pizza at Patsy's on the upper west side. We love this place because it has great pizza and it is family friendly. (Translation... big enough to sit at a table and enjoy some air conditioning and a clean bathroom) We ordered a yummy cheese pizza that came bubbly with fresh mozzarella and dark green basil leaves. Peter and I ate the entire thing... what did I care? The Emmys were yesterday!

That night we met my Uncle Art, Aunt Jill and cousins Melissa and Adam for dinner to celebrate HER Emmy win! Yes, my cousin's show beat MY show in the Special Class category. She works on MADE and I have to say... its a great show. If you have not seen it... check it out on MTV. We all met at TAO on 58th between Park and Madison. I have to say... YUM-mmm-MY! I think we ordered EVRYTHING on the menu! The girls all ordered Lychee Martinis which were awesome. We also had ... well, seriously everything. We ordered a ton of food and not one bite was not delish. I highly reccomend it. Another great part about Tao is the ambiance. This place is just huge and Eva loved watching the fish in the koi pond under the giant buddha in the back of the place. Just amazing... and totally worth the splurge.

The next morning, we took the subway up to 77th Street and took a walk over to EAT on Madison. This cafe is new from the owners of Zabars on the upper west side and for our last meal in NYC... we wanted real home cooking ... Long Island Jewish Princess style! I ordered bagels lox and cream cheese that cost me $24! Peter had blintzes and we took a couple of cookies home with us (including the best cookie in the world... the black and white). My bagel came with a side order of cucmbers in a dill dressing that were so fresh and yummy... I almost forgot that I was eating a $24 bagel!!

We decided to walk back to the hotel and we stopped into my favorite hotel for a sniff of the good life. When we walked in, we found that they have a Madeline Brunch for kids every Sunday morning in Bemelman's Bar! Bemelman's is named after the artist who drew Madeline and Eva has one of the videos and she just loves her! So, we made a point of stopping in to see what was going on. The place was empty... but they had a woman playing kids songs on a piano and they had a full brunch display with a cupcake bar! Very fun and it will definitely be on my list for our next Sunday in New York.

On our way out of the city that afternoon, Eva said to us from the backseat of the car... "Mommy and Daddy, are we going to the big city now?", and we replied, "This is the big city, Ev. We are going home now." To which she replied, " I want to stay in the big city!" That's my kid.

SERVICE not INCLUDED at the Sheraton Manhattan

Can we talk about service for a minute? What does the word really mean and how can you rate it? People in the travel industry use the word all the time... "class of service", "service to New York", "spa service"... the word is really embedded into every piece of your trip. The one thing you do know about service... is that you know when it goes right and you dread when it goes wrong.

I just flew into New York City to meet up with our latest Travel Channel Academy students for their graduation. I came in to "critique" their final projects... me, the one who cried when I presented my dreck video only months before. It was fine... the students were all talented and really appreciated the feedback on their work.(Check out travelchannel.com for more information on the Travel Channel Academy!)

Anyway, after the graduation I decided to walk the 10 streets up to the Sheraton Manhattan to check into my hotel room. Yes, even after my experience at the Sheraton in Philly... I decided to book the Sheraton again. BAD move.

One of the problems with traveling so much is that you tend to confuse hotel stays. When I was booking the hotel for this trip, I remembered a nice room and a really cool gym on the top floor of the building. I remembered overlooking the Hudson as I was doing 30 minutes on the treadmill. Yeah, that was the WESTIN Times Square (see blog... it smells good) and I mistakenly thought it was the Sheraton Manhattan. I stayed in this hotel over the holiday season when I came to New York for the Travel Weekly Awards. That night was fun... and ended with the Travel Channel team in a club at 3am. So, now I know why my memory is a little fuzzy. Lets get back to the story...

So, I walked up to the Sheraton Manhattan located on 7th and 52nd on the WEST side of the Street... not the one on 54th and 7th on the EAST side of the street. I hear the one on the EAST side of the street is better. Ugg. Anyway, I walked in and walked over to the desk to check in. Mind you... it is 6:30pm and there is just a ton of people in the lobby. There are people dressed to head out for dinner, people lined up to speak to the concierge... the place is a buzz. So, I stand in line to check in and realize that there is one receptionist checking people into this hotel. ONE. The man in front of me is frazzled and he is already running late to a business dinner. He is FUMING when a bellman asks if he can help him... and he tells him that he is wondering why there is only one person working the reception desk. The bellman promptly answers, "Sir, it is 6pm... they are all at church." The bellman then turns to the guy behind the desk and says, "Isn't that right, Guilermo? Aren't they all at church?" They laugh... it was not amusing and I am a catholic.

I finally got up to talk to Guilermo and he promptly checks me into my room and I head over to the bank of elevators that look like they could use a good polish. In fact, the entire lobby reminds me more of Penn Station rather than a quality hotel. But, I am exhausted and I really just want to drop my stuff off so that I can run out and get some sushi.

I head upstairs and I unlock my door. The room is pretty typical and in my mind I am still thinking that this hotel has that cool gym upstairs and I remembered being pleased with that experience. So, I go with it. I put my stuff down and I take a glance at the In Room Dining menu before heading out for sushi. I was shocked to see the limited menu... burgers, salads and pasta bolognese? We are in Manhattan for gods sake! Are we kidding with this menu? So, I called down to the concierge to get some recommendations for a nearby sushi restaurant. The concierge promptly answered on the second ring and I got a "Yeah?" on the other end. So, I said... "Hello, I was wondering if you could recommend any sushi places in the area for takeout." To which he replied, "Mam, yeah... but I have a few people here at the desk right now. You can go to Blue Chili." What? So, I said, "OK, where is that?" Reply: "Its at 51st and Broadway." He continued, "Or, you can try East on 55th between Broadway and 8th." I quickly wrote all of this down and he hung up before I could say thank you. Asshole.

Before I left I wanted to go to the bathroom and check to see if I looked decent enough to take a stroll to get some takeout. When I walked into the bathroom, the water was running ever so slightly and the hairdryer was plugged into the wall. I looked down and there was hair on the floor and I could see that a bar of soap was in the tub. EWWWWWW! I know that I am high maintenance. I get that... but, this is not about being a princess. This is about a dirty bathroom and now I am PISSED.

I grab my bag and head downstairs and I am tired and hungry. This is something that my husband knows is a BAD combination for me... and now you are throwing in a dirty hotel room and NO SERVICE! Watch out Guilermo!! I am coming to the front desk!

I get to the front desk and I refuse to wait on line... Guilermo is still manning the desk on his own. I walk right up there and I say, "We have a problem." ... and I tell him about my mess of a room. He is cool as a cucumber and he tells me that he will give me a better room and immediately changes me up to the 22nd floor. OOO... an upgrade. OK... this could be a good thing afterall. I thank him and he offers to buy me breakfast in the morning. I refuse because I really do not want to come down to have breakfast in their restaurant. Its fine... I am pacified for the time being.

I head outside and walk over to EAST Sushi on 55th between B'way and 8th. The place looks like a whole in the wall until you walk down a flight and see how big it is. I was happy to see a lot of Japanese people eating here along with the constant flow of New Yorkers who probably frequent this place weekly. Kudos to the asshole concierge for pointing me in the right direction!

I order my sushi... a couple of rolls, a miso soup and a seaweed salad and head back to the shithole... I mean, Sheraton. Its a nice evening in New York. A little overcast and they are expecting rain.. but, warm enough to enjoy a light walk.

I head back upstairs and get my things out of the first room and move into my second room. I was figuring a nice upgrade... not so much. Its a bigger version of the room that I just had and the bathroom looks like it used to be a closet. This place is a wreck. Don't even get me started on the bathroom... put it this way, I am wearing flip flops in the shower. I am just too tired and hungry to deal with it.

So, I jump on my Sheraton bed...nice quality sheets and mattress but the synthetic comforter...another buzz kill. Yuck... I kick that piece of trash onto the floor... and I order a movie and settle down for the evening. Don't get all perverted on me... I ordered JUNO which may be my favorite movie of the year. Its great and I highly recommend it if you have not seen it already.I eat my sush... I watch my movie and I settle in for the night.

It is now 9am and I just got back from the gym and finally realized that this is not the hotel that has the cool gym. This is the one where you need to share TVs and you do not have to use headsets. So, there is almost a battle of the TVs in that room.. because we are all blasting the volume to hear it over the cardio machines. Ugg...

I can tell you without hesitation that this experience is about as bad as it can get. The lack of service started at check in and it continues through my gym experience. This hotel will always make money because it is a trap for tourists. BUT... for people like you who do your research... you will know better. So, what is good hotel service for me? Its simple... just make me feel welcome and expected at check in. My room should be clean and I would like the staff to be polite. These are the basic things that you should expect at ANY hotel and the Sheraton Manhattan is now BLACK LISTED for me. If you go there now... don't ever say that I did not warn you.

Travel on...
Lori

New York and an Inn Keeper Named Fergus

I arrived at the gate for my flight to NY with time to spare. So, I grabbed a coffee and headed back over to the gate to wait to board my flight. About 10 minutes before were supposed to take off, they announced that the flight was cancelled and that we were all being re booked on the very next flight to NY in an hour. Here's my question... Why? The weather was clear... the crew was on board and the plane was there are ready to take off. Do you think they gave an explanation? Nope... they just said sorry. Well, thanks Delta. So, I sat my butt in a chair at the gate and went to work rearranging my morning schedule.

I arrived in New York THREE hours later (yup... another delay on the runway) and I took a cab to downtown Manhattan to meet up with the Passport team at their office. I was really excited to meet with the other producers because today was the day that we were going to see the new Samantha Brown in her new series called Great Weekends. We have all been working really hard on our new prime time look and I could not wait to sit in an edit suite to see the first batch of footage from our Miami shoot. I am not going to give too much away here... but, even if you are a huge Sam Brown fan.. this is going to feel all new to you. Really exciting stuff.

I really love ordering lunch while I am working with this team because they have a great local deli to order from and we SWEAR that they add crack to their food. Its addictive and delish! Its called Columbine and it has some really good soups, salads and sandwiches. I always order the turkey sandwich because their turkey is roasted and juicy fresh. Its that kind of turkey sandwich that you dream of as your mom is baking the Thanksgiving day bird. You just imagine a nice roast turkey hero with a little leftover stuffing, cranberry and some drippings from the pan. Ummmmmmmm.

After the meeting, I headed to the Upper West Side to check into my lodgings for this trip. I was really not in the mood to check into an overpriced stale hotel. I wanted something that made me feel like I was back home... not on a business trip. So, I rented an apartment! Sound impossible? Its easy... and its CHEAP! There are plenty of rentals in the city and I chose one on the Upper West Side on 77th Street. It is called Country Inn the City and you can find more information on it at www.countryinnthecity.com

When I arrived, there was a sticky on the door of the building that looked like an old brownstone in the middle of the street. The sticky had my name on it and it said to ring the buzzer for apartment 5 when I arrived. So, I buzzed apartment 5 and a burly guy came bounding down the stairs. This was Fergus, the keeper of the Inn. I could not place his accent... but, it sounded British (don't hold me to it tho...) His breath had the distinct smell of Listerine and he had beads of sweat on his brow.... and I was about to realize why. This building is a walk-up (translation: NO ELEVATOR) So, Fergus grabbed my 50 lb bag (we already discussed my packing issue in previous blogs... keep up) and we headed up to the 4th floor to apartment #6.

The building is very nice and has an old English B&B feel to it. It has cranberry walls with dark woods and hints of forest green. Kind of charming... kind of stale. It almost felt like a B&B you would find in Vermont or New Hampshire during a ski weekend. It felt warm... but, odd. Definitely not a 5-star ... but I was looking for something different, right? Now, the moose head on the wall... was a little freaky. I am not into dead animals on walls. Just not for me.

Fergus lead me into the apartment which was a studio with a small kitchen, bathroom and sitting area that was also a bedroom area. It also had a huge walk-in closet and it just had a lot of living space. The coolest feature of this apartment is that it has an outside terrace that would be great in the spring and summer.

The apartment was nicely outfitted. The kitchen had a small fridge, stove top, microwave, coffee maker, toaster and all sorts of pots, pans and dishes to use. Fergus even left some milk, coffee, butter and jam in the fridge to get me started. He also left me a beautiful big bowl of fresh fruit... which I loved.

The linens were all clean and fresh and had a nice smell of being freshly laundered. The room also had a nice TV with satellite and FREE wifi! Are you ready for the price? $250 per night! AND this is in the high range! Fergus usually can go a lot cheaper on the rate depending on the demand for the apartments. Just for the record... the average daily rate of a NY hotel on the Upper West Side in March... $350.00. That is a $100 savings per night... and I did not have to pay all of the random fees that end up on your bill. Like did you ever see a Javitz Center tax on your bill? What the hell is that?

That night, I met a friend at Bettola - a small Italian cafe on Amsterdam Avenue (sebastianoitaliano.com). I found this to be a charming little place that was really relaxed and warm. They had a brick oven pizza stove at the back of the restaurant which just made the whole place feel cozy. We decided to share a salad with grilled calamari and a white pizza with mushrooms and truffle oil. The crust on that pizza was super thin and crunchy. Just perfect and a total find if you are up in that neighborhood.

After dinner, I walked over to Fairway, one of the local grocery stores to get some food for my apartment. I just picked up some yogurts, bottles of water, ice cream (again... hubby is reading this and knows me too well) and some other snacks so that I could stay healthy and not have to run out to the deli in the morning.

The next morning, I took the #1 train down to 42nd street to attend the Travel Channel Academy (see blog below...) In the afternoon, we had a shooting assignment so I went back up to the upper west side to shoot at Zabars. I love Zabars because it just reminds me of home. They have the best coffee and I just LOVE their chocolate babka and mashugana cookies. So, it was great to spend the day there with their staff. I even had the opportunity to meet Mr. Zabar himself. It was great.

I stopped in at the Zabars cafe for lunch and I ate at the bar in the middle of the place. It was great to sit between an old woman eating a white fish salad sandwich and a guy next to me with a cup of coffee and a rugalah cookie. I love that. After the shoot, I went back to the class where I almost cried (see blog #1) and then I trekked back up to the apartment to sulk and eat ice cream in my pajamas.

The next morning, I hustled my ass back downtown to start editing the piece of shit footage I shot at Zabars the day before. I edited all day and by the time 7pm rolled around, I was ready to go out and have a drink. So, I met my friend David out at the SOHO Club. This is a club in the city where you have to be invited and escorted by a member just to walk in the door (www.sohohouseny.com). David is a big shot up at the History Channel... so, he is a member. Oh, this was perfect and certainly what I needed after not having a hotel staff to serve me after a long day. All I had was Fergus and the road kill hanging on the wall. Yuk. I realized that all this girl needs is to feel a bit fabulous and I recover rather quickly.

After our drinks, I decided to meet another friend out for some dinner at Lupa (see blog #1 - where I refer to the crazy ass menu). It was fine and after dinner we wandered over the Red Lion on Bleeker (151 Bleeker Street) to watch the NY meatheads pick up chicks. I love a Friday night in NY. There is really nothing more entertaining. Well... that was before Saturday night.

The next morning, I walked over to H&H Bagles which is arguably the best bagel shop in all of Manhattan (hhbagels.com) The best part of H&H is the fact that all they do is bagels. They do not put a drop of cream cheese... they do not butter. They just hand you a fresh warm bagel and it is delicious. I chose a sesame bagel and a water and jumped in a cab for another day at the Travel Channel Academy.

Today was another shoot day for us and I ended up documenting my cousins monthly color and cut out in Hoboken. (God, the more I write about that... the more god awful it sounds.) Anyway, after I pretended to make art... I hopped back on the bus for the 10 minute ride back to the city. I was anxious to get back to the class to start digitizing my new footage.

That night, I was meeting friends out at Koi at the Bryant Park Hotel. I was trying to recreate the religious experience I had at the LA version of this sushi heaven. I ordered the exact same meal and I have to say... it was more like purgatory than heaven. It was trying to be that meal... and it just never made it. The best part was the cosmos with ciroc vodka. Just the perfect mix... and they went down nice and easy... which made my 9am class in the morning almost deadly.

Oh, wait for the next blog where I sleep at the Embassy Suites in Philly... where they are cleaning asbestos out of the building. Ummm... what?

*L*

Sleeping off the Travel Channel Academy

Sometimes I forget why I am in this business. I never get the butterflies anymore when I am on a shoot and I never feel like a rockstar when I am wearing a headset and watching a monitor while on set. I just do it and think about the next shot... the next line... what I am going to eat for dinner. Then, something happens that makes the hair on my neck (I have a few short strands there FYI...) stand on end and shows me how lucky I am to do what I do for a living. This past week I was fortunate enough to be invited to take a class called the Travel Channel Academy up in NY. Yes, I have some travel tales to tell... my Delta shuttle flight was cancelled on the way up and I chose to rent an apartment instead of stay at a hotel. I'll get to all of that. The big story here was the Academy and if you are reading this blog... I URGE you to go sign up and take the class. It was that good. Of course you all know that I work for Travel Channel and you probably think I am just saying this because I work for them and I get some kind of kickback. Well, for the record... I don't. I suck at sales and I am just telling you so that you have the opportunity to check it out. If you decide that it is not for you... well, that's better for me because then I can submit my films and I will get paid and you will just go back to whatever it is that you do. OK... that's the end of the rant. The class is run by Rosenblum Associates; a NY based production company who produced a ton of programs for Discovery and other nets. The guy who teaches the seminar is Rosenblum himself... Michael Rosenblum and he might just be the most fascinating character I have ever met. He's a short Jewish man...maybe from Queens who dresses in all black - head to toe. Even his Prada glasses are black rimmed. He talks with a thick NY accent that reminds of a guy that I dated from Brooklyn. (Note to self... husband is a subscriber... move on) Michael starts the class with a basic shooting lesson that shows any idiot how to shoot. Close up on the hands... close up on the face... wide shot... over the shoulder and then from the side. Sounded like a simple assignment... so, I was psyched to get out into the city and shoot my first film with my little HD handycam. I went to Zabars on the upper west side and went to work. I scouted the place for like 20 minutes. I then chatted with the managers, talked to some butchers, a few fish mongers... the girl who packed the cheese. This was going to be a great piece. So, I took a break for lunch and created my shot list. Two hours later... close up on the hands, close up on the face... I was done and I was excited to bring my footage back to show Michael and the rest of the class what an Executive Producer can shoot all by herself. I went back to the class and we all started screening the student's footage. Most of the footage was great...some a little shaky... but all in all... not bad for first timers. Then, it came time to screen my footage and I was so proud to show Michael my stunning footage. Twenty seconds into the screening Michael stopped the tape and channeled his inner Simon Cowell and said. (I will never forget the words)... "You do this for a living, right?" I nodded. He continued, "Well, its not bad... but its not good. Its a little raggedy. Its too shaky and it just looks amateur." I started to feel a lump in my throat and knew that I was the face of the very network that was running this class... my inner voice began to chant DO NOT CRY... DO NOT CRY. After the screening some of us decided to go back out for a reshoot. So, I grabbed my camera and took the 1 train back up to the upper west side. I went right back to Zabars and just started shooting. Close up on the hands... close up on the face. No, No... its not good enough. I know, I will just shoot something else. So, I went across the street to a diner. I told them that I was from the Travel Channel and they all looked at me like I was NUTS. So, I went to a dance studio who had an 8pm salsa class. That would be great. I spoke to the owner and she asked that I come back at another time when she could have her hair colored. No go. No close up on the hands... No close up on the face. So, I put my Executive Producer business card away and took my sorry ass to Fairway and picked up some salad for dinner. (And ice cream... again, the hubby is reading this and knows me too well.) The next morning, I went back to class determined to make Michael see my shining talent. I started editing my piece and all in all it was not too bad. It was not my best work... but, I managed to make a weak chicken salad out of chicken shit. That night I met my friend Kelly out at Lupa downtown for dinner. Lupa is a Batali restaurant and it was jam packed! The food was nice... a bit too earnest of a menu. They had beets as an appetizer and there was far too many bizarre choices for an Italian restaurant. I ended up asking our waitress for a recommendation and she told us to order the octopus, the sweet breads and she absolutely loved the tripe. Eww.. no bitch... I'll stick with the fresh pasta with the pulled pork ragu and skip the nastys. All in all.. it was all very good and worth a try if you want something less pretentious then Babbo. The next day I was back at the class and Michael had another lecture for us. Now we were going to shoot characters. We had to have real people as the focus of our short films that will be submitted to the network as our "graduation videos." Not too hard... more close up on the hands, close up on the face... but, now we had to put action into the shots. When you take the class you will get the lecture. I cannot get into detail in the blog. At around noon, we all took to the rainy streets of Manhattan to start shooting our second piece. My first idea was to shoot with a NY cabbie. I would sit with one cabbie for a couple of hours and just get the story. Then, I had this image of the couple at the very beginning of that movie the bone collector. They grabbed a cab on their way home from the airport one night back to NY and I think they were both chopped into little tiny pieces. So, I abandoned the cab idea and called my cousin who lives in Hoboken. She was going to get her hair done today... perfect... I'll do my piece of her getting her hair done. She is a 26 year old casting director for MTV... she would be a great character. I took bus 126 out of Port Authority and in 10 minutes was out in Hoboken, New Jersey. Eww. But, it was fine. I met her at the salon and we started shooting. Close up on the hands... close up on the face. Ok... now I am cooking. No shaky cam... read through all of my class notes. I was going to get this right. After about 3 hours of documenting her color and cut; I jumped back on the bus to start digitizing the footage. I worked for about 2 hours and then decided that I needed some rest. I needed to walk away and come back in the morning to finish it. The next morning, I went back to class and started editing. We only had until 3pm and then we were going to screen the final videos. I worked right up to the deadline and just took to my seat to wait to be creamed by Michael. He went through the videos one by one and I was beginning to squirm. I was not thrilled with my finished product... I should have stuck with the cabbie. Why did I not trust my first instinct? Oh, well... Finally it was my film to be screened and it was fine. Most of the class laughed on cue and overall it was fine. Was it art? Not by a long shot... I was upset that I was not the teachers pet. Oh well... not this time, Lori. After the class ended, I jumped into the black sudan that was ordered by my company to take me to the airport. I looked like an EP.. but I felt like a film student. I could not wait to purchase my own mini-DV cam and MAC to practice my new craft. The butterflies came back and I felt an inspiration that I had not felt in a long time. That all said, I am now dedicating myself to working on these videos. I will post them when they are ready so that you can see for yourself... close up on the hands, close up on the face. More tomorrow. Lori