BITTERSWEET WOODY: CHOCOLATE ORANGE BREAD PUDDING

Some form of bread pudding has been around since the invention of bread.   Throwing away food is only a modern habit, where back then pudding was a clever means of re-purposing stale loaves by softening them up with milk and flavoring with other leftovers.

Today's bread puddings tend to be far more luxurious than their humble origins, utilizing fresh gourmet breads, and other high-end ingredients such as vanilla beans, bourbon, gruyere cheese or nuts.

For years I made the same recipe of bread pudding because people always raved: Chocolate Bourbon Bread Pudding was hard to turn down.  

But, when recently I was tweaking the recipe to make it more chocolaty, before long I ended up creating a whole new flavor: Chocolate Orange.

When following the recipe below, consider a few things:

The type of bread used and how you slice it is important.  Egg bread gives the richest flavor, but a Jewish Challah has too much crust.  Hawaiian bread or even Italian style are viable choices if a plain egg bread is not available. An unsliced loaf is best, to cut it into 1-inch thick slices.  Some pre-sliced bread comes in thicker slices and that's the way to go. You can even use raisin bread and skip the dried fruit and cinnamon.

The better the chocolate you use the better the flavor.  I'm fond of Ghiragelli Bittersweet chocolate, but Guitard is another popular quality brand made for baking.

The fruit to use is the blood orange, as it gives a little extra sophistication with its bitter taste, which pairs so well with the bittersweet chocolate. But a navel orange is a more than acceptable substitute. Choose oranges with the darkest skin.

Some other helpful tips:  

- Zest the orange whole before cutting in half to juice.

- Prepare it the day before to allow the flavors to meld and serve room temperature 

Chocolate Orange Bread Pudding


INGREDIENTS:
 

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup butter

1/2  cup brown sugar, packed

1/4  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1  11.5-ounce package 

     Ghiradelii Bittersweet Chocolate pieces

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 blood oranges, zested in strips, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup blood orange juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1  pound egg bread, 1-inch dice

1/2 cup dried currants or mixed dried fruits (optional), soaked in boiling water

1/2 cup slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:

If using, place the 1/2 cup currants or dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand while preparing the batter and drain before using.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine buttermilk, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. Melt in chocolate and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until light and lemon in color. Add almond extract, orange juice, orange zest, salt and mix well. Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in bread cubes and let stand 20 minutes to allow bread to absorb mixture, stirring occasionally. Stir in drained fruit. 

Mix well once before transferring mixture to a greased 3-quart casserole, souffle dish or dutch oven.   Sprinkle on slivered almonds and bake 45-60 minutes until set in the center.
 

Serve warm or room temperature. Garnish with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

CHEW ON THIS: JAPANESE MOCHI

Until recently, my experience with Japanese 
"Mochi" was limited to seeing boxes with that word in the frozen dessert section at Trader Joe's. I finally got to taste them and became hooked on the chewy rice texture. 

Mochi is rice-covered ice cream, however; ice cream mochi is but one of the many different kinds of mochi: Mochi actually refers just to the paste made by pounding steamed glutinous rice into dough, and then forming it in various shapes.

The exact origin of mochi is unknown, though it is said to have come from China. By the 8th century it had become a Japanese New Year's treat eaten exclusively by noblemen and the emperor known as "wagashi" and "mochigashi." 

Mochitsuki

As with many things traditional Japanese, there is a ceremony to prepare mochi called "mochitsuki," where two people, using special mallets, beat the rice in a wooden bowl. Modern mochi is also made by machine, and is found in every Asian grocery store in Southern California.

Dried Machined Mochi Bricks

Mochi Production

A match-box sized brick of plain mochi has the same caloric content as a bowl of rice. Ancient Samurai took mochi to the battlefield for its ease of transport and preparation. Japanese farmers eat mochi on cold winter days to keep up their strength. Today, it is eaten every day by all classes of people.

The savory version Japanese eat at home come as dried mochi bricks, found in any Japanese market. Heating by baking or grilling renders the mochi soft and inflated, and can then be dipped in soy sauce, or cut into smaller pieces as dumplings in soup.    

Grilled Mochi Pieces

Mochi Soup

Grilled Mochi with Nori

 The mildly sweet wagashi version now comes in literally thousands of varieties with different flavor pairings of mochi and fillings, due to centuries of the New Year's Day tradition.  The level of artistry to create these colorful candies grows each year.

Ichigo Daifuku

The basic is called "Daifuku," with a plain soft round mochi skin stuffed with sweetened red bean paste. "Ichigo Daifuku" is a version containing a whole strawberry inside.  "Kusa Mochi" is a green variety of mochi flavored with mugwort. And the list goes on and on.

Assorted Mochi

A Showcase of Mochi

 In Los Angeles, the best selection of fresh, homemade wagashi is at Fugetsu-Do in Little Tokyo.  It's a small old-fashioned Japanese sweets shop that offers a few dozen varieties of the treats.  The friendliest to the American palate are the fruit-flavored ones but don't be afraid to try the milder authentic daifuku with red or white bean paste: It's a texture thing.

For the ice cream version, head around the corner to Mikayawa. They not only make the ice cream mochi for Trader Joe's, but offer many more flavors at the Little Tokyo store.

Asoorted Ice Cream Mochi

One freezer case holds ice cream mochi in rich creamy flavors like strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, green tea, red bean and mango.   

Another freezer case will make your tongue hard with food woody when you read the sign "Mochi-Lato." That translates to gelato mochi, an even denser, richer and creamier ice cream ball in gourmet flavors like plum wine, hazelnut and toasted coconut to leave you joyously sticky.  






Fugetsu-Do
315 E 1st St

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 625-8595 

Mikayawa

118 Japanese Village Plz Mall
Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 624-1681

GROUP WOODY IN LA'S CHINATOWN

One thing Chinese do well are banquets.  If you're gonna have food woody it's better to have a lot of people to share it with.  That's why many restaurants in LA's Chinatown are quite large to handle these celebrating groups.  They tend to serve Cantonese style, which is more mild and subtle in flavors, and for that reason it's great for groups: A bottle of hot sauce lets you customize your plate.

The owners of these restaurants are all great businessmen and will never let any reasonable offer go by.  So it's up to you to use your top organizing savvy to get the best deal.

I've been to a few banquet dinners that are total food orgies with over a dozen courses that cost less than $30 per person.  Use these menus and prices as a point of reference when negotiating on your own.

Best of the Cantonese is Golden City Seafood. I came for an intimate Chinese new year's eve dinner for 60. We had 14 courses and service was amazingly fast and courteous and ran $26 per person tax and tip included. The menu was:

 Westlake Beef and Tofu Soup - Kung Pao Shrimp

Minced Squab Lettuce Wraps

Hong Kong Sticky Rice with Pork

Cod with Black Bean Sauce - Filet Mignon French Style

Singapore Chow Fun - Spicy Chicken with Green Beans

Orange Peel Chicken - Ma Po tofu

Yee Mein with Lobster - Sauteed Spinach with Garlic

 Oysters with Black Bean Sauce

Eggplant with Spicy Garlic.

The first 10 courses were met with excitement when they arrived at the table, but the last few were met with resentment that we had more to eat.  My motto is: "Don't let not-being hungry stop you from eating," but I could only get through 12 courses. I skipped the tofu course and by the time the last dish of eggplant arrived I had given up.

Westlake Beef Soup

French Style Filet Mignon

Yee Mein with Lobster

Another great option is right across the street at Master Chef. For $25 per person, a group of 30 dined on:

Mixed Seafood/Tofu Soup - Dungeness crab

Peking Duck w/steamed buns and Hoisin sauce

Stir-Fried Scallops with Asparagus and X.O. Sauce

Deep Fried Pork Chop with House Special Sauce

Stir Fried Sliced Beef with Chinese Pea Pods

XO Special Fried Rice - Glazed Honey Walnut Shrimp

Pan Fried Rock Cod Fillet with Black Bean Sauce

Crispy Deep Fried Chicken with Spicy Garlic

Black Cod with Black Bean Sauce

Shrimp with Walnuts

Crispy Peking Duck Skin with Buns

Fried Pork Chop with House Sauce

Weekends are great for entertaining and celebrating over brunch where Dim Sum is the popular choice. The only challenge is that these restaurants usually don't take reservations. My favorite "DS" feasting in Chinatown is Empress Pavillion.

I was there on a busy New Year's day with a group of 12. The place is huge and filled with large tables so the wait averages about 1/2 hour. If you know someone who knows someone on staff, or the owners, you can get seated faster. Or set the time way before noon.

At many dim sum joints, the small plates of food come around on push carts and you take what you like, they mark the price on a card, and at the end of the meal all the marks are added up for the total. The 12 of us ate like we'd never eat again and paid only $16 per person. We enjoyed:

A cart of Dim Sum moving through the restaurant

BBQ Pork - Pork Buns - Shu Mai

Shrimp Noodles - Beef Noodles - Fried Calamari

Chicken Feet - Soy Sauce Chicken - Turnip Cakes

Chinese Broccoli - Sesame Jello - Custard Tarts

and more ...

Turnip Cakes

Custard Tarts

Assorted Dim Sum

Beef Noodles

Whether you're a group of 5, 10 or 20, LA's Chinatown is a fun place to gather for delicious food at a really great price. But remember: the larger the group the greater your negotiating power when preparing the menu and price. And don't be afraid to ask for BYOB with no corkage fees.

Golden City Seafood

960 N Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 253-2660
 

Master Chef

937 N Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 687-3638

Empress Pavillion 

988 N Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-9898

 

BONE LICKIN' BBQ

Man has been cooking meat over an open fire for millennia. Every country and continent has their own style that developed over the years. America, the melting pot of the world that it is, has become home to people from all of those countries that have fused their own flavors with a taste of the USA.

And that's where our story begins today: When you combine Asian flavors with American  butchering you get my absolute favorite grilled meat: The Park’s Finest BBQ. 

Owner, Johneric Concordiais grew up in Echo Park, a neighborhood just north of downtown LA, in a family of Filipino immigrants. Their frequent large parties always involved cooking BBQ at the park picnic grounds. Over the years he enjoyed learning the nuances of BBQ from his father and family members, as each one had their own interpretation of Filipino traditions. Johneric is first to admit his is not authentic Pinoy, however; he claims his BBQ is true Echo Park style. And that’s how the name, “The Park’s Finest BBQ,” came to be. 

Johneric preparing to serve

A pile of chicken slow-roasting

Sure each cut of meat is slow-cooked to perfection for hours with tender flesh that falls off the bone or melts in your mouth. Before they go on the grill, all the meats start with a special dry rub blend with it’s secret ingredient of Himalayan salt.

Various cuts on the grill

Beef and Pork Ribs

But what people rave about is the sauce. It’s not your typical ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar concoction. This is a secret blend of sweet and spicy exotic ingredients that create a complex balanced flavor with the grilled meats. The Concordiais family spent years perfecting their recipe and it shows.

 


The amazing thing is how delicious the sauce tastes on everything – meat, chicken, sausage, vegetables and rice.  You can choose from:

Real Rib Eye Roast

Beef Short Ribs

Brisket

Pork Tender Loin

Pork Ribs

Chicken

Sausage

Pulled Pork

Grilled Veggies,

Cornbread Bibingka

Rice

The grilled vegetables with dry rub include a unique blend of scallions, asparagus, green and yellow summer squash, and Granny Smith apples.

Bibingka, is a traditional Pinoy dessert cake made with rice flour, coconut and baked in a banana leaf. The Park’s Finest version is the perfect side dish with cornmeal for the delicious fusion of American and Asian techniques.

The Park’s Finest doesn’t have a brick and mortar restaurant and limit their business to private catering, events and festivals. You can find more about how to sample The Park’s Finest BBQ at their website: www.theparksfinest.com. There you can shop for made-to-order catering portions of all the above-listed dishes, arrange a whole BBQ event at your home, or even buy a bottle of the secret recipe BBQ sauce!!

If you have them cater your next party, please invite me! (I'm fun to have around.)

MORNING WOODY: Steve's Original Ube Pancakes

What? 
Ube. 
What’s ube? 
In Hawaii it is known as "uhi," in India as "ratalu," in Samoa and Tahiti as ªufi,” it's only known as "ube" in the Filippines. It’s a starchy yam containing pigments that give it its signature bright lavender color. Cooked and mashed, it has a similar taste and texture of paper pulp,  but the condensed extracted flavor has a crisp fruity vanilla flavor often compared to taro.

Peeled Ube

 Ube is used mainly in sweets like a flavor for ice cream, milk, tarts, cookies, cakes, and other pastries.  I was turned on to it after tasting ube pancakes from the Filipino-owned Buttermilk Truck here in Los Angeles.  They were so light and tasty, I had to know how to make them.

An Early Short Stack

I came up with this recipe trying to duplicate the Buttermilk Truck’s deliciousness.  I found a few pancake recipes on the web and took the best of everything, though none I found had coconut.  That ingenious accident happened while trying to photograph a batch of pancakes:  They didn’t look that great on the plate and needed a garnish. I happened to have some shredded coconut in the house I thought might give that Island feel, but since there was no coconut in the pancake, it didn’t make much sense to see it in the photo.  So I thought "why not just add coconut to the recipe?" And Steve’s Original Ube Pancakes were born.

Steve's Original Ube Pancakes

I buy ube at Filipino markets like Seafood City or Island Pacifica.  There, you can find it grated in the freezer section, or dehydrated on the baker’s aisle along with the little bottle of ube extract.  Use buttermilk for an American version or sweetened-condensed milk for enhanced island flavor.

These pancakes will perk up your family breakfast or add flair to entertaining at brunch with guaranteed raging morning food woody.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2   teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3   pinches ground cinnamon

2  pinches cardamom

1   pinch allspice

1/4 cup powdered ube, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water

 OR

1  cup grated ube, defrosted and mashed

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, coconut milk or sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1  tablespoon ube extract

2 cups shredded coconut

METHOD:

Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs and stir in reconstituted powdered ube or grated ube. Add choice of milk, vanilla and ube extract and melted butter.   Add wet mixture to dry whisking until any lumps disappear. Allow to rest uncovered for 15 minutes.

When ready to cook, preheat a pancake griddle or non-stick pan to medium high heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter and pour 2 tablespoons batter into the pan.

Form as many as the pan will allow without touching. Immediately sprinkle about a tablespoon of shredded coconut onto each. Flip when bubbles start to appear. Cook for another minute or two to caramelize the coconut, then transfer to a platter.

Repeat until all batter is used. Serve with butter and light syrup if desired.  

For a simpler method, just add a tablespoon of ube extract and a few pinches of spice to a batch of Bisquick pancake batter and sprinkle on the coconut.

FOOD PORN AT THE LA COUNTY FAIR

 I grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the heart of PA Dutch Country, where funnel cakes were born and a local county fair staple for generations. It’s been less than 2 decades since funnel cakes swept the rest of the country’s county fairs as a favorite fried concoction giving tasters raging food woody with every bite.

But not every vendor offered the popular new treat, and if folks fought over fried pancake batter topped with powdered sugar, a buck was to be made having people go gaga over other fried goodies. But the question remained: how to compete?  It wasn't until the mid 1990's that genius struck with the  creation of Fried Twinkies. This was the genesis of the current culinary trend sweeping our fairs: “What Already-Made Food Can We Deep Fry?”

Over the years I caught all the food and travel TV programs highlighting these culinary novelties popping up at fairs, which increased my desire to try them. After 23 years in Los Angeles, 2010 turned out to be the year I would pop my California fair cherry in Pomona.

Upon arriving with my foodie cohort, Sunny, we made a pact to only eat fried foods - and the weirder the better. Walking down the aisles of booths, the enormous size of the food stand signage reminded me of New York City years ago, when 42nd street was lined with XXX porno theaters with colorful building-sized signs to entice potential horny customers into their lair.  The LA fair was no different to the eye, but all the vendors can promise for the hype is food woody.

We hit pay dirt at Chicken Charlie’s. Giant fried food photos, high-flying banners with video and loud music from hidden speakers drew us in. Here we started our food orgy with the fried Oreo’s, Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich, Fried Frog Legs, Fried Klondike Bar, Fried White Castle Burger and the classic Fried Twinkies.  With all that sugary fried food, the only appropriate beverage was a couple of Diet Cokes.  The grand total was about 50 bucks.  But who cares? Split two ways you can't even buy crack that cheap.

 Deep Fried Oreo's come four to an order. The surprise was the crunch is gone after the recooking process and they become quite a tasty doughnut.  The secret is in the chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.

Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich is the perfect blend of America's favorite jelly doughnut surrounding a mechanically processed grilled chicken patty. Served with a packet of honey, it's the lube you need to get it in and down, but watch out for head vein popping.  Surprising is how well the smooth raspberry jam pairs with chunky processed chicken like cranberry sauce and turkey.

Fried Frog Legs taste like fish AND taste like chicken.  It's the food hybrid.  Add a little salt and hot sauce for a bone-licking good time.  But what do they do with the rest of the frog?

Deep Fried Klondike Bar is the poor man's Baked Alaska where the chocolate coating mixes with the ice cream during frying for a gooey yummy treat. The secret is in the chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.

What could be better than a White Castle Burger? A FRIED White Castle Burger! Everything inside the new batter surround seems to breakdown into a cheesy beefy bready orgasm in the mouth. It could have used a little chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.

 Fried Twinkies looks like everything else but the tastes is much more delicate and rewarding. The secret is in the chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.

All that sugar leaves you wanting nothing but water to flush out your system, but a double Margarita can also do the trick. I chose to enjoy it on the rocks where it's served in a red souvenir Sauza shaker bottle and shot glass.


As we continued walking the midways, every food vendor tried to lure us their way. The Fried Avocado sounded great but we weren’t ready to eat more food. Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly? Why that's for beginners. Fried S'Mores? I'm no food prude but I have boundaries. And all the stands of BBQ looked mouth-watering amazing, from slow roast ribs to pulled pork sandwiches to smoked turkey legs to sausage and peppers. If only they were deep fried.

We eventually cheated and broke our fried-only diet with a couple tacos al pastor – that’s with bbq’d pork.  Mexican food is the most reasonably priced fare at the fair and the tacos were only $2.50 each topped with onions, cilantro and salsa.

We decided our mission was to find the Fried Reese's and Fried Dill Pickles, but without success, we got briefly sidetracked in the grandstands betting on some pretty ponies.  Losses were minimal and we refocused to continue off on our fried crusade.

Every diet needs fiber, so for something healthy, we opted for the Apple Fries served with whipped cream.   They sure looked great, but didn’t  even have enough flavor to make me fake food woody. What saved the moment we now refer to as ‘The Apple Incident,” was the 5 o’clock parade marching down Broadway in front of us.  Tartan-clad high school bands, floats with riders throwing Mardi Gras beads, followed by giant Clydesdale horses close enough to be trampled by, thoroughly entertained us.

After the parade we found heaven again right next door. “One Fried Snickers and one Fried Reese's please,” were words I had always dreamed of saying and now actually said. “That will be $8,” the clerk replied. The first bite of the Reese's ejaculated molten peanut ooze on my face. With finger and tongue I got every drop.  The Snicker's was goooood too.

Presentation of the fried foods is all the same with a brownish gray lump garnished with powdered sugar. But that's like complaining you can't enjoy porn because the music sucks.

Food Woody Blue Ribbon under the sweet category goes to "Fried Twinkies with Chocolate Drizzle" for it's crisp clean taste that is truly heightened by frying. Runners up are "Fried Reese's on a Stick" and "Fried Klondike Bar. " Savory blue ribbon goes to the "Fried White Castle Burger"  for its shear awesomeness being edible.  

This day of food orgy left us sweaty, tired and sticky as would be expected. I'll be back next year, however; Sunny and I have already decided to skip the other fried stuff and focus on BBQ.  Of course if someone has fried dill pickles we'll have to get them too, since they were out of them the day we went. And I didn't get to try the Fried Avocado. Or Fried Zucchini. Or even a Funnel Cake. How decadent could a Fried S'Mores be? Now I'm thinking Why didn't I buy a season pass?

FEEDING MAD MEN

Food service on big Hollywood TV and film productions is divided into two departments: Catering and Craft Service. Catering is responsible for feeding the cast and crew breakfast and lunch, while Craft Service, affectionately called “Crafty,” is responsible to supply them every possible thing to be consumed in between and after those meals.

Food Woody on Mad Men set

During summer 2010 I was fortunate to work as a stand-in on the Emmy-winning show "Mad Men.” I’ve worked on several top-rated shows and films with big budgets for feeding their crew, but my “Mad Men” experience is at the culinary top of the TV world.

“Mad Men” is based downtown at the Los Angeles Center Studios and employs one of the best caterers in the biz - Limelight Catering of Sylmar, CA. Breakfast is simple with custom-made offerings of eggs, omelets, bacon and the works including fresh fruit, potatoes, oatmeal and burritos. But lunch, usually served six hours later, is a delectable food orgy. 

You would be thrilled to offer this assortment and quality of food at your wedding; there is something amazingly delicious for carnivores, pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans. Everyday is a different theme, like Fried Chicken Fridays.


One of my favorites is Italian day, which might include Veal Piccatta, Chicken Marsala, Grilled Striped Trout, Seasoned Vegetable Medley, Grilled Eggplant, Lasagna, Manicotti, Penne al Pesto, Ravioli, Roasted Garlic, Risotto, plus a few mixed salads, salad bar, and dessert buffet of cakes, cookies and ice cream.  

This Italian day also included Pizza, Meatball and Polenta

Mexican day is totally groovy too featuring Carne Asada, Shredded Pork, Chicken Mole, Ceviche, Tamales, Enchiladas, Frijoles, Grilled Corn, Fresh Fried Chile Rellenos and Flan. After every meal, Chef Mike comes around with his special brew of Turkish coffee to thrust the group into the second half of the day. 

Cast and crew eat together and then it’s back to work where set medic Alise passes out flossing sticks to everyone to remove lingering morsels from between their teeth.  At first I was shocked to be around a whole group of people picking at their teeth in public, but then I came to realize it must be the plaque-free environment that makes the show so popular.

On many sets, an 8-hour workday is an anomaly. And so it goes on “Mad Men,” where 12-14 hour days were the norm, and some lasting past 1 AM.  So by hour 10, the crew begins to get hungry, and Crafty's sliced fruit, crudité and nut mixes are no longer satisfying.  This is when Crafty steps up their game and takes over for the second meal.

Like a Jewish mother, a good crafty doesn’t prepare anything, but knows who to call to get the best. We’ve had food woody from a variety of restaurants like Cuban take out from Versailles and French dip sandwiches from historic Phillipe’s.

But the current trend in gourmet food trucks is not lost on Hollywood, and often a truck would pull up outside the soundstage and serve us their grub.  

So which truck foods have passed the lips of Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery? To eat like the stars, check out Komodo, The Slice Truck, India Jones and Lake Street Creamery. 

Komodo is Asian-Mexican fusion and the hot item is the Blazin’ Shrimp taco that’s muy picante. 

 Slice Truck pizza is a thin crisp crust version and the pepperoni and sausage is amazing.  

India Jones is Bombay street food and the Lamb Frankie is a Taj Mahal in your mouth with a side of chicken curry and rice. 

 Lake Street serves fresh-made ice creams, and even created the Don Draper flavor with bourbon, caramel and smoke served in a sweet waffle dish.

There's never a crew work break for the second meal, so it becomes a free for all to get what you can quickly in between takes and setups when not needed on stage.

It was an amazing summer and opportunity to meet wonderful people over great meals.  One remarkable discovery was finding out  director of photography, Chris Manly, and I went to the same high school in Allentown, Pennsylvania. And show creator, Matt Weiner, is just as warm and personable in person as he is while accepting awards.   The last day I told him how much I enjoyed working on the show, that the crew was so nice and supportive, and that I believed it came from the top. He smiled at me, obviously touched, offering his hand to shake while asking, "What's your name?"