Pie + Beer at Two Local Pop-Up Pie Shops

Did you know PIE is the #1 food trend predicted for 2011? I, for one, couldn't be more happy about it -- if you're a regular reader of Pardon My Crumbs, you'll probably remember the S'mores Campfire Pie I baked for KCRW's Pie-A-Day contest last year, as well as my list of L.A.'s best pies for National Pie Day a few weeks ago. As if the resurgence of all-things-pie isn't appetizing enough, now two local pie pop-up shops are pairing a hoppy (err, happy) element with their homemade pies. BEER.

My S'mores Pie

Sunday, Feb. 20 (12-6 p.m.): Flying Pie Man + Eagle Rock Brews

Yuichiro, the Flying Pie Man himself, brings his homemade savory pies to Eagle Rock Brewery (3056 Roswell Street, Los Angeles), famous for its award-winning Red Velvet ale. Few things sound better than digging into a pie -- especially when they're savory flavors such as pork belly, chili, vegetarian pot pie, or Flying Pie Man's award-winning meat pie -- while sipping a frosty brew that was made mere steps away. Even if you can't hang out, bring your EGB growler for a re-fill and take some pie to-go.

Brews at Eagle Rock Brewery

Photo credit: LA Times

Flying Pie Man's Award-Winning Meat Pie

Photo credit: Flickr/dommichu

Monday, Feb. 21 (6-10 p.m.): Crust by Stephanie Jayne + Golden State

Aside from my personal favorite happy hour at Oliverio, Crust's four-hour pop-up appearance at WeHo's burger & beer bar Golden State (426 Fairfax Ave., WeHo) can certainly be considered the next best thing. Stephanie Jayne, former law-student-turned-pastry-chef-turned-Crust's-owner, is sure to satiate the after-work, happy hour and dinner crowd with her made-from-scratch pies; think cherry pie with tart red cherries and a perfectly-weaved lattice crust. A Fleur de Sel caramel tart with dark chocolate ganache, salted caramel and addictive cracker brittle (salted crackers layered with caramel crunch and dark chocolate drizzle). Sugary, buttery Missouri butter pie. Classic apple with Washington apples and signature crust, and her version of a campfire S’more pie with milk chocolate ganache, homemade graham cracker and homemade toasted marshmallow. The pies come whole, in individual portions, by the slice, in "shooter" form, and in paper bag-wrapped, handheld pies (finally, a fabulous alternative to McDonald's crapple pie). Order one of Golden State's beer floats or a pint of their MANY beers on draft and you're, well, golden.

Photo credit: Crust By Stephanie Jayne

Crust's S'mores Pie

Photo credit: Crust By Stephanie Jayne

Grammy's "Album of the Year" Cocktails at LA LIVE

It's been a hell of a week and I'm ready for a cocktail and some good music. Usually that entails my husband putting on one of his custom entertaining or Rat Pack-inspired playlists, opening a great bottle of wine, and enjoying our night. But this weekend I'm going to break away from the CabSauv and get into the Grammy groove with some specialty cocktails at downtown's LA LIVE. The Grammy's are one of my favorite award shows for one important reason: unlike the increasingly ridiculous and booze-fueled Golden Globes, the Grammy's actually feature memorable performances by talented entertainers. That's not to say watching Ricky Gervais slam Mel Gibson and Robert Downey, Jr. isn't memorable or entertaining, but it just makes me want to shake my head rather than my groove thang. Since I can't go to the actual award show, I'm celebrating the Grammy's by enjoying $10 cocktails dedicated to each of the five Album of the Year nominees (Lady Antebellum, Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, Eminem, Arcade Fire) at the Mixing Room and gLAnce Bar inside downtown's JW Marriot Hotel. The cocktails are available until this Sunday, Feb. 13, and I was lucky enough to score the ingredients in each. From my first impression alone, I'd have to cast my vote for Lady Antebellum's "Hot For You." What can I say, I'm addicted to spice! Check them all out below and if you make it downtown, let me know which cocktail you vote for!

Head to LA LIVE this weekend for Grammy's "Album of the Year" Cocktails

1. Lady Antebellum “Hot For You” Cocktail
Why: “Need You Now” is the title of Lady Antebellum’s second album, which explores the desperate longings that make separated lovers yearn to reconnect. Take a sip and feel the heat described in the album through this Jalapenos-spiced cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Cazadores Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice Fresh Squeezed
• 1/2 oz Agave Nectar
• Jalapeno

2. Lady GaGa's “Fame Monster” Cocktail
Why: The Fame Monster album is shamelessly decadent. Eleven of its thirteen songs are about money, celebrity, sex, clubbing, or a sticky combination of all four. The “Fame Monster” signature cocktail contains all the energy of the album and is mixed with a Full Throttle energy drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Midori
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• Top with energy drink (Full Throttle)
• Garnish with two slices of cucumber facing up

3. Katy Perry's “Teenage Dream” Cocktail
Why: Katy Perry called the album `Teenage Dream' because she wants to be a teenage dream in a pin-up poster. The JW Marriott created a sweet teenage dream of a drink with Amaretto and Orange Juice.

Ingredients:

• Fill a Pilsner glass with Ice
• Fill halfway with Shocktop
• 1 1/2 oz Amaretto
• Splash of Orange Juice
• Garnish Orange Slice

4. Eminem's “Recovery” Cocktail
Why: To put it simply, Eminem is back. In his new album Recovery, he shows that he can still spit with the best of them, then he shows that he's better than all of them, and he knows it. The non-alcoholic “Recovery” cocktail features a sweet and sour mixture, which feels just like his music.

Ingredients (equal parts of all):

• Pineapple juice
• Orange juice
• Cranberry juice
• Splash grapefruit
• Splash of grenadine
• Garnish with orange & cherry

5. Arcade Fire's “The Suburbs" Cocktail
Why: The Suburbs album is a complete work meant to be taken in as a single, hour long journey between adolescence and adulthood. Nothing marks that transition better than champagne!

Ingredients:

• Mumm Champagne
• Topped with Chambord
• Garnish with edible orchard
• Serve in a champagne flute

Flavour Gallery: Wear What You Eat

Some people say "You are what you eat," If that's true, why not take it an extra step further and actually wear what you eat? I'm not talking about slathering yourself in chocolate (although it's tempting, isn't it?) or experiencing the proverbial egg on your face. I'm talking about wearing foodie fashions from Flavour Gallery, a lifestyle brand that brilliantly combined its obsession with fashion and food in a line of silk-screen t-shirts, hoodies, tanks, thermals, scarves and aprons.

Flavour Gallery's Creative Director, Alfredo Malatesta, describes the team's thinking behind their line of apparel: “In the last several years we have seen an explosion of a food-obsessed culture—from blogs to television, and even experiencing it in our neighborhood. This one-of-a-kind, premium quality collection is centered around a more relaxed lifestyle and is ideal for chefs, foodies, and individuals who want to also wear something that reflects their personal passion and what they love to eat.”

The casual yet whimsical designs reflect the latest culinary trends, time-honored foodie hotspots as well as seasonal produce, such as the psychedelic halved Pomegranate “Peace” T-shirt mimicking a peace sign with “Peace, Love, Pomegranate” underneath. There's also a fiery Korean design for “Kimchi”; a sketch print entitled “Colazione del Contadino,” inspired by celebrity chef David Rocco’s take on an Italian poor man’s breakfast; and the retro “Gigi’s Oyster Bar, Boca Raton, Florida” design, which was taken from a shuttered seafood joint. The edgier side of Flavour Gallery’s designs range from the exotic—like a print of the “Kaari Baoli Marg Spice Market in Old Delhi, India”—to sketches of chef knives with their monikers; the sharp image of a cow with “Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit” in bold lettering; and the image of a chef’s hand deftly sprinkling fleur de sel down the front of your shirt (or scarf)—which is paired with a quote from Nelson Mandela on the reverse: “Let There Be Work, Bread, Water & Salt For All.”

"Knives" ($34)

"Knives" ($34), "Salt" ($28), "Le Boeuf" ($50), In Fiore ($40), Peace Love Pomegranate ($44)

"Spice Market" ($40)

Apparel is available at FlavourGallery.com. Prices range between $26 and upper $40's.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Sprinkles Cupcakes X's & O's

What do you want for Valentine's Day? A box of chocolates? A fancy-schmany dinner out on the town? A massage? Personally, I want my husband to give me two things: a Valentine's Day card -- he'll deny it, but he's got a real knack for writing love notes -- and Sprinkles' XOX box of Valentine's Day cupcakes. I know some people might be over the cupcake trend, but I'll always be a fan of Sprinkles. Their chocolate cupcake with milk chocolate frosting and jimmies has rocked my dessert world for years, and the Chai tea latte and pumpkin spice seasonal cupcake rank a close second and third. So it's only appropriate that I want to celebrate a sweet holiday with a box of Sprinkles cupcakes, and lucky for me they have a limited-time Valentine's Day "XOX" box filled to the brim with deliciousness.

(Photo Credit: Sprinkles)

For $39/box, you get a dozen cupcakes -- a great combo of red velvet, chocolate marshmallow, dark chocolate and vanilla cupcakes -- topped with Sprinkles' signature icing (how do they get it so smooth?) and X's, O's and heart sugar decorations. Each box is sealed with an XOX Kisses and Cupcakes sticker. Also, be forewarned that Sprinkles is spicing up their classic red velvet to make it a red HOT velvet topped with spicy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Sounds right up my spice-addicted alley. Are you listening, honey??