Osteria Mozza Staff Lunch Chicken Soup by Chef Sal Takes "Commanding Lead" in 2017 Soup of the Year Competition

It didn't look special. In fact, many who walked into Osteria Mozza at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday expecting the famous staff meal chicken thighs  - featured in Nancy Silverton's new cookbook "Mozza At Home" -  were disappointed to see a large tray -  yes, tray - of soup.

Until they tasted it.

Although 2017 is not over yet, the Chicken Soup made by legendary day kitchen manager Salvatore "Sal" Jamamillo has taken such a commanding lead in the prestigious national Soup of the Year (SOY) competition that several bookies in Las Vegas announced this afternoon they will no longer take wagers on the award.

"It's over,' said a influential member of the SOY committee who spoke n the condition of anonymity. "Unless Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin come back from the dead and make Creme of Heroin soup, this years SOY is over."

Dahlia Narvaez, Mozza's James Beard award-winning pastry chef, had three bowls of the chicken soup. 

"Big shot wins an award and thinks she can hog the soup," said a Mozza line cook who begged that his name not be used. 

The soup's recipe was not immediately released to the public. However, if the soup does make it to the final five, as most experts expect it will , the recipe will, by law, have to be released.

"That's foolish," said Sal's right hand man chef Raul Ramirez. "We don't have no recipes back here. We just cook until it's just right."

Obama Calls Osteria Mozza's Sommelier Andrey Tolmachyov "A Great Somm, Lousy Spy"; Won't Deport

When new broke Thursday that President Barack Obama had had ordered 35 Russian spies posing as diplomats to leave the country within 72 hours, wine professionals in Los Angeles immediately began texting each other. The subject of their messages? One Andrey Tolmachyov, the highly-regarded sommelier at Osteria Mozza on "The Corner" who has long been suspected by the FBI of spying for the Kremlin.

"Will Stoli Rocks be deported?' many of the texts wondered, using a Tolmachyov's endearing nickname.

Friday afternoon, the White House released a statement clarifying what has become known as "The WineSpyGate Matter". 

"To set aside rumors, President Obama asked me to clarify the issue of Andrey "Stoli Rocks" Tolmachyov,"  said White House press secretary Josh Earnest who then read from a prepared statement. "The question is not if Andrey Tolmachyov is or is not a spy. Tolmachyov is, indeed, a Russian spy. No doubts about. However, he is such an inept spy that we feel it is in the best interests of the United States to keep him here. Let him spy badly and report - inaccurately -  back to Putin. Another reason he should stay is Tolmachyov is actually a superb sommelier. He turned Michelle on to Giacosa's Falletto Riserva and now that's all she talks about. And after hearing her talk policy for years, that's a good thing."

According to a high ranking member of the Central Intelligence Agency, Tolmachyov would send top secret encrypted wine labels to Moscow. (See below) "But, he would be so fucked up, he would invariably put in bad information which is fine with us," said the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity..  

Tolmachyov's boss, Nancy Silverton, is in a remote, internet-less village in Italy and could not be reached for comment.

However, Kate Elizabeth Green, Silverton's spokesperson,  said "Nancy could give a fuck about spying. As long as he keep pouring that good vino rosso, that's all that matters. And Stoli Rocks can pour, believe me."

Calls to Tolmachyov, who is actually from Kazakhstan, were  not returned. His girlfriend, Regina Volk, a native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is said to be in hiding.

Stunning Eli Anderson Tuna Sandwich Nominated For Sandwich of Year

Tuesday afternoon, just as the polls were about to close for casting ballots on the 2016 Sandwich of the Year Awards (SOYA),  a simple tuna sandwich was hastily prepared and entered into competition.

Although the tasting panel - which included Joel Robuchon, James "Mad Dawg" Mattis, Nancy Silverton and this reporter - were expecting a "good bite or two" they were stunned by, not only by the depth of flavor of the sandwich, - dubbed the "Eli Anderson Tuna Sandwich" or "EATS" - but by also by its simplicity..  By the time a second sandwich was consumed, it had earned a coveted nomination for a SOYA.

The sandwich was comprised of Bluefin tuna caught by Eli "The Old Man and the Sea" Anderson, Clark Street Bakery's seeded country bread, and a scrape of salted tarragon mayonnaise.

One can get the seeded loaf at the Clark Street Bread cart near the Broadway side of the Grand Central Market. And one  can easily get some mayo, fresh tarragon and few grains of coarse sea salt that made the spread. But, the tuna will be more difficult. 

"Where the goddamn hell did this tuna come from?", ask Mattis, who is expected to become U.S. Secretary of Defense in the near future. "I'm thinking whatever goddamn body of water this tuna lived and swam, we might need to take it over. And I don't care if it's from the goddamn Euphrates or goddamn the South China Sea.

When told Anderson caught the tuna off the coast of Southern California, Mattis seemed a bit deflated, but asked for another sandwich.

Robuchon, who has more Michelin stars than Michael Phelps has Olympic gold medals, said the tuna sandwich was "a culmination of careers of a fisherman [Anderson] and a baker [Zach Hall] coming together at the right time." 

Howard Bingham, Legendary Photographer of Muhammad Ali, Dies At 77

On June 12, 1994, when O.J. Simpson left LAX. for Chicago shortly before midnight and roughly 90 minutes after Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were killed, storied photographer Howard Bingham was on the same flight. At Simpson’s fiery trial he was called to testify as to Simpson's demeanor

Naturally, Bingham was the only witness both defense and prosecution liked.

Johnnie Cochran, approaching the witness: “Are you a world-renowned photographer?”

Bingham: “The world's greatest.”

Cochran: “So, we’re clear about that.”

Later, on cross-examination, when Marcia Clark made a passing reference to Bingham as an outstanding photographer, Judge Lance Ito interrupted: “Uh, the world’s greatest.”

Bingham: “You’re a smart man, judge.”

Howard Bingham died Thursday, Dec. 15 at the age of 77.

"Howard, one of the kindest people I've known, used that kindness to win friends around the globe and help mankind by using his lens to reveal humanity in its stark, unblemished beauty." said Tim Watkins of the Watt Labor Community Action Committee who knew Bingham for over 50 years. "He photographed the greatest of greats yet never lost his connection and love for Watts where his family settled many decades ago.".

Bingham was a photographer for the African American newspaper Los Angeles Sentinel in 1962 when he was assigned to cover a professional fight by an up-an-coming young boxer named Cassius Clay. 

The rest, as has often been said, is history.

One of the great phone calls of my life came from Howard. I was at my desk at the Los Angeles Times after having covered Muhammad Ali coming to Watts in 1996 or '97..

The phone rang. I picked up.

"This is Howard Bingham. The Champ wants to talk to you."

Photograph By Famed Journalist Hacked Then Posted By Award-Winning Pastry Chef, Tillerson Demands Investigation

A landmark photograph depicting morning gelato-making taken by famed journalist Michael Krikorian was hacked and then posted on Instagram by Dahlia Narvaez, the James Beard Award-winning pastry chef of Mozza, authorities said Wednesday.

The photograph, which shows Joycelyn Martinez mixing a 9 a.m. batch of Cookies 'n Cream gelato as chef Nancy Silverton samples some, could have garnered the crime reporter the exclusive "100 likes" that he has been seeking on Instagram,  Within one hour and 15 minutes of Narvaez's posting, the colorful shot had already earned 96 likes.

"This is an outrage," said Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon and president-elect Donald J, Trump's  pick for Secretary of State. Tillerson, who  has close ties with Russian and has stated suspected Russian hacking during presidential election is not worth looking into, called for an investigation into what he dubbed "GelatoPhotogate". "It's just plain wrong."

A spokesperson for Narvaez said there was "absolutely no hacking at all involved."

"Krikorian sent her the photo on his own," said Ralph Waxman, speaking outside Narvaez Tower.  "He didn't know Jocelyn's last name and asked Dahlia for it. Hacking? Hardly."

Regardless, the photograph was widely hailed as "among the most significant of its kind", according to professionals.

"The beauty of this photograph is it gives an inside look to morning gelato making," said Pierre Hermes, director general of the Photography Department of the Louvre Museum in Paris. "When we think of gelato, we don't think of morning. But, here it is. Stunning."   

As for Krikorian never having a Instagram that received "100 likes", a internet analyst said it was the journalist's "redundancy" to blame. 

"Almost every photograph he posts has either Nancy, Chile Rico or Eva in it," said Ryan Vito DeNicola, CFO of GetMoreLikes, Inc. "He needs to diversify. The Cookies 'n Cream shot could have been the one. Even though it did have Nancy in it, she was not the focus."

At press time, a scheduled Thursday night dinner at "Broken Spanish" with Krikorian and Silverton joining Narvaez and her husband, chef Chris Feldmeier, was listed as "Unlikely".

The Tweets Of Bana Alabed, 7-Year-Old Girl in Aleppo

Sept. 26, 2016 - good afternoon from #Aleppo I'm reading to forget the war

Oct. 27, 2016 The tooth fairy is afraid of the bombing here, it run away to its hole. When the war finishes, it will come- Bana

Nov. 28   This is our house, My beloved dolls died in the bombing of our house. I am very sad but happy to be alive. - Bana

Nov. 29, 2016 This is my reading place where I wanted to start reading Harry Potter but it's bombed. I will never forget

From Bana's mother, Fatemah

Dec. 5  Under attack. Nowhere to go, every minute feels like death. Pray for us. Goodbye - Fatemah #Aleppo

Dec. 12 Final message - I am very sad no one is helping us in this world, no one is evacuating me & my daughter. Goodbye - Fatemah #aleppo

From Bana

Dec. 13, 2016  My name is Bana, I'm 7 years old. I am talking to the world now live from East #Aleppo. This is my last moment to either live or die. - Bana

From Bana's mother, Fatemah

Dec. 14, 4:27 a.m  Dear world, there' intense bombing right now. Why are you silent? Why? Why? Why? Fear is killing me & my kids. #Aleppo

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Nancy Silverton's Books of the Year, in today's Wall Street Journal

Chef Nancy Silverton on Richard Russo and Marisa Silver

- Wall Street Journal, Dec. 10, 2016 by Bari Weiss 

To me, a great novel is like a great meal. The ingredients—no, make that the characters—meet, come to a boil, then simmer and, hopefully, meld together in such a deeply satisfying way that I linger. I can’t put my fork—book!—down.

In the past few years there have only been an armful of books I have loved: David Benioff’s “City of Thieves,” Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch,” Michael Krikorian’s “Southside,” Anthony Marra’s “A Constellation of Vital Phenomena,” Abraham Verghese’s “Cutting for Stone” and Elena Ferrante’s four Neapolitan novels.

But this past year I’ll happily add two to my short list. Marisa Silver’s “Little Nothing” was a great escape—a dark, mysterious adult fairy tale about a dwarf girl who turns into a wolf and then a . . . I won’t ruin it. With someone else’s pen, this love story could have been a mess, but Ms. Silver’s engaging, heartfelt style brought it together for me. I felt so deeply for this outcast and, perhaps even more, for the man who loves her unconditionally.

My other book for 2016 is Richard Russo’s “Everybody’s Fool,” the sequel to “Nobody’s Fool.” I see Paul Newman every time Sully’s name appears. And we all know that’s special. 

Ms. Silverton, a chef, is the author of “Mozza at Home.”

Trump Said To Be "Seriously Considering" Naming President Obama As Secretary of State

In a stunning statement in a stunning year, President-elect Donald J. Trump said Friday he would "seriously consider" naming President Barack Obama as his Secretary of State following their very cordial White House meeting yesterday as well as a growing bi-partisan movement in Congress urging him to do so.

The Veterans Day announcement, made by the president-elect's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway at Trump Tower, was meet with such slacked-jaw wonder by reporters, most of who thought she was joking. 

"I am not joking and neither is Mr. Trump," Conway told the gathering after seeing reporter's initial reaction. ."I can understand your skepticism, but the meeting yesterday between President Obama and Donald Trump was so unexpectedly in-accord that the subject was broached."

Conway said Trump had initially said something along the lines of  "You should be my Secretary of State," after the two agreed about the need to end the slaughterhouse that is Aleppo.

"But," Conway said, "After the two fell into step on several key issues, Mr. Trump asked the President if he would actually consider the position if offered."

Though the two meet in private, the closest aides to them were later privy to a tape of their conversation. A close aide to Obama, speaking off the record, said "The President seemed  speechless at first. but then said he would give it extremely serious thought."

The news was met with curiosity across the nation and on the world stage. 

Jim DeMint, the Republican senator from South Carolina, considered among the staunchest conservatives in all of congress, said "This is absurd,  Though even an old right-of-Goldwater codger as myself can see the advantage of having a ex-president as Secretary of State. And it would sure the heck unify a clearly divided nation."

As midnight fell on Beirut, Michael Ali, owner of the popular Azzom Pizzeria, heard the news via Skype. He shook his head, smiled and said "You Americans are crazy. That's why we love you."

Kellyanne Conway said "Mr Trump's decision to appoint Obama as Secretary of State, if he accepts that is, will be announced before Thanksgiving."

Trump Yields To Pressure, Will Release "2nd Angle", Mythical View of "Zamensky's Fall"

With demonstrators across the nation chanting "Show it Now", President-elect Donald J. Trump has agreed to release the nearly mythical movie "2nd Angle", a stunning - and different view- of the classic American film "Zamensky's Fall'. 

Rumors have persisted for years that a second camera caught the infamous slip by Douglas Zamensky which was made into a feature film loved the world over. But, few have ever claimed to see it and millions -perhaps billions -  thought it was pure urban legend.

Until now. 

Like the original, the movie tells the story of Doug, a young white man from Idaho whose attempt to make it big in Los Angeles is thwarted by the intense needs of the staff at an Italian restaurant and by the equally demanding needs of Rollin 60s Crips who constantly rob him

Doug wisely decides to move to Orange Country and becomes the general manager of Pizzeria Mozza, Newport Beach. It is here, in the restaurant's parking lot, the movie's most famous scene occurs.

Thursday, in an attempt to united the country, Trump announced he would play "Zamensky's Fall" at his inauguration in January.    This led to the protests - allegedly organized by former Zamensky associate Chelsea  Olmstead - to also release "2nd Angle".

Trump, the the astonishment of most, agreed with the protesters. 

"Every time Don watches Doug fall, he laughs," said Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager. "And, boy, do we need some laughs now." 

The original movie, "Zamensky's Fall" can be seen in Thursday's article here - . http://www.krikorianwrites.com/blog/2016/11/9/zamenskys-fall-to-be-played-at-trump-inauguration