Mandatory News

Friday, January 9, 2015

Four beers to pair with your newly legitimized foie gras

As foie gras gets added back to seemingly every menu in town, try these fine beers alongside the fatty treat once youre tired of the glasses of Sauternes and Chardonnay commonly recommended as matches for foie.

By now the idea of pairing beer with fine food shouldnt surprise any serious foodie. Beer is often more versatile and more forgiving than wine, especially when served alongside certain tricky foods that can cause a somm to sweat. Foie gras is one of those challenging ingredients for wine pairings, but theres a wide variety of beer styles that find affinity with the rich, unctuous lobes.

English Barleywine The Bruery Sucr

These malty and potent brews have a deep sweetness that complements the flavor of the foie and enough alcohol to cut its richness. Founder and Brewmaster of The Bruery, Patrick Rue (who recently achieved Master Cicerone status, only the ninth in the world and the first in Southern California) recommends one of his brewerys anniversary brews (infamous for their huge alcohol content and solera-method production) as a match for simply seared foie gras.

Flanders Ale Liefmans Goudenbond

The brown ales from Belgiums Flanders region are exceptionally versatile with food. With a balance of sweetness and tartness and rich flavors of sweet malts, wood, and spice, Oud Bruin (Flemish for old brown) is "magic with foie gras and it could give Sauternes a run for its money, says El Segundo Brewing Co.s Tom Kelley himself a Certified Cicerone adding, Bring it on, Chateau d'Yquem! Kelley recommends the easy-to-find Liefmans Goudenbond, and the also widely available Duchesse De Bourgogne would also serve.

Doppelbock Samichlaus

The rich, dark doppelbocks of Germany are a classic pairing with meat and game, and the intensity of flavor of the strong lagers will stand up to the bolder preparations of foie gras. In his book "The Brewmasters Table," brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery Garrett Oliver recommends Samichlaus dopplebock (released once a year in December) for its amazingly intense malt aroma, complex flavor and lingering honey finish, calling it absolutely stunning with a foie gras terrine.

Kriek Kasteel Kriek

These fruited lambics feature sour Belgian cherries, and they balance tartness, sweetness, funk and a pleasant almond-like bitterness imparted from the cherry pits. They are another versatile food-friendly brew and the one to reach for with foie thats prepared with fruit or a gastric. Look for dryer examples of the style and stay away from the common back-sweetened cherry beers (like the ubiquitous Lindemans lambics) that lose all of the subtlety and charm of the more balanced examples.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-four-beers-to-pair-with-your-legitimized-foie-gras-20150108-story.html

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Songs and death threats for Lebanese American p**n star Mia Khalifa

Story highlights

Mia Khalifa moved with her family from Lebanon to the United States as a child
"We are probably paying the price of living away from our homeland," her family says

Khalifa is PornHub's highest-ranked adult star. But she is also Lebanese-born -- and her chosen line of work has not only disappointed her parents but generated huge controversy in her native country.

The debate has gained such a head of steam that some Arab news outlets published a family statement this week condemning Khalifa's actions and expressing the family's regret about her fame as a p**n star.

She is also criticized for her tattoo, in Arabic, of the opening lines of the Lebanese National Anthem.

"We are probably paying the price of living away from our homeland; our kids had to adapt to societies that don't resemble our culture, traditions and values," the family statement said.

"Hence, we emphasize that we disassociate ourselves from her actions which do not reflect her family beliefs, her upbringing or her true Lebanese roots. We hope that she comes back to her senses as her image does not honor her family or her homeland -- Lebanon."

According to the statement, Khalifa, born in 1993, moved with her family to the United States in 2000. They left behind them one of the more liberal countries in the Middle East but one where religion plays a central, sometimes divisive, role in daily life and many are deeply socially conservative.

Having turned 18, Khalifa left home, the statement says, "as is common in the West. She married an American guy in February 2011 and is currently living with him in Florida. Mia has since lost contact with her family."

Despite the family rift, Khalifa has been doing well for herself.

And she's been fighting back against the criticism on her Twitter feed, which has more than 100,000 followers (and contains some slightly NSFW content).

She writes: "@borenstein_alex: @miakhalifa how do we achieve peace in the Middle East?" Stop talking about pornstars that aren't living in your country"

But many critics continue to voice their disgust on Twitter.

"I am a Palestinian patriot and what you are doing is shameful," one person wrote. Another says her head should be cut off for what she's doing.

And that's far from the only death threat she's received.

She posted a doctored photo that appeared to show her as a prisoner of ISIS.

At the same time, she has many online supporters.

British-Lebanese author and publisher Nasri Atallah posted at length in her defense on his Facebook page.

"The moral indignation about Mia Khalifa, presumably the first Lebanese pornstar, is wrong for two reasons. First and foremost, as a woman, she is free to do as she pleases with her body," he wrote.

"Secondly, as a sentient human being with agency, who lives halfway across the world she is in charge of her own life and owes absolutely nothing to the country where she happened to be born. There is this odd perception that being Lebanese is a vocation and a duty first and that your personal life comes second."

And like Khalifah, Atallah believes the fevered interest her actions have stirred back home is unwarranted.

"For the record, I don't think we should be particularly proud of Mia Khalifa, we should just be indifferent. She's doing a job she chose, in a regulated industry, no different to banking. Actually, it's probably more regulated than banking.

"I certainly don't think she's our last frontier against ISIS as some have suggested. She is a 21-year old in Florida who has made a decision for herself, with absolutely no wider implications."

Another boost came from American duo Timeflies, who recorded a song about her this week, posted to their Twitter feed.

It's already proven pretty popular with her fans, with several posting that, together, she and the band "broke the internet."

And Khalifa herself remains defiant in the face of the trolls.

"How does it feel to be the most hated arab at the moment?" she wrote. "Pretty good since @Timeflies wrote a song about me."

CNN's Joseph Netto contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/07/us/lebanon-p**n-star-uproar/

'Dance Mom' Alum Maddie Ziegler in Sia's 'Elastic Heart' With Shia LeBeouf ...

Look, you are either the type of person who is interested in some of the keywords in the headline, or you arent. Either way, you will love this video, where National Treasure Crazy Person Shia LeBeouf performs in a cage match dance-off with a very small, very terrifying child. (Seriously, this is freakier than that Movement Tests for Mama video.)

The child star/amazing star child is Maddie Ziegler, a star of the Lifetimes series Dance Moms. She was previously seen in Sias Chandelier video, and will be performing with the singer on Saturday Night Live this weekend. (Our one question: Will Lena Dunham also be working as a stand-in?)

Source: http://observer.com/2015/01/dance-mom-alum-maddie-ziegler-in-sias-elastic-heart-with-shia-lebeouf-video/

(Third Man Records/ISTVAN INDEX HUSZTI/AFP/Kevork Djansezian/Getty ...

By Radio.com Staff

Your Coachella 2015 lineup is here.

The Californiafestival has announced its lineup for 2015, andif youre a fan of AC/DC, Drakeand Jack White, youll be pleased: those three acts are among the years headliners.

Related: New Coachella Video Recap Video Features Pharrell, Lorde, Arcade Fire: Watch

AC/DC and White come as purveyors of brand new albums in 2014Play Balland Lazaretto, respectively. Meanwhile, Drake is rumored to be releasing a new album, Views from the 6, in 2015and what better way to kick off a year of new material with a headlining set?

Interpol, Tame Impala, Florence + the Machine, the Weeknd, alt-J and Hozier are among other acts performing at the festival, held in Indio, Calif.

Coachella will be held over two weekends again in 2015, running April 10-12 and April 17-19.Prices will remain the same as in 2014, with general admission passes going for $375 and VIP tickets at $799. Pre-sale tickets sold out last year following their announcement, but a general sale for tickets will begin tomorrow (Jan. 7) at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT via Frontgate. First weekend tickets will be found here, and second weekend here.

Click to view poster full-size

Coachella 2015 Lineup:

FRIDAY

AC/DCTame ImpalaInterpolSteely DanAlessoAlabama ShakesRideNeroAzealia BanksFlying LotusRaekwon and Ghostface KillahLykke LiDJ SnakePorter RobinsonCaribouTodd Terje and the OlsensAngus & Julia StoneHot NaturedGeorge EzraSquarepusherKieszaAction BronsonGorgon CityReverend Horton HeatSylvan EssoKimbraVic MensaErol AlkanKeleCloud NothingsKeys N KratesMKPete TongAb-SoulHaertsEagullsAllah-LasAlvin RiskChris MalinchakJon HopkinsOliver HeldensRyan HemsworthJason BentleyBrant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk BandMarques WyattThe Ghost of a Saber Tooth TigerLos Rakas

SATURDAY

Jack WhiteThe WeekndAxwell ^ IngrossoAlt-JBelle and SebastianRatatatHozierFlosstradamusBad ReligionSBTRKTFKA TwigsTyler the CreatorFather John Mistythe War on DrugsDeorroRun the JewelsTychoChet FakerKasabianDrive Like JehuSwansMilky ChanceToro y MoiJungleNew World PunxClean BanditGlass AnimalsRoyal BloodAlison Wonderlandthe Gaslamp Killer ExperienceLoco DiceDanny TenagliaAntemasqueParquet CourtsGramatikLightsWhat So NotYellow ClawDJ HarveyTale of UsYelleAndrew McMahonCarl GraigPhoxSt. Paul and the Broken BonesCashmere CatNortec Collective Presents: Bostich + FussibleTouristBenjamin BookerMatthew KomaPerfume GeniusJamestown RevivalBad SunsRuen BrothersBixel BoysAndrea OliviaRyn WeaverRadkeyCoastsUntil the Ribbon Breaks

SUNDAY

DrakeFlorence + the MachineKaskadeRyan AdamsDavid GuettaSt. VincentMarina and the DiamondsFitz and the TantrumsBrand NewMadeonStromaeKygoOdeszaGesaffelsteinRACCirca SurviveJenny LewisDesaparecidosJamie xxMartin SolveigDuke DumontLil BMac DeMarcoVance JoyBuilt to SpillJ.E.S.&S (Jack Master, Eats Everything, Skream & Seth Troxler)Panda BearKaytranadaR3habSt. LuciaDirty SouthOFF!Charles BradleyPhilip SelwayCedric GervaisClaude Von StrokeTouch AmorJoyce ManorAngel OlsenJohn TalabotTiger and WoodsDubfireSturgill SimpsonAnnie MacChicano BatmanMSloanDoc MartinSaint MotelThe OrwellsThe CribstINIBen KlockNight Terrors of 1927

Messed up: Here's how p**n star Farrah Abraham looks after her botched lip-job

We've certainly witnessed a few bad cosmetic surgeries in the pastbest known for her role in and as Bridget Jones, Rene Zellweger decided to get a new face altogetherin 2014 when her fans could hardly recognize her andour very own Anushka Sharma joined Anurag Kashyap on 'Koffee with Karan' with her not-so-sexy new lips.

But p**n star and a graphic novelist Farrah Abraham beats Zellweger and Anushka hands down. Reports of Abraham'sbotched lip surgery went viral on social media and if you check out the picture below, you'll know why.

Gawker.com said: "Farrah Abraham F*cked Up Her Face and She Loves It." The American reality star is not new to cosmetic surgeries. According to this report in The Daily Mail, Abraham had her b*****s increased from size C to size D in 2013.

But this surgery will keep her away from the doctors for a while.

A teen mom, a graphic novelist, stripper and a p**n starAbraham shot to prominence when she became pregnant at the age of 16. In 2009, Abraham was cast in the reality television series 16 and Pregnant, which documented the pregnancies and first months of motherhood for several young women.

Gawker, in their article, clarified that Farrah was getting a new procedure, where the doctor puts an implant inthe patient's lip. Farrah researched the doctor and decided it was a safe bet but clearly she was wrong. She ended up in an emergency room with a major allergic reaction.

But this did not stop the American reality star to tweet her photos and say "Gotta love my new look!"

And if we're looking for the silver lining here, Farrah's lips probably don't even crack into the top five body parts that she's most known for.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/living-business/messed-up-heres-how-p**n-star-farrah-abraham-looks-after-her-botched-up-lip-job-2035229.html

Coachella 2015 tickets on sale at noon

When: Gates open at 11 a.m. April 10-12 and 17-19.

Where: Empire Polo Club, 81-800 Avenue 51, Indio.

Tickets: On sale at noon Jan. 7. General admission passes are already sold out for both weekends, but beneral admission with shuttle service for $435 for both weekends are still available.

Information: www.coachella.com

Rock is definitely being celebrated at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this year with legendary rock hard band AC/DC, alternative rocks Jack White and jazz rocks Steely Dan among the biggest names of the festival.

All three acts, as well as hip-hop superstar and headliner Drake, were announced as part of the mega fests lineup Tuesday morning, which is set for April 10-12 and 19-17 at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio. Tickets go on sale at noon today.

Guitarist Barry Johnson of Torrance punk band Joyce Manor, who are also on the bill, said Tuesday he couldnt wait for the his band to perform on April 12 and 19, the same dates Drake is set to close out the night.

Its a tremendous honor to be playing such a prestigious music festival, Johnson said. In 2009, I never thought my Four Loko fueled pop punk band would be playing Coachella. I hope I get a picture with Drake.

AC/DC, who close out the first nights of the three-day festival weekends on April 10 and 17, has never performed at Coachella, but White and Drake are no strangers to the desert festivals stages. White performed with his former band White Stripes in 2003, while Drake joined R&Bs Jhene Aiko onstage last year as a surprise guest.

White headlines on April 11 and 18, while and Drake closes out the festival.

Festival organizers released the lineup early Tuesday (two days earlier than last years announcement), showing more than 50 acts featured each day for more than 150 total acts including L.A.-area acts like Flying Lotus, whose appearance at the festival was leaked last month, and the progressive pop of Saint Motel as well as Carson hip-hop artist Ab-Soul.

But as with every year when the highly anticipated lineup is announced, there are fans and haters, many who took to social media to air their excitement and dispappointment.

This has got to be the worst line up in Coachella history.... wow, Patrick Dawn of Lake Forest posted on the Coachella Facebook page, while others joked that their parents are the only ones excited for AC/DC and Steely Dan.

It feels all over the place, said Christopher Zych said, store manager of Riverside record store The Mad Platter. Theyre trying to cater to the classic rock crowd and the alternative crowd and the hip-hop crowd. It doesnt seem very focused.

Freddy Rivera, on-air personality for radio station 102.7 KIIS-FM said he was also a little underwhelmed by the lineup as he had hoped to see U2 and some others to be announced as headliners. But he added that with Madeon, Kaskade and David Guetta set to spin, the electronic dance music portion of the festival seems strong.

But for every non-plessed critic, there is a fan like Alejandro Ruiz Arvizu of Los Angeles posting on Facebook vying for a chance to make it out to what is expected to be another sold-out extravaganza.

For those complaining about the line up, Ill gladly buy your ticket, Arvizu said.

Source: http://www.dailybulletin.com/events/20150106/coachella-2015-tickets-on-sale-at-noon

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

DASH Diet For Beginners: What To Know About The Best Diet Of The Year

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 22: Men eat dinner at a facility run by the Bethesda Project, which serves as a shelter in the evenings on October 22, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The program for homeless men is run by the Bethesda Project which serves more than 2,500 homeless and formerly homeless men and women each year at 14 sites throughout Philadelphia. One of the nation's largest and most historic metropolitan areas, Philadelphia has become the poorest big city in America. It also has the highest rate of deep poverty in America - those with incomes below half of the poverty line - of any of the nation's 10 largest cities. While much of downtown Philadelphia is vibrant with exceptional restaurants, museums and nightlife, many areas immediately outside the center are mired in multi-generational deep poverty.(Photo : Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

DASH Diet For Beginners - For those who want to start their year out right with a healthy and fit physique, look no further because the DASH diet is here to help. Dubbed as the best diet of the year, this particular diet focuses on vegetables and whole grain.

The main focus of DASH diet for beginners is that it doesn't only aim to help you lose weight but greatly improve your nutrition and heart health. A number of other diets may claim to help lose the weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but only the DASH diet makes it on point.

There is pretty not much difference for the rules in DASH dietfor beginners or those who have started it out since last year. The rules are simply intuitive: avoid sweets and red meat, cut back on the salt, and eat only from the healthy food groups.

DASH Diet for beginners has been picked by Weight Watchers as the best diet and even named as the easiest one to follow. It has also received rave reviews as the best diet to follow for those with diabetes. For those who don't know, the DASH Diet for beginners was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute mainly to help those with high blood pressure and prevent it from occurring again.

"The DASH diet has been our top diet overall for five years now and this is the fifth year we are evaluating and ranking diets," says Angela Haupt, the senior health and wellness editor at U.S. News & World Report, adding, "Our experts, who rate these diets for us, say it will end up being very good for your waistline, in addition to your high blood pressure, because it is such a common-sense, balanced diet."

The DASH in DASH Diet for beginners stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Check out U.S. News & World Report, for more of the best diet plans for 2015.

Source: http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/17320/20150107/dash-diet-for-beginners-what-to-know-about-the-best-diet-of-the-year.htm