....At the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. Check back for scoop and highlights.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
GritsnCheeseDish at the AC Food and Wine Festival
....At the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. Check back for scoop and highlights.
Monday, July 26, 2010
George Perrier says "Peace Out" to Le Bec Fin, Offers $40 Four Course Meals
Restaurateur George Perrier is saying "peace out" and Au revoir to his world renowned French restaurant Le Bec Fin after 40 years. Perrier will close his 5-star Philadelphia restaurant in spring 2011. The owner cites changing consumer tastes and wanting to do something different for the closing.
But there is a happy Le Bec Fin foodie ending: Now until the end of summer, Le Bec Fin will offer a $40 four course menu Tuedays through Fridays with seating from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in honor of their 40th anniversary Bon appetite!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Foodie Love: Marcus Samuelsson and Maya Haile
A hit of "Foodie Love" to get you through the day.
Chef Marcus Samuelsson and beautiful wife Maya Haile.
Chef Marcus Samuelsson and beautiful wife Maya Haile.
Photo credit: Glamour
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Caesar's Atlantic City: La Piazza
Still stuck on AC dining. Some of the best food not only comes from 5 star restaurants but from buffets. The all-you-can-eat buffet at La Piazza sends you to culinary bliss. In addition to the goodies in the picture, La Piazza offers a huge array of offerings including crab legs, steak, and desserts to name a few. Pocket hit $28--not too bad.Pic: Mahi fish, mash potatoes w/gravy and mushrooms, fried chicken, shrimp salad w/cilantro, corn and peppers; and fried coconut shrimp.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Channel Your Inner Chef: A Day at Viking Cooking School, Harrah's Atlantic City
I attended a cooking class this afternoon at Viking Cooking School and channeled my "inner chef." Here's the dish me and my cooking mates made from scratch.
Making Dry-Rub Barbecued Salmon w/Cucumber Relish
Making Dry-Rub Barbecued Salmon w/Cucumber Relish
Raw ingredients for the rub
Rub "the rub" in the salmon
Rub consists of chili powder, cilantro and other goodies
Cook it up
Serve over Rice Pilaf.
Top with your cucumber relish
(cucumber, tomatoes, lemon juice etc.)
Whala! You've created an easy dish friends and family will love.
Photo credit: Monica Peters
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Thursday, November 12, 2009
"PRECIOUS": Monica Peters Interviews Controversial Director Lee Daniels. Opens Up, Reveals Sexual Abuse for First Time
By Monica Peters
Check out Monica Peters' cover story for the Philadelphia Weekly, an interview with Lee Daniels, director of the award winning and critically acclaimed film "Precious." For the first time ever director Lee Daniels reveals to Monica and the world that he experienced sexual abuse as a child. He has admitted to the physical abuse he endured as a child, but never the sexual abuse. Read, enjoy and learn. Have a great day!
Check out Monica Peters' cover story for the Philadelphia Weekly, an interview with Lee Daniels, director of the award winning and critically acclaimed film "Precious." For the first time ever director Lee Daniels reveals to Monica and the world that he experienced sexual abuse as a child. He has admitted to the physical abuse he endured as a child, but never the sexual abuse. Read, enjoy and learn. Have a great day!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
GritsnCheese.com Has Moved! Listen to Your Favorite Interviews NOW!........ AND New Interviews Coming
Well, if you were wondering what happened to GritsnCheese.com. We moved! We have moved all of our content and intergrated the website to our blog here TheGritsnCheeseDish![TM] to make listening to our interviews much easier for you. This way you can listen to your favorite interviews and read the blog updates.The conversion is still a work in progress, so our look will be evolving! But no worries, WE HAVE YOUR FAVORITE INTERVIEWS POSTED NOW in our celebrity corner AND NEW INTERVIEWS COMING SOON. Some that may surprise you!!
-Monica
TheGritsnCheeseDish.blogspot.com
Monday, June 8, 2009
Ray Nagin Quarantined in China, Possible Swine Flu
By Monica PetersNew Orleans Mayor,Ray Nagin, his wife Seletha and their bodyguard are being quarantined in China after sitting near an airline passenger that displayed symptoms of Swine Flu. Nagin, his wife and bodyguard were put on ice in Shanghai.
The mayor is on a a 10 day economic development trip to try and lure business to the city of New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina.
Passengers sitting near the ill passenger were quarantined. A spokesman for the Mayor said that all three were doing fine and are being treated kindly by the Chinese government.
"The Hangover" Hits #2
"The Hangover" raked in 43.3 million at the box office this weekend. It's a great movie with lots of great laughs. Check out GritsnCheese's film review below, "The Hangover, "A Must See Film."
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Film Review: "The Hangover" A Must See, Game-changing Film
By Monica PetersTrust me, this is not your typical bachelor film. You will not want to make a dash for popcorn or take a bathroom break. "The Hangover," starring Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis may go down in history as one of the greatest bachelor films of all time. It is outrageous, over-the-top and hilarious taking a cliché topic and elevating it to the next level. The film is a game changer in how bachelor stories and scripts will be approached in Hollywood. What makes this film spectacular is that the story line is intriguing and cleverly written. The plot of the film is incorporated into the film’s credits at the end. The humor has no boundaries and leaves no stone unturned in the comedy department. The whacky, funny characters along the way like the “Asian gangster” give it a twist.
The film about four friends’ crazy bachelor party in Las Vegas, is a new millennium male version of male bonding meets Waiting to Exhale that goes seriously wrong. They have waken up to a trashed hotel room with a rooster wandering around, an unidentified infant baby that was left in the room, a tiger in the bathroom, one of the friends (a dentist) now has a missing front tooth, to make matters worse their friend, Doug, who is the groom-to-be is missing. The film focuses on them searching for their friend, and more importantly investigating why all four of them can not remember anything about the bachelor party. However, they must get this all resolved and get to Los Angeles in time for Doug’s wedding.
Their wild goose chase leads the friends to being placed in a some hilarious situations such as being used for a police taser gun presentation at an elementary school, allowing the students to use them as practice targets-- in exchange for them not going to jail for stealing a cop car. One even discovers that he got married to a stranger in Vegas. Boxer Mike Tyson adds some humor to the film although he is only featured briefly.
Although this film will leave your stomach in pain from laughing so hard, it hits a serious topic after one of the friends reveals why none of them can not remember what happened at the bachelor party (although it is addressed humorously). I will not discuss what that serious topic is because I do not want to give away the film. Parents, this film is not for kids due to the nudity and over-the-top content, but you should definitely have a talk with them after seeing this movie. Other than that, get your “laugh on.” The Hangover will not leave movie goers disappointed. The Hangover hits theaters on Friday June 5.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Two Sad "Good Times" Deaths
Hello all,
A friend found this article on the Internet and wanted me to post. RIP Ernie Jones and Timothy Wright both who contributed to one of our favorite 70's sitcom "Good Times."
If you were a devoted fan of Good Times back in the day, you know that Jimmie Walker's James Evans, Jr. character was an artist. That character and the show introduced the rest of the world to the artwork of Ernie Barnes.
'The Sugar Shack' dance scene appeared on Marvin Gaye's 1976 I Want You album and the closing credits of Good Times. It also inspired a generation of artists. Collectors of his work range from Ethel Kennedy, various professional sport team owners to Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, the late Sammy Davis, Jr., Kanye West, and from Seton Hall University to the California African American Museum.
The 70 year old Barnes died Monday night at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from complications from a rare blood disorder, said his longtime personal assistant Luz Rodriguez. Barnes is survived by his wife Bernie; brother James of Durham; sons Michael and Sean; and daughters Deidre, Erin and Paige.
His signature style uses elongation and distortion to convey a sense of power, fluidity, grace and intensity, addition to featuring people with closed eyes because as he put it, 'we are blind to people's humanity.'
Barnes was born in Durham, NC on July 15, 1938. His love of art began when he would accompany his mother to her job at a prominent local attorney's Frank Fuller, Jr's home in which she oversaw the staff. The attorney had a large collection of art books that young Ernie was allowed to peruse which fueled his passion for art.
In junior high Ernie was an overweight and introverted kid taunted by bullies, and spent that time sketching in a notebook. A sympathetic teacher who recognized his artistic talent put him on a weightlifting program. It allowed Ernie to excel in football and track in high school to the point in which Ernie was the state shotput champion in his senior year.
He received over 25 scholarships, but no thanks to Jim Crow segregation couldn't attend Duke University or the University of North Carolina. He attended HBCU North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University) on a football scholarship and majored in art.
He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1959, but that was problematic once they discovered he was Black. The Redskins racist owner George Preston Marshall refused to integrate his team until 1962, and they traded Barnes to the then NFL world champion Baltimore Colts. After playing for the Colts for a season he moved to the rival American Football League in 1960 and played for the New York Titans, the San Diego Chargers in 1961-1962 and the Denver Broncos in 1963-1964.
He still pursued his love of art while playing and painted his first piece called 'The Bench' which sold for $25,000 at a Denver show. A painting of his caught the attention of Barron Hilton, who commissioned him for a piece and encouraged him to successfully apply to become the official artist for the AFL. His artwork began appearing on the game day magazine programs across the AFL.
That led in 1965 to New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin noticing his work, and after having three art critics appraise it Werblin commissioned him to do thirty paintings. It led to a critically acclaimed 1966 art show at Grand Central Art Galleries in Manhattan that jump started his art career and led to his retirement from pro football.
In 1984 Barnes was named the 'Official Artist of the Games' and commissioned by the Los Angeles Olympic Committee to create five paintings to commemorate the LA Games. He was also commissioned by the NBA to create 'A Dream Unfolds' for the league's 50th anniversary, 'Fastbreak' for LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss, and the owners of the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Boston Patriots football teams.
Former Baltimore Colts teammate and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson commissioned Barnes to create 'Victory In Overtime', which is now on permanent display at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
There are ongoing plans for a traveling exhibit of Ernie Barnes art entitled 'Liberating Humanity From Within' which will be coming soon to an art gallery near you.
"Ernie Barnes is one of the premier figurative artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries," said Paul Von Blum, a senior lecturer in African American studies, communication studies and art history at UCLA.
"His richly detailed paintings and drawings chronicling the lives of people have made a profound contribution to the contemporary history of American art."
Von Blum said the works that Barnes produced over 40 years "elevated him to the top rank of African American artists in the United States" and "solidified his stature in the grand tradition of visual art, a reputation that will serve as a model for younger artists for generations to come."
A friend found this article on the Internet and wanted me to post. RIP Ernie Jones and Timothy Wright both who contributed to one of our favorite 70's sitcom "Good Times."
Artist Ernie Barnes Dies
( blackoncampus)
If you were a devoted fan of Good Times back in the day, you know that Jimmie Walker's James Evans, Jr. character was an artist. That character and the show introduced the rest of the world to the artwork of Ernie Barnes.'The Sugar Shack' dance scene appeared on Marvin Gaye's 1976 I Want You album and the closing credits of Good Times. It also inspired a generation of artists. Collectors of his work range from Ethel Kennedy, various professional sport team owners to Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, the late Sammy Davis, Jr., Kanye West, and from Seton Hall University to the California African American Museum.
The 70 year old Barnes died Monday night at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from complications from a rare blood disorder, said his longtime personal assistant Luz Rodriguez. Barnes is survived by his wife Bernie; brother James of Durham; sons Michael and Sean; and daughters Deidre, Erin and Paige.His signature style uses elongation and distortion to convey a sense of power, fluidity, grace and intensity, addition to featuring people with closed eyes because as he put it, 'we are blind to people's humanity.'
Barnes was born in Durham, NC on July 15, 1938. His love of art began when he would accompany his mother to her job at a prominent local attorney's Frank Fuller, Jr's home in which she oversaw the staff. The attorney had a large collection of art books that young Ernie was allowed to peruse which fueled his passion for art.
In junior high Ernie was an overweight and introverted kid taunted by bullies, and spent that time sketching in a notebook. A sympathetic teacher who recognized his artistic talent put him on a weightlifting program. It allowed Ernie to excel in football and track in high school to the point in which Ernie was the state shotput champion in his senior year.He received over 25 scholarships, but no thanks to Jim Crow segregation couldn't attend Duke University or the University of North Carolina. He attended HBCU North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University) on a football scholarship and majored in art.
He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1959, but that was problematic once they discovered he was Black. The Redskins racist owner George Preston Marshall refused to integrate his team until 1962, and they traded Barnes to the then NFL world champion Baltimore Colts. After playing for the Colts for a season he moved to the rival American Football League in 1960 and played for the New York Titans, the San Diego Chargers in 1961-1962 and the Denver Broncos in 1963-1964.
He still pursued his love of art while playing and painted his first piece called 'The Bench' which sold for $25,000 at a Denver show. A painting of his caught the attention of Barron Hilton, who commissioned him for a piece and encouraged him to successfully apply to become the official artist for the AFL. His artwork began appearing on the game day magazine programs across the AFL.That led in 1965 to New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin noticing his work, and after having three art critics appraise it Werblin commissioned him to do thirty paintings. It led to a critically acclaimed 1966 art show at Grand Central Art Galleries in Manhattan that jump started his art career and led to his retirement from pro football.
In 1984 Barnes was named the 'Official Artist of the Games' and commissioned by the Los Angeles Olympic Committee to create five paintings to commemorate the LA Games. He was also commissioned by the NBA to create 'A Dream Unfolds' for the league's 50th anniversary, 'Fastbreak' for LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss, and the owners of the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Boston Patriots football teams.
Former Baltimore Colts teammate and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson commissioned Barnes to create 'Victory In Overtime', which is now on permanent display at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
There are ongoing plans for a traveling exhibit of Ernie Barnes art entitled 'Liberating Humanity From Within' which will be coming soon to an art gallery near you.
"Ernie Barnes is one of the premier figurative artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries," said Paul Von Blum, a senior lecturer in African American studies, communication studies and art history at UCLA."His richly detailed paintings and drawings chronicling the lives of people have made a profound contribution to the contemporary history of American art."
Von Blum said the works that Barnes produced over 40 years "elevated him to the top rank of African American artists in the United States" and "solidified his stature in the grand tradition of visual art, a reputation that will serve as a model for younger artists for generations to come."
NY Gospel Singer Timothy Wright Dies At 61
Grammy-Nominated Singer, Composer Injured In Crash
POSTED: Friday, April 24, 2009
UPDATED: 7:18 am CDT April 24, 2009
 AP Photo/Mark Q. Murray, File |
NEW YORK -- The Rev. Timothy Wright, the Grammy-nominated gospel singer and composer known for his up-tempo praise songs and powerful mass choir sound, has died. He also sang the closing credits theme song for the hit show "Good Times." He was 61.
Wright, who was seriously injured in a car crash that killed his wife and grandson, died early Thursday at the Bronx Veterans Hospital, music agent Will Bogle said.
Timothy Wright was the pastor at Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of God in Christ, located in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. He released more than a dozen gospel recordings, writing many of the songs. His latest album, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," came out in 2007.
In 1994, his record "Come Thou Almighty King," with the New York Fellowship Mass Choir, made the Billboard Top 20 charts for gospel albums and was nominated for a Grammy for best traditional soul gospel album.
He got another nomination in that category in 1999 for "Been There Done That," recorded with the B/J Mass Choir and featuring Myrna Summers.
"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" features the New York Fellowship Mass Choir. The title track, written by Wright and his wife and recorded live at a Church of God in Christ convocation, expresses the plight of a woman displaced during Hurricane Katrina: She encourages herself and others by calling the name of Jesus. Among the other songs on the album was "You Must Come In At the Door."
According to the book "Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Encyclopedia," by Bil Carpenter, the Brooklyn-born Wright began playing piano for his local church at age 12 and also began composing at a young age.
By his early 20s, he was music director at Brooklyn's Washington Temple Church of God in Christ.
He began writing songs for such fellow musicians as Mattie Moss Clark and the Rev. Isaac Douglas, according to Carpenter's book, and in 1976 formed the Timothy Wright Concert Choir. Among the choir's albums were "Who's on the Lord's Side?" and "Do You Know the Light?"
Wright was critically injured July 4 in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near Loganton, Pa. Another car was going the wrong way when it struck Wright's car.
His wife, Betty Wright, 58, was killed in the crash, and their 14-year-old grandson, D.J. Wright, died later at a hospital.
The driver of the wrong-way car, John Pick, also was killed, while a passenger in a third car was injured.
The Wrights were returning from a Church of God in Christ conference in Detroit, said Leroy Johnson, a trustee at Grace Tabernacle.
Wright, who was seriously injured in a car crash that killed his wife and grandson, died early Thursday at the Bronx Veterans Hospital, music agent Will Bogle said.
Timothy Wright was the pastor at Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of God in Christ, located in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. He released more than a dozen gospel recordings, writing many of the songs. His latest album, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," came out in 2007.
In 1994, his record "Come Thou Almighty King," with the New York Fellowship Mass Choir, made the Billboard Top 20 charts for gospel albums and was nominated for a Grammy for best traditional soul gospel album.
He got another nomination in that category in 1999 for "Been There Done That," recorded with the B/J Mass Choir and featuring Myrna Summers.
"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" features the New York Fellowship Mass Choir. The title track, written by Wright and his wife and recorded live at a Church of God in Christ convocation, expresses the plight of a woman displaced during Hurricane Katrina: She encourages herself and others by calling the name of Jesus. Among the other songs on the album was "You Must Come In At the Door."
According to the book "Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Encyclopedia," by Bil Carpenter, the Brooklyn-born Wright began playing piano for his local church at age 12 and also began composing at a young age.
By his early 20s, he was music director at Brooklyn's Washington Temple Church of God in Christ.
He began writing songs for such fellow musicians as Mattie Moss Clark and the Rev. Isaac Douglas, according to Carpenter's book, and in 1976 formed the Timothy Wright Concert Choir. Among the choir's albums were "Who's on the Lord's Side?" and "Do You Know the Light?"
Wright was critically injured July 4 in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near Loganton, Pa. Another car was going the wrong way when it struck Wright's car.
His wife, Betty Wright, 58, was killed in the crash, and their 14-year-old grandson, D.J. Wright, died later at a hospital.
The driver of the wrong-way car, John Pick, also was killed, while a passenger in a third car was injured.
The Wrights were returning from a Church of God in Christ conference in Detroit, said Leroy Johnson, a trustee at Grace Tabernacle.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business!
by Monica PetersIndustry veteran Thembisa S. Mshaka’s new book Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business is a MUST READ for anyone in the entertainment business, especially women. Mshaka gives sound, concrete and specific advice on how to handle your business whether you are a publicist, in the music business, celebrity stylist, producer, or in the radio and film industries. Her tone in the book is straightforward and leaves no stone unturned. What makes this book a gem is that women working in all segments of the business reveal their triumphs, setbacks, horror stories and how they survived after being laid off. Some of the women are everyday Janes who broke into the industry in unconventional ways--none of which included exploiting themselves. Many of the women in HYEB are those that some of us in the business may already know personally. HYEB is very much an eye opener for women going into the entertainment business looking through rose colored glasses or even worse thinking that sleeping their way to the top is the key to their success. The author even delves into pay inequities for women. After reading this book you will definitely be able to make a true assessment as to if the entertainment field is for you and learn the importance of reinventing yourself.
*Even if you are not in the entertainment business, this book is a must read. The sound and valuable advice in this book extends way beyond the entertainment world. Pick it up today.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Readies for Historic Fight
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will fight in August 2009 for what will probably be the biggest match in UFC history when he steps into the octagon to win back the Light Heavyweight championship belt. Jackson will fight the victor of UFC 98, either raining champion Rashad Evans or Lyoto Machida- ...but will the he come to TheGritsnCheeseDish! [TM] to interview with Monica Peters?...to be continued.
Coming This Week: Obama Calls Tavis
I recently attended a Town Hall meeting with PBS television host Tavis Smiley. Tavis dismisses the rumors and sets the record straight about he and President Obama's friendship. He says he and the President are friends and that Obama calls him at home.
Check the dish this week!
-Monica Peters
Check the dish this week!
-Monica Peters
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Some Wednesday Love For You: "There Goes My Baby"
Been busy as hell. But lots of updates are coming. Here's, Charlie Wilson's song to make you believe in love again. In case you have been under a rock, this is Snoop Dog's wife in real life. He's been with her for a looong time, since childhood. Don't give up hope. Love is alive and real. You'll find it one day. Trust me you will.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Natalie Cole on Larry King Live: In Need of Kidney
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
More Updates Coming Soon!
More updates coming soon! It's been an eventful week. Thank you for coming through.
-Monica
-Monica
Monday, March 16, 2009
Bebe Winans Hits Ex-Wife, Arrested
It's sad to even have to post on another story like this. Gospel singer Bebe Winans has been charged with misdemeanor domestic assault against his ex-wife in Nashville, TN. The dispute arose when Bebe was picking up his children on a court ordered visitation. According to court documents, his ex-wife Debra stated that she was discussing issues with him pertaining to their children. The R&B singer then became irate, walked around to the other side of the car and pushed her to the ground. Bebe was arrested and released Thursday on $1,000 bond.
Bebe who is most famous for his collaborations with his sibling CeCe Winans, is also host of BET's gospel show Sunday Best. Bebe denies the allegations and say they are inconsistent with his character.
Bebe who is most famous for his collaborations with his sibling CeCe Winans, is also host of BET's gospel show Sunday Best. Bebe denies the allegations and say they are inconsistent with his character.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Lil' Kim Interview: She Has a New Face and New Accent
Lil' Kim debuts on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Monday March 9, 8PM EST. She has a new face again(i.e. more cosmetic surgery) and a whole new way of talking. Let's just say the accent isn't Brooklyn. Either way we hope she wins the competition. Watch and enjoy.
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