Treat Yourself to Dwayne Johnson’s Favorite Brique LA’s Fancy French Toast Post-New Year’s Eve.

 By Laura Medina

“The Rock” aka Dwayne Johnson needs a “cheat treat” just everyone else to keep mentally sane and balance.

He’s also just like any celebrity. When Ole Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, liked his chef’s cooking so much that he invested in his chef’s restaurant, Dear John’s, the proto-SoHo House.

Following in Ole Blue Eyes’ footsteps, Dwayne Johnson invested in his favorite dessert by his personal chefs, to invest in Brique LA French Toast, a French Toast bakery. He puts where his mouth is.

Dwayne is a nice, polite gentleman.  Nice enough, to not only wanting to share his favorite “cheat treat” dessert and his ex-personal chefs’ talents with the world, but also with People Magazine so people who can’t make it to Brique LA’s Century City Mall’s location or even to LA, they make it at home.

In People Magazine’s September 1, 2023 issue…

Dwayne Johnson’s Macadamia French Toast with Banana Foster Sauce Recipe, sharing with the world…

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream 

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1Tablespoon plus 1/2 tablespoon extra divided 

1 Medium Ripe Banana, Sliced

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar 

6 Tablespoons (3 oz.) butter, divided

2 large Eggs

1/2 Cup Whole Milk or Any Milk of Choice

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 

4 Challah or Brioche Slices

1/4 Cup Honey Roasted Macadamia Nuts, roughly chopped

1. Beat together cream, powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Stir together banana slices, brown sugar and 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan; cook over medium low, stirring often, until bananas are soft and sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes.  Carefully transfer mixture to a blender. Secure lid,

and remove center piece to allow steam to escape.  Place a clean

towel over opening; process until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3. Whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and remaining 1 tablespoon vanilla in a medium bowl.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle 

over medium. Working in two batches, dip 2 bread slices into egg mixture, and then add to hot skillet. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Serve warm, topped with bananas Foster Sauce, whipped cream, and macadamia nuts. 

Serves 4

Active Time: 25 minutes 

Total Time: 24 minutes 

Go ahead and indulge yourself on the morning after New Year’s Eve with Dwayne Johnson’s cheat treat.

In this digital age, if you want semi-homemade, of course you can order it online,  https://www.briquela.com/  or https://www.goldbelly.com/restaurants/brique-french-toastery?utm_medium=website&utm_source=partner&utm_term=2362

Curtis Stone & His Son’s Rookie5 at BeachLife Nights Foodie Music Festival

 By Laura Medina

What happens when major side attractions of outdoor fine dining integrates as part of the music festival?

When the focus is equally zeroed into the chef as well as the musicians and bands.

Sort of reminds this savory, sweet-tooth scribe of the late Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival, a bacchanal where drunk feasting foodies rocked to A-list rockers, who are also major foodies. There’s ain’t nothing like swilling wine to De La Soul.

A new and another version of BeachLife Festival is aiming to take over the spot. BeachLife Nights where food is just as rocking as the performers.

This year is Curtis Stone cooking & roasting while his son opened the festival with his band, Rookie5.

BeachLife Festival has always been rocking family oriented.

BeachLife Nights was a father and son night.

Sex Lives of College Girls Donuts 🍩 & Coffee Premiere Breakfast Screening

 By Laura Medina

The season 2 premiere screening of the coming of age “Sex Lives of College Girls,” treated guests to fun, fancy gourmet doughnuts and coffee to the first two opening episodes, first thing in the morning.

It launched Renee Rap’s double-prong career of actress and singer. Season 2 giving flight to her leaving the show.

For Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials curious about today’s Gen-Z’s twenty-something’s, it never hurts to watch.

Canada’s “RuPaul Drag Race” Winner Splash at The Abbey, Lu Kala.

 By Laura Medina

Lu Kala made her American debut, briefly, by making a simple splash at The Abbey in West Hollywood.

It was a midnight treat.

For her, her North American debut was a big deal.

Abbot Kinney Popping Up

 By Laura Medina

Venice’s oldest rebounding street, Abbot Kinney is popping up with pop-up shops, perfect for trend forecasting and buying unique for self and others.

Godiva Chocolates popping up with the fresh chocolates bon bons.

Shea Moisture popping up, too.

Pamela Anderson’s Comeback in “The Showgirl.”

 By Laura Medina

Ex-Baywatch babe, Pamela Anderson, was lucky enough to snag a perfectly aged role that parallels her own career trajectory, a matured sex symbol showgirl reaching the end of her career and an end of an era, in Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl.”

Gia Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola’s granddaughter and Sofia Coppola’s niece, has directing blood coursing thru her veins.

Gia did “The Last Showgirl” to comment of disposing of the old, in favor of the new.

“The Last Showgirl” is a snapshot of what’s currently happening in Sin City, old-fashion sexy glamour of “rhinestone, breasts, and blush” being pushed by bawdy, raunchy, twerking acrobatic burlesque vaudeville.

Pamela Anderson’s Shelly learning how to evolve and where to pivot next.

Gia allowed Pamela to express full range of raw and real emotions in Vegas’ gritty, hard scrabbled environment.

The Last Showgirl, Shelly, showed her love and dedication to her career and craft that has fallen out of favor. She reveals the sacrifices, Shelly made, at least, gave her a thirty-years Vegas Strip career, which pretty solidly good for any career.

For an hour and half movie, Gia manages to fully explain Shelly’s history.

Basically, “The Last Showgirl” is a cautionary tale of staying too long and knowing when to transition. 

What People Want & Need at West Edge Design Fair, Especially During the Holidays

By Laura Medina

A week before Thanksgiving, the interior design and cooking appliance fair, West Edge Design Fair open up for home owners and interior designers and multiple real estate owners.

The timing comes in handy for cooking up, while entertaining a storm, for guests and visiting guests.

A London-based grill company does barbecue.

Chefs treated folks to crunchy crust, juicy interior steaks showcasing outdoor and indoor grills.

Since the stove and oven with smart refrigerators, are the hearth of the home, chefs and lifestyle established influencers demonstrate healthy soups to counteract all that juicy meats and fresh grilled pizza.

One of the favorite item is a marble kitchen island that lights up as a lamp. Double-duty and multipurpose are always a winner.

It’s not all big appliances for big homes.

Another favorite is a portable keg mini refrigerator cart on wheels, for the first real apartment, first real kitchen or even a glam studio apartment in heart of Manhattan.

The top of the mini refrigerator cart is a set of 3 kegs that you can pull and pour fresh foamy cold brew coffee, kombucha, and frothy draft beer.

All hooked up behind and below inside the refrigerator, the top rack. 

The middle and bottom racks are regular mini fridge, storing pints of any type milk, couple of cheese and fruits and cups of yogurt.

A mini bar for the corner, whether it be a living room, office, or kitchen.

Practical faves for the holidays and beyond.

Who What Wear Holiday Arcade Party

 By Laura Medina 

This lifestyle journalist always get inspirations and ideas attending glam parties that incite envy in others.

Who What Wear’s Holiday Arcade Party is no different.

To see what others will get for Christmas, look no further than Who What Wear’s advertising sponsor, Burt’s Bees’ Christmas trees, decorated and decked in Burt’s Bees lip products, tiny and flavored untainted balms, ripe for the picking. 

Other sponsors did games to treat guests with prizes.

Guests lunched on burger sliders and fries buffet and of course, open bar.

As the day progressed, lines of people made do, playing vintage video games from the Eighties.

That’s how you throw an holiday party.

“Emilia Perez” & “The End” are the New Types of Musicials.

 By Laura Medina 

This entertainment reporter noticed this trend in supposedly movie dramas. They’re breaking out of the straight and narrow.

Perhaps, taking a cue from Bollywood, when things get deep or sexy, they divert with a song and dance.

Not with crime trans drama, “Emilia Perez” and drama-comedy, “The End,” they go deeper into the subconscious with song and dance numbers.

“Emilia Perez” burst thru a many fourth walls with using song and dance numbers to dive deep then express the characters’ inner thoughts and lives. Of course, these musicals numbers showcase Zoe Saladana’s and Selena Gomez’ singing and dancing range.

“The End” lacks the dancing part but they’re also singing to express the characters’ inner thoughts.

These two movies might give musical numbers new ways to flex its muscles.