Latest news with #Suzette
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago fire: Flaming saganaki sparks interest worldwide decades after its Greektown origin
Last winter, at Chicago's Greek Islands (200 S. Halsted St.), our Greektown dinner started with a bang — more accurately, a whoosh. A server carried a small black pan of blazing cheese to the table as startled diners burst into applause for what is the Windy City's notoriously combustible appetizer: flaming saganaki. In Chicago, the dish is a ritual. It's dramatic, it's delicious, and — let's be honest — it's also a little absurd in the best possible way. The word saganaki comes from sagani, a small, two-handled Greek pan. In Greece, the dish is straightforward: firm, dry cheeses such as kasseri, feta or halloumi are pan-fried until golden. No fire. No flair. Just cheese doing what cheese does best, served with crusty bread. In Chicago, we lightly coat the square or triangular cut of cheese in flour and fry it in a little olive oil until crisp and golden. Then we flip it once, warm it through, splash it with brandy (usually ouzo or Metaxa), light it up, and before setting it on the table, flamboyantly extinguish the flames with a lemon squeeze and a hearty shout of 'Opa!' That word — part cheer, part celebration, part call to 'let's dance!' — adds the perfect exclamation point. So, where did this fiery tradition begin? Depends on whom you ask. Chris Liakouras of the now-shuttered Parthenon restaurant claimed in a 1979 Tribune interview that he invented flaming saganaki in 1968. He described sitting at a table with three friends when the idea for a new menu item was born. 'Why don't you try flaming the cheese?' one of the ladies suggested. And just like that, an appetizer exploded into legend. But Petros Kogeones of Diana's, another Greektown fixture, had a different story. In 1991, he told the Tribune that he and his brother were flambéing cheese as far back as the early 1960s. According to Kogeones, they'd set up tables outside their family grocery, splash brandy on sizzling cheese, light it all on fire, and shout 'Opa!' Eventually, perhaps to stake his claim, Kogeones even renamed the restaurant Diana's Opa. Regardless of who struck the first match to brandy-doused cheese, one thing is clear: Flaming saganaki was a hit. And honestly, when we're traveling and we order saganaki, we're always a little disappointed when it doesn't arrive in a ball of fire. There is, however, increasingly little chance of being served saganaki sans flames, at least in the U.S.: Restaurants from Brooklyn to Malibu are figuring out that brandy and a match might be the not-so-secret ingredients to serving a lot of the crowd-pleasing saganaki. 'The flames were a smart marketing idea,' says Louie Alexakis, owner of the Avli restaurants in Chicago. 'In the 1950s and '60s, a lot of Greek restaurant workers in Chicago had fine dining backgrounds. They saw the wow factor of tableside flambé — things like crepes Suzette or bananas Foster. Flaming cheese was the next step.' Alexakis still flames saganaki at Avli, but also offers a more modern take: saganaki served with spiced fig chutney — still delicious, and less likely to set off the sprinklers. Not everyone is on board with this fiery New World opener to a traditional Greek dinner in Chicagoland. Ted Maglaris, founder of Mana in LaGrange (88 LaGrange Road), said, 'We chose not to flame our pan-fried saganaki but rather to honor the traditional Greek preparation, inspired by recipes from mothers in Greece, which is the inspiration for our restaurant's name, Mana. Flaming saganaki is a relatively recent tradition that began in Chicago, not in Greece. Our goal is to provide an authentic Greek experience, staying true to how saganaki is traditionally enjoyed in Greece.' Flashback: Memories of when Greektown was 'a mile long and 24 hours'With the current eagerness to sample 'authentic' preparations of Greek, Italian, Mexican and other traditional national foods, it's understandable that some restaurants might prefer to serve saganaki the way their mothers and grandmothers did, no matches or accelerants required. Other restaurants may be toning down the theatrics for safety reasons — turns out, flaming cheese and crowded dining rooms make for a risky combination. Somewhat surprisingly, flaming saganaki is now also catching on in Greece, especially in tourist-heavy restaurants, such as the Athens Yacht Club. Though such fiery presentations of cheese are not common in Greece, some travelers have come to expect saganaki to be flaming. And who can blame them? There's something undeniably fun about turning a simple cheese dish into a full-blown pyrotechnic display. Flaming saganaki isn't just food — it's dinner, entertainment, and a tiny adrenaline rush all in one.
NDTV
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Neha Kakkar Enjoys Croissants At Cafe, Spills Coffee While Laughing Hard
Quick Reads Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Neha Kakkar's latest post includes gimpses from a Tuesday outing at a cafe. She poses with a cold coffee, croissant, and sandwich. Neha also shared a fun clip of spilling coffee while laughing. Neha Kakkar, being a self-declared foodie, often shares sneak peeks of her culinary celebrations on Instagram. Her latest post featured glimpses of her Tuesday outing. While the opening frame featured Neha helping herself with a glass of water, the next image showed her posing with a tumbler of cold coffee. We could also spot a flaky croissant and a hefty sandwich on the table. She also posted a mini clip in which she is laughing so hard that she ends up spilling some coffee on her clothes. Further in the post, Neha was seen sitting in her car with a leftover bag with Suzette branding on it. FYI: Suzette is a popular creperie and cafe in Mumbai's Bandra. It is known for its French pastries and brunch options. See the post here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neha Kakkar (@nehakakkar) Back in March, Neha Kakkar flew to Australia for her concert. The singer shared an array of photos from her flight cabin. What caught our eyes was the lavish meal laid out in front of her. Neha was seen posing with yummy treats with a big smile on her face. The meticulously plated and served spread included a flavourful rice dish placed in the centre. It was surrounded by smaller bowls of what looked like sabzi (vegetable) preparations. There were also nuts and a crunchy mix kept on one end. At the opposite end, we spotted a large bread bun and a basic salad. Other staple side dishes like dahi, chutneys and salad were also provided. Apart from the food, we could also see three glasses of drinks on the Kakkar didn't just have an in-flight meal, she had a feast! She captioned the post, "Landing in Australia in a couple of hrs, till then kuch kha loon?" ["Landing in Australia in a couple of hours, till then shall I eat something?"] View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neha Kakkar (@nehakakkar) What do you think of Neha Kakkar's foodie adventures? Tell us in the comments section below.
Los Angeles Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Award-winning doc ‘Selena y Los Dinos' has been acquired by Netflix
'Selena y Los Dinos,' the latest documentary film about the life of Tejano music icon Selena Quintanilla, has been acquired by Netflix. The film is currently scheduled to begin streaming in winter 2025. The movie, directed by Isabel Castro, features original VHS footage taken by Selena's older sister, Suzette, and is interspersed with present-day interviews with family and friends. Netflix announced its acquisition in a Tuesday press release. 'Through personal archive and intimate interviews with her family, the film reveals new dimensions of her journey that have never been seen before,' Castro shared in the release. 'I am deeply grateful to her family for their trust and support throughout this journey, and I can't wait for a global audience to experience the magic, heart and community that Selena gave to all of us.' Suzette also shared her enthusiasm about the scope of the partnership with Netflix in the Tuesday announcement, stating, 'Grateful to have a platform that helps bring Selena's story to fans around the world.' This is not the first time that the Quintanilla family has collaborated with the streaming giant. They worked with Netflix to help create 'Selena: The Series' — a scripted retelling of Selena's childhood, rise to fame and death starring Christian Serratos as the Texas singer. It was after working as an executive producer on the Netflix series that Suzette consulted her lawyer about making her own documentary. 'There's some things that you just want to hold on to and not share with everyone,' Suzette said at the documentary's 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere. 'I was always taking the pictures, always with the camera. And look how crazy it is, that I'm sharing it with all of you so many years later.' The documentary surfaces footage from performances in which Selena subverts the idea of the well-manicured image that the Quintanilla family has constantly put out of the singer in the 30 years since her death. It also captures, in real time, the evolution of a bold new identity growing among Latino youth in the 1980s, encapsulated in Los Dinos' cultural hybridity. The film was awarded with a special jury prize for archival storytelling at the renowned movie gathering at Sundance. The jury made note of how the feature 'transported us to a specific time and place, evoking themes of family, heritage, love and adolescence.' So badly were people clamoring to view the movie that the organizers of Sundance pulled it from its online platform. The film had fallen victim to a number of copyright infringements as eager fans were uploading clips from it to social media platforms. This was the first time that Sundance had removed a feature during the festival. De Los assistant editor Suzy Exposito and Times staff writer Mark Olsen contributed to this report.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In 'Selena y Los Dinos,' we see the Tejano queen through the eyes of her sister
It was a full house at the Library Center Theatre in Park City, Utah, where hundreds of Sundance Film Festival-goers trudged through the snow and filed into their seats to watch "Selena y Los Dinos," a documentary film chronicling the life of Tejano pop legend Selena Quintanilla. Named after the original Quintanilla family band, the 2025 documentary premiered at the fest on Jan. 26 — and was later shown at the SXSW festival in March. Directed by Emmy-nominated Mexican American director Isabel Castro, "Los Dinos" is the latest project in a long string of movies and TV shows honoring the superstar, who was tragically murdered by a fan in 1995. Past standouts include the 1997 biopic "Selena," which helped launch a young actor named Jennifer Lopez; then there was "Selena: The Series," which premiere on Netflix in 2020. By the time the second season of the Netflix series aired in 2021, many fans — myself included — grew fatigued with the same story, transparently steered by family patriarch Abraham Quintanilla and belabored to the point of redundancy. Yet the demand for "Los Dinos" clearly went far beyond those attending the fest. The doc was removed from Sundance's virtual screening portal after zealous Selena fans leaked the footage on TikTok. "Los Dinos" still went on to win a special jury prize for archival storytelling at Sundance. Last month, Deadline reported that Netflix was hammering out a $6- to $7-million deal to acquire the film. Composed of original VHS footage taken by Selena's older sister, Suzette, interspersed with present-day interviews with family and friends, "Los Dinos" is an ode to her pop-star sister, as well as the unparalleled intimacy of sisterhood itself. As the band's drummer, Suzette generally kept a lower profile than Selena; but behind her drum kit, and her camcorder, she captured her sister's fire and verve more authentically than anyone else had before. They were not only siblings or bandmates; they were girls together, making faces at each other and goofing off in hotel rooms between gigs. They were also two young women breaking new ground in Tejano music, and eventually, the music industry at large. 'I'm very proud of Selena and what she represents as a woman,' said Suzette at the Sundance premiere in January. 'And, more than ever right now, [as] a Mexican American.' During a Q&A with the audience, Suzette explained that she had kept home movies of Los Dinos in the vault for decades. It was after working as an executive producer on the Netflix series when she consulted her lawyer about making her own documentary — and one with a far more personal touch. 'There's some things that you just want to hold on to and not share with everyone,' she said. 'I was always taking the pictures, always with the camera. And look how crazy it is, that I'm sharing it with all of you so many years later.' After meeting with Suzette over Zoom, Castro was given the reins to direct "Los Dinos." She made her own Sundance debut in 2022, when she premiered a feature titled 'Mija:' a heartfelt documentary that followed two daughters of undocumented immigrants as they tried to launch music careers in the States. (Despite the film being acquired by Disney, it was inexplicably never released.) 'I [wanted] to tell a story about how difficult it is to be a Latina musician in this industry,' she told the audience at Sundance. Castro's mission as a director dovetailed seamlessly with the realities of Selena and Suzette, who were minors when they became touring musicians. The documentary surfaces footage from performances in which Selena, at times, comes off as more of a riot grrrl than the good Texan girl her parents raised her to be. When she performed her scorching kiss-off number, "¿Qué Creías?" she'd invite an ogling male fan onstage, just to verbally dress him down with her verses. Selena's performances felt like cathartic responses to the machismo she faced as a young woman, which, as it also turned out, was coming from inside the house. The pop star's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., has been the primary gatekeeper of his daughter's image and creative output since she was alive — and in the documentary, out of an old-school paternalism, he appeared to gatekeep her potential from herself. Beyond Abraham's legendary resistance to Selena's bedazzled costume bustier, a scene depicted humorously by Edward James Olmos in the 1997 film, he expressed dismay at her attempts to establish autonomy from the family — whether by establishing her own fashion line, Selena Etc., or secretly marrying guitarist Chris Pérez in 1992. ('Chris is a good guy,' conceded Abraham in one of the home movies.) A bold Aries woman like Selena seemed to confound Abraham, with his work ethic and headstrong personality. Yet despite their power struggles, together the father and daughter propelled the band to success. 'Dad was out in the streets when he was young, and he didn't want that for us,' recalled Selena's older brother, Grammy-winning producer and bassist A.B. Quintanilla, in the doc. 'The Jacksons were out there, so my dad thought, 'Let's start the Mexican Jacksons.'' The documentary also captures, in real time, the evolution of a bold new identity growing among Latino youth in the 1980s, encapsulated in Los Dinos' cultural hybridity. The turning point is represented in footage from a 1987 show hosted by Johnny Canales in Matamoros, Mexico — in which Selena, dressed in silver sequins, opted to perform a cover of Jody Watley's freestyle hit, "Looking for a New Love." It didn't land with the crowd, who met the anglophone dance grooves with blank stares. Some may even say it flopped. 'It's not that we were ashamed of [being Mexican] ... it was just that we grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas, which was predominantly Anglo people,' explained Suzette. 'We weren't introduced to Tejano music until later on … we didn't speak fluent Spanish ... If we weren't good enough, it was like, 'Oh, you're coconuts.'' As a first-generation Latina myself, I felt seen in the cultural gap exemplified by Los Dinos, who grew increasingly frustrated with the music their dad taught them to perform. Their knowledge of Mexican culture was then limited to the scope of their parents, who were part of the Silent Generation. But the band's blended, 'ni de aquí, ni de allá' existence became more of an asset with the addition of Pete Astudillo: a hip and fully bilingual singer-songwriter, who helped Los Dinos catch up with Gen X Mexican culture. The Quintanillas would eventually pull away from their father's nostalgic brown-eyed soul and into more contemporary musical terrain, pumping the band's R&B heart with the pulse of tecnocumbia in songs like 'Como la Flor' and 'Amor Prohibido.' Their fusion became the model for countless Latina musicians, from indie artists like Estevie to pop powerhouses such as Becky G — and offered a thrilling new vision of Latinidad for those born and raised in the United States. 'The fans out in Mexico could pick up on that energy, which was a great thing,' said Selena's former husband and Los Dinos guitarist Chris Pérez, who also attended the Sundance premiere. 'It was not just the musical side of things, but [Selena's] progression in the language, in the interviews she was doing. How can you not be inspired [by her] as a musician? As a person? Being that we were so close, I think that was a big part of why we evolved into what we did.' If we were going to get yet another helping of Selena nostalgia, it was much more refreshing when served from the perspective of the woman who knew her best. Seen through her sister's eyes, Selena was not just a pop icon but a spark of a woman who changed the lives of her family members for the better — and continues to rock our worlds in 2025. 'I want to leave a nugget of love for the future generation coming up, that's embracing Selena and our music,' added Suzette. 'We are 30 years without Selena, but her legacy is stronger than ever.' Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
In ‘Selena y Los Dinos,' we see the Tejano queen through the eyes of her sister
It was a full house at the Library Center Theatre in Park City, Utah, where hundreds of Sundance Film Festival-goers trudged through the snow and filed into their seats to watch 'Selena y Los Dinos,' a documentary film chronicling the life of Tejano pop legend Selena Quintanilla. Named after the original Quintanilla family band, the 2025 documentary premiered at the fest on Jan. 26 — and was later shown at the SXSW festival in March. Directed by Emmy-nominated Mexican American director Isabel Castro, 'Los Dinos' is the latest project in a long string of movies and TV shows honoring the superstar, who was tragically murdered by a fan in 1995. Past standouts include the 1997 biopic 'Selena,' which helped launch a young actor named Jennifer Lopez; then there was 'Selena: The Series,' which premiere on Netflix in 2020. By the time the second season of the Netflix series aired in 2021, many fans — myself included — grew fatigued with the same story, transparently steered by family patriarch Abraham Quintanilla and belabored to the point of redundancy. Yet the demand for 'Los Dinos' clearly went far beyond those attending the fest. The doc was removed from Sundance's virtual screening portal after zealous Selena fans leaked the footage on TikTok. 'Los Dinos' still went on to win a special jury prize for archival storytelling at Sundance. Last month, Deadline reported that Netflix was hammering out a $6- to $7-million deal to acquire the film. Composed of original VHS footage taken by Selena's older sister, Suzette, interspersed with present-day interviews with family and friends, 'Los Dinos' is an ode to her pop-star sister, as well as the unparalleled intimacy of sisterhood itself. As the band's drummer, Suzette generally kept a lower profile than Selena; but behind her drum kit, and her camcorder, she captured her sister's fire and verve more authentically than anyone else had before. They were not only siblings or bandmates; they were girls together, making faces at each other and goofing off in hotel rooms between gigs. They were also two young women breaking new ground in Tejano music, and eventually, the music industry at large. 'I'm very proud of Selena and what she represents as a woman,' said Suzette at the Sundance premiere in January. 'And, more than ever right now, [as] a Mexican American.' During a Q&A with the audience, Suzette explained that she had kept home movies of Los Dinos in the vault for decades. It was after working as an executive producer on the Netflix series when she consulted her lawyer about making her own documentary — and one with a far more personal touch. 'There's some things that you just want to hold on to and not share with everyone,' she said. 'I was always taking the pictures, always with the camera. And look how crazy it is, that I'm sharing it with all of you so many years later.' After meeting with Suzette over Zoom, Castro was given the reins to direct 'Los Dinos.' She made her own Sundance debut in 2022, when she premiered a feature titled 'Mija:' a heartfelt documentary that followed two daughters of undocumented immigrants as they tried to launch music careers in the States. (Despite the film being acquired by Disney, it was inexplicably never released.) 'I [wanted] to tell a story about how difficult it is to be a Latina musician in this industry,' she told the audience at Sundance. Castro's mission as a director dovetailed seamlessly with the realities of Selena and Suzette, who were minors when they became touring musicians. The documentary surfaces footage from performances in which Selena, at times, comes off as more of a riot grrrl than the good Texan girl her parents raised her to be. When she performed her scorching kiss-off number, '¿Qué Creías?' she'd invite an ogling male fan onstage, just to verbally dress him down with her verses. Selena's performances felt like cathartic responses to the machismo she faced as a young woman, which, as it also turned out, was coming from inside the house. The pop star's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., has been the primary gatekeeper of his daughter's image and creative output since she was alive — and in the documentary, out of an old-school paternalism, he appeared to gatekeep her potential from herself. Beyond Abraham's legendary resistance to Selena's bedazzled costume bustier, a scene depicted humorously by Edward James Olmos in the 1997 film, he expressed dismay at her attempts to establish autonomy from the family — whether by establishing her own fashion line, Selena Etc., or secretly marrying guitarist Chris Pérez in 1992. ('Chris is a good guy,' conceded Abraham in one of the home movies.) A bold Aries woman like Selena seemed to confound Abraham, with his work ethic and headstrong personality. Yet despite their power struggles, together the father and daughter propelled the band to success. 'Dad was out in the streets when he was young, and he didn't want that for us,' recalled Selena's older brother, Grammy-winning producer and bassist A.B. Quintanilla, in the doc. 'The Jacksons were out there, so my dad thought, 'Let's start the Mexican Jacksons.'' The documentary also captures, in real time, the evolution of a bold new identity growing among Latino youth in the 1980s, encapsulated in Los Dinos' cultural hybridity. The turning point is represented in footage from a 1987 show hosted by Johnny Canales in Matamoros, Mexico — in which Selena, dressed in silver sequins, opted to perform a cover of Jody Watley's freestyle hit, 'Looking for a New Love.' It didn't land with the crowd, who met the anglophone dance grooves with blank stares. Some may even say it flopped. 'It's not that we were ashamed of [being Mexican] ... it was just that we grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas, which was predominantly Anglo people,' explained Suzette. 'We weren't introduced to Tejano music until later on … we didn't speak fluent Spanish ... If we weren't good enough, it was like, 'Oh, you're coconuts.'' As a first-generation Latina myself, I felt seen in the cultural gap exemplified by Los Dinos, who grew increasingly frustrated with the music their dad taught them to perform. Their knowledge of Mexican culture was then limited to the scope of their parents, who were part of the Silent Generation. But the band's blended, 'ni de aquí, ni de allá' existence became more of an asset with the addition of Pete Astudillo: a hip and fully bilingual singer-songwriter, who helped Los Dinos catch up with Gen X Mexican culture. The Quintanillas would eventually pull away from their father's nostalgic brown-eyed soul and into more contemporary musical terrain, pumping the band's R&B heart with the pulse of tecnocumbia in songs like 'Como la Flor' and 'Amor Prohibido.' Their fusion became the model for countless Latina musicians, from indie artists like Estevie to pop powerhouses such as Becky G — and offered a thrilling new vision of Latinidad for those born and raised in the United States. 'The fans out in Mexico could pick up on that energy, which was a great thing,' said Selena's former husband and Los Dinos guitarist Chris Pérez, who also attended the Sundance premiere. 'It was not just the musical side of things, but [Selena's] progression in the language, in the interviews she was doing. How can you not be inspired [by her] as a musician? As a person? Being that we were so close, I think that was a big part of why we evolved into what we did.' If we were going to get yet another helping of Selena nostalgia, it was much more refreshing when served from the perspective of the woman who knew her best. Seen through her sister's eyes, Selena was not just a pop icon but a spark of a woman who changed the lives of her family members for the better — and continues to rock our worlds in 2025. 'I want to leave a nugget of love for the future generation coming up, that's embracing Selena and our music,' added Suzette. 'We are 30 years without Selena, but her legacy is stronger than ever.'
