Black Book has published a new interview with Chef Laurent Manrique of Millesime, the restaurant (or, “casual seafood brasserie”) found in NY’s Carlton Hotel. Manrique — known for his Tuna Tartare; you can watch a video of him preparing it here — is, as you might have guessed by my posting about this here, a Buddhist, and he addresses this with Black Book. A sample quote: “Buddhism helps me remove the unnecessary things on the plate; if it’s not important, what’s the point?” Read more of the interview here.

Thanks, for the zillionth time, to Konchog Norbu.

Here on the Horse we often discuss Dharma-Burgers, or manifestations of the ongoing collision of Buddhist imagery and ideas with pop-culture. Such occurrences can run the gamut: sometimes they can be subtle, fleeting nods, and sometimes they can wallop you over the head. Sometimes they’re funny, and sometimes they’re not. Blogger Scott Mitchell (The Buddha is My DJ) sends on a remarkable new example. See what you think of it.

Thanks, Scott! And thank you, Mr. Pizza!

Elephant’s got the video. Click here.

The tabloids are abuzz with the news that the young Hollywood star Zac Efron is into “ZEN.”

Notice the scare-quotes there? That’s because Efron’s not into the practice of Zen meditation, or anything to do with Buddhism, but rather, ZEN Foods. (Zen here stands for “Zero Effort Nutrition.”) According to The Daily Mail: “The 23-year-old star has been pictured carrying a Z.E.N.  Foods cooler bag as he left a Hollywood studio. Z.E.N. is a diet delivery service that helps stars eat calorie-controlled meals.”

And according to the Z.E.N. Foods website, Vanessa Hudgens (actress and supposed former flame of Zac) is into the diet, too.

Hey, why make Right Effort,* when you can instead make Zero Effort — and indulge in a big, heaping Dharma-Burger while you’re at it?

(*Link opens up a Dhamma talk on Right Effort by teacher and friend of the Horse Thanissaro Bhikkhu.)

…is found printed on a Domino’s pizza box, as discovered (and sent to the Horse) by none other than the mighty Thanissaro Bhikkhu, teacher, friend, and abbot of Metta Forest Monastery:

Much gratitude to him for sending it.

(And he has some gratitude for you, too.)

TLC is launching a new show called Food Buddha.

Here‘s the host’s site — though it says he’s NOT a Buddhist, he’s said to have a “Zen-like quality” and you click on something that says “Begin Enlightenment” on the launch page to enter.

Zzzzzzz.

Love this one.

Thanks to the mighty Steve Silberman for passing it along.

“Are we witnessing the second coming of the Buddha?” asked Stephen Colbert in the opening tease of Monday night’s Report. “I’ll believe it when I see it in my grilled cheese sandwich.”

So, Nation, what was it that Colbert was talking about? A run-down and video follow. (more…)

Thanks to previous contributor Norbert Hübner for this take on the Japanese word for enlightenment. He writes:

“I’ve heard tales about people being struck by satori in a supermarket aisle, but I never expected it to happen to me. While strolling through the local food discounter, mulling over the mystical experiences of the weekend, I suddenly found the fruits of years of zazen practice right within reach: Satori! I grabbed four packs, so I can have satori each day for the rest of the week. ”

Have you seen it? It takes place in a sort of stand-in for the Potala Palace, completing the scene with prayer wheel, devotees and a levitating semi-Dalai Lamaesque figure. Meditation, it seems, is not necessary when you have Red Bull.

I can’t find the video online yet, but will post here when I do. You can see a screenshot, thankfully, thanks to good ol’ Many Flakes, One Bowl.

(BTW, “Many Flakes, One Bowl” has to be the best Buddhist blog name, no?)