Fried Chicken

Magic Johnson made the biggest score of his career late Tuesday night when Dodgers owner Frank McCourt announced an agreement to sell the team for $2 billion to a group including the former Lakers star. The price would be a record for a North American sports franchise. Mark Walter, chief executive officer of the financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, would become the controlling owner. The group includes former Braves and Nationals president Stan Kasten. As part of the agreement, McCourt, who in 2004 paid $430 million for the team, and "certain affiliates of the purchasers" would acquire the land surrounding Dodger Stadium for $150 million.

The 16 patrons seated along the counter at Cook, the exclusive demonstration kitchen near Rittenhouse Square, watch chef Sylva Senat as he places a bass fillet in a pan. A glorious aroma fills the air to the sound of sizzling. "Fish normally will curl up by the edges," Senat, the executive chef at Tashan, tells the class, each of whom has paid $175 for the evening this month. "Do you know how we keep that from happening?" Brianna Wellmon knows. In a white jacket, black apron, and black hat, Wellmon is his sous chef, both at his restaurant and for this class, working at his right elbow.

DyAnne DiSalvo, who writes and illustrates books for children, is sometimes inspired by real life. So her next novel may involve a gun shop like the one that opened near her Merchantville home last year and made her heart sink. Firearms pervade our culture; they make some people feel secure and others afraid. Many people have no interest in owning (much less firing) one. And we'd rather not live near a commercial establishment that supplies folks who do. "I was completely startled when I saw a sign saying 'firearms and ammunition,' " says DiSalvo, who has lived in the borough for 10 years and is the mother of two grown children.

Three dishes at each of three restaurants in three hours for $39? That's Dishcrawl. An import from the West Coast, Dishcrawl invites the hungry hip to come out as singles or in couples for an evening getting to know one another and one of their neighborhoods through that powerful communications tool we call food. Philadelphia's inaugural Dishcrawl, Jan. 24 in Northern Liberties, brought out 60 foodies who descended first on Cantina Dos Segundos, 931 N. Second St., for quesadillas (chicken or cheese)

Clear your weekend calendar. Beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, just-opened and already legendary Federal Donuts (1219 S. 2nd St., 267-687-8258) will serve fried chicken for dinner — at least until it sells out at 5:10 p.m. (We may be exaggerating, but not by much.) Order a half chicken or six whole wings ($9) or a whole chicken or 12 whole wings ($17) served with honey-glaze doughnuts (you were expecting maybe waffles?) and Japanese pickles. The bird is dry-cured overnight then double fried and offered two ways: Glazed with flavors such as Chile-Garlic and Honey-Ginger, and Crispy, with custom blended, seasoned salts such as Za'atar and Harissa.

Weekends and holidays are a perfect time to transform your morning-meal repertoire into a festive occasion. Trade up from French toast, and try waffles. Whipping up waffle batter is no harder than making pancakes or muffins, and it can be prepared the night before to speed things along in the morning. The health-conscious will appreciate hearty multigrain waffles with thick yogurt and mixed berries. Or serve tender buttermilk waffles with sliced fresh fruit, jams, chocolate, whipped cream, or nothing more than maple syrup as adornment.

We hear frequently from readers who arrive at Federal Donuts, on Second Street in Pennsport, just as the shop runs out of its celebrated fried chicken. Could that be intentional? According to the international consulting firm, CultureWaves, "intentional scarcity," offering limited supplies of items in order to drive up their popularity, is among the food trends predicted to crest in 2012. But Michael Solomonov, the James Beard award-winning chef who co-owns Federal Donuts as well as the acclaimed restaurant Zahav, says offering "limited supplies" was not in the original plan.

WHEN JOHN Gregory-Smith found himself in career transition at age 30, his natural inclination was to hit the road. In 2006, when he was 25, the London-born Gregory-Smith had launched his own brand of spices and sauces, a business that had become more corporate than fun by 2009. "I had to give it up," he recalled. "I didn't want to be in sales and logistics. " The product of an adventurous and well-traveled family, Gregory-Smith had discovered his love of exotic cuisine and spice at a young age, in places such as Hong Kong, Thailand and Zimbabwe.

Germantown star defensive back William Parks does it all for the Bears. The versatile 6-1, 175-pound senior is the feature back in the team's rushing attack and also handles kick-returning responsibilities. Parks recently committed to playing at Pittsburgh, where he plans to major in psychology or communications. This week, we sat down with the future Panther: Q: Why did you choose Pitt? A: "It's like a second home and just 5 hours away. It's a great atmosphere and environment.

Federal Donuts 1219 S. 2nd St. 267-687-8258 federaldonuts.com Resurrection Ale House 2425 Grays Ferry Ave. 215-735-2202 www.resurrectionalehouse.com Wah-Gi-Wah 4447 Chestnut St. 215-921-5597 www.wah-gi-wah-halal.com Cafe Soho 468 W. Cheltenham Ave. 215-224-6800