i Register
In some senses, ala is marked as colloquial. Watch for register when choosing this word.
VERB + ALA
name, reverse, told
She told me she was moving to Paris, à la her older sister who lived there years ago.
ALA + NOUN
ana, memento, minority, oto, pelosi
She kept a memento ala her grandmother's jewelry box from the 1950s.
PREP.
in
She served the chicken in a delicious garlic and lemon sauce, ala her grandmother's recipe.