You Are What You Eat by Mark Menjivar

Photography Series of the interiors of people's refrigerators.

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Real Food Daily To Open Restaurant In LAX

Read about it here.

Marcel Dicke: Why not eat insects?

CSA BOXES

Most people start blogs because they want to be on the cutting edge of disseminating information. Success comes in being the first to expose their readers to the wonderful treasures they've unearthed - all under the guise of wit and brevity.

For me keeping a blog is just a constant reminder of how behind the curve I am. And even when I am among the first to know something, I'm usually still the last to share it. Speed is not my thing. I'm a slow-moving and reflective creature. So rather than enter the information race,  I consider this place an online archive of all the fascinating food-related thoughts I come across. If they fascinate anyone else - well that's pretty neat. 

A few months ago I discovered a wonderful program that, sigh, has been around for a while and already well known to many. 

CSA BOXES. - " Community Supported Agriculture"

Science + Food

Check out this interesting article in the Huffington Post! Its about a Harvard class that tackles the relationship between scientific techniques and understanding with cooking and food.

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Healthy Food in Brittish Hospitals?

Check out the article linked below. Here I am worrying about public schools and I totally missed the irony of terrible food in hospitals. I once spent a candy-striping summer working in a hospital kitchen and I can tell you assuredly that American hospital food is just as terrible.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/07/bad-food-feeding-hospital-boycott

Los Angeles Vegan Beer Fest

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Foi Gras

Speaking of Dan Barber. . .

This is the video (yet another TED talk, from the TASTE conference I believe) that turned me on to him. He and I hardly have allied beliefs on many things food-related, but I respect his beliefs and the thoughtfulness he puts behind every bite. And he is a big proponent of supporting local agriculture. Even if he does pull the horrendous "but it tastes so good" joke, I'm willing to hear what he has to say.

"You Say Tomato, I Say Agricultural Disaster" by Dan Barber

Check out this 2009 NY Times article by Dan Barber, one of my new names to the "persons of interest" list in my food obsessed mind. Its got some interesting insights on modern agriculture and the spread of disease amongst plants.


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Ellen Gustafson: Obesity + Hunger = 1 global food issue

Chili Addiction

Discovering new places to eat is like playing Columbus. It does not matter how many inhabitants have come before, how normalized and familiar the territory is to others, when you lay eyes upon it for the first time, you claim it as your own personalized discovery. You are the conqueror, and when  you bring the information to others, you bring it into existence.

A couple weeks ago  I played Columbus and "discovered" Chili Addiction, a new eatery in West Hollywood on La Cienega.

Yamashiro Nighttime Farmers Market

Tucked up in the hills off Franklin Ave, just above the mysterious Magic Castle and neighbor to the Hollywood Bowl, is the Yamashiro Farmers Market.

Gorgeous sunset views of the city, accented by lovely Japanese inspired landscapes, live music, and unique local flavors for sale - this is a wonderful way to spend one's Thursday night.

The Ketchup Conundrum by Malcolm Gladwell

Last week while meandering through Target I was seduced by Malcolm Gladwell's book "What the Dog Saw" - a collection of his articles written for the New Yorker. So far its an absorbing read. One of the articles included in the book is "The Ketchup Conundrum" and its a marvelous examination on marketing, food science, and how food tastes. It tackles the very interesting question of why there exists dozens of varieties of mustard, but when it comes to ketchup - only one "flavor" is king.

Underdogs such as Jim Wigon have attempted to rival the likes of Heinz ketchup by developing fascinating hand crafted varieties - with maple syrup substituted for corn syrup, and hand chopped basil, red peppers, Spanish onions, garlic and a high-quality tomato paste - but to no avail.

The article gives a little dose of ketchup history too, as well as bringing to life some fascinating and quirky characters.

Published in Sept. 2004, I'm a little late in the game. But if you have not read it - read it now!

Paru's Indian Food

Paru's Restaurant is a Hollywood gem - serving up delicious South Indian cuisine with personality and love. Anyone who is serious about Indian Food needs to make this place a regular stop.

TACO SPOT

This weekend was a celebration in laziness and eating out. From free swipes from the Sis into UCLA's dining hall (not so yummy) to Scoops (very yummy) to my new favorite Mexican eatery - Taco Spot.

I have been searching in LA for sometime for a place that is both authentic Mexican AND vegetarian friendly (hard to do as authentic usually necessitates lard and chicken broth). As much as I love Chipotle, sometimes I am craving somethign a little less California-y and a little more real - the kind of place with orange tables and plain tile floor that offers up a burrito that isnt afraid to embrace its heavy bean flavor, with plenty of the salsa that you are a little afraid of.  No frills no fuss. Just Yum. Taco Spot is the answer.

Nicolette Hahn Niman "Righteous Porkchop"

I think I am going to add Nicolette Hahn Niman's book, "Righteous Porkchop" to my food reading list.  Niman is an environmental lawyer and a cattle rancher. She has no qualms whatsoever eating - or raising - animals for food, yet she makes a very impassioned plea for humane treatment of animals along with (so I'm told) clear and concise methods of achieving that goal.
Get a taste of her by reading her New York Times article entitled
"Pig Out"










She also has an interesting article in the Huffington Post with tips and straightforward information for those who are interested in avoiding products from factory farms and want to find alternative sources for meat, dairy, and eggs.

Oysters And Vegans?

In his article, Consider the Oyster, Christopher Cox makes an argument that Vegan's should and could eat oysters while still adhering to the moral code that prompted them to become vegan initially. This is because oysters can be grown sustainably, and in a way that is arguably pain free from growth to harvest.

Eating ethically is not a purity pissing contest, and the more vegans or vegetarians pretend that it is, the more their diets start to resemble mere fashion—and thus risk being dismissed as such. Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

Healthy Food In Movie Theatres?

Sony Pictures chairman and CEO Michael Lynton, speaking at ShoWest this past Monday, announced his support for healthier snacks to make their way into theatres.

You can read Variety's article on it here.

I think its a smart and overdue idea. Lynton cites a recent poll of movie goers in which a majority of parents would buy healthy snacks if they were offered, with 42% of those polled saying they would visit theater concessions more often.

Um . . . duh?

 However, this is just talk, we'll see if anyone actually gets behind their words. I am glad to see that its more popular to advocate for healthy food reform.

The Cooking Channel

The Food Network is launching a new spinoff network May 31, called the Cooking Channel, in what seems an attempt to revamp their image and snag some new viewers, the kind interested in grass roots food culture.  For a long time The Food Network (which debuted in 1993) has been top dog - they invented the concept of food entertainment, and were the only sheriff in town for some time. But lately they have been outshone by the success of shows such as Bravo's Top Chef (and upcoming spin offs), Fox's Hell's Kitchen, or more recently ABC's Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. 

Tony's Darts Away

Last week a truly remarkable bar opened up in Burbank, of all places. Its called Tony's Dart's Away. This place has something for everyone.

With over 30 local California beers on tap, no respectable beer conusour can turn this place down.  I've already been twice in their first week.