SoCal


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A Pocket of Sweetness

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From what I’ve seen so far, there are two philosophies on farmers’ markets. One is of the hyper-local paradigm. Everything sold at the market must be grown within a 200-ish mile radius of the market. Produce should be grown with respect to the environment (no-no on harmful pesticides) and animals should be treated like animals, with room to hang outside and eat what their bodies are meant to eat (not corn, corn, corn, corn, corn). If vendors sell prepared food they must also adhere to locally grown ingredients and use the least amount of packaging possible.

Then there’s the farmers’ market that features produce, as well as crafts and ready made food, without abiding to an all-local creed.

A carbon footprint rant will have to wait for another day, as I found the latter type of market (raved about here) in Long Beach, California. Most of the produce came from a few hours from SoCal. But not all vendors followed. This is where I found Patrick Pirson and his hyper-authentic, yet totally not locally sourced waffles.

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in Desserts / Trends 7 comments
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Top 9 Foods Found Only at SoCal Farmers’ Markets (and Not in DC)

While I didn’t catch a glimpse of an avocado orchard, or even an avocado tree, I did find a farmers market, Local Harvest at Marine Stadium, on my last day in Long Beach, California. The first stall displayed all fruits and vegetables that I easily find at my neighborhood far mar: zucchini and onions and peaches.

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Jujube

But then I looked to my left and saw jujubes. The vendor had a sign proclaiming unattainable health benefits (cancer prevention, Zen-filled life). I bought a half pound. Frankly, though, jujubes may grant me 109 years on earth, but they still taste like blah. Total blah. At first I thought they were dried chilies but then I thought, hey, a sickly sweet candy is named after the dried fruit so it must be sweet. ERRRR. <buzzer sounds> It tastes like absolutely nothing.

Lime

What a radical notion. Citrus fruit is not only in white cartons marked with styles of “some pulp,” but apparently grow on trees. In California.

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Dragon Fruit

Total alien fruit. Was this the punk rock cousin of an artichoke with its round shape and spiky leaves? No. It’s a beautiful fuchsia-fleshed fruit. The color, however, is more exciting than the taste.

Almond

There are some edibles out there that I have zero concept of how they grow. Nuts are one of them. Fresh almonds from the farmers market are particularly nutty and do have more flavor than their encased-in-bulk-bins selves.

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in Lists / Veggie 14 comments
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ISO: Avocado Orchard

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When I was planning my trip out to Southern California the number one item on my to-do list was to see an avocado tree. I receive press releases from the California Avocado Commission regularly—and once even was mailed a shipment of the fruit—so I decided to re-engage to see if I could schedule a trip out to an avocado orchard. At first they said yes, and that I could even interview a grower, but then they returned saying no, not at this time, and they were planning a “blogger” event next year. Heartbreak ensued.

So with one day left in Long Beach I’m really trying to make it happen. Although I will be in San Diego over Labor Day, I was hoping to knock that off my list during this trip.

While I am patiently waiting for an avocado tree sighting, I have laid my eyes on some pretty other cool food stuffs out here.

Satsuma.

This citrus tree (at top) grows on my friend Thresher’s balcony in Santa Monica. My friend Jon has a Meyer lemon tree and a blood orange tree growing in his back yard. Are you fucking kidding me? That’s all I have to say.

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Sea Vegetables.

I’ve only seen sea vegetables called for in Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet. Even in Japan I couldn’t identify them. But that was the least of our communication problems. I tried them at Real Food Daily, a vegan restaurant open since 1993. My dining partner, Thresher, a PETA employee, warned me that they’re funky. I was determined to try because it’s something I just couldn’t easily find in DC. And the shit was weird. Slimy. Bland. Blah. But cool looking. (Next to the sea vegetables: mashed potatoes with a kick ass nutritional yeast gravy.)

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in Veggie 8 comments
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I’m Comin’ Out Cake Batter

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“I shot my load,” I replied to my friend Jon after he insulted my abundant pour of frozen yogurt, leaving little room for toppings. I thought the sentiment was particularly clever, as I simultaneously winked at the clerk.

At a *fat free* frozen yogurt shop in West Hollywood/BoysTown the flavors are homo-suggestively named, but more, are insanely delicious. This is anti-Pinkberry, the shop noted for starting the tangy froyo craze.  Yogurt Stop is an X-rated yet A+ tasting TCBY, the bland frozen yogurt chain dominating suburban strip malls.

Cake batter won my taste buds over with its searingly sweet and familiar flavor. I have a thing for batter, as you may remember from my sous vide brainstorm of slow and low water bath cookie dough.

Jon, and his girlfriend Elizabeth—who made my trip by spotting JC from ‘N Sync during dinner at Dominick’s—swear by the 3 : 1 ratio of toppings to yogurt. And real quick, this is what my friend Thresher had to say about this sighting:

Those nsync boys, I swear. They’re like the Hill staffers of LA–you run into them at every corner. On any given night in West Hollywood, you’re pretty much guaranteed to cross paths with Lance Bass and his fierce cadre of well-groomed muscle lads.

Anyway, here is what a Yogurt Stop snack is supposed to look like:

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Also in SoCal
A Pocket of Sweetness
Top 9 Foods Found Only at SoCal Farmers’ Markets
Artsy Guess the Photo of the Day
ISO: Avocado Orchard
Artsy SoCal Photo of the Day

in Desserts / Restaurants / Trends 6 comments
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Artsy SoCal Photo of the Day

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I’m in Long Beach, California this week for my 9-5. I flew in Sunday, spent the day sunning on Venice Beach, shopping on Melrose, sipping beet juice and driving down Beverly Hills. More on food to come.

Also in SoCal
A Pocket of Sweetness
Top 9 Foods Found Only at SoCal Farmers’ Markets
Artsy Guess the Photo of the Day
ISO: Avocado Orchard
I’m Coming Out Cake Batter

in Food Travel / Photos 4 comments