Catch me Tomorrow Night(10/8) Judging a Cutting Contest between Umami Coporate Chef John Herndon and Red Hill's Trevor Rocco on Esquire's Knife Fight with Chef Ilan Hall

Chef John Herndon preparing a dish for the judges table on Esquire's Knife Fight with Chef Ilan Hall


Tomorrow night(10/8) on Esquire's Knife Fight with Chef Ilan Hall, I will be joining the judge's table with chingones Lou Amdur, and the man himself, Mr. Ilan Hall.


The show airs at 9pm PST on the Esquire Network with a fiery showdown between Umami Burger corporate chef, John Herndon, and Chef Trevor Rocco from Red Hill.


Knife Fight is one of the most entertaining food shows to come along in the last few years, with a fresh approach to the culinary battle. It's just two guys, head-to-head in the Gorbal's kitchen, cooking for one hour in real time.


Who will make the cut? Tune in tomorrow night.

Knife Fight airs at 9pm, Tuesdays on the Esquire Network

6th Annual Feria de los Moles Attains World Class Status with Serious Mole Masters from Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Guerrero to Complement our Local Pueblan and Oaxacan Mole Scene

El Mural de los Poblanos, Puebla


This Sunday, October 6th, the 6th Annual Feria de Los Moles will take place at Olvera Street from 10am-7pm. The event is free to the public, will have live music, and will feature dozens of booths serving mole from Puebla, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, and Guerrero along with other foods from our local Oaxacan and Pueblan communities.

Mole poblano at El Mural de Los Poblanos in Puebla


This is the largest Latin-American food festival in the United States, and this year they outdid themselves by bringing the world famous Los Murales de los Poblanos direct from Puebla to serve their mole poblano, and chiles en nogada among other of the restaurant's signature dishes. This is reason alone to go!  

Chiles en nogada at Mural de Los Poblanos


If that weren't enough, they are featuring mole masters from the state of Tlaxcala serving mole prieto and mole rojo; from one of my favorite mole cultures, the state of Guerrero will present mole verde, mole rojo, and mole tipo Guerrerense.


Understand that every state of Mexico has moles, not just Puebla and Oaxaca as many cookbook uthors and non-Latino food personalities would have you believe. You will be amazed at the new flavors you'll experience here from the regional chiles used to make the provincial mole. This is getting serious!

Mole negro oaxaqueno and pipian rojo at the 2012 Feria de Los Moles

From our amazing local Pueblans, there will be the archetypal mole poblano, mole poblano almendrado, pipian verde, pipian rojo, chiles en nogada, mole de Olla, mixiotes de carnero, tamales de Moles, and cemitas de mole.


The Oaxacans will be showing off their mole negro, coloradito, mole verde, and tlayudas drenched with mole negro.

Biggest Mexican food festival in the U.S., Feria de Los Moles



This is the biggest Latino food festival in the U.S. featuring one of Mexico's greatest dishes from the best in L.A. and Mexico. This is essential eating my friends--see you in line at El Mural!!!

6th Annual Feria de Los Moles
Sunday, October 6th
10am-6pm
Olvera St., admission is free
Food and beverages can be purchased at the event
  

An Antidote for the New York Times, Pet Wells, and Ligaya Mishan's Collective Tacos Delusiones: An Elegy for Mexican Food and Tacos in New York in LA Magazine's Digest

Mexican food in New York, where Boar's Head Products are proudly served, Reyes Deli

Frayed, dry, flaccid tortillas and meats that would get thrown out at L.A. chains like King Taco and Tacos Mexico. Bring on the Guacala-mole!


As soon as the New York Time's Ligaya Mishan published her piece on how great New York tacos are--on par with Los Angeles according to her--the team at Los Angeles Magazine took to action. Well, light action, as it doesn't require any perspiration to slap the store-bought tortilla out of the New York Times' mouth.

Read what I had to say about Mishan's story in the Los Angeles Magazine Digest.

The New York Times making a taco edition would be like an L.A. publication doing a bagel issue--but we're not that foolish. After reading how Pete Wells became excited over the thought of Alex Stupak handing him tacos like he was at a sushi bar shows something beyond poor judgment and ignorance--cultural elitism.

The reason I love Japanese food culture so much is the similarities it has to Mexican cuisine in its specialization, tradition, and serving methods. Taquerias, stands, and shacks in Mexico have a variety of settings, from the dirty corner space in an industrial part of town, to taquerias in Condessa with valet service--they all serve tacos directly to the customer. Not every sushi bar in Japan is in the Michelin Guide--many are quite humble, and ultimately, this is just a service issue.

Not all tacos have to arrive with urgency--grilled meats yes, but guisados can hold up just fine.

Mr. Wells, you are a lout. Try a little research next time, or consulting someone before you go on a "taco safari", if Mr Stupak wants to provide street style service and can't figure it out, you can always take a trip to Mexico.