Flight or Flight: Street Food Under Fire in my Latest for Los Angeles Magazine

The LAPD's Grinch who stole street food--Officer Torta Terrorista


"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war"--Albert Einstein

A show of force by the LAPD to take from the poor


Everyone's singing the praises of councilmen Curren D. Price, Jr's and Jose Huizar's motion to legalize street food--photos are being taken, and speeches end in cheers and applause--meanwhile, the LAPD cases the Mercado Olympic and other street food havens around town issuing tickets to working families. 


Read Fight or Flight in my latest for the Los Angeles Magazine Digest!

 

Come Catch Me Cooking and Hosting Ensenada's La Guerrerense at the 16th Annual Los Angeles Times Travel Show, Jan. 18-19

I'm a travel show fiend--I love travel--it's the most important thing in my life, and in recent years I haven't missed this travel show. But, this year I'm proud to say I'm joining the list of esteemed guest speakers, and cooking on the Flavors of the World culinary stage.

On Saturday at 3p.m., I'll be preparing two types of chiles rellenos from a pair of recipes from my family in Aguascalientes, Mexico : chile relleno de queso con caldillo (cheese stuffed pepper with tomato soup), and chile ancho relleno de frijol (ancho chile stuffed with refried beans), and a Baja table accompaniment of chiles gueros, or blonde chiles. My demo will focus on chile as a staple food, and its unique place in Mexican cuisine.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, at 11a.m., it's La Guerrerense--yes the legendary Doña Sabina Bandera and her daughter Mariana Oviedo joining me on stage. They will be plating and serving their famous seafood tostadas, while I pour the tequila and join in the fun. You will be enjoying sea urchin tostadas, on the house.    

I look forward to sharing a taste of Aguascalientes and Ensenada with you, and hope we get to say hello.

16th Annual Los Angeles Times Travel Show, Saturday and Sunday, January 18 – 19, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

My demo, Sat., January 18 @ 3p.m.

La Guerrerense, Sun., January 19 @ 11a.m. 

Brazil is the Flavor in 2014, and Chef Alex Atala to Replace Redzepi as Top Dog

Carnaval 2014 in Brasil will highlight the beauty of Brazilian culture to the world


Times marches on..Just a few years ago Chef Ferran Adria was on the cover of every major and minor food medium, and the deconstructionist cuisine he pioneered, more commonly known as molecular gastronomy. In the post-Adria/decostructionist era, Chef Rene Redzepi's style of modern-Nordic cuisine has sent more chefs of the current generation foraging into the woods than college drama majors by Steven Sondheim.

Chef Alex Atala, bringing Brazilian ingredients and heritage to São Paulo's D.O.M.  

What's next? Well, let's all agree that there has to be a next, and I believe--reading the writing on the wall--that Brazilian cuisine, and Chef Alex Atala are the next thing. Adria had pegged Peruvian as the cuisine to watch along with his dreadful Lima Declaration speech (rightfully checked by sir Jay Rayner), and regional Mexican and Asian cuisines will continue to occupy our minds and dining experiences here in L.A., but Brasil--Brasil through the brilliant hands and products at Chef Alex Atala's D.O.M. in São Paulo!


Part of this focus will be because of World Cup(2014) and the Olympics(2016).


The next big thing will be ingredients--which is the one thing I hear most chefs talking about the most--it's the most important thing, and all chefs are highlighting their local treasures more than ever. Yet, the elite position of Pellegrino's No. 1 restaurant in the world hasn't been based on ingredients.


Brazil just happens to have some of the most interesting products in the world and Chef Alex Atala is heading to the reaches of the Amazon, working with indigenous communities to form cooperatives. That along with the undiscovered regional cuisines in Brasil--26 states have their own distinctive cuisines--and Atala is working hard in his kitchen(not all chefs on the circuit bother to be in their kitchens), and just as hard on the media circuit.

Moqueca de camarão, shrimp moqueca at Moqueca in Oxnard.


We'll all learn more about it as 2014 moves along; until then--check out one of the greatest regional Brazilian restaurants in the U.S., Oxnard's Moqueca, for Espiritu Santo cuisine, in my latest for Los Angeles Magazine Digest.