Saturday, February 26, 2011

Food Trucks

As of late I've been a bit obsessed about food trucks. Not the good old "roach coaches" but the gourmet type that you may have seen on "THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE" on the Food Network. Every week they assemble at our neighborhood farmers market with all of their deliciousness and their sweet and savory aromas are difficult to resist. I've been telling all my friends about them and some have even ventured out to try their tempting tasty morsels for themselves and are now big fans.

These mobile eateries are very diverse in both appearance and cuisine. Some are decorated in cute and quirky designs and colors whereas other just scream "I'm here come and taste what I got for ya!". Whatever your in the mood for: Thai, Japanese, Mexican, American, French, Greek, and sweets to satisfy any Sweet-Aholic these trucks offer it all. What I love the most about these buffets on wheels is that it's a great way to try out different gourmet cuisine for not a lot of money. The fact that they are practically in my back yard is just the icing.

Each day of the week you can find several of these trucks huddled around various locations throughout L.A. and O.C. Due to the growing popularity with them most of the venues have become somewhat permanent locals with different trucks rotating each week, although some of them do maintain a weekly set schedule. Here's a link to help you on your hunt that shows who's where and when in both O.C. and L.A. The site also offers a live GPS map. http://thefoodtrucker.com/


If you haven't yet tried the modern day food truck yet I strongly urge you to. I assure you, you won't be disappointed. Bon appetit!


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Food, food, and more food

Food is all I can think about these days. What to eat, what not to eat, how to eat it, when to eat it, and how I can make the good stuff taste like the bad stuff.

It's not entirely a bad thing that I'm thinking about food. I have made a decision to get serious about my overall health and food is a big part of that. I love food,  ALL food and that's the problem. I wouldn't say that I'm a foodie just yet but I aspire to be.  Lately, I have reassessed the food that I have allowed into my life, and I've noticed that my relationship with food can sometimes be compared to my past relationships. "Great but kinda bland", "delectable but soooo very bad for you", and finally "it looks great, makes you feel great, and it's healthy for you too".

For me food is more than just a means to fuel our bodies it's a passion. I love to read about it, talk about it, look at it, shop for it, research it, experiment with it, grow it, and of course consume it.

I didn't always have  a love for food but once I discovered all the things that it could do I was hooked. I have to say that the Food Network Execs didn't help me either. Their clever way of putting on shows with cute and quirky chefs and cooks slicing and dicing, mincing and frying, sauteing and carmelizing, slow roasting, pan searing, braising, and incorporating lots of colorful, exotic, sweet, savory, sour, and spicy dishes just sucked me in. Not only did I want to taste their wonderful creations I wanted to do it like them with all the flair and ease in the same HiDef glory that leaped across my screen and into my kitchen.

Since being hooked on shows hosted by such celebs as Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, and Tyler Florence I had to experiment and perfect what little skills I had at the time. While I still have plenty to learn, my one time clumsy obsession with everything food is now becoming more of a refined passion. A passion that I hope to one day soon turn into something lucrative.

But for now, I will continue on my food journey of finding new and interesting ways that food can continue to move my soul.