I love fish, cheese and meat, and I eat everything, but only in small quantities if it's rich. ~ Eva Herzigova

This is a mini-post shout out about seafood. In light of the impacts the BP oil spill/explosion has had on the Gulf region (USA) and how this will affect our local/national fishing economies I was digging up some reading. I was for sure expecting to find articles about the oil spill's destruction of the shrimping industry, but the most compelling article I found was about tuna.

Below I have a link to the article in full, and it is well worth the read. More or less the article is a good expose on the culture, economics, and ecology behind today's fishing industry. One thing is very clear, our fish stocks are on the verge of collapsing.

Read all about Tuna's End.


On a gastronomic level, I definitely understand the desire to eat seafood. It tastes good, not to mention it has thousands of years of significance in the human diet and is ingrained into the fabric of many cultures around the world.

So for those of us who wish to keep eating seafood, I urge you to download your Regional Seafood Watch Pocket Book from the scientists at Monterey Bay Aquarium. This handy booklet will help you know what is local to your region and more importantly what fish stocks can be consumed sustainably. Enjoy responsibly!

Download Your Regional Seafood Watch Pocket Guide Here!

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~Harriet van Horne

At the end of May I had the privilege of being the Man of Honor at my dear friend's wedding, which took place in Long Island City, New York. In my opinion, one of the best parts of a wedding is the food. It is a lavish experience that brings people together in celebration. This decadent dining experience goes hand in hand with the celebration of love, probably the two things we need most as humans to thrive.

My friend went with Chef Daniel Boulud's catering company Feast & Fétes. All I can say is that if this were a restaurant review I would give five stars for an utterly sensual experience. Check out the menu and drool!

"The fact that we're giving food this kind of attention means that it just gets bigger from here" - Ruth Reichl

So this post is all about introducing you to my restaurant review/rating system. You ready? It's ok if you're not it's really easy. If you are familiar with the yelp format it's more or less like that. My scale is from 1 to 5 stars. 1 star equals super sucky and 5 equals borderline orgasmic. Judging criteria fall into three categories 1. food (quality, taste, texture, ingredients, etc...) 2. service (attitude, time, etc...) and 3. ambience (decor, music, noise level, etc...) To demonstrate, I am reposting one of my earlier reviews from yelp, but updated!

Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Mission Hills


Lucha Libre. Where do I start. In my opinion, they do most everything right. The decor, while thematic, is fun and energizing. As you can imagine from the name, the entire restaurant in an homage to the sport of Mexican free-wrestling. There is A LOT of lucha libre  memorabilia adorning the wall's and vintage movies playing on the TVs.

The food is delicious, moreover, you can't get food this good for this cheap. I don't know how they do it. However, I do have to say that the food, as delicious and cheap as it is, does give me pause to wonder about the quality of the ingredients. While everything tastes fresh and high quality you should by no means come to this location looking for sustainably grown veggies and ethically raised meat. Still, there are ample vegetarian possibilities.

Anyway, all the tacos are delicious...I like the veggie and surf & turf  in particular. If you are feeling particularly decadent get the queso taco with fries. Trust me, it is amazing. And of course they are well known for their TJ hot dogs. Really though, try anything on the menu and you won't be displeased. Their salsa bar is varied and all are yummy (the green salsa and pineapple pico in particular).

The service at Lucha is excellent and all the staff make the restaurant comfortable and inviting. I will continue to come back again and again. You can reach Lunch Libre via their contact webpage at www.tacosmackdown.com.

There is no love sincerer than the love of food. ~George Bernard Shaw, "The Revolutionist's Handbook," Man and Superman

For my first post, I thought I would focus on what I find to be the essence of eating food, deep personal satisfaction. No matter what you chose to eat invariably the dishes and ingredients you are drawn to hold great significance. You could simply love the taste or the contrast in textures, or your reasons can be more intimate drawing upon childhood memories, a sense of home and tradition. 

Regardless the motivation, we all have a group of foods we are consistently returning to, which begs the question, what would your last meal be?

Photographer Melanie Dunea attempts to get at the heart of this question in her touching and wonderfully crafted book, My Last Supper. 

In her collecton of portraits, interviews and recipes, with top chefs of our time, Dunea manages to capture the softer side (the spirit if you will) of these giants. What we find is a lot less pretension and a lot more heart. Interestingly enough, many chefs chose rather simple dishes, compared to the skill of the individual, such as Helene Darroze's "My Friend Suzie's Best French Fries In the World." Others are more lofty and whimsical like Ferran Adria's "Cod Foam With Honey-Flavored Baby Onions." Either way the common threads in each interview were the themes of home and family.

What this tells me is that the "last supper" is less about the ultimate gourmet experience but more a celebration of the sensory memories that bind us into communities. eating apple pie isn't as basic as eating. When you take a bite of a a beloved food you are transported. within that one bite you can experience a lifetime of happiness, heartache, change, growth and love.

I think Dunea would agree with me that when we reflect upon our last meal, what we select says a lot about who we are. 

As for me, I think I would like to be sent off with a pear and guyere tart encased in a flaky crust of peppercorn pastry served with a glass of brillant reisling...a couple dollaps of unsweetened whipped cream wouldn't be unwelcome either. What would you chose?