"From Leo Carillo to the Pismo shore..." This video was brought to you by the letter B. Sorry, I been watching too much Sesame Street. Some solid south swell hit Malibu pretty good in July and for a stretch there I ate beets everyday for more than a week.
The music is by Braw, thanks to Andrew for letting me use it.
I took 5 months off my project of photographing everything I ate (I know you missed me) - but I'm back, and since I'm doing the videos on a monthly basis and not a weekly one, the videos are going to have somewhat more interesting content.
I'm skipping the mundane - the bag of chips, the pint of Metamucil, the morning cup of coffee. I'm also having a little more fun with photography, trying different filters (I dumped the Blackberry and got an Android phone), and different angles.
You may notice duelling bottles of hot sauce, I'm working on an article called "Rooster Vs. Rooster," which pits the Thai-style Sriracha against a Louisiana hot sauce called Red Rooster. Stay tuned.
By FogandSmogFilms - I think I've seen that guy at the Venice Beach Whole Foods!
I've been getting up really early these last couple of weeks - "and for my next trick I will make an iced coffee and make it disappear in 90 seconds!" Instant coffee, milk, stir, drink.
I had been using the Starbuck's VIA but recently bought a jar of Folger's instant and it isn't bad; that's my new trick for cutting through the fog of sleep when the sun hasn't yet made its appearance.
Some highlights, food-wise, were the homemade cauliflower and chickpea curry, a little sushi, [not one but] two trips to Pizza Port, and finishing off the SWAG from the Foodbuzz Festival.
This week was brought to you by the Firestone Winery (which is now owned by Foley), Sebastopol Hills Winery, the Sacred Hill Winery, and New Belgium Brewery.
Halloween Costume FAIL
The idea of slapping the term "FAIL" onto the title of something whenever someone does something wrong, nonsensical, or outright stupid is now a meme. A FAIL is usually funny, sometimes humiliating, and often painful.
A meme is a unit of culture. A meme can be nearly anything; a phrase, a jingle, a logo, a practice. They propagate, survive, spread, are imitated, mutate, and sometimes find themselves extinct. Memes are the units by which ideas are transfered from one person to another; when they spread rapidly, it is said they turn viral.
The FAIL Blog was created in January 2008 to document these FAILs and has quite the monopoly on those pictures and videos which exemplify the FAIL at its best. If you haven't heard of them, check out their blog and/or download their iPhone app.
Here is our list of the Top 10 Food and Cooking-Related FAIL Videos, sante.
10. Cooking FAILs! - from OriginalNakedChef
"We're going to make mashed potato, one of the simplest things in the world to do." Unfortunately, it takes 30 takes and a whole hard drive of digital memory. This is why we haven't posted many videos on Papawow.
9. Cooking Show FAIL - from failblog (picking on Sarah Lee)
[pulls meatloaf out of oven] "Look at that," says Sarah. Yea Sarah? It looks like you cleaned the elephant cage at the Los Angeles Zoo. Don't tell me you're going to serve that.
8. McDonald's FAIL - from failblog
Mmm, Deep Fried Chicken Head. Well, maybe it did come from the McDonalds in Chinatown. I like how it had the comb and the wattles intact. Delicious.
7. Baking FAIL - from meatwadisemo
Note to burgeoning Food Network Star. Next time you try and batter your hair, use a stand mixer... that would be far more hilarious.
6. Pizza Delivery Fail - from failblog
I doubt this is real, but we have all been miffed in one way or another by having our pizza delivered. Maybe not this bad though.
5. Chef Rage FAIL - from failblog
This is pretty gangsta. We've all had bosses we wished someone would have lit up like that.
4. Food Critic FAIL - from failblog
Just goes to show that being a guest judge on a cooking show does not alow you to make up your own words. Having a lot of peas does not make something have "much pea-ness going on."
3. BBQ FAIL - from TheDarkSoldier09
Rule #1 about BBQ: Don't use a gas can to stoke the fire. There are better ways to get it going when it smolders.
2. Food Network nuts FAIL - from thebigflashbomb
"Everyone's going to love snacking on my nuts."
1. Three Sheets with Zane Lamprey - from FineLivingNetwork (not a FAIL unto itself, but there are several fails inside and who doesn't like Zane Lamprey and all his nonsense?)
I didn't make a slideshow last week so this one is doubly special. We have been doing more take-out and cereal, and our wine consumption is up. Highlights included a trip to a Peruvian place in Encinitas called Q'ero, a wine bar in Del Mar called La Tienda, and the Rotary Club's Oktoberfest in Carlsbad.
There has been some tasty waves in San Diego lately and those keep me hungry. In between meals, I've been grinding on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Olivia's Organic Croutons, and Special K. You've got to keep your energy up, you know, for riding parallel stance in the tube...
This week was brought to you by New Belgium Brewing Company, the Boston Brewing Company, Cameron Hughes Winery, and two of our favorites (we've been dipping into the cellar lately) Ridge and Curtis.
A Mocha Fillet Mignon, a amazing Shrimp Cocktail from a Mexican Mariscos spot, and Gyros from another Greek Festival. I got really sick last week, antibiotics and all, and was craving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and cereal. That's my comfort food.
I've also been working in the Inland Empire/High Desert and thus have been consuming a lot of froyo. After baking in 100+ degree heat, nothing sounds better to cool off with before the drive home than a big bowl of Tart covered in Fruity Pebbles and Mochi.
I've also really been enjoying the complimentary/promotional Bora Bora bars they sent us to check out. They are much more delicious than Power Bars (which are my normal go-to pre surf snack).
This week was brought to you by Bora Bora Foods, the Wine Garage in Calistoga, Hillas Beer, the Bridewood and Four Sisters wineries, and Palm Beer.
Palm Beer
The week started off with sushi, a forest fire, and froyo. We received a promotional gift basket of Bora Bora all-natural snack bars and they're delicious! I don't snack much, but I like to keep things like these in the car.
We went to the Hermosa Beach Fiesta and they wouldn't let the four month-old in the beer garden, I don't blame them, his ID is clearly fake. We showed Alex a vintage surfboard from 1935, it was hollow and made from wood, although he wasn't nearly as impressed as his father was.
We wrapped up the weekend at the Greek Festival in Long Beach and had not only a Gyro but a Lamb-a-Rama, which is gyro meat in a pita with French fries and a spicy feta sauce. Not exactly my cup of tea, but still tasty.
This week was brought to you by Samuel Adams, Bud Light, Stone Brewery, the wineries of Sapphire, Ridge, Rias Baixas, A to Z, and Wolf; and the letter "M."
Salad and Italian food mostly, broken up by an occasional burrito and bagel (reads like a weather forecast). Rocked an In-N-Out for the first time an at least 6 months and it reaffirmed the fact that I could never be a complete vegetarian. I played a croquet tournament that had quite the table of grinds at it. The south swells that lit everything up last week petered out but I still logged about 5 hours in the water anyway.
I found a horn worm (?) eating our tomato plant and it was huge, like 6 inches long! We recycled 120 pounds of cardboard to the tune of $5.40 and can now see the walls of the garage for the first time since we moved in.
Nothing really out of the ordinary food-wise but some highlights include some Nova Lox on on of my bagels, homemade chicken and dumplings, a Chili Relleno Burrito, and a 2005 Babcock Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills.
This week was brought to you by Sessions Beer, Fat Tire, and the wineries of Tamborine, Westerly, and Babcock.
Work has been in overdrive so the long Independence Day weekend was greatly appreciated. We got to see some old friends, thanks Spankey and Trish for hosting, you guys are the best.
Dining in, we've been eating pretty healthy, mostly making big salads. My favorite meal of the week was our Burritos with Black Beans, Potatoes, and Soyrizo. That's right, Soyrizo. Soy + Chorizo, it's vegetarian and dios mio, since there's no guilt involved, I think I like it better than the real thing.
Dining out has been another matter. Pizza, BBQ, and beer. A little Wendy's, a little El Pollo Loco. Those $.99 Menus call to me like sirens. I'm a cheap bastard, and sometimes I just can't justify spending $10 at the salad bar of Whole Foods when I can grab a hot Spicy Chicken Sandwich and a water with the change sitting in my car's cup holder.
This week has been brought to you by Ridge Winery, Curtis Winery, Tecate, Samuel Adams, and Soyrizo.
Cold Beer, Warm Pizza
Highlights of the week included a fun-filled trip to Vancouver. Many thanks to Eric and Anderson for putting everything together. There some great meals there where, unfortunately, camera-phone pictures didn't turn out so well in the dimly lit restaurants.
I may have filled up my memory card taking pictures of all the beers we drank; I just hope we put some bar owner's daughter through college. And, after a long weekend with the boys, there's nothing like a carton of chocolate milk to settle the stomach for an airplane ride home.
There were also some oysters to spice things up and some amazing halibut tacos at a not-so-secret spot in Carlsbad. There was Salmon Jerky, heaps of berries, Crunchy Snack Mix with 46 ingredients, and another batch of Potica.
This week was brought to you by the phenomenal Stone Brewery, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Curtis Winery, and Pannikin Coffee Roasters.
Chicken Taco with Cabbage, Sour Cream, and Avocado
We are still moving in to our new place, and have still been eating a lot of take-out. There have been a ton of berries in season lately and we've been taking full advantage. Raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and even the biggest blackberries I've ever seen.
We found a little bagel shop run by a Japanese family that not only makes amazing bagels (when they say "Everything bagel", they mean "Everything"), but they also make some amazing bread and some Japanese-style pastries. We picked a half loaf of their raisen loaf and a Croquette sandwich.
Some highlights of the week included a little half-price sushi (my favorite kind), lunch at George's at the Cove in La Jolla, a fish burrito from Wahoo's, and some homemade borscht - made from the biggest beet I've ever seen.
It feels like a long week. How about you? What's that? A baby is crying, gotta run...
This week was brought to you by Curtis Winery, $1.99 Quail Oak Chardonnay, Orion Beer from Okinawa, a Chelada, Samuel Adams, Hinano Beer from Tahiti, Modelo Beer from Mexico, and Cristal Beer from Peru. Many thanks goes out to all of our international sponsors.
The music in the video is by Chi McClean - you can buy his album on iTunes.
Russian Cookbook
Another 1000 miles and a 6 foot burrito. Among assorted snacks and road food, the stand-outs included a batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili. Not the packets of Gold Star, but the real deal from scratch. A luxury most Midwesterners likely have even indulged in. The leftovers became Cincinnati Chili Dogs, how appropriate.
I had another eye-opening trip to Peet's, the location in North Irvine may be an anomaly but Tim and Wes there REALLY know their coffee. I picked up a gold filter, because A) I'm tired of buying paper filters all the time, and B) trying to save the Earth you know, one paper filter at a time.
I ate McDonald's for the first time in months and... it was good. I know, I know. There's something about their Cheeseburger that reminds me of innocence. The most unusual thing on the menu? -> Why does the Double Cheeseburger cost less than the Cheeseburger?
Shortly after my trip became aware of The Elusive Mc10:35. Only available in that fast food limbo between McDonalds' breakfast and lunch, it is the amalgamation of a McMuffin and a McDouble. I tried once this week but was told they were out of McMuffins. I must have come at 10:36.
If anyone gets one, SEND ME A PICTURE! These are the things legends are made of.
At home and in the kitchen we made some Almond Avocado Cookies, some Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Crepes, Strawberry Shortcake, a Pork Loin with Sauerkraut, an Ice Cream Cake and Oat Bran Banana Nut Muffins (recipes will follow).
Lastly, I found an incredible Italian sandwich shop by asking the locals. I could have driven by Agrusa's Submarine Sandwiches in Escondito, CA a thousand times and never stopped in but I asked a local and they sent me in. The "Classic" is killer.
Another week, another 1000 miles, another box of wine. I found myself trying to eat less meat and in doing so getting an amazing sandwich and a sub-par burrito. Easter rolled around and we made some little bunnies out of deviled eggs and had a blast doing them.
We also made some of Cooks Illustrated's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, scored some tasty waves in San Diego, and found some houses in Enicinitas made from boats.
We made a trip to Stone Brewery, quite possibly my favorite brewery in the whole-wide-world, and if you like beer and come within 50 miles of the place, I highly suggest going. Not only did I have an Oaked Arrogant Bastard, I found an Arrogant Bastard Onesie, had a soft pretzel and a salad - but we also got their triple Crème brûlée . It came in citrus, green tea, and chocolate ginger.
Easter brunch came with a side of 7.2 on the Richter Scale, right in the middle of my second mimosa. We made an amazing Spiced Rum Banana Bread (recipe to come). We also had a ham which we doctored up with a tangerine glaze, potato and cucumber salads, and a lemon meringue pie.
I finally managed to finish off the Tagalongs Ice Cream after we made the leftover ham into an au gratin and served it with Brussels Sprouts. We've been loving these, "Just Mango Slices" from Trader Joes recently; that's exactly what they are, no salt, no sugar, just dried mango. We wrapped up with a batch of homemade Cincinnati Chili (recipe to come).
Auf.
Coffee, cardamom gum, and the meatiest Cobb Salad I've ever had; a Pulled Pork Cobb nonetheless. Easter candy is also here and Palmer's Peanut Butter Eggs, although not as good as Reese's, are tough to pass on.
I found a Vietnamese place called Pho "T" - I wonder if they intended the malt liquor reference, I didn't ask. My co-worker asked for something unique and they served us a very sweet drink with lychee, dried cherries (?) and some seaweed-looking stuff. Not unpleasant, but definitely something I've never had before. I wish I wrote down what is was called.
I had one of my favorite Starbucks concoction, the veritable Green Tea Latte with No Syrup and Extra Matcha. It's a mouthful, get it? Mouthful? Never mind. I also found Top Gun Street in San Diego as well as some tasty waves.
I attended the Food Blog Forum Seminar in LA along with a ton of other friendly like-minded writers. What started as a BYO Brown Bag Lunch turned into a potluck and delivery by Baby Blue BBQ and Next Door Pizza - I stuffed myself silly! Praise the Lord too because all I brought was a handful of almonds!
The World Fare Bustaurant came by which is a full double-decker bus with dining on the roof and Haute Cuisine coming out the side. I had several of their dishes and everything was mouth watering and delicious. They're putting a new twist on the Roach Coach, find them @worldfare. Did I mention that I think I got a photo of the Teenage Glutster's Vespa?
Wrapping things up, I am trying out another box of wine, Pinot Evil. Cute name, environmentally-friendly packaging, and the sauce is pretty good too. Check them out. There was another food-related Wheel of Fortune answer, "Seared Scallops with Snow Peas." Lastly, I've now dubbed my morning shake of psyllium husks and yogurt, "Mugurt," pronounced myoo-gert. It fits.
Auf.
Happy St. Patty's Day! Kiss me I'm 3/8ths Irish (and I just found out that I'm 1/8th French Canadian too, but that's another story). I plan on drinking beer in green bottles if I don't find green beer today and we're making some corned beef and cabbage. Maybe I'll post the recipe. Maybe I won't.
Looking back at last week, we've got a veritable mish-mash of meals.
Exhibit A (above): I started making myself a "shake" in the mornings made up of psyllium husks, water, and yogurt. I have some gross rituals that I blame on my pre-coffee sleep walking. It either isn't that bad, or I'm a complete zombie in the AM.
I finished off my Samuel Adams variety pack called the Brewmaster's Collection (Boston Lager, Ale, Noble Pils, Cream Stout, Scotch Ale, and Coastal Wheat). I was somewhat surprised to read the the Coastal Wheat actually had lemons on it. Not bad though, hmm. I also found a $29 beer at Whole Foods (no, I didn't buy it), and I tried two of Dogfish Head's more bizarre brews, Midas Touch and Palo Santo Marron.
At times Wheel of Fortune was on in the house, against my will, and I noticed they went through several food-related puzzles: Hungarian Goulash, Kiss the Cook, Swiss Cheese, and Dinner Menu. I still don't understand how people leave that show with more dough than the nerds on Jeopardy.
The Girl Scouts struck again this week... in ice cream form, with Tagalongs ice cream from Dreyer's. We made huge vat of Chili Verde that took a few days to finish off. I ran out of coffee for the last two days and had to drink tea; although I bought more today (and got a free tote bag from Peet's, thanks!), I wasn't in dire tea straights like I thought I was going to be.
To close the week, we had an earthquake last night. A real, bona fide earthquake. Enjoy the video.
This week has been a busy one at work. Outside from the normal intake of fast food, fine dining, home cooked meals, coffee and beer, I bought a box each of chocolate and strawberry milks. There was another Black Box of wine, I kept making Yogurt Sodas, and had a great night of kine beer with one of my oldest friends in Los Angeles.
On the road, I saw a school bus getting towed (you don't see that very often), twice the people in front of me ran into the people in front of them, I watched the Goodyear blimp take off, and I saw a monster truck that looked like it had tattoos. We made fresh popcorn from scratch - you know, with a pot, a lid, some oil, some elbow grease, and a handful of corn. I hadn't done that since I was a little kid.
We made waffles! Picked some grapefruit and lemons, ate a bunch of peanuts, and saw a warning at a restaurant saying that they served food and/or drinks that contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer. Sure, I'm assuming they were referring to tuna and swordfish; nevertheless, no one wants to read that.
Splat by ant.photos
We've all likely been there. At the BBQ, camping, or maybe on a boat. There sits the bottle of wine... and no one brought a corkscrew. The thoughts that go through people's heads. The tools they use. We humans are very creative creatures, especially when there is booze involved (think Legend of Zelda-themed party ice luge).
There's the Wikihow on how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. They illustrate a technique using a screw, a screwdriver, and a pair of pliers (pulling it out, caveman-style) or a hammer (using a first-class lever which is much more civilized).
They outline the old pocket knife method, the wire coat hanger, the
Jon Stewart gives Condé Nast some advise. Combine all four magazines that they are cancelling: Elegant Bride, Modern Bride, Cookie (a parenting magazine) and Gourmet into into one super mag.
Jon Stewart's Pregnant Gourmet Bride
In the first issue they would feature a tremendous morning sickness cure involving haricot vert, cornichon, and truffle oil...
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Pregnant Gourmet Bride Magazine | ||||
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Western Spaghetti was voted by Time Magazine as the #2 Viral Film of the Year for 2008. The company who made it is called PES and they have done some some more well known commercials for products like Scrabble, Sprint, Coinstar, and Bacardi.
Enjoy.
