The Food Life

Woke up yesterday to a call from Jaime of La Casita Mexicana at around noon, noon because the night prior, me and my good friend decided to practice the difficult art of sweeping girls off their feet by cooking up an 'exotic' storm of Indian Curry with Plum Wine pairing, didn't get home 'till 6AM. He had called to invite me to a local milestone bakery's grand opening inauguration.

Me being me, I decided to play it safe (not assume that their was going to be free food somehow) and cook me up a full on 'Dim Sum' style brunch thing, Pan Fried Taro Cakes, Durian Ice Cream and all. Thus making me late, I finally arrived only to find probably the whole bakery's offerings in little bite-sized samples...maan, I always do this and still never learn.

Me being me again, in the heat of the ambiance, I gnawed away at like seven butter cookies, cakes, roll's etc, along with with two heaping cups of organic Coffee brew (the first in East L.A might I add!). After all this, the 'Casita Crew', a name I barely thought up right now for the 5-7 of us that make up Jaime's and Ramiro's (Casita Mexicana Chef's) crew who got each others back in true home-boy fashion, wanted to have a 'food-food' bite to eat and naturally...all consulted me.

Several indecisive thoughts later, I decided to wager my entire food-enthusiast reputation and took them to a Salvadorean joint a few paces away. I had always had a good gut feeling about this place, but never actually been.

SUCCESS! The food took nearly an hour to serve meaning, rich, satisfying good food. Satiety level above full, I convinced myself to try something for the sake of my palate. Rice-Flour Pig Skin Pupusas, Pho Bowl chock-full of Cat-Fish Soup, and ever-starchy Yucca pieces later, I was good. I mean, giving that I just had my breakfast, lunch and dinner in a series of two hours.

All this made for some exquisite Fencing bouts during Club later on, parrying electric-wired Epee's and getting slashed with Saber blades never felt so glorious, absolutely gloooorious, those dried Mangosteen's as my post workout snack were equally sublime...

Putting my newly-acquired rules of Improv lifestyle into effect, I randomly decided to take up Ramiro in his invite to this new Standup/Play hybrid Obra de Teatro (official Spanish word for Theater apparently). Fernando Arau's “Matrimonio.. Una Historia de Ciencia y Fricción". Half-way's understanding his deep Spanish jokes but mostly just laughing along with the rest of the audience, I'm sure I burned several calories while doing that...what? It's true! Probably the same amount of calories I consumed again at the reception after wards. Two generously-scooped Green Ceviche Tostada's courtesy of La Casita Mexicana catering. That second one wasn't necessary but ehh.

Half hour past Midnight, Jaime and Ramiro wanted to go to this Korean Bar that they ALWAYS talk about. Full as hell, but excitement over-riding it, I stuck true with the 'Casita Crew' and finally experienced it. Thanks to the help of Jocie, an o.g foodie who also acts as our underground K-Town guide, we were noshing on marinated Pig Feet and fried Rice Flour, clear noodle Seaweed "Dumbbells" and sipping on Horchata Con Piquete (spiked Horchata)-like unfiltered Rice Wine at the AM deuce.

Waking a little over noon again today, I attempt to eat a 'Detox' meal of pure green Mango but end up making Coconut-Rice Pancakes, RIPE Mango-Chayote Relish with heaping spoon-fulls of TJ's Peanut Flax Butter. My mom notices that this is my first home-concocted actual meal I had in two weeks. The only exception when I watch T.V when I eat, Public Broadcasting Saturday afternoon Food Shows 12-6, while my last cake cooks, I start to stream the freshly-missed episode of KCRW's "Good Food" for easy listening later.

Every day for the last two and a half weeks (my spring break) has been following a similar series of events, eating constantly all day, not "little meals" style, just....without abandon. Between luckily getting invited to comped restaurant sponsored events, my baking class's newly added lifestyle revolving around butter, sugar, flour daily and random last minute dinners testing my limit of courses consumed in a day, not to mention tolerance for the up and coming popularity of mixed Alch-y, this is my life. Abby of Pleasure Palate said "The Food God's are with me" but for me, just another 'just another another day'...

"Looking forward to my next meal and reminiscing in my last"

--Javier Cabral
Teenage Glutster

*Full-detailed posts about all these coming tentatively soon.