Crocodile Consumption, Drawing at Cafecito Organico

Remember that time I saved my purse from a crocodile? Me too! I'm just down at Cafecito Organico in Silver Lake doing a little drawing of an re-enactment of that fateful afternoon. 

Morning Masterpiece

Fig Yogurt with Banana, Guava, Honey and Cinnamon

I love fruit. I've been called a fruit. But sometimes fruit can feel a little boring in the morning. Making overnight oats or dumping some yogurt, granola and fruit in a bowl doesn't always give me extra satisfaction I sometimes need in the early hours of the day.

So when I need an little extra visual fulfillment or just need to impress a stranger who stayed over the night before, I like to put my best fruit forward and make a lovely looking plate filled with healthy ingredients to start the day.

I stop thinking of my food as ingredients, and more as materials for art. After assessing my materials I start thinking of the shapes, colors and textures before me. I begin cut shape profiles and lay them out on the canvas, which in this case is now a white plate. A dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon completes my edible art.

So, next time you have guests over for brunch, or just want to make sometime special for yourself in the morning, take a few extra minutes for plating and make your own morning masterpiece. If you create something I would love to see it. Upload your breakfast to Instagram and use the hashtag #morningmasterpiece.

Dia de los Muertos in Los Angeles

My "Dia de los Muertos" altar in Los Angeles, California

My memories of "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) at the cemetery of Xoxo in Oaxaca, Mexico live on in my California home every November. I honor those who have been in my life and celebrate their lives. The last week of October, I begin to collect my photos, objects in one spot and buy fresh marigolds from the farmers' market. My bookshelf slowly begins to transform into a beautiful altar to remember important people in my life - this year primarily in my thoughts were my grandfather, my cousin Josh and my friend Josh Clayton-Felt, as well as the "Ayotzinapa 43" (the forty-three students who were "disappeared" in Mexico). Each item on my altar is carefully selected and holds special significance. Candles, copal (incense) and marigolds are among the gifts that welcome and guide the spirits' return.

My altar lit with candles at night 

Altar detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Among these gifts you will also find water and food, which often was a favorite of the deceased. Potatoes and eggs are offered for the spirit of my grandfather who taught me to make fried potatoes with which he often topped with a fried egg. "Pan de muerto" is a special bread that is made for Day of the Dead. It is slightly sweet, spiced with anise, flavored with orange and topped with sugar. My loaves are made with traditional bone shapes on top, but this year I switched it up and made a full skull shape with crossbones.

Ingredients ready to make "Pan de Muerto"

Making "Pan de Muerto" at home

"Pan de Muerto" at my altar

Crew of Bones Muhroni and my friend, Anselmo, with make up and ready to party.

With our large Mexican community here in Los Angeles, "Dia de los Muertos" has long been a community tradition. The most popular of celebrations is usually sponsored by Self-Help Graphics. This year people gathered around the altars built in Grand Park and celebrated with traditional dance and song.

City Hall in DTLA behind the Grand Park celebration for "Dia de los Muertos"

Downtown LA altar detail

Giant skull on altar in Downtown Los Angeles

The candle on this altar reads "Justice for Tayvon Martin"

I'm Going Bananas for My New Business Cards

Business Cards designed by Xhico

As you may know, I'm not only a foodie, but I'm also a artist, graphic designer, brand consultant and certified weirdo. While I was in Mexico City, I took some of my free time to design myself some new business cards. I started with drawing my banana illustrations at the coffee shop one day. I found out the neighborhood where to get printing done. With my thumb drive in hand I stepped out of the Chabacano Metro station into a neighborhood that is a graphic designer's delight. The smell of ink wafting out of print shops that lined the streets as I passed by looking at all of my options to choose a printer. They were everywhere. Blocks and blocks of off-set, digital, silkscreen, stamp-makers, paper cutters, swag marketing, sign making lined the streets. I remember walking by three woman hand assembling fancy marketing brochures and they were all having such a wonderful time at their jobs. I finally decided on a small booth to do my printing. They would only take a few days, I could get my satin finish and it would cost a mere $140 Mexican pesos.

Let me know what you think about my banana designs. Original banana drawings and soft-sculptures by me are now available online. Please check out my shop and buy a banana!

Sketching at the Coffee Shop

My recent trip to Teotihuacan put lots of ideas into this brain. The sound of the jaguar whistle is still resonating in my skull. I'm fascinated by the way of life in the old world. I often imagine what the daily life of people were like and what the process of making a meal was like. I think of corn and molcajetes.

So I sit with my pen and coffee while I bring these thoughts to life on paper.

Sketch by Xhico

Flofa Apple Street Art Sticker

Street art sticker by Flofa, Mexico City

While walking thru Condesa in Mexico City, I spotted this cute street art sticker by Flofa. It's an adorable apple. Provecho!

Lilac Time

Xhico's Dining Table

I love lilacs. My grandfather had a lilac tree in his backyard. I remember a place on the way from my grandfather's in Riverbank to my home town of Oakdale. There was this grand tree with lilac vines fiercely growing upon it and it would become engorged with purple.

Today I got some lilacs and tulips at Silver Lake Farmers' Market and made a little arrangement for my table. I buy flowers from this very nice man almost every week. Today I learned that his cousin actually grows the flowers on a farm in the Ventura area. I love that they keep it in the family. You can also see my wall of some art hanging salon style. These are pieces I've collected or that have been given to me over the years.

The Inventors of Al Pastor: El Tizoncito

Al Pastor roasting on the spit at El Tizoncito, Mexico City

Upon my arrival in Mexico City, there was much confusion finding my amiga, Eme, at the airport. Fortunately there were some incredible sculptures by Jorge Marín to distract me, as well as a friendly, handsome security guard who I gave some of my art stickers.

Sculpture by Jorge Marín, Mexico City, DF, Mexico

By the time I found Eme at another terminal, I was already starving. We grabbed a cab and headed toward our digs in the Condesa neighborhood. We were fortunate enough to have friends staying at a mansion so we were able to live large there for a few days while attending the Material Art Fair. Which by the way was amazing. You'll read more about that later. We have tacos to talk about.

We dropped our bags on the first floor of the mansion and headed down the street for tacos. Conveniently, there is an El Tizoncito, just blocks away. Tizoncito claims to be the inventor of Tacos al Pastor. We arrived to the marinated slices of pork loin stacked in the shape of a spinning top. The name comes from the "style of the shepherd" and is cooked very similarly to shawarma and gyros. The meat slowly spins and roasts and then thinly sliced onto tacos. At the top of the meat is a piece of pineapple that gets richly sweet as it cooks and a thin slice is added to the tacos. It's just enough subtle sweetness to compliment some of the spicy salsas.

Salsas at El Tizoncito, Mexico City

After we were seated, we were seated by a very friendly waitress and an even more friendly tower of chips and salsas. There were four very different salsas - a tomatillo with green chile, pure serrano, chile de arbol and morita chile. There were liquified beans also served which helped cut the heat when needed. The michelada (beer with lime juice and salt) also helped mellow things out.

Al Pastor Tacos at El Tizoncito, Mexico City

And then... the tacos came. Tender roasted slices of al pastor, pineapple with white onion and cilantro. Perfection on my plate. The taste was delicious and I couldn't get enough. I stopped after six. Only because I knew I was having churros later.

Visit El Tizoncito website for menu and locations.

12 Days of Chocolate!

As a designer, I'm luckily enough to work with Chase Design Group in Los Angeles. This year for Christmas they put together a beautifully printed box of chocolates, "12 Days of Chocolate". A large box contains twelve squares of milk and dark chocolates each designed by a different designer at the studio. The packaging uses every luxury print technique you could want to use as a designer; metallic inks, foil-stamping, embossing, die-cuts all masterfully printed by Clear Image Printing in Glendale.

"12 Days of Chocolate" Holiday Packaging by Chase Design Group

Halloween Projection Art at Berlin Currywurst

I will be exhibiting my projection art on the streets of Los Angeles for Halloween. I will be showing video art from "Return of the Dark Owl" and "The Fold" tomorrow night at Berlin Currywurst in Los Angeles. Come out and see my spooky art come alive on the walls. I will also be giving away sticker, postcards, t-shirts and more!

BERLIN CURRYWURST

3827 W Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles
CA, 90026

Halloween Night

October 31, 2011

7pm-10pm

Sign of the Times

A sing of the times for many people who are very hungry. I spotted this sign scrawled by a homeless person while walking through Los Angeles the other day.

Cuts like a Knife

Check out this great knife holder that was in my friend's kitchen in San Francisco.

Art & Food: Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"

Peter Gabriel gets his fruits and vegetables in the 80's classic, "Sledgehammer".

One of my favorite videos of all time is Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". This innovative video always inspired me as child to want to make music videos. The stop motion animation is incredible. I love the cotton candy hair, the banana that peels when it goes in and out his ear and of course the dancing chickens!

Get Piggy With It

Oink!

Ground pork never looked so good. Spotted by my cousin at Savemart butcher's counter in Oakdale, California.

Art & Food: Burger Mural

Lovely hamburger character line the wall of this San Francisco Mission District alley.

Miso Fly Ice Sculpture

The Miso Fly Boutique held it's first year anniversary party this weekend. It was an amazing night. The room was like a piece of heaven. Covered from floor to ceiling in white fabric, bathed in soft blue light. The highlight for me was seeing the logo I designed for them, etched into the martini bar, made of ice. It was exquisite.

This set the scene for the fashion show, which exhibited the clothes from the Miso Fly boutique and some beautiful human specimens modeling the attire. Hair was done by Jessie Townley of Hairajuku Salon. The party was filled with patrons, dancing and noshing on delicious treats from savory meats, ice chilled sushi and wonderful deserts (which i was fortunate enough to be seated closely to). The event was hosted by owner, Tracy Kang.