English Muffin

I saw this cardboard box for english muffins laying on the street as a I walked in the rain. It made me want McDonald's.

Deal of the Day: Half off at Border Grill

see more photos on Border Grill's website gallery

Border Grill in Downtown Los Angeles, is offering a special thru Groupon (one of my favorite sites). You can get $40 worth of food for only $20. Click here to get todays' Deal of the Day.

When you go to Border Grill try the Panuchos with Citrus Chicken and the Yucatan Pork roasted in banana leaf. It's oh so good.

Border Grill is located at 445 S Figueroa St. Los Angeles, California 90071.

The most expensive Ice Cream Sandwich

A rad piece of furniture, Ice Cream Sandwich Ottoman

If this Ice Cream Cookie was real I would eat it. It is real. A real ottoman, not a real giant dessert. Made of solid foam, this Ice Cream Sandwich from Jellio will just encourage you to get fatter as you lay on it and eat Klondike Bars all day. It will likely be the most expensive Ice Cream Sandwich you'll ever buy - setting you back only $1,050.

Color: Red Walnuts

These "Red Walnuts" have a beautiful, deep red-purple hue, almost the color of red wine. Product of California.

Mammoth Burrito Truck

Roving Mammoth Burrito Truck. Mammoth Mountian Ski Resort, California.

Now I've seen it all. I think. From food carts to food trucks, this is the biggest beast of them all. The
"Roving Mammoth" Burrito truck. These snowcats are rigged to serve up delicious eats to the people on the mountain at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California. When you get a little hungry from skiing the slopes, warm up your tummy with burritos or calzones from the other truck roaming the mountain.

Not-So-Brittle Brittle

My grandma makes the best peanut brittle. I love it. I made it on occasion with her while I was growing up. And by "made it", I mean followed her around the kitchen and watched everything she was doing. I decided this year to make some brittle myself. How hard could it be? One pot, three ingredients, twelve minutes. Well, unless you've been doing this 70 years, it's not as easy as it seems. You see my grandma had learned this recipe when she was a kid from her aunt "Pud". My grandma is an expert at this by now. I am not.

Not like grandma used to make.

As soon as I poured my first batch of peanut brittle, I knew from the color, something was wrong. I called my grandma to find out what it could be. She acted in disbelief as if something could go wrong, because I don't think it ever does for her. Then she assured me that the last batch she made she over cooked a little. This batch happens to be en route to me. She then told me I probably under cooked it. I realized I did. A combination of undercooking and the wet air from the rainy weather didn't allow the first batch to set. I ended up with a cross between a caramel and a nougat.

My "brittle" was so pliable, I could roll it. NOT, the texture I was going for.

All rolled up...

The moldable candy provided some interesting textures.

I set out for batch two. This time cooking it a bit longer and higher temperature. It totally worked. I didn't use peanuts this time around, I made a Sunflower Seed - Cacao Nib - Coconut brittle. It was airy, crackly and crisp. 

The final brittle turned out splendid. Sunflower Seed, Cacao Nibs, Coconut Brittle.

Louie's Passion Fruit Munchies

What can be better when you're high at a party than to find out you're friend, who happens to work at Bottega Louie in Los Angeles, happens to have pastries in the back seat of his car. That's a quick way to get me into the back seat.

We joined him in the car for a tasting of gold leafed macaroons, passion fruit eclair and chocolate raspberry tarts. That passion fruit was a like an explosion of wonder in my mouth. What a wonderful way to satisfy the munchies.

Not the best photo of these treats. They had quite the trip through the rain and in the taxi cab.