Today's Harvest

Italian Arugula and Romaine Lettuce form my garden.

Italian Arugula

Romaine Lettuce

Cue: Disgust

I'm back at work designing food packaging. What's that mean? Flavor Cues! Flavor cue is a term used in marketing to help the consumer immediately identify the flavor. This weekend I was with some friends in the store and was pleasantly pleased to see Tapatío Fritos corn chips! I love me some Tapatío or Cholula hot sauces. My friends called me out on it, but I wasn't embarrassed.

Then, next to the Fritos, I saw one of the biggest design atrocities ever – Ruffles. I have an idea of what kind of guys they are trying to sell to, but this packaging is so terrible, I love it - but. I'd never eat those Ruffles! Loaded Chili & Cheese or Molten Hot Wings potato chips? No thanks. The horrendous photos and over-the-top flavor cues almost made me nauseated. I think I threw up a little in my mouth. It tasted like chili.

I Brake for Boiled Peanuts

"I Brake for Boiled Peanuts" reads the bumper sticker.

After seeing this bumper sticker, I've come to think that boiled peanuts must be bangin'!

Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. Thankfully in most parts of California, we can enjoy locally grown strawberries year round. Here are some berries from the Silver Lake Farmers' Market today... Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries and Blackberries.

Trying Lotus

Lotus root had long been one of my favorite snacks. The first time I tried it was at a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles years ago. The root is sliced and pickled in a light sauce. When sliced it has a beautiful flower-like pattern inside. It is crisp, savory and slightly sweet and very refreshing for summer. Available at Silver Lake Farmers' Market.

Fruit in Colombia: Granadilla, "How do I eat this?"

Granadilla for Breakfast

"How do I eat this?" was the first thing I said when I was served Granadilla for breakfast at Hacienda Guayabal outside Chinchina, Colombia. There it was sitting among a plate of sliced up papaya, cracked open and filled with black seeds and what appeared to be snot. It was similar looking to passion fruit, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. My friend told me to just eat everything inside the shell. I picked up the light weight shell which was shiny and smooth. It was orange in color with speckles. The inside was filled with crunchy seed that looked like black sunflower seeds individually wrapped in tiny semi-translucent gelatinous packets.

Granadilla for sale at the market

The hard orange speckled shell of the granadilla

Inside the granadilla you'll find seeds in individual packets of jelly like fruit

The seeds of the granadilla provide a crunchy complimentary texture

 I held the shell like a little cup and used a spoon to scoop out spoonfuls of seeds into my mouth. First you get the sweet, slightly tart and floral flavor of the fruit from the flesh around the seed. Then as you bite, you get this amazing crunch which is the ultimate counter texture. After hollowing out the shell, there was this strangely beautiful skeleton left inside the shell that almost resemble coral formations. I tried granadilla as whole fruit and it also made wonderfully delicious juice.

The coral-like empty shell of the granadilla

Artichokes at the Farmers' Market in Silver Lake

Artichokes with a beautiful purple to green color at the Farmers' Market in Silver Lake. The market is now on Saturdays in the morning from 8am - 1:30pm and also now on Tuesday afternoons from 2pm-7pm.

The Silver Lake Farmers' Market is located where Griffith Park Blvd. meets Sunset Blvd. near Sunset Junction.

Silver Lake Farmers Market
3700 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA

SAT 8am - 1:30pm 
TUE 2pm-7pm.

more info 213-413-7770