Houston Chronicle reports on America's food supply

This article from the Houston Chronicle is an awesome example of mainstream media finally paying attention to the issue of our ever-widening chain of food supply. Great read. 

Half of all food wasted post-production

Reports now say that half of all food is wasted post-production. Among the main culprits of this ugly fact are Great Britain ($40bn wasted per year) and the United States (one third of all food thrown away in this county per year). Living in America, I think we often take advantage of the immediate and varied access to high quality food and water; most people around the world do not have that same luxury. 

I am no saint when it comes to food consumption. I can think of so many instances where I let something go to waste in the fridge or don't finish my plate at a restaurant, and the thought of exactly how much food I have personally wasted is slightly sickening. There is no excuse for food left in the fridge -- what a clumsy error! My biggest sin: the cartons of cream-on-top yogurt that get shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten until way past the expiration date. Such a waste. 

Yet another case in point: I had lunch at Ruby's Diner, a SoCal favorite, on Friday with a girlfriend. I ordered the veggie tacos and she ordered a salad with chicken -- standard fare at Ruby's. The plates arrive, and our eyes go round: my two little tacos are stuffed to the brim and even spilling out, and Rachelle's salad bowl is a half foot tall and packed with food. Neither of us can finish, and are forced to send a half the salad back as well as an unfinished taco.

I try not to blame myself for not finishing food at restaurants. I think portions have increased exponentially at American restaurants, resulting in our cultural obesity epidemic. I'm certainly not talking about foodie restaurants such as the French Laundry or my favorite taco stand in Laguna Beach, but the places a vast majority of middle America frequent with veracity. Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, Panera, and steakhouses like Ruth's Chris and Morton's that serve giant portions that often go unfinished. It's a chicken-and-egg dilemma: would restaurants be serving such large portions if consumers didn't demand them? Would consumers be so obese if not offered gigantic portions? 

Food for thought today. 

Anthony Bourdain on Quimet Quimet!!

Love him or hate him, Anthony Bourdain gets around. His current show, "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel, sends the chef around the world with open mind and excited palette.

I happen to be a major Bourdain fan; he has attitude, yes, but I've worked with chefs with half the talent and charisma and twice the vitriol. He reminds me of all my favorite chefs: unwavering desire to taste the authentic and local; the will to try anything once; and an unapologetic need for the best food around, whether it be foie gras or fried chicken. 

Spain is one of those amazing places in the world where the entire country serves as a culinary mecca, and has been doing so for ages. Chefs have always flocked there for the varied cuisine across the small country, and it is Spain that Bourdain chooses for his next round of culinary adventures. 

I personally have not had the pleasure of exploring a large majority of this fascinating country and its storied food, but I did get the opportunity to jet in and out of Barcelona last year. A group of jet-setting girlfriends decided Barcelona would be the perfect backdrop for a 30th birthday party. Quimet Quimet was on my short list of must stops, and I dragged my sleepy friends there one afternoon for an amazing tapas experience. 

I mention this because my culinary hero hits up Quimet Quimet while in Barcelona, and his coverage of the city is said to make foodies drool in their living rooms. 

So call me a nerd, but I know exactly where I'll be on Monday afternoon: in my living room, munching up Manchego and roasted red pepper toasts and sipping a Spanish rose, devouring Spain through Mr. Bourdain. The re-run of "Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations: Spain" is on the Travel Channel at 4pm. 

How to Win Wine Awards

A very entrepreneurial spirit recently attempted and achieved a historical and triumphant feat: his restaurant won the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine. The only real issue surrounding this fantastic achievement: the restaurant doesn't exist. Brilliant!! 

The issue has already gone to print in an error I believe Wine Spectator is rather embarrassed over. Bloggers and news publications have been picking this up like Girl Scout cookies from a 12 year old. 

I need a partner in crime for this one...

SIP
L’Heure Verte at Maison 140
What: Drop into Bar Noir during the nightly Green Hour for an absinthe tasting that’ll set you back $5.
Why: It’s easy being, hiccup, green.
When: Daily, 5-7 p.m.
Where: 140 Lasky Dr., at Charleville Blvd., Beverly Hills (310-407-7795).

I must be on a sweets kick...

I have officially died and gone to heaven. The Cookie Fairy exists!! Cookie Sandwiches now come right to your doorstep. I will know how they taste in 7-10 business days... so excited!!!!

New Cocktail Alert! Pesca Matta

You've got to love it when a popular, trend-setting company recognizes the power of cocktails. Featured on none other than Daily Candy last week...

From Perbacco in San Francisco:

Pesca Matta, or "Crazy Peach"

209 Gin

Peach puree

Mint leaves

Lemon juice

Splash of soda water

Serve on the rocks

My New Dessert Obsession

I've never been a baker. Couldn't be farther from it, in fact. Which is why I have no shame in admitting I make sweets from a box. 

The day has come when the box just raised the bar. Jacques Torres has a boxed brownie mix. Let us all praise the foodie gods. 

A New Type of Foodie Man

Gastrosexuals. The new movement. 

Quotes

The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.

--Humphrey Bogart

The Crow Bar + Kitchen

I am heading to a new gastropub in Corona Del Mar tonight, The Crow Bar. Expect a full review tomorrow -- their website is very enticing, although crows aren't necessarily appetizing... we shall see. Happy Thursday!

The Office

Working in Southern California has its perks somedays. Working on a rooftop with a view of Laguna Beach and the Pacific Ocean is one of those perks. Enjoy the view.  

Your Daily Yum Yum: Sustainable FIshing Appears on Zagat!

Fish is an amazing source of protein and nourishment, preferred by many people around the world over red meats, including this pescetarian. This wouldn't be a problem if we didn't have 6 billion + people on this Earth, which is putting an incredible strain on our natural food resources. Fish are no exception. With the demand for fish rising around the world as the population increases, our oceans and rivers are becoming over-fished to the point of unsustainable production. 

So what's an eco-conscious foodie supposed to do without trading in our beloved pesce? Sustainable seafood is possible to obtain on your dinner table and out at restaurants if you are in the know. Zagat, my favorite guide to all things food, just published this blog about sustainable fishing and the conscious chefs and restaurants who serve it. Yum yum!

http://www.zagat.com/Blog/Detail.aspx?SNP=NLA&SCID=37&BLGID=13877