Recently I have been a plane hopping, car driving, lack of sleep having, super busy individual. I been from coast to coast in last two weeks! My most recent/current trip has been back home to California. This weeks adventures were a homecoming for me as I haven't returned to California in about 7 years. Now, when I come visit my family and friends there is one thing I tend to do a lot of...Cook. Everyone puts in their requests and we go to the store or more than likely many stores, hole-in the wall produce shops, farmers markets, etc., and I end up coated in food smells and my glasses heavily spattered with oil of some kind with a big ol' smile on my face as I feed the people I love. This trip was no exception.
No later that the first hour I was awake on my first full day in town, I was summoned to prepare omelets and coffee for two of the greatest women I have ever had the privilege of knowing (my Mom and Grand Mommie). Soon after my cooking duties were fulfilled I got a call from a family friend inviting me down to LA to see his new kitchen. Soon I was dressed and out the door to beat the traffic. As I set foot inside the house, cooking was the flavor of the day. I was greeted with turkey tacos, some of the best avocados on the planet, 3 different types of hot sauce (I chose Cholula), handfuls of fresh cilantro, and ice cold beer. My vacation was already turning out to be epic.
Now our friend Wayne has an insane kitchen. Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances abound in the space, great design, ample workspace, and a Brazilian Cherry hard wood floor I wanted to sleep on, it looked so good. But with all of Wayne's great kitchen amenities, his knife selection was, (how do I say) very lacking. He was using a cleaver to cut everything. I tried not to get too upset, but when I found out why my friend was down to the extreme bare bones in cutlery, I got my next assignment; knife shopping. We visited a knife store where I outfitted him with 3 essential knives that suit his cooking style and hands: a 10" French knife, 5" utility knife, and an 7" Santoku (picture Rachel Ray). He was very happy and rushed home to try them out.
A few days later, I got another call from Wayne wanting to take me to the Hollywood Farmers Market. So, once again I made the trip to LA and we cruised down to see his people at the farmers market. Wayne shops at farmers markets around LA about 3 times a week, everything is fresh in his house, I mean everything and shopping at his local spot was a treat. We constantly ran into people he knew and made rounds to all of his favorite vendors. After our bags were full we went back to the house and cooked dinner for the whole family.
Wayne made lamb chops, and grilled artichokes while I whipped up some grilled patty pan squash with red onion and a mint/basil/lemon vinaigrette to toss the veggies in and a tomato, Persian cucumber, and kalamata olive bruschetta. We ate, drank, and were merry late into the afternoon. My whole vacation has been nothing but food, family, fun, and friends. Cooking great food and visiting with loved ones has to be one of life's greatest joys and is definitely healthy living. My concept of home has been so undefined for the past 5 years that I always hesitate to tell people where I am from. But now I know, well remembered. I love California, love it; but since I turned into bona fide stone ground grit lovin', fresh tomato craving Semi-Southerner I find myself beginning to call the South home too. Its weird and I am still confused; go figure. Now I am just waiting for my next trip back home.
