Indulge in a Little Bit of Hard-Core Food Pornography

So, whilst looking for a recipe on how to make cheese today, I stumbled across a great recipe video blog called Food Wishes Video Recipes with Chef John. Not only is Chef John funny and a bit odd, but his style and finesse make cooking look like, well, a piece of cake. Best of all, everything on his site looks delicious. You must check it out [here].

And no, he’s not performing any pornography on his site. Totally SFW. Really, I’m not even here to talk about Chef John. What I am here to talk about is Tastespotting, a site Chef John mentioned a couple of times on his site, aka, my new favorite place to drool on the Internet. It’s been around for a year or two, but if you haven’t yet seen it, get ready to get hooooooked.

It’s a website (and oh, what a brilliant, brilliant idea someone had) where people can post pictures, just pictures (with one or two line descriptions) of their culinary delights. When you click on the picture, it takes you to the root blog or website containing the original recipe. When I first started looking at this site, I was instantly entranced for, like, 2 hours. You’ll understand why I call it pornography when you see this site. So simple, so magical.

Here it is, in ALL it’s glory. www.tastespotting.com

I may never buy another cook book again.

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Currently listening to Roland Kirk, Jazz Masters 27

Yup.

Aerial Photos of Monument Valley

Somewhere in the crazy badlands of Utah…

As I was flying home from my visit to Boston last month, I looked up from my book to see what was happening out the window. I was surprised and awed to see our plane passing directly over Monument Valley, an amazing desert park of eroded mountains that stand like monolithic titans over the desert sands.

Here are a couple of pics I was able to snap. Too bad I had the crappy, cloudy/dirty plane window in the way of this breathtaking scene. I hope to go back some day and see these guys from the ground.

I’m especially impressed with the rocks in the lower left hand corner. SOOO beautiful.

Just to give you an idea, these rocks are up to 1,000 feet tall, not something to be trifled with!

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Currently listening to Loto Fire by Ely Guerra

Yup.

Zappos Party at Rain

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Andrea invited me to a Zappos party at Rain in the Palms, Las Vegas. Above is a video of some of the entertainment they had at Rain. In addition to sexy bodies writhing to techno music from a suspended metal sphere (it was pretty hot), there were ice sculptures (some with holes drilled through them—people were pouring shots to chill the liquor), there were celebrities (Jamie Foxx, although I never did see him there), fire dancers (one of which is on the roller derby team!), free booze (kick ass), scantily-clad dancers (with painted-on tattoos), and, to top it all off, live penguins swimming in one of the pools on the outdoor upper pool deck, overlooking the strip (sooo cute and happy).

Let’s face it. The Palms is full of horrible people. All the big, trashy celebrities hang out there and there’s always UFC fighting. That aside, it’s a beautiful, beautiful hotel.

Plus, Zappos knows how to throw a kick-ass party. They NEVER disappoint. Thanks, Andrea, for the invitation! It was so fun to go there with you.

Pictures below.

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Currently listening to A Feast of Wire by Calexico

Yup.

It’s Official, I bought the roller skates

I look like such a bruiser in this picture.

Here’s another shot of a skate, with an amused Jorge in the background.

So, I finally got some roller skates. I’m going to join the Roller Derby team, providing I figure out how to stop on the skates, haha. I’ve been to a few practices with the team, and I have a long, long way to go. But it’s fun so far.

I still need a good derby name. Hopefully something prurient/violent/bad ass. Suggestions are welcome. Themed names are good too. Themes I like are the Wild Old West, and rock and roll references. Help!

Here’s some ceviche Jorge made the other night. It was freakin’ delicious. Man, I am so spoiled living with him. Such good, good food. Always.

BTW: I broke out in hives the other week from an unknown allergy. I thought it might have been wasabi peas or mangoes, because I ate a lot of them in one week, and I normally don’t eat them. I was discussing this with my father and he told me that we don’t have any food allergies in our family. He did mention, casually, however, that my uncle used to have a bunch of allergies that went away when he stopped smoking pot. Looks like I might be allergic to marijuana. That is a real bummer, man.

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Currently listening to 19 by Adele

Yup.

Some recent designs

View of the Davis subway T station in Cambridge, MA

So, I had six weeks of intensely busy work from from the middle of May until the end of June, wherein I produced three magazines. I am glad that’s over! I took a vacation to Boston directly afterward. I had a lovely time being back on my old stomping grounds and seeing old friends. I love Boston so much, it’s such an incredible town. But, being back there reminded me how much I love my life in Las Vegas. I was eager to return. Here are a few of my samples from the magazines…. Followed by details of each…

A feature about downtown Las Vegas. Awesome photo by Greg Jones.

History page. One of my favorite sections of the magazine. Always very tidy and always with great pictures. This one of the Greenspuns is a classic.

Thanks for psdtuts.com for the the killer tutorial on how to make the grass letters. The whole website is so great, you’ve got to check it out.

I really enjoyed the hand-lettering part of this. Inspired by the great Ling magazine (Check it out).

I LOVE News Gothic and Cooper Black together. It’s a match made in heaven. Inspired by the awesome Ling Magazine lingmagazine.com

I love when I can wedge cartoon pandas into the sports section! Official mascots for the Olympics.

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Currently listening to Cansei du Ser Sexy

Yup.

I live in Las Vegas

Yes, and I’ve been here for almost two years. Let me tell you, although I am becoming quite familiar with this town, I am still shocked and amazed every time I see the Strip, day or night.

It feels like I live in a comic book sometimes. I kind of love it.

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Currently listening to “Heartbeats” by The Knife

Yup.

New ads for The Monitor

Here are some new ads I’ve done for The Monitor’s website. Don’t know when the ads are going up for sure, but the website is here.

I did each ad in three different sizes, but I’m not going to post them all here. I love working for The Monitor, they pay well and always are cool with my crazy ideas. Yay!

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Currently listening to Dummy by Portishead

Yup.

Goodbye Suzanne

Me, Bella, Suzanne

Suzanne, Jay, and the kids left for Tulsa today. Jay will be returning next week, but Suzanne and the kids will be living in Oklahoma now. I am feeling a little sad, but at least I got to party with them a little last night, one last time.

On a spontaneous decision around 9 pm, Jorge and I drove over to the JW Marriott, where Jay had got this kick ass suite on the top floor with a view of the city. We sat up and talked and drank until two am. I am feeling it a little this morning, but it was worth it, it was fun.

Goodbye. See you at Christmas!

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Currently listening to The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse

Yup.

Tacos

Molcajete & Fresh Salsa (spicy!)

Cilantro

Grilled Beef

Tomatillo, Molcajete, Rat Tail Peppers in a Kerr Jar

Corn Tortillas

I took a picture of all the ingredients, so I don’t forget.

The first time I remember eating a taco, I was with my best friend Carissa Goodwin, and our mothers had taken us to Taco Bell. We were six years old and we had just come from the swimming pool. My mother ordered me a soft shell taco on a flour tortilla with meat and cheese only. Of course, no spicy sauce. I remember liking it. A lot. It didn’t have much flavor, but it was warm and soft and cheesy.

That was 22 years ago. I’d like to say that, although I have come a long way from Taco Bell, such as moving on to meat flavored with cumin and garlic, even working in ‘Tex-Mex’ restaurants and sampling what others swore was the most authentic Mexican food, I have to agree…ethnic food is never authentic until a person of that ethnicity cooks it for you.

Last week I bought a big fat gas grill and since then, my roommate and I have been cooking out everything that will fit on that damn thing. Tonight, he had me run to the store to buy tomatillos, cilantro and onion. When I had come back from the store with the produce, he was already out in the backyard cooking these large, thin cuts of beef on the grill, the smell of which I’m sure was tantalizing the entire block.

He came inside with the prepared meat and placed it on the red cutting board. With his giant kitchen knife, the one with the seven-inch blade, he began dicing the meat. It is amazing to watch this man cook—as he turns around, monitors the beans in the pot on the stove, then simultaneously places the tomatoes and some Serano peppers in the blender for salsa, chops the onion, prepares the tomatillos, hashes the cabbage, and minces the cilantro all with an efficiency and speed of a British automobile engine. Every movement flows into another task, every turn reveals a new ingredient.

He knows what he’s doing, and he’s concentrating. I can’t disturb him, can’t talk to him just now, I have to just rest myself against the bar where he’s cooking and watch. It’s entertaining, mesmerizing and—admittedly—erotic. Watch him as he rinses the bunch of cilantro and runs his hand down the stalks, gently squeezing the leaves at the end to remove the excess water. Watch him as he spins the empty blender barrel in his hand before he drops in the little green tomatoes. Watch him as he spears a triangle of beef with the end of the knife and eats it right off that menacing blade. He is on task–he doesn’t look at me during this process, except a quick glance after he eats that piece of meat. Yes, I see you.

A few moments later, a little taco is assembled and resting on a plate in front of me. It’s a small mountain of white and red and green and brown. And honestly, I would have taken a picture of the taco, but I made the mistake of tasting it before I photographed it: From the moment I tasted it, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else but eating it and maybe 10, 15, 20 more. Well, I ate three. Delicious.

He’s always been a good cook. Most everything he makes is tasty, and a good sized portion of his cooking repertoire is really quite exquisite. But this…these tacos, were simply the best thing I have ever eaten. I told him so. Some food is good, some is wonderful. Some food is comforting and some food is exciting. But sometimes you eat something that is life-affirming. That is so incredibly exciting that you know you will be thinking about it for the next 15 years. These tacos were it.

I told him I thought they were amazing. He said, “Really?” He’s generally falsely modest when it comes to my compliments on his cooking, but I think he’s genuinely surprised that the simplest things he makes are always my favorites.

“You’d better be careful,” I say.

“Why?”

“Because if you continue to cook food like this for me, I’m going to fall in love with you.”

He laughs, pauses, then adds, “It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened to me”.

Cocky son-of-a-bitch.

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Currently listening to Zooropa by U2

Yup.

New Logo for Daycroft

New logo for Daycroft School Foundation that I designed. Old logo below:

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Currently listening to Delete.Delete.I.Eat.Meat by Ghostland Observatory

Yup.