Art & Food

One of my clients (El Take It Easy) is hosting a special dinner each month in collaboration with local cultural notables who are also vegan. The series is aptly named “Veganized.”

I got to help out with this month’s dinner, which will be hosted by the prolific artist Acamonchi (who painted the pedicab in the photo above). The artist will share some of his latest paintings, and join the rest of us in enjoying a three-course meal featuring produce from Suzie’s Farm. El Take It Easy also has phenomenal cocktails and an extensive list of mezcals.

The dinner is tonight, Wed. 1/11 at 5pm. Hope you can make it!

Seeds@City Cultivating Future Farmers

A COUPLE FACTS:

  • San Diego County leads the nation in small family farms practicing organic methods.
  • Apparently, the Seeds@City program at San Diego City College is the only high learning institution in San Diego County offering a degree in sustainable agriculture.

Seeds@City wants to add more staff to manage already available land, offer more classes, grow the program, and in-turn educate more future farmers and food entrepreneurs. But with recent cuts in education funding, the program must become more self-sufficient.

THE PROPOSAL:
Become a nursery for urban food producers.

THE PLAN:
Seeds@City aims to build a greenhouse that will generate ongoing revenue through a CSA-style (Community Supported Agriculture) program producing plant starters for urban farmers across the city. With some collective investment from the community, Seeds@City will be able to build the greenhouse and gain more financial independence by which to grow the program.

YOUR PART:
You can support this project at any level, whether you are growing tomatoes at home, selling pickles at a farmers market, or running a restaurant featuring local food. Check out their Kickstarter page to get on board.

Tacos – the 5th dimension

When I first opened up shop at The Bakery in Barrio Logan about two years ago, I ate mostly veg. Little did I know that this era would soon come to an end. Within weeks, I was yanked from the world as we know it, only to find myself wandering through another dimension – one of tacos.

When I awoke from this perspective-altering food-coma on a side street in Tijuana watching a few ounces of salsa be flipped several feet into air via spoon, only to land gently into the welcome embrace of some birria, I realized that carne es too bueno to pass up. Many Tijuana and San Diego taco adventures later, I have acquired expert knowledge of the Tijuego Taco landscape.

But during the work week, my favorite taco within walking or cycling distance from the Mother Sponge studio is the taco de carnitas at La Fachada on 25th between Imperial/Commercial. They do it right – very greasy, very succulent, and slightly crispy on the edges. Plus, the roasted green salsa is the best I’ve ever tasted.

It’s also crucial to note that although great for lunch, La Fachada is best experienced at 1am on Saturday night (with or without a few drinks in ya’). A recent late night snack during the middle of a photoshoot had us at La Fachada around closing time (3am!), listening to a band of Mariachi-youngsters performing The Strokes’ Last Night, a Beatles song I can’t recall right now, and a couple traditional mariachi tunes.

Lardo in the limelight

The first pig fat based ice cream sandwich to get it’s own website, The Linkery’s Lardo Ice Cream Sandwich, will be featured on The Cooking Channel’s show United Tastes of America this Tuesday at 7pm. It’s a hefty desert by all accounts, good to share among 4 peeps, preferably with a pint of Speedway Stout for sipping.

Keep bringing it, San Diego/Tijuana region purveyors of fine food!