With no terrible encroaching deadline for me to procrastinate on, I pledge my limited and sometimes complete attention to attempting all the recipes in the Lucky Peach food journals.  I will start with the coveted Issue #1 – Ramen, which came out in the summer of 2011, oh so long ago.  I think I’ll go in order, though you never know, I could change my mind and jump from the Instant Ramen Gnocchi Parisienne to the Salt Cod Omelet. I get moody.  But I’ll try to start in order and we’ll see how it goes, okay?  I definitely commit to one issue at a time.

A little about me: I’m not a cook. I waitressed in a Denny’s in Waikiki Beach for two months when I was 18 and that’s my complete food industry history. I work in TV/film/web and print media, but I’m not a total asshole. I was actually born and raised in Los Angeles (I’m a real valley girl), and still, not a total asshole. I spent some time living in Oregon and Hawaii, and now I make my bed in Silver Lake.

I’m a Master Gardener, which means I know how to grow stuff. I have a lot of food growing most of the year and I share it with friends, family, and use it in my own kitchen as much as possible. I have a large plot behind my apartment, a container herb garden for cocktails & cooking outside my front door, and a very large plot in the Manzanita Community garden in Sunset Junction. I’ve been a part of that garden community since 2004.

If I don’t mention my Mom, I’m a total jerk, so here goes. My Mom is Sicilian-American, and she married my Dad, who was Mexican-American, which automatically made her a wannabe Mexican.  My point here is, my Mom can cook some good food. My Grandmother for certain brought the Italian out in the kitchen, but once my Mom got that taste for Mexican, she was off and running. She is a great cook! She’s never afraid to experiment and she’s a fan of kitchen tools, so if I’ve had any cooking education, it’s been from her – and I’m a lucky peach for that! 

Stay tuned.