Author Archives: Val

Juice Box To The Rescue!

Rescue Juice truck Ventura County, CA In the 1990s, Megan Jackson’s primary concern was not which taco truck had the best tacos al pastor, but how she was going to beat leukemia and stay alive. Chemotherapy just seemed to make … Continue reading

Posted in Trippy Food (Tasty flora and fauna), USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Attack Of The 20-Foot Artichoke

World’s Largest Artichoke, Giant Artichoke Restaurant Castroville, California Castroville, California bills itself as the Artichoke Capital of the World, and as discussed in the article on the Castroville Artichoke Festival, it is well justified. When you have the chutzpah to … Continue reading

Posted in Trippy Trips (On the road and overseas, things to see along the way), USA, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

WARNING! Contains Cornographic Images

Huitlacoche (corn smut) Mexico It raises a few eyebrows when I announce that I’m headed to Los Angeles’ Koreatown to check out the smut, but in this particular case it’s corn smut (huitlacoche) I’m referring to. Huitlacoche has been a … Continue reading

Posted in Mexico, Trippy Food (Tasty flora and fauna) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Other Gray Meat

Scrapple Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and surrounding states Philadelphia, you can keep your Cheez Whiz-laden shaved steak sandwiches – but you’ll take my scrapple when you pry it from my cold, dead trotters. Scrapple for me is a nostalgia food – it’s … Continue reading

Posted in Philadelphia PA, Trippy Food (Tasty flora and fauna), USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reservations Required

An Evening With Anthony Bourdain Royce Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles CA “Hey, Val, if you could do anything you wanted for a career, what would you choose?” Oh, I don’t know, I’d like to visit exotic and unusual places, immerse … Continue reading

Posted in Trippy Happenings (Events) | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments