[CH] chilehead report from Los Angeles

Alex Silbajoris (asilbajo@hotmail.com)
Thu, 24 Mar 2005 03:37:27 +0000 

I am in town on business this week, trying to sight-see as much as I can.  
As I recognize all these place names, I feel like I'm driving around in my 
Frank Zappa record collection.

I had a nice Thai dinner with list member Riley; we had to reassure the 
waitress that we wanted things hot.  She carried over a caddy of three jars 
- one red sauce, one pepper slices in vinegar, and one jar of dry seasoning 
that I didn't sample.  We asked for our dinners hot, and mine was maybe 7 on 
a scale of 10.  It tasted OK, though, and was a nice visual presentation.

Well, this town belongs to Tapatio as far as sauce goes, I see it in most 
Mexican restaurants.  The white folks use Tabasco if there's anything 
available.  Today in a grocery (the Ralph's on Sunset, for any Zappa fans) I 
bought a bottle of Mezzetta habanero sauce

- pauses to sample -

hey, not bad!  The hab flavor is a bit muted and salted compared to some of 
the others I've had (too bad I can't buy Ralph's Righteous at a Ralph's 
grocery) but this is better than anything else I've found on a table here so 
far.

Near the office I'm in, there is a little styrofoam-plate Mexican 
restaurant.  They have a tiny condiment bar, and one tub has pickled 
japalenos, onions, and carrots.  There is a distinct flavor of allspice in 
the brine, I didn't expect that.  Their food is decent but the plastic knife 
could barely cut a tortilla.

Earlier in the week I had a business lunch at another Mexican place.  I 
asked for the camarones rancheros, which was very similar to the camarones 
mexicanas I've had in Columbus, shrimp with pepper and onion slices - pretty 
good.  I asked for some of ther diabla sauce on the side.  So that sauce 
seems to have toasted onion ring bits in it - I think I might be able to 
duplicate it if I toss onion slices in tomato/pepper sauce and broil them 
almost until the slices and sauce begin to toast, then whizz it in a food 
processor.

The farmers markets are loaded with citrus but hot peppers are not in season 
now.  I walk neighborhoods and see orange and lemon trees loaded with fruit. 
  Seeing all these palm trees pleasantly reminds me of visiting my sister in 
Miami.

My last day here is Friday, then I fly home on Saturday.  With luck, I will 
have more to report before I'm finished.

Pods to all,

- A