Big Sweet Tooth

Lately I Just Crave Homemade

My taste buds are usually running the spicy Asian route.  Or down some dusty Mexican dirt road.  Maybe a twirl of country Italy.  Lately, though...all I can think about is Simple.  Honest.  Real.  Homemade.  Food.  No country attached to it, just a ton of freshness.  A smear, a nibble, a kiss of this and that.  SO GOOD.

Slow baked tomatoes for hours and hours since they're not in season.  So easy to do and they come out like candy.  A mix of cheeses blended up with some white wine, garlic bits and fresh thyme.  Mason jars full of so-easy-to-whip up pesto.  All smeared on a cracker with a flick of salt.  Casseroles that cook up in no time, with whatever is rockin' in the fridge.  Some lightly seared octopus.  Why is octopus so easy to jack up?  It's such a simple little treat when charred just right. 

I blame my new Vitamix.  That powerhouse has pretty much ruined me against all things non-homemade.  Killer smoothies, green drinks, ICE CREAM, hell...I just made homemade pear juice for a batch of whiskey cocktails.  I don't even like whiskey - but with the proper muddled ingredients and a chunky ice cube, well...I LOVE ME SOME WHISKEY.

Oh, and I also want a goat.  And, a chicken.  Now, I need land.  Some land somewhere to rest and play.  To read and dream.  To plant and grow.  Problemo is, I like the tropics.  So, that will take some hunting...but I'm on it, don't you fret.  I'm most def on it.

 

Wild River Oysters - Best Find of 2011.

I first became obsessed and I mean FREAKIN' OBSESSED with oysters while hi-tailing across Mexico in my little solar trailer.  A spit of a village sprang up out of nowhere and row after row of crude tables were draped along the 2 lane road - each sporting piles and piles of fresh oysters.  Never had a better one since, though my cravings have taken me high and low. 

Now, I know for sure in these jaunts, I've never had wild river oysters.  At least that I know of.  So, to hear a waitress in a tiny seafood shack in Rhode Island rave about these just harvested wild river oysters was a bit of a revelation.  Wha??  Who knew. 

We ordered up a half dozen and tentatively sniffed, picked, poked, and were just generally suspicious of them for a good :15 seconds.  They were all gone in the next :15.  What a fly back to the past.  Now, I'm not saying they were as stunning as my plump Veracruz finds, but they blew away most oysters I've had round-the-world.

Nice to know the river can still turn out some wildly spectacular goods.

View from the Top - At Least the Only One that Matters in My World

Most of ya'll know I live on a floating home in LA.  Some kind of Mississippi tugboat looking beast.  Truly the best spot in the world in my mind.  My neighbors are all quirky and full of life.  That's what marina living will do to you - make you happy and steeped in sprite.  The full moon shimmers up the water and the boats bob about.  I can kick it on the top deck late night and hear nothing but seals barking and the masts clanging. Fog rolls in out of nowhere and life is simple. 

My fave thing in the world to do is watch the planes landing at LAX.  They all seem so close together from the top of the Flo - taking off to somewhere way, way out there...and dropping off piles of people ready to unleash their goods on LA.  Wonder how many end up in the marina.  Or even really know life inside it exists?  I hope very, very few.

I'm this close to having the final plans for the Flo done (the 3d Fly-thru is totally amazing) and the transformation will being to happen in the next little bit.  Gonna be the most fantastical place to live ever.  Especially since I've created a small tincture room off the kitchen.  I've made sure there is a see thru pane of plexi, so I can light up the water and see fish underneath my home.  I'm trying to rock a full on brick oven on the top deck.  The 2nd floor will close off, so if peeps need to get to floor 3, then they can skip my master suites.  Oh yah, and the coolest...it's set up so when I travel, the whole thing can go into lock down.  Fully unbreachable.  It's gonna be a green journey all the way through, so get ready for those posts. 

What a fun time to be an adult. 

 

Just Be Thankful - You Got It Good, Trust Me On That One

Funny how we complain every day. 

I'm too bored, fat, lonley, sick, dumb, poor, angry, out of shape, unhappy, whatever.  Oh Really?  But, are you?  When you take and honest-to-god step back from yourself, jack yourself up into an aerial view and check out your life...are you any of the above?  Maybe one, two at most.  In all actuality, our world is pretty dang unreal. 

We eat amazing meals, drink mighty fine drinks, have ice at our disposal, don't hurt for much, dress pretty decent, laugh loads, read good books, glace the paper cause it barely affects us, exercise now and again, keep up with the daily doin's of our fave stars, see first run movies, have savings accounts, sport a solid family to fall back on if needed, and all around just live a super amazing life. 

Not much to really complain about.  These little ones in Thailand were the happiest sprouts I've seen in a long, long time.  And, I work in one of the most "exotic" industries in the world. 

I'd see them playing with a piece of plastic amid a sea of garbage.  Eating only fish cause their Pa just caught it and thats ALL THERE IS.  School?  Yah right?  New clothes?  Hardly.  Their own room?  Try 6 to a bed. 

Yet, they laughed.  They played.  They cheered.  They explored.  They were curious.  They peeked about.  They swam in the sea with sheer and utter delight to be cool when the air was warm.  They roved without shoes.  They chased after bugs.  They were pure and full of light.

Bottom line, they gave me hope.

Back In Thai Time

Today is one of those days where I just need to go back in time. 

Back to another place that felt right and good.  One where the days were made up of sunshine, booze explorations, snack escapades, and all day long walkabouts.  A couple of naps here and there.  Good thrillers.  No clock to watch slowly tick by.

Thailand was all at once magical and trust-worthy.  Every Thai I met felt good down to the core.  Invited me into their little kitchens.  Took pride in a coconut rum drink.  Shined with delight at being a garbage wo/man.  Just to have a job, I guess.  Glowed when I mmmmmm'ed at how good the food was.  All teeth and lips strecthing back into gigantic grins every where I turned.

I did a lot of observing.  Spying with a long lens.  I'm a bit of a natural at building dossiers on those who are unaware.  The sweaty sailor off-loading his vessel.  In my mind, it's all contraband on the make for secret spots.  It's all just something more exciting than the world of television. 

It was cruising about in balmy weather just after a rainstorm looking for a restaurant, THE restaurant, called Bang Po.  There seemed to be dozens, but I'd read about one that was the best food on the island.  Finally, at the end of the run, I found it.  Baby octopus.  Whole fish smothered in chile sauce.  Beer with buckets of ice.  I like quests like that.  My whole damn day revolved around finding one specific restaurant so I could gorge.  That is happiness at its greatest for me.  Like a self-assigned task that eats me alive in the very best way.

Just today, I'm looking for something just out of reach that's bigger and more thrilling that this life.  It's all out there.  It was in Thailand. It's out my front door in the marina back in LA.  It's out my front door on Lake Michigan in Chicago.  It's usually just within a few steps of me, but today is a weird one.  Not even Southern BBQ is a cheer up to my belly/mind/soul.

Fire Pit vs Wood Fired Oven

Burn, burn, burn...

I've become smitten with wood fired food.  Nothing in the entire world compares to the texture, taste and complexity of something that's been tossed onto a baby inferno and partially charred.  Chewy, crunchy, taste sensation like no other.

Octopus, bread, potatoes, anything at all.  I had some pizza the other day - with smoked mozzarella, thyme, and tomato cream - that shook me in my boots.  Those few bites got me to thinking about building a wood fired oven on the FloBo.  A bona fide real deal wood fired oven!

How hard could it be to toss a few bricks together, sling in some wood and get that mofo rolling?  Not sure that would be a super wise idea atop a mostly wood boat, but my God, the Pacific is underneath it, you know? 

Meanwhile - the little fire pit that the rural folks usually cobble together on the side of the road is priceless.   Crude, rough and does the job.  The meat smells that permate of every corner chop shop is intoxicating.  Makes a vegetarian want to do a full slam of all parts meat quite badly. 

Now, about that wood fired oven...I see it mine and my new restaurants future.

A Funny Thing About Thai Spring Rolls...

First of all, they ain't served up Vietnamese style.

If you could have seen the looks of confusion on those poor Thai's faces when I asked for lettuce, basil, mint - all the greens you usually get from the Viet folks when they serve up spring rolls.  Dead chaos and confusion...cause they really wanna give you what you desire, but have no idea what the frosty hell you are talking about.  Their rolls just don't come out that way!

There was one and only one street stall that immediately tossed my fresh rice paper wrapped spring roll into a tiny plastic bag, littered it with some cukes, a bit of lettuce and some fish sauce and took my 30 cents - somehow they knew a bit of the drill.  The most delish fried rolls on all of the island.  Restaurant versions were a mix between good, damn good and downright delicious, but nothing like the street hawker version.  That was just simply some next level fry up.

There is a place here in LA that I must try before I head back to NJ next week - Jitlada.  Supposed to be the very best Thai in all of LA.  Southern style.  I've seen pix, they look next to perfect.  10 more days and I'm gone.  Simply unreal.

In other breaking news though - I scored myself a new sailboat slip in the marina.  Channel side.  Super cool.  AND, AND, AND...I meet with my FloBo architect this week.  He has the first pass ready of the Flo upgrade.  Cannot wait!

My New Thai Fetish. Plural.

Not even a pad thai fan, yet I became obsessed...

Once I discovered that some pad thai was made with silky little noodles, I went a bit berserk in Thailand.  It just became some much more palatable thinking I could slip it back in about 4 bites.  Tiny dried shrimp and fresh lime are two other musts.  I can't say it really tasted anything like its American counterpart.  It was just spicier, tangier and eggier.  I love the egg.  Add more.  Three, four even.  I can kill off a cool half dozen eggs in one sitting, no problem.

Another freaky fascination became crab in yellow powder.  These small spiced up crab legs with baby bits of meat tucked in every nook.  So easy to stalk.  If you order just crab meat, well plan on getting exactly that.  Piles of meat.  Tasty, but I like sucking it off the bone.  And, being surprised and delighted when I found yet another tiny leg buried in the sauce graveyard.

Then there was the fish.  The whole fried fish (whatever was fresh that day) absolutely blanketed in spicy chile sauce. Again, lots of lime.  Each little sliver picked clean of flaky white meat.  A swig of beer after every few chomps.  A belly so satisfied.

Pretty views from every stoop on the beach and for real, when I said, "please bring ice"...it was a friggin BUCKET that showed up tableside.  I love Thailand.

Real Thai Food in Thailand...Totally Dif - Just Like Mexican!

Yet again, rough-hewn kitchens turn on the best food ever.

Just got back from a over-too-fast trip to Koh Samui - a lovely little island off the coast of Thailand.  I went to do a full on body recharge, but of course my entire stay became about finding really authentic seafood, tracking down the perfect pina colada and coming home with a mega tan.  All were achieved with great results!

First of all, I was stunned to realize that pad thai wasn't made with the thick noodles over in the mother land like we're used to back home.  It's thin noodles all the way around.  The seafood was phenomenal - other-worldly even.  The beaches were the best I've seen in a long, long time - and became even more so with a chilly pina colada served up in a young coconut that was just macheted out of the tree. I'd order plate after plate of food and the bills would be like $20. 

I have a billion photos, and a lot of stories to go with them.  Once my desktop decides to pop back on, well - it shall begin!

Indonesian Food - Always Amazing

See now, this is the food I'm talking about.  It's the kind that rural folks round-the-world whip up from whatever they have on hand.   Some would look at this pic and see the grease on the wall, the old dishes, the sheen of oil and be horrified. 

I, on the other hand, see joy.  I see the kind of food I would travel half way around the world to get a plate of.  I found an Indonesian restaurant the other day in LA that was unreal.  Tasted pretty much just like the above that's for real in Indonesia...in my fave village of all - Sembalun...on the island of Lombok.

I was going to try to make it over there before another season starts up - but with the travel time, it would take way too long and I'd have about 1 day in the village - so it will just have to wait.  Thankfully, lots of volunteers have been pouring into the village and teaching, creating and spreading the 4th World Love. 

I've got a countdown going already for the end of this season...til I eat proper again!

A Word About Chili Oil

I used to loathe spice - now I'm obsessed.

Is that from getting a bit older?  All I ever used to crave was sweets, sugar, things of that nature.  Now its spice, salt and texture.  I can't even really eat tempeh, soy crumbles, fake shit any longer.  It's more like I take real stuff and jack them up with fire. 

Homemade chili oil is so easy to make.  Roast a few in the oven on high, sling them in the processor with peanut oil and voila...something to drench on everything, which a liberal sling of salt.  This mixed with mayo takes a late night scrambled egg sandwich to a new level.  It's like I have to Dish Doctor up everything.  Should be my next show.  Take a chef's special dish...and ramp it up to the next level.  What fun.

Been on the hunt for Schezuan food everywhere I land these days.  It's a spot in China that's so damn frigid, they have to blaze up their food to trick themselves into believing they are warm.  They use liberal amounts of the Sichuan peppercorn which is wild in the mouth.  Like a tingling/numbness that's difficult to describe.  Hot pots filled to the brim with the most delicious aromas hit up the table at authentic Schezuan joints.  Frogs legs in chile oil.  Pan fried noodles in chili oil.  Baby dumplings in sweet/spicy chili oil. 

It's all about this dang oil.  Throw in a bit of brown sugar...my God, it's enough to drive someone mad with desire.

 

 

The Floating Home Renovation - The Next Big MST Project

FloBo Reno on the Horizon

Soon as I finish up the next week or so on Jerseylicious, I'm back in LA working on renovating the FloBo.  Met with a super-cool LEED architect this past week, got my dossier going of all that I want to do INT and EXT, got some As Built plans drawn up (1600+ SQ not including the top level when it's all said and done), and am simply readying myself for the next stage of life. 

Anything but NJ for a minute! 

I'm taking this beast to some next level shit.  It's gonna take a spell, and it's gonna def. take a spit of coin.  But, what an amazing process...cannot wait!

 

Montauk - South Edison - They Have Managed Perfection in a Bite

Another season down...

It was the first time I'd been alone and away from TV Land in months and months.   Just a shortie pie trip to Montauk, land of endless sun and shine if you believe what all those in the know spew about. 

I just wanted to escape the bowels of New Jersey for a brief second.  Have a good meal by the beach.  I tried to roll out all summer long, but it never could happen - just too busy working myself into a frenzy day after godawful day.  Until one afternoon, I could stand it no longer.  Montauk had to be. 

3.5 hours later, I was at a divey fish shack in the marina drinking some sake.  One hour after that, I was half tossed, cruising around scoping out chippy hotels, deserted beaches, swaying sailboats and the sandy feet of happy people.  What a nice life.  Just a real nice life.

Slowly, I made my way to South Edison, a new joint just off the beach.  I'd been stalking it all summer long.  Make a rez.  Cancel.  Make a rez.  Cancel.  Finally...here.

Exactly my kind of place. Seasonal; organic looking elements; amazing locally sourced menu;  chill vibe; delightful cocktology going on.  I managed to drop about a buck fifty just on ME and MY BELLY.  I wanted it all...and had most of it.  Oysters, lobster roll, white shrimp, scallops, olive oil cake, margaritas.   I don't even have words to describe any of it besides perfection. 

We should all eat this way every day of our lives. 

Carlitos - Pescadero, Baja - Top 10 in World?

What a lofty ass statement. 

To proclaim that Carlito's, a fish shack of a joint down a parched dirt road leading to nowhere in the wilds of Baja is one of THE TOP TEN bites of my life....well, sars to letcha - but its true. 

It's so hard for me to spill the beans here, but I feel like peeps are so scared of Mexico and the Baja as a whole, nobody will ever make it down that way, so I'm safe as a goose.  But, if you do...if you man up and  develop the cojones to head down to really good surf, amazing sun and light, immense freedom and just one of the coolest spots on earth - don't miss Carlito's. 

Yah - it's a shack - one with a real bathroom though.  Yah, it closes early - but not if you bring in special La Bufadora orange and raisin infused tequila to entice the owners to stay open late.  Yah, it's a secret and 100% off grid - but not to those who are deep foodies.  It's a gift from the Gods, this food, this vibe, this place.

I've never had sushi so fresh.  At first bite, it's like gravity changes.  I've never craved mango margaritas like these - fresh off the tree and loaded with mad alcohol.  The pup Kong makes my heart soar.  The music pulsing in the background transports, just like the sunset does.  I just want it all day, every day. 

Flight from LA to Cabo.  Car rental.  Drive to Pescadero.  Check into Rancho Pescadero.  Kill a mojito.  Spitfire down the way to Carlito's.  Stuff face and throw a billion back.  Sleep til ya can sleep no more.  Surf with my buddy Carlos at Cerritos.  Almost die time and time again.  Drink and drink some more.  Lunch at Carlito's again.  Drive to 'port.  Abandon car (they'll find it).  Flight home.  All in less than 48.  Perfection.

In 2 more weeks, I'm the F outta Jesery, back home and everything in the entire world is coming up mangos!!!

 

Next to Veracruzian Oysters, These Are Tops

South Edison and their amazing food...

The whole time I've been in Jersey, I've been dying to make it to the small coastal fishing village of Montauk for some seafood.  Just a simple batch of oysters and something wildly spirited to wash it down with.  Of course, the search began online for where to chow and the #1 place that had the exact type of meal that I love (proper local ingredients peppered throughout, good names for dishes, mixology style drinks) was South Edison. 

My tale of the meal I had there will be a post unto itself, but until I get a minute, let me just tease with an oyster.  They were so plump, so meaty, so fresh and spectacular, I had to order more, more, more.  I've not had anything even remotely this good in the oyster fam since my backroad Mexico days a few years back. 

It's a trip worth taking, even if just for this one bite.  But, trust me, at this restaurant, the whole menu must be devoured to do it up right.

Vieques in a Few Paragraphs

Vieques...is it worth it?

I somehow always end up making it to places I read about.  Might take me some time, but if it catches my eye in one of my many travel mags, well it's ripped out, tucked away and stored for a rainy day of escape planning. 

The latest was Vieques.  It's a tiny, hard scrabble off the coast of Puerto Rico that has been on my big list for years.  And, from NYC, tickets are a couple hundred bones.  Also, it's just a few hours away non-stop.  You could literally pop down for a day or two and feel like you've really gotten away.  Now, I can't say I'd ever go back, but still...

I did the bio bay - kayaking out on a moon rich night, hopping into the ocean and watching the water light up around you with every move you make (pretty dang surreal).   I ate my way through so much sub-par food, only to find the very best fish and shrimp at a steamy joint in town - El Patio (on my last night!).  I rented a jeep and cruised the whole island, finding "secret" beaches and literally being surrounded by a school of fish just off shore while snorkeling (never seen anything like it).  Everywhere I went, they followed.  I found the coolest bar in town full of pirate like expats, complete with eye patches, arms missing and camera phobias.  Everyone ducked and ran when I pulled out the cam.  What have these people done in past lives?  

I ended up staying at the new W Vieques cause once I went onto their immaculate grounds, well good lord!  Just a really special, don't-wanna-go kinda place.  I chowed on tofu tacos, found organic stores with soba noodles and pickled herring, met folks desperate for the NY Times, drank liters of rum punch, met sailors from all over the world, ate piles of grilled lobster dunked in butter, got sunburned to the point of not moving, and read 3 books in no time flat.

Not too shabby for a shortie vaca.  Now, though, it's off the list.  And, frankly so is most of the Caribbean (too expensive).  I'm back on SE Asia, Central American grounds.  It's just been a long run, this TV show. 

Done out here in Jersey come early August though...so CLOSE!  Time to check back in on my sailboat, my floating home, my empty Chicago condo, my LIFE for God's sake.  Where'd ya go??

 

Been So Long - Where to Even Begin? NOODLES!

It always rolls back to food.

Since being on the East Coast all these past months, I've become obsessed with fire and noodles.  I've been whipping up homemade chili oil by the half gallon on dousing it on everything.  I've been salivating over this coconut curry I dreamt up - it has about 40 ingredients, yet its the simplest thing in the world to make and slurps down like nobodies business.  I've become addicted to fiery dan dan noodles that are once again, a piece of cake to put on the table. 

I think I can blame the dan dan for the noodle freak out.  It started there, then led to a small storefront in Chinatown where they hand twirl fat batches of noodles by the truckload.  I craved their cumin scented chew days and days after I first tried them.  I told everyone about them.  I tried to recreate them...and ending up concocting noodles far superior, if you can imagine.

Asian markets were hit up.  I made noodles for the office crew every coupla o days, to the great delight of all.  Now, after sinking into noodle world for a few months, I've not seen the magical captivation subside.  Instead, it's only grown.  My cooking skills have reached a new level due to a fantastic wok purchase.  Spices - herbs - ideas - books - magazines - Asian greens - blissful research - all about noodles, food, fire marches on.  New trips are being planned around all these damn noodles.  They just call my name, night day. 

I love them.  Every chopstick twirl of them. 

Oh, and PS - I'm back West in 6 weeks.  It'll fly and I simply cannot wait.

San Miguel de Allende - Will I Ever Be Back?

Vintage trailer makes its way across the USA border!

Who knew life would take such a drastic spin when I left my little solar trailer in SMA a few years ago.  I was simply jamming back to LA to do a quickie job on the TV show Last Comic Standing....just to make a bit of cash...and then...

Somehow, 2 1/2 years later I am still working and haven't had a real break to get back to get my trailer (which was stored safely in the middle of town at the San Miguel Tennis Courts Trailer lot -- who by the way I love).  My gal was just waiting on me to get back God kows when, and, then came along super-sonic Caty.  She was a Toothie reader and had emailed me inquiring about where I'd found my trailer.  She was doing loads of her own research on vintage trailers and couldn't find one like mine, bud wanted one badly (I had the same prob til I found mine).  The minute I got her email, and purely on a MST whim,  I said - "Why not buy mine?"  She was elated, the cashola was transfered and now she owned my trailer.   She's so much like me, jsut trusting whatever way the wind blows.

Thing is, we had to get it from Mexico to the USA since she was nervous to travel all thru Mexico with a trailer titled in my name on her own.  Cut to - months of dead chaos and drama trying to get it to the border or somewhere in TX for her to grab it from.  First I enlisted the help of Carlos, my surfing bud in Baja but something came up and he couldn't do it.  Next up, my pal Deb down in SMA (who was in the middle of an international move herself) stepped in to help out and after weeks and weeks of insanity, she finally managed to get it delivered to Caty in San Antonio!  Now the only thing left is for Caty to unpack my world from her new trailer, ship me my goods and to head out on her own wily adventures.  Freaking nuts. 

This is why I love this blog, travelling, adventure and all the mishaps that come along with living a funky ass life.  You just never know what the heck is coming down the way.  You don't know what path people are out there desperately hunting for.  You just really don't even know your own road and where it will take you.   If you remember, 2.5 years ago, I was in San Miguel de Allende, studying Spanish in dark bars, eating my way thru the town and slowly making my way to the Darien Gap in Panama, volunteering the whole way down Central America. 

Now I'm working on two TV shows in Jersey and wondering if I will ever return to SMA.  But, at the same time, I'm conspiring on how to flip my beast of a floating home in LA, revamping my sailboat for what I know will be an upcoming Southern Pacific crossing, wondering if I should just ditch my condo in Chicago, regrouping about buying an Airstream (with a toilet on this one!), and eating my way through a ton of good food in NYC.   Among other things of course...but it's good to know that adventures keep getting lived and sojurns keep getting traipsed.

This is to Caty - I hope you love that little trailer as much as I did and it takes you as far RTW as you want to go...enjoy el camino, and I bet I see you some day out there, just when we both least expect it!  (PS - That's Caty with the trailer...sure, she's dusty, but give her one good cleaning...and she's OUT!).

Things That Catch My Eye

See, now...these pix would make me hit the road pronto.

I think it's a mix of the rawness, the simplicity and the "do you see what I see" factor that makes me snap the pix I do.  Landscapes are ok.  I never got Ansel Adams and B & W.  Nor do I care to.  It all seems so cold and lonely.  I like shocks of brightness.  Blasts of color.  Images that transport for a second. 

I think you should be able to blink and witness an entire lifetime take place in that tiny fraction of a second.  Try it.  Maybe that's just me though.  What a harsh judge I am.  Scary.

In Times Like These, I MUST Remember My Boat

What a pretty, pretty boat. 

Some day, in the near future I pray, I will sail her to a faraway land and never look back~

Again...Rancho Pescadero Slays Me

Hide in a bit of luxe...

At the end of a billion mile trek thru Baja, there is really no finer place to check into than Rancho Pescadero.  It's on the Pacific side of the peninsula - and really just a perfect patch of heaven.  Very quiet, chill music spread evenly poolside, incredible design, thoughtful touches (cowboy hats and plush peach towels by the pool; homemade soaps and lotions cultivated from desert plants; welcome 1st drink on them; free bikes to troll about on; very close proximity to Carlitos - home of best food in Baja), and a killer view anywhere you look.

They have these comfy little day beds out on the beach where you can plop into, draw back the curtains, read a spy thriller and watch the whales cruising by on their way to lay some babies.  Super private.  A set of binoculars are in each room and you can get very close to seeing their heads poppin up every morning.  Watching whales spew water is definitely something to witness in this lifetime.

The yellowtail coming out of the kitchen is mega-fresh.  Just caught and grilled.  And, with a chilly margarita alongside, it's really difficult to leave the joint.  There are reading nooks everywhere - on your front porch, by the sparkly pool, down on the beach, upstairs in the dining area.  Just a haven for all who want to escape and not have anyone bother you.

The list goes on and on about this place and next time I'm down there, I might not go anywhere else.  Just there.  Hidden among the palm trees and tucked into a good book.  Watching stars by night and getting tan by day.  Sipping the hours away.

Baja Beauty - A Perfect Snowbird Location

Between Mulege and Loreto is this insane view...

Every time I go to Baja, I take the same dang photo.  There's a point when travelling on the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula that this vista appears.  It's slam-on-the breaks beauty, like a full mirage.  Especially after hauling across a torn-up desert. 

So quiet, so peaceful.  Beyond special. 

I can't believe I didn't kayak this trip around - how did that happen?  It all just went down so quickly in a tequila haze.  Guess I have the rest of my life for it, though.

How do you pick the next adventure?  It's like I want to explore all the new spots I've not been to yet, and at the same time, spend so much more time in my fave places round-the-world.  The never ending quest for permenant freedom.  I love the decisions).

 

Whales, Margaritas and Dirt Roads

The largest animal migration in the world...

One of the main reasons to go to Baja in January is to witness the epic whale migration.  For real - just the most insane thing ever.  Right now is right about the time when the mama whales give birth to their babies and they spend time flip-flopping around the San Ignacio lagoon, teaching these newly born pre-historic beasts how to swim, breathe, live on their own (they weigh 3 tons when born). 

I camped out right on the beach at a very remote spot about 2 hours down a dirt road from the date tree filled village of San Ignacio (best date pie ever).   Here's how it's done.  Basically, you make a reservation with the eco-outfitter in town for a tent spot (or a cabin spot).  You then drive down the ROUGH road not seeing a soul for almost 2 hours, swilling sake the whole way.  You pop up a tent once on the beach and then join the other folks who dared pop down that way for dinner in the cozy dining room.  Fish or meat, only.  And hard-core, heavy duty margaritas.  Where they get ice, lord knows.  But, they have lots of it.  After a mega-buzz hits, take a shower in the no-lights, but crazy clean shower hut and hit the hay.  The next morning you wake up at the crack, slam some eggs and tortillas and roll out to see mega whales, their babies and chirping dolphins. They come up super close to the boats and want to be petted. Can you imagine?  They're called "the friendlies."

Just a bloody miracle. 

Back on shore after about 3 hours and bam!  Back on the road to points north or south.  One more killer margarita down, first, of course.  Heading out of there, you're surrounded by all these eerie red pools and lakes.   Coulda been Mars.  Alone again.  Nice.

The Best Tequila in the World Found in La Bufadora

Regular tequila no mas.

La Bufadora, Baja is famous for being the home of an enormous blowhole that spits water hundreds of feet up in the air.  

On this latest trip down the peninsula I wanted to see places I've never been so, I went trekked down the curvy, mountainous road to check it out.   How I ended up swilling the most delicious house-made tequila I've ever had instead of seeing a world famous blow hole is beyond me, but who cares.  So some water shoots up in the air; MY GOD, did you even know tequila like this existed? 

I  wasn't even on a tequila quest at that point in the trip.  Hell, La Bufadora is just barely south of the border, but once the old dude sitting alone with a beer told me I had to try the tequila cause it was the best he ever had...well, that's all she wrote.  

I bought a big bottle of it ($50 for half bottle) thinking I'd haul it home to add to my liquor cabinet, but dontcha know I drank the whole beast before I even hit the southern tip of Baja.  Never has a sipping tequila gone down so good.  I could make mucho dinero off this tequila here - they infuse it for weeks with raisins, lemon and orange peels.  The color is so bright and fresh.  The legs just rich.  The taste is unreal.  

I wish my computer could squirt out scents.  This tequila would bowl you over.  Find it at the restaurant at the top of the hill just before you park and head down to the blowhole.  Trust me, buy the whole bottle.  Half will be gone before you even hit Guerro Negro.

Baja Roadkill vs Desert Tequila - Both Pull Ya Over

I like me a long lens

The swooping buzzards signal the road kill.  Carcasses picked to the bitter bone.  Every few hundred miles or so - dogs, cows, horses.  Matters not.  The desert always grabs you and spits you back out.  Birds scream and scatter. Dust whips all around.  Semi trucks shriek by.  Clouds float past.  You can always see the buzzards creeping their way back in the rearview as you tear away down HWY 1 toward the next cold beverage.

Margaritas are always inviting you in every door - and no matter the establishment - somehow there is always a blender in house ready to whip up a fresh batch of booze heavy refreshments.  I'd say 4 a day is the norm.  Pending on the potency, could be right in a row like slugs of wheatgrass at the farmers market.  It's inched its way up to 6/7 at times.  Eeeeee!  Nary a day passes without one slipping thru the lips. 

Baja is just good like that.

Baja, Mexico - As It Stands - 2011

Baja - Believe Nothing You Have Heard on the News

Just got back from driving the entire beast of Highway 1 in always-dusty Baja - 2 weeks of some real rough stuff.  Some highlights....

Stayed at a Tuscan villa in wine country, just East of Ensenada.  Couple bottles of fruity red wine, lush grounds, amazing food.  Perfect place to host a real life murder mystery!

Discovered best tequila in the world in small bar in La Bufadora.  Riddled with orange peels, raisins and was only $100 per house-made bottle.  Drank the whole thing before I hit the end of Hwy 1.  Typical.

Ate lobster galore at KM 56 (La Fonda) and Mama Espinozas.  La Fonda was sweeter, richer, better than Mama E's.  That said, I'd hit Mama's again in a minute.

Stopped for coconut shrimp on the beach in Bahia Concepcion.  Moon lookin' like a moon pie.  Tequila flowing.

Loreto had buckets of tequila for me.  Did the place up like it was Spain - tapas at Cava, mango margaritas at Posada de las Flores, more tapas at the turtle joint just off the square.  Body weight in margaritas.

Onward to Prana del Mar, just south of Todos Santos.  Solar hot tub bubbling.  Stars galore whilst sweating in the chilly night.  Heaping plates of healthy food.  Yoga in the early am. 

Sashimi madness at Carlitos in Pescadero (stayed at the AMAZING Ranch Pescadero).  This palapa joint could serve the best food in all of the Baja.  And, they had sake.  I shared mine too :)

Surfing with my bud Carlos in Cerritos.  Giant waves (to me at least).  Dripping in margaritas between sessions. 

Baja Bentleys madcap night of sleep and fish tacos in Todos.  Love that village.

Over to East Cape and Las Ventanas.  Kiting season and windy like mad.  Bright skies, RV's and campers everywhere the eye looked.  Could stay a long, long spell here.

Best breakfast ever in old gold-mining town of El Triunfo.  Played with new camera the whole meal.  Love the light.  Really adore the long lens.  See pix attached to this entry.

Friendly mega drug deal happening in seafood shack in Loreto.  Or it could have been an all cash "real estate" deal.  Nice to see and somehow feel a part of while slurping 'ritas.  Hazy at best. 

Date pie and margaritas around the town square in San Ignacio before heading 2 hours down a real bang-up dirt road to camp on beach and see the whales and their new babies in the lagoon.  Biggest mammel migration in the world and I was smack in the middle of it.   NUTS and beyond fantastic.

One more night at Baja Cactus in El Rosario.  Dead beat.  Sleepy and ready to pass out before the mad rush back to LA and another season out in NJ.

I love, love, love that Baja.  Those that have been will know my emotions inside and out.  Those who have not?  Well...you poor, poor sod.

 

 

Just Damn Good Bites - And the End of Resolutions.

There go the resolutions.

Resolutions are a funny thing.  I make about 300 of them every single day.  Eat better, excercise more, have more patience, stop procrastinating, stop half-assin', drink less.   All the same jazz every time I let one slip a little.  Which happens all the time. 

This year, I'm calling a truce to all my resolutions.  I resolute to not resolute. 

Instead, I'm just gonna be real smart about my actions. If it makes sense to go into my bod, well, toss it in.  If it's bad for me, skip it.  If I feel like waking up at 5 am and going on a jog, do it.  If my muscles needs rest, skip the gym.  If I can knock it off the to do list, just crank it out and be done forever.  If I have to take a breather before I lose my patience, well...just close my eyes and reset my composure.   Try new foods - don't just eat the familiar.  Splurge on things that might make my life a little easier - like the new mega-tiny 11" Air MAC I just bought.  Cook more at home, and skip the sick feeling I get close to every time I eat out - not cause of the food, but because I get so excited I way, way overeat.  Travel new places - even if it's just a weekend flight somewhere cheapo (out of the country, of course).  Go camping and look at the stars.  STOP using the iphone in mid-convo, mid-dinner, mid-driving.  Engage more with every little thing around me.  See more.  Watch more.  Amp up the awareness level.  Finish a book - not have eight going.  Let my mind drift more.  Streamline all my belongings.  Structure my existence for how I live, not how others impact my world.

Basically, just keep on keepin' on.  Try flyin' in a small plane.  Give the bar method a go.  Practice different ways to get my sailboat into the slip.  Lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling (without feeling slightly weird).  Give peeps the benefit of the doubt.  Handwrite more stuff.  Give my eyes a break.  Walk and walk with no set destination in mind. 

And, mainly when it comes to food...realize and accept that it is my favorite thing in the entire world.  Massage it, let it flourish and use it for the good of mankind.  Yup, food.  Learn about it, don't fear it.  And, lastly - EAT IT ALL.

All I Really Want is a Dog

Dogs, Apple TV, Magazines, Xmas Beans and Life

Been thinking a whole heck of a lot about dogs lately.  Total consumption.  Maybe because I finally feel at home somewhere.  I haven't had any sort of beast in my life since I first left TN a gazillion years ago - and my mom + dad took over the care of my boy Charlie.  Why now?  Every day, I get all wrapped up on line, searching, digging, rooting thru websites looking for the perfect dog.

Ran into this guy in a dark bar in NYC a few months back and he'd be my perfect dog.  Just chill.  100% at home in a bar.  Everybody's friend.  What about all the travel?  Does the critter come with?  Guess it depends?

I've been nesting the past couple few - short break.  Taking care of lots of little things. My buddy Wade just made a super-sonic donation to 4th World Love, which sealed the deal on getting the Sembalun/Indo CDC a brand new Apple MAC computer.  They are gonna be nutty with joy.  And, with all the volunteers coming over there these days, there will be plenty of teachers.

I've got some Christmas Beans on the stove.  The smell is intoxicating.  I dropped a whole onion in the pot and tomorrow the soup is gonna come out killer.  PERFECTED the most insane veggie sandwich ever last night for my parents  - mega high fiber bread (Squirrely) toasted up on stove with a bit of butter and one side topped with shredded sharp white cheddar, the other side topped with sliced apples and grilled onions...plus some long slices of smoked veggie sausage.  All of it drizzled with sweet honey mustard from the farmers market.  We were all like what in the sam hell kind of flavor is this.  Worth at least a million.

Been brainstorming 4WL ideas for 2011 (Surf retreat in Baja for sure on the horizon) and finally moved my sailboat into its new slip.  It's always FREAKY as hell getting into a slip the first time cause deep down, you just know that the beast of a boat ain't making it.  Met all the neighbors (couple of whom are taking off on round-the-world jaunts in the near future) and have just been laying low.

OH - back to the dog.  My pal Gina always says I need a Mexican dog.  A puppy is what I need.  A Mexican mutt.  I wanna get back to San Miguel de Allende so soon - and maybe I'll pick one up there.  Remember the joint I volunteered at while Iwas there a few years back?  SPA?  Their doggie page has some cuties.  Maybe I'll swoop me up one right down there and jam her across the border with me.

All I know is 2011 is coming right up...and I've never been more on top of my smile :)

Oh, and btw - for all of those folks who think me and my magazines are just too much...well, that little colorful wall of madness is about to be a FloBo flip unlike no other.  BAM!  Years and years of source material finally being put to use...yes, the inner sanctum has been penetrated.

Ahhh, and one more thing - Wexler, one of my favorite vendors, got me Apple TV for Xmas.  HOLY SHIZ.  Just get it.  Best thing ever.

 

 

I'm Taking Alternative Living to the Next Level

When I say I'm drifting...I really, really mean it.

Nobody really knows this, but a few months back I bought the FloBo.  That's short for Floating Boat.  Which is another way to say Floating Home.  I scooped it up while I was out East working and just got back a few days ago to Marina del Rey and the the FloBo.  It's 3 floors (2400 sq ft including the top deck - which happens to have the highest 360' view in the marina) and quite simply, a floating beast.

Here's the thing.  I want to flip it 100% and make it as green as possible.  Solar array, rooftop garden, possible radiant heat flooring and maybe even geothermal (why dig a well when I live ON TOP OF the Pacific?). The green list goes on and on, and the possibilities are utterly endless.  Or not.  See, that's the quandary - this thing floats on platforms, so there is only so much you could add before you start to sink.  Or, you could add more flotation.  But, how does one do that?  Exactly! 

I was gonna wait til it was all done and done to move, but then I got back and couldn't resist moving onboard - why not?  What an amazing way to live.  Like right now - it's pouring rain, the tug-horns are honking somewhere in the marina, little ducks are racing across the water for shelter and this joint is tight as a tick. I got my HD DirecTV all hooked up and the wi-fi is 4G and fiercely fast.  Sure it's old and a bit like a cabin right now, but who cares, it's so cozy...What else is there?

Of course I will be documenting the entire flippage as it goes along, piece by piece.  So much research to do - so much reading, 'net exploration, site surveys, scouting trips, talking to designers/architects/contractors.  What a straight-up FUN journey this will be.  Just trying to make my footprint in the world a little bit lighter.  Oh, and check this - I can see my beautiful sailboat right out of my office window.  Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Tonight was the first night I've made a home-cooked meal in the small kitchen (get ready to be ripped out little kitchen) - and it was delish.  First of all, to have a gas stove again, ahem...propane...(electric is the worst thing ever)...I whipped up a tidy little bowl of whole grain pasta tossed with fresh sardines, lemon juice, lots of butter, a clove of garlic and a couple of spoonfuls of this super-yummy kale and almond pesto I got today from the farmers market.  Topped it all off with some big, fat feta crumbles.  Lord, I've missed cooking.  But, guess what?  I'M BACK)

-MST

 

The Best Fish Sandwich in the World

Fish Sandwich Nirvana

The roof is made from weeds, the chairs are plastic, the parking lot is gravel...and the fish sandwich is quite possibly the best in the world.  Carlito's Place in the tiny pitstop of Pescadero, Baja is at the top of my list of killer meals needed again ASAP. 

Soft toasted bun, creamy slaw, crispy battered fish (probably caught that day).  My god, the JOY.

I'm finally leaving Jersey today - headed back to LA and my boat and my life.  And, you know what's just a hundred + miles away?  Baja...