Category: Food

Donut luchador at KCRW’s Good Food.

El Asesino Geminis, Abel Nabor Campos. (Photo by Naomi Harris.)

Hey Folks:

I’m on KCRW’s Good Food talkin’ ’bout my Lucky Peach story on the donero luchador of East L.A., Abel Nabor Campos (a.k.a. El Asesino Geminis), with none other than Evan Kleiman. The segment contains audio of his cry, which is truly wondrous. Check it out here.

Special thanks to producer Gillian Ferguson for making me sound good while I was sick. And high five to photographer Naomi Harris for letting me nab the image above. (Follow her on Instagram for the further adventures of Maggs the Dog!)

xox,
C.

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The donut-making luchador of East LA — in Lucky Peach!

abel

I’ve got a profile of the donut-making luchador of East LA (aka Abel Nabor Campos, aka El Asesino Geminis) in the Winter 2014 issue of Lucky Peach and it’s got amazeballs photography by the awesome Naomi Harris. You can order the issue off of Amazon or better yet, subscribe to Lucky Peach and get a whole year’s worth!

The story is not online, so the only way to read it is to get the mag! Please check it. I’m really proud of this one. Nabor Campos has a truly inspiring story.

xox,
C.

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Food for poor poets and starving artists.

Found this while house-sitting for crunchy friends: Ann Rogers’ 1966 cheapo cooking compendium, A Cookbook for Poor Poets and Others. The language can be a little overly lyrical for my trash-talking taste. (Sample: “One can come close to this goal, not with a candy bar…but with a big fresh roll — the French or Italian kind — the crust shattering with the first bite, the inside a network of intricate passages and domed rooms!”) But I appreciate the simplicity of the recipes, which really take limited means into consideration. Ingredients are generally kept to a minimum and many of the recipes are really are about finding ways to dress up canned goods; some can even be prepared without the use of electricity. It’s a nice antidote to foodie preciousness. Plus, that chartreuse cover is pretty badass.


The Artists’ Special, in theory.


The Artist’s Special, in practice. It was no revelation, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, I may have to show up with this the next time I’m invited to some insufferable bougie BBQ. (“I brought the roasted sunchokes with hand-churned butter and Himalayan rock salt. What did you bring?” “The cottage cheese and mayo salad…”)

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Taco U.S.A.


A vintage Taco Bell sign at Taco Bell HQ in Irvine, California. (Photo by C-M.)

Hey Folks:

My first story for NPR’s All Things Considered — a taco tour with the inimitable Gustavo Arellano, author of Taco U.S.A.: How Mexican Food Conquered America — is now up online.

Please check it, like it, Tweet it, pimp it, recommend it. And remember to eat lots of tacos!!!

Besos,
C.

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