One of the worst things about eating Mexican food in LA is coming back and eating it in New York. The New York version of Mexican food is almost sure to disappoint after you’ve had the vibrant, spicy food at a random hole-in-the-wall in an LA strip mall. Even the most successful NYC Mexican restaurants [...]

Mexican Cotija cheese isn’t for sale at New York’s fancy cheese emporiums, but you can find it in some corner bodegas. If your hunt for authentic cheese is successful, here’s a recipe for a Mexican salad for you. It ran many years ago – in the LA Times, of course.

Mexican Poblano and Tomato Salad
4 poblano [...]

Did you know that “artisanal” refers to a cheese that’s been made from the milk of a single herd? That it’s useless to walk into a cheese shop and just ask for “tomme,” because then you’re asking for “from the land of”? That there’s an underground American movement for unpasteurized milk?
Most people don’t know these [...]

Terrance Brennan is one of the few Superchefs who manages to be approachable without being, well, cheesy. If only more chefs (and fashion designers?) could be like him. His various spin-off brands make perfect sense. Huge stash of cheese in Artisanal’s cave? Line of cheeses dubbed “Artisanal.” Creator of innovative but simply constructed dishes? Microwaveable [...]