Me

Today worked out perfectly as all my posts this week have started with the letter "M." As Eat, Drink & Be Merry tagged me a while ago and he posted today about the number of Asian food bloggers, it's the right time to tell you about myself. I'm not Asian. I'm a Jewish food blogger:

1. My grandparents are holocaust survivors and it has had a direct impact on how I eat today. They are still alive and live in Los Angeles. They have numbers tattooed on their arms (the Nazi's version of serial numbers to keep track of everyone). Although they made it through hells like Auschwitz, they lost their entire families (parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, etc.) minus my grandma's sister who is also still alive. Possibly because they went through treacherous years of starvation and despair, they currently cook immense amounts of food when we're all together for dinner. It's probably the same with other families, but we're talking enough food for twenty people when there are only six of us eating. They also eat fast and thoroughly- probably in the eight to ten thousand calorie department. Speed eating to the point of nausea is a trait that they passed on to my dad and uncle and ultimately to me. Although these are not healthy eating habits, I'm saying this in adoration. The holocaust affected them in ways that I couldn't imagine. Their will to survive is still with them today. I partially credit my love of food to them.

2. So I'm not sure how much my grandparents have to do with this, but sometimes I eat very lazily prepared meals. 'Meals' is actually a strong word... I eat cans of garbanzo beans. I'll eat spaghetti with ketchup. On a dare I ate wasabi peas in milk (like cereal). For every plate of miso eggplant or dish of chicken tikka masala or bowl of spicy Thai soup, I've eaten five ghetto meals at home. I am extremely lazy when it comes to cooking, and I am totally content eating the most random assortment of items left in my apartment. I do plan on learning to cook soon though... really, I do.

3. Continuing on the lazy eating habits, I'm fine with supermarket sushi (rolls only). I recognize the difference between restaurant sushi and supermarket sushi (like the difference between Mastros and McDonalds). I plan on posting a comprehensive supermarket sushi comparison soon.


4. I'm slowly building up my tolerance to spicy food. Chichen Itza's salsa still floors me. Yucateco does too. There is definitely a painful high associated with it, even addictive properties. Either way, I'm working on it...




5. The 20 Taco Challenge: 20 Tacos from Taco Bell in one hour. This is a long story and will require its own post.