Quinessential Diner Burger @ Rhonda's Diner in East Providence

Ryan and I visited his friend Michael in Providence, and he took us to his Aunt's Diner, called Rhonda's in East Providence. This lurid looking photo is of the burger and fries - which were GREAT. (for some reason the lights in the diner frizzed out the white balance on my cellphone camera, creating this lurid photo.) The burger was perfectly cooked, and came with very good fries.

Cynthia's Beet Salad

Today Ryan and I had lunch with my brother Adam and his wife Cynthia. She made this delicious composed salad, with beets and grapefruit. it was inspired by one they had in a restaurant in Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia. It tasted every bit as good as it looks!

Beloved restaurant - Yuca's Tacos, Los Feliz

I've been back in Los Angeles for a week. My friends and family know that my love affair with LA has been slowly fading for a few years now. I have to say I've recently had something of a rapprochement.

LA is arguably one of the best food towns in the world, the sheer diversity of the city make it a very exciting place for both eaters and cooks.

While leaving the Cape in August is heartbreaking, on this trip I have been reminded of some of the things I love about LA -

Among them is Yuca's tacos, which is just around the corner from me. Opened in 1976 by Jaime and Socorro Herrera, it is now run by their daughter Dora with her Mom. This unassuming taco stand won the James Beard Award in 2005 in the category “America’s Classics”.

The tacos de carnitas are incredible. The beans are rich and smooth with a creamy mellowness that far exceeds expectations of what a cup of beans should be. Soccoro's Yucatan tamales are great, but you have to get there early on Saturday, before they are all gone.

Check it out if you're in LA - Yuca's is at 2056 Hillhurst Ave. in Los Feliz, CA 90027

Spinach & Raddichio Salad with Soy - Lime marinated Rib-Eye

This is a pretty lousy photo (cellphone) of a very good salad we had for dinner last night.

It's fresh spinach & raddichio, orange bell pepper and thinly sliced grilled rib-eye marinated in the juice of two limes and a tablespoon of tamari soy sauce. The dressing had mango - chili vinegar, a dash of soy and a few drops of sesame oil to beef up the flavor of the olive oil. It was really good!

The Garden, Freshly Mulched

There is something so satisfying about gardening, to work at something and see growth as the result. It evokes similar feelings as cooking does for me.

Obviously there is the connection of both of them being acts of nurture - intrinsically satisfying in a "soul feeding" kind of way.

I spent the morning mulching with eel grass from the beach. If only everything in life could provide such a tangible sense of accomplishment.

PS: I have the first cucumber of the season getting cold in the fridge as I write this. I'm going to run it through the mandoline, making paper thin slices and drizzle it with rice vinegar and fresh dill.

Yum!

- Will