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I love food. Anyone who knows me for 5 seconds knows that. I can chat your ear off about food– both home cooked and local restaurants. I LOVE cooking and I also LOVEEEEE going out! I also am obsessed with Food Network and some shows on the Travel Channel that are food related. I could watch food tv for HOURS. And, I often do! So yeah I’m a foodie, that’s what I’m trying to say. So I figured today’s Tuesday Top 5 would be for the foodies out there! So grab a snack cause reading this will make you HUNGRY!

1. Paula Deen. Sometimes I tell my husband, “If you ever leave me, I will go to Savannah and hunt down Bobby Deen and MARRY HIM, just so I can be related to Paula.” Yeah, I really tell him that.  And I’m kinda serious. Because I LOVE ME SOME PAULA DEEN. It’s not even about her buttery, fried, mayo smothered food. I don’t even like fried food all that much (shhhhh don’t tell her). It’s just that Paula is sooooo funny! And she seems like a really kind lady with a big heart. I hope when I am a grandma I am just like her! I think the quote that sums up Paula Deen best was said by her foodnetwork pal Mark Summers, “When Paula Deen walks onto the stage, you realize she is a combination of Jesus & Oprah.” I agree Mark Summers! I AGREE! The lady is that awesome, and she is my hero. Love her!
2. Tofu-Ya on Sawtelle. About a year ago I was introduced to Korean food. Or at least Korean Soon bowls. And I’m pretty much in LOVE. Tofu-ya serves up mainly Soons and Bibimbap’s and its delish. What is a soon? Uh, I’m not Korean but basically its this soupy goodness in a hot pot and it has tofu in it and its spicy. And I get mine with clams and oysters. And its sooooo good on a cold day. The other great thing about Tofu-ya is they bring out all these little side dishes for you to chow on. Side dishes like spicy pickled cucumbers, kimchee, noodles, fish cakes, sprouts…Its GREAT. The best thing is the price. Two people can get out of there for $26! What a steal. I highly suggest all you LA foodies get ye to Tofu-Ya!
3. Strawberry Cupcakes from Hotcakes Bakes. If you want to make me happy, if you want to be my bestie friend, if you want me to love you forever, the best thing you can do (besides taking me to sushi of course) is to buy me a Strawberry Cupcake from Hotcakes Bakes in Culver City. Seriously, I love cupcakes but this cupcake is INSANE. Both the batter and the frosting are made with real strawberries. The icing is also cream cheese based, which is my favorite type of frosting. When you bite into this cupcake you get that fresh strawberry sweetness, and then the tang of the cream cheese and then angels sing. It’s THAT good. I’m sure hotcakes makes a lot of other good flavors, but I wouldn’t know. Because I only have eyes for the strawberry one
4. Bawarchi. This Indian place recently opened up in my ‘hood and I LOVE it to pieces. Bawarchi means “the chef” in Indian apparently, but I have decided that Bawarchi means “tasty” in Ashleigh. Sometimes, I just turn and tell AJ “this is SO bawarchi” and he knows. He knows I am saying this is awesome and delicious. Bawarchi has a few menu items but for us its all about the combo plate. You get three veggie dishes of your choice, your choice of rice (I get the pilau with carrots, onion, nuts, and golden raisins), your choice of bread (I get naan and AJ gets roti), raita and a salad. All for…wait for it…$8.00!! Whoa, can you say what a steal?? There are so many options for your 3 veggie dishes as well, but some of my favorites include jackfruit, chana masala, mustard spinach, dal, veggie “fish,” and potato curry. Everything there is so flavorful! We have never been disappointed. I highly recommend  it to all Indian food lovers out there!
5. Our CSA Produce Box from South-Central Farmer’s Co-op. I have been meaning to blog about this for sometime. Eating sustainable food is important to me. Eating organic is important to me (better for my health and the environment). Eating locally and seasonally is also super important to me (again that’s so important for the environment). But for awhile, we felt like we couldn’t afford to eat organic and that it was hard to really know at the super market what is seasonal and local. Then we learned about CSA’s. A CSA (community supported agriculture) program is where families buy a small “share” of a local farm for the season, and then receive produce from this farm, usually on a weekly basis. It is a great way to support small, local farmers and keep them in business. And you reap the benefit by receiving super fresh, seasonal, often times organic produce. The impact is great on the local economy, as well as on the environment, and, I believe, our society in general. After reading articles like Time Magazine’s “The Real Cost of Cheap Food” and seeing movies like Food Inc, I strongly believe we need to get rid of factory farming, and really bring back the small family farm. So supporting a local farm via a CSA program is one way to literally put your money where you mouth is!Our CSA program is particularly great because it offers different price levels which makes it affordable. We are paying $15 a week for a bushel of organic, seasonal, local produce!That amount of food at Whole Foods would be 3-4 times the price! Another thing I love about the box is that it is getting us to try new veggies and new recipes. Sometimes we get stuck in ruts where just eat the same 6 or 7 recipes week in and week out. But not any more! Now we find recipes based on what is in our produce box, which keeps things exciting and tasty! If you are in LA I recommend checking out South Central Farmers and seeing if they have a pick up spot near you. And if you are living somewhere else, fear not. CLICK HERE to find a CSA in your area! We can all get involved, which is not only good for our environment but for our health and tastebuds as well!

Now for some pics of our uber fresh produce!

Here is my cat Bobby sniffing out the box! He says, “Oh boy look at all that good green stuff! Yum yum!” ….Yeah, I translate for my cat. Don’t hate!

AJ holding these juicy red china rose radishes… By the way, we don’t have much of clue what we will make with these radishes! Any ideas? Our last batch we pickled. That was good, but we don’t need more radish pickles just yet…

FRESH Broccoli!!! How beautiful is that??!! Like a bouquet! stunning!!! Also soooo delicious. I love to roast broccoli, it really brings out its flavor and adds a nuttiness! Delish!!!!

One more radish photo just for fun! I love the colors!!!