As advised, I was away in Los Angeles recently on a brief trip to accompany John on business, and managed to stay on a wee while longer to catch up with several friends.
I'm always interested see what's changed in California and the US since my last visit, and here are a few themes I picked up on:
- Kale. Yep, Laura, Grace and I were on the vanguard of this one at least two years ago with our obsession for homemade kale chips. Kale salads are everywhere, with and without quinoa (see comment about ancient grains further below). It is one of the most nutricious vegetables there is, so not a bad thing. Everyone should Eat More Kale, also try this delicious Kale and Quinoa Salad recipe from Pasadena's La Grande Orange Cafe.
- Heirloom everything, everywhere. I've been onto heirloom fruit trees and tomatoes for quite some time, but was struck by how almost all vegetables on restaurant menus are now designated "heirloom," including beans, carrots, etc. There's even a magazine I enjoyed reading called "Heirloom Gardener."
- New old grains. Ancient wheat varieties and new age artisanal millers are happening, see Bluebird Grain Farms, Carolina Ground, and Community Grains. Farro, quinoa are being used quite more often.
- Dogs as accessories. Paris Hilton and her chihuahua in the handbag were one thing, but people seem to be walking around with dogs on leashes in stores and into restaurants regularly. I thought there were health laws that prohibited this, except for guide/service dogs obviously. And I'm a dog person. But after watching a woman sit at a cafe for lunch, taking out a collapsible water bowl, bottled water, toys, and food for a pampered little pooch that was so overfed it didn't touch the food (all I could think of was Clifford in contrast, who would have knocked the table over to snarf down the food...!), and seeing a woman parade through Nordstrom with two poodles on leashes, I decided this has all gone too far.
- Bras. Apparently over the past year there has been a revolution in undergarments I missed entirely. I went off in search of my standard Wacoal underwire bras and had a heck of a time finding them. I was forced to explore other options, oh dear. A helpful sales associate advised me that no longer does the woman shape the bra, the bra now shapes the woman. So my own shape apparently isn't good enough, I have to be shaped by a bra, Wacoal or otherwise. And as you might expect, at more expense.
So there you have it, the very latest.
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