Farmer and the Cook is much more than a restaurant, it is a love story, a piece of the community and a contribution to the greater good. From the outside it looks like you stepped back in time, it has a 1960's vibe with mismatched chairs and tables, bowls for dogs and canopies to shade the sun.


It truly appears to be a community meeting spot, as I watched several people show up and make the rounds amongst their friends, greeting each other at different tables. It almost reminded me of an organic and healthy Cheers, ya know the bar where everyone knows your name.




Inside looks like a restaurant/Farmers Market and I swear I felt healthy from the minute I walked in the door. The local produce from their farm is available for purchase along with other grocery staples and goods. However, if you plan on eating you can read the menu from large chalkboard menus above the counter.

The Farmer and the Cook is owned and operated by a husband-wife duo. The husband being "the farmer" and the wife being "the cook." The restaurant specializes in local and organic produce and ingredients, the majority of the fruits and vegetables being sourced from their own farm. The menu is eclectic as it has Mexican influenced items, smoothies and elixirs (I just love that word), pizza on the weekends from a wood fired pizza oven and both breakfast/lunch menu items that feature ingredients that are in season and local. The menu is also vegetarian and can easily accommodate gluten free, dairy free and food allergies. By the way, save room for dessert because they have incredible baked goods...just a warning!!


We decided to go the Mexican route and don't get me wrong I love traditional Mexican food, however it was so nice to eat it without the grease. Everything we tried was obviously homemade from the tortillas to the guacamole. There was also no doubt as to the freshness of the ingredients, they truly tasted as if they were picked from the farm and went directly into our food.


I am a guacamole fiend so when I saw chips and guacamole on the menu I had to try them and they just straight up made me happy. The chips were crisp, light and not greasy and the guacamole was flavorful and made to order.


My friends ordered the Goat Cheese and Veggie Tacos and the Swiss Chard Enchiladas. I tried the enchiladas and the sauce, which is how I rate all enchiladas, was full of flavor and had a hint of spice without being overpowering. Again, it was definitely homemade and there was just no way it came from a can. On the entrees, there was the option of cashew cheese or regular cheese, in order to accommodate all dietary restrictions.

I ordered the Sopes and they were incredible. The sope shells, which truly can be an art form, were cooked perfectly as they were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The sopes were stuffed with beans, cheese, avocado and pico de gallo. They were fresh and healthy and light, but still filling. Plus they photograph so well!!


All of the entrees were served with brown rice, beans and a cabbage salad, which was really very tasty.

The restaurant, during the Summer months, also has live music on the weekends and truly is just a really relaxing place to chill and enjoy good food and good company. It is off the beaten path in a neighborhood that is a mix of small businesses and residences, yet it just feels like home. We truly could have sat on the patio and enjoyed the day for hours at a time...yes I obviously liked my company as well.

The restaurant is open everyday from 8am-8:30pm. It is one of those restaurants that definitely puts love into their food and it shows. It is one of those restaurants that specializes in the whole mind, body and spirit dining experience as I walked away feeling like I was nourished in every aspect of the word.  Here is the web page and I definitely recommend checking it out as you will not be disappointed. Cheers! http://www.farmerandcook.com

This is pretty embarrassing to admit, but up until last week I had never tried Indian food. Sure I have made some curry dishes at home, however as far as authentic Indian food...well I had just never explored it. But wait it gets worse...my first time trying Indian food was in Atlanta, Georgia. Not soul food or bbq, but Indian food. How random is it that I have to travel across the country to try Indian food? And to make matters more interesting, the Indian restaurant that I happened to go to has a restaurant here in the Los Angeles area. Yup...that is just the way I roll.

I don't remember what this was called, but it reminded me of a thin tortilla that was slightly crispy and some random dipping sauce, how is that for honesty?

Before I start talking about the food, let me also apologize for how horrific these pictures are. I am sure some of it has to do with the photographer aka. me, however I am going to blame some of it on the cuisine, it is just not a very photogenic food. Just my opinion! However, what it lacks in visual impact, it definitely more than makes up for it in taste.


I went to a small Indian restaurant in an Atlanta strip mall called Heart of India. It was modest in decor and from the outside it really looked like nothing special. However, the service was amazing! Our waiter was named Juan...yes I know what you are thinking...and yes your judgment is correct. The waiter in the Indian restaurant was Hispanic, however he was funny, he had a damn good Indian accent and could pronounce and describe the food like it was nobodies business. He was also attentive, knowledgeable and just as enthusiastic as I was about it being my first experience with the cuisine.

So the first thing I tried to order was Indian beer. However, the restaurant did not have a liquor license and so I was sent next door to the liquor store to purchase Indian beer. The two guys in the liquor store had no problem selling me Kingfisher beer, which was an Indian beer and without hesitation the restaurant opened it and let us drink it. That was a new and different experience in and of itself.


We started the meal with mulligatawny soup, which is a lentil based soup, that reminded me of lentil soup that is pureed with curry and other spices.

We also had nan, the flat bread, and we tried regular, onion and garlic. I could have truly lived on it! I also loved that this bread could double as silverware, primarily because I love to eat with my hands, so anything that allows me to get dirty with class is right up my alley.

Since this was my first experience we decided to order family style so we could share multiple dishes and I loved how we could choose the level of spice for everything we ordered. The majority of the table wanted mild, however I ordered one dish with a little spice to it and it just made me happy!! It also made my eyes water and my nose run, but details, right? They also thoughtfully brought this virgin (to Indian food) a dish of yogurt to kill the spice in the event that my system started to shut down due to heat. I thought that was especially kind and thoughtful!!


So we tried Shrimp Tandoori which reminded me of the Indian varietal of a fajita plate. The shrimp had amazing flavor and they were cooked perfectly!


The dish that I choose and which I made spicy was the Lamb Biryani which is a rice dish that is flavored with saffron and other spices...I have no idea what the other spices were, however it reminded me of a cross between Spanish Paella and Asian Fried Rice. I absolutely loved it and the lamb was tender and melted in my mouth!! Happiness!!


We also tried Tikka Masala which is meat in a tomato cream sauce. It has a lot of flavor and well yeah it is not very pretty.

Finally, we also tried the Chicken Rogan Josh which is chicken served with onions, peppers and tomatoes with added spices. Also very flavorful and aromatic!!

I was truly impressed with all of the flavors, the layers of spice and the cohesive ability for the ingredients to meld together and just make my pallet happy. I loved the experience, the restaurant and the people who worked there. I definitely plan on making a special trip to check out the West Coast location which is called Anarkali Indian and if it is anything like the Atlanta restaurant I am sure you all will not be disappointed. Cheers!!

So I know I haven't written about my joyous exploration into the world of weights lately, however that is not from lack of training. Don't you worry I still hurt just as much as I did in the beginning and I have just as many complaints and funny antidotes. I have just been collecting them and storing them for you all. So here are my latest observations, gripes and experiences as I transform from a runner to a bodybuilder.

1. I have a crap load of random bruises all over my body. No I have not just all of a sudden become more klutzy...well maybe a little bit...but I have this habit of wacking (yes that is a word) myself with my weights....hence bruising!!


2. I officially had to buy new bras because I have gone down a cup size. My boobs are totally gone. I never thought I had a lot of fat on my body, but unfortunately I have now realized that a little fat was nice when it created cleavage....um yeah thank god for padded bras. Anyone know a good surgeon?


3. I spend more time in workout clothes than I do in anything else. I swear I feel like a soccer mom in that from the time I get off work until the time I go back to work, yes this includes weekends I am in running pants and sports bras. I have even started to do social things in workout clothes...hell I actually have been to more restaurants in workout clothes than I ever thought was possible. I can't even remember the last time I wore my hair down when I was not at work. Dead sexy!! And I wonder why I am single.


4. I have started to make gym friends, ya know the people that you see every time you are at the gym. You do not know their name or anything about them, but you have full on made up stories in your head about their lives based on their attire, workout style, noises they make and whether or not they smile. My favorite of the week is the Mexican guy with perfect hair who works out in dress shoes, slacks, a belt and a wife beater....pretty much my last chance for love...said no one...EVER!!


5. I actually made a real gym friend and we actually talked. She actually taught me the noise that I want my butt to make...yes I know that sounds disgusting and that is not what I mean. We were talking about how we want our butts to pop and she did this noise kind of like the sound that is made when you pop bubble wrap. We decided that one day our butts are just going to make that noise and poof our butts will instantly be round, bubbly and perfect. She goes to the gym twice a day and she is my hero!!



6. My trainer is the cheapest therapist I have ever had. I still talk to her more than anyone else on this planet and she knows more about my life than I ever thought was possible. Some of my workouts go by so fast because we are just chatting away...unfortunately this is also usually the workouts where she loses count and I end up doing way more reps. I am pretty sure she "pretends" to lose count just to make my life a living hell. Love you AM!!


And since I am still a food blog I thought I would share this healthy and yummy recipe for Miso Glazed Salmon with Green Tea Rice. It is very healthy and fresh tasting, however I did expect the green tea to give the rice more flavor. I love salt so I did add a little sesame oil and soy sauce to the top of mine and I thought that made the recipe go from good to great...just my opinion!!

1 1/3 cups white rice, such as jasmine or short-grain sushi
1/4 cup white miso
2 Tbs. mirin
1/2 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
4 5-oz. skin-on salmon fillets, preferably about 3/4 inch thick
1/2 cup loose-leaf green tea
Kosher salt
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds; more for garnish
Cook the rice according to the package directions and keep warm.

Position a rack 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.

In a small bowl, stir the miso, mirin, and rice vinegar with a fork to blend. Put the salmon fillets skin side down on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between them. Pat the salmon dry and broil for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, with a spoon, carefully spread the miso mixture over the top of the fillets. Broil until the salmon is just barely opaque in the center (use a paring knife to check), 2 to 3 minutes more.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring 2-1/4 cups of water to a simmer. Put the tea leaves and 3/4 tsp. salt in a 4-cup heatproof liquid measuring cup. Pour the hot water over the leaves and let steep for 1 minute.

Gently mix the scallions and sesame seeds into the rice and divide among four large shallow bowls, mounding it in the center. Pour the tea through a strainer around each mound. With a spatula, lift the salmon from the baking sheet, leaving the skin behind, and place on top of the rice. Sprinkle with more sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Last weekend I was in Atlanta, GA and I love to see how the food industry differs from city to city. And lets be honest right now food trucks are trendy. Granted it is a trend that I love. It is innovative, colorful, a lot of them have good food and it is a great grass roots way for amazing chefs to make a name for themselves, and their food, without the overhead of a brick and mortar location. I heard a statistic awhile back that approximately 85% of restaurants go out of business in the first year and that is a hell of a lot and so the food truck craze is a great way for chefs to test out their food and business smart before investing their life and fortune into a location.



So Atlanta has a food truck park, yes you heard me right a food truck park!! It is actually a run down vacant looking lot that they have turned into a food truck gathering spot. Sure when you pull up it looks a little ghetto with the cracked cement and metal fencing off the freeway, but I learned long ago to never judge a book by its cover.

This food truck was featured on Food Network and although I didn't try it I think they specialized in corn cakes and I liked the artwork.

Of course we chose to go on a day that had a thunder and lightening and rain storm so the trucks were not out in full force, however it had a decent showing and we had great food, as we dodged the rain drops.  They also had a ton of seating areas, with kind of an Asian flare, complete with bamboo trees and golden lion statues and umbrellas. Loved it!!

This is me and the golden lion

So we tried a few trucks. There was a Venezuelan food truck and we tried the fajita quesadilla, which was too die for!! Sorry I forgot to take a pic or get the name, but it is the only Venezuelan truck there, so try it!! We also tried the crab cake sliders from a truck that specialized in crab and shrimp...yup also forget the name of that one! Sorry I get a little distracted around food and I forget to get all of the blogger details. Oopsie!!

I also tried the lobster tacos from Cousins Maine Lobster, the truck that was featured on Shark Tank, also incredible!! I was a little bummed that they were out of the lobster ice cream, but they said it had to do with the heat, they couldn't keep it cold. I guess that is one of the challenges to having a food truck instead of an actual location with real freezers. However, the tacos were great!!

Lobster tacos

We also tried the bbq from this guy selling well bbq from a bbq on wheels, known as Mr. BBQ. He is the first place you will see when you pull in and although it is devoid of the fancy truck and flashy sign he has good bbq, especially when it comes to really good sauce and smokey flavor on his meat.

Mr. BBQ and his smoker on wheels

I do have to say I wasn't extremely impressed with his side dishes, however his chicken and ribs and pulled pork were definitely worth the time and money.



The variety and number of trucks vary each day, however if you love to try new food and you want to explore the food truck craze I definitely recommend checking this place out, if you are in the Atlanta area. Right now it is only open on the weekends, however they are hoping to eventually increase their days and hours. Here is the web page for more information: http://atlantafoodtruckpark.com/foodtrucks/

Have fun with the food truck craze for as long as it lasts! Cheers!