Living in the part of Seattle that I live in, the uniform of choice seems to be pretty emo, sometimes goth, with generous peircings and tattoos ... counterculture to mainstream America. However ever since I moved here I've found that I've enjoyed being a bit countercounterculture. Cowboy boots and jeans seem to work quite well for me. No pickup truck, though. Yet.

Or maybe I should call it "faux Mexican food." It seems like lately, every family meal I make, every meal I have, I end up with something that's Mexican. Whether it's taking the skin off a pork belly to make tacos al chincharones or making mole verde, I am just drawn to how homey, how comforting the food is, especially when, with the addition of condiments like sour cream and lime, you can create a wonderful counterpoint of flavors and textures.

On Sunday mornings I usually end up making a salsa. As I go through the motions of setting up the line, I'll grill up some vegetables (one onion, three jalapenos, some tomatoes or tomatillios) and grab a bunch of cilantro, then head to the blender, usually adding just a bit of water, salt and maybe some seasoning with chipotle powder or some cider vinegar. It usually ends up being a bout a 9 pan's worth of salsa, but it makes for great meals the rest of the week or a nice special. Eggs benedict with a green chile hollandaise on top of bacon and masa cornbread? Yum.

Every year Saveur magazine publishes its list of top 100 food items. When I get the issue, I like to open it up and look at what I think is right on, what's off the mark, and what's just plain behind the times.

Right On
#28 Asia's soul food - Philippine food is definitely teh awesome.
#32 Manners, schmanners - Eating food from the pan is the way to go. In home kitchens, plates aren't kept hot, so your food cools down when you plate it. Straight from the pan, it's piping hot.
#36 North America's new food capital - Though I've never been, I 'd have to say damned straight on this one. I'm fascinated by the street food culture of Mexico and Mexico City would be a damned good place to experience it.
#57 Childhood favorite updated - Cacao reserve by Hershey's is awesome with single region bars and high cocoa butter content just rocks.
#69 Proof that good things come in small packages - The White Castle burger. I miss sliders.

Off the Mark
#4 Canned peas - You've got to be fucking kidding me.
#19 Hot sauce from Austin Grand Prize Hot Sauce - I make damned good stuff in my kitchen all of the time.
#100 End pieces - So, so ... The end pieces of roasts and what not are well done and crap, the end peice of a Parmesan wedge is good only for soup, the end piece of a very crusty bread is just too tough for my taste.

Just Plain Behind the Times
#5 Chipotle chiles go mainstream - Wow. I think this flavoring is already beyond mainstream and was tired sometime last year.
# 30 The return of the thinking person's cocktail - The cocktail renaissance has been in full swing for years now. Only now they're realizing that gin is better than vodka?
#84 Dessert for dinner - Yes, there are a bunch of high profile dessert only restaurants opening, but if you looked closely, you'd see a number of hihg quality dessert only places out there.