The Antithesis: Las Vegas to Zion

A Fremont Diner breakfast with my better half and incredible friends brought us to a mildly salty goodbye.  Breaking way from Napa with full bellies Clark and I quickly got our rhythm on the road as I took over the helm for the first stretch. Driving into Las Vegas is mind-boggling. In the middle of nowhere Sin City perches itself smack dab in the desert. Draught and poverty seem to be a growing concern for the population 200 towns dotting the interstate leading up to the big lights. The majority of the homes were abandoned or run down with graffiti are joined by large handmade signs cursing the government for its exploitation of their water supply. Just miles away Vegas drinks on. Bouchon, Robuchon, Mesa Grill; the big names have all helped to make this surreal experience. But, for one night in Vegas we lived it up. After my one-dollar of gambling magically turned to twenty-five cents I called it quits. Getting more than my share of second-hand smoke, I wonder why people can't smoke hickory or applewood cigarettes. My hair could smell like delicious pork rather than a soggy ashtray. 

Three hours from Las Vegas lay Zion National Park. This morning I took the driver's seat as we crossed state lines. Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and back to Arizona; the cold deserts lifted with canyons as we cracked through sides of rock, paving our way to Zion. Getting to the park at 3PM, there was a peaceful silence. Hundreds of deer fed off the vegetation that flourishes on the riverbanks. Layers of centuries identified themselves in the rock, showing their struggles from drought to extinction. The Pueblo tribe was the first settler of the Canyon to be haunted with drought. But its spirit was present. From the Canyon's walls to the river rocks, everything breathed together. Zion, so fitting a name for such a fulfilling place. Clark and I crept through Zion, snapping photos as the sun sank and the moon took stage. The distant snow that topped the cliffs grew closer as we climbed the road through Zion. The moonlit road led us all the way to Page, AZ. Cozying up with chicken and beer, we have tread our miles for the day. Tomorrow we head south to Albuquerque after getting our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon.

The Last Supper

Tonight is our last night in California. No way better spent than at a friend's house. Chili verde, mexican chorizo cheese dip, warm pinto bean dip, guacamole with lots of lime and tortillas rounded out our feast. Friends from Clark's class joined us and a few salty...I prefer seasoned... tears fell as we said our goodbyes. As Wilson describes it, it is our time to go learn and bring back recipes, ideas, stories and adventure for us to have another feast over. It is undoubtedly not our last supper, but a long stretch until what will be our next. With bellies full clark and I managed to get the car packed and ready for the road. Off on cross country adventure in seven hours.

Live Food Rich

 For years now I've been wanting to jump on the blog bandwagon, but I've never been one to conform. That, or I never thought of myself to be interesting enough to share my day with the thousands of you that will be standing by your ipads, pods, cephalopods, and macbooks to read my budding blog. But, what makes the thousands of other busy bloggers more interesting than me? Perhaps fame, athleticism, a degree in journalism, money, a radical opinion. What do I bring to the "Table", monitor if you will... Taste Buds.

I live food rich. Growing up in kitchens on Cape Cod, I have an affinity for all things line caught and lobster red (no, not red lobster).  Traveling my way to the West Coast one year after graduating from college to pursue another degree has awakened my senses in the most literal way. I have been living in Napa Valley, where I came in August 2009 to begin my two year education at the Culinary Institute of America, Greystone. It is here where I have dove mouth first into food utopia. My first kiss of fresh fig flesh off a tree is most endearing to my memories here. My first chance to eat an animal that I also helped raise and kill myself. Working side by side with chefs, whose brains you want to pick apart, knowing there is always more to learn. I've since graduated from the CIA, and used this past summer and fall to gain experience working in winery kitchens. Working at Rubicon, Signorello Estate, Pine Ridge, Hess Collection, and Panevino; I absorb so many different techniques, ideas, and have had the chance to learn how wine and food have a beautifully symbiotic relationship when done correctly. I've had the opportunity to transform my palate and expand this food rich life. So I offer you my taste buds, it is up to you to believe in them.