Edra, Mark and I took a little trip to the Farmer's Market today. Not just any one, but the original Los Angeles institution, now celebrating its 75th year.
It was a blast! The market is not your average produce stand -- it's lots of little gourmet food shops and restaurants. It's a foodie heaven. They have every kind of food you can imagine, and even some you can't (seriously, what would I do with chicken feet or turkey necks??) We sampled the wares (gourmet olives, confetti popcorn), and drooled at all the desserts. Mark feasted on handmade bubblegum ice cream, and an enormous chili dog. Edra and I had a harder time deciding what to eat -- we just stared at every one's plate as we walked by, to see what looked good.
The longest lines were at a Brazilian churrascaria and the Gumbo Pot (when it comes to good food, I say follow the crowd!). I was still undecided when Edra came back with a steaming bowl of jambalaya on a plate of sweet potato chips. I took one bite and I was sold -- it was the best jambalaya I've had outside of my favorite U.S. city, New Orleans.
I ordered up a bowl for myself, along with some beignets. Edra and Mark had never tasted beignets, which are like little bread-y donuts, fried and dusted with powdered sugar. I did not play the beignet trick on them (warn them the beignets are hot, and to blow on them to cool them off -- hello, powdered sugar all over your face!), but I was tempted. Didn't matter, we all ended up powdery anyway.
Mark, ever the adventurous eater, loved the jambalya. "I loooove to eat!" he proclaimed happily, and Edra and I laughed.
"You sure came to the right family," Edra told him. "What would we have done if you'd been a picky eater?" We laugh about this all the time, how lucky I was to get a kid who tries anything, and doesn't limit his food choices to the kid's menu.
Afterwards, we drove home, bellies full of good, spicy Bayou food. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon...
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