The Peeled Snacks California tour took a turn South last week as we pointed ourselves towards, beautiful, warm Los Angeles, which, in spite of its name, is angel free 40 years running.  The last angel there was run over by a car while trying to earn his wings by saving the soul of Edmund Brown, who went on to lose the Governorship of California to Reagan.  Things have sucked ever since.

It was a very eventful week, what with the Natural Foods Expo West going down in Anaheim, and all sorts of meetings with Lo-Cal-So-Cal foodies.  We walked the Anaheim show, because actually sitting in a stall gets boring.  Walking past all those companies'booths offering "the NEXT Omega 3" (or whatever neutraceutical they happened to be peddling) sometimes make me wonder if I'm in the wrong business. 

Tasting that crap, on the other hand, made me think, "yes, it's true, Peeled Snacks ROCKS!"

Touring the LA countryside makes me wonder what that landscape looked like before every square foot of it was covered with strip malls, highways, and aparment complexes.  It'd surely fry the eyeballs to see a before and after picture of Pasadena with the last 50 years in between the photos.  But then again, it fries the eyes looking at the city's heart breaking, bleeding heart colored sunsets (color courtesy of all those bloody cars.  Sigh).

Others surely have discussed the differences between Northern and Southern California, but I'll take up 3 important points before leaving it be...

1: Southern Californian buildings have heating units.  Why the more Southerly city has sounder thermostats, I'll never understand, but it certainly made mornings more pleasant.

2: Northern California has better food, better menus, and better grocery stores.  Gelson's is for safe food from big companies.  Guess you won't be finding Peeled Snacks there anytime soon.

3: Southern Californian 20 and 30-somethings are "hipper", and "hotter", but Northern Californians are better looking.  That is to say, look across West Hollywood and all those prancing Brangelina wannabees smile dashingly and flip their hair oh so perfectly.  But it's a LOT more fun to scope out the looks of the Mission District's denizens, or play "who's the Crunchiest?" in East Bay.  Weirdos entertain infinitely more than actor types.

Of California in general, I've this crass generalization to offer:

The Good:  The food is superb, the ingredients fresh, and the trends momentous

The Bad: The traffic is obscene, with cars everywhere, utterly heedless of the environment 

The Ugly: Mix the great food with the driving (and its implied lack of exercise) and you get an uglier me- I probably put on 10 pounds this trip.  YUCK!!!

More round-up soon.  I just gotta say some thank yous....

Thank you Jonathan and Ells for putting us up in your phat flat.  It was a delight....

Thank you Rena for sharing your home and your dog, who I miss VERY much...

Thank you Dana for showing us the sights, and being such a thoughful foodie...

Thank you Ellen for being such a fun friend, taking us to Skywalker Ranch, and putting up with your brother, who should call you more often...

And, most importantly, THANK YOU CASSIE, for keeping the ship running so smoothly while we were wandering Westward.  You TRULY rock....

Ian, Peeled not quite so skinny....