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I love this time of year...the water is warmer, the day is longer, the grilling is more frequent, and the produce is delish.
Cutting through East LA on the way home has many advantages:
First, there are taco trucks everywhere for a quick, cheap bite to eat. Horchata, pina, limonada, etc. Al pastor, asada, carnitas. Roasted peppers and onions. Guacamole sauce. And each one usually costs less than $1 each...some trucks as cheap as 75 cents. Before Fitday, I was known to stop off and buy a plate of 5 or 6 of those al pastor ditties, a glass of pina, and then sit back and listen to the old hispanic people argue about the Dodgers, Presidente Fox, or whether Gloria Trevi was better than Julieta Venegas.
Second, there are 99 Cent stores everywhere. At first, I didn't care much about that. In fact, I wondered why it was necessary to have such a proliferation of 99 Cent stores. However, as my wife developed a habit of asking me to stop off on the way home to pick up random junk, the 99 Cent store became something of a great convenience. We need printer paper? No problem. The kids flushed their crayons down the toilet? Check. We were supposed to bring green and orange crepe paper to decorate the chapel for the ward activity tonight? I'm on it.
As a side note, I find that once I am in a 99 Cent Store, I have total recall of all the things in my life that I don't have but suddenly need: carnuba wax, Erasermate pens, inflatable plastic swimming pool floaties, a pack of 3 college-rule spiral notebooks, etc..
But at this time of year, my favorite thing about East LA is the abundance of fresh produce. It is everywhere. Literally on every main intersection. You can buy a big box of huge strawberries....$3.50. Mangoes are 50 cents each. The traditional huge bag of oranges (the standard mode of currency at the Tijuana border and freeway onramps throughout the greater LA area) goes for about $5. Peaches go for about 50 cents each, as well. A bag of cherries still weighs in at the most expensive pound for pound.....around $3 for a bag. It is usually much cheaper than the stores and very convenient. Just pull up to the curb, much like you would if you were soliciting a prostitute or trying to buy normal drugs.....they come right up to you and the rest is as simple as paying with cash. Within minutes, I am back on my way home. At certain intersections (Whittier and Soto comes to mind), you can sometimes find carts that sell right by spiggots on the side of buildings, so they will rinse off the fruit right in front of you....and voila..instant snack for the drive home. I have eaten about 30 strawberries already this week and about 4 mangoes.
When I was back in Utah last week, I noticed the familiar sign of summer approaching....fruit stands starting to pop up everywhere. I love that.
Do any of you have favorite local produce that you purchase on the cheap?
I am fruity for fresh fruit and corn. This is going to be a great summer.
Cutting through East LA on the way home has many advantages:
First, there are taco trucks everywhere for a quick, cheap bite to eat. Horchata, pina, limonada, etc. Al pastor, asada, carnitas. Roasted peppers and onions. Guacamole sauce. And each one usually costs less than $1 each...some trucks as cheap as 75 cents. Before Fitday, I was known to stop off and buy a plate of 5 or 6 of those al pastor ditties, a glass of pina, and then sit back and listen to the old hispanic people argue about the Dodgers, Presidente Fox, or whether Gloria Trevi was better than Julieta Venegas.
Second, there are 99 Cent stores everywhere. At first, I didn't care much about that. In fact, I wondered why it was necessary to have such a proliferation of 99 Cent stores. However, as my wife developed a habit of asking me to stop off on the way home to pick up random junk, the 99 Cent store became something of a great convenience. We need printer paper? No problem. The kids flushed their crayons down the toilet? Check. We were supposed to bring green and orange crepe paper to decorate the chapel for the ward activity tonight? I'm on it.
As a side note, I find that once I am in a 99 Cent Store, I have total recall of all the things in my life that I don't have but suddenly need: carnuba wax, Erasermate pens, inflatable plastic swimming pool floaties, a pack of 3 college-rule spiral notebooks, etc..
But at this time of year, my favorite thing about East LA is the abundance of fresh produce. It is everywhere. Literally on every main intersection. You can buy a big box of huge strawberries....$3.50. Mangoes are 50 cents each. The traditional huge bag of oranges (the standard mode of currency at the Tijuana border and freeway onramps throughout the greater LA area) goes for about $5. Peaches go for about 50 cents each, as well. A bag of cherries still weighs in at the most expensive pound for pound.....around $3 for a bag. It is usually much cheaper than the stores and very convenient. Just pull up to the curb, much like you would if you were soliciting a prostitute or trying to buy normal drugs.....they come right up to you and the rest is as simple as paying with cash. Within minutes, I am back on my way home. At certain intersections (Whittier and Soto comes to mind), you can sometimes find carts that sell right by spiggots on the side of buildings, so they will rinse off the fruit right in front of you....and voila..instant snack for the drive home. I have eaten about 30 strawberries already this week and about 4 mangoes.
When I was back in Utah last week, I noticed the familiar sign of summer approaching....fruit stands starting to pop up everywhere. I love that.
Do any of you have favorite local produce that you purchase on the cheap?
I am fruity for fresh fruit and corn. This is going to be a great summer.
VS.
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