Fighting Food Waste - Imperfect Produce

A recently delivered box of produce from Imperfect Produce.  (Photo Credit: Hermosa Journal)

   Guilty of not buying completely edible produce because it does not look a certain way?  Turns out, you are not alone - we do it too!  Each year tons (think billions) of great tasting produce goes to landfills in part because stores will not sell cosmetically challenged fruits and vegetables.  Fortunately, the Emeryville based company, Imperfect Produce, seeks to change this reality.

   Imperfect works directly with growers to sell their oversupply and odd looking produce. These fruits and vegetables taste the same and have all the nutrients as their grocery store counterparts, but sometimes look a little different.  The seasonal produce is sold at 30-50% below store prices and each order is fully customizable before it arrives on your doorstep.  Delivery is currently available in certain parts of California, although founders Ben Simon and Ben Chasler plan to expand across the country.

   Who knew reducing food waste, supporting local farmers and being thrifty could be so easy?  Something tells us we’ll never be able to look at store produce in the same way.   

Fava beans deemed imperfect due to some external scars.  (Photo Credit: Hermosa Journal)

A sampling of the most imperfect looking produce in our box.  (Photo Credit: Hermosa Journal)

The Golden Egg - Milla Chocolates

Credit: Hermosa Journal

   The award winning chocolatier and owner of Milla Chocolates, Christine Sarioz, is stepping up the Easter chocolate game by creating beautiful and delicious golden eggs.  This ridiculously tasty treat comes gorgeously packaged in a chic black box and is full of chocolate covered caramelized almonds with raspberry and pink sea salt.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, the golden eggshell is edible (and divine).  Easter is around the corner, but if you call now you might still be able to find an egg or two.  Happy hunting!

Milla Chocolates is located at Row DTLA 1320 E. 7th Street (parking entrance: Alameda & Bay)

Daytime Delights - Destroyer Restaurant

Credit: LA Weekly/Anne Fishbein

   Jordan Kahn’s Culver City restaurant, Destroyer, serves up tasty delights for the serious foodie.  Although the restaurant's name might conjure up gigantic portions of heavy food that knock you into a deep food coma, this is not that kind of place.

Raw oatmeal bowl.   (Credit: Hermosa Journal)

   Destroyer serves delicately layered food with a lot of subtle flavor, at a reasonable price.  Our breakfast favorite is the crunchy raw oatmeal served with red currants and almond milk. Yum!

Credit: Hermosa Journal

   Open only during the week for breakfast and lunch, Kahn’s latest locale is filled with food loving people.  One thing to note, besides the hours, is the tough parking situation (bring quarters just in case you get lucky and find a nearby metered spot).  Hours of operation and parking difficulties aside, once you make it to the restaurant you’ll be rewarded with tasty and interesting food created by a chef that was added to Food and Wine’s 2017 Best New Chefs list.