Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I live in California, so I have access to a lot of fresh stuff. Frozen shrimp is something I just can't do. It HAS to be fresh. I'll admit it... I'm spoiled.

I'm with everyone above. There's not much near LMU as it's trapped in a residential area. But Venice Beach and Culver City are nearby and you can grab public transportation to a number of locations. http://www.bigbluebus.com/busroutes/

Don't miss Brennan's for turtle racing and beers. Yes, you read that right. Turtle racing.
http://www.brennanspub-la.com/racing.htm

Or if you'd like a fun divey bar, Prince o' Whales is a local coed hangout. (Or it was when I was at UCLA) Be warned. It is VERY divey. :) But those are the best kind.
http://www.princeowhales.com/

Gallo Pinto is my FAVORITE! I'm a purist... just give me rice, black beans and crema! Perfect for breakfast.

I LOVE eating out alone! I have no qualms about being solo at the sushi bar (I've met some fun and interesting people that way) or getting comfy by myself in a booth. I generally read whatever is my source of the moment: whether it's Harry Potter (for the nth time), David Sedaris or even the latest issue of Real Simple.

Hendrick's Gin is PHENOMENAL! Better than any other top shelf brand I've had. One sip was enough to convert me.
http://www.hendricksgin.co.uk/

Where was the post when I was contemplating radish recipes? :) I'm sure they could easily be modified next time for such a purpose.

I love love love my wok. Can't believe I went so long with out one. I also adore my mortor and pestle and a good cheese slicer is a must.

I think if one is old enough to go to war and die for one's country, one should be able to drink as well. Perhaps we should just raise the age limit of military service to 21...

We have a sign on our fridge at work forbidding anyone from putting sodas in the freezer. This is due to cans exploding three times in one month. We are a forgetful lot.

Ugh. I tried one of these "sandwiches" and it was HORRIBLE. The bacon and bread were both soggy and the "egg" made me long for McDonald's. The smell was the last thing I considered. Starbucks should stick to it's day job. (Especially considering the number of stores they're closing down...)

I'm in California, so I'm lucky enough to have access to all kinds of amazing and FRESH food. Of course, this can sometimes cost a pretty penny. My favorite place is Sprouts Famer's Market, a place with incredible weekly deals on produce. Just yesterday I bought 4 heads of sweet corn for $2, a deliciously ripe canteloupe for 99 cents, 2 cartons of strawberries for $4 and a head of cabbage for 50 cents. The fact that every person working at Sprouts is friendly and helpful also makes for a great shopping experience.

CNN just did a special report on this kind of dilemma. Pretty remarkable findings: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/siu/shows/poisoned.food/index.html

My mom taught me from a very young age to read the per ounce cost on the little labels in front of the food. It definitely had stuck with me over the years, especially in these trying food times.