It starts by introducing each person involved in the project, and ends with photos of us at our crew meeting in Burbank on May 2nd, 2013. Credit for capturing   the creative process goes to Project Photographer Jorge Neri.

Enjoy!

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At her 82nd birthday part, Dolores Huerta circulates a petition denouncing proposed adult education cuts in L.A. County Public Schools.

The woman who co-founded the National Farmworkers Association with Cesar Chavez in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers, is being recognized with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The medal is given to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

President Barak Obama said:  “These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our Nation.  They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us, and they’ve made the world a better place.  I look forward to recognizing them with this award.”

In addition to Huerta, The White House press release named all of this year’s recipients, including astronaut John Glenn, author Toni Morrison, musician Bob Dillan.  Huerta is the only Latina on the list.  She says she received a phone call from The White House advising that President Obama had selected her for the distinguished honor.

“To me it speaks to organization, because if we don’t have organization then we don’t have a voice,” says Huerta.  “We may be 50 million Latinos in our country, but if we’re not organized and we’re not educated, we don’t have a voice.”

The White House called just days after Huerta’s 82^nd birthday.  The civil rights activist and her 11 children threw a party at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes downtown Los Angeles.  The VIP list included several well-known Mexican artists, including Oscar Nominated Actor Edward James Olmos and “Zoot Suit” playwright/filmmaker Luis Valdez.

“We had almost 900 people for her party,” said L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina.

Huerta is an iconic and beloved figure in Southern California.  As of the 2010 U.S. Census count, half of L.A. County’s population is Hispanic.  In its latest report, the Public Policy Institute of California estimates the number of undocumented immigrants is about 900,000, or nearly 10% of L.A. County’s overall population.

Huerta’s grassroots connection with farm workers and her activism for Latinas, adult education, and voter registration resonate with many Hispanic in L.A.  Her organizing style has become the blueprint that community activists and attorneys build on to unite a wide range of blue-collar workers, including janitors, car wash employees, and the industry that’s nearest to our hearts—The Loncheros.

Huerta’s social contributions are central to the Mexican immigrant experience in Los Angeles and an important part of the history section of the film-in-production, Masa Revolution.

–Dolores Huerta will travel to The White House to receive her award later this spring.

Skrillex Heats Up The Turntable

Lines stretched for blocks in northeast L.A. last night as fans jostled to get a taste of the latest Skrillex project — a literal taste, that is, of the diminutive dubstep pioneer’s new mobile culinary lab, Grillex.

The Grammy-winning L.A. native Skrillex (born Sonny Moore) launched Grillex to minimal initial fanfare, keeping it mostly a secret until yesterday afternoon, when the truck rolled up to the corner of Echo Park Avenue at Sunset and tweets piled upon tweets, prompting a rush of mostly black-clad superfans to get their hands on his new creations.

What spurred the temporary shift from DJ to Grill-J? We asked the man himself

as he hustled and hopped in front of a pair of searing griddles.

“I figured, why not? Y’know? I’ve gotta try a new challenge right now,” Skrillex said. “Growing up, I cooked a lot at home … I mean, I spent a lot of time with a spatula and grill tongs, almost as much time as I did with decks and records. I’ve got a real passion for it, y’know what I mean? I think, like, 60% of these things fail in the first few months … might as well give it a shot.” [more]

Former snow plow sells deep-fried tacos.

The Department of Public Works is getting ready to unveil a new line of food trucks to help feed the city’s seemingly ceaseless appetite for food on the go.  City officials also hope to close the city’s budget gap.

DPW is creating 10 food trucks from former vehicles that served as part of the city’s line of dedicated snow plows.

DPW assistant director Tom Sweet says that global warming is changing the city’s plowing needs and that he and his staff saw an opportunity to re-purpose some equipment that was sitting dormant and scarfing up ever-tighter public dollars

[more].

Sydney, Australia is the latest city to jump on the food truck ban wagon.

Taco trucks are redefining street food in Australia.

The Land Down Under

Food trucks have become a sensation in U.S. cities like New York, LA and Portland, where some of them have built a cult following with highly-decorated trucks and signature dishes such as tacos, pancakes and Korean BBQs.

In Sydney, mobile kitchens are changing the direction of cheap street eats and Aussies are ultra fascinated by anything hot, spicy and Latin.

The city hosted workshops recentlythat attracted more than 30 participants keen to trial food truck ideas. Ten of the most interesting and innovative ideas will be picked for the pilot program, which will start next January 2012 and run for a year.

The World's Largest Food Truck?

Chef Eric Dively, slices some beef, at BABBQ's traveling big rig

There’s nothing else like it on the road. The BA BBQ food truck is 30 feet tall, 68 feet long, stretches 14 feet across for service, and has more than 170-square feet of grilling space.

The website calls it, “…One Bad @#$ Bar B Que.”
It’s mission: To bring a savory backyard cookout to large events and give customers a friendly experience.

The converted big rig is emblazoned with orange flames, longhorns, and a snarling bull wearing a chef’s coat. Where car-transport semi-trailers layer vehicles on like a three-tier wedding cake, the visionaries behind this massive mobile meal machine created a kitchen fit to feed a small army: Enough grills to churn out 4,000 hot dogs without stopping, and a custom wood-fueled smoker large enough for two whole hogs and 300 whole chickens.

“We wanted to stand out from everyone else,” says BA BBQ partner Anthony Romberger.

From conception until the truck rolled-out took three months. Romberger says there were no blueprints to study, and like perfecting that secret sauce, he and his partners relied on their own creativity.

“We wanted to turn it into a show,” Romberger said.

And if size matters, Romberger and his team have cornered bragging rights. BA BBQ claims to be the world’s largest mobile barbecue unit, although they plan to verify that with the Guinness World Records.

The BA BBQ truck plans to serve up its signature chicken, beef, ribs & pulled pork to people brave enough to endure wintery holiday weather near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Its Twitter page says, “Road trip south starts in January.”

The crew plans to make stops at Harley-Davidson dealerships along the East Coast and pull into the Florida State Fair in February and Daytona Beach Bike Week in March.

GRILL EM ALL Chef Ryan Harkins prepares the Breadbar kitchen in Century City before the big rush on March 31, 2011.

The heavy-metal gourmet burger truck took the night off as the crew took over the Century City BREADBAR.  There

were no wizards, warriors, or goons in the house on March 31st.  Just the Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” winner, GRILL EM ALL, as premiere guests of the “Hatchi Truck Stop.” The BREADBAR’s head Chef Noriyuki Sugie is the visionary behind the event that features a high-profile L.A. Gourmet Food Truck each month.

“I was inspired by the popular Hatchi guest chef series,” says Chef Noriyuki Sugie.  “I wanted to lend my kitchen to premiere food truck chefs so they could prepare exquisite dishes.”

GRILL EM ALL's peanut butter ravioli topped off with a strawberry red wine reduction, part of a dessert offered on their Hatchi Truck Stop menu at the Breadbar in Century City on March 31, 2011.

Longtime buddies and former band mates, Chefs Ryan Harkins and Mathew Chernus featured a selection of awe-inspiring comfort food that paid homage to their Midwestern hometown, Cleveland, Ohio:  Molson Beer and Cheese Soup with Frisée, Lardons, and a Bacon Vinaigrette; “Behemoth Style” Meatballs with BBQ Sauce, Bacon, Smoked Cheddar, and Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings; Duck Confit Poutine with Wisconsin

Cheese Curds and Rosemary; Foie Gras and Fig-Stuffed Pierogi with White Truffle Crème Fraîche; and Peanut Butter and Jelly Three Ways-Canapé, Ravioli, and Shot.  Humboldt County’s Lost Coast Brewery paired the dishes with some of its own signature microbrews.  The tantalizing experience meld traditional English-style ales with the distinctive West Coast flavors of barley, wheat, and Northern California’s exceptionally pure water.

GRILL EM ALL Chef Ryan Harkins walks out of the kitchen for a drink and a breath as he and his crew prepare for GRILL EM ALL's night at the Breadbar in Century City on March 31, 2011.

The “Hatchi Truck Stop” offers diners a one-night-only meal of eight inspired small plates priced at $8 each ($32 minimum purchase per guest). The BREADBAR Century City Event Features Premier Food Truck Chefs  Last Thursday of Every Month.

Sophie Maya Ankeles is picked up by her mother after running around the Tropical Shave Ice Truck at the March 12 Get Fed event outside the Federal Bar in North Hollywood.

The sound of base-laden beats and the aroma of fried foods filled the air at the Federal Bar in North Hollywood.  The red-brick corner building used to be an FDIC-insured bank.  Now food trucks park in a circle around the lounge’s asphalt parking lot for Get Fed and turn the ample chain linked space into a mini festival:  Live Dublab DJs spins the tunes and with their doors up are at least 10 food trucks:  Frysmith, Tropical Shaved Ice Truck, Mandoline Grill, as well as The Original Mobile Barber Shop Co. and The Great Food Truck Race’s winners – Grill ‘Em All.

We caught a piece of the action in March, at the second Ged Fed event.  The February premiere was so hot, bar managers and food truck operators wanted to make sure it wasn’t an aberration.  The players are convinced and Ged Fed is “dead on” the second Saturday of each month — with a rotating list of food trucks.

Julian Payne, owner and barber of The Original Mobile Barbershop Co. puts the final touches on his customer's hair at the March 12 Get Fed event outside the Federal Bar in North Hollywood.

Families, bicyclist, and foodies stop by NOHO’s premiere neighborhood bar to grab a bite, or a few.  Enthusiastic dog lovers relish in the chance to bringing their best friends to the party, but it’s not always cool for the quad pods.  On this more-than-warm spring afternoon, dogs sought shelter from the sun. Children have a freedom unheard of at restaurants.  They can actually run around the parking lot, while their parents sit down and enjoy their food.  The Fed Bar takes care of alcoholic beverages inside, while water and soft drinks sell like hotcakes outside.  And for those in need of a haircut, the Original Mobile Barber Shop Co. set up shop outside the parking lot and drew in both new and old customers.

Mong Skillman, owner/operator of the Mandoline Grill Vietnamese Food Truck organizes Get Fed the second Saturday of every month.  The next event is on May 14 from 12noon – 4 p.m.  The line up includes: The Mighty Boba, Tango Mango, Dim Sum Truck, and Mandoline Grill.

More information can be found at www.thefederalbar.com.

Art Walk Reloaded

Moller hopes to make Art Walk more manageable by letting attendees know in advance things like where to park and what the galleries will be showing. Photo by Gary Leonard.

Monthly Event’s New Executive Director Looks to a Smoother and Self-Sufficient Futureby Richard Guzmán

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – When Art Walk unfolds this Thursday, it will probably seem no different than events of the past: The crowd will be huge, around 20,000 people. There will be food trucks and pop-up art spaces. Some of the more established art galleries, knowing sales are minimal during the happening, will be closed.

Behind the scenes, however, things are much different than they were last year.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2011/02/04/news/doc4d4c966a0f6b5680004706.txt

Jason Chang