CleverRoot

4 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t KELLY MAGYARICS is a wine, spirits, and lifestyle writer and wine educator in the Wash- ington, D.C. area. Her articles also appear in Wine Enthusiast, Cheers, Nightclub & Bar, DC Magazine, Washington Life, and Washington Post Express. Kelly holds a Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and is also BarSmarts certified. She can be reached through her website at kellymagyarics.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @kmagyarics. Featured Contributor WHILE THERE ARE many things to bemoan about living in Los Angeles (driving on the 405, the 101, the 110, et cetera, et cetera), having 24/7 access to eclectic cuisine from all over the world is one of our best assets. Whether it's Korean barbecue in Koreatown, Ethiopian food on Fairfax, or the Mexican taco stand right down the street from my house in Mar Vista, it's quick and easy to food- hop the globe in our sunny city—depending on traffic, of course. Even as more restaurants strive to use ingredients from local farmers and purveyors, chefs are still consistently influenced by other countries' cuisines. We can't all afford to hop on an international flight to indulge in some culinary exploration, which is why I'm excited to see global cuisine reflected so robustly in this issue. We discover the dishes of Hungary's rural country- side in our cover story; try some rice whisky and citrus liqueur from an innovative Japanese brand; learn to cook delicious Mexican food with, naturally, some tequila on the side; and venture across the pond with our Editor in Chief Anthony Dias Blue as he finds out what's cooking in London's finest restaurants. We also take a deep dive into local agriculture on both coasts, from the apiaries at Jordan Winery in Healdsburg, California, to a push toward year-round sustainability at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. So whether you're in Los Angeles or the Northeast, in the Midwest or the South, join us for an international adventure that will hopefully provide inspiration for future culinary travels. We know we're looking forward to even more explora- tion in 2018. Jesse Hom-Dawson, Managing Editor LETTER FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR Think Global, Eat Local ■cr PHOTO: MONA SHIELD PAYNE Contributing Editors John Curley, David Gadd, Karen MacNeil, Kelly Magyarics, Merrill Shindler, S. Irene Virbila Contributors Cal Bingham, Emily Coleman, Diane Denham, Lyn Farmer, Amina Harris, Albert Letizia, Melissa Marrapese, Rebecca Peplinski, Alexander Rubin, Grace Stufkosky, Evan Sung, Edit Szabó, Izzy Watson, Hardy Wilson, Deborah Parker Wong On January 1, 2018, California became the latest state to join the growing legalization party as it officially allowed the sale and cultivation of recreational cannabis. Just three days later, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Ses - sions rescinded the Cole memo, which dictated how the Department of Justice and legal-weed states prosecuted (or didn't prosecute, rather) offenses related to state-regulated legal cannabis. Understandably, this immediately prompted confusion on how cannabis legalization will continue to unfold not only in California, but across the country: What's legal and what might land you and your hash plant in the clink? To say this disparity about the permissiveness of pot leaves many of us scratching our heads is an understatement, and as brands, cultivators, and dispensaries scramble toward compliance, the cannabis industry finds itself mired in a state of uncertainty not only by threats from the federal government, but by new taxes and regulations as well. And yet, we persist—because we must. Those who have been pushing for safe and fair access to the plant for years know that this is just the latest roadblock in the path, and their activism cannot be ignored or forgotten in the midst of the Green Rush. Legalization is a process, not an event, and respecting and revering those who have come before us is essential as we forge ahead into uncharted territory. So join us as we celebrate the dawn of a new day for cannabis (see stories on pairing the plant with food, wine, and spirits with Arizona brand Huxton on page 71) and say a little "thank you" to the trailblazers who worked tirelessly to make all of this possible (see our Q&A with Dr. Jim Wood, page 70). As new challenges arise, there's no doubt we'll see many more pioneers emerge as power players in this burgeoning industry in the year ahead. Rachel Burkons VP/Associate Publisher/Cannabis Editor On the Cusp

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