He keeps his spirits up by feeding others The Pacific Palisades home where chef Daniel Shemtob and his wife dreamed of raising a family is now nothing more than a cratered pit of twisted metal and rubble.
It would be easy for the two-time Food Network competition winner to dwell on the loss of the home, which he and his wife, Elyse, moved into about eight months ago, leasing with an option to buy.
The Palisades and Eaton fires broke out Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, killing at least 28 people and destroying nearly 16,000 structures.
But even as the Los Angeles-area wildfires continue to burn, Shemtob has been soothing his soul by dishing out free, foil-wrapped breakfast burritos and tacos from his award-winning food truck to first-responders and weary evacuees.
One man was so happy with his sweet and spicy steak taco that he declared it the first time he smiled since his home burned.
