News — Edible LA

Pina's Chestnut Gnocchi with Pesto from Liguria from Pasta Grannies Comfort Cooking

'I don’t understand why you come all the way up here to film me make gnocchi; can’t you make them yourselves?’ 91-year- old Pina thought we were mad not to have this life skill…Pina lives in the mountains behind Genova in Liguria…She ran the village bakery and shop for many years, and still has a few shelves with emergency packets of pasta and tinned tomatoes for when her neighbors get caught short. She used to carry the provisions on her back for the last two kilometers before the road got built, and even now only three-wheeled scooters can navigate the village’s cobbled paths.

Making the most of what you have is second nature to Pina: she uses walnuts because pine nuts are too expensive, she grows her own potatoes, and the foraged chestnuts make more costly wheat flour go further. So, in that spirit, if you don’t have chestnut flour, make these using just wheat flour.

Seasonal RecipesVicky BennisonOctober 10, 2022Comment

I am Local: Shaved Kale, Pomegranate and Persimmon Salad with Fig Balsamic Dressing

A favorite, and iconic salad from LA-favorite Cafe Gratitude.

Seasonal RecipesSeizan Dreux EllisSeptember 29, 2022Comment

A Perfect Chocolate Orange Cake from Gateau: The Simplicity of French Cakes

Dark chocolate and candied orange give this cake an almost confection-like flavor, but it is not too sweet and, thanks to its sturdiness, can travel for le weekend. Serve for dessert with a dollop of crème fraîche or all day, in thick slices, with coffee or, at midnight, with a snifter of Cognac.

Seasonal RecipesAleksandra CrapanzanoSeptember 28, 2022Comment

Introducing the Viv, Baker Rose Wilde's Woodland Cake

Baker Rose Wilde lives in one of lovely those old Craftsman houses in Normandie-Adams where, amid the moldings and columns and wood floors, she’s installed an extra fridge and stacked an extra room full of rolling pins and baking boards. Rose is irrepressible herself, with her fluffy red hair, dazzling smile and retro style. She’s been the pastry chef at Rossoblu, Rustic Canyon and Manuela, as well as being the owner and fermenter behind Red Bread. With a law degree from UCLA (specialty: human rights) and Mad Academy in Copenhagen cred, she’s also passionate about translating love into food.

Seasonal RecipesLisa AlexanderSeptember 28, 2022Comment

Triple C's from Ghetto Gastro by Jon Gray, Pierre Sarrao and Lester Walker

Our cooking ethos is guided by a few important principles: It’s gotta be right and to the bite. Done with finesse, but make it look effortless. Our food is delicious and beautiful. Intentional and subversive. And always with that swag, as in the Triple Cs.

Seasonal RecipesJon Gray, Pierre Serrao, Lester Walker with Osayi EndolynSeptember 28, 2022Comment

Roasted Fig and Fennel Salad with Walnuts and Chevre

This simple, warm, and satisfying salad is a wonderful balance of sweet and savory. The Fruit Basket section of our orchard is home to four varieties of figs, yet each year I most look forward to the ripening of Violette de Bordeaux, which tastes just like my memories of a childhood fig cookie.

Seasonal RecipesMolly ChesterSeptember 27, 2022Comment

Savory Bread Pudding with Short Ribs and Chickpeas from Arabiyya by Reem Assil

ONE OF MY favorite memories from visits to Beirut was listening to the sizzle of fried pine nuts in hot clarified butter hit the top of a fatteh at street corner stalls, where vendors were making this dish to order for hungry crowds.
It takes only one bite to understand the magic of fatteh, the ultimate breakfast and brunch mezze dish and a perfect cure for a hangover.

Now Serving, Seasonal RecipesedibleLASeptember 7, 2022Comment

Fideo Seco: Toasted Pasta with Poblano, Serrano and Potatoes Simmered in Chicken Stock from Mi Cocina by Rick Martinez

“I adore fideo seco—toasted bits of pasta simmered with a rich chicken broth until the pasta absorbs every last drop of liquid. Growing up, it was always served as a side dish. When I got to Monterrey I saw it in a taco! I couldn’t believe that I had eaten it for so many years of my life and never put it inside of a tortilla. So of course I had to try it. And yes, it was amazing carb on delicious carb. While it was delicious, in all honesty, my favorite way to eat fideo seco is straight out of the pan. In fact, when I was in college, I would make huge batches for me and my , I would make huge batches for me and my roommate. It was cheap and easy and the perfect meal to make after a night out drinking. Between the two of us, we’d devour a whole skillet! Now I skip the bar and go straight to the skillet. Feel free to stuff it into a tortilla if you are needing a little carb pick-me-up!” — Rick Martinez

Now Serving, Seasonal RecipesedibleLASeptember 7, 2022Comment

Gochugaru Shrimp and Roasted Seaweed Grits from Korean American by Eric Kim

If shrimp and grits were born and raised in the American South by Korean immigrant parents in the early 1990s, then this is what it would taste like. In my version of the Southern classic, the shrimp is first tossed in gochugaru, fish sauce, and so much garlic (these ingredients, my mom reminds me, are the start of most recipes for maeuntang, a spicy fish stew, like the one on page 169). The grits are, on the other hand, flavored in the way that a classic Korean jook, or rice porridge, would be flavored: with crushed gim and toasted sesame oil. And when the two combine, it’s a beautiful marriage of seaside flavors.

Seasonal RecipesedibleLASeptember 7, 2022Comment

Kevin Bludso’s Chicken Wings from Bludso's BBQ: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul

Seasonal Recipes, Now ServingedibleLASeptember 4, 2022Comment

"I am Local" Grilled Peach and Asparagus Salad from Cafe Gratitude

Café Gratitude’s Executive Chef Seizan Dreux Ellis shares with us this scrumptious salad. The recipe can also be found in their Love is Served cookbook.

Seasonal Recipes, Now ServingSeizan Dreux EllisAugust 9, 2022Comment

Chef Suzanne Goin's Summer Fruit Salad with Peaches and Marcona Almonds

Here’s a perfect summer salad that’s perfect to eat right now.

Seasonal RecipesSuzanne GoinJuly 29, 2022Comment

Honeydew, Feta, Jalapenos and Lime Salad

Serves 6 to 8 as a snack, if you took out the feta cheese. I’m certain that, if blended, this would also make an incredible tequila-based cocktail.

Seasonal Recipes, Now ServingJess DamuckJuly 26, 2022Comment

Tamtar Wagen or Eggplant with Tomatoes from On the Himalyan Trail

When visiting Kashmir and Jammu, I saw that thin, long aubergines (eggplant) were popular dishes among the Kashmiri Hindus. I am a big fan of aubergines and learning to cook and eat them in different ways is exciting. The sweet, sour tomatoes work well with the aubergines here.

Seasonal RecipesRomy GillJuly 9, 2022Comment