Melt The Vote; Fishy Sea Bass; Lamb Fries; Passover Recipes

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Clementine’s Annie Miler holds a grilled cheese election, while writer Paul Greenberg discusses "bass" and the current state of the oceans. Gastronomic adventurer Eddie Lin dines on Lebanese lamb fries, Paul Freedman chronicles the history of tastes and chef Jet Tila celebrates Songkran, the Thai New Year. Plus, pastry chef Ramon Perez makes savory desserts, food writer Arthur Schwartz shares Passover recipes and Laura Avery turns up the freshest finds in the Market Report.

Guest Interview

The Market Report ()

Laura Avery chats with Peter Shaner, of Shaner Farms in Valley Center, about tangelos. They are at the peak of their season, as well as seedless Navel oranges. Tangelos look dark orange with a pointy top, are part tangerine and their sweetness shines through. Also delicious are Kara kara oranges, which have a pinkish hue inside. Peter brings in Spring onions, avocados and shallots as well.

Terri Wahl, chef-owner of Auntie Em's Kitchen in Eagle Rock, makes an egg scramble with Dungeness crab, asparagus and green garlic topped with Tarragon and arugula blossoms. She serves it with smashed pea wee potatoes that she roasts and tops with rosemary. Breakfast is served until 3pm each day.

Auntie Em's Kitchen
4616 Eagle Rock Blvd
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
323-255-0800

Auntie Em's Crab and Green Garlic Scramble

6 1/2 Tablespoons butter
36 small asparagus spears, cut into ½-inch dice
8 garlic bulbs, trimmed, peeled and chopped
8 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
5 1/2 oz cooked Dungeness crab meat
1 tsp chopped tarragon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in large sauté pan. Add asparagus and green garlic to melted butter and sauté until tender. Add eggs and cream to pan and mix well. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often until eggs are lightly scrambled and crab meat and stir in. Before serving top with chopped tarragon, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Music break: Cachita by Juan Garcia Esquivel

Guest Interview

Melt the Vote: Grilled Cheese Election ()

April is National Grilled Cheese Month, so to honor this occasion Annie Miler is holding her very own grilled cheese election primaries during the first four weeks of April at Clementine in Century City. She's created an Official Sample Ballot and eating guide filled with many cheesy initiatives. She also has a grilled cheese blog where you can cast your vote for your favorites.

Clementine
1751 Ensley Ave (across from Westfield Century City Mall)
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-552-1080

Music break: Caravane by Pierre Adenot

Guest Interview

Fishy Sea Bass ()

Writer Paul Greenberg discusses how we've eaten our way through bass because of overfishing and the how the term "bass" is used to substitute different types of fish. He mentions Chilean sea bass, branzino and basa, a Vietnamese catfish. Greenberg talks about seafood trends and the current state of the oceans. His sea bass article appears in the April 13 edition of The New York Times Magazine.

Music break: Carol by Pierre Adenot

Guest Interview

Lamb Fries ()

Deep End Dining's fearless foodie Eddie Lin summons up the courage to eat Lebanese "lamb fries" - Beyd Ghanam at Alcazar in Encino. It's sweet and zesty lamb testes that is sauted with a lemon sauce and summak and garnished with pine nuts. Eddie also samples his old foe, beef brain, in a dish called N'khaat, which is crispy. creamy fried brain.

Alcazar
Fine Middle Eastern Cuisine
17239 Ventura Blvd
Encino, CA 91316
818-789-0991

Music break: Cheek to Cheek by Jerry Allen

Guest Interview

The History of Taste ()

Editor Paul Freedman chronicles European, Chinese and Middle Eastern influences in food and tastes throughout history and the current trend in taste in his book, Food: The History of Taste. He is a Professor of History at Yale University.

Music break: Ciao Mazurka by Dick Dia

Guest Interview

Songkran Festival: Thai New Year ()

Thai embassador chef Jet Tila celebrates Songkran - the Thai New Year - in Thai town in Hollywood. He will do a giant curry cooking demonstration plus a curry cook-off at 3pm. The festival highlights Thai cuisine, costumes and dancing. There will also be a procession of Thai Buddhist monks, Muay Thai boxing matches, Songkran parade and a beauty pageant. It takes place along Hollywood Blvd between Western and Normandie. Take the metro, it's the best way, or park free at the Kaiser Permanente hospital at Vermont Ave via Barnsdall Dr and take a free shuttle ride to the festival.

You can find Jet at the Bangkok Market that his family owns or on his website.

Thai Town Songkran Festival
April 13
10am - 7pm
Hollywood Blvd (between Western Ave and Normandie Ave)
Los Angeles, CA 90027

There's also a two-day Songkran Festival celebration at the Wat Thai in North Hollywood. Free parking at the Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City and free shuttle ride.

Wat Thai Songkran Festival
April 12-13
9am - 6pm
Wat Thai Los Angeles
8225 Coldwater Canyon Ave (at Roscoe Blvd)
North Hollywood, CA 91605

Music break: CQ Song by Mellow

Guest Interview

Savory Desserts ()

Executive pastry chef Ramon Perez adds savory ingredients into sweet dishes. He talks about using squid ink, tumeric, curry and salt to make savory desserts. He oversees the desserts at Sona, Boule and Comme Ça.

Music break: De Onde Vens by Milton Banana Trio

Guest Interview

Passover Recipes ()

The Food Maven, Arthur Schwartz, shares Passover recipes. He also talks about schmaltz, or rendered chicken fat, in Jewish cooking. He is a food writer, editor and cooking teacher and his latest book is Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited.

Wine Poached Pears
Serves 6

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sweet red Passover wine (such as Malaga or Concord)
1 to 2-inch strips lemon zest (optional)
6 firm, ripe Bosc pears

To make the wine syrup, in a 3-quart saucepan (or the size that holds your pears snuggly on their sides but not pressed together), combine the sugar, water, wine, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring a few times to help dissolve the sugar.

Peel the pears, preferably with a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, but leave the stems in tact. There is no need to core the pears.

Place the peeled pears in the syrup. The syrup will not entirely cover the pears. Adjust the heat so the syrup simmers gently. Cook the pears, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Every ten minutes or so, turn the pears so they cook and color evenly.

Remove from the heat and let the pears cool in the syrup in the pan, again turning them every 10 minutes or so for at least 30 minutes.

Chill well before serving. The pears are excellent as soon as they are chilled, but they will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for several weeks. They will, in fact, improve with time, as they get more and more impregnated with the syrup.

Matzo Farfel Kugel
Serves 8 to 12

4 cups coarsely chopped onions, fried until medium brown
1 cup 1/4-inch diced celery
4 cups matzo farfel
8 cups boiling water
6 eggs
1 1/2 tsps salt
1/2 to 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chicken soup
4 Tablespoons schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), or grapeseed or other acceptable Passover oil

Prepare the onions. After the onions have turned golden, add the celery and saute until the celery wilts but is still a little crunchy.

To prepare the batter, place the matzo farfel in a colander set in your sink. Very slowly, in a thin stream, stopping every few seconds, pour the boiling water over the farfel. The farfel should become limp, not sodden.

In a very large bowl, beat the eggs with the salt, pepper, and the chicken soup. Stir in the onion mixture, then the moistened farfel. To taste for seasoning, fry a spoonful in a nonstick pan.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put 3 tablespoons of the schmaltz in an 8-inch square glass baking pan. Place in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour in the farfel mixture. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon schmaltz over the top.

Bake for 1 hour, until well browned. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving. It is also good at room temperature, and reheats beautifully in a 350°F oven.

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