Keeping Kosher; Mother's Day; Rosé; Staph in Meat

Guest Interview

Market Report ()

Amelia Saltsman is the author of The Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook and a frequent guest on Good Food.  With the arrival of cherries at the farmers market, Amelia is making berry crisp.  She makes her crisp topping ahead and freezes it.  When using fruit from the market, Amelia suggests cutting down the amount of sugar called for in most recipes. Her recipe for berry crisp is here.  

Murray Family Farms grows 27 varieties of cherries on their farm south of Bakersfield.  Right now they have the Brooks and the Sequoias.  They'll have new varieties every two weeks or so. 

Guest Interview

Noodles with Jonathan Gold ()

Jonathan Gold is the Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer for the LA Weekly.  This week he reviews Noodle Guy, a Vietnamese noodle restaurant in Alhambra.  Along with the restaurant's signature Kobe beef pho, Jonathan liked the fried spring rolls, ban hoi, shredded pork skin with rice powder, and the broken rice plates.

Noodle Guy
1257 E. Valley Blvd. Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 284-1868

All of Jonathan's suggestions are on the Good Food Restaurant Map.

Guest Interview

Keeping Kosher in Beverly Hills ()

Alex Reznik is the chef at La Seine in Beverly Hills (14 N. La Cienega), a Kosher restaurant.  He has a rabbi that works in his kitchen as a line cook and who monitors their adherence to Kashrut laws.  Alex shares a recipe here.  

Because bugs are not Kosher, certain produce is not permitted and all of it has to be thoroughly washed.  Asparagus tips must be discarded and Brussels sprouts are not on the menu.

Guest Interview

Colombian Cuisine at Mitzi's Kountry Kitchen ()

Gustavo Arellano is the Managing Editor of the OC Weekly where he writes the popular Ask a Mexican column and reviews restaurants.  This week he heads to Laguna Hills, an unlikely place in Orange County to find Colombian food.  The restaurant is Mitzi's Kountry Kitchen, which serves Colombian food during lunch and dinner.  The best dishes include bandeja paisa, which some consider to be Colombia's national dish.  They also have sancocho, which is a soup with chicken, whole corn cobs and potatoes.  Gustavo's review is here.  

Colombia Cuisine at Mitzi's Kountry Kitchen
25381 Alicia Pkwy., Ste. C
Laguna Hills, CA
(949) 636-5418

All of Gustavo's restaurant suggestions are on the Good Food Restaurant Map.

Guest Interview

Rosé ()

Stacie Hunt is a sommelier with Du Vin Wine & Spirits and Splash Productions.  See Stacie's complete list of recommended Rosés here.

Guest Interview

Staph in Meat ()

Dr. Lance Price is  the director of the TGen North’s Center for Microbiomics and Human Health and the author of study on drug resistant staph found in meat supply.  Read more in the Los Angeles Times.

Guest Interview

Ethnic Chains ()

Willy Blackmore is the Los Angeles editor of Tasting Table, and email newsletter.  He highlighted the following chain-restaurant imports:

Bibigo
1091 Broxton Ave.
Westwood
310-824-0011

Obikà
Westfield Century City Shopping Center, Upper Level
10250 Santa Monica Blvd.
Century City
310-556-2452 

Paris Baguette
6 W. 32nd St.
212-244-0404 

Santouka Ramen
3760 South Centinela Avenue 
Los Angeles
(310) 391-1101