Good Food
Spoon Tasting; Summer Cocktails; The History of the Fork
LA's top bartenders divulge their summer cocktail secrets. A spoon tasting uncovers how various metals pair with your food. Plus, the history of the fork.
By Evan Kleiman • • 57m ListenDoes your spoon have a flavor? Zoe Laughlin of the Institute of Making in London recently hosted a spoon tasting dinner to determine which metals have the most palatable flavor. Cookbook author and food historian Anne Willan discusses the history of the modern place setting, and Jeff Dunn details his quest to make baby carrots the next vending machine craze. In an excerpt from KCRW's To the Point, reporter Alan Bjerga explains what the 2012 Farm Bill means for commodity growers, and Marion Nestle explains what the legislation means for fruits and vegetables and food assistance programs. Jonathan Gold takes us out for tacos near Dodger Stadium and Kris of Nom's Delivery in Long Beach talks about her late-night delivery service that curbs late night munchies. Plus, Kate Grutman, Julian Cox, David Borrego and Brian Butler offer their secrets to perfect summer cocktails.
Banner image: 'Pixie Sweet' plum-cherry hybrids, grown by Murray Family Farms and others. Photo by David Karp
In this episode
8 storiesMarket Report
Akasha Richmond of Akasha Restaurant is shopping for summer fruit at the market. She loves the wide variety of stone fruit and especially the Snow Queen Nectarines from Art Lange and Honeycrisp farms, but she is also happy to see figs that she uses in salads, wraps in prosciutto and turns into jams and chutneys.
Read the story7 minCould Baby Carrots Be the Next Junk Food Craze?
Jeff Dunn is the president and CEO of Bolthouse Farms which sells nearly a billion pounds of carrots each year. He explains how baby carrots came to be and details his plan to plant baby carrots in vending machines across the nation by hijacking junk food marketing strategies.
Read the story8 min2012 Farm Bill Update
In an excerpt from KCRW's To the Point , Bloomberg News reporter Alan Bjerga explains what the 2012 Farm Bill means for commodity growers. Plus, Dr.
Read the story6 minA Spoon Tasting
Dr. Zoe Laughlin is the co-director of the Institute of Making at the University of London. She recently conducted a spoon tasting with food luminaries such as Harold McGee and Heston Blumenthal. The purpose was to determine which metals pair well with which foods. Music; "Dem Tambourines" by Don Wilkerson
Read the story7 minThe History of the Modern Place Setting
Anne Willan is a noted cookbook author and food historian. Her latest book is The Cookbook Library : Four Centuries of the Cooks, Writers, and Recipes That Made the Modern Cookbook. She discusses the evolution of the modern table setting, from Medieval times to Queen Elizabeth.
Read the story9 minWhen You're at the Ball Game and You Craving a Taco....
This week Jonathan Gold visits Mexicali Taco & Co. , a spot near Dodger Stadium that focuses on Mexicali-style tacos and vampiros. They import their flour tortillas from Mexicali, which is just south of the border in inland Baja.
Read the story5 minA Fairy Godmother for Late Night Munchies
Kris, who would not disclose her last name, is the founder of Nom's: Late Night Delivery Service for the Sobriety and Motivation Impaired in Long Beach. She picks up food from fast food joints and local taquerias and delivers it to Long Beach residents who have a case of the late night munchies.
Read the story5 minLA's Top Bartenders Share Their Favorite Summer Cocktails
This is the final segment in our June cocktail series. We selected a few bars and restaurants with notable bartenders and asked them to share their cocktail inspiration for the summer.
Read the story9 min
