Darra Goldstein travels to that other West Coast

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Darra Goldstein - ©Stefan Wettainen
Darra Goldstein (Photo by Stefan Wettainen) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

I have been seduced again and again by the cultural beauty of Mediterranean countries where the light and the saturated colors seem to appear everywhere in nature. It is fascinating when that besotted gaze falls on Northern climes and the Scandinavian palette of blues, whites and grays.

I’ve come to rely upon the founding editor of “Gastronomica,” Darra Goldstein, for her expertise on Russian and Georgian food. Her latest cookbook is “Fire and Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking.” So many foods in the book speak to me, from the rhubarb tosca cake and the juniper butter to the West Coast Salad, which in Darra’s words, showcases the stunning bounty of the sea.