Parched; Swedish Table; Multi-Restaurants; French Picnic; Steak It; Sinaloa Seafood; Thai Do's/Don't

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Parched; Swedish Table; Multi-Restaurants; French Picnic; Steak It; Mexican Seafood; Thai Do's, Don'ts Heather King tells us about the downfall of drink. Helene Henderson tells us that Swedish food can mean more than a meatball or a pancake. Jet Tila teaches us how to order Thai like a pro. Patrick Kuh sees a trend in multiple restaurants. Jean Francois Meteigner invites us to the best French picnic in town, and Evan Lobel teaches us about under appreciated cuts of meat. Gustavo Arellano is back to uncover another hot spot behind the orange curtain.
Laura Avery visited with David Karpf, the fruit detective, about the great selection of berries from Clarence at Circle C. The rare Pakistan Mulberries are available this week. Laura also spoke with Rob Poole about his Youngberries and Troy Regier about his yellow peaches.


Heather King discussed Parched, which chronicles her life as an alcoholic and explains how and why some food professionals have problems with alcohol.


Helene Henderson shared some recipes from her new book, The Swedish Table.

Grilled Baby New Potato Salad with French Green Beans and Mint
Serves 4

  • 2 quarts water, salted
  • 2 lbs baby new potatoes (about 25-30), assorted varieties and colors such as Peruvian blue, Russian fingerling, or Red Bliss
  • 1 lb thin French green beans, ends cut off
  • olive oil spray
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup pitted, herbed kalamata olives (optional)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
  1. In a large saucepan, bring salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until just soft, about 3-5 minutes. Drain into a colander and let dry on paper towels.
  2. While potatoes are boiling, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cook green beans until just done but still crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Set aside on a small plate.
  3. Light an outdoor grill or a stove top grill pan. Cut cooked potatoes in half or, if they are tiny, leave whole. Spray cut side with olive oil, and grill cut side down until grill marks appear.
  4. While potatoes are grilling, prepare the dressing. Mix garlic, mustard, vinegar, parsley, and mint in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. When potatoes are grilled and still hot, toss them in the olive oil mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add green beans and the olives and tomatoes if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Yellow Pea Soup with Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes, and Parsley
Serves 6-8

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2 cups dried yellow split peas (1 lb), soaked overnight
  • 4 cups chicken broth (1 quart)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped fine
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 6 slices bacon, preferably apple-wood smoked, cooked crisp and crumbled
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. In a medium pot, combine olive oil, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes.
  2. Add peas, broth, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook according to package directions or until peas are tender, about 1 hour. Add more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Using an immersion blender (or a conventional blender) process soup until smooth. The soup will be very thick: thin soup by adding water or broth if desired.
  4. While peas are cooking, mix tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Ladle soup into bowls, add a generous tablespoon of marinated tomatoes in the center, and sprinkle with cooked bacon.

Swedish Pancakes
Serves 4

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • Additional butter (to cook crepes)
  • Sugar, lingonberry preserve,and sour cream (to garnish)
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until combined. Heat a 7-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet until hot. Add a small amount of butter and immediately pour in one ladle full of batter; quickly tilt pan to spread batter evenly over the bottom. When pancake edges are dry and bubbles begin to appear in the center, flip it with a spatula and cook the other side until lightly brown. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the pancakes on a plate. Serve sprinkled with sugar, lingonberry preserve, an sour cream as dessert or breakfast, or use fillings and eat as a light supper. Serves 4.


Patrick Kuh of Los Angeles Magazine spoke about a trend in multiple restaurants from one chef.


Jean Francois Meteigner, chef-owner of La Cachette, invited us to the 25th Annual French Culinaire Picnic on Sunday June 12 at Griffith Park. The picnic is presented by the Club Culinaire of French Cuisine, a nonprofit organization of chefs, pastry chefs, bakers, cooks, maitre d-s, wine stewards, restaurant owners and suppliers specializing in French cuisine as well as fine food aficionados. (For ticket information check out the links above.)


Evan Lobel of Lobel-s Meats introduced us to little used cuts of meat like hangar steak and skirt steak. You can order meat to be shipped to your home from his old school butcher shop which has been serving the -world's best high-prime, dry-aged meat for five generations.- His books are Prime Time and Lobel's Prime Cuts.


Gustavo Arellano, food editor of the OC Weekly, spoke about Mariscos Licenciado #2, (Lawyers Seafood #2) (714-776-3415) at 1052 North State College in Anaheim. The restaurant serves Sinaloan cuisine, a combination of spicy and sour flavors. Recommended dish include aguachile, ceviche with chilled shrimp, cucumbers, red onions, and tomatoes served in a molcajete.