Good Food
Gaijin cooking, Tex-Mex origins, and oregano
Sometimes the “inauthentic” can lead to delicious results. Just ask Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying about Japanese diner food. Chef Josef Centeno says Tex-Mex is premised on inauthenticity.
By Evan Kleiman • • 56m ListenSometimes the “inauthentic” can lead to delicious results. Just ask Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying about Japanese diner food. Chef Josef Centeno says Tex-Mex is premised on inauthenticity. Also, Patricia Escárcega visits a taquero who’s incorporating his Cambodian heritage into his food.
In this episode
5 storiesAn outsider perspective on Japanese home cooking
Ivan Orkin is the chef and restaurateur behind Ivan Ramen in New York. He’s a rarity in the highly competitive world of ramen chefs: for one, he’s Jewish, and he hails from Long Island.
Read the story15 minBlending cultures and honoring immigrants through Tex-Mex cuisine
Chef Josef Centeno says one thing’s for sure about Tex-Mex: it’s inauthentic. He’s known for his modern interpretation of the cuisine at Bar Ama in downtown LA, and now Amacita in downtown Culver City.
Read the story13 minAsian flavors and tacos marry well at Chinitos Tacos in Lakewood
LA Times restaurant critic Patricia Escárcega is back from maternity leave with a report from Lakewood . It was there she recently encountered a Cambodian chef named Beeline Krouch , who calls himself “Mexican at heart.”
Read the story8 minA new web series mines LA’s unsung neighborhoods for good eats and stories
If you’ve been following the new-look LA Times Food section, there’s a good chance you know the name Lucas Kwan Peterson .
Read the story11 minAll about oregano with food scientist Harold McGee
Good Food’s Evan Kleiman is a fan of oregano, particularly the Mediterrannean varieties that come in little bundles like a bunch of flowers, only dried. The aroma prompts memories of eating and cooking in Italy and Greece.
Read the story10 min
