Moms and Food Memories; Urban Chicken; Veggie Suppers; CA Olive Oil; Brain Freeze; Hot Chocolate

Laura Avery spoke with Maryanne Carpenter of Coastal Organics about her pink and purple carrots and with Honey Pacifica about their many varieties of honey.

Ruth Reichl, editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, talked about her new book, Garlic and Sapphires and the secret life of a critic in disguise.

Carl Hunter raises chickens as pets at his home in Silverlake. He sells rare chickens and eggs. He orders them from a hatchery in Iowa.

Deborah Madison spoke about her new book, Vegetarian Suppers, and shared the following recipes.

Feta and Ricotta Cheese Skillet Pie

• - lb feta cheese, preferably sheep-s milk

• 1 lb ricotta cheese

• 4 to 6 eggs

• 1/4 cup flour

• 3/4 cup milk

• Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

• 1 Tablespoon chopped dill

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix three quarters of the feta with the ricotta in a medium bowl, without worrying about getting it perfectly smooth-you-ll want some chunks. Beat the eggs into the cheese, then add the flour and milk. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and dill.

Butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an earthenware baking dish. Pour in the batter and crumble the remaining cheese over the top. Bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with your chosen garnish.

Masa Crepes with Chard, Chiles, and Cilantro

Crepes:

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups milk

• - cup masa harina, roasted corn flour, or fine cornmeal

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 3 tablespoons melted butter or oil

Chard Filling:

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons light olive oil

• 1 large white onion, finely diced

• 1 or 2 jalapeno chilies, finely diced, seeds removed if you don-t want their heat

• 1 1/2 tsps dried Mexican oregano

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 heaping cup cilantro, chopped

• 2 or even 3 big bunches of chard, any color, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped sea salt

• 1/3 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving

• 1 cup grated cheese, such as Oaxacan string cheese, queso blanco, Jack, or Muenster

1. Put all the ingredients for the crepes in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice as needed. Pour into a liquid measuring cup and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion, chilies, and oregano and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cilantro and cook for a few minutes more, then add the chard and cook, turning the leaves occasionally until wilted. Season with salt to taste, and cook until the chard is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream.

3. Cook the crepes in a 8-inch skillet, stacking them up on a plate as you go so that they hold their heat. You should end up with about 10 crepes. With the prettier side facing down, spread half the crepe with the chard, add a little cheese, then fold them in half and again in quarters.

4. To reheat in a skillet, film it lightly with oil over medium-high heat and add the crepes. Cook on both sides, the pan covered, until heated through, then serve.

Sharon Lovejoy brought a sampling of California olive oils to taste. She also shared the following recipe.

Taste of Spring Asparagus and Lemon Olive Oil

• 2 bunches (or 2 lbs) fresh asparagus spears

• 1 golden or red roasted bell pepper

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (depending on how passionate you are about oil)

• 2 Tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 Tablespoons sea salt (I prefer Malden's)

• 2 Tablespoons Meyer lemon olive oil

Clean and trim asparagus spears. Roast, skin, and finely sliver red or gold bell pepper. Zest one lemon. Grate fresh parmesan.

Spread asparagus onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle asparagus with lemon zest, slivers of bell pepper, Parmesan cheese, and sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (Check after 15 minutes, thin asparagus spears cook much more quickly.) Finish with a light drizzle of Meyer lemon olive oil or your favorite vinegar.

Neuroscientist Will Clower, author of The Fat Fallacy, talked about -brain freeze- and how to prevent it. You can learn more about The Path, Dr. Clower's philosophy about diet and lifestyle, at his websitePathOnLine.net.

Jonathan Gold spoke about the best hot chocolate in Los Angeles. He particularly enjoys the hot chocolate at Campanile, Lucques, Clementine, Ghirardelli, Jin Patisserie, Casa de Souza at Olvera Street, and the Black Cow in Montrose.