Good Food
Sorghum; Community Ovens; A Perfect Daiquiri
A mixologist decodes the myriad styles and flavors of rum. Plus, a Southern chef's quest to save sorghum and a group of bread bakers build a community oven in LA.
By Evan Kleiman • • 57m ListenEven if you have heard of sorghum, do you really know what it is? Chef Sean Brock describes the classic Southern sweetener that he grew up with and his quest to keep it in production. Mixologist Allan Katz breaks down rum into three simple categories. La Descarga's rum guru Steve Livigni describes how to make the perfect daiquiri and Tom Gjelten traces the effect of the Cuban Revolution on the Bacardi family and rum distillation in Cuba. A group of Los Angeles bakers build a community oven and independent producer Sasa Woodruff gets the story. Plus, Jonathan Gold tells us where to find a unique Mexican lager on tap in Whittier and Allison Costa walks us through the culinary highlights in Ojai and Ventura.
Banner image: Top Hat at 299 East Main Street, Ventura. Photo courtesy of the Santa Barbara Conservancy
In this episode
8 storiesMarket Report
Amelia Saltsman is the author of the Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook . Her Summer Entertaining E-book is now available as well. Satlsman has been experimenting with rhubarb from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Both Mud Creek and Trevino's stands have rhubarb this time of year.
Read the story7 minSorghum
Sean Brock is the chef at Husk Restaurant and McCrady's Restaurant , both in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a passionate advocate of seed preservation and grows a number of heirloom crops on his 2.5 acre farm on Wadmalaw Island. Brock's favorite use of sorghum is in his grandmother's Apple Sorghum Stack Cake .
Read the story8 minRum 101
Allan Katz is the General Manager at Caña Rum Bar in Downtown Los Angeles. He explains that although rum has countless variables, from what it is distilled from, to how it is distilled, there are three main categories of rum: English style, Spanish style and Fresh Cane. Music: "Piña Colada Song" by Rupert Holmes
Read the story5 minA Daiquiri for Any Time of Day
Steve Livigni is the General Manager at La Descarga , a rum-focused bar in Hollywood. His recipe for a perfect Hard-Shaken Daiquiri is on the Good Food Blog . Music: "Taboo" by Arthur Lyman
Read the story7 minBacardi and the Cuban Revolution
Tom Gjelten is a reporter for NPR. His book Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba : The Biography of a Cause looks at the Cuban Revolution through the lens of the famous rum distillers.
Read the story5 minMexican Beer As It Should Be
Jonathan Gold visits Bizarra Capital in Whittier. The restaurant is owned by the Díaz family, which owns Guisados and Cook's Torta.
Read the story8 minA Culinary Tour of Ventura
Food writer Allison Costa is the owner of Ventura Food Tours . She crafts unique walking tours that combine food, history and of course, walking. She is currently running two tours: a Downtown Ventura Tasting Tour and an Eating Ojai Tour.
Read the story9 minA Community Oven for Angelenos
Sasa Woodruff is an independent producer. She documented the launch of a wood burning community oven built by the Los Angeles Bread Bakers and other baking enthusiasts. To find out more about the oven contact the Los Angeles Bread Bakers .
Read the story8 min
