• The Village Bakery’s Berry Ricotta Cake

    The Village Bakery’s Berry Ricotta Cake

    One of the very best things about where we live in Atwater Village is our proximity to The Village Bakery. If you live on the east side of Los Angeles, chances are you’ve been to this sunny, cheerful spot; it’s got blue and yellow umbrellas outside, a counter filled with treats on the inside, and…

  • Watching Suzanne Goin Cook (With Special Appearances By Jackie Collins, Hugh Acheson, Scott Conant and Carla Hall)

    Watching Suzanne Goin Cook (With Special Appearances By Jackie Collins, Hugh Acheson, Scott Conant and Carla Hall)

    This past weekend, I emceed the cooking tent at the L.A. Times Festival of Books. It was a pretty exhilarating experience: after the jump you’ll see pictures of me and Jackie Collins, Hugh Acheson and Carla Hall. But the highlight for me, personally, was getting to stand next to one of my food heroes–the author…

  • Spaghetti with Purple Cauliflower Sauce

    Spaghetti with Purple Cauliflower Sauce

    Unpacking my first CSA box felt a bit like opening presents on Christmas morning. (Note: I’m Jewish but I date a non-Jew, so I know what I’m talking about.) There was the going to bed the night before, knowing the box would arrive the next day; the anticipation, getting out of bed that next morning,…

  • My First CSA

    My First CSA

    So I have a friend named Rachel Sheridan who also happens to be a neighbor here, in Atwater Village, and recently she did an Instagram of a CSA box that had arrived at her doorstep. What’s a CSA box? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and the idea is this: you pay a set fee,…

  • L.A. Times Festival of Books

    Hey gang, if you’re in L.A. this weekend, come on down to the L.A. Times Festival of Books where I’ll be emceeing the cooking tent and interacting with the likes of Hugh Acheson, Suzanne Goin, Carla Hall, Scott Conant, and–believe it or not–Jackie Collins. All the info is here: should be fun!

  • Amanda Cohen on the Restaurant World

    I’m not normally the kind of blogger who links to lots of little articles throughout the day, but this piece by Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy is too good not to share. In it, she skewers the fanfare around the 15-year old chef (I’ve been skeptical from the get-go) and goes on to address how…

  • R.I.P. Steven Shaw

    Really sad, this morning, to read about the passing of Steven Shaw. In many ways, I owe my whole blogging career to him: his site, eGullet, is where I first cut my teeth as a food writer. Here’s a post I wrote about a lunch that I had with him at Ippudo in 2008; soon…

  • Eggs in Tomato Sauc with Sausage and Basil

    Eggs in Tomato Sauc with Sausage and Basil

    As you probably know, by now, I’m a pasta-loving fool. My blog has 78 recipes for pasta and risotto in its archives, so you know I take my pasta-eating seriously. Sadly, my pasta love is now at odds with my spring-time desire to get in shape. I’ve been sticking to my gym routine for two…

  • Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Sausage and Basil

    As you probably know, by now, I’m a pasta-loving fool. My blog has 78 recipes for pasta and risotto in its archives, so you know I take my pasta-eating seriously. Sadly, my pasta love is now at odds with my spring-time desire to get in shape. I’ve been sticking to my gym routine for two…

  • PB&J French Toast

    PB&J French Toast

    The issue was this: Craig bought the bread. Can you imagine the gall? When he’s in a relationship with one of the most important food writers of his generation, buying the bread? Without asking questions like “what kind of bread” or “should it be sliced or unsliced” just going out and buying bread? I mean,…