Join me for a special workshop celebrating the beloved pie! A toast to our popular Pie-A-Day Summer series, I’ll teach how to make the tastiest pie to eat now or to savor later, alongside Master Food Preserver Delilah Snell .
Held at Angeli Caffe, the workshop will start with a mouth-watering tutorial on the perfect pie crust, then a hands-on canning session of summer stone-fruit pie filling. Students will learn the art of home-food preservation and take home their own pie filling. Recipes and samples will be included-not to be missed!
$100 per person
Saturday, July 31st, …

We’ve really got a great lineup of judges this year.  They are:
Jonathan Gold (Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer for the LA Weekly)
Roxana Jullapat (Pastry Chef at Ammo Cafe)
Zoe Nathan (Chef / Owner of Huckleberry Cafe)
Akasha Richmond (Chef / Owner of Akasha)
Karen Hatfield (Pastry Chef at Hatfield’s)
Eric Greenspan (The Foundry on Melrose)
Christine Moore (Little Flower Candy Company)
Sang Yoon (Father’s Office)
Home cooks and aspiring chefs, this is your turn to cook for some of the best mouths in L.A.  Enter your pie today.

PIE-A-DAY #30
Elizabeth Minchilli is a writer living in Italy.  Her latest book is Italian Rustic.
This year, due to rain and too many urban social engagements our vegetable garden in Todi, Umbria is way behind. It was only at the beginning of June that  we were finally able to get stuff in the ground. But even though the rain dampened our planting (literally) it did wonders for all the things we have no control over. Foraging is one of the funnest things about being in the Italian countryside. Wild asparagus, dandelion greens, …

… on my lobster roll, that is.  A few weeks ago I wrote about what I think is the best lobster roll; it’s in Branford, Connecticut.  Well, this week, check out Sam Kim’s piece in LAist about lobster rolls here in California.  How do you like your lobster roll?

What’s Your Favorite Summertime Beverage?Market Research

PIE-A-DAY #29
This post comes to us from the folks at the Larchmont Grill.  They get the strawberries for this pie from Lavender Hill Farm, a working farm in L.A.
The Larchmont Grill Mixed Summer Berry Pie is crafted to be the perfect summer treat – not too heavy and not too sweet, while still showcasing the fresh flavors of the summer’s berries.  Our pie’s crust combines both rice and wheat flours for a crumbly texture, and is made with yogurt instead of butter to make it a bit of a healthier choice.  The pie’s …

I’m teaming up with StreetGourmetLA’s Bill Esparza to feature a street food pop up restaurant, Monday nights at Angeli Caffe.  Our first one is Ricky’s Fish Tacos.  Ensenada-style fish and shrimp tacos are $3.00.  We’ll also have beer and Angeli desserts.  I hope to see you there!
Here are the details
When: Monday, July 26, 6-10 pm
Where: Angeli Caffe, 7274 Melrose
What: Amazing Ensenada-style fish and shrimp tacos from Ricky

Last week I drove from Nevada to Los Angeles down Highway 395.  Typically, I had mapped out the restaurants and food vendors along the famous highway, but forgotten actual “directions,” a common mistake when I’m in the driver’s seat.  Fortunately the directions were a breeze and we were well fed to boot.  Below were some of the highlights.

We’re frequently approached by TV shows who are casting for new contestants, chefs, extras, etc.  This one is especially fun for me – Kitchen Nightmares.  I’m not a big reality show TV fan – I don’t even watch American Idol – but I LOVE this show.  Watching Gordon open the refrigerator drawer only to see raw chicken touching cooked chicken is so much fun – I’m horrified, but I can’t look away!  Some of my TV friends complain that Gordon doesn’t look into the camera when he’s giving his …

PIE-A-DAY #28
Jeff Miller is the LA editor for Thrillist, a guy-oriented email newsletter.
When my cousin Peggy passed away a couple years ago, her memorial service was filled with people talking about her joie de vivre — how, even in her old age, she was a youthful spirit. That certainly came across in her trademark recipe, a cookie pie that was a hallmark of birthdays, holiday parties, and any other special (and even not-so-special) events she showed up at — and even now, when I think of it, I think …