Critic's Choice: Cool, creative ceviche

Is ceviche poised to become as popular as sushi or sashimi in L.A.? It could happen. I'm thinking Ricardo Zarate is onto something as the...

Farmers Markets: Odd-looking cherimoya is a sublime find

— The cherimoya is a peculiar-looking, almost intimidating fruit — "like a pre-Columbian jade pine cone or the finial for a...

Counter Intelligence: The Hart & the Hunter makes angelic biscuits

The first thing anybody is going to tell you about the Hart & the Hunter, the restaurant in the new Fairfax District Palihotel, is...

Stews: When time is on your side, taste will be too

The first time I met chef Paul Prudhomme, he was peering over the stove in his narrow test kitchen, a converted shotgun house just outside...

Across the Table: In Italy, amaro is the bitter end

I remember my first encounter with amaro, the Italian bitter liqueur. It was the first time I went to Italy and had overindulged...

Farmers Markets: Irvine's Saturday farmers market is O.C.'s sweet spot

The Irvine Saturday farmers market is the largest and best in Orange County, but it's a mixed bag. It has some worthy local small farmers...

Jonathan Gold quiz: Food in the movies

Getting caught up in the drama and romance of a movie plot is no reason to ignore the food onscreen. What food was used in that food fight?...

The California Cook: Easier polenta, inspired weekends

In most cases, I'm a terribly traditional cook. If there is a longer, slower, more manual way to do something, almost invariably I will...

Food photography 101: Using utensils and tools as props

This is part of a series of posts on food photography, sharing some of the tips and tricks we use here at The Times. We received a number of...

Counter Intelligence: Hostaria del Piccolo lives the fantasy — almost — in Venice

California rarely feels more like California than it does from a window seat at the new Hostaria del Piccolo in Venice, where life's great...

Farmers markets: Kosher dishes

The prepared food vendors at local farmers markets cater to a world of tastes and ethnicities, from Filipino balut to halal ...

Compartés' Jonathan Grahm -- the new face of chocolate?

Jonathan Grahm, the owner of Compartés Chocolatier in Brentwood, is just back from a whirlwind pre-Valentine's Day tour of Japan,...

Shopping like a Parisian in L.A.

In L.A., grocery shopping is an extreme sport. Weekly, I threaten my husband that I'm going to start keeping a log detailing how many...