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WINE COUNTRY
Restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila visits Napa establishments, including Bardessono, Brix Bottega, Hog Island Oyster, the Fatted Calf, Meadowood, Ad Hoc and Ubuntu.
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Shuttered Copia and vacant developments are reminders that a renaissance for the wine valley's namesake city hangs in the balance. But many are optimistic. >>
MEDIA DISH
By posting an anonymous tipster's accusations against the eatery, many say the local blog crossed a line. It's an issue food bloggers continue to grapple with. >>
Wineries, importers and wholesalers are embracing direct-sale sites that can make inventories vanish in a matter of hours. >>
COOKBOOK WATCH
When the dinner bell rings and there's no one but you to hear it, is it cause for celebrating with a steak and a glass of wine? Or for whining your way through a bowl of cereal standing at the counter? >>
THE FIND
Innovative Japanese chef Shigetoshi Nakamura takes a fresh approach to noodle soup in Torrance. >>
FARMERS MARKET
The Thousand Oaks farmers market has recently returned to its original location in the parking lot of the Oaks shopping center. >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: There is a wonderful little bakery in St. Helena, Calif., called the Model Bakery. They make a fabulous molasses ginger cookie. Although all their baked goods are terrific, it is that cookie recipe I covet. Here's hoping you can get it for publication. >>
Eating in the Napa ValleyAd Hoc Dinner Thursday to Monday, Sunday brunch. $49 prix fixe menu served family style. 6476 Washington St., Yountville; (707) 944-2487; www.adhocrestaurant.com. >>Green panini with roasted peppers and Gruyère cheese>>Total time: 50 minutes >>
Fried potatoes with yogurt sauce>>WINE OF THE WEEK
Beaujolais -- the real stuff, not Beaujolais Nouveau, which is an entirely different animal -- makes perfect warm-weather drinking. And this Cote de Brouilly from Nicole Chanrion's Domaine de la Voûte des Crozes is a fabulous summer wine. Old-fashioned Gamay Noir with a distinct earthy quality and beautiful balance and texture. Tasting of blueberries one moment, cherries the next, it is pure pleasure to drink. Put it in a Burgundy glass and it takes on the weightier character of a serious wine. >>
Lovers of the tart stuff are lining up as its availability increases, including at upcoming local festivals. >>
 Be prepared for big portions, big crowds and big noise at this Italian restaurant in the Brockman Building. It looks ritzy but is reasonably priced. >>
THE CALIFORNIA COOK
Just because it's organic doesn't mean it's the best. Let flavor dictate. >>
Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, plus chilling time for the chicken >>
Fresh homemade cookies sandwiched with your favorite ice cream: Is there a more scrumptious summer treat? >>
When you're in a sour mood>>The Japanese eat the wheat noodles out of an ice-water bath, with a variety of condiments. Go ahead and slurp. >>
Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling time for the sauce >>
The rustic Valley Village cafe serves up an array of multinational ethnic specialties in a relaxed, convivial setting. >>
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes, plus chilling and assembly time >>
Total time: About 2 hours, plus chilling and assembly time >>
Total time: 1 hour, plus chilling and assembly time >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: This past week I dined at the Purple Palm restaurant in the Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs. One of their appetizers is "Spicy Macaroni and Cheese." It's nothing like any mac and cheese I've ever eaten. Every mouthful was an adventure. Unfortunately, once my dinner guest tasted it, I was forced to share more than I wanted to. If you could rustle up this recipe, it would be a great addition to my summer barbecues. >>
The Irvine farmers market, the largest in Orange County, offers a wide selection and moderate prices. There are quite a few craft stalls, but produce is clearly the focus. >>
Bottega Louie * 1/2LOCATION700 S. Grand Ave. (at 7th Street), downtown Los Angeles; (213) 802-1470; www.bottegalouie.com. >>WINE OF THE WEEK
Everything you want in a Central Coast Syrah -- ripe, beautiful fruit, wonderful balance and structure, flavors of dark, juicy berries, wild herbs and a touch of smoke. Adam Tolmach's 2006 Santa Barbara County Syrah is a stunner. One of the original Rhone Rangers, he's no newcomer to Syrah and has distilled everything he knows about the grape into his wine. A true artisanal winemaker, for the past few vintages, he's been blending the Syrah with a touch of Mourvèdre and Grenache to terrific effect. >>
Russian DachaLOCATION5338 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village, (818) 509-5828, russiandacha.net. Price: Appetizers, $2.40 to $19.99; soups and salads, $4.50 to $15.99; entrees, $7.50 to $19.99. >>Govind Armstrong serves up wild boar burgers, designer cocktails and short rib grilled cheese sandwiches. >>
Working in tiny kitchens where sway is at play, private rail car cooks stay true to a legacy of fine dining. >>
ARTISANAL TOFU
Southern California is full of great tofu makers, and we've searched out the best. >>
The new cafe at the Hollywood Farmers' Market aims to connect small growers and the urban community, and help fight poverty, plate by plate. >>
AT THE MARKET
The grower of cherries and mulberries will resume selling at the Hollywood Farmers Market this Sunday. >>
THE FIND
At Long Beach 'shack,' the Southern-fried seafood is finger-licking good. >>
Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes, plus cooling time for the mushrooms >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: Ocean Avenue Seafood in Santa Monica has a delicious warm chocolate bread pudding dessert. Can you get the recipe? >>
Total time: 40 minutes, plus steeping and cooling times >>
Total time: 20 minutes, plus soaking and cooling time >>
Total time: 25 minutes >>
ARTISANAL TOFU
A guide to artisanal tofu makers in Southern California. >>
Total time: 45 minutes >>
Total time: 20 minutes, plus cooling and overnight chilling time >>
Total time: 15 minutes >>
WINE OF THE WEEK
A truly lovely Pinot Noir from Stoller Vineyards in the Dundee Hills of Oregon. >>
THE FIND
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Buffeted by the chilly economy, the Italian eateries get warmer and cheaper, each with different results. >>
THE CALIFORNIA COOK
Done right, cheap steaks cooked on the grill taste great. Your guests will never know the difference. >>
At a Glassell Park pickling factory, their company makes 'fresh packs' and naturally fermented sauerkraut the old-fashioned way. >>
Total time: 2 hours >>
COOKING
A good barbecue sauce is sweet, sour and spicy. Make your own to add a personal touch to your grill. >>
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, plus about 3 hours cooking time for the ribs >>
THE FIND
Familiar Mexican dishes happily coexist with the hearty cuisine of Bolivia at the Tustin restaurant. >>
Hickory-smoked brisket with Southwestern barbecue sauce >>
AT THE MARKET
The plum-apricot hybrids include the Flavor Supreme variety, which is difficult to grow and has a less-than-appealing appearance but taste great. >>
Total time: 25 minutes >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: I've recently fallen in love with beet salads of all kinds, but this beet/horseradish antipasti from Pizzeria Mozza takes the cake. This dish on their menu is called marinated beets with horseradish. If you could help me find this recipe, I would be eternally grateful. >>
WINE OF THE WEEK
This is classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that practically jumps out of the glass. >>
Total time: 20 minutes, plus resting time for the steaks >>
THE FIND
Ariel Rogers looked for all the world as if she was the only person in the room. Never mind the other high school seniors, the nervous parents with cameras, the teachers, the hovering professionals who watched and graded her as she pared potatoes into little football-shaped pieces. >>
At Street, Susan Feniger's new tribute to global street food, look for the slight woman with the high-wattage smile, in canvas shoes, khaki chef's jacket and baseball cap worn backward. That's Feniger, one-half of the Too Hot Tamales, co-founder of Border Grill and at 55, no longer the youngest chef on the block. Nor the most outrageous. >>
Crops and Rawbers and other caterers keep L.A.'s underground art and music scene fed with vegetarian, vegan, raw and other healthful dishes. >>
COOKBOOK WATCH
"Knife skills" is one of those phrases designed to separate everyday cooks like me from people who measure their onion-chopping powers against those of the last guy Gordon Ramsay wiped the floor with. >>
No ticket needed. Just take a seat as three chefs from around the Caribbean prepare distinct dishes. >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: I'm hoping you can help me get a recipe. We went to the new Santa Monica restaurant Riva last weekend. Dinner was great, but I was particularly impressed by the carrot cake. Normally, carrot cake is dense, but this cake was light but still had that great carrot cake taste. >>
Total time: 30 minutes plus soaking time for the cashews and draining time for the beets >>
Total time: 35 minutes >>
FARMERS MARKETS
The Pasadena Victory Park farmers market, founded 25 years ago, continues to be large, well-run and focused on produce. >>
Total time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time >>
C-CAP on the front burnerWhile the students competed for the culinary school scholarships, their teachers looked on, drank coffee and chatted, jittery not only for the teenagers they had coached and taught, and in some cases driven to the competition, but for the continued existence of the program. >>BEER OF THE MONTH
What's going on here? The silver-on-black label is a clue. It's a very dark beer, almost opaque, and you'd expect a porter, but it's dry. It's a schwartzbier, a relatively uncommon style in this country (the only really widely available American schwartzbier is Samuel Adams Black Lager). Think of it as a stout, made with the same sort of roasted malts, except that it's a malty, low-hopped lager. So it has a very foamy tan head, a clean lager flavor and a paper-dry but pleasantly rounded palate, with a mild chocolate aroma and just a little bite in the finish. >>
WINE OF THE WEEK
Come summer (which is now here, rain or shine), you can never have too many rosés stashed away for the aperitif hour. Here's one more for your collection: Domaine Les Aphillanthes' beautiful dry rosé from the Côtes du Rhône is scented with rose petals and strawberries. Made from a blend of Cinsault with Grenache, Counoise (one of the more obscure grapes that goes into a Chateauneuf-du-Pape blend) and a touch of Mourvèdre, it is full-bodied and delicious -- and finishes really dry. >>
All kinds of information about kitchen knives can be found online. Here are a few of the sites that are most useful: >>
THE FIND
Local restaurants, each with its own style and flavors, are tucked away across L.A. Two newcomers stand out. >>
 The menu offers affordable and seasonal fare. Each dish is well-conceived and well-executed. >>
No flash in the pan, this pint-size dessert is a sweet fad that won't go away. >>
With the spinoffs and sponsorships that can come a winner's way, the Season 5 competition will surely heat up. >>
THE CALIFORNIA COOK
His 'Kitchen Confidential' revolutionized the chef memoir. Now young chefs are taking a similar approach with 'Spiced,' 'Cooking Dirty,' 'The Hunger' and 'Under the Table.' >>
Baking beautiful, great-tasting cupcakes at home is easier than you might think. >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: I recently dined at Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa and although the food was delicious, the budino di cioccolato (chocolate creme layered with caramel) was absolutely fabulous. With its creamy layers . . . it was the big star of the night. I would truly appreciate it if you could obtain the recipe for me. Thank you. >>
Total time: 50 minutes >>
FARMERS MARKET
Local growers make this weekly gathering a cut above the rest. Cherries, apricots, boysenberries, avocados and purslane are some of the highlights this week. >>
FOR THE RECORD: >>
Total time: 35 minutes >>
Total time: 20 minutes >>
WINE OF THE WEEK
Crisp and minerally, the 2007 Pinot Blanc from Alsace producer Albert Mann still has some flesh on its bones. Lightly scented with white peach, it has a surprisingly lush texture for a Pinot Blanc. A summer white with character and finesse. >>
Total time: 15 minutes >>
Harvest festival: In a Food section story May 27, it was reported that the Jewish holiday Shavuot ended at sundown Friday. That is the practice in Israel. For most Jews in the United States, it ended at sundown on Saturday. >>
 The restaurant on Silver Lake Boulevard is popular, but chef Gloria Felix's menu is regrettably static. >>
It's taken hard work, technical know-how, even a few falcons, for the crop to bear fruit in the Golden State. Now the state's on track to be a top producer. >>
WINES
More than any other wine category, rosé is a mood. There is simply nothing better on a warm afternoon, a salve for sun-drenched, heat-driven thirst. It is more often gulped than sipped, never contemplated, rarely complicated. >>
After the food fare at the Wat Thai temple closed, two vendors set up shop at Cha Chaa restaurant in North Hollywood, making dumplings, sticky rice desserts and other snacks. >>
THE FIND
The menu changes daily at homey, tucked-away Priyani, but the food is uniformly exciting. >>
Yogurt cheese and cream cheese balls commemorate the Jewish harvest festival. >>
Fresh blueberries and berry products can be purchased at Southern California farmers markets and farm stands throughout California. Or pick berries yourself at U-pick farms. >>
CULINARY SOS
The dish is perfect for summer entertaining. >>
Total time: 35 to 50 minutes, plus soaking times for the rice >>
2008 Domaine de l'Hortus Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé is available at Wine Country in Signal Hill, (562) 597-8303, www.thewinecountry.com; Flask Fine Wines in Studio City, (818) 761-5373; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, www.winehouse.com, about $13. >>
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes >>
Total time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours resting time for the salad >>
MARKETS
The market, housed in a beautiful but isolated spot in Veterans Garden, is managed by grower Mark Wall, one of the founders of the original Westwood market in 1994. >>
Total time: 35 minutes, plus cooling time for the cream >>
Cream cheese balls with sesame and pistachios>>WINE OF THE WEEK
This is an astonishing Bordeaux-style wine from the Napa Valley. Supple and lush with loads of ripe fruit and undertones of leather and tobacco, it's half-French, half- California in style. White Rock Vineyards was established as early as 1870 and brought back in the late '70s by the Vandendriessche family. Made from a classic blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot, the 2004 Claret is a splendid wine for the price. >>
The Silver Lake restaurant's hours, location and other details. >>
Total time: 10 minutes >>
FARMERS MARKET
Produce isn't the only star of the show. Some of the city's best 'cue, pizza and even crepes can be found at the humblest of stands. >>
 The 3-month-old restaurant brings big-city sophistication to downtown. >>
Bringing fresh-produce stands to the insurer's medical centers puts good food on patients' radar. >>
FARMERS MARKET
Eateries including downtown's Blue Velvet and Beverly Hills' Blue on Blue make innovative use of their sunny spaces. >>
Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes >>
THE CALIFORNIA COOK
Improvisation is the name of the game when searching out and preparing farmers market finds. >>
ON THE SIDE
Summer approaches with the promise of fat, juicy peaches, sweet grapes and a farmer's angst. >>
FARMERS MARKETS
Farmers marketsAtwater Village, Sunday: 3250 Glendale Blvd., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. >>At the Torrance restaurant, Torihei's two collaborative chefs have created an inseparable combination of oden and yakitori. >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: Some 40 years ago while in Paris, four of us made a late night trip to the Halles [produce] market. The workers were huddled around this stand that was selling onion soup and we ordered some to warm us up. It was fantastic! I hit upon Comme Ça and was delighted to find their soup. >>
Total time: 50 minutes, plus chilling and cooling time >>
AT THE MARKET
It's easy to get impatient when shopping for fruit this time of year, but with a little 'sniff and sample' testing, fine cherries, mulberries and apriums (a hybrid of apricot and plum) can be found. >>
Waste not, want notOther themes for spring: >>WINE OF THE WEEK
Classic Mosel Riesling from renowned German vintner Willi Schaefer. This, the most basic of his Rieslings, makes perfect summer drinking. The 2007 is scented with apricot and lime blossom. On the palate, it's soft, lush, flowery, the sweetness balanced by a crisp acidity. >>
In many parts of the country, farmers markets are part-time pleasures, available only during those few months when the weather is warm enough for planting and growing.
Here in Southern California, we're fortunate to have markets that thrive all year round (more than 100 in the five-county area). But still, there's a special energy that comes when spring rolls around. The markets seem a little more crowded; the shoppers a little more animated. And the fruits and vegetables shine with even more intensity.
There's a buzz at this time of year that comes with the arrival of the best strawberries, or the first really good tomatoes. It's not like we're crawling out from our winter hibernation, the way they may be in other places, but there's no denying that with the coming of spring we appreciate our farmers markets even more. So to celebrate, in today's section we look at a few of the many ways farmers markets and the bounty we get from them enrich our meals. >>
THE FIND
Chef Mirko Paderno's skills are reflected in the Italian dishes, but the moderate prices are a surprise. An outdoor terrace is also appealing. >>
A growing taste for the dessert is inspiring pastry chefs to experiment with different combinations. >>
Ferran Adrià's plan to learn pizza making and open a pizzeria in Barcelona isn't going down too well with Italians. It is their dish, after all. >>
The traditional Danish pastry is a snap to make, once the right pan and technique are in hand. >>
The farming, harvesting and drinking of the beverage dates back about 1,500 years. >>
THE FIND
Java Spice's owners were born on different islands with distinct appetites for spice, so the burn level at the Rowland Heights cafe is a compromise. The signature dish features chicken, beef and more. >>
CULINARY SOS
Dear SOS: As an occasional special of the day, Bistro du Soleil in Playa del Rey serves an especially tasty apple-Brie soup. In fact, a friend sent an e-mail to the restaurant saying that she was coming to celebrate her birthday with friends and asked if it would prepare the soup for that evening. The restaurant obliged, and I had a serving of the most delicious soup. Do you think the restaurant would further oblige and provide the recipe? >>
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, plus cooling time >>
Total time: 40 minutes, plus resting time for the batter >>
Total time: 40 minutes, plus rising time for the dough >>
Cecconi's **LOCATION8764 Melrose Ave. (at Robertson), West Hollywood, (310) 432-2000; www.cecconiswesthollywood. >>Total time: About 20 minutes, plus chilling >>
Boseong green tea in SoCal>>Total time: 25 minutes, plus freezing time >>
BEER OF THE MONTH
As one of California's grand old craft breweries, Sierra Nevada has always specialized in ales, but for summer it does make a wonderful lager. Summerfest is a little richer and smoother than your ordinary lager, which they credit to extra-long lagering. >>
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