In the kitchen: Papa Cristo’s classes, new potatoes and recipe testing

If you’re a fan of Greek food, odds are you’ve been to Los Angeles landmark Papa Cristo’s. After ticking off all the items on your grocery list, it’s hard to resist a quick stop in the taverna next door for some freshly-made Greek specialties. Now you can learn to make some of of these classics at home, as Papa Cristo’s is offering cooking classes.

Wondering what to do with all those brightly-colored new potatoes showing up at farmers markets? They’re different than standard cured potatoes, and easier to use in many ways. We share tips and some of our favorite recipes.

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Finally, have you ever been frustrated that a recipe didn’t work out? It’s not necessarily your fault. Recipe testing is a vanishing art, and we explore the reasons and consequences.

— Noelle Carter

Papa Cristo’s is offering classes in classic Greek dishes

Spanakopita by Papa Cristo’s.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times )

If you love Papa Cristo’s kataifi rolls, you’re in luck. You can now learn to make the restaurant’s original dish -- and more Greek classics -- at home. Papa Cristo’s is offering cooking classes in dishes including baklava, leg of lamb and more. They shared recipes for two of the dishes offered as classes -- moussaka and spanakopita -- so you can practice at home.

New potatoes are in season. We have recipes

New potatoes. Many people generically refer to any small potato as “new,” but there’s a lot more to it than that: Truly new potatoes are those that have been freshly dug and brought to market without curing.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )

With names like Purple Viking, German Butterball and Magic Myrna, it’s hard to pass up a vibrant mound of new potatoes at a farmers market stand. New potatoes are the ones that are freshly dug and sold before curing; their skins are so soft and paper thin, you don’t need to peel them before using. From gratins to stews, salads and more, we share nine of our favorite recipes.

You can’t always trust every recipe you see

The importance of testing recipes.

(Rob Zammarchi / For The Times )

Did you know we test every recipe in our L.A. Times Test Kitchen before we publish it? Not everyone does, and this can pose a lot of problems when you try to make a dish at home. We chatted with some major cooking authorities and legendary cookbook authors about the importance of recipe testing.

Belcampo Meat Co.’s Anya Fernald has a new cookbook

Think of a cookbook from Anya Fernald, CEO of Belcampo Meat Co., and you might think it’s all about the meat. Because Belcampo does it all when it comes to meat: from farming to processing, operating as a butcher shop and restaurant. The woman who launched Slow Food Nation and Eat Real has also built and ran a produce distribution company. Her cookbook, “Home Cooked,” written with Jessica Battilana, takes us into Fernald’s home kitchen and covers a wide spectrum of recipes. Food editor Amy Scattergood reports.

One of our favorite shakshouka recipes

Recipe: Chard shakshouka

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Fan of shakshouka? It’s hard not to love this comfort food favorite, and rich tomato-based stew topped with poached eggs that works just as easily for dinner as breakfast. This reader favorite highlights Swiss chard, and it’s meatless to boot, perfect for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

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