Ethnic Sensations

November 2022
This recipe has the best qualities of a Texas chili—lots of smoked brisket but also a small amount of creamy pinto beans for textural interest.

October 2022
This decadent “north-of-the-border” rendition of Mexican rajas con crema is San Diego bar food at its best!

September 2022
When it is just too damn hot to turn on the oven or tend the grill, pairing hearty, bean-based dips with icy cold soups creates fabulous alternative menus for quick summer meals.

August 2022
Somewhere between a classic basil pesto and Spanish olive tapenade, this vibrant, green herbal sauce elevates almost any food it touches: eggs, shrimp kebabs, grilled fish, steamed or boiled potatoes, roasted chicken, air-fried sweet potatoes or pasta.

July 2022
Nothing quite refreshes like a frosty Mexican Mezcal drink on a sweltering summer day. The new hipster “IT” drink in Los Angeles, mezcal, is shaking up the tequila market and achieving cult status.

June 2022
Fava beans, which also go by the moniker broad beans, pigeon beans or horse beans, are one of the oldest cultivated crops on earth—adored by the ancient Greeks, Romans and people of Middle Eastern descent.

May 2022
This dish is an homage to the iconic D.C. Chicken salad served in our nation’s capital. A decidedly L.A. take on the traditional recipe, this dish serves the roasted chicken over a bed of organic greens and herbs tossed with walnuts, gala apple, and fresh herbs and raisins, rather than between two slices of toasted French bread.

April 2022
An homage to Iran's light, spring salads, this dish is what I crave after the heavy foods of winter. Bright, “herb-centric,” and versatile, this salad hits all the right flavor notes with its unusual combination of tender greens, creamy feta, marinated green olives, raisins, walnuts, spicy radishes, savory onions, and fresh herbs (mint, tarragon, parsley, dill and chives).

March 2022
This dish uses the culinary techniques of top Austrian chefs for the potato prep, but for the dressing, I prefer a creamy green onion and toasted brown coriander seed dressing. The acid is white balsamic vinegar, which adds just enough sweetness to both temper and complement the green onion.