Barbara Hansen

  • Exploring Turkish Regional Cuisines

    Even if you never go to Turkey, you can still taste its wonderful food through the book “Istanbul and Beyond” by Robyn Eckhardt, with photographs by David Hagerman, her husband. The subtitle of the book is “Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey,” which they did by getting off the beaten track, dropping...

  • Abhiruchi Grill–New in Culver City

    Even plain tomato soup stands out at Abhiruchi Grill. That’s how good this new South Indian restaurant is. Although just opened, there’s plenty of experience behind it, because Abhiruchi is part of the Annapurna group of restaurants. The original, Annapurna Cuisine, is a few blocks east on Venice Boulevard in Culver ...

  • Slow-Cooked Chicken Tikka Masala

    This may not look like any chicken tikka masala you’ve eaten in Indian restaurants. But it’s not supposed to. It’s one cook’s clever way of introducing Indian food to a family not interested in the spicy flavors she enjoys. Even better, it’s as fast and easy as you can get with Indian food, because ...

  • Pan de Muerto, Ghoulish and Good

    This bread is as good as it is ghoulish. It’s pan de muerto (bread of the dead), which is a must to eat on the Day of the Dead November 2. Mexican custom is to place the bread on an ofrenda, an altar laden with food, drink, candies, photos and other offerings that will please […]...

  • Picnicking on the Food of Bangladesh

    Home-cooked Bangladeshi food is hard to find, but there was plenty of it when friends from Bangladesh gathered for a picnic in Lake Balboa Park in Van Nuys. Two women brought the food, one a professional caterer, the other a home cook....

  • Indian Food To Make You Healthy

    When you want to have an Indian feast, serve food that is triply good: good-tasting, good for you and that benefits a good cause. You can do this with the cookbook “Deepa’s Secrets: Slow Carb/New Indian Cuisine” (Skyhorse Publishing), a memoir of an engaging Indian woman combined with healthy recipes....

  • The Return of South African Wines

    Hunting for wines that are interesting, a bit off the beaten track and, mostly, affordable? Then keep these three C’s in mind: Chenin Blanc, Cap Classique and Caperitif. There is a P you must remember also. Chenin Blanc may not sound unusual, but if from South Africa, it fits the guidelines. This is because South […...

  • Getting to Know Georgian Wines

    I”m eating humble pie today or, rather, drinking humble wine. Last year I attended a tasting of the wines of Georgia–the country, not the American state. I thought they were awful, spoiled-tasting, undrinkable. So when another tasting was announced I didn’t want to go. But at the last minute, I did. And I have ...

  • Salads and Pasta in Sor Tino’s Patio

    On a sunny hot day (and we have so many of these in Los Angeles), the place to eat is the shady patio of Sor Tino in Brentwood. What you should order is a lunch salad such as grilled calamari with arugula, tomatoes, capers and a squeeze of lemon (above). It’s so fresh and light....

  • Dragon Fruit Makes a Great Drink

    In Mexico, this beautiful drink would be called agua fresca de pitahaya. But Savannah Muñoz calls it a Dragon Fruit Mocktail. Muñoz, who is a chef at Melissa’s Produce, came up with the recipe for a recent Mexican-themed presentation featuring tortillas and cooking sauces from LA Tortilla Factory. Dragon fruit grow in Ca...