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  • Contemporary El Granjero Cantina’s Startling Contemporary Cuisine

    (Gerry Furth-Sides, content and Michael Brown photos courtesy of El Granjero Cantina) El Granjero Cantina invites everyone to celebrate the historic holida of  Cinco de Mayo with special dishes and cocktails Thursday, May 5th, 2022, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Executive Chef Jenni Sklar will also be f...

  • How to Celebrate Ramadan in All Its Parts

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) We were so fortunate to visit Forn Al Hara and Le Mirage bakeries in “Little Arabia” leading up to the first of two month-long Ramadan holiday celebrations, Eid al-Fitr.  The second arrives in about two months, Eid al-Adhar. The joyous bakes made specially for the h...

  • Audrey III Returns as Stuffed Baby Eggplant at Banana Leaf Restaurant!

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Audrey II appeared on my plate at Banana Leaf Restaurant Indian restaurant!  Look at the resemblance to this plate of  Bharvaan Baingan.   But this time we got to devour Audrey II (unlike Little Shop of Horrors).  We adored Chef Vadivel Kasirsian’s Bharvaan Baing...

  • Carrot Cake and other New Easter Traditions

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Easter has become for so many the holiday that celebrates the easter basket and the easter bunny with its traditional stuffers rather than a religious one. And rightly so, because it goes so much farther back in history by thousands of years. To ancient cultures, Easter was known as the spring equinox-the tim...

  • Happy New Year – Four Times Over!

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) You can wish friends and family a “Happy New Year” four times over this month. The reasons include religious and secular traditions following of either the sun or the moon. Let’s start with with the Persian holiday, NOWEUZ, which falls on March 20. It begins with the new moon in an astrologi...

  • New Scrappy Ways to Fight Food Waste

    (Gerry furth-Sides) “Waste Not, Want Not” describes the work of Imperfect Food. We experienced a lively, inspiring experience learning about it at Cafe Gratitude in Los Angeles. The combination of he Launch Dinner Menu currently offered to diners this month and motivating conversation is the perfect Rx this session. The atti...

  • Ethnic Surprises at Masters of Taste 2022

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) If Italian and soul food and Thai were insanely popular at the 2022 sold out Masters of Taste 2022 it is no surprise. The news is all the surprising twists of why for these ethnic and regional favorites. Over 100 savory Culinary Masters and restaurants, plus unique sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet [&hell...

  • The Cutest, Quirkiest Veggie in the World: Tindora

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Quirky tindora acts like a cross between a tiny, toy zucchini and a cucumber. Two inches in length, they may share the characteristics of super-healthy zucchini or cukes, yet resemble a cornichon more than anything else. Absolutely scrumptious in taste and texture, tindoras can be prepared in a dazzling varie...

  • The Most Royal Fried Version Ever: Andras Chicken Majestic

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) Say the words, “Fried Chicken” in any language and you have an instant favorite. Like the Chicken Majestic, new on the menu at Banana Leaf in Culver City. We use the term, “wildly popular” throughout this report because it IS accurate for all of the fried chicken dishes here. And the s...

  • Eat Crazy Clean & Good with the LOW-CARB MEDITERRANEAN COOKBOOK

    (Gerry Furth-Sides) The Mediterranean way of eating has always been so appealing because of its bold, hearty inviting flavors that put you right into that sunny, breezy climate. And this includes me. So I was eager to try Michelle Dudash’s new cookbook,  The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook. We already knew the Clean E...