Go ask Russ

Well, these dishes look pretty good. But cooking through Alice Waters' new book, "The Art of Simple Cooking," posed a few problems for Russ Parsons, the California Cook. Oh, Russ ... ? What's the deal? That's Alice Waters you're talking about. Join Russ for a live chat today at 1 p.m. at latimes.com, and get it straight from the Parsons' mouth. He'll be happy to explain what snagged him up in the recipes, what he was expecting, why he was disappointed and which Chez Panisse cookbooks he prefers. If you ask him real nice, he might even tell you about some of his favorite Chez Panisse recipes, and talk you through making them.

-- Leslie Brenner

Photos by Carlos Chavez