Peach doughnuts at Donut Man in Glendora

Los Angeles doughnut aficionados know all about Donut Man strawberry doughnuts: half a basket of strawberries coated in pie glaze and heaped into a plain raised doughnut (offered from February through the fall).

But not as many people know about Jim Nakano's peach doughnuts. It's the same concept, but done with fresh peaches -- and it only lasts for a few weeks each summer as long as the fruit is ripe.

Donut Man started serving these last week, so go now. Time is running out. 

Donut Man: 915 E. Route 66, Glendora. (626) 335-9111

--Elina Shatkin

Photos: Rob Takata / For The Times

8 food events you should know about: Summer festival weekend edition

FRIDAY

Wines of the people Join James Beard award-winning wine importer Terry Theise for a tasting of boutique Champagnes made by farmers (he calls them "Farmer Fizz") as well as a selection of Rieslings from a single vineyard. Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar, 104 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. 5 to 8 p.m. $33 for a flight of three. (310) 393-7693. www.pourtal.com.

Eating downtown Celebrate the downtown renaissance with the "Taste of dtownLA" festival. A feast cooked by downtown restaurants Magnolia, Provecho, Remedy, Maria's Italian Kitchen, Urth Caffe, the Daily Grill, Takami, Rock 'n Fish, Gram and Papas and Wokano will help celebrate the launch of dtownLA.com, which dubs itself "the only online fashion and lifestyle publication catering to downtown residents." There will also be cocktails and a silent auction benefiting the Midnight Mission. Brunswick Studio, 843 S. Los Angeles St., L.A. Food tasting, 6 to 9:30 p.m., tickets $40. Launch party, 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. $40, alcohol included. www.dtownla.com.

SATURDAY

Deepak thoughts If you've wondered what kind of mystical calm Deepak Chopra lives in, you can find out at a dinner hosted at his 2-acre Palos Verdes estate, which is fashioned after a Tuscan villa. "Dancing With the Stars" dancer Jonathan Roberts will show off his moves and chef Enrico Glaudo of Frascati Ristorante in Rolling Hills Estates will prepare an Italian-themed menu of pizza, quiche, pork medallions, caprese salad and more. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Palos Verdes Art Center. Time and address provided with reservation. (310) 541-2479. www.pvartcenter.org.

Cajun fun It's time for the 16th-annual Long Beach Crawfish festival featuring dancing, live Cajun, Brazilian and Zydeco music as well as plenty of delicious crawfish, red baby potatoes, corn on the cob and remoulade dipping sauce. Rainbow Lagoon, 400-403 Shoreline Village Drive, Long Beach. Sat. noon to 11 p.m.; Sun. noon to 10 p.m. $13 in advance, $15 at the gate. www.longbeachcrawfishfestival.com.

Tasting San Pedro Another festival is upon us: the 21st-annual Taste in San Pedro, which features food and drink from many of the area's favorite restaurants as well as live music, dancing, fireworks, face painting, photo booths and a Ferris wheel with gorgeous ocean views. Point Fermin Park at Gaffey and Paseo del Mar, San Pedro. Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. $10, adults; $7 seniors; $5 children 6 to 17. (310) 832-7272. www.tasteinsanpedro.com.

Sharpest knife in the drawer Get your knives, scissors and garden tools professionally sharpened while you shop at Red Carpet Wine & Spirits Merchants. They'll have a pro on hand in the parking lot and during that time you'll also get 10% off your purchases. Red Carpet Wine & Spirit Merchants, 400 E. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Knives $5, scissors $8, gardening tools $6 to $9. (818) 247-5544.

Cooking at the market Join JoAnn Cianciulli, the author of "L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook," for a showcase of her summer grilling recipes. She'll heat up the grill to make grilled barbecue chicken pizza, skirt steak tacos and avocado-corn salsa. Samples will go out to the crowd and she'll sign copies of her new book "Barbecues Galore." Farmers Market Plaza, 6333 W. 3rd St., L.A. 5 to 7 p.m. Free.

SUNDAY

Brunch for singles If you're looking for Mr. or Ms. Right, you may enjoy the "Stylish & Single in the City" brunch at Catherine Malandrino Cafe. Celebrity stylist Marcella Reynolds will be there to dish out advice on appearance so wear or bring a photo of your favorite outfit for dates, and "dating expert" Evan Marc Katz will provide mini-consultations to the first 15 RSVPs. A complimentary 100-calorie TY KU cocktail will be served with brunch, so you can get boozy and watch your figure all at once. Catherine Malandrino Cafe, 651-653 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $30. (310) 652-0078.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: A pile of shellfish rubble sits on the table where seafood lovers spend the evening shucking crawfish, crab and shrimp at the Boiling Crab, a popular Little Saigon eatery. Credit: Los Angeles Times  

'Next Iron Chef': The Foundry's Eric Greenspan is in the hunt

 

Is Eric Greenspan your new "culinary warrior?"

Kitchen Stadium is back. The new season of Food Network's "The Next Iron Chef" starts Oct. 4. It's hosted by Alton Brown, and the competitors were announced this week: The Foundry's chef-owner Eric Greenspan is among them, as is Nate Appleman, formerly of San Francisco's A16. (That guy is having quite the year -- he nabbed the James Beard award for rising star, as well as similar honors from Food & Wine magazine.) Another note of L.A. interest -- the sleek, well-stocked kitchen viewers will see is located on a set outside downtown L.A.

These chefs wanted for nothing: Each station was decked out with, among other things, a sous vide water bath. Also going head to head with Greenspan and Appleman is a face that will be familiar to fans of "Chopped." It's Chef Amanda Freitag. Guess this is one judge who doesn't mind having the tables turned.

-- Rene Lynch

Photo: Eric Greenspan at the Foundry

Bring a tomato, taste a tomato

So you think you've got some pretty Paul Robesons? A bowl full of elegant Early Girls? Pretty Piccolos? Bring them on, along with Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifters, Cherokee Chocolates or any other terrific tomatoes you're growing.

One perfectly ripe, correctly identified home-grown tomato is the admission price for Tomatomania's tasting on Saturday at Loteria Grill in Hollywood. Chef-owner Jimmy Shaw is playing host for a second year to a gathering of tomato-obsessed gardeners.

Growers share stories, ask questions and taste one another's crops. Tomatomania is a seedling sale that occurs at several locations each year.

The event doesn't cost money, but reservations are required: (323) 465-2500.

-- Mary MacVean

Photo courtesy of Tomatomania

Visit The Times' new interactive database of Southern California Farmers Markets to explore your local market. We hope you join the conversation, sharing your favorite markets and vendors and helping us make this the most comprehensive resource for local farmers markets.

Sampler Platter: Macadamia mash, choco-bacon, Twitter's downside

Macadamia mash, choco-bacon and the dark side of Twitter lead our Friday food roundup.

• Raw cooking with Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Ros, who makes a macadamia mash.
• Glenfiddich Distillery will release a 50-year-old, single-malt Scotch whisky that will sell for about $16,500 a bottle. BBC
• Terroni to expand into large, new space. Eater LA
• If you're going to host a luncheon for sufferers of celiac disease, make sure the food is free of lactose and gluten. The Local
• Dan Akroyd and Jon Bon Jovi briefly take over the kitchen of "East Hamptons hot spot" Georgica. New York Post
• Cheripan: the best Argentinian food in Tijuana? Gastronomy
• What beer will the White House serve at Obama's "summit" with Professor Gates and the police officer who arrested him? New York Times
• Chocolate-covered bacon for $1.27 a slice in Colorado. Cafe Society
• File under Tortured Logic: When new food trucks move into a neighborhood, there is often conflict as they compete for business against long-running food trucks and bricks-and-mortar businesses. (We call that capitalism.) Since many of these new food trucks use Twitter to market themselves, the (occasionally violent) conflicts are Twitter's fault. Midtown Lunch

-- Elina Shatkin
Photo: Singer Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Ros plays his guitar with a bow. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Celebrating 30 years of Southern California farmers markets

Every Thursday, downtown workers, jurors on break and other hungry people converge on the lawn outside City Hall for a popular farmers market that includes produce and lots of lunch choices. There's often music, and people sit at tables to talk and eat.

Not so remarkable, right? After all, there are about 4,700 farmers markets in the country.

But it was 30 years ago that the first market opened in Southern California, in a church parking lot in Gardena. Its organizer, Vance Corum, said he had 10 farmers lined up. Only four arrived. But Corum and the farmers persevered, and the market remains a thriving institution.

A celebration of those three decades of markets is planned for Sept. 3, and Corum plans to be there, along with city dignitaries and some of those first intrepid farmers. Paula Daniels, a city Public Works commissioner, said the celebration will include chef demonstrations, tastings and other events. Farmers from other Los Angeles-area markets are being invited to set up shop for the day.

The first five markets Corum organized were sponsored by the Interfaith Hunger Coalition, a project of the Southern California Ecumenical Council.

"We were really addressing questions of food access, because at that time some of the supermarkets had fled the inner city," Corum told The Times at the 25th anniversary.

"At the same time, we were also very aware of the plight of farmers. That was the start of the tough times in the farm economy around the country. Things were tight."

-- Mary MacVean

(Photo of farmers market strawberries by Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Visit The Times' new interactive database of Southern California Farmers Markets to explore your local market. We hope you join the conversation, sharing your favorite markets and vendors and helping us make this the most comprehensive resource for local farmers markets.

Too many tomatoes unimaginable? Ask Bill Anderson

 

Here's the haul from one recent day for Bill Anderson and Chris Griego, tomato growing champions.

Last year I wrote about Bill Chris and their hobby -- you could call it an obsession -- of growing tomatoes. They pick thousands of tomatoes every year from their yard in Winnetka. Bill counts them by variety and blogs about them. Two years ago, he counted nearly 11,000. Last year was not as productive. But 2009 could be a big year.

Today they got 241 tomatoes from 38 plants. And they reached more than 4,000 for the year so far. Of course, that includes lots of tiny tomatoes, but some big ones too. And no matter the size, that's a lot of tomatoes! As Bill wrote, "We have tomatoes everywhere! My wife can't keep up with them."

Here's a 27.5-ounce Mexico tomato, harvested a few days ago, the heaviest tomato they've ever harvested. They weighed it on a postal scale, he says.

-- Mary MacVean

(Top photo by Chris Griego; bottom by Bill Anderson)

 

 

Visit The Times' new interactive database of Southern California Farmers Markets to explore your local market. We hope you join the conversation, sharing your favorite markets and vendors and helping us make this the most comprehensive resource for local farmers markets.

Four Food Events You Should Know About: You've finally met your matcha

THURSDAY

Michael Voltaggio The former Bazaar chef is taking his highly anticipated turn guest-cheffing at Breadbar's hatachi series. The weekly series features eight small plates created by the guest chef, each priced at $8. Voltaggio's chosen theme is "An experience of texture and flavor, an artistic series of small plates." David Haskell, formerly of BIN 8945, will do the wine pairings and work the front of the house. Breadbar Century City, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. 6 to 10 p.m. Guests must order a minimum of three dishes. (310) 277-3770. www.breadbar.net.

Cooking Korean Join cookbook author and Food section contributor Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee as she talks about her new book, "Quick and Easy Korean Cooking: More than 70 Everyday Recipes." Her book includes recipes for appetizers, snacks, soups, hot pots, rice noodles and entrees. It also devotes an entire chapter to kim chi. Lee is a first-generation Korean American and has written about food for The Times, Eating Well and Korean Culture. Korean snacksand drinks will be provided. Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. 7:30 p.m. Program included in museum admission, $9 general, $7 students and seniors. (626) 449-2742, ext. 20. www.pacificasiamuseum.org.

Matcha maker If you're a fan of the delicious powdered ceremonial Japanese teacalled matcha, then you'll want to make a reservation to attend a special matcha-themed night at Le Palais Gourmet. Chef and owner of Jin Patisserie, Kristy Choo, will make matcha-infused desserts including cakes, chocolate and creme brulee. Hot and cold matcha drinks will also be served. So, hurry up and find out why the Buddhists have been drinking the super-healthy beverage for more than 800 years (and why it retails for $50 per 30 grams). Le Palais Gourmet, 401 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills. 6:30 p.m. $40. RSVP required, (310) 271-7922. www.lepalaisgourmet.com.

Getting rummy in the O.C. Enjoy cigars and rum under the Southern California stars as the nearly 40-year-old Cellar restaurant hosts a decadent four-course dinner paired with Appleton sipping rum and Royal Jamaica cigars. The Cellar, 305 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton. 6:30 p.m. $69.95. (714) 525-5682. www.cellardining.com.

--Jessica Gelt

Photo:Trio of pots de creme with matcha, dark chocolate (bottom left) milk chocolate (right) and white chocolate (rear). Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Memories of Copia, and a lesson well learned

Our recent story about Napa at a crossroads -- and the efforts to revive Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts -- brought back some fond memories for one reader. Mel Raab and his wife, Jan, visited Copia a few years ago on their first visit to Napa, and their garden has never looked the same. Here, he recalls that magical night when he became a mulberry farmer -- and his hopes for Copia's revival:

Copia's gardeners were startled by the dark red dripping down my arm, but all I wanted was more information on the tree I had just been standing under.

Here's how the night started:

As we pulled up into Copia's lot, we eyed grapes on haphazard vines clawing their way up the surrounding fence. If this is what passed for weeds in Napa, we couldn't imagine what Copia's gardens would hold. We noticed the manicured gardens fronting the two tracts near Copia's main building. The weather was inviting and the gardens vivid, so before going deeper indoors to Copia's formal exhibits, we stepped among the careful plantings.

Top Chef Masters: Grouper is for divers, not diners

It was a rough night for the Jar-heads.Though Suzanne Tracht shucked oysters with the speed of the Roadrunner revved up on Red Bull, it wasn't enough to pull her through to the next round of the Top Chef Masters Championship.

Michael Chiarello poked at her Jedi-like focus during the mise en place quickfire challenge, but her mind tricks ended up working against her in the elimination round.

For elimination, the chefs were instructed to cook their signature dish for their competitors. They broke bread together, sampling each others signatures and marveling at their peers' culinary prowess. (During this segment, I grab my Moleskine and add 'attending a dinner with this much culinary talent' to my bucket list.)

After the feast, the masters were paired off and given the assignment of re-creating their partner's dish, while imparting their own culinary vision on the plate. Bayless (Mexican) was paired with Chiarello (Italian), Lo (Asian/French fusion) with Keller (classic French) and Tracht (market fresh, classic American) with Smith (Southern comfort).

It was here that Tracht's focus was to her detriment; she was tooprepared, plating her grouper too early, giving the fish time to cook as it waited for delivery. And by the time it got to the table, it was stone cold. Smith's Scottish egg wrapped in a lamb meatball was a flop, too. Chiarello took the easy way out and completely avoided using any of Bayless' Mexican influence, but he managed to scrape by. Bayless took a step out of his comfort zone and presented a gorgeous, rustic plate of quail in a Italian-inspired Chiarello style.

But it was Anita Lo's riff on "the silver fox's" lobster bisque had all the judges raving -- including Gael Greene. Her spin on an after-school special (soup/sandwich) appeared to be a truly inspiring plate. Too bad about Tracht though. It just goes to show you: Grouper is for divers, not diners.

--Krista Simmons

Photo: Grouper at the San Pedro Fish Market by Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times