Holiday themed stories

Southern California is loaded with home-grown possibilities, such as Littlejohn’s English toffee and Santa Barbara’s pistachios.

Leek pancakes, gravlax, herbal tisane and chocolate-orange scones. Frame a casual meal with a true sense of occasion and your gathering with friends will usher in spring.

Bake muffins and breadsticks, make jam or infuse vodka with the flavors of the season, and wrap it all with a festive bow.

Honor the departed, then offer up champurrado, sugary pan de muerto, tamales, calabacitas and turkey in black mole at your Dia de los Muertos celebration.

Couscous, charmoula and cardamom: This September 2006 article underscores that a Rosh Hashana dinner takes its inspiration from the Mediterranean.

Lamb, chicken soup with dumplings, potato gnocchi, salmon and a flourless chocolate cake with strawberries reflect the many influences in Tierra Sur chef Todd Aarons’ lifetime of cooking.

Homemade Asian dumplings demand a group effort -- which means a do-it-yourself dinner is a great way to bond with friends.

The 50th anniversary of the classic American torte calls for classic American reinvention.

This versatile flatbread, a Catalonian favorite, can be topped with just about anything.

Foodies have been doing it for years. But now some pretty big names are logging on to the bandwagon.

Online cooking videos are the ultimate in quality and quirky DIY lessons. Where else can you get cooking with Christopher Walken?

Tarragon, chives, chervil and parsley round out the flavor of spring dishes.

Pair flavorful links such as merguez, chorizo, andouille with black bean and papaya salads and a mango dessert for your summer patio party.

The light touch of a savory beignet can instantly transform a dish.

Before the juice, before the liqueur, there was the fruit. And it was fabulous.

Custards, cakes and crumbles: The savory vegetables of deep summer get the dessert treatment.

Four-seed snapper crackers, thin wheat crackers and Nori’s seaweed cracker can be sweet or salty, paired with any dip or cheese, or stand on their own.

The Catalonian classic can be served atop grilled lamb, fish and vegetables or paired with bread and spring onions.

Stick with basic equipment, keep a close eye on the charcoal and flames, and you’ll get wonderfully moist results.

Murano, Gingergrass and Canelé toss the secrets to greens success

As the end of Ramadan -- Islam’s holiest month -- is celebrated around the world, this week’s Encore recipe from 2005 takes a look at other festive dishes that are traditional to the Muslim table.

This September 2007 article offers a look at the spicier side of Rosh Hashana

This August 1995 article skewers conventional wisdom and takes you on an around-the-world tour of the shish kebab

Farm stands selling local produce used to be everywhere. Could they be making a comeback?

From Silk Road to Bunny’s basket, sweet historical tidbits.

Sweet, exotic flavor comes from the delicate flour -- yes, flour.

There’s always Pink’s, Cupid’s, Jody Maroni’s, Johnnie’s Pastrami, the Stand, Carney’s and Oki Dog, but venture further and you’ll find dogs in pursuit of a different taste sensation, such as City Bakery, Cafe Surfas, Portillo’s, Mustard’s and Marty D’s.

A gourmet-style meal is possible with a little planning, a skillet and a Dutch oven.

Put a twist on the bite-size appetizers with plantain ‘dough’ and fresh-herb calzones.

No need for a whole chicken. Use the right techniques for the right cut, and the result is succulent, tender and aromatic.

The magic of beaten egg whites and sugar -- use it as a dessert topping, a mix-in that lifts a dense cake or as a crumble that adds crunch.

Cool summer dessert recipes from Paris-based chef and blogger David Lebovitz.

Russ Parsons’ favorites include pickled radishes, peppers, zucchini -- and even grapes.

The latest wave of cocoa hunters is seizing control, from bean to bar

Fried chicken? Check. Coleslaw? Check. Biscuits, ham and brownies? Triple check. Make some fireworks in your basket.

Banana, fig and grape leaves bring distinctive flavors to such fillings as lamb meatballs, grilled halibut and feta.

Rillettes -- the new wave in L.A.’s charcuterie renaissance -- can be made of pork, game, poultry, fish or even vegetables. So grab a baguette and enjoy.

These tips will help you find a spit-roasted bird to eat at a restaurant or home.

Grab your kids and some baskets and head out to the nearest U-pick farm for the freshest fruits and vegetables.

They’re terrific as desserts, but use them in a chutney or whole-grain bread and brighten up a main course.

What to do with all those ripe tomatoes? Make the ultimate sauce and soup, and don’t forget the Bloody Mary.

3 winning sandwiches: cod with radicchio slaw, edamame hummus sandwich and pork belly banh mi with pickled veggies.

Ramadan ends in sugary bliss, with milky desserts, cake and custard.

The original communal cocktail warms up any crowd in help-yourself style.

Chocolate shortcakes, meringues and bouchons: Serve ‘em or wrap ‘em.

Sure, nutmeg and cinnamon are Christmas staples, but try adding Hungarian moula, Madagascar vanilla beans and sumac to the mix.

Give thanks before the big feast with an easy appetizer -- a handpicked selection of American cheeses.

It’s a baguette with an assortment of fillings: pâté, barbecued pork, cilantro, daikon and jalapeños among them. Buy it in Westminster’s Little Saigon or make it yourself.

Children love to eat pasta, and they love to play with their food. Why not combine the two? Let them knead, roll out and cut the dough, then make their own easy pesto sauce in a blender.

Where should your kitchen dough go? Two expert -- and opinionated -- cooks weigh in

With an immersion blender, making basic mayonnaise is easy. Then once you master the original, get creative and spike it with mustard, tarragon, saffron or piquillo pepper.

With its new facility being built near San Diego, Japan’s Hokto Corp. and U.S. partner Golden Gourmet Mushrooms hope to bring a wider array of earthy delights to mainstream market shelves.

When lots of cooks pitch in, it’s up to you to make sure the mix works.

Years after devastating die-offs, two blight-resistant California trees are at the forefront of the revival. Fresh, these nuts are a revelation -- sweet and chewy.

The starters will last all night at this small-plates party.

With delicious staples on hand, you can pull together a spread and hardly cook at all.

Preserve it in spiced olive oil and you get a rich, meaty taste ready to serve in salad, with pasta or as a topping for bruschetta.

One of the real pleasures of going on vacation is the ability to pretend--if only for a little while and if only in small ways--that you are rich.

A dream meal of blini, turkey and mincemeat pie is made ahead and leaves time to savor the day.