Many of you have probably seen Instagram posts of my yearly tomato canning extravaganza with two of my friends. We usually work with 200–400 pounds of tomatoes, which yields enough sauce for the three of us for a year. The site of this tomatopalooza has always been in the breezeway of my friends' house in Altadena, seemingly always on the hottest day of the year. While my friends, thankfully, did not lose their house in the fires, they were only recently able to move back in after a double detoxification of the house and gardens. We missed two seasons of tomato canning.

Given that this is a tradition that started recently and with this stellar combination of people since 2019, it struck me how much I missed having those home-canned jars of sauce to bring to friends in lieu of flowers or wine, not to mention the ebullient camaraderie of the day. We spend about eight hours prepping jars and washing tomatoes, running the fruit through an electric mill (thank you, Delilah!), cooking up gallons of two kinds of sauce, and finally, water bath canning and labeling it all. It's hard work, but completely gratifying, and laughter buoys us along.

I'm a reader first and always, so the intellectual satisfaction of exploring the expansive world of food has become innate. But it's been 14 years since I closed my restaurant, which means it's been that long since I've had daily, hands-on contact with food in large quantities. There are many different types of cooks, but I’ve always referred to myself as a "witchy cook." While my short order cooking skills were honed over years of making countless pans of pasta sauces, I love stirring cauldrons of sauce, making vats of soups, and braises. My personal Tomatopalooza reconnects me to the joy of hands-on work. Look for new photos next week!

Speaking of hands-on work, our segment this week with Doug Bullock of Bullock's Permaculture Homestead on Orcas Island is a reminder of what deep love and care for a particular piece of land can do for a community. As Gillian and I wandered the property with Doug, he handed us one spectacular piece of fruit after another to try, and we felt as if we’d been transported to an Eden. What a special place. Enjoy the listen.

I also noticed big fat artichokes at the market last week. It's time to make Özlem Warren's Zeytinyağlı Enginar (Artichoke Bottoms). When you see the photo, you'll understand why. This was one of the best things I ate the last time I was in Istanbul.

Take care, keep cool, and support Good Food by reviewing it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Good Food, Part 1 (Apple / Spotify):

• Sultans, street food, and pickles — Özlem Warren brings the diverse flavors of Istanbul to the home kitchen.
• Sloane Crosley explains misophonia, a neurophysiological disorder characterized by a severe aversion to sound with its own set of triggers.

Good Food, Part 2 (Apple / Spotify):

• On Orcas Island, farmer Doug Bullock has been putting the "cult" in permaculture for the past 45 years.
• With decades of experience covering pivotal moments in history, from the fall of the Soviet Union to the current war in Ukraine, journalist Felicity Spector looks at world events through a culinary lens.

—Evan

THE GOOD FOOD TEAM'S DINING HIGHLIGHTS

Evan: After my conversation with Wende Museum founder Justin Jampol, followed by a rollicking talk between me, Bill Addison, Khusbu Shah, and Memo Torres at Good Food’s first Summer Nights, I was so hungry. I ran out to the night market to see what was on offer. I inhaled a pastor taco from Taqueria Frontera and took a really bad photo. Hunger somewhat blunted, I took my time with this mega satisfying slice of LaSorted's famed upside down Mamba.

Gillian: These clams were planted and harvested a mere 20 feet from the table where I ate them at Westcott Bay Shellfish Co on San Juan Island. The restaurant cooks them over an open flame with chili oil, leeks and wine, and finishes it with cream. I can't think of a better summertime meal.

Laryl: I tagged along with Evan to meet Sheri Kopelowicz, co-owner of Fisherman's Outlet at the edge of Little Tokyo. Sheri's father opened the seafood restaurant and market 65 years ago. Plates of fried shrimp and Alaskan pollock are breaded daily. The jumbo grilled shrimp is served with a Cajun sauce and garlic butter that I want them to jar so I can slather it over everything. Meaty clams swim in the chowder, and don’t forget the coleslaw that is grandma’s recipe. And almost as good as the food… drumroll… they have a parking lot!

Elina: At Simpang Asia on Lincoln Blvd. in Venice, it is imperative that you start your meal with an order of roti paratha. Both the flaky pastry and the curry sauce are addictive. Then, when your ayam goreng (Indonesian-style fried chicken) arrives, dip the chicken in whatever is left of the curry. It's the perfect crossing of the streams.

WHAT I'M CONSUMING

WEEKLY RECIPE: When NY Times Cooking pulled Marion Burros' famed Plum Torte recipe from its active recipe archive, readers let the editors know how unhappy they were. Wisely, it returned in May of this year. This is one of the most popular NY Times recipes of all time. Written more than 40 years ago, the simple, tender cake topped with yielding sugared plums is a reliable hit. That the recipe is so easy to change up adds to its revered status. You can make it with nearly any fruit. I love reading the comments. Last weekend I was so pleased to see Italian prune plums at the Hollywood Farmers Market. They show up in such small numbers and so rarely. But I scooped up enough to make this beloved cake. GET THE RECIPE

TASTY THINGS TO DO

• Want to experience food you’d need a passport to get to and a reservation to eat? Head to Taqueando After Dark, which transforms an entire floor of Level 8 in DTLA into one long taco crawl. On August 27th and 28th, chefs from Mexico and taqueros from LA, DJs in every room, one wristband for all of it. $55-$135.

•  On Thursday, August 27th at Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks, chef Alan Sanz hosts the third installment of Re:MEX, featuring a collaborative menu and specialty cocktails with DARKROOM and soon-to-open Three Eyed Tiger. Make reservations.

• Breakfast burrito hot spot Sobuneh recently started a six-day breakfast taco collab with Tacos 1986. Find them only at Tacos 1986’s Melrose restaurant through Sunday, August 23rd.

• Dine LA is still happening through Friday, August 28th. Support local restaurants and go check out that spot you've been eyeing for ages! Full list of participating restaurants here.
  
  
• Taste of Runway returns on Thursday, August 27th, 5:30–8 PM. RUNWAY Playa Vista's outdoor green space is the setting for an evening of food, music, and community. The culinary lineup includes LOQUI, Hopdoddy, Joliet, and Urban Plates, among others. $50. 

TASTY THINGS TO READ 

• As a record heatwave sweeps across Asia, potatoes in Korea are boiling in the ground while Japanese farmers are switching to night shifts because it's too hot to work during the day. Don't worry, everything's totally fine. Carry on.

• We love the smell of aspartame in the morning! So do perfumers because Diet Coke is this summer's strangest (and fizziest) fragrance trend. Dab a little behind your ears, and you're ready to go.

• How does Little Fish make money? The Echo Park spot known for its fried fish sandwiches opens its books and dissects the numbers behind its success.

AWWW

Dogs on ice skates!!!

To see more of what I'm consuming, including recipes, events, and other stories, check out my Substack!

—Evan