When the news dropped that the upcoming and eagerly awaited Noma pop-up here in LA was going to cost $1,500, you could hear the tizzy build. Why would René Redzepi choose to bring the team here to LA, and how in the world could it cost that much? Well, if you’re curious, listen to my extensive interview with him this week. He’s such an interesting guy to talk to. 

After our interview for the show, we had more time to chat in the KCRW performance studio during a live talk for a small audience. We were joined by Pascal Baudar, the internationally famed wild food crafter and potter who is based in the Angeles Forest. Watching Pascal turn René onto foods he had foraged in our mountains was especially entertaining. If you have the time and inclination, Pascal leads workshops and classes here in LA and beyond. The vinegar I learned to make with him is indefatigable. 

Also, if you’ve never had a good veggie burger but are interested in the genre, don’t miss my conversation with Khushbu Shah. She did the work of identifying five you should try.

— Evan

DINING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GOOD FOOD TEAM

Evan: In the category of ugly delicious is this cassoulet, which I devoured with friends at A.O.C.'s annual cassoulet night. If you could peek inside, you'd see duck confit, sausages, and chunks of pork brought together with rich, creamy white beans. 

Gillian: This week, my cookbook club cooked from Noor Murad's first solo book, Lugma. The recipes are based on the food she grew up eating in Bahrain. It's hard to choose one standout dish because everything was incredibly delicious, but I made the sour spinach and potato galette, and her Middle Eastern chili crisp, both of which I will definitely make again. 

Laryl: This week, Gillian talks to Walter Manzke about chanterelles for the market report. Alfonso "Poncho" Martinez uses the mushrooms to level up a quesadilla at Lugya'h in Maydan Market.

Elina: I had dinner at Hermon's, the new modern steakhouse that opened in Hermon, a rustic micro-neighborhood near Highland Park. We ate so many delicious things it was hard to choose (vongole done kind of like a lasagna, a lemon Baked Alaska) but these loaded potato "fritters" were divine. A stack of thin, square slices of toasty, golden-brown potatoes are topped with cream cheese and shaved parmesan. Buried somewhere in there, you'll find chives and bacon bits. So satisfying, so hearty, not heavy. 

THE LATEST EPISODE OF GOOD FOOD

On this week's episode of Good Food…

• René Redzepi explains how he's orchestrating Noma's LA residency and why it comes with such a hefty price tag.

• Anna Ansari follows flavor down the Silk Roads.

• Polina Chesnakova sneaks in a few comforting, cool-weather recipes from her corner of the diaspora.

• At the farmers market, Walter Manzke finds fun uses for chanterelles.

Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

WHAT I'M CONSUMING

WEEKLY RECIPE: Because many of us are still under the spell of Heated Rivalry (I've watched it twice and will watch it again), let's make tuna melts! Maybe you don't need a recipe, just a nudge to make the iconic sandwich. They are in my twice-a-month dinner rotation, and I appreciate this thorough but not weird recipe from Serious Eats. However, mine is always on rye bread. I suspect Ilya didn't go that route, but he's Russian, so maybe? GET THE RECIPE

TASTY STUFF TO DO

• Dine LA just kicked off and runs through Friday, February 6th. It features prix fixe lunch and dinner deals at almost 400 local restaurants. Maybe you want to explore your neighborhood. Or a particular type of food. Or finally visit that spot you've had your eye on. This is a great, budget-friendly opportunity to do that. 

• You can also celebrate Black-owned food businesses and Black chefs and bartenders at Long Beach Black Restaurant Week, which runs through January 31st.

• Rubie, the newest residency at Maydan Market, just debuted. For a month, chef Gian Scott of West Coast Jamaican will serve Caribbean-inspired, Jamaican-leaning dishes including pickled okra tempura, gluten-free lentil pastelóns, jerk chicken, escovitch sandwiches, and yucca fries. 

READING LIST

• Wild mushrooms keep killing people. Since November, three Californians have died, and another 35 have been poisoned by them. 

• Plant-based eating was supposed to be the future. Then meat came roaring back. Fleeting trend or a deeper cultural shift?

• Maybe we don't have a spoon's worth of microplastics in our brains? Scientists say the studies that came out last year might be the result of contamination and false positives.

AWWWW

The Valais Blacknose Sheep is often called the cutest sheep in the world. Now you know why.

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

—Evan