This week, the Los Angeles Times Food section focuses on Farmers' Markets:

• Southern California farmers are nearing retirement age, so the next generation is taking over
• The full list of Farmers Markets by day
• Meals inspired by what's fresh at the market: Chicken Fricasee with Spring Vegetables, Tomato Herb Panzanella, and Cinnamon Tortilla Chips with Strawberry Avocado Salsa
• Farmstands are making a comeback
• What's fresh now: heirlooms and arugula

In wine, the Times looks at winemakers in Malibu and the Wine of the Week is 2005 Opine Cellars Central Coast Red

I recently went to The Penthouse, the new restaurant at the top of The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. While the food was a little less than spectacular, the view of the Pacific from that high up was pretty stunning. However, there was one thing I ate that got my attention, which was their Green Crunch Salad.

The mix of crunchy greens tossed with a spicy vinaigrette was awesome, so I decided to re-create it at home, with my personal preferences, of course. The Penthouse's salad was composed of fresh sugar snap peas, cooked regular peas, and steamed edamame, which I did as well. However, instead of lightly steamed asparagus tips, I used raw snow peas cut on a bias. I dressed my vegetables with a spicy balsamic vinaigrette (3:1 olive oil: balsamic vinegar + finely minced garlic + salt/pepper + crushed red pepper) and the result was good. In fact, I might say that I liked my version with the balsamic vinaigrette a little more than The Penthouse's Asian-inspired sesame dressing.

Ask the barista how much milk they go through in one day then next time you go into Starbucks for a latte. At some stores, the baristas probably far to busy to take note of the number of gallons used, but it is safe to say that it is a lot. And with over 5,500 stores in the US, Starbucks must be one of the largest consumers in the country, so the dairy industry will feel the effects of Starbucks decision to drop all dairy containing the artificial growth hormone RBGH. So far, the coffeehouse has hormone free milk at stores on the west coast (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, New Mexico and Northern California) and in New England, or roughly 37% of all of their dairy products. The company is still developing their plan to phase out the milk from the rest of their stores and it is safe to say that it will be a gradual process when it begins.

Representatives from the dairy industry who support the use of the hormone say that it is only a matter of time before Starbucks passes increased costs onto consumers, but supporters of the switch say that more dairy farmers will stop using the hormone as consumers and businesses look for dairy produced without it, keeping prices under control. Starbucks has not said how this change has affected their operating costs, but will say that they are not planning to raise drink prices as a result of the switch.

In light of the E. coli and botulism problems over the past few months that have been linked to California growers, there has been a proposal that new standards should be implemented to ensure that consumers will feel safe and comfortable buying California produce. Most growers have already increased the amount of oversight that their produce recieives, but the new plan involves the creaton of a "seal of approval" for all leafy vegetables. The standards for the seal have not yet been determined, but growers and lawmakers plan to iron out the details later this spring. Issues being considered are how to more effectively test irrigation water and how to keep livestock, primarily cattle, away from cropland.

In spite of the fact that there is no actual plan in place yet, the idea of a "seal of approval" is already being met with opposition, with critics saying that "the industry's proposal relies too heavily on policing itself." This could be a strong argument in other industries, but when it comes to food safety, no one wants to make sure consumers are protected more than the growers whose livelihoods depend on consumer satisfaction with, and confidence in, their products.

In addition to the recalls on California-grown spinach and lettuce on recent weeks, there have also been three cases of botulism liked to carrot juice produced in California, two in Canada and one in the US. It may seem as though the golden state is a hotbed of disreputable produce, but in fact so much is grown in the state that these incidents should hardly be enough to provoke widespread panic.

As much as 80% of Canadian produce, and a huge amount of US produce, comes from California and, though these few cases are certainly discouraging, the vast majority of it is fine. Companies are working to eliminate the possibility of E.coli contamination in their processing centers. Botulism is from a naturally occurring organism found in soil and, with most produce, processing should eliminate any and all traces of it from food. Raw vegetables, particularly "sugary, root vegetables " like carrots, still carry a risk factor, which is how it got in to the carrot juice in the first place.

Trying for locally grown products can provide some piece of mind, but local farmers can have the same problems, for example, by potentially exposing their crops to E.coli by using manure as fertilizer. To reduce any risks as much as possible, especially when there has been a recall of any kind, wash everything as well as you can and, if seriously in doubt, you can always cook you vegetables instead of eating them raw, which will increase the chances of killing off anything undesirable that might be in them.

Susan La Tempa spent the last few weeks on a massive LA pub crawl and has found the fifteen best in the city, taking into account authenticity, and how well they pour.

SIV visits the new Simon LA and gives the kitschy cool place now famous for its junk food platter one-and-a-half stars (*1/2). Chiu-Chow via Vietnam can be had at Chaus Kitchen in San Gabriel, where the kitchen is "concentrated on perfecting a few house specialties."

For cooking at home, cookbook Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon, offers recipes for "sophisticated tagines from Morocco, fragrant Turkish kebabs and a dazzling assortment of Lebanese mezes."

Russ Parsons cooks up a seafood stew, and reminds us that Brussels sprouts are sprouting up at the local farmers' markets.

Only a few days after we were told that it was once again safe to eat spinach, the FDA issued a recall on lettuce from the Salinas-based Nunes Co. The recall only applies to lettuce purchased from October 3-6 in seven western states: Oregon, Idaho, Montana,California, Nevada, Washington and Arizona, and "the recalled lettuce was packaged as "Green Leaf 24 Count, waxed carton," and "Green Leaf 18 Count, cellophane sleeve, returnable carton." Packaging is stamped with lot code 6SL0024."

The reason that the lettuce was recalled was due to a concern over a possibly E.coli contamination in the water supply to the fields, although no E.coli has been found in any of the lettuce and no people have reported illness. The owner of the family-run company says that they have strict safety protocols, which were strengthened when the "spinach scare" broke out.

At this point, all lettuce covered by the recall should be off shelves, but it could be a good idea to check the bags in your fridge just in case.

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Have you ever had an IT'S IT ice cream sandwich? The all-caps treat has been a San Francisco favorite for almost 80 years. It sandwiches a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two soft oatmeal cookies, and the whole thing is dipped in chocolate, making one of the finest ice cream sandwiches you can buy.

The version that you can't buy is even better, though.

Google had their chef, Nate Keller, work with IT'S IT to make a trans-fat free version that is all natural and made with locally sourced ingredients. This Google version went on sale is free in the employee cafeteria, complete with Google logo on the wrapper.

Perhaps we'll all get to sample this new version in the future, but for now we'll have to content ourselves with the classic. You can order them online from the factory, and get overnight delivery anywhere in the US. If you can get ahold of them and you ask nicely, maybe the Google cafeteria would be willing to ship their version, too.

Jonathan Gold just might be the most popular food critic in Los Angeles, especially with Chowhounds, who love him because he spends just as much time in bargain strip-mall finds as he does in higher end restaurants. This week, in the LA Weekly, Gold put out his list of the 99 essential LA restaurants. They're not the best, the most expensive or even the most famous, but they all made the list because they reflect LA and inspire people to think about food in a new way. "And it's also a damned good place to eat."  Gold describes how and why he made his choice for each selection on the list, but even without the extra information, there are too many to list here. As a sampling, the list includes: A.O.C., Border Grill, Campanile, Geisha House, Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe, Pink's, Spago and Wat Thai.

You'll have to read through the whole thing yourself to find out the rest.

In January, the city of Oakland, California, just across the bay from San Francisco, instituted a tax on businesses that they believed created the most litter in the city. The city council felt that businesses needed to be more socially responsible for their customer's actions, while business owners opposed the measure, saying that packaging is necessary to sell goods - particularly food items - in a safe and sanitary manner.

Now, city businesses have to change the way they package their food, in addition to paying for it, because the city has just banned styrofoam food packaging.

Due to take effect in January, the measure says that all food packaging must be biodegradable when composted with food waste. Supporters of the law point out that 15 percent of the litter collected in storm drains is styrofoam/polystyrene packaging. They gained additional support from the fact that there are 100 other cities, including Portland and neighboring Berkeley, which have similar bans, and San Francisco is expected to join that list later this year.

The city will use fines ranging from $100-$500 to enforce the measure and businesses that still use styrofoam will have have to find another way to keep their food warm.

 

I mentioned this story briefly in the roundup of this week's NY Times dining section, but didn't elaborate there because it really deserves its own post. Frank Bruni, the food critic known for his love of the finer foods in life, hit the road in a rented Ford Taurus and ate his way through 42 fast food restaurants, mostly in the southern half of the country. His goal was to find out the best fast food chains in the country, "from familiar national chains, relatively unfamiliar regional chains and tiny local chains [he] had never encountered." He stopped in at places like McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Chick-fil-a and Whataburger, eating burgers, fries andother fried foods in pursuit of his goal.

 

Zinfandel grapes are one of the first types of the fruit that were grown in California, with some vineyards dating back over 100 years and still producing fruit from the "old growth" vines. Generally, the zin grapes were first used only for blending with other grapes in wine making, but during the 1960s and '70s, pure zinfandels produced in California came into great popularity. The fruity, light flavor of white zinfandel introduced many people to wine, while potent red zinfandels continue to gain in popularity. Celebrating its heritage as the "original" California wine, state senators voted to make zinfandel California's official historic wine. The first draft of the bill actually called to make it the official wine of California, not qualifying the designation with the word "historic," but lawmakers did not want to single one wine (or grape) out over the others that are grown in the state.

 

On the restaurants scene, chefs are taking cobblers and crisps to the next level. SIV goes for midnight munchies at Magnolia Hollywood, then writes about camera-equipped kitchens for bi-coastal chefs. Tropicalia Brazilian Grill sizzles.

In the kitchen, a recipe for the chili from downtown Walt Disney Concert Hall and many ways with the artichoke. Giada de Laurentiis' new cookbook makes elegant dinners.

The Wine of the Week is 2003 Domaine de la Begude to perfectly pair with an Easter leg of lamb, but don't forget about the Greeks. Passover begins next week, so a few choices beyond Manischewitz.

[photo: LA Times]

Delis will always have something for everyone. For some reason, their menus are the biggest you are likely to see in the restaurant industry. One deli that comes to mind (unnamed because their food is definitely not so hot) has over 600 items on the menu, for example. But it can be hard to get everything right when your kitchen is producing everything from Reubens to fettuccini alfredo to teriyaki stir fry, though when at least half of the menu is excellent, patrons don’t mind an omelet that is simply acceptable when their dining partner can get pizza and potato latkes at the same meal. A good deli is a great thing, though. And Brent’s is just about the best in LA, according to the huge crowds that gather in front of it every day.

Brent’s Deli has been around since 1967 and has won too many awards to count. Not only do they have a great neighborhood feel, they are widely regarded as the best deli in Los Angeles and Zagat called them the “Best outside New York.” Their goal is “to be the best family owned & operated delicatessens & restaurants in the country”, and if you’ve ever eaten there, you’ll know that they’re not far off that mark. Everything is always fresh, helped in no small part because thee restaurant is always packed. The only thing that takes longer than getting a table is trying to find a parking spot in their lot around lunchtime. Park across the street, if you can help it.

This is the best fast-food hamburger there is: a double-double from In-N-Out Burger, the popular California chain. Actually, with its two juicy, 100% pure beef patties, hand-leafed lettuce, tomatoes, secret spread and two slices of American cheese (not processed cheese) on a freshly baked and toasted bun, the double-double is better than a lot of non-fast food burgers, too.

I suggest that you compare the In-N-Out classic to GQ's list of the 20 hamburgers you must eat before you die. The list was compiled by Alan Richman, food critic and author of Fork it Over, who seems to be a reputable enough source, though I am still hard-put to take culinary advice from a men's style magazine. I have personally eaten at three of the 20 places on the list, though I can only say that I clearly recall two of them, and did not find the burgers to be of any higher quality than the double-double. I think GQ needs to add another spot to their list.