Urban forager finds her flavors

                            

Elisa Callow is a writer, appreciator of food and history and a lucky soul who has made friends, convinced them to share and – I hope – gotten to eat all the dishes described in her book.

                             “The Urban Forager: Culinary Exploring & Cooking on L.A.’s Eastside, is an adventurous and useful book with Ann Elliott Cutting’s photos. The Prospect Park Books offering gets us talking with cooks from so many cultures. That’s how history and recipes are preserved, so thank you, Ms. Callow.

                             You read the stories. I’m going to quickly convince you to by noting these flavors:

                             Over-the-Top French Toast forces the cook to decide. Should Cointreau or Grand Marnier be part of the recipe that calls for butter-filled brioche.

                             I’m not sure why the Savory Double Pecan Scones are “double,” but I loved finding Dijon mustard, thyme and Gruyere cheese in the ingredients list

                             Yogurt Soup with barley sounds soothing and a beautiful color photo illustrates how Minh’s Vegan Porridge with Spring Green Sauce can be appealing.

                             Other illustrations show cooks’ influences, such as Jack Aghoia’s grandmother who stretched meat by creating stews and casseroles with cracked wheat and vegetables.

                             I want to try Minhs Habanero and Kumquat Salt, made by roasting citrus skins and chilies and grinding them up.

                             I don’t know if  I’ll ever get to East L.A., but I kind of feel like I’ll have friends when I get there.

                  Darragh Doiron has a bag packed for Culinary Thrill Seeking. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com