Dommy Gonzalez

There is a paradox to opening nights. For the restaurateur, it is the culmination of months of planning, certifications and practice. Yet for an opening night to be successful, all efforts put forth by the restaurateur should appear effortless to the diner. This is also true in the grocery business......

We know about momos, Nepalese dumplings. On occasion we have even mentioned mandoo, Korean dumplings. Throughout the world there are many forms of dumplings, which is not surprising as they are a superior comfort food. Warm, savory, carby and even a tiny bit saucy, there is a lot to love......

They were once precious little things delicately plucked from shiny glass cases. Now you can find them in the freezer aisle at Trader Joes. Macarons, the very French confection of egg whites, powdered sugar and almond flour have seemingly fallen from grace. Nevertheless, there are those few, like La Maison......

100 pounds of meat. A nationwide search for the perfect smoker. And six months of methodological trial and error. That is what it took Jesse Kim to merge his two favorite foods -- Texas-style barbecue and Korean marinated meat -- and create the basis of his restaurant, Bicycle and Gogi......

When it comes to dining in Los Angeles, there are can be paths of predictability. Depending on the craving, there are areas where nearly every other restaurant is a safe bet and others where we should have known better. But then there is fried chicken, one dish that defies regionality......

Food lovers are often maligned as being picky. And yes, there are those who would rather drive the extra 35 miles to The Donut Man than go to the Winchell's down the street. But now that it's the season of giving, we would like to point out that they are......

The Place: Zengo: 395 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, (310) 899-1000. The Hours: Monday through Friday, 4-7 p.m.
 The Deals: $6 Latin-Asian Cocktails and Wine, $3 Asian and Latin Beers and $5 Small Plates. What did we think? Turn the page........

One of the most wonderful things about vegetables is their versatility. They can be combined with a wide variety flavors and spices, like bacon with brussel sprouts and mint with peas. But this ability to play nice with others has left many with the impression that, to taste good, vegetables......

If there ever was an ingredient in need of atonement, it might be candied fruit. When you're talking about the fruit, in fruitcake, there is no escaping judgment. And this time of year, the tubs of seemingly shellacked fruit cubes begin to show up in the produce sections. Neon green......

Earlier this year driving back on Adams Boulevard after dim sum, we started to notice the signs. They were placed on nearly every corner from Stanford Avenue to Grand Avenue, usually painted fireman's coat yellow. They all highlighted two dishes, barbacoa and consomé -- braised meat and stock of lamb......