Eat. Cook. L.A.: Recipes from the City of Angels [A Cookbook]

I'm an Angeleno who loves food but does not cook. I do like to peruse the occasional cookbook, and I found the writing of Eat. Cook. L.A. particularly charming and inspiring. This cookbook made me love my city a little bit more, and it made me appreciate LA's culinary culture a great deal more. The author celebrates the creativity and exploration in LA cooking as well as the (welcome) turn towards local, sustainable, seasonal ingredients. I also appreciated the relative simplicity of the ingredient lists. Given that I live here, I should be able to find everything easily. Even if I don't end up making dinner, I'm definitely trying my hand at the cocktail recipes. This one is a keeper!

I feel especially qualified to write a review of this book because I have purchased so many copies. I can’t seem to hang on to it, but I have many appreciative friends! The photos are exquisite, the recipes are mouth-watering but most of all, it’s the wit and wisdom of the writing which makes it such a perfect book to own and give as a gift. And then there’s the fact that it reveals the expanse and style and innovation of my most favorite city in the world. I’ve just placed an order for another three copies and can not recommend it highly enough.

Some interesting recipes but this book is heavy on Mediterranean style of cooking and very small Mexican and Asian style of cooking. I wish it was more representative of LA eats.

Eat Cook LA is a cool hybrid cook book that is also a guide to the culinary culture of LA. I love the recipes--check out Harissa Chicken with Stewed chickpeas and tzatziki by Doug Mireillo of Gesso in West Hollywood, among many greats. And I also love getting to know who the chefs are in this new foodie town and where to go to eat in LA, and what to order. Crapenzano makes all of the recipes accessible to home cooks like me, yet they are still sophisticated and original. This is a great gift for anyone who lives in LA or likes to travel there, or of course anyone who cooks!

With cocktail recipes in the breakfast section and not one, but two chapters on dessert, the recipes in Eat. Cook. LA.could seem decadent if they didn't focus on fresh (mostly vegetable) ingredients, bright flavors, and unfussy, casual fare. The recipes are lovely to read and easy to follow; I'm not a very experienced cook, but Eat. Cook. LA. has helped me pull of some fantastic meals with delicious ease. Just the kind of food you want to eat, and eat with friends.