Late Summer Gazpacho

By Andrew Hunter

One of the greatest gifts a chef can receive is when their guests come back, time and again, for the same dish. When I worked for Wolfgang Puck, there was an architect from Spain who lived down the street from one of the restaurants where I spent a lot of time. She would always order the summer gazpacho and tell me it was better than she got back home. A few kisses on both cheeks and she would be back the next day for another bowl.

Spaniards have debated gazpacho style for decades – maybe centuries. Smooth or chunky, white or red, simple or complex. Everyone agrees though, that it needs to be made with fresh summer tomatoes, and that it hits the spot on a hot summer day. Our boys turned up their noses at first, but learned to like gazpacho by dipping their bread into it like salsa; now they drink it like a veggie smoothie.

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Empanadas para la Familia

By Andrew Hunter

Little savory hand-held pies called empanadas are a big hit in the Hunter house. We have an empanada shop close by, but we often make them at home. They’re super simple and easy to customize.

Perfect for lunch, dinner, or an on-the-go snack, one empanada is plenty for the typical appetite, especially if served with a salad and vegetable dish. We even pack them in the boys’ lunch boxes. Bake and serve them all, or freeze some to bake next week.

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Sweet Summer Corn

By Andrew Hunter

Growing up in Michigan, sweet corn was as much a part of summer as swimming and humidity. I remember going to our local farm market called Leverett’s for corn so sweet that it satisfied my candy cravings.

Mrs. Leverett, who was also our source for pumpkins, Christmas trees and all things seasonal, taught me the quicker you go from stalk to pot, the sweeter the corn will be. I learned as a chef that the natural sugars change to starch after corn is picked, so while she probably didn’t understand the science, Mrs. Leverett knew enough to put a burner and pot of water in the field she was picking to capture that sugar before it escaped.

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Boyhood Evolution

By Andrew Hunter

My youngest one is growing up – at a whopping 3 foot 4 and 38 pounds, Nick no longer introduces himself as “Nic-a-yis.” He’s moving up to kindergarten, has plenty to say about all matters of fact (his lovely teacher, Ms. Britton, thinks the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree), plays second base on his T-ball team, loves to sing and dance, and believes in community service. As he grows in dimension, he’s also forming his own sensibility about food and eating.

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Grab ‘n’ Go Picnic

By Andrew Hunter

Living in LA, like any place, has its pros and cons. Yes, there’s congested traffic, the infamous smog, and the risk of getting caught between paparazzi and one of their famous subjects…sounds silly, I know, but it can be quite hectic and even rough and tumble in the middle of LA’s game of celebrity cat and mouse.

But LA also has iconic places perfect for family fun, which by our definition includes picnics. Our two favorites are Chavez Ravine and the Hollywood Bowl. The only thing our boys like as much as watching their beloved Dodgers play in “The Ravine” is going to “The Bowl.” It’s nestled at the base of a rock walled canyon in the Hollywood Hills with the Hollywood sign perched off in the distance.

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