• Happy Hour • Baramee Thai Restaurant • $2 beers, $4 appetizers and wine & sake specials. (310) 521-9400, 354 W. 6th St., San Pedro Blu Bar at Crowne Plaza • $4 Drinks and half off appetizers. (310) 5198200, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro Godmother’s Saloon • (310) 8331589, 302 W. 7th St., San Pedro Iron City Tavern • Happy Hour 1/2-price appetizers & drink specials: 4 to 6 p.m. Mon. to Fri. 589 W. 9th St., San Pedro; (310) 547-4766
Ports o’ Call • Happy Hour: Mon. to Fri., 3 to 8 p.m. Taco Tuesdays. Oyster shooter & bloody mary Wednesdays. Live jazz from Mike Guerrero Trio every Wed. (310) 833-3553, Berth 76 Ports O’ Call Village, San Pedro San Pedro Brewing Co. • Happy Hour: 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mon. to Fri. (310) 831-5663, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Trusela’s • Happy Hour: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Tues. to Sat. (310) 547-0993, 28158 S. Western Ave., San Pedro Whale & Ale • Happy Hour: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Mon to Fri., 4 to 7 p.m. on Wed. Late Night Happy Hour: 10 p.m. to Midnight, Fri. Only. (310) 832-0363, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro Happy Hour Listings Are Paid Advertising
Petal Panache A Feast for the Eyes and Palate Column and Photo by: Lori Lynn Hirsch Stokoe, Guest Columnest
Edible flowers are so darn pretty.
It is easy to use them to garnish the plate and call it good. No complaints. But cooking with edible flowers is not just about putting a pretty posy on the plate. It is about matching the flavor, texture and color so it harmonizes with the dish.
Quesadillas Florales Recipe
Continued on page 16.
April 19 – May 2, 2013
• 2 cups of corn masa flour (maiz selecionado y nixtamalizado) • 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt • 1-1/4 cups of water • edible flower petals • brie cheese 1. Sprinkle flour with salt. 2. Add water and mix thoroughly to form a soft dough. 3. Form masa into a ball, cover masa with damp cloth and let rest 5 minutes. 4. Roll dough between the palms to form balls about the size of a golf ball. 5. Cover masa balls with a damp cloth to keep moist. 6. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a tortilla press. Place one ball in the center and cover with another sheet of wrap. Close lid and press down on lever. 7. Open lid and remove top layer of wrap. 8. Place a few edible flower petals on the tortilla in a decorative pattern. 9. Then re-cover the tortilla with plastic wrap, apply the press again to embed the petals into the dough. 10. Leave tortillas in individual wrappers until ready to cook.
ACE: Arts • Culture • Entertainment
Savory flowers such as chive blossom and society garlic pair well with main courses and vegetables. Sweet aromatic flowers such as roses and lavender pair well with desserts. Almost all of them work in a salad. Lemon-scented geranium petals can enhance a fruit salad, while peppery nasturtiums add zip to a pasta salad with goat cheese. Striking blue borage complements any dish that has cucumber — especially Greek salad. The quesadillas florales recipe below can be paired with almost any edible flower because it is a neutral dish. In decorating the tortillas, the colors and design are most important. The addition of flowers elevates the simple cheese quesadilla to another level for entertaining. And, it’s so easy! Be sure to choose flowers that are edible and eat only in moderation. Some flowers are poisonous and others just aren’t that tasty. To be safe, grow your own edible flowers without pesticides or chemicals or purchase edible varieties in the produce section of the supermarket. Before incorporating flowers into your dish, rinse in cool fresh water then gently dry on paper towels. Some edible flowers you’ll see growing in the Harbor Area: • borage – bright blue color/ cucumber flavor • chive – pale purple/ onion flavor
• lavender – purple/ floral, pungent • nasturtium - vibrant orange/ zesty-peppery • rose – multi-colored/ aromatic • scented geranium – pink, purple, red/ flavor varies with variety • society garlic - pale purple/ savory, garlicky • squash blossom – yellow/ hint of zucchini flavor • viola – purple, white, yellow/ mild pea or lettuce flavor Thank you to all the passionate gardeners in our charming corner of Los Angeles for showering the neighborhoods with your beautiful, breathtaking and sometimes edible flowers.
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