Basil

  Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 to 6 1/4 cup best-quality olive oil, divided 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 3/4 pound zucchini (about 1 large), shredded 8 eggs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 to 6 basil leaves, torn into pieces. 1. Heat the broiler. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 5 minutes.

Award-winning children's author E.L. Konigsburg died Friday in Falls Church, Va., after suffering a stroke a week before, the Associated Press reported Sunday night.  She was 83 years old. Konigsburg won the Newbery Medal twice -- for her 1997 book "The View From Saturday" and in 1968 for "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" -- one of only five other authors to do so.  Her first book, "Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley,...

According to Food Editor Russ Parsons, a weeknight dinner can be as easy as a frittata. Russ has a recipe for shrimp and basil frittata that's about as easy as it gets with only six ingredients (shrimp, eggs, green onions, butter, salt and fresh basil leaves). Make the frittata ahead of time, so it's ready in the fridge when you need it, or whip it up when you get home -- the whole thing comes together in only 30 minutes. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less!

E.L. Konigsburg, who was one of the few children's authors to twice win the Newbery Medal, died Friday at a hospital in Falls Church, Va. She was 83. Konigsburg had a stroke the week before she died, said her son Paul. She won the Newbery Medal, one of the top honors for children's literature, in 1968 for the book "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" and again in 1997 for "The View from Saturday. " Her first book, "Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth" was also a Newbery honor book in 1968 but lost out to "Mrs.

This week's Culinary SOS request comes from Meg Hassenpflug in Ontario: " Wolfe's Market in Claremont Village is a boutique grocery store, wine shop and meat counter, and it also has a remarkable ready-to-eat deli. We are addicted to the lemon pasta salad that includes zucchini, basil, peas and grape tomatoes among other things. " Sweet cherry tomatoes and vibrant zucchini strips lend bright colors to this pasta salad, and the fresh lemon zest adds a nice zing. The pasta salad comes together in minutes, the flavors rounded out with fresh chopped basil and rich Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Dear SOS: I had the most refreshing cocktail at the Girl & the Fig in Sonoma called a "Gin"-ger basiltini. Described as "cucumber-infused gin, muddled basil, ginger simple syrup & fresh-squeezed lime juice," this would be a delicious brunch libation. Susan McEowen Sherman Oaks Dear Susan: We loved the harmony of flavors in this cocktail. It marries the bright, fresh flavors of basil and lime with delicate cucumber and spicy ginger. Make the cucumber gin and ginger syrup in advance to chill.

  Dear SOS: The lemon pasta at Angelini Osteria on Beverly Boulevard seems remarkably simple. My attempts at re-creating it have been remarkably underwhelming. Can you get the exact measurements and ingredients for this memorable comfort dish? The restaurant describes it as "Tagliolini al Limone with Lemon, Cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Basil. " However, there is obviously a specific method as to how the kitchen gets it to come out so balanced and tasteful. Thank you. Janie Orenstein Pacific Palisades Dear Janie: We loved the wonderful simplicity to this dish: Fresh basil and a touch of lemon are infused with a little heavy cream, which is cooked down just until it thickens, and is poured over pasta.

Bartending VIP Pablo Moix (La Descarga, Harvard & Stone) has popped up as the man behind a new list of drinks at downtown L.A.'s Takami Sushi restaurant and its Elevate lounge. He's consulting just in time for the restaurant's fourth anniversary, and to help it celebrate he's dreamed up a spicy little number called the Serrano Kiss. In it, the heat of a sliced chile mingles with dry gin rather than the traditional tequila and is mellowed with basil leaves, lime and simple syrup. It's an offbeat combination that will leave your lips singing.

For an attractive and wonderfully appetizing garnish, cut tomato in eighths--without cutting through bottom--to form a flower. Sprinkle with chopped basil, salt and pepper. Then top with a mixture of sour cream and blue cheese seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Decorate top with a whole basil leaf.

Armin Adams photographed a pot of basil and a bouquet of flowers near a kitchen window in his Venice home on Tuesday, trying to capture the light shining through the basil leaves.  "Combine that warm, colorful light with the smell of hot coffee, and you have a perfect morning," he said. Each week, we're featuring photos of Southern California submitted by readers. Share your photos on our Flickr page or reader submission gallery . Follow us on Twitter or visit  latimes.com/socalmoments for more on this photo series.

If you're looking to add a lot of flavor to your salad without the calories and fat you find in most dressings, consider adding fresh herbs to the mix. This salad combines fresh mint, parsley, cilantro and basil leaves, along with salad greens, radishes and crunchy sunflower and sesame seeds. Toss it with a light dressing brightened with orange and lemon juice and sweetened with a little honey, and dinner is served. The whole thing comes together in less than 30 minutes. Enjoy! For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

This week's Culinary SOS request comes from Meg Hassenpflug in Ontario: " Wolfe's Market in Claremont Village is a boutique grocery store, wine shop and meat counter, and it also has a remarkable ready-to-eat deli. We are addicted to the lemon pasta salad that includes zucchini, basil, peas and grape tomatoes among other things. " Sweet cherry tomatoes and vibrant zucchini strips lend bright colors to this pasta salad, and the fresh lemon zest adds a nice zing. The pasta salad comes together in minutes, the flavors rounded out with fresh chopped basil and rich Parmigiano-Reggiano.

For most gardeners, basil is a wonderful harbinger of summer, but in India a variety known as holy basil, or tulsi ( Ocimum tenuiflorum ), is grown year-round. Basils have been cultivated in India for more than 5,000 years, for culinary and medicinal uses. Holy basil is far more aromatic and sharper in taste than the sweet Italian basils, so in cooking, it can be used in far smaller quantities. Even then, the flavor may be too intense for some palates. Not to be confused with Thai basil, holy basil is used in teas and in herbal Ayurvedic medicine.

A $100-million apartment and shopping complex is being planned for a formerly neglected stretch of Hollywood Boulevard that once held a legendary rehearsal studio where generations of actors learned to dance and wield swords. Commercial real estate developer Sonny Astani said he bought a 1.9-acre site on Hollywood near Western Avenue for almost $11 million. Among the structures on the property is a building that was part of Falcon Studios, a performing arts school founded in 1929.

Take everything you love about summer and arrange it beautifully on a plate. Juicy heirloom tomato wedges and bright chunks of cool watermelon come together perfectly in this salad from The Hungry Cat , punctuated with the light spice of arugula and floral notes of fresh basil and mint. Crumbled feta adds a nice hint of richness, and the tangy watermelon vinaigrette brings it all together. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

According to Food Editor Russ Parsons, a weeknight dinner can be as easy as a frittata. Russ has a recipe for shrimp and basil frittata that's about as easy as it gets with only six ingredients (shrimp, eggs, green onions, butter, salt and fresh basil leaves). Make the frittata ahead of time, so it's ready in the fridge when you need it, or whip it up when you get home -- the whole thing comes together in only 30 minutes. For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here . Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less!