Olive Oil

Kale is about as unlikely a food star as you can imagine. It's tough and fibrous. Bite a piece of raw kale and you'll practically end up with splinters between your teeth. Nevertheless, kale has become a green of the moment because, given a little special care, it actually can be made not only edible but delicious. You can cook it, of course, the lower and slower the better. But surprisingly, one of the most popular ways to use kale these days is in salads. Though kale leaves have always been found on almost every salad bar, it wasn't for reasons of edibility - it was for decoration, because this was one green so tough it would last forever without wilting.

Dear SOS: My wife and I recently dined at the 14K restaurant at the Crowne Plaza in Washington, D.C., during happy hour, and we had the most wonderful and addictive ahi tuna tartare. We had it every day we were there. Can you please get the recipe for this? It seems like a simple five- or six-ingredient dish with fried wontons, but I just cannot seem to figure it out. Thank You, Matt Euen West L.A. Dear Matt: Simple yet bold with bright, fresh flavors, this dish makes the perfect appetizer whether you're planning for company, a party or even an intimate meal.

Dear SOS: I'd love to get the recipe for the couscous at Hillstone (formerly Houston's) in Santa Monica. Many thanks. Meghan Tilley Venice Dear Meghan: We loved the fresh flavors and bright colors in this couscous, which makes for a great summer side dish or a perfect snack. Enjoy! Houston's couscous Total time: 40 minutes, plus cooling time Servings: 4 to 6 Note: Adapted from Hillstone Restaurant Group 3 cups water, divided 1/2 cup couscous 1/2 cup bulgur wheat 3/4 cup coarsely chopped radishes 3 tablespoons finely cut green onions 3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley 1/2 cup raisins 12 very small tomatoes, such as Sweet 100s 1/3 cup whole roasted, skin-on almonds About ½ cup whole fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, preferably Meyer lemon, more to taste 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 1. In a small saucepan, bring 11/2 cups water to a simmer.

- At the village market, my friend Pepa buys a couple of small white fish, a handful of clams, a few shrimp. I ask what she's preparing. " Una sopa marinera, de pescado ," she replies. A fish soup. Nothing fancy, no complications, just a simple home-style fish soup, ready in minutes. In Spanish, " marinera " has nothing to do with tomato sauce - it means mariner's style, fishermen's fare. These seafood soups are traditional aboard fishing boats or in fishermen's homes, where the remains of the day's catch find their way into the soup pot. From the village where Pepa and I shop, we look down to the Mediterranean coast, where a fishing port receives fresh seafood daily.

Extra Virginity The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil Tom Mueller W.W. Norton: 238 pp., $25.95 In 1985, when I was a fledgling food writer, I got a tip on a big story. A friend had just come back from a winter trip to Tuscany. There had been a freeze, he told me. Not just a little "whoops, we lost some leaves" chill, but a mega-momma that had devastated the region. Olive oil, which was just becoming a part of the American gourmet lexicon, had been particularly hard hit. I reported out the story, calling importers, other experts with contacts in Tuscany, and even olive growers in the region itself.

Rejoice, those who love fried foods: eating them may not put you at higher risk for coronary heart disease--if you're frying those foods in olive or sunflower oils. A study published this week in the British Medical Journal analyzed data on 40,757 Spanish adults age 29 to 69 who were followed for an average 11 years. Free of coronary heart disease at the beginning of the study, they were asked what they ate and what cooking methods they used, then were tracked to see who developed coronary heart disease and who died.

A dreary November day in Umbria. On the shores of Lake Trasimeno, the holiday boats are pulled up and covered. We're visiting the frantoio of one of my favorite olive oil producers, Alfredo Mancianti, as he grinds a mound of purple-black olives into paste beneath an old stone wheel. He pops a couple of slices of bread into a beat-up electric toaster oven, rubs them lightly with just a touch of garlic, then spoons over a little golden green oil that has floated up from the crushed olives.

Dear SOS: I am utterly obsessed with the curried chickpeas at Joan's on Third. They are the best curried chickpeas I've ever had. Every time I go there I order them as part of the salad trio (a selection of three salads from their daily specials on the marketplace menu). I should know by now that I should order just the chickpeas because they're all I ever want to eat (well, that and a number of things from the bakery). Lauren Burchett Los Angeles Dear Lauren: The curry blend in this recipe gives an otherwise simple salad wonderful depth and robust flavor.

Summer always comes late to Southern California, but that seemed to be particularly true this year, as the cloudy gray days of June gloom stretched well into August for many areas. There was a good side, to be sure, but what we gained by not having to turn on the air conditioner was offset by the sorry state of our tomatoes. In my garden, except for some precocious Sweet 100s, nothing became ripe until about a week ago. Then wham ! all of a sudden, everything ripened at once.

Dear SOS: My wife and I recently dined at the 14K restaurant at the Crowne Plaza in Washington, D.C., during happy hour, and we had the most wonderful and addictive ahi tuna tartare. We had it every day we were there. Can you please get the recipe for this? It seems like a simple five- or six-ingredient dish with fried wontons, but I just cannot seem to figure it out. Thank You, Matt Euen West L.A. Dear Matt: Simple yet bold with bright, fresh flavors, this dish makes the perfect appetizer whether you're planning for company, a party or even an intimate meal.

Dear SOS: I am eagerly and desperately looking to replicate the most delicious, amazing salad I have ever had. My fiancé and I are regulars at the Tender Greens in Culver City, and we finally tried its best dish on meatless Monday: the happy vegan. It successfully combines the tastiest health foods such as red quinoa salad, green hummus and farro, with toasted hazelnuts, all on one plate. Please help me with the recipe! Jessica Zi Los Angeles Dear Jessica: The happy vegan is a combination of several smaller salads, and Tender Greens was happy to share its recipes, which we've adapted below.

Kale is about as unlikely a food star as you can imagine. It's tough and fibrous. Bite a piece of raw kale and you'll practically end up with splinters between your teeth. Nevertheless, kale has become a green of the moment because, given a little special care, it actually can be made not only edible but delicious. You can cook it, of course, the lower and slower the better. But surprisingly, one of the most popular ways to use kale these days is in salads. Though kale leaves have always been found on almost every salad bar, it wasn't for reasons of edibility - it was for decoration, because this was one green so tough it would last forever without wilting.

Extra Virginity The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil Tom Mueller W.W. Norton: 238 pp., $25.95 In 1985, when I was a fledgling food writer, I got a tip on a big story. A friend had just come back from a winter trip to Tuscany. There had been a freeze, he told me. Not just a little "whoops, we lost some leaves" chill, but a mega-momma that had devastated the region. Olive oil, which was just becoming a part of the American gourmet lexicon, had been particularly hard hit. I reported out the story, calling importers, other experts with contacts in Tuscany, and even olive growers in the region itself.

Dear SOS: Please, please, please get me the recipe for the Brussels sprouts at Cleo in Hollywood. My husband and I ordered a variety of food at our dinner there, and the Brussels sprouts stole the show. I would love to get the recipe. It's the first time that my husband was actually excited to eat vegetables! Caroline Livengood Toluca Lake Dear Caroline: I've never had Brussels sprouts quite like this before. It's kind of like a salad - Brussels sprout leaves tossed with a tangy vinaigrette, capers and toasted almonds - except that the leaves are deep-fried first, giving the whole dish a surprising texture and crunch.

Rejoice, those who love fried foods: eating them may not put you at higher risk for coronary heart disease--if you're frying those foods in olive or sunflower oils. A study published this week in the British Medical Journal analyzed data on 40,757 Spanish adults age 29 to 69 who were followed for an average 11 years. Free of coronary heart disease at the beginning of the study, they were asked what they ate and what cooking methods they used, then were tracked to see who developed coronary heart disease and who died.

Whether your New Year's festivities include planning a big cocktail party or hosting a simple dinner, odds are you'll want something to feed your guests over the hours as they count down to 2012. Here are 25 easy-to-make little dishes to choose from - they're not recipes really, but ideas you can adapt to make your own. No matter whether you're planning fancy hors d'oeuvres or are looking for some simple nibbles to keep the natives from getting restless as the clock winds down, we should have you covered.Many can be prepared hours - even a day or two - in advance.

When a television series has devolved so far from its original premise that it reaches a kind of nonsensical absurdity, we say it has jumped the shark. That's usually a good time to go back and take a fresh look at what made the original work so well. The culinary equivalent might be something getting used in a fast-food sandwich. And so it's time to get back to basics with focaccia. I ordered a sandwich at my local lunch counter the other day and the guy asked me what kind of bread I wanted: "White, whole wheat or focaccia," the latter a flattish white bread topped with what appeared to be sliced tomatoes, onions, cheese and lord knows what else.

  "I love burgers but have tried to eat less beef so I've been working to perfect a healthier turkey burger that packs a lot of flavor. Without using much salt, I infuse other seasonings and flavors to add more flavor and to keep it moist. I've developed what I think will work to keep the burger moist and add a great punch of flavor without hiding the taste of the burger. " --George Levinthal, Goleta, CA Southwest turkey burger Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try this or any other recipe from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen, we would like to know about it so we can showcase it on our food blog and occasionally in print.

Colored kale plants with red or purple centers and greenish outer leaves have long been popular as ornamental plants, for home gardens and street landscaping. Although edible, they were really more beautiful than delicious; but several newer varieties that have become available at farmers markets in recent years offer exceptionally sweet flavor and tender texture in addition to striking appearance. They're at their best in midwinter and add festive color to holiday tables. One of the local pioneers of colored kale cultivation is Jacob Grant of Roots Organic Farm, who became intrigued four years ago by a catalog description of the Chidori variety and now grows a quarter acre of it in Los Olivos, north of Santa Barbara.

In the last two decades, there's been a tremendous surge in production of artisanal olive oil in California as consumers have developed an appreciation for the freshness, high quality and distinctive flavors that good locally produced oil can provide. This boom has carried over into farmers markets, where there has been a rush of new vendors, although many of them are not certified producers who are required to grow what they sell. Of the olive growers who are, one of the most intriguingly local is Joyce Lukon of Robinson Road Olive Ranch, who harvested her small crop last Sunday from a hillside next to her home in Topanga.