Mealtime Magic: Recipes from LA's Legendary Restaurants

From Trader Vic’s to Perino’s, there are stories to tell and food to talk about. Best-selling cookbook author and chef, George Geary, takes readers on a journey to where the rich and famous ate in the golden age of Hollywood in his new book, L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS (Santa Monica Press/October 2016), an illustrated history Los Angeles’ landmark eateries. The book features over 100 celebrity favorite recipes, from classic eateries such as the Musso & Frank Grill and The Brown Derby in the 1920s, to the see-and-be-seen crowds at Chasen’s, Romanoff’s, and Ciro’s in the mid-twentieth century, to the dawn of California, chef-inspired restaurants Ma Maison and Spago. L.A.’S LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS is a celebration of where Hollywood royalty ate, drank, and played.

Lentil Soup with Roasted Pork – Pig ‘n Whistle

Serves 8

 

This hearty broth was the Pig ‘n Whistle’s signature soup, selling for just five cents a bowl.  Lentils were inexpensive, and the pork added a lot of flavor without the high cost.

 

8 strips Applewood-smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. tomato paste

2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed

¾ tsp. dried thyme

46 oz. chicken stock or broth

2 cups water

1 ½ tbsp. red wine vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid) cook the bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.  Pour off all but 1 tbsp. of the fat.
2. Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the lentils, thyme, broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes, added more water if needed.
4. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Hobo Steak – Chasen’s

Serves 2

 

Dave Chasen developed this unusual treatment for New York steak, which produces a rich, tender, and memorable dish.

 

1 large New York steak, cut 3 inches thick

Freshly ground black pepper

3 pieces Applewood-smoked bacon

1 cup sea salt

2 tbsp. water

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 lb. loaf sourdough French bread, sliced ¼ inch thick and toasted

1. Season the steak with pepper. Wrap the sides with the bacon and secure with kitchen string. Place in a baking pan.
2. In a bowl, combine salt and water to make a paste. Mound about three-fourths of the mixture on top of the steak, covering the meat completely.  Place the steak under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Carefully remove the salt crust; try to keep it in one piece.  Turn the steak over and place the crust on top.  (if the crust breaks, mend it with the remaining one-fourth of the salt mixture.) Broil the steak again for another 8 to 10 minutes; the salt crust will become dark and dry-looking.
4. Discard the bacon and the salt crust.  Let the meat stand for 15 minutes, then slice on the diagonal.
5. In a large skillet, melt the butter until foamy and lightly browned.  Place a few pieces of the meat in the butter and cook to desired doneness, about 1 minute on each side.  Place each slice of meat on a piece of toast and spoon some of the hot butter over it.