Live vicariously: See what L.A.'s best chefs are up to at The Taste - Los Angeles Times
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Live vicariously: See what L.A.’s best chefs are up to at The Taste

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We can't think of a better way to spend Labor Day weekend, aka summer's last hurrah.

The Los Angeles Times' annual celebration of Southern California’s culinary scene is taking place at Paramount Pictures Studios’ backlot.

Five events will showcase the chefs and restaurants at the heart of L.A.'s food and dining culture and include unlimited tastings from the city’s best restaurants, specialty drinks, wine seminars and live demos.

Tickets for some events are still available at latimes.com/thetaste .

Scones with clotted cream with sugarplum jam from Canele

(Amy L. Scattergood / Los Angeles Times)

We're about ready for the Sunday morning session of The Taste. Check out these scones with clotted cream with sugarplum jam from Canele. Chef Corina Weibel is hosting, with Noelle Carter and Amy Scattergood. Lots of food and drinks (cocktails for brunch!), chef demos, and a panel discussion about fire in the kitchen. More fun with legal pyromania.

Halftime on Day 2 of The Taste

Day 2 of The Taste showcased some great cooking demos from Niki Nakayama (n/naka), Akasha Richmond (Sambar, Akasha), Nyesha Arrington (Leona), and Jessica Koslow (Sqirl); a panel with columnist Russ Parsons talking with chefs Bruce Kalman (Union) and Gary Menes (Le Comptoir) about seed-to-table cooking; and lots of brilliant food and drink.

It's halftime at the UCLA game and we're packing it up until tonight. Above is a parting shot (literally, figuratively) from Knob Creek barman Brenton Duplessie — rye, apple, lemon and basil with a bit of aged Gouda.

Thanks for letting us all drink before noon, and see you tonight when the show starts up again at Dinner With a Twist, at 7:30.

#BestThingI'veEaten

Scenes from opening night

Chef's night off

The Taste opening night: Chef Wes Avila from Guerrilla Tacos. For more #TasteLA, follow @TheTasteLA on Twitter.

The Taste opening night: Chef Wes Avila from Guerrilla Tacos.

For more #TasteLA, follow @TheTasteLA on Twitter.

(Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)

Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos was dressed for Not Cooking last night at The Taste.

Sometimes even a chef needs a night off.

Avila will be back on the clock Sunday night demoing a dish for us, so check back to see what it is.

In the meantime, if you're craving one of his tacos, Avila's truck is parked outside Blue Bottle Coffee in L.A.'s arts district today and tomorrow.

Get off your couches

(Don Kelsen)

Welcome to your long weekend.

Instead of rewatching chef Niki Nayakama's episode of “Chef's Table” on Netflix, or trying to get reservations at n/naka , come to The Taste and watch her demo her exquisite food. Nayakama will be on the culinary stage this morning.

'Field to Fork'

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Saturday's events kick off at 11 a.m. with our "Field to Fork" celebration of California's locally sourced ingredients.

The hosts know the subject well. Russ Parsons writes the "The California Cook" column for The Times and chef Gary Menes grows the produce he serves at Le Comptoir , his 10-seat seat restaurant the Hotel Normandie.

Let the farm-to-table eating commence!

Introducing salbute

This is salbute -- puffy corn tortilla, ground pork rib and shoulder, tomato, pickled onions, insane hot sauce -- from Chichen Itza. Chef Gilberto Cetina is frying the tortillas up again after the fryer went down. What that meant is that there was an Eggslut-style line. And then there wasn't. Woo-hoo.

From Westwood's Hamasaku

'Everybody thinks they're cinnamon rolls. They're not.'

Pucker up

Looking forward to Sunday's 'Brunch and BBQ'

Neil "Bigmista" Strawder of Bigmista's Barbecue and Sammich Shop.

Neil “Bigmista” Strawder of Bigmista’s Barbecue and Sammich Shop.

(From Neil Strawder)

Neil Strawder will be on The Taste's culinary stage Sunday afternoon. We talked to the man behind Bigmista's Barbecue last month to get some tips on barbecuing in the heat and more.

Read what he had to say: 5 Questions: Neil Strawder of Bigmista's Barbecue on rubs versus sauce

Video: A taste of 'The Taste'

Sneak peek at the goodies to come

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