The 34 annual Planned Parenthood Food Fare returns this year to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Thursday, March 7, with over 100 of Los Angeles’ best restaurants, caterers, wineries, florists and entertainers participating.
What started out 34 years ago as a simple cooking demonstration from Julia Child has grown to become the oldest and most celebrated culinary event in town.
Produced by Planned Parenthood, all proceeds raised at the event will go towards supporting Planned Parenthood’s work throughout Los Angeles County, which include preventative care including life-saving cancer screenings, birth control and annual exams to over 136,000 women, men and teenagers annually in Los Angeles.
Among the restaurants participating this year is Corner Door, located on the Culver City/Mar Vista border, which held a preview event for local journalists and bloggers. The evening highlighted the food stylings of Chef Luke Reyes and the cocktails of Beau du Bois.
The three course-tasting menu was paired with an original cocktail to complement the dishes.
Attendees were eased into the menu with some heavily marinated olives and a house made light and fluffy Foccacia bread stuffed with olives, red onion and rosemary.
The first course comprised two dishes: a simple lettuce and avocado salad with blue cheese and radish, washed down with a cocktail called King’s Assassin. It packed a powerful punch, made with gin, sweet vermouth, salers, cocchi Americano and cointreau.
The other first course were slow cooked ribs in an orange fennel glaze, with highly aromatic and deliciously sweet lentils, topped with a dollop of yogurt. This was paired with a cocktail called Old Havana Mistress – an aged rum, dry vermouth, dry curacao and sherry concoction.
The least pungent and frothy cocktail on offer was the French 75 – a gin, lemon, lillet rose, sugar, peach bitters and prosecco offering. Dubbed a “girly drink” it was also a hit with the men at the tasting. This was served with Agnolotti, sweet, fluffy pasta pillows of grilled cauliflower, fontina and currents that were rich and decadent.
Other offerings included a roasted sea bass with cannellini beans and anchovy aioli paired with a Mezcalin cocktail of mescal, lemon, ginger and pineapple gomme, and a slow braised beef with potato puree, carrot, cipollini and horseradish served with a LumberJack Liquor Cabinet. This cocktail was served with bourbon, apple brandy, maple syrup, and cinnamon smoke.
The final offering was a decadent adult milk-and-cookies dessert comprised of warm chocolate chip cookies with bourbon milk and coffee ice cream.
All of these dishes will be on offer at the Food Fare.
Advanced tickets for the Fare are available for $150 for the daytime session (10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.) and $225 for the evening session (6:30-9:30 p.m.) Purchase them online at www.pplafoodfare.com or telephone 213-284-3200, ext: 3700.
Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the day of the event for $175 for the daytime session or $250 for the evening session.
