Jackson Alan - The Lemonade cookbook : Southern California comfort food from L.A.s favorite modern cafeteria

EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF CALIFORNIA CUISINE, BUT IS THERE SUCH A THING AS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CUISINE? YOU BET!

Los Angeles is one of the most vibrant cultural centers of the world, and after New York, the highest populated city in the nation. As such, the City of Angels boasts an eclectic and dynamic food scene in terms of range and depth.

The strength of this citys pulse is in its culinary identity, one that crosses many boundaries. Here expats from all nations melt into a custom blend of people, places, and diverse ideas. Cuisines of various lands have taken root in Los Angeles and there is no better window into a culture than through its food.

What defines L.A.s food culture is its eclectic ethnic communities, Mediterranean climate, local farming, and the fact that it has one of the largest ports in the country with access to exotic produce, livestock, and spices from all over the world. Californians have always eaten things that other parts of the country didnt. As a child, I grew up eating artichokes and avocados that werent common anywhere else in the U.S. until the 1980s. Theres an innate, relaxed, and open way people on the West Coast communicate, travel, and eat.

The influence of Californias increasingly ethnic cuisine has helped usher in a greater acceptance for international flavors across the country. Today, people are interested in powerful flavors and the American palate is more willing to try new things.

I was born and bred in Los Angeles and have been cooking here my entire life. After launching two of the citys most acclaimed fine-dining restaurantsJacksons in Hollywood, and The Farm in Beverly Hillsfollowed by a successful catering company, I recognized there was something oddly missing in the industry, both in eating out and in my family life. Food of variety and substance does not necessarily entail the trappings of white tablecloths and valet parking. As a chef, I appreciate the fact that heavy, overwrought dishes have little place in todays diet, yet must be alive and interesting enough for people to actually enjoy eating.

So in 2007, I did a 180-degree flip and opened the first LEMONADE in West Hollywood. LEMONADEs cuisine is best described as Southern California comfort food served in a modern cafeteria setting. Now with multiple locations that span the city from Venice Beach to Downtown L.A., LEMONADE has become a citywide favorite in a city varied enough to put kimchi in a taco or smoked salmon on a pizza, LEMONADEs array of marketplace vegetables, unique sandwiches, and slow-simmered stews taste as though every culture stirred a bit into the pot.

LOS ANGELES HAS IT ALLITS CAR CULTURE AND COACHELLA, SURFERS AND YOGA MOMS, BEACHES AND CELEBRITIES, NWA AND THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

LEMONADE HAS BECOME A CITYWIDE FAVORITE WHERE THE DISHES ARE AS CREATIVE AND DIVERSE AS L.A.s INHABITANTS.

At its core, LEMONADE is a modern deli, with a rotating spread of marketplace vegetables as the focus instead of meat. To be clear, our food is vegetable-centric, not vegetarian. We feature plenty of hot dishes, many of them with animal protein. I like to think of our menu as a Southern California smorgasbord, where people are free to shape their own meals by mixing and matching dishes based on preference.

Its this contemporary and accessible approach that has made LEMONADE so popular and transitions perfectly to the home kitchen. There is something fun and adaptable about this way of flexible eating, both in dining out and cooking at home. Satisfying the everyday food gap for whats in the fridge, The Lemonade Cookbook is structured with the modern American cook in mind. Made to share, it gives everyone in your family freedom of choice and opens up endless meal options. Like a perfect-fit T-shirt, the scenario dictates the right size, whether you are visiting friends at a picnic or grabbing a single lunch to go on a busy day. For example, the , Pluot Plum, Plum Vinaigrette.

The Lemonade Cookbook speaks to a new generation of foodies who want sophisticated urban comfort food without it being outdated. The recipes are full of quick, flexible, all-purpose ideas, with plenty of suggestions for variations and embellishments. For instance, . With this user-friendly approach, the watchword is variation and the goal is inspiration.

Eating healthy sprinkled with a bit of sweet indulgence is very SoCal! Decadent desserts include tiny .

Recipes change like tastes change. Its the evolution of a confident cook to acknowledge this and adapt to suit your needsnothings written in stone, and what fun is cooking if you cant play with your food? Consider a recipe as a food GPS, a culinary road map that, once you navigate the intended route, can lead you to arrive at the original delicious destination. Even if you take a wrong turn, sometimes its beneficial to get lost in order to find your own path. I hope you walk away from this book as a more confident and intuitive cook.