A royal watch party to savor
If you’re going to a royal wedding watching party, or throwing one yourself, you know that the food will take the spotlight — after we all get a look at the wedding dress, of course.
To help craft the perfect menu — a Cali-British mash-up worthy of Los Angeles’ own Meghan Markle and Britain’s Prince Harry — we turned to Gaby Dalkin, creator of the popular Los Angeles lifestyle and food blog “What’s Gaby Cooking.” Her new cookbook, “Everyday California Food,” is a celebration of the way we eat here in Southern California, reflecting the region’s diversity, the abundance of fresh, vibrant produce, and the fact that we’re always tinkering with our diets. (Translation: Vegans, meat eaters, the no-carb and the all-carb crowds will all find something in its pages.)
“I can’t wait for it,” Dalkin said of the wedding. “I will be watching, absolutely. I love Meghan Markle, she’s a fascinating and independent woman. And she’s ours, she’s L.A.”
A royal wedding brunch could pay homage to Britain and the traditional high tea with scones served alongside clotted cream and lemon curd and finger sandwiches. (Shortcut: Make the sandwich of your choice, cut off the crusts and slice into triangles. Done.) To add some California sparkle to the menu, there must be avocado, Dalkin said (her first cookbook was titled “Absolutely Avocados”). She suggests an avocado toast bar and lots of homemade guacamole and salty, crunchy chips.
Dalkin also shared recipes from her new cookbook with us that would also represent L.A. at your watching party: Vietnamese-inspired spring summer rolls with a peanut dipping sauce and a fresh strawberry and lemon curd tart. You’ll also find more recipes — for scones, tea cakes and more — online at latimes.com/food, plus one more from Dalkin: a hot, cheesy poblano chile dip that would go perfect with chips. “There are so many negative things in the world right now, and a marriage and a wedding are really exciting,” Dalkin said, “so it’s great to gravitate to something so positive and happy. I think they are truly in love.”