3 food events you should know about: Joseph Mahon + David Haskell at Biergarten; 'James Bond, Foodie'; Cassoulet Night at Vertical

3 food events you should know about: Joseph Mahon + David Haskell at Biergarten; ‘James Bond, Foodie’; Cassoulet Night at Vertical

By Betty HallockDeputy Food Editor

Dec. 10, 2010 10:34 AM PT

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Big in Ktown:Joseph Mahon, until very recently the executive chef at Bastide, and sommelier David Haskell make a two-night guest appearance at Biergarten in Koreatown, on Monday and Tuesday. Mahon’s five-course tasting menu includes: carrot curry pudding; coconut soup with mussels, tapioca and pistou; wild mushrooms, white soy and sesame rice paper; fried chicken with bacon, radish, arugula, celery and buttermilk dressing; confit pork cheeks with béarnaise mousse; and ‘waffle surprise.’ Haskell will offer wine, sake, soju and beer pairings. $56 per person (guests may choose two additional courses for $10); drink pairing is $54. 6 to 10:30 p.m.

206 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles; for reservations, e-mail Neil Kwon at Neilskwon@gmail.com or call (323) 466-4860 after 4 p.m.

The foods that Bond loved: The Culinary Historians of Southern California, the nonprofit organization that supports the culinary collections at the Los Angeles Public Library, presents food historian Linda Civitello’s ‘Bond Appetit: James Bond, Foodie.’ Civitello’s lecture is based on the James Bond books, movies and other writings of Bond creator Ian Fleming, along with period cookbooks, and focuses on the food that follows the famous ‘shaken, not stirred’ martini. A reception with themed refreshments will follow the hour-long talk. Free. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

Los Angeles Public Library Mark Taper Auditorium, Downtown Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles. For more information, go to chscsite.org or contact Susanna Erdos at (323) 663-5407 or serdos@aol.com.

The South of France, in Pasadena:Laurent Quenioux, who is chef at Bistro LQ and now also chef at Vertical Wine Bistro, is bringing back cassoulet for the winter. Sunday nights, starting Dec. 19 through February 2011, at Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena, Quenioux is serving cassoulet as part of a three-course dinner. Salad lardon frisée with warm sherry vinaigrette and soft-poached egg is followed by his cassoulet, the slow-cooked bean stew of southern France. His is made with pork, lamb shoulder, duck leg confit, saucisse de Toulouse, saucisson a l’ail and Tarbais beans. Dessert is crème brûlée or chocolate cake. $35 per person; additional $19 for wine pairing.

70 N. Raymond Ave. (upstairs), Pasadena; (626) 795-3999; www.verticalwinebistro.com.

-- Betty Hallock

Daily Dish

Betty Hallock

Betty Hallock is deputy Food editor at the Los Angeles Times. She has co-written four cookbooks, including “Bäco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles,” “Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen” and “Baking at République.” She started her journalism career at the Wall Street Journal and Scientific American in New York, worked on the L.A. Times’ Business desk, and was interim food editor at Los Angeles Magazine. Hallock also helped launch a food and nutrition vertical for wellness app RoundGlass. She’s a graduate of UCLA and New York University.