Elina Shatkin

Los Angeles

Podcast Producer and Editor at KCRW-FM (Santa Monica, CA)

Podcast Producer and Editor at Good Food Podcast

Shell of a human being. Joffrey Lannister all grown up. Thin-skinned poster child for the Dunning–Kruger effect. Undeserving recipient of generational wealth.

Articles

Tomat Is an Unlikely Destination for Genre-Defying Food Near LAX

2 weeks ago | blog.resy.com | Elina Shatkin

Discover restaurants to love. The Hit List The Hit List For all your restaurant recommendation needs, look no further than the Resy Hit List, our monthly list of 10 spots that should be on your radar right now.
All the 2025 SoCal James Beard Finalists

3 weeks ago | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

Southern California restaurants and chefs did well in the semifinal round of the 2025 James Beard Restaurant & Chef Awards but when it comes to the finalists, cue sad trombones. SoCal ended up with only three finalists in the top 13 categories. Three cheers for Long Beach's Gusto Bread, which has been nominated, once again, for Outstanding Bakery. Three cheers for Tobin Shea of DTLA's Redbird, who has been nominated for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
LA's best dumpling restaurants

2 months ago | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

Los Angeles is filled with delicious dumpling spots showcasing cuisines from around the globe. But before we tell you the where, we have to discuss the what. What is a dumpling? At its most basic, it's dough wrapped around filling. Duh. But then you get into the finer points. Do samosas count as dumplings? What about empanadas?
All the 2025 SoCal James Beard Semifinalists

Jan 22, 2025 | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

Among the semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards - the 35th anniversary of the awards - Southern California restaurants and chefs did well. We saw several familiar names - Kato, Holbox, République, Gusto Bread, Evil Cooks - as well as a few new ones (new to the Beard Foundation, that is) including Thunderbolt, Etra, Heritage Barbeque, and Tobin Shea of Redbird. Last year, Rashida Holmes was nominated for Outstanding Chef.
Dulanville Food Truck

Jan 17, 2025 | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

Greg Dulan knows something about fire - when he was a child, his house burned down. "When we found housing, the family split up," Dulan recalls. "A brother went here, a brother went there. It was horrible." So when he saw how many people had been displaced by the recent Eaton and Palisades Fires - homes and businesses destroyed, possessions lost, memories turned to ash - he knew he wanted to help. As a local chef, he has something to offer.
100 Years of Dates: The Sweet History of Coachella Valley’s Top Crop

Jan 14, 2025 | palmspringslife.com | Elina Shatkin

Although most farming in the United States has become increasingly mechanized, date cultivation defies automation, preserving a hands-on tradition honed over generations. “If you’re growing citrus, you can bring bee boxes out, and the bees will do all the pollination for you,” says Mark Tadros, a grower of dates and other produce at Aziz Farms in Thermal. “For dates, trees are primarily hand-pollinated, hand-thinned, and bagged and harvested by hand.
Food aid resources for those affected by the LA fires

Jan 9, 2025 | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

As we learn the heartbreaking news that several restaurants have been destroyed by the Palisades Fire ( RIP Reel Inn, Cholada Thai, Duke's) and Eaton Fire ( RIP Fox's, Side Pie, Everest), it's heartening to see that several restaurants and food businesses are stepping up to offer various forms of food aid. Here are a few that we've quickly compiled. We'll keep adding to this list. Feel free to send us info and tips at [email protected]. In addition...
Good Food's favorite cookbooks of 2024

Dec 4, 2024 | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

Have we mentioned that cookbooks make a great gift? They do. And these are some of our favorite cookbooks from 2024, chosen in a completely subjective manner by the Good Food team - host Evan Kleiman and producers Gillian Ferguson, Laryl Garcia, and Elina Shatkin. Evan Kleiman would also like you to know that she has included several food books that, strictly speaking, aren't cookbooks in Good Food's fabulous Gift Guide.
A few Thanksgiving leftovers recipes

Nov 27, 2024 | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

The Thanksgiving meal is one of abundance and that means leftovers. What do you do with them all? Here are a few ideas!Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Pot PieChef Brian Polcyn gives leftover turkey a workout in a recipe from his new book Meat Pies: An Emerging American Craft, which he co-authored with Michael Ruhlman. This is a traditional pot pie with a bottom crust and a top crust.
6 Thanksgiving salad recipes

Nov 27, 2024 | kcrw.com | Elina Shatkin

Fresh! Green! Vegetables! This Thanksgiving, don't make salad an afterthought. Try one of these crisp, creative recipes. Andy Baraghani's Vedge Wedge Salad A wedge salad isn't just for your grandpa's favorite steakhouse. Andy Baraghani's update on the classic still features cold, crisp lettuce but it's cut into smaller pieces so the dressing, a garlicky tahini-based ranch, can penetrate the leafy layers.