The Brief

In the late 2000s, chef Roy Choi made his mark by serving up Korean-Mexican fusion street food like short rib tacos and kimchi quesadillas with his Los Angeles-based food truck, Kogi.

Although the name of his business means "meat" in Korean, the ingredient isn't actually the star of the show in his latest cookbook, The Choi of Cooking. The recipes are more reflective of the style of cooking he prefers now: "vegetable-forward with pit stops of comfort along the way," he writes in his book.

"I had been filling my body with fast food and processed food my whole life," he says. "So I had to figure out: How can I make food more delicious, but better for me?"

The Choi of Cooking, co-written with Tien Nguyen and Natasha Phan, is a result of that journey. It features dishes that "satiate you but aren't necessarily sticks of carrots," he says. Think seared tofu with kimchi, roasted cauliflower steaks and a veggie-filled noodle salad with gochujang sauce.

Cooking healthier starts with being confident in the kitchen, he says. Having a good understanding of flavor can help you prepare veggies you'll actually want to eat, and knowing a few culinary tricks — like washing and cutting everything in advance — can make cooking them a little more convenient.

In a conversation with Life Kit, Choi, co-host of The Chef Show on Netflix, shares culinary techniques that he has learned in his nearly 30-year career in the restaurant industry. He also shares recipes for three flavorful sauces you'll want to spoon over all your veggies.

Prepare your veggies like they do in restaurants

If you often find yourself buying veggies and then letting them sit uneaten in the fridge, Choi says he has "a hack for exactly that dilemma."

"You have to devote a certain part of your week to prep," he says. "There is no healthy food, no restaurant, without prep."

Wash your produce, cut the items and put them in storage containers like they do in professional kitchens, he says. "Then they become accessible and easy to throw together" when it's time to cook.

Choi likes to precut carrots, celery, onions and fennel. He also peels garlic cloves ahead of time and keeps them ready to go in the fridge. "Mince them or slice them right before you cook so you don't lose any freshness of flavor," he says.

Make homemade sauces and condiments

Another way to make veggies more convenient to cook and more exciting to eat: Whip up your own sauces, pastes and vinaigrettes, Choi says. His cookbook has recipes for flavor bombs like ginger ponzu sauce, magic sauce and sweet garlic teriyaki sauce.

Make these at the start of the week while you're prepping your veggies, he says. Store them in jars, label them and pop them in the fridge, just like they do in restaurants.

These sauces can make veggies more crave-worthy, he says. "If you mix [a] condiment with a bunch of chopped cucumbers and some shredded lettuce, that becomes a meal and it's delicious. You're not really worried about eating chips or candy anymore," he says.

Sauces can also make veggies easier to cook. "These will make it possible for you to quickly round out a meal [or] make a stir-fry on a Tuesday in less than an hour," he writes in his cookbook. Throw some pre-chopped veggies into the oven and spoon a sauce over them, and you've got another meal.

Don't be afraid to use a little MSG

Adding a touch of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a great way to add restaurant-level flavor to home cooking, Choi says.

For decades, the seasoning was vilified and stigmatized for making people feel ill, a sentiment fueled by anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in America, reports NPR's science podcast, Short Wave. But modern food scientists have found no evidence to support that claim.

As for Choi, the ingredient is his "secret weapon," he says. "It's like a hidden umami," a savory, meaty flavor often found in mushrooms, cheese and tomato sauce.

You've likely encountered the food additive in mayonnaise, ketchup and chips, Choi says. He lists it as an optional ingredient in his cookbook recipes for lemon ranch dressing, shabu-shabu broth and lo mein spaghetti. (A very small portion of people are sensitive to MSG and might want to avoid it.)

So if you'd like to experiment with it, go ahead and add a little MSG. "A little extra never hurts," he writes in his cookbook.

Recipes: 3 flavorful sauces from chef Roy Choi

Recipes from The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life

Sweet Garlic Teriyaki Sauce

Use this sauce for stir-fries, as a glaze for wings and as a marinade, Choi writes in his cookbook.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

1 1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 serrano peppers, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup whole garlic (15 to 20 cloves), sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In a medium pot, combine 1 cup water, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice, pineapple juice, serranos, garlic, sugar, onion, scallions and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer. Skim the scum from the surface of the liquid with a spoon. Gently simmer until the garlic softens, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. It's ready to use.

To store it, cool it completely, then pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. You also can freeze this in clean ice cube trays: Cool the sauce completely, then strain and discard the solids, and pour it into the tray. Frozen, it'll keep for 3 months.

Ginger Ponzu Sauce

This sauce keeps for about a week and gets better the longer it sits, Choi writes in his cookbook. It will keep even longer if you remove the ginger and jalapeño. Add those in just before serving. 

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup water, the soy sauce, vinegar, lime zest, lime juice, ginger and jalapeño. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It's ready to go.

Magic Sauce

This is Choi's version of his mom's magic sauce, he writes in his cookbook. Spoon it over roast vegetables or toss it with some rice. 

Makes about 3 cups

1 cup gochugaru
1/2 cup gochujang
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup beef broth or water
6 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a blender, combine the gochugaru, gochujang, 1/2 cup water, onion, beef broth, fish sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and soy sauce. Puree until smooth, then it's ready to use. Keep it in an airtight jar or container and refrigerate; it'll keep for at least a month. Note that right out of the fridge, it may be a little thick; you can add a splash of water to loosen it up before using.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.