Lars

Biography: I was born in Texas, graduated from Rice University, and then moved to San Francisco, CA. From there I went back to Texas to get a design degree at UT Austin, and then moved to Los Angeles, where I live now.

Share a Recipe: Salsa Verde
3 cups water
2-3/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, whole
4 Serrano peppers, cut in half, with seeds separated
1 lb tomatillos
3-4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup chopped onion

Boil the water with 1-1/4 tsp of the salt in a saucepan. Add the garlic, peppers with their seeds, and tomatillos and simmer uncovered to 8-10 minutes.

Remove the tomatillos, garlic, and peppers without their seeds and transfer to a small food processor, reserving the cooking liquid. Add the lime juice and 2-4 tbsp of the cooking water to the processor with the cilantro and 1-1/2 tsp salt and purée briefly. Add the onion and pulse to combine.

If you want to make it hotter, you can add some of the seeds from the reserved water or some of the water to make it thinner. Add more salt, if desired.

Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Awards: Grand champion country fair, Bell County, Texas, for my bread, when I was 10 years old and in 4-H.