Birthday Plum Jam
30 minutes, plus cooling. Makes
about 3 half-pint jars.
Lemon juice accentuates
plums’ tart side and adds natural
pectin, which helps the jam set.
You can skip it if you prefer a
purely sweet and runny jam. The
timing on the jam will depend on
how ripe and juicy the fruit are.
Follow the testing technique below
to stop cooking at the right time.(^2) pounds plums and pluots, pitted
and cut into half-inch dice
(3 ½ cups)
(^1) tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Put three metal spoons in the
freezer. Combine the plums, lemon
juice, salt and one tablespoon
water in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a simmer over medium
heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce
the heat to medium-low and sim-
mer, stirring occasionally, until the
fruit starts to soften a little, about
three minutes.
2 Stir in the sugar. Bring the mix-
ture to a boil over medium-high
heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce
the heat to maintain a steady low
boil. Continue boiling, stirring and
skimming off foam from the sur-
face occasionally, until the mixture
is thickened and drizzly like maple
syrup, 12 to 15 minutes. To test the
jam’s doneness, take a spoon from
the freezer and scoop a little onto
the tip. Tilt the spoon; the jam
should glide as slowly as honey.
Repeat the testing with the re-
maining spoons if needed.
3 Divide the jam among three
clean half-pint canning jars. Seal
and cool to room temperature,
then refrigerate.
Variations
Star Anise Plum JamAdd three
whole star anise to the saucepan
with the plums in Step 1. You can
jar the jam with the star anise but
discard before eating.
Spicy Plum JamAdd one fresh
seeded and minced habanero or
Scotch bonnet chile pepper to the
saucepan with the plums in Step 1.
Make ahead:The jam can be
refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Leslie GrowFor The Times
F2 LATIMES.COM
11 a.m.
There are a few things to know
in advance of a visit to the Muse-
um of Weed at 720 N. Cahuenga
Boulevard (just north of Melrose
Avenue): it’s only for the 18-plus
crowd; timed-entrance tickets
must be purchased online in ad-
vance (general admission is $35);
it’s cashless from start to finish;
and no, you can’t consume canna-
bis on-site.
If you’re driving, either try to
score a metered parking spot or
make use of the museum’s valet
parking ($10 for the first 90 min-
utes, a maximum of $20 for the
day). If you arrive early, enjoy a
snack from Crateful Cafe’s
“munchie chic” menu that in-
cludes the Fat Bowl (brown rice
congee with pickled mustard
greens, roasted yams, kimchi,
scallions and poached egg) and
the Elvis-inspired Houndawg
sandwich (bacon, black sesame
butter and banana mustard on a
pretzel bao bun), or peruse the gift
shop, where you can snap up
rolling trays and hats emblazoned
with the museum logo, as well as
Jonathan Adler ganja jars and
Devil’s Harvest T-shirts.
The museum is organized into
seven Instagram-worthy themed
chronological exhibits starting
with the pre-prohibition era and
ending with legalization, with a
science-focused “plant lab” at the
end.
Many of the early displays seem
aimed at educating the baby-
stepping canna-curious (that
George Washington operated a
hemp farm, for example, or that
U.S. naval ships of the 1770s had
hemp-derived rope and sails), but
there’s enough packed into the
experience that, by the end, even
the most ardent herbal enthusiast
will walk away with a new nugget
of information. (Such as the fact
that the human body produces a
THC “twin” called anandamide.)
The museum is at its best,
though, where it highlights the
people — not just the heroes and
the villains but the casualties too
— in this country’s long, tangled
relationship with cannabis. These
include Israeli chemist Raphael
Mechoulam, who discovered THC
(the psychoactive compound in
cannabis) in 1964, Harry J.
Anslinger (the first commissioner
of the Federal Bureau of Narcot-
ics), Samuel R. Caldwell (an un-
employed Colorado farmworker
and first person arrested under
the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act), and
AIDS activist Dennis Peron, one of
the founders of the San Francisco
Cannabis Buyers’ Club, the coun-
try’s first dispensary — which has
been painstakingly re-created as
part of the exhibition.
1 p.m.
From the museum, drive south
on North Cahuenga two blocks to
Rosewood, then turn left and go an
additional five blocks to North
Larchmont Boulevard, and take a
right. There are a few shops on this
stretch — and parking options —
but most of the action is south of
Beverly Boulevard, where you’ll
find two city-run parking lots (at
218 and 209 N. Larchmont) as well
as metered street parking. Plan on
leaving your car parked for at least
two hours while you walk the loop
— first south on the west side of
Larchmont, then crossing over at
1st Street and walking north on
the east side of the street.
1:10 p.m.
Although your itinerary is
certain to vary based on shopping
skill — and hunger level — your
first order of business should be to
grab lunch at Larchmont Village
Wine, Spirits & Cheese, at 223 N.
Larchmont Blvd., where the deli
crew makes gourmet sandwiches
to order in the back from 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. Monday through Saturday
— unless they run out of bread
(which they’ve been known to do)
— that are served with tiny tubs of
cornichons and black olives. (We
have a soft spot for the No. 4: roast
turkey breast, Swiss, Gruyère and
mixed greens on Italian ciabatta.)
If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to
snag a seat at an outdoor table
and watch the world go by.
If you’re looking for a wine for a
special occasion — or simply want
to impress the hosts of the next
dinner party you attend — make a
mental note to swing back here at
the end of your outing and the
super-knowledgeable staff will
help you get the best bang for your
bottle.
Unfortunately, the shop is
closed Sundays. But Sunday
visitors can enjoy the Larchmont
Village Farmers Market which sets
up on this block from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m.
2 p.m.
Standout stores on this side of
the street include Blends (141 N.
Larchmont), a minimalist, post-
age-stamp-size space that’s home
to a curated collection of covet-
worthy sneakers heavy on the
Adidas and Vans’ premium Vault
collection, and Buck Mason (107 N.
Larchmont), a clubby space filled
with overstuffed couches and
racks and tables filled with the
brand’s modern take on American
menswear classics, including
waffle-weave long-sleeve tees,
workwear-inspired chambray
shirts and slim-cut raw selvage
denim jeans.
Just beyond Buck Mason, cross
to the opposite side of the street
and head north, keeping your eyes
peeled for the following joys to
browse: Chevalier’s Books (126 N.
Larchmont), which dates to 1940
and lays claim to being the oldest
independent bookstore in Los
Angeles, and Landis’ Labyrinth
(140 N. Larchmont), a throwback
to toy stores of old where you’ll
find new playthings (Star Wars
Lego sets, Ugly Dolls) sharing
FOUR HOURS ON LARCHMONT BOULEVARD
Weed and ice cream
The Weedmaps Museum of Weed, a 30,000-square-foot deep dive into the world of cannabis, has sprouted
temporarily (through Sept. 29) on the southern edge of Hollywood, not far from Larchmont Boulevard, one of
the city’s most lively — and walkable — shopping districts. While fans of “the devil’s lettuce” could easily burn
through a full four hours at the museum alone — which includes an on-site cafe and well-stocked gift shop —
most visitors should plan to spend about half that time touring the exhibitions and the other half on the
two-block stretch of Larchmont between Beverly Boulevard and 1st Street.
By Adam Tschorn
THE MUSEUMof Weed is geared as much to the Instagram folks as the consumption crowd as it traces the path to legalization.
Wally SkalijLos Angeles Times
CO-BRANDEDTrina Turk / Mr Turk store showcases mens-
wear on one side and women’s apparel / accessories on the other.
Christina HouseLos Angeles Times
STOP INfor the made-to-order gourmet sandwiches at Larch-
mont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese shop. Ask for the No. 4.
Christina HouseLos Angeles Times
CHEVALIER’SBooks has been around since 1940, thereby
claiming to be the oldest independent bookstore in Los Angeles.
Christina HouseLos Angeles Times
shelf space with classics (Mad
Libs, building blocks, and Gumby
and his bendable, posable posse).
If you’re planning ahead for
Sunday brunch, pop into
Groundwork (150 N. Larchmont)
for a bag of organic, locally roasted
coffee beans (the dark, smoky
Bitches Brew blend is a bestseller)
and then Sam’s Bagels (154 N.
Larchmont) for a dozen round-
hole wonders and a tub of every-
thing cream cheese.
2:30 p.m.
In addition to a deep bench of
lotions, potions, spritzes and
powders for women, Larchmont
Beauty Center (208 N. Larch-
mont) also has a robust assort-
ment of men’s grooming products
showcased front and center,
among them shaving creams from
Proraso and Truefitt & Hill, post-
shave balms from the Art of Shav-
ing and rum-scented bars of soap
from Malin + Goetz.
If you don’t have to rush back
and feed your meter yet (you’ve
been keeping track, right?), check
out the focus-pulling prints and
eye-catching colors of the co-
branded Trina Turk / Mr Turk
store (212 N. Larchmont), which
showcases the hometown labels’
latest women’s ready-to-wear,
accessories and swim collections
on one side and menswear on the
other. From here, make a brief
stop at the Above the Fold news-
stand (226 N. Larchmont — in
front of the Rite Aid) to stock up
on your weekend reading.
3 p.m.
Your last stop should be the
Salt & Straw ice cream shop at 240
N. Larchmont. This location was
the first the artisanal brand
opened outside Portland, Ore., so
pick up a cone — or better yet a
hand-packed pint — of its James
Coffee & Bourbon or Black Olive
Brittle & Goat Cheese before
heading back to your car.
For the past five years, I’ve spent my late-summer birthday mak-
ing plum jam. Parties are fun. Cake is good. But all I want is the quiet
pleasure of standing over the stove, stirring and staring as the violet
fruit transforms from thin, bursting bubbles to slow lava pops.
And at the end, I get the best jam that I can’t buy in any store. I
keep big plum chunks in a base just a little less runny than honey. It
swirls beautifully into yogurt or oatmeal and, of course, it’s awesome
on toast. It drips into the crags of rustic loaves, soaks a little into milk
bread. It gives you the PB&J of your dreams. Spooned over ricotta on
brioche? You’re living the L.A. dream of brunching at Sqirl — without
waiting in line — feeling like maybe you can be as cool as chef Jessica
Koslow.
To achieve this plum jam nirvana, start with good fruit. It doesn’t
have to be precious stuff — save that for eating fresh — but find fra-
grant plums and pluots. That’s obvious. This next trick, less so. Start
by cooking down the fruit before adding the sugar. It intensifies the
fruit’s flavor and prevents the sugar from overcooking into unwel-
come burnt bitterness. Once the sugar goes in, it liquefies into the
plums’ juices and caramelizes just enough to deepen the plummy-
ness while keeping the flavor fresh.
While you can jar the jam to make it shelf-stable, it’s easier to keep
it in the fridge. Once chilled, it’s best within a few weeks, but it’ll defi-
nitely be gone by then.
THE SATURDAY COOK
Celebrate every day
with a plummy flair
By Genevieve Ko