Russ Parsons is the food editor and columnist of the Los Angeles Times. He has been writing about food for more than 30 years, including more than 25 years at The Times, where he has also been managing editor, and deputy editor. He is the author of the cookbooks "How to Read a French Fry" and "How to Pick a Peach", which were published by Houghton-Mifflin. In 2008 he was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage, the hall of fame of American cooking.