This week one of the world\u2019s most popular sporting events returns, and some of its matches will take place right here in Los Angeles. But the 2026 FIFA World Cup hasn\u2019t been without its difficulties: Fans are furious at ticket costs, which can run $850 apiece<\/a>, plus hundreds more in parking, and SoFi Stadium\u2019s workers are weighing a labor strike<\/a>. For some, watching from home might be most prudent \u2014 and if that\u2019s the case, your game day can still be just as festive thanks to a matchup-inspired meal.<\/p>\n Of course there are dozens of restaurants and bars hosting viewing parties, some opening early and running themed specials, and you can find our guide to that here<\/a>. If you have managed to grab tickets to L.A.\u2019s matches, some of the region\u2019s favorite restaurants can be found near SoFi<\/a> or the Coliseum<\/a>, the latter of which is hosting the multiday, sprawling Fan Fest event.<\/p>\n If you are watching at home, kick things off with these recipes for a delicious kickoff. Here are a few ideas for some of the World Cup\u2019s first matches, with serving a crowd in mind, whether you\u2019re hoping for something snackable like Australian sausage rolls or sweet like traditional Czech cookies.<\/p>\n Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes<\/a> to get our restaurant experts\u2019 insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they\u2019re dining right now.<\/p>\n (Bob Chamberlin \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n June 11: South Korea x Czechia<\/p>\n Yangnyeom Dak (Korean fried chicken)<\/p>\n When sitting down to a match you want something snackable and, if you imbibe, something that goes great with a beer, soju or other refreshing beverage. Enter yangnyeom, or Korean fried chicken, which is sweet-spicy, tangy, coated in sauce and sesame seeds, and perfect for sharing at a viewing party. These twice-fried birds make an ideal bite for watching South Korea face off against Czechia on Day 1 of the World Cup. Czechoslovakian nut bars<\/p>\n These nutty, jam-tinged shortbread cookies have been enjoyed by generations, and are often served during celebratory events such as during the holiday season. If you\u2019re cheering for Czechia, hopefully you\u2019ll be enjoying these cookie bars while celebrating a few wins throughout the World Series. Czechoslovakian nut bars.<\/p>\n (Bob Chamberlin \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n June 19: USA vs. Australia<\/p>\n Homemade sour cream and onion dip<\/p>\n When it comes to party Americana, it\u2019s hard to outdo a large bowl of sour cream and onion dip. This recipe from former L.A. Times Cooking editor Genevieve Ko is \u201ca fresh take on a classic dip,\u201d building flavor with freshly saut\u00e9ed onions and the optional topping of fresh chives and parsley. It comes together quickly, so you\u2019ve got more time for watching the match. Enjoy with chips, vegetables or anything else \u2014 sour cream and onion is the dip that works with just about anything. (Genevieve Ko \/ Los Angeles Times\/Genevieve Ko \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Curtis Stone\u2019s sausage rolls<\/p>\n Infinitely craveable and a perfect game-day finger food, the sausage roll might as well be the real national dish of Australia (move over, roast lamb). Here, L.A. chef and Aussie native Curtis Stone shares his recipe for an Italian-pork version of his popular sausage rolls, which fill flaky pastry with seasoned pork for a meaty but buttery bite. Enjoy with ketchup for the most authentic taste. (Stephanie Breijo \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n June 22: Norway vs. Senegal<\/p>\n Norwegian orange cake<\/p>\n This moist Bundt cake is typically served in Norway at Easter, but the pairing of chocolate and orange is a winning combination year-round. Feed a crowd at a Norwegian match with this recipe that uses candied orange peels, fresh orange zest and dark chocolate for a little sweetness no matter how the match is going. (Ricardo DeAratanha \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Salatu Niebe (Black-eyed pea salad)<\/p>\n Light, spicy and crunchy-textured, this salad should brighten up any World Cup spread. This recipe is chock-full of vegetables and lime juice, and is adapted from chef Pierre Thiam\u2019s cookbook \u201cYolele! Recipes From the Heart of Senegal.\u201d Former L.A. Times Food editor Amy Scattergood calls this recipe easy, \u201ca riot of colors on the plate,\u201d and a great side dish or even a main when served in lettuce cups. (Glenn Koenig \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You are reading our Cooking newsletter Sign up to get a taste of Los Angeles \u2014 and the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350608,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[51804,51810,4462,51808,51805,2882,51803,2303,48,52,51,47,50,49,63,5463,51809,51807,38221,51806,315],"class_list":["post-350607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-caribbean-recipe","tag-curry","tag-dish","tag-good-caribbean-restaurant","tag-hot-sauce","tag-hour","tag-jerked-catfish","tag-l-a","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-minute","tag-restaurant-expert","tag-scotch-bonnet-pepper","tag-spice","tag-spice-courtesy","tag-time"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=350607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=350607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Yangnyeom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780843573_282_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.<\/p>\n
Get the recipe. <\/a>
Cook time: 1 hour. Serves 8 to 10. <\/p>\n![\"Czechoslovakian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780843574_965_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 15 minutes. Makes about 1\u00bc cups.<\/p>\n![\"Homemade](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780843575_479_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes. Makes 8 rolls.<\/p>\n![\"sausage](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780843575_386_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes. Serves 10-15.<\/p>\n![\"Norwegian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780843575_545_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 45 minutes. Serves 8.<\/p>\n![\"Black-eyed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780843576_448_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n