Lori, Author at Fake Food Free

Salted Cucumber Kadota Fig Salad with Feta

August 16, 2019

You know how they tell you when you buy a fruit tree that it will take two years or so before it bears good fruit?

How about six? Yep, that’s how long it took our Kadota fig tree.

I’m happy to say that Fake Food Free has transitioned to the Substack Newsletter called Every Corner of the World.

I hope to see you there.

I bought it at Oakland Old Town farmers market. (Man, I miss that market.) Back at our rental house, it stayed in a pot. It went from leaves to no leaves to thinking it was dead to growing new leaves again over three years.

Then we bought our current house in the Central Valley and we finally got it into the ground. It took off. Branches, leaves, the whole bit.

But no fruit. Nothing. For three more years!

Banana Date Matcha Shake

August 9, 2019

I’ve been wanting to try this shake for months. I could even show you the little spot in my planner where I jot down recipes. It’s right there, several months back.

I finally got around to making it.

And its as good as I hoped it would be so I’m sharing it with you.

Sweet and Smoky Broccoli Salad

August 2, 2019

I cook with broccoli a lot. But I can’t say it’s because I particularly like it. It’s more of my it’s-good-for-you sense prevailing. I don’t exactly dislike it. It’s not bottom of the barrel in terms of vegetables I can’t stand. No, broccoli just falls somewhere in the middle.

Unless we’re talking about broccoli salad. Then, oddly enough, things change.

I have no idea why. Maybe it’s akin to drowning raw vegetables in ranch dressing, but I’d like to think this has a few more nutrients than that combination.

When I make broccoli salad. I could eat the whole bowl. I love the classic, but over the years, I’ve come up with my own version. For example, crunchy bacon pieces are great in it, but I rarely feel like cooking bacon when I can throw together the salad in minutes otherwise.

So I’ve improvised to create a similar flavor without the work.

Golden Sangria

July 26, 2019

I’m happy to say that Fake Food Free has transitioned to the Substack Newsletter called Every Corner of the World.

I hope to see you there.

Golden Sangria Recipe made with white wine, golden raspberries, white peaches, and Rainier yellow cherries. | FakeFoodFree.com #wine #whitewine #cocktails #sangriarecipes #sangriaideas #yellowcherries #goldenraspberries

The line was long, but I waited anyway. Everyone else was there for strawberries, which is unbelievable to me. How can you possibly look at a strawberry when golden raspberries are sitting there right next to them?

“You can mix and match,” said the vendor. He was letting me know that in my 3-pack I could mix red raspberries, golden raspberries, and blackberries.

Nope.

All three golden, please.

Blueberry Cheesecake Tart

July 19, 2019

I’m happy to say that Fake Food Free has transitioned to the Substack Newsletter called Every Corner of the World.

I hope to see you there.

Blueberry Cheesecake Tart Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com #cheesecake #dessertrecipes #freshberries #blueberryrecipes #summerrecipes #baking #bakingideas

I went blueberry picking last month. It’s a rare occurrence here as there really aren’t many u-pick farms in the area. And even with the few we do have, as much as I love fresh produce, I usually end up missing the season.

I’ve learned it must be a priority on my schedule in order for me to remember to go. So one Thursday morning in June, I wrote – Blueberry picking – on my calendar and stuck to it.

For Dixie

July 9, 2019

On January 9th, 2019 we said good-bye to our sweet pug, Dixie. Also affectionately known as Dixie-land and Dum-dum. I’ve never been one to enjoy reading the emotional stories of others when it comes to the loss of a pet (too many tears) so I don’t blame you if you skip right past this post. But I need to tell Dixie’s story and to share the impact she had on our lives. It’s been six months, and losing her has been a big part of the reason that I have a hard time being in the kitchen and struggle with returning to regular posting here. So this post is for her.

A man answered the door and as we stepped inside a pug-shaped bolt of lightning shot through the room. I can’t remember if she slammed up against our legs or the closed door as she came to a stop, but as it happened the man said – that’s her.

I heard myself say – It is? Followed by something that sounded like a mix between nervous laughter and a gulp of fear.

Macy was around 8 and the goal was to find a pug just a little younger than her to be a buddy, to keep her company when we traveled, and to keep her active as she aged. Dixie was estimated to be about 6. She was a surrender from a breeder who gave her up when she was done having puppies. We were making our first visit to her foster home to meet her and to see if we wanted to adopt her.

Cruciferous Salad with Peas and Parmesan

May 14, 2019

I’ll start out by saying that this salad is loaded with Parmigiano Reggiano. You don’t have to use that Parmesan cheese to make it. But if you can get your hands on some I’d highly recommend it.

We had the grand opportunity to visit Parma when we were in Italy in early April and were treated to a tour. It ended with a generous gift of two boxes of the cheese which we made sure to get back to the US, even if it meant it traveled to Lisbon and London before it got there.

The tour was outstanding. Unfortunately, I have yet to explore my photos from the trip. Soon…

Until then, we’ve been eating it and I’ve been cooking with it a bit here and there. Including this salad.

Rum Raspberry Coconut No Churn Ice Cream

May 3, 2019

Thought one.

When we were in Hilo last summer we stopped in a supermarket and I stumbled on sweetened condensed coconut milk. I’d never seen it before so I bought two cans and flew them back in the checked bag. I cleaned out the pantry yesterday and realized they are a month short of expiring.

Thought two.

Rum raisin is not an ice cream flavor that interests me, but I owe it credit for helping me to think of rum raspberry. A lot of shoots for clients lately have involved raspberries so I’ve had a handful here and there to put to use (as may have been evident from last week’s cream cheese scones).

Thought three.

This no churn ice cream.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Scones

April 26, 2019

When I worked in a bakery in high school and part of college, we used to make the best berry cream cheese scones. They were more like a soft, sweet drop biscuit than traditional European scones (although I love those, too!).

During the summers, I used to arrive at 5:00 am and bake off the scones. Occasionally, I’d make the dough, too, but it was in gigantic portions that were mixed in an industrial size electric mixer so I never had the chance to translate it into something attainable for a small kitchen.

I miss those scones.

Japanese Beef Curry

April 10, 2019

Japanese Beef Curry Recipe from The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook, Revised and Expanded Edition #instantpotrecipes #japanesecurry #comfortfoodrecipes #healthyeating #glutenfreerecipes

I’m not sure what the weather is like where you are, but around here we are in the transition zone. Cold mornings and warm afternoons. It’s the kind of weather that has you thinking of fresh salad and refreshing summer fruits, but at the same time, something warm and comforting can be equally as fitting.

Long-time food friends of mine just published a great new cookbook and within its pages, I found that perfect warm and comforting recipe for these early spring days. Japanese Beef Curry.

To be honest, my exploration through the cuisine of Japan is extremely limited. I have a few noodle dishes checked off, and of course, I’ve had my fair share of sushi, but that’s about it.

So when I was given the opportunity to try this Japanese curry recipe, I thought it was a good chance to try something new to me.