Lori, Author at Fake Food Free

Grilled Pizza with Scallops, Shallots and Arugula

July 1, 2015

As a member of the Cultivar Wine Bloggers club, I receive quarterly shipments of their outstanding wines to pair with my recipes. This month I took things outdoors with grilled pizza and the 2014 Cultivar Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc.

If you told me I could only grill one thing for the entire summer, my pick would be pizza. I might miss the grilled vegetables, maybe the meats, and most definitely the fruits, but having grilled pizza in front of me with the smoky, slightly crisp crust and the bubbly cheese would make it all better.

We only just began grilling pizzas a few years ago and it was love at first slice. Since then I’ve experimented with different whole grain crusts and garden-fresh toppings as well as the best way to cook it.

While I’m a huge fan of the traditional with tomato sauce and mozzarella, I also like to step out of the box with some more original combinations.

Cashew Creamed Corn

June 25, 2015

This corn recipe uses creamy pureed cashews to recreate a favorite summer side dish. With fresh basil blended in, it is full of seasonal flavor. It fits into a vegan or dairy-free diet making it a great option for a variety of eating styles.

Almost three years and I’m still trying to get used to living in a place where the weather varies little throughout the year. Fall is evident as most of the trees change colors and lose their leaves, and although there is no snow, winter brings cooler temperatures.

But spring and summer are a different story.

In mid-February and early March, I watch people in my social media feeds share about their love or hate of the cold temperatures and snow while we are enjoying full-on spring. It’s that point when I start to lose track of time. Before I know it, the stone fruits show up at our farmers markets and people across the country are sharing pictures of tomatoes from the garden.

Oh, right. It’s almost July.

Blackberry Scofflaw Cocktail

June 18, 2015

I like cocktails that have a seasonal twist. When Templeton Rye sent me a bottle of their whiskey to try in celebration of Father’s Day, it gave me the perfect opportunity to add a touch of summer with this Blackberry Scofflaw Cocktail.

I grew up with more blackberries in a single summer than most people eat in a lifetime.

For as far back as I can remember, at least one side of the property of my parents home was lined with blackberry plants that would produce buckets all season long. These then turned into bag after bag of berries that filled our freezers throughout the rest of the year.

And not those puny berries that are so tart you can barely eat them. These were berries that grew to the size of a cherry tomato. They were so plump that if you squeezed a little too hard while picking them, splatters of juice could find their way from your forehead down to your ankles.

Almond Coconut Spread

June 3, 2015

Before you read on, you should know that I had no intention of posting this on the blog. It all began while experimenting with ways to use the nut meal that was leftover from making almond milk.

While I was sprinkling it over salads and stirring it into yogurt, I thought, it must have enough life left in it to blend into something spreadable.

Grilled Fava Beans with Charred Lemon and Smoked Sea Salt

June 1, 2015

I’ve spent a fair amount of time staring at fresh fava beans at the farmers market. They always get my attention, but I’m never quite sure what to do with them.

Then, when we attended the shims and shrubs workshop that I mentioned last week, it all clicked for me. One of the bites served there was grilled baby fava beans. A little lightbulb went off in my head — oooh, you can grill them!

Shrubs and Shims from SHED in Healdsburg

May 28, 2015

Truth be told, I had no idea what a shim was.

A shrub? Yes. I’d actually made some shrubs at home.

So when I was invited to a shims and shrubs workshop, I jumped at the chance, assuming that the shrub I knew had to be somewhat related to a shim that I was unfamiliar with.

Plus, this workshop was at the Healdsburg SHED. I literally had just discovered this place no more than a month before this media workshop invitation arrived in my inbox. The moment I saw it in some of my travel research, it immediately went on my must-visit list. This seemed like the perfect excuse to take the short drive up to California wine country.

Cinnamon Cardamom Hazelnut Milk

May 21, 2015

I wasn’t quick to jump on the nut milk bandwagon.

It’s not that I don’t like almond milk, but when everyone started going crazy for it, seeing it as the new health drink, all I really saw was another processed food. I’m not a fan of all the thickeners and fillers in the ingredient lists on most labels. That’s not to say, I haven’t found a few varieties I enjoy, it just never became a wonder drink for me.

It took a while for me to realize that I could make my own. And not only almond milk, but milk from just about any nut out there. Still, even with that knowledge, I’ve failed to give it a try, despite my DIY attitude in the kitchen.

Steamed Japanese Yams with Curry and Lime

May 13, 2015

These tender, steamed Japanese yams are flavored with curry powder and a twist of lime. They make a great side dish or snack!

I’ve been intrigued by the world of potatoes and yams for some time. I think it probably started when we traveled to Ireland. Visiting the food markets there opened me up to the reality that there were more varieties than the red skinned and russet I was familiar with.

Then my potato passion moved to my own garden when I was growing red and white skinned potatoes. The excitement reached epic proportions the year I grew Adirondack Blue potatoes (what many people refer to as purple potatoes) and harvested 15 pounds from the garden!

I’m not growing my own potatoes right now, but the adventures have not ceased. They continue with cuisines and cultures that I have to admit took me completely by surprise. I’m not sure I ever expected to find so many Asian varieties of potatoes. They are of the sweet potato and yam family, and they are all over my favorite farmers market in Oakland. Purple, white, orange, yellow — it is seriously a rainbow of taters out there.

Lemongrass Chili Marinade for Grilled Chicken

May 4, 2015

This recipe combines aromatic lemongrass with spicy chili paste to create a flavorful marinade for grilled chicken. It’s perfect for kicking off the start of grilling season!

It wasn’t until we began exploring the BBQ meats of Korean, Thai and Hawaiian cuisines that we discovered the deliciousness of the chicken thigh. Prior to that, our meals were most often made up of chicken breasts and the occasional full roasted bird.

To be honest, the chicken breast alone leaves a lot to be desired. When it is not cooked with the rest of the bird, it’s often dry and tasteless. At least that was my experience. Even the best marinades and fillings rolled up inside couldn’t seem to make it any better.

Bourbon Cocktails for Derby

April 28, 2015

I’m stepping outside of Kentucky this week and giving Oregon bourbon a try! These Derby-inspired cocktails are made with Burnside Bourbon provided by Eastside Distilling in Portland, Oregon.

After 10 years living in the Bluegrass state, it’s no surprise that I rarely look beyond Kentucky for my bourbon. It’s good stuff. Pretty much the whole world agrees.

But as we explore new craft spirits, I’m trying more and more that I like, including bourbon. We are in California now, of course. So maybe it’s time to celebrate Derby week with something a little more local, or at least on the same coast.