Lori, Author at Fake Food Free

How to Eat a Hachiya Persimmon

December 8, 2017

I feel a bit silly.

Over 5 years living in California and another persimmon season had me bewildered.

Although persimmons exist in Kentucky and Indiana, I was never exposed to them until we moved to Brazil. Then we moved to California and every fall they seemed to overflow from bins at the supermarket, farmers markets, and farm stands.

Intrigued by the orange color, I started buying them a couple years ago, mostly to photograph them. I even educated myself on the varieties.

I know the flat, squatty ones are Fuyu persimmons and the more oblong are Hachiya. I eat the Fuyu, crisp and sweet. But dang it, every time I tried to eat a Hachiya, ugh, it was awful.

So this year, I gave up.

Then a friend visited and we happened to swing by the farmers market.

Ginger Rum Orange Jam Cookies

December 7, 2017

I’m a believer that booze make desserts better. Whether it’s beer, wine, or spirits, there is just something about the richness and flavor they add to things like cookies and cakes.

Around the holidays, my go-tos are bourbon and rum. For these cookies, I went with rum. Gold rum. Jamaican gold rum, to be exact.

I had orange jam leftover and I thought the best way to put it to use would be pairing it up with some cookies.

Orange Jam from The Joys of Jewish Preserving

December 6, 2017

Orange Jam from the cookbook, The Joys of Jewish Preserving, by Emily Paster | Recipe at FakeFoodFree.com

Citrus is such a highlight in the winter. I look forward it every year. The oranges, lemons, and mandarins – there are so many varieties to choose from around here.

The season is just getting started and navels have started popping up at the farm stand.

As soon as I spotted that the local, in-season oranges had arrived, I knew exactly what I was going to make.

Food on Tap from a Food Truck

December 5, 2017

We’d been living in the Central Valley for weeks before we finally stepped into the beer garden. How had we not known this place was here? Succulents, rustic reclaimed wood and antique farm pieces for plant holders, and outdoor seating.

Then, the beer list. The beer list!

Faction, Fieldwork, and so many others. Breweries we used to spend our time at in the Bay and travel to around the state.

Not to sound too dramatic, but this feeling fell over me as if to say – wow, we might fit in here after all. Walking into Pita Kabob‘s downtown gastropub that day was the most settling experience I’d had since we’d moved from the Bay to the Valley.

Not just great food and a killer craft beer list, but people who appreciated great food and killer craft beer. I find it important to surround myself with both.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago.

Rustic Cream of Potato Soup with Lemon and Dill

December 4, 2017

We have lemons this year!

It’s been a while. The dwarf Meyer lemon tree I bought at the farmers market in the Bay almost 5 years ago has been through a lot. Pots on a balcony then in a backyard, mild Bay temps, hot Central Valley temps…

But it’s been in the ground for at least a year now, and it seems happy. If you can define happy by about 40 lemons.

Spiced Lemon Brownies with Sour Cream Cranberry Frosting

December 1, 2017

It’s been a while since I’ve had an epic holiday baking season. I’ve been thinking back on the timeline.

2012 – We were driving across the country to move to California.
2013 – Small apartment kitchen.
2014 – Larger kitchen, but still a rental.
2015 – Same. And settling in after another move.
2016 – Big kitchen, new house, but I was photographing a cookbook for someone else while working on my own.

But now it’s 2017. I have a brand new kitchen. Not to mention an oven that has been OFF for months due to the summer heat.

I’m ready. It’s about to get real.

Holiday Cut Out Cookies with Spiced Ale

November 28, 2017

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes from my cookbook, Food on Tap: Cooking with Craft Beer! I’ve lost count of how many batches of these I have made. Flavored with holiday ale, they have spiced, citrus notes that I can’t get enough of. They make the perfect cut out cookies any time of year!

Over a month has passed since my cookbook published. It’s been a whirlwind of questions, answers, outreach, event organizing, and even a podcast interview (link coming soon)! It has all been amazing.

At the same time, it left me with two overwhelming feelings.

Gratitude and mental exhaustion.

I was not prepared to feel either of these to the extent that I have over these past few weeks.

Let me explain.

Thanksgiving Snapshots

November 23, 2017

Californian Persimmons. Photo by Lori Rice. | FakeFoodFree.com

I know it’s more common to look back at the year and reflect on December 31st. This year, though, it feels more appropriate to do it on this day that is so strongly associated with pausing to consider what we are thankful for.

The more I dive into the world of photography, the more I find feelings of gratitude creeping up inside me.

For me, moments are easily forgotten. When I take a second to photograph that moment and then flip back through what I’ve captured, those memories instantly become real again. It’s as if I’m there.

And I’m thankful all over again.

I’ll let these images speak for themselves. They are simply moments from this year that fill me with all kinds of gratitude. Some involve travel, others are in our backyard. Some involve a hint of my work, others leisure, and many food.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Banana Macadamia Nut Cobbler with Salted Butterscotch Sauce

November 22, 2017

We’ve been going to the Caribbean for years, and one thing we typically avoid are the buffets at resorts.

The food is usually very good. That’s not the problem. It’s that we can never seem to control ourselves given that it is vacation. We always leave wishing we hadn’t gone back for a second helping or grabbed that little dessert.

There are exceptions, though.

Like when we wake up late and served breakfast is over, but lunch hasn’t started. The buffet sits there, calling to our growling stomachs. Fortunately, these days we are much better at pacing ourselves and it turns out that on our trip to Jamaica this summer I made a little discovery. It had me thrilled that we grabbed a plate and started scoping out the scene.

Banana cobbler.