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Four Favorites July

August 3, 2016
Four Favorites, South Central Valley Edition | Fake Food Free

I have a bit of a special edition of my four favorites for the month of July. I guess you can consider it the South Central Valley edition. 

Last week, I attended the Fresno Food Expo. It was my first big food experience and introduction to the products and food folks in the valley since our move here last September. To be honest, I had no expectations for what the event might be like. I’ve been to my fair share of food expos in the past.  

Pleasantly surprised, as I walked away last Thursday, I felt that this had been among the best of them.

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Banana Sweet Rice with Caramel-Coffee Sauce

July 7, 2016
Banana Sweet Rice with Caramel-Coffee Sauce Recipe | Fake Food Free

The first time I had sweet rice was when we traveled around Thailand in 2009. By sweet rice, I mean mango sticky rice. By had, I mean I ordered it at just about every location with it on the menu. 

That stuff is the best of all dessert worlds in one — fresh mango, nutty, chewy rice and a heavy drizzle of rich sweetened condensed milk. It really broadened my vision of rice for dessert. 

To be honest, I’ve never made it at home. That is mainly because I have yet to find a mango in the US that holds a candle to those that we ate in Southeast Asia and Brazil. 

It came to mind, though, recently when I started talking with the organizers of the Fresno Food Expo.

I know. I didn’t realize there was a Fresno Food Expo until just this year. 

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Visiting California Olive Ranch

January 21, 2016

Visiting the farms of California Olive Ranch | Fake Food Free

Mention olive trees and someone will bring up allergies. Mention olive oil and another person will start raving about health. 

It’s the perfect example of why I am so drawn to farming and the effort behind what gives us food. Some parts of the sourcing may not be pretty (think of all that pollen during the blooming season for most trees), but the results always are, usually in the form of nutrition and health.

Food rarely comes about without hard work, whether it’s that of one person or a team of employees. Even if you never have the opportunity to do the work yourself, appreciation can be gained by witnessing the process. 

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This September

September 22, 2015

Baby Turnips and Mushrooms | In studio at the Farm to Table Photography Workshop in Seattle | Fake Food Free

I’m usually not one to comment on how quickly or slowly the months go by. It varies for me from year to year. It all depends on what I have going on.

Lately though, I’ve been thinking a lot about this September. Mostly about how it came along quickly, after what felt like a long August, and now suddenly it’s almost gone. 

There are 3 very good reasons for this.

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Four Favorites in July

July 31, 2015

Four Favorites July: A book, blog, brand and break| Fake Food Free

My Four Favorites series is back and I’m introducing a new theme to these monthly installments of my favorite finds.

The four Bs. A book, a blog, a brand and a break.

These are a few things I’ve come across this month that I’ve enjoyed so much that I must share. 

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Meyer Lemon Bourbon Winter Warmer

February 8, 2015

This Meyer lemon bourbon cocktail is the best way to get through a cold winter night! It combines the fresh flavor of seasonal citrus with warming spices and Kentucky bourbon. 

 Meyer Lemon Bourbon Winter Warmer | Fake Food Free | A warm cocktail made with spiced, fresh lemonade and Kentucky bourbon.

Let’s be clear. It’s not cold here. If I were to utter the phrase, “I’m cold,” I’m certain it would be met with a bless-her-heart chuckle and an eye roll from just about everyone Colorado and eastward. Those being pounded with snow would likely close the browser window, never to return. 

So it’s not cold, but it does get cool and there are distinct differences between winter, spring, summer and fall here in the Bay Area. Thank goodness, because I do love the four seasons. They just aren’t nearly as extreme as other places I’ve lived. 

That being said, I still love the comfort foods and drinks of winter — a steaming bowl of soup, rich pot pies, and a warm bourbon drink — just as much as a person digging out from the snow. 

We might not have freezing temps, but one thing we do have in the winter is citrus! And you are probably well aware of my love for it.

When we moved into our apartment here in 2012, I immediately purchased a small dwarf Meyer lemon tree from the local farmers market. I read up a little on growing them in pots and this tree already had a few lemons on it when I bought it so I thought, this is going to be too easy. 

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Krakow Christmas Market

December 10, 2014

Our holiday visit didn’t stop in Vienna. The Krakow Christmas Market in Poland was equally as exciting with one of a kind food experiences!

                                     Krakow Christmas Market | Fake Food Free #travel #christmas #Poland 

As I stand in the town center of Krakow, I wonder why a visit to Poland had not been higher on my travel list. It was always there, but tucked beneath what I thought were more intriguing destinations.

I take my first steps into the market and I see a stand selling pierogi. No surprise there. I am in Poland after all.

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Visiting Vienna Christmas Markets

December 8, 2014

If you have ever been tempted to visit Christmas markets in Europe, I hope this post will convince you to finally book the trip. We spent time in Vienna last December and the experience left me speechless. After a year to gather my thoughts, I’m sharing the highlights with what to drink and eat when visiting Vienna Christmas Markets.

Visiting the Vienna Christmas Markets | Fake Food Free

I haven’t fully decided how I feel about the term bucket list. I’m not a huge fan, but that might just be because it is so popular and overused. At the same time, I lack an appropriate name for my list of places to see in this world.

Must-go, must-see, travel list? They all feel rather boring. Especially with the places that I have on my list. I feel like the name needs to match the magnitude of the experiences.

So while I’m searching for a name, I’m slowly progressing through my list (whatever it is called).

A big, and I mean huge, destination for me, became a reality last December. We’ve been to Vienna a few times now and it remains one of my favorite places in the world, but I’ve always wanted to go in December to see the Christmas markets.

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Whole Foods Gilman in Berkeley: Favorite Things

November 4, 2014

There is a new Whole Foods Market opening on Gilman in Berkeley! I had the pleasure of attending a media event last week. I learned so much and was so inspired that I had to share a recap. 

Whole Foods Market Gilman Media Tour | Fake Food Free

There are few things I enjoy more than listening to people talk about their passion for good food. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending my first media event for an opening of a new Whole Foods Market in Northern California.

I was pretty excited to get the invitation. You see, we have a bit of a healthy addiction to The North Face Outlet on Gilman. This usually leads to a Saturday of visiting someone of the great craft brew spots in the area, like the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Room. So our conversations as we drive down Gilman in Berkeley have progressed kind of like this –

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