Browsing Tag

grilling

Grilled Baby Yellow Squash with Smoked Almond and Garlic Crumble

May 10, 2018

These grilled baby yellow squash are topped with a savory crumble made of rich butter, smoked almonds, and fresh, local garlic!

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.

Grilled Baby Yellow Squash with Smoked Almond and Garlic Crumble Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com

I have a special produce shopping skill. I can spot baby vegetables on a table from the other side of the farmers market.

When this happens I briskly walk straight up to the table and buy every one they have. I’ve done it with eggplant. And this time, it’s baby squash. 

I’ll admit I do sometimes feel guilty about not leaving any for others. The guilt snuck up on me again this shopping trip so I left about 4 on the table. In the end I didn’t succeed, though.

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Grilled Stuffed Baby Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, and Prosciutto

August 9, 2017
Grilled Stuffed Baby Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, and Prosciutto Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com

I was digging through the long, purple Japanese eggplant at the farmers market on a recent Saturday morning. Suddenly I spotted a much smaller, baby eggplant. As I started to pull away the larger variety, I found more and began piling as many as I could into my hands the crook of my arm. 

Seeing my determination, the vendor came over and pulled away the larger eggplants so I could find more. Clearly, he understood my mission. 

Eggplant is one of those vegetables that I always have to research after I buy it to learn the exact name. These were Indian eggplant, which are often simply called baby eggplant. At about 2 inches long, it’s no surprise why they got the latter name. 

At that point, I had no idea what I was going to do with them. That sums up most of my farmers market strategy – buy now, think later. 

I’d seen these eggplants stuffed and baked before, but we had plans to fire up the grill that night so I took a different approach.

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Dry-Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken with Chili-Lager Barbecue Sauce

June 13, 2017

This juicy grilled whole chicken is brushed with a rich and tangy barbecue sauce made of dried chilies and beer. It’s the perfect recipe to ring in a season of grilling. 

This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry – Home of ROCKY® and ROSIE® Chicken.

 

Dry-Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken with Chili-Lager Barbecue Sauce Recipe | Fake Food Free | Sponsored Post

This probably sounds silly, but the first time I grilled a whole chicken, I considered it a huge culinary accomplishment. I say it sounds silly now because it is really not that difficult at all.

It looks fancy, sure. But it’s one of the most hands-off forms of grilling you can do. Once you rub down the bird with the herbs and seasonings of your choice, you simply place it on the grill and let it cook while all that flavor gets sealed inside. 

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California Ripe Olive Grilled Flatbread with Basil Ricotta, Provolone, Lemon Greens, and Edible Flowers

June 6, 2017

Thank you to the California Olive Committee for sponsoring this post. Although I was compensated to write this post, all opinions are my own.

 

I drive by olive trees on a regular basis here in the South Central Valley.

I’m a little obsessed with them.

One, they are some of the prettiest trees out there, all willowy with draping branches and a color that can turn from deep green to steel blue depending on how the wind blows. Two, I am a heavy consumer of both extra virgin olive oil and ripe, or table, olives. 

I was informed of a small fact soon after my identification of the olive tree, though. The olives that make these two products are not one in the same. Basically, there are oil olives and ripe olives. Their varieties, oil content, color, and culinary use is different. 

I’ve learned quite a bit about oil olives over the past few years, but my knowledge of ripe olives was minimal. So, when I received an invitation from the California Olive Committee for a trip to St. Helena at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Greystone to fill my gap in knowledge, as you would expect, I quickly accepted. I soon hit the road for a lovely four hour drive from California’s Central Valley to the Napa Valley. 

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Grilled Cherry Salad with Garbanzo Beans, Cilantro, and Lime

May 12, 2017
Grilled Cherry Salad with Garbanzo Beans, Cilantro, and Lime Recipe | Fake Food Free

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve abruptly slammed on my brakes at the sight of fruit for sale since moving to California. Don’t worry, I’m careful. But at least one of every 10 drives involves a brake and swerve. 

In this case, it was local cherries.

I’d lost track of the timing since last year, and I wasn’t quite sure what week to expect seeing trucks with them for sale parked at intersections. I was less than a mile from the house last week, when a truck came into view.

No. It couldn’t be. Is it that time already?

I was coming from behind the display so the truck was blocking my view. But just as I got close enough to see those round, glossy cherries piled high in cups lining a folding table – brake, swerve, park. 

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Grilled Bone In Chicken Breasts with Garlic Sweet Onion Barbecue Sauce

May 25, 2016

These bone in chicken breasts are glazed in a barbecue sauce made of grilled garlic and sweet onions and cooked over the fire until tender and juicy. This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry. 

Grilled Bone In Chicken Breasts with Homemade Garlic Sweet Onion Barbecue Sauce Recipe | Fake Food Free #sponsored

It took me a long time to get comfortable around a grill. I’m not sure if it was the dancing flames or maybe it was our society’s perception that grilling is a guy thing. For whatever reason, I could most often be found on the sidelines watching others flip the patties, chops and legs on the grill. 

Then I found myself at a point where I had no choice but to start grilling.  More of the recipes I was developing for clients needed to be grilled and I also got some print writing assignments on best grilling practices. This all led to a lot of research about the craft. I also could no longer wait for the weekend or evenings to have my husband around to fire up our kamado-style grill.

I had to jump in, tongs first. 

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Grilled Cauliflower

March 15, 2016
Grilled Cauliflower Recipe | Fake Food Free

While walking the farmers market last weekend, the cutest little heads of cauliflower caught my attention. What is it about mini vegetables that is irresistible?

I’d seen these before and inquired if they were a specific variety. To my surprise, the vendor told me no. They are simply heads of cauliflower harvested early.

Since this was the case, I knew they wouldn’t be around for long so this time I didn’t pass up the opportunity to grab a few. Three to be exact. I asked if they had more small heads and the three I grabbed were the last. Clearly other people have a thing for mini veggies, too.

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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.  Grilled Pizza with Scallops, Shallots and Arugula paired with Cultivar Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc | Fake Food Free

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. 

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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!

Lemongrass Chili Marinade for Grilled Chicken | Fake Food Free

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. 

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