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Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

September 16, 2013

I was well into adulthood before I realized that guacamole wasn’t a neon green paste served in a little plastic cup alongside Mexican fast food in the U.S. Fortunately, when friends were in disbelief of my dislike of guac, they took the opportunity to explain the potential of the real, non-processed version. From that point forward, bite by bite, I started trying more and making my own.

Now, I like it chunky, loaded with avocado, onion, jalapeno and cilantro, and I make it every chance I get. With California avocados, that chance comes around much more often than it used to. So this isn’t just a celebration of guacamole, it’s a celebration of living in a placing that is brimming with amazing avocados.

And since we are celebrating, we should make a toast to the drink that goes best with guacamole – tequila! I lived in Kentucky for 10 years, so when it comes to bourbon, I’m pretty educated. We also travel to the Caribbean so I’ve learned a fair share about rum, too.

But tequila? Tequila I have a lot to learn about.

That’s why I was thrilled when Casa Noble sent me some samples to help celebrate this food holiday. I received Casa Noble’s Reposado Tequila which is aged 364 days in French White Oak Barrels. It has won both Gold and Silver in the San Francisco World Spirit competition as well as other numerous awards. (They also make several other award-winning varieties. You can check out those, and their tequila-making process on the Casa Noble website.)

And did I mention how cool their bottles are? Yes, I get sucked in by creative packaging. Especially if it looks good sitting on top of our bar.

After taking a sip, I knew I had lived a sheltered life in terms of tequila. I couldn’t believe how smooth it was; none of that harsh burn that you get from so many tequilas.

There are great tequila cocktail ideas on the company’s website, but to celebrate this day I decided to use the tequila in my guacamole. If you’ve not done this before, it is time to start spiking those avocados. And I know that traditional guac is made with lemon juice, but we are working with tequila here so I dressed it up with lot of lime and salt!

Spicy Spiked Bacon Guacamole

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 ounces pastured bacon ends, chopped and cooked crispy
1 small tomato, diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno
3 avocados
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of ½ lime
2 tsp Casa Noble tequila
½ tsp sea salt

Prep

Stir together the bacon, tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in a medium bowl.

Add the avocado, lime zest, lime juice and tequila. Mash and stir the ingredients together until the avocados reach your desired consistency. (You can also use a mortar and pestle or a food processor.)

Stir in the sea salt and serve.

Disclosure: Casa Noble tequila was sent to me for celebrating National Guacamole Day. I was not required to post about it and I received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own and it is really great tequila!

Smoky Boiled Peanuts Recipe

August 27, 2013

One thing I wasn’t expecting to find at the markets here were fresh peanuts. I know that there are a few areas on this side of the U.S. where they are grown, but I was definitely closer to the peanut growing states of Virginia and Georgia when we lived in Kentucky.

Yet, I can’t remember ever coming across a fresh peanut. But then again, I wasn’t looking for them either.

When I saw the light blond shells piled up on the tables at the market, I knew right away that they were peanuts. It took me longer to figure out that they were fresh. (Often called, green peanuts.)

Never one to resist the urge to buy a new ingredient, I bagged up a few handfuls still speckled with the dirt and brought them home. Honestly, I had no idea what else to do except boil them.

After researching several recipes, I made my first batch which was a huge fail. According to a few recommendations, I soaked them in water first, drained them and then boiled them. They were much too wet and soggy for my taste.

So when I picked up another bagful last week, I skipped the extra soaking step. I covered the 1 pound of peanuts in about 5 cups of water. I added salt, garlic powder and smoked hot paprika and let them boil.

Full disclosure. I forgot about them.

I had intended to boil them for 2 hours, but I returned to the stove about 2 hours and 45 minutes later to find almost no water left in the pan. Oops.

I pulled the pan off the burner and gave them a stir to distribute some of the seasonings that had collected at the bottom. Then, I tried one. They were delicious! They really reminded me more of the pinhão (pine nut) we used to find in Brazil, like a firm bean with a nutty flavor.

So there you have it. I accidentally discovered exactly how I like my boiled peanuts. Sometimes kitchen mistakes lead to grand results. And it’s even better if those mistakes and results come without setting off the fire alarm.

Smoky Boiled Peanuts

About 1 pound of fresh, green peanuts
5 to 6 cups of water
¼ cup finely ground sea salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp smoked hot paprika

Add the peanuts to a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the nuts. Stir in the sea salt, garlic powder and paprika. Bring the peanuts to a boil over high heat, partially cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium to maintain a low boil, just above a simmer.

Let cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until almost all of the water has evaporated. There should still be at least a half inch in the bottom of the pan. Stir to distribute the salt. Let cool before shelling and eating. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Petrale Sole with Heirloom Tomatoes and Pesto Recipe

August 15, 2013

After 8 months on the West Coast (and with my struggles for finding farm-direct meat), we decided it was finally time to start exploring local fish. I’ve always said I wanted to live by the water where fresh fish and seafood were plentiful and now, here I am. It’s time to take advantage.

So over the past few weeks, instead of passing by the fish vendors at the Farmers Market, I’ve been stopping, looking and asking questions. Most of the fish I’m finding was caught that morning and filleted soon before it got on ice and to the market.

So far I’ve settled on some beautiful Petrale sole from two different vendors at two different markets. (I’ll branch out soon. I’m slow to take on new fish, apparently.) One pack came from Monterey Bay to the south of us and the other Bodega Bay to the north of us.

I’m not an expert in cooking or eating fish, but I really like this variety. The second set of filets was much thicker which made them ideal for baking so I decided to fancy them up a bit. I scanned some recipes on the web and a found a few that baked the fish over onions. You know I always have plenty of heirloom tomatoes around, and there was also leftover homemade pesto from the minestrone soup. With all that, this super simple recipe came together.

I hope you like it as much as I did! As I continue to explore the markets here, more fish recipes are sure to come in the future. If you have a favorite type of fish or recipe, I’d love to hear about it.

Petrale Sole with Heirloom Tomatoes and Pesto

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
10-12 oz Petrale sole filets
¼ cup fresh pesto
1 medium heirloom tomato
4 lemon slices

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium high. Add the onion slices and the garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, just until the onions start to become tender.

Transfer the onions to a baking dish and spread in a single layer. Top the onions with the sole filets. Spread the pesto evenly over each filet. Top the pesto with tomato slices. Add the lemon slices around the perimeter of the baking dish.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish turns white and flakes with a fork. Serves 2 to 3.

Bacon, Corn and Brown Rice Stuffed Squash Recipe

August 8, 2013

Summer Squash Stuffed with Bacon, Corn and Brown Rice | Recipe | Fake Food Free

When I tell people that we moved here from Kentucky I get the usual response. It’s the same response I received any time we traveled while living there.

It is something similar to, “I bet this is (that was) different,” or “This must be an adjustment.”

Now, I don’t get cranky or offended. It’s not like I’m out to defend the upper southern part of the U.S. There are a lot of things that are different here in a very good way, and there are a lot of things that are the same.

Regardless of whether you live in rural Kentucky or Northern California, if you rarely go anywhere else, well, there you are. There are as many people here that haven’t seen other parts of the US as there are people who haven’t in Kentucky. So I don’t blame people for having this perception, but as you know from my blog I had myself in a pretty good food situation back East.

California wins when it comes to variety of produce, growing seasons and ethnic cuisines, but it falls way behind in something else – meat.

Oh, it’s here. It’s grass-fed and finished, pastured, organic, whatever you want. But it’s one other thing.

Impersonal.

I really dislike buying meat here. There are a few butchers, but when you add in the price of a quality product along with the fact that it’s being sold in California, ouch. The Farmers Markets have better prices for similar products, but it’s difficult to talk to people about the meat as a line 10 people deep waits behind you.

When people ask me what I miss most about Kentucky, that’s easy. The farms.

I’ve asked about buying farm direct, coming out for a visit, and so far the answer is that they only sell at the market. Although, some do have a dinner for customers one day a year.

I miss knowing the breeds, conditions and getting things like housemade prosciutto, sausage without the casing and blue/eggs that are mixed right in with the brown ones because they all come from the same group of chickens.

I know – cry me a river, Lori. I see all those Instagram and Facebook pictures of produce and landscape. Life is rough. Boo-hoo.

I get it. I’m not complaining. I realize I haven’t covered every base yet. I’m sure there are options out there. I guess my point is that I will, at least for a while, still have a reason to respond to all those who suggest Kentucky is different with – yes, yes it is.

With all that being said, the meat I have ventured to get here has been very good. I finally found bacon ends last weekend at the Farmers Market.

Bacon, Corn and Brown Rice Stuffed Squash Recipe | Fake Food Free
It called for a celebration of summer stuffed squash. Feel free to substitute any grain here. Cue ball or patty pan squash will work the best since this is a loose stuffing.

Bacon, Corn and Brown Rice Stuffed Squash via @Lori_Rice

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Bacon, Corn and Brown Rice Stuffed Squash

Makes: 6 stuffed squash

Ingredients

½ cup long grain brown rice
Extra virgin olive oil
6 cue ball or small patty pan (scalloped) squash
½ cup chopped pastured bacon ends
Kernels from 2 ears of corn
2 green onions, sliced, green and white portions divided
1 small bell pepper, diced
½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup finely grated cheddar cheese.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a casserole dish with olive oil.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low boil. Cook for 15 minutes until just barely tender, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the tops off the squash and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Reserve the flesh. Lightly rub the squash with olive oil and arrange in the baking dish. Pre-bake the squash for about 10 minutes.

In a deep skillet, brown the bacon on medium-high for about 5 minutes. Cook until your desired crispness. I like mine super crispy.

Add the corn, whites of the onions (reserve greens for garnish), the bell pepper and the chopped flesh of the squash. Cook for about 5 more minutes on medium to medium-high, until most of the moisture has evaporated.

Stir in the brown rice. Add the rosemary, salt and black pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese. Transfer the stuffing to each of the squash.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the squash is tender. Garnish with reserved onion greens. Makes 6 stuffed squash.

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Farmers Market Photo Tour

July 3, 2013

One of the best things about moving to California has been the Farmers Markets. Throughout the past six months I have been to many, but I still haven’t scratched the surface of the total number that operate each week within walking, biking and driving distance of where we live.

Life has me pretty busy at the moment, so with no time to make a recipe in honor of the 4^th of July, I thought the next best thing would be to celebrate all the wonderful foods I’ve found at the markets. Here is a photo tour of a few of my favorites.

Over the next few weeks there are fun things to come including more reviews of outstanding cookbooks and a virgin coconut oil giveaway!

Happy Independence Day to all my readers in the States!

Kentucky Bourbon-Vanilla Soaked Cherries Recipe

June 26, 2013

Kentucky Bourbon-Vanilla Soaked Cherries | Fake Food Free | The perfect ice cream topping or cocktail garnish!

Last week at the Farmers Market, I saw this sign.

That sad face sums up my feelings pretty well. I have enjoyed my first cherry season in California so much. I think it’s because I wasn’t expecting to have such a selection. It completely took me by surprise.

Aside from a few cherry trees here and there in Kentucky, I’ve always associated cherries with Michigan. My past experience includes picking out a few in the grocery store and barely getting enough from a tree to make a mini cherry pie. This year, I had all the cherries I wanted. I took full advantage, too. I can’t begin to estimate how many pounds I carried home throughout the season.

But alas, it is coming to an end. I know there will be other fruits to take their place, but I will miss them all the same.

Every time I carried home by big bag of joy I said I was going to make bourbon cherries. It was now or never. Well, maybe now or next season, but the pressure motivated me to get on it.

I came across these Vanilla-Bourbon Cherries at Sweetsonian a little while back. (Aren’t her pictures gorgeous?) I wanted those same flavors so I adjusted it and then got some exact measures for the ingredients. I know I’ll want to make them again and I’m horrible at remembering what I did from recipe to recipe so I’m hoping this will help me recreate them next year.

Dark red Bing cherries make pretty soaked cherries, but as always, I was steered by the sale. These yellow-red Rainier cherries were priced to sell so my cherries look a little lighter in their bourbon bath.

I’ve had them in the fridge a little over a week and they are delicious. I’ve dropped a few in our cocktails and I hope to use them on a dessert if I can stop eating them straight from the jar.

Kentucky Bourbon-Vanilla Soaked Cherries

Inspired by Vanilla-Bourbon Cherries by Sweetsonian

Ingredients

1 pint cherries, pitted
4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 to ½ cup Kentucky bourbon

Prep

Tightly pack the cherries into a clean pint jar leaving about ½ inch headspace.

In a small sauce pan, heat the sugar and water on medium-high. Bring it just up to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves and it thickens a little, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the sugar syrup over the cherries. Pour the bourbon into the jar. How much you need will depend on how tightly your cherries are packed in. Ensure that all the cherries are covered, leaving about a ½ inch headspace.

Seal the jar. Give it a shake to mix the sugar syrup and bourbon.

Store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days before eating to allow the flavors to soak into the cherries. Then they should keep in the fridge for about a month.

Bacon and Oyster Mushroom Stuffed Squash Blossoms Recipe

June 11, 2013

It’s surprising that with all the squash plants I’ve grown, I’ve never tried cooking with squash blossoms. I always blamed it on bad timing.

Those pretty yellow flowers would appear in early summer and I would think – No way am I picking those. I want a squash out of that. What if the plant doesn’t produce much this year?

Then (as you know if you’ve grown squash) by mid to late summer when I was buried with summer squash up to my eyeballs, I wish I had used some of those blossoms.

I no longer have my own squash plants, but I did spot some of those pretty blossoms at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market last weekend. I wasn’t quite sure what I would do with them, but I had oyster mushrooms, bacon, bread and tomato sauce, too, so this is how it went. And when I have my own squash plants again someday, I will definitely be picking those blossoms.

Bacon and Oyster Mushroom Stuffed Squash Blossoms

1.5 ounces oyster mushrooms, chopped
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup bread crumbs
3 leaves fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
12 small to medium squash blossoms
¾ cup your favorite marinara sauce
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Preheat a deep skillet over medium-high, add the bacon and mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook until the bacon is browned and the mushrooms are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes more.

Stir in the bread crumbs and the basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
Fill each squash blossom with about a heaping tablespoon of the stuffing, depending on the size of the blossom. Twist the end of the flower to seal.

Pour the marinara in a baking dish and spread over the bottom of the dish. Arrange the blossoms in a single layer over the sauce. Top with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the blossoms become tender and the cheese begins to brown. Serves 2 to 3, if the squash blossoms are on the smaller side.

Vegetarian Bell Pepper Adobo (Adobong Sili) Recipe from The Adobo Road Cookbook

June 4, 2013

Over the years, one of my favorite things about having this blog has become reviewing cookbooks. There are a lot of great cookbooks out there. To be honest, I have never reviewed any that were bad. But what makes a cookbook excellent to me, what makes it stand out among all the others, is when I can sense the passion for the food as I read the pages.

Lately I’ve had the opportunity to review several, but what I don’t always get to do is interact with the authors. Since our move to the Bay Area, one thing I am loving is that I can meet some of these cookbook authors at cookbook signings in the city.

That was the case with The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food Journey-From Food Blog, to Food Truck, and Beyond by Marvin Gapultos (also the author of Burnt Lumpia). I received a review copy of the book and I was invited to the book signing at Omnivore Books. Having the chance to read it before the signing, I could not wait to learn more about the passion behind this book.

Yes, this book falls in the excellent category for me. The stories behind each recipe make you want to start creating, and continue to savor, family food memories of your own.

We haven’t been to the Philippines yet, but I’m continually intrigued by this cuisine. The tangy adobos and tasty lumpias, I’ve been wanting to try more dishes and The Adobo Road stepped right in with plenty of opportunities to do so. The best part is that the the recipes have a unique quality of being authentic without overwhelming the cook.

I enjoyed myself so much at the signing. Marvin described more about how the book came to be, and about the work that went into translating family cooking and memorized steps into a measured and written recipe that he could share with readers.

I knew what I was going to make prior to the signing, but I was even more encouraged when someone in the group asked what a person new to Filipino food should cook for the first time. His answer? An adobo. When I told Marvin that I hoped to make his Vegetarian Adobo for the blog, he told me more about his grandfather’s dish and how he hasn’t found the exact pepper used, but that this was incredibly close.

I’ve never made adobo before and the Vegetarian Bell Pepper Adobo (Adobong Sili) stood out for me due to it’s flavor and simplicity. In fact, I thought that it might be too simple or not as exciting as I hoped.

I underestimated its potential. I loved this dish! I wanted it to be as authentic as possible so I ordered the coconut vinegar online. I really think the slightly sweet flavor of this made the adobo. I’m so glad I decided to get it. Especially because it means there are more adobo dishes in my future.

If you’ve considered trying to make Filipino foods in your kitchen, definitely start with this book. The best way to describe it is easy authentic with plenty of passion to get you inspired!

Vegetarian Bell Pepper Adobo Adobong Sili

Serves 4–6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

2 tablespoons oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
5–6 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife and peeled
4 bell peppers of differing colors (green, red, yellow, orange), deseeded and cut into thin strips
¼ cup (65 ml) Filipino coconut vinegar, or distilled white vinegar
¼ cup (65 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (65 ml) water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, 3–5 minutes. Toss in the bell peppers and sauté until they just begin to soften, 3–5 minutes.

Pour in the vinegar, soy sauce and water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the brown sugar and black pepper, and add the bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the bell peppers become tender but not mushy. Discard the bay leaf and serve the adobo with steamed white rice.

From the book:

Adobo: What’s in a name?
Despite foreign inﬂuence on Filipino cuisine, Filipino adobo is indigenous and unique to the Philippines, existing before colonial rule. In the Philippines, “adobo” refers to a technique, rather than a singular dish. In the Spanish context, adobo generally refers to a marinade used to ﬂavor meats, whereas Mexican adobo refers to any number of spices. In all likelihood, Spanish colonists simply applied their term to what the Filipinos were already cooking and eating because it was similar in appearance to Spanish adobo, though not prepared the same way.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review purposes. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for doing so.

Peanut Tea Cookies Recipe and a Weekend with The Peanut Institute

May 13, 2013

This year was our first time spending Derby Day in California and I had every intention of celebrating big — dressing up, mint juleps, meeting some University of Kentucky Alumni folks at a party in the city. And then I got an invitation that caused me to quickly trade pecan chocolate chip bourbon pies for peanuts.

I spent the first weekend in May at a sponsored Science & Culinary retreat on Plant-Powered Eating in Napa hosted by The Peanut Institute. A combination of nutritional research and cooking — I can think of few things that are more, well…me.

Truth be told, I was already a huge fan of peanuts. My preferred sandwich growing up was not PB&J, but straight up peanut butter. Now days I tend to skip over the sweetened versions and fully enjoy natural peanut butters with nuts and salt only. We also eat a fair share of dry roasted, unsalted nuts and I find shelling my own peanuts oddly rewarding.

So I really needed no convincing as to why one should eat peanuts as part of a plant-based diet, but I enjoyed the informative research presentations about recent studies using peanuts and the resulting health benefits.

You can expect more posts sharing the information learned at the retreat, but first I want to focus on a few things — the cooking (at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa, no less!), the incredibly diverse uses for peanuts in both sweet and savory cooking, and finally, my new favorite ingredient — peanut flour.

As you can imagine, almost every course of every meal of the weekend was touched by the peanut in some way. On Saturday night, we enjoyed an outstanding meal from the chefs at Hess Collection Winery. This was my first visit to this winery, but I encourage you to make it a stop if you are in Napa. The Chardonnay was outstanding and the tour of the art collection still has me a bit speechless.

It started with appetizers of Crab Ceviche.

Our salad included a Fennel Dusted Scallop over Red Watercress, Frisee, Endive, English Peas, Navel Oranges, Grilled Asparagus and Togarashi Candied Peanuts with a Wildflower Honey Citrus Vinaigrette. Is it possible to fit more seasonal ingredients in one dish? I think it may have been my favorite of the weekend.

Dinner included Oak Fire Grilled Line Caught Local Swordfish with Toasted Farro, Lollipop Kale, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms and Fava Beans with Truffle Whole Grain Mustard Sauce and Fresh Herb & Spring Onion Relish.

Dessert was a creative twist on the southern practice of dropping a few salted peanuts into a bottle of cola before drinking it — Chocolate Cola Cake, Peanut Horchata Sorbet and Cola Caramel.

Sunday was spent at the CIA with peanut-focused cooking demos and group cooking sessions. Our lunch feast was pretty incredible. We were split into teams, each assigned recipes to make which were focused on a food region. Our group had Latin, and this was our final dish.

The other dishes ranged from a gnocchi made with peanut flour to baba ganoush made with peanut butter. Here are a few.

Peanut Gnocchi with Peas and Pancetta

Pad Thai

Crispy Spring Rolls

Our dinner Sunday night was at the quaint Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in downtown Napa. The food was delicious, but with lots of lively conversation I got fewer pictures this time around. That is, except for the one dish that gets the reward for the most peanut creativity.

Crispy Peanut Butter & Jelly Sliders! These were like little Monte Cristo sandwiches without the meat. Seriously tasty!

Not a bad weekend learning about the versatility of peanuts, right?

But now let’s talk about this peanut flour. It was mentioned the first day of presentations and everyone’s ears immediately perked up. Some people said they once bought it at Trader Joe’s, but that they no longer carry it. I had heard of it before, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

There are a few different varieties — lightly toasted, darker toasted and varying fat contents. Several of the recipes that were demonstrated or that we made used peanut flour. So I had a few ideas in my head before I got my bag home.

First of all, I’m a little amazed by it. If you taste it straight out of the bag, it’s actually quite good with a roasted peanut flavor without any grittiness. This is what makes it perfect for stirring into oatmeal and also for breakfast shakes. In fact, I’ve found the flour helps me get a more concentrated form of protein (and peanut flavor) into breakfast while reducing the calories I would get from adding peanut butter.

Aside from all this healthy breakfast stuff, I couldn’t wait to try the peanut flour in my baking. I was flipping through old posts when I got an idea. A few years ago, as part of the annual blogger holiday recipe exchange, I made Russian Tea Cakes. These were very similar to Mexican Wedding Cakes – light and tender cookies with nuts, coated in powdered sugar. I immediately wondered what might happen if I made a peanut version.

I was hoping to use all peanut flour, but I couldn’t get the consistency of the dough just right so I did add in a ¼ cup of unbleached, all-purpose flour. I used chopped dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts (so I omitted any extra salt in the recipe) and dusted the cookies with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

First, your kitchen will smell amazing for hours after baking these cookies. And I’m thrilled with the result. They are a tasty peanutty twist on a classic.

Peanut Tea Cookies

Modified from Russian Tea Cakes

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup + 2 tbsp 28% fat, light peanut flour
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
⅓ cup dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts, chopped

For dusting:

¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter and powdered sugar, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla.

Add the peanut flour and white flour and mix on low until combined, scraping the sides as needed. Mix in the peanuts.

Roll the dough into balls just shy of the size of a golf ball. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or a baking sheet covered with a baking mat. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the bottom edges begin to brown. Be careful not to over bake.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and do not disturb. The cookies are very fragile when warm.

In a flat dish, stir together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Once the cookies are completely cool, after about 15 -20 minutes, carefully remove them from the baking pan and roll in the dusting powder until completely coated. Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to three days. Makes 12 cookies.

Disclosure: My attendance to the Science & Culinary retreat May 4-6, 2013 was fully sponsored by The Peanut Institute. The peanut flour from Old Virginia Byrd Mill used in this recipe was provided to me at this event. I was not required to post about this event or any products received, and I received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts are my own. I liked peanuts and peanut butter long before blogs existed and the FTC set disclosure regulations for them.

Hog Island Oyster Farm – Marshall, California

February 26, 2013

I was just about to post an Instagram photo when I noticed two little words at the top of my phone.

No Service.

Not only-one-bar, or the dreaded E, but no service. Zip, zero.

Wait a second. We moved from rural Kentucky to California, right? And you are telling me we don’t have service here.

We were headed to Marshall, California. A small community in Marin County, tucked inside the Tomales Bay. After some twists and turns, carefully passing an entire Tour de France of cyclers, and smiling back at enough happy dairy cows to supply my morning coffee for years, we reached our destination – Hog Island Oyster Farm.

It turns out you don’t need cell service. You don’t need anything at all in this patch of paradise except oysters, lemon, butter, hot sauce and maybe some wine.

A visit to Hog Island was among the many tips we received when we announced – we’re moving to the East Bay. I was introduced to their oysters a few years ago when I visited San Francisco, but this, this is different.

This is the farm. This is rural California in all its glory. And as my husband and I said to each other a few minutes after we arrived – this is why you live here.

There are two options for diners at Hog Island. You can order raw oysters shucked for you at The Boat along with bread, cheese and wine or beer, and take a seat at one of the shared picnic tables (first come, first served).

Your other option is to reserve one of the (5, I think) picnic tables many weeks in advance. With my husband’s birthday in mind, I made a reservation for the end of February back in early January. Here you have a grill and a table to yourself. You bring along your picnic and grilling gear, extra eats, and wine or beer.

Oysters can be purchased near the entrance. You shuck them yourself, and then eat the delicious suckers raw or toss them on the grill. They provide shucking gear, lemon, hot sauce, freshly grated horseradish and Hog Wash (rice vinegar, shallot, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice.) I’ll add that you are free to order anything from The Boat as well including oysters already shucked for you.

My tip – reserve a picnic table and get the early time slot.

We arrived at 10:30 and were among the first guests there on a Saturday morning. The tranquility of the area set the stage for our entire day. It was absolutely amazing.After soaking it all in, we headed over to buy our oysters.

I’ve never been a huge raw oyster fan. That was before I had a Hog Island oyster straight out of the tank, shucked for me. It tasted like the bay – light, salty, and refreshing. We ordered the Atlantics to eat raw, and the small oysters to put on the grill.

Two things I learned during our trip – 1) I cannot shuck an oyster to save my life, and 2) I love grilled oysters!

Fortunately, my husband was up for the challenge of shucking them all. And a challenge it was. It takes a lot of strength and just the right angle, something I couldn’t master in 3 hours.

If one were to shuck an oyster correctly (from what I understand), you would place oyster cup side down and insert the tip of the shucking knife into the pointed end at the hinge. Once the ligament pops, you slide the knife in along the inside of the top, flat shell and pop it off. Slide the knife under the meat to release it from the shell and remove any pieces of shell that might have broken off.

After gathering a few tips from the staff, we topped our open oysters with a little butter and placed them on the heated charcoal grill. Once the edges of the oyster began to brown we took them off with tongs, topped them with hot sauce and lemon juice, and ate them with a fork. Raw oysters are good, but the grilled are now my favorite.

After filling ourselves with oysters and sourdough bread, we were left with enough time to watch the water (my very favorite pastime), and take in what was around us. The area got crowded by lunchtime, but it was much less so than I was expecting. I’m sure it would be different in the summer. I’m also sure we will find out personally because we will be back a few more times this year. It may be the only time I actually look forward to seeing the words – No Service.