Peachy Ice Cream Social

Monday night, we had a back-to-school ice cream social as some friends enter their (hopefully) final year of grad school. The plan: I provided ice cream and it was BYO-topping. I used my ice cream maker and made use of seasonal sweet peaches. The Fresh Peach Ice Cream paired perfectly with one friend's homemade caramel sauce and ginger snaps, and we also feasted on (store-bought) cookies and cream with peanut butter cups, chocolate sauce, and bananas. I can't wait to use the ice cream maker again--a Monday night tradition just might take off here...

Escuela Taqueria

I've recently been very excited about these BYOB restaurant discoveries in my neighborhood. Escuela Taqueria serves inventive tacos in pairs, like those we tried: Branzino, Pork Belly, Baby Back Ribs and their Lobster Special in addition to the remarkable home-made chips with salsa and guacamole. Without exaggeration, I've never had tortilla chips or churros as good as they make them!

My tips if you check it out? Don't miss the Baby Back Ribs, chips and guac, or churros (and make sure you look up at the ceiling). I'm now excited to try out the next-door brother restaurant La Otra Escuela Taqueria, which has some more composed dishes and is also BYOB.  

Digging in to homemade chips and salsa!

Crispy skin-on branzino, cabbage slaw, and chipotle creme fraiche

Baby back ribs, thai  sweet and sour  chili,  cabbage

Almond, Plum and Peach Pie for a BBQ

I found this recipe for Almond, Plum and Peach Pie and decided to use some of this season's best fruits  to test it out! I substituted whole what flour for all purpose and used all butter instead of part vegetable shortening (I also substituted a wine bottle for a rolling pin...but that worked just fine!). The ingredient swaps caused the crust to be much too crumbly for a lattice pattern on top, so I added oats and brown sugar to what was meant to be the top crust and crumbled it over the fruit filling. Despite not achieving the perfectly-woven pie crust look, it turned out delicious and was a hit at last weekend's BBQ!

Fresh Pick of the Week: Peaches

Fuzzy-skinned yellow and white peaches grow in the summer months in many parts of the country. Here in Southern California, they're available May-September. The smell is delightfully overwhelming at the farmer's market and grocery store when they are at their peak season, letting you know they are just right to have as a snack, chop into salsas, or use for sweet summertime desserts--a great recipe to come!

Fresh Pick of the Week: Fresh Dates

You may be used to seeing dried dates available in grocery stores year-round. These sundried, sweet and caramelized versions are in the tamr stage (meaning ripe and sundried).  Now is the short harvest season for dates, meaning you can enjoy   fresh dates from Southern California or Arizona farmers markets in their ripe, sweet and crunchy khalal stage. I tasted my first fresh date a few days ago (a gift from a co-worker!) It resembled and crunched like a miniature apple and was quite delicious! If you live in Southern California or Arizona, go out and grab some while you can at your local farmer's market over the next few weeks.

Fresh Pick of the Week: Corn!

I live for corn season! It reminds me of growing up in Indiana: toward the end of each summer, the sweetest, most melt-in-your-mouth corn was available at almost every meal and available for unwrapping at the state fair. I might be biased, but I have yet to have a cob in any other part of the world quite as extraordinary as what I experienced in my hometown. Whether east, west or somewhere in the middle, I still delight at the coming of this season each summer, when a favorite grain is available at its best and for quite cheap. Grab some at the grocery or farmers market. It's great boiled, grilled (my favorite!), or you can  get creative with it. ENJOY!

Fizzy Basil Tom Collins

What a weeknight treat! These fresh, fizzy cocktails were simple to make (and even simpler to drink). Fresh basil added a new twist on an old favorite. Here's the recipe:

Fizzy Basil Tom Collins

Fresh basil, lightly muddled

1 part gin

2 parts freshly squeezed lemon juice (I had one ENORMOUS one from a friend's tree to use, and that worked too)

Fill remainder of glass with sparkling water and dash of simple syrup, honey or agave

Add ice and a sprig of basil for garnish