End of Summer Treats

Behold a sassy jalapeño margarita, padrone peppers with pancetta, and an heirloom tomato salad with figs, arugula and feta. Thanks, Healdsburg Bar and Grill!

What are your favorite foods to eat during Indian summer?

How To: Slicing Citrus Supremes

With this cold getting me down, I've been trying to hit the citrus and vitamin C with full force. Then I found my knife bag after 8 months of neglect and decided to see where my knife skills were at. But mostly I wanted vitamin C.

I recommend a mix of citrus for a sassier salad. I have grapefruit, naval oranges, and blood oranges. This is the best time for all of them (but sadly, I hear they're not doing so hot in California).

First, slice off the top and bottom where the stems are so you have a flat bottom to rest the fruit on. It gets slippery, so always cut away from yourself. Then start from the top and shave off the rind- it will mean cutting in a curve with a gentle sawing motion. It is best to do this in eighths or even tenths. If you are losing too much meat, then shave a smaller portion. See picture below for a better idea.

Holding the fruit in your hand, VERY carefully slice between either side of the membrane, removing only the juiciest flesh. Go slowly and carefully. And make sure your knife is very sharp. You can hold the fruit in a towel if you're nervous it will slip. (Sorry, I had to photograph this one-handed.)

The cut-out membranes will start to make a little accordion, just keep going. This is crucial French pastry technique. Your friends will think you're fancy!

When you are all finished slicing all the fruit, don't forget to squeeze all the juice out of the little accordion left over. It's the best part, and you will not need to add even a granule of sugar to the mix.

Enjoy, and laugh in the face of colds and flus.

My First Hostess Fruit Pie

After making my Omnivore's 100 list, I was surprised to find a few of my never-tried-it foods to be good old American standards found at any grocery store. 

"I can not believe you've never had a Hostess Fruit Pie," my best friend, Mitch, said to me when I told her about the list. "But you've eaten dog. A Hostess Fruit Pie is actually good."

So last weekend during my Target run, I grabbed a few of those new things to try. I've never been snobby at all in regards to food- in fact, I have a weakness for junk food.

For my first time, I went the classic route and got cherry, though I'm more of an apple pie kind of girl. I had always thought these things had a shelf life of years, so it was a surprise to see a sell-by date (of less than 2 weeks from the purchase)!

Was it supposed to be eaten warm or cold? Served with a glass of milk or a nightcap? I needed more advice.

According to Mitch, everyone does something different, but her routine was to have it for breakfast, cold (she was very specific about that), and with a cup of hot tea. So I did.

Surprisingly satisfying! Especially because I'm in a fragile state while I heal, it felt nice to cross something off a list while I am so physically limited (I'd love to eat all hundred for my 35 by 35, but the fugu and kaolin are going to be tall orders to fill).

And now I feel like I accomplished something this week!