Scotcheroos. Rice Krispies treats. Never appealed to me. Never had one as a kid or adult. We did not have them in our house growing up, and honestly (if you've read the Chocolate Pavlova post www.moveablefeast.me/blog/chocolate-pavlova-with-berries), you'd know that if I'd been offered one, I would have politely declined. I detested crunch, cereal, peanut butter, butterscotch, marshmallows, nuts, and cloyingly sweet treats. Just wasn't into desserts, and no, my mother did not know how this happened.

That said, am not sure of the exact date, but at some point in my mid-forties I developed a slight sweet tooth. And this Rice-Krispies-treat variant is quite addicting.

What makes this variant different from traditional Rice Krispies treats? For starters, I used Whole Foods 365 brand Everyday Value Organic Brown Rice Crisps Cereal (Kellog's makes one too), making this gluten free. Also, there's no marshmallows, butter, corn syrup (brown rice syrup was used instead), or granulated/refined sugar (maple syrup filled that role). This does not make these healthy by any stretch, sugar is sugar–but I happen to think they taste better, a little less sweet and slightly nuttier.

They make a great alternative to cupcakes for back-to-school activities, as well as adult tail-gaters and date-day matinees (they hold up well in the movie purse). Oh, and did I mention they took five minutes to make, no bake, and my BF has asked, "When are you making these again?"

[Ed. note: The BF would like to thank Mike Cosgrove and the rest of Alien Ant Farm for being such gracious hosts to me in my previous life as a writer interviewing musicians. Dig the press-advance copy of ANThology. To this day I wonder if Annie is okay.]

Adapted from: Pinch of Yum
Number of servings: 12-20 squares (depending on how small/large you cut the bars)

Ingredients

• ½ cup brown rice syrup (Lundberg brand was used here)
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 3 ¼ cups brown rice krispies (Whole Foods 365 store brand was used)
• 10-ounce bag bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces butterscotch chips 
• Flaked sea salt

Directions

1. Cut a piece of parchment paper and line the inside of a square 8 x 8 pan. There will be overhang on sides to easily lift out the scotcheroos.  Let it hang!
2. Rice Krispies Mixture: melt brown rice syrup, peanut butter and maple syrup in a large pot until a smoth mixture forms. Add a pinch of sea salt and stir in the brown rice krispies. Remove from heat and press into your prepared square 8 x 8 pan.
3. Chocolate Topping: melt chocolate and butterscotch chips gently and slowly (either in double boiler or microwave, I used the microwave). Heat at 25-second intervals and stir with rubber spatula. Do not overcook.
4. Pour chocolate over the rice krispie mixture and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.
5. Place in fridge until chocolate sets. Once set, take out at room temperature for approx 10 minutes. Hold onto sides of the parchment paper and lift out the entire square of scotcheroos.  Cut into smaller squares. 
6. NOTE: I have made this with all bittersweet chocolate chips and it's delicious. I only add a little butterscotch because my BF adores caramely things.

My people. My siblings, relatives, closest friends and of course my BF—they are my people. The people that bring me up and make me feel my very best self. God, how I love them! My siblings and relatives live in Oregon, Boston, Chicago-area and as far away as Thailand, and when any one of them visit, it's a big deal. So when my brother and sister visit, as they did this past June, it feels like all the holidays rolled into one. It's that special.

We had so much fun: doing the mundane (which I miss the most), to my sister replanting my garden and landscaping our yard, and my brother sharpening all my knives, assisting as my sous chef, and carrying robust discussions with my BF. We spent an afternoon in San Francisco walking, er, grazing: Humphry Slocombe ice cream, Hog Island Oyster Bar, Ferry Building, Ghirardelli Square, walk-away shrimp cocktail at Fisherman's Wharf, coffee at Blue Bottle, and Boudins bakery to bring back an amazing chocolate sourdough round for my BF (who was kind enough to keep our anxiety ridden pup company at home). [Ed. Note: Next time I want three.]

On their last night, the kind of bay area summer night we feel spoiled to have, we set the table out on the patio, lit the candles, and flipped on the string lights. I made this beautiful Baked Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta and served it with Semifreddi's Sour Batard, olives, and a green salad. The only change I made to the Once Upon a Chef recipe was to add chopped fennel, which goes well with Greek flavors and shrimp (and my brother really likes fennel). Dinner was on the table in 45 minutes—easy enough to prepare for a weeknight, special enough for a good-bye dinner, and it's a healthy one-pan meal that works any time of year.

Adapted from: Once Upon a Chef
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin oive oil
• ¾ cup finely chopped shallots, from about 3 shallots
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 ½ pounds extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 ounces feta cheese
• ¾  teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F, set one oven rack in the middle position and another about 5 inches underneath the broiler.
2. Heat olive oil in a wide oven-proof skillet (see note) over medium low heat. Add shallots, fennel, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown.
3. Add tomatoes with their juices, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Take skillet off the heat and arrange shrimp over the tomato sauce in an even layer. Crumble feta over the shrimp and then sprinkle with oregano.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until shrimp are pink and just cooked (cooking time will depend on size of the shrimp). Turn on broiler. Using an oven mitt, carefully transer the pan to the higher oven rack and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until feta is golden brown in spots.
6. Using an oven mitt, remove the pan from the oven. Immediately place the oven mitt or a dishtowel over the handle of the skillet because it's very easy to forget that it's burning hot (have scars to prove it).
7. Let shrimp rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with mint and serve.
8. NOTE: if you do not have an oven-proof skillet, simply transfer the tomato sauce to a 9-by-13 inch or equivalent baking dish and proceed from there.

My BF has a thing for caramely, butterscotchy tidbits and chocolate chip cookies. [Ed. Note: C is for cookie, and after proper advisement from my attorney, I submit that it is, indeed, good enough for me.] I mixed the two together and added liquor and dare I say this is the cookie, at least in our house. The butterscotch schnapps put it over the top with a toasted caramel note without it tasting boozy. Have tried this same recipe with bourbon, and it's good, real good. [Ed. Note: Hiccup.]

There are rules in our house for homemade chocolate chip cookies 1) not flat and crispy 2) not cake like 3) must be cold from the fridge 4) must be soft and chewy in the center and crispy around the edges. Some people like warm cookies out of the oven, but we like our cookies cold from the fridge.

You can eat these cookies with milk, but bourbon also works. Please designate a driver if you go this route.

Inspired by: Baked – New Frontiers In Baking

​Serving size: Makes 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a straight-edge knife)
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, soft, but cool
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ tablespoon butterscotch schnapps or bourbon (I used butterscotch schnapps here)
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces butterscotch chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and both sugars together until smooth and creamy (I used a hand mixer). Scrape down bowl, add egg and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and butterscotch schnapps and beat for 5 seconds.
4. Add half the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add remaining flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
5. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate and butterscotch chips.
6. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Use an ice cream scoop with relase mechanism to scoop out dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls. Shape the dough into perfect balls and place on prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
9. Bake for 12-14 minutes (rotating pan once halfway through), until edges of cookies are golden brown and the tops start to darken.
10. Remove from oven and place cookie sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes to rest. Then, use a spatula to transfer individual cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 
11. Note:  These cookies develop more flavor on the next day...if you can hold off that long.

"You say tomato, I say tomahto." 

September is one of those in-between cooking months. Summer is over, but it’s still hot out and the Farmers Market bins are overflowing with juicy, ripe tomatoes in myriad of colors. Autumn root vegetables have made an appearance, and I can't wait to leap into fall, but I promised my BF I would not start decorating or making anything pumpkin-related until Oct 1. [Ed. Note: It would be "All Halloween All The Time" in this house, if she could get away with it.]

This tart is a perfect end of summer meal—lunch, brunch, dinner or an even better appetizer. It's also a great way to use up all your ripe garden tomatoes in a quick and non-fussy fashion. And on muggy odd-weather weeks like we've experienced recently in the bay area (triple-digit heat followed by monsoon rain and lightning), lets be real, I don't want to bake when it's a bajillion degrees.

I have made this tart every September for the last decade with various crusts, i.e., one sheet of defrosted puff pastry, homemade rye, buckwheat, or polenta tart crust, as well as whole wheat pizza dough. This time I made it with Vicolo cornmeal pizza crust (see picture below). This is not a sponsored post, but these ready-made crusts are a godsend: freshly made, organic, all natural, no preservatives, and there are even gluten-free options. They come pre-packaged in the refrigerated section of your grocery store (Safeway, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc.), and if you like the taste and texture of cornmeal, you won't be disappointed.  

If you can't find Vicolo in your grocery store, you can substitute with one sheet of defrosted puff pastry, rolled out to a 9x13 rectangle and placed on a baking sheet. Follow the baking instructions on the box and let it cool completely, then follow the rest of my instructions for the filling and assembly.
 
Number of Servings: Approx 2-3 (per one 8-inch tart). 

Note: Ingredient list below is for one 8-inch tart, and Vicolo crusts come in packages of two. So if you want to make both you will need to double the filling amounts below.

Ingredients

• One Vicolo cornmeal pizza crust or one sheet of defrosted puff pastry
• 4 ounces  (½ cup) whole milk fresh ricotta
• 4 ounces  (½ cup) soft goat cheese, such as chèvre (room temperature)
• 3 scallions, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• ½ teaspoon finely minced jalapeno (optional)
• ½ lemon, zested (optional)
• 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil to finish
• Basil, julienned

Directions

1. Bake Vicolo Cornmeal Pizza Crust for 10-12  minutes. Cool completely. 
2. Mix ricotta, goat cheese, scallions, honey, jalapeno and lemon together until smooth. Mix in salt to taste.
3. Spread filling on bottom of the crust.
4. Add sliced tomatoes over the filling.
5. Salt and pepper the tart to taste. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with basil.

​

My BFF (since 4th grade) lives in a charmingly small Washington-state town in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. Her circa-1920s farm house is populated with every imaginable nut and fruit tree – chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, apples, cherry plums, pears, and bay. Wild blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, a summer garden, as well as a menagerie of animals (rabbits, chickens, birds, goats, cats) complete the picture.
 
The pièce de résistance is the blueberry orchard (see last photo below), with blueberries as large as grapes that, dare I say, truly taste “blue.” We recently reconnected, and I of course took the opportunity to bring home a good supply of the prize blueberries and put them to good use.
 
This sauce is the perfect compliment to pork chops, wild salmon, chicken and steak. Personally, I don’t like cloyingly sweet fruit combined with meat, but this is different as the balsamic and red wine vinegar give it just the right amount of acid to counter the richness of the protein.

By the way, this is peak salmon season in Washington and the recipe is as Pacific Northwest as they come.
 
Number of servings: 4-6
 
Ingredients

• 2 cups blueberries 
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds or juniper berries (not both, just pick one or none, this ingredient is purely optional)
• ½ cup sugar 
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup (good) balsamic vinegar
• 1 stem thyme
• 1 large shallot, finely minced
• Salt

 
 Directions

1. Place blueberries in a shallow bowl.
2. Heat the mustard seeds or juniper berries (if using), ½ cup sugar, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and 1 stem thyme in small saucepan for 3 minutes and stir until sugar dissolves. NOTE: turn your stove fan on and do not stick your face over the pan to take a whiff…the vinegar will knock you over.
3. Add minced shallots and a sprinkle of salt (to taste) and simmer 2 minutes. 
4. Strain the sauce directly over the blueberries and let sit for 15 minutes.

Gadgets. Not my thing, usually. Was a late adopter to the smart phone, slow cooker, Instant Pot, and mandoline. Still don’t own an ice cream maker, waffle iron or Ebleskiver Pan, nor do I want any.
 
That said, I took swift interest in the Spiralizer www.williams-sonoma.com/products/5965843/ and hand-held julienne peeler www.target.com/p/zyliss-julienne-peeler/-/A-16731252. They appealed to my sensibilities and food preferences, particularly pasta, and introduced the idea of substituting vegetables as a healthy, low-carb alternative.

Kids love twirling the veggie strands onto their fork like spaghetti, and even my meat-and-potatoes loving BF loves it. One of the most endearing things he has said to me was, as I served him Spiralized rutabaga noodles with beef meatballs in marinara sauce, “I don’t miss the pasta.” [Ed. Note: Still don't.]

This is so easy, it’s barely a recipe. You can use a Spiralizer, but really, for this the hand-held julienne peeler works fine. The tool itself is inexpensive and can be bought most anywhere (see photo below).  

The dish is gluten free, paleo, low carb, Whole30 friendly, and a great way to clear out your vegetable garden at the end of summer. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
 
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (I always make extra boiled eggs)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini (not the ginormous-bigger-than-your-head zucchini)
• 1 yellow squash

• 1 large parsnip, peeled
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Sprinkle of garlic powder (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper
• Optional toppings: drizzle of truffle oil, sesame seeds, sumac, Furikake seasoning

 
Directions
Soft Boiled Eggs

1. Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover them with cool tap water. Bring water to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
2. Remove eggs from saucepan and immediately place them in a bowl of cold water until they are completely cool.
3. Remove shells and set aside.
   

 
Vegetable Noodles

1. Julienne the zucchini, squash and parsnips just to the core. Do not go past that point. Julienne carrot.
2. Heat oil in large sauté pan on med-high heat.
3. Throw parsnips and carrots in pan and stir with tongs for approx. 30 seconds. Add zucchini, yellow squash and salt. Cook for approx. one minute or less. You are looking for the veggies to be cooked, but not mushy.
4. Divide between two plates and make a “nest” in the middle of the noodles. 
5. Cut the upper top part off of the soft boiled egg (so you can see the yolk). Place soft-boiled egg snugly in the veggie nest and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper,  additional salt  and optional toppings as desired.