walnuts Archives - East of Eden Cooking

2017/09/042018/01/25

Pear Walnut Muffins

It’s Still Summer

“The floor of the Salinas Valley, between the ranges and below the foothills, is level because this valley used to be the bottom of a hundred-mile inlet from the sea. The river mouth at Moss landing was centuries ago the entrance to the long inland water.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The fabulous pears are from Gerlinde’s birthday party, a gift from Judy and Mark. Gerlinde gathered her friends together to celebrate a momentous date, a marker of time past and times to come. Nostalgia, a longing for the past came rushing and blowing. Straightforward, direct, reminiscent of the afternoon wind in the Salinas Valley. The only escape was to go inside, the place where introverts hide. It was a sensory thing, the winding county road, the sweetness of a summer forest in bloom, the gathering of Gerlinde’s long time friends. It arrived, settled in and took me back, I felt summer. READ MORE . . .

2015/10/082018/01/03

Betty Pretzer’s Apple Coffee Cake with Sour Cream

The season of apples and cinnamon

“The long Salinas Valley was part of the exploitation. Adam had seen and studied a fine color broadside which set forth the valley as that region which heaven unsuccessfully imitated. After reading the literature, anyone who did not want to settle in the Salinas Valley was crazy.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Way back when (I am not divulging any dates) I worked for woman who loved to bake. She was single and new to the area so all her baking adventures were shared at the office. She was fiercely independent, having taken this new job, with a new company, in a new community. One of my favorite bosses had just been promoted and she took his place. And she arrived, a feminist in a male dominated workplace. We worked at a factory and I had been able to move from the warehouse to the accounting office. It was a lateral transfer but I no longer had to wear a hardhat or alternate working day and swing shift. We got off to a rocky start. She wanted me to take accounting classes, I resisted, she insisted. In the end she won and I took the classes. READ MORE . . .

2012/02/232017/12/26

Grapefruit Cake with Olive Oil and Walnuts

A Visit to Mission Olive Oil

“And then came the holidays—Natividad, the Nativity; Nacimiente, the Birth; Soledad, the Solitude.

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

With an abundance of press swirling around the authenticity of the olive oil available for purchase at our grocery stores I was prompted to learn more about olive oil produced locally. Mission Olive Oil is located in Soledad, California, a half hour drive south from Salinas. Athena and I drove right past the olive grove on the way to Lemovaro Ranch just a few weeks earlier. We met Maria Maldonado, who with her husband own Mission Olive Oil and manage the olive grove which is located on the property of Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, or Mission Soledad. A portion of the olive harvest is returned to the Diocese of Monterey for church sacraments, while the balance is bottled for Mission Olive Oil. Once harvested, the olives are transported to Templeton for pressing and bottling. The grove of Mission Olive trees is harvested late season, usually in November which insures a smooth buttery oil suitable for cooking or baking. This small grove of Mission Olives produces a limited amount of olive oil that is sold in local grocery stores and specialty stores or directly on-line from Mission Olive Oil. READ MORE . . .

2011/12/142017/12/26

Cinnamon Rolls and Max

Simply Irresistible

“I thought I heard someone on the stoop. Probably a cat.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Warm cinnamon rolls always bring a smile at our house. Best when warm and always decadent, yet comforting. But there is no sweet that can compete with our other warm smile maker Max, our cat. When we adopted him, I hadn’t had a cat for over twenty years. Max had been a stray and was at his second post rescue home which wasn’t working out for him. He was living with five other cats and was a big bully, standing guard at the food dishes and eating the other cats’ food. At the time this boldness seemed highly unlikely. When we met Max he hid under a chair and would not come out. I found him irresistible. When his family drove him to our house; he yowled the entire drive of forty minutes. They were so worried about him they offered to take him back if he wasn’t a good fit. As soon as they left, he darted into the fireplace, brushing the screen aside and hid in the ashes with his back to us. When I tried to get him out, he dashed past me with ashes flying everywhere. Max stayed under the bed, in our bedroom, for well over two weeks before he felt safe enough to venture out. Much later, we rejoiced when he stopped slinking about and began to walk with his lovely tail pointed up in the air. When he finally hopped up in our laps we were flattered he liked us. In the beginning, Max would sit on our laps with his back to us and purr. There were signs of abuse. Turning a page in the newspaper or any loud noise startled him and sent him into hiding. Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to trust us. Max has been with us for five years and still does not like to be picked up. He will tolerate it for a very, very short time. He still is easy to startle. Max will always have food issues. He is always hungry. He has many nicknames; Colonel Momo or just Momo are used regularly. But Max has become part of our family. He greets everyone when they come home, bringing a smile at the end of a busy day. Most nights he sleeps on our bed and looks for a warm lap after his breakfast and his dinner. Max may be a bit quirky, but he is perfect just as he is. READ MORE . . .

2011/08/212017/12/26

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread with orange zest or chocolate chips!

“While Lee helped him Adam said, ‘I had a dream—very real. I dreamed about my father.’”

—East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

My father always said he didn’t care for sweets, but loved to eat them! His favorite dessert was banana nut bread. He adored bananas. My dad grew up in the “drought and depression” (that was his description). For his family sweets were something to dream about. He found bananas to be exotic and sweet and he liked them. I have tried many banana nut bread recipes, but this one is the best. The recipe was shared with my daughter by a friend who enjoys baking. Her friend loves to get up early in the morning and start baking at 5am. I am so impressed! Her family has used this recipe for several generations. She adds chocolate chips to her banana nut bread. I like to add orange zest to my bread. READ MORE . . .