As you’re reading today’s post, I am winding my way home – leaving California and driving through Nevada, Arizona and Utah before reaching the Centennial State. It’s a gorgeous drive albeit 1,000 miles, giving me time to consider this memorable winter (and listen to several books-on-tape). Wednesday evening I walked over to Moonstone Beach to watch my last sunset, made even more intoxicating by a bottle of wine and this week’s FFWD recipe choice, Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts.
Sweet & Spicy Nuts
Am I the only person on the planet who does not do appetizers? When having guests for dinner, an entrée, salad, sides and dessert is manageable. Adding apps to the mix puts me over the edge. Let’s talk rationale. When I throw my heart and soul into preparing a meal, why encourage guests to fill their bellies before sitting at the table? Any votes for my logic?
What I do really, really well are Nibbles. Those also-rans who hang out in small bowls on your tables: Herbed Olives or Cheez-it-ish Crackers or Mustard Bâtons and these addictive Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts. I’ve linked to those recipes and include the nuts recipe below.
As I leave the Central Coast, here are my last takes on this gorgeous place.
1. BEST SUNSET – EIGHTY-ONE Winners. If it’s spectacular, gasp-worthy…and, free, I’m in. I caught 81 Pacific sunsets, compliments of Mother Nature, every one a stunner and breathtaking.
2. BEST WORST – This is what DROUGHT looks like. I savored each glorious, sunny day at the expense of California’s well-being. According to the World Bank, the Golden State ranks as the eighth largest economy in the world but the economic ramifications of having no water are huge.
3. BEST PARENTING – Let’s hear it for MAMA OTTERS. There are about 2,800 to 2,900 southern sea otters living in Cali’s coastal waters. Over the winter in Morro Bay I saw numerous mothers with pups. Female sea otters expend enormous amounts of energy on pup-rearing. What does Dad do? Hmmm
4. BEST FIELD TRIP – Spending a day at The MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM is a gift and an educational thrill. Located on the site of a former sardine cannery on Monterey’s famed Cannery Row, it’s marine life presented well and honorably. For years I have referred to their Seafood Watch® program for recommendations in choosing seafood caught or farmed in environmental-friendly ways.
5. BEST SUGAR SHAME – Driving on the Pacific Coast Highway en route to the aquarium, I erred and programmed my GPS destination to 47540 CA-1, the address of BIG SUR BAKERY. How did that happen?
Clara, waiting patiently for the crowd to quiet down before beginning her presentation.
6. BEST “MOONSTONE” MOMENT – Although living across from Cambria’s Moonstone Beach, I was clueless about moonstones. Knowing they were pearly white semiprecious stones consisting of alkali feldspar did not help me find any on their namesake beach. Clara, my granddaughter, is a rock hound and card-carrying member of the Inyo County Gem & Mineral Society. During a winter visit, her mother had asked her to give us a presentation on moonstones. She did. We hit the beaches the next afternoon. And, cheers to Ms. Clara, found some of those tiny beauties.
My first Moonstones
7. BEST (and, my favorites) WINERIES – The caveat here is I am not a wine connoisseur. If you visit the Paso Robles area, these are wineries worth visiting, good beginnings. So many others, so little time. In no particular order: Halter Ranch Vineyard, Grey Wolf Cellars, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Guyomar Wine Cellars, Adelaida Cellars and Opolo Vineyards.
8. BEST “TAKE ME HOME” – Linn’s of Cambria, a fine restaurant, cafe and gift store, is Olallieberry (pronounced oh-la-leh) heaven. A hybrid of a raspberry and a blackberry, “Olallie” is the Chinook Native American word for berry. Preserves. Jams. Vinaigrettes, Pies. Cookies. Vinegars. Sauces. Unique to Linn’s.
9. BEST “WHERE WERE U IN 1955” MEMORIAL
10. BEST “AHA” MOMENT – This blog began as an effort to help rebuild my Life again after too many years of sadness and grief. Writing, what I do best, became the tool to tell my story. Food, its anchor. Now, 4 years, 200 Posts and more readers than I ever imagined later, let’s call that job DONE. Channeling Eliza Doolittle, ‘I think I’ve got it.’ (Big Sigh. Deep breath. AHA.) After seriously considering dimming these Lights, I decided the future, depending upon good health, good luck and my making wise but adventurous choices, may still be worth sharing. Hopefully you’ll continue to support my ridiculous efforts to entertain, inspire and virtually feed you. A cautionary note, if I lose you, my loyal readers, I might go into relapse. Think about that.
Mama Otter, loving her Pup.
SWEET AND SPICY COCKTAIL NUTS BY Dorie Greenspan
Ample Nibbles for Six
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch cayenne
1 large egg white
2 cups nuts, whole or halves, but not small pieces, such as almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, or a mix
DIRECTIONS
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray/line it with a silicone baking mat/or use parchment paper.
2. Mix the sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Beat the egg white lightly with a fork in a larger bowl – you’re not making a meringue, just breaking up the white so that it’s liquid. Toss in the nuts. With a rubber spatula or your hands, stir to coat them with egg white. Then add the sugar-and-spice mixture and continue to stir so that the nuts are evenly covered.
3. Lift the nuts from the bowl, a small handful at a time, letting the excess egg white drip back into the bowl. Lay them on the baking sheet, separating them to lay flat. (You can run the dipped nuts against the side of the bowl to de-excess them also.) Discard whatever sugar-egg mix is left in the bowl.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the nuts are browned and the coating is dry. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the nuts to another baking sheet, a cutting board or a piece of parchment paper, break them apart, and let them cool completely. The nuts crisp as they cool.
Serving: These are good with everything from cider and beer to Champagne.
Storing: Kept covered in a dry place, the nuts will hold for about 5 days at room temperature.
French Fridays with Dorie is an international group of bloggers who are cooking their way through Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Glad you enjoyed your holiday in California – your photos are magnificent! I really liked the spiced nuts, but like you, I don’t tend to serve appetizers either.
I absolutely love today’s post! Our son is moving to SLO and I was already counting on your Cambria posts to keep me posted on the cool musings of your coastal living. ( and he and his blue mustang may be knocking at your door for non-dorm food occasionally! )
Mary, so many of my friends deeply admire how you have organized your life. You are quietly a bit of a role model for many women – please don’t stop giving us updates on the delicious, entertaining adventures of Mary Hirsch!!
P.S.
A few nibbles before dinner = appetizers. You are correct, don’t fill guests up before your luscious dinner!
What a special place that you have started to winter at each year. I love the otters. I am with you on appetizers. I try to keep them to a minimum if I have them. Usually a cheese or two and olives. Snack, snack, snack…. American’s demise.
Enjoy your drive.
Mary – I love everything about this post! And, I totally agree with you about appetizers! Whenever someone asks what they can bring, I always say, “appetizers.” To me, they’re just as much work as the main course – and, I also agree – why do you want people filling up on appetizers when you’ve prepared such a great meal. Besides, you know me, I’d rather save room for dessert!
I appreciate our conversations about blogging from how we started to where we’re going next.
Happy Easter!
xoxoxo
Happy Easter, Mary, I am glad you arrived home safely. You have no idea how I miss Tricia living next door.
It was so easy to “borrow” things. When I needed something, she would set it up on her counter and when I went
over for dog walking duty, (they walked, I watched) I would just pick up the goodies and go home, or I would deliver
something to her that she ran out of. Lots of fun and I miss that.
Mary,
I hear you are having Easter Brunch with Luky and that I am missing your arrival in Aspen by one day. And we now are back on the California coast just as you have departed. I’ve loved reading about your winter coastal experiences and wondering how many of your 81 Pacific sunsets ended with the famous “green flash”. Great nibbles recipe this week! Your comments about solo adventures were on target. See you sometime this summer. Hugs, the other Mary from Iowa….
Mary Berglund, I looked 81 times and never experienced the famous “green flash.” Maybe it’s like the Moonstones, I didn’t recognize it when I saw it. Green. Flash. Nada.
I haven’t seen you and Jim for so long. Here all Summer, playing Smokey Bear and saving the forests!
Delightful post. One food writer or diet writer said that appetizers were like having the equivalent of a grilled cheese sandwich before your dinner. So I do agree with you and I promise to reform. Little nibbles are the best…Betsy prepares these amuse bouche for us which denies any possibility of gluttony.
The other thing is, I hope you came back to Colorado with some Olallieberry jam. I am wondering how it compares to Huckleberry jam. As you may recall after a trip to Yellowstone I had to change the dessert of the menu of my last supper to huckleberry ice cream.
I can’t wait to see you Mary. Let’s go birding or something. We actually have birds here too now.
Hugs, TTR
What a great post, Mary. Even though I followed your adventures through the winter, I like the summary of the highlights. What a great adventure you had again this year. I love those cocktail nuts. They are the perfect nibble before dinner. I do always have an appetizer when we’re having guests for dinner, but never anything elaborate. Just cheese or a dip or something out of a jar I hope you made it home safe and sound. Have a great week, settling back into home.
Dear Mary, first of all I am glad that you made it home safe and sound. Then, I am thrilled to read through your lovely blog post – it is just wonderful with all those pictures. When I look at them, I feel as if we are living in really different parts of the world, both being charming places to live but so different. Yet we still share so many likes and favorite food recipes and friendship – a really nice feeling on a cold and rainy Eatser Monday. We had our annual Easter picnic yesterday, if was a tad cold and windy and not much greenery but a beautiful place to be nonetheless. We always visit an Abbey (http://abteihimmerod.de/abtei-zisterzienser-kloster-himmerod_eifel-mosel/) that I really love and then I hide all the Easter surprises in the neaby forest and then it´s all about the Egg Hunt and food.
I also share your opinion with respect to the appetizers – who needs these anyways when there is delicious nibbles such as your Cocktail Nuts (or, my personal favorite cheese crackers with seeds).
Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend and thank you so much for your lovely comment and mail – it always, always means the world to me.
Hugs and kisses,
Andrea & Co.
I enjoyed this….
When I was a wee one, my fondest desire was to be a geologist. I had these little pocket guides and would run around collecting rocks and try to figure out what they were (my mother just adored my rock collection – not). There are a lot of rocks out there. My love for geology changed to a love for archaeology. My love for archaeology turned for a love of history. And now, I chase trucks and trains and boats around for a living – which all run on fossil fuels that come from the ground. Full circle, right? Clara is a wise young lady with her love of rocks.
I hope by now you are safely tucked away in the heart of Aspen, waiting for the big thaw and preparing to take over the trails 🙂 XO
Love this post! The pictures and insights are wonderful. As you know, I travel a bit – and I can relate to the bitter-sweetness of going from one place to another. But I’m happy you are home, and soon enough, you’ll be filling your hummingbird feeders and enjoying the view from your deck! I think of you when I’m in Sedona and we have our pairs of cardinals and orioles come visit – not to mention the zillions of other birds!
I do hope you continue your blog. I know that I’m not so good about always commenting, but I always enjoy your writing, and would be sad if you decided to stop.
How did I miss this post??? I love catching up with you–you are always on the go! I am always hungry so love to serve appetizers so I don’t go into a grouchy, sarving fugue!!! Happy Friday!!! xo
No! You are not the only person on the planet who does not serve appetizers. My secret weapon is store-bought cocktail nuts. Basically the same fare one would be served when bellying up at the local bar:-) Dorie has now taught me to make my own cocktail nuts and so I will do so for very special occasions, but otherwise I continue to serve my store-bought nuts without shame!
These are one of my favorite Dorie recipes ! great job!