Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Inspired by my bounty from Tony Inzana's farmers' market booth, I decided to make a traditional Torta Di Nocciole Piemontese , a hazelnut cake from the Piedmont region of Italy. 1 T baking powder 3 eggs, separated 1 C organic granulated sugar 8 T melted butter 1 3/4 C white whole wheat flour 2 C raw hazelnuts, chopped 4 T milk 1 T pure vanilla extract 1/2 t anise seeds Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the baking powder with the egg yolks. Fold in the melted butter, then add the sugar, flour, hazelnuts, anise seeds, and milk.  The batter will be very thick.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until thick and stiff. Gently fold the whites and vanilla into the batter. Pour the batter into a buttered round pan. Place in oven and bake between 35-45 minutes until cake is lightly browned. Serve with a cordial of Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) while still warm.

Also at the Marina farmer's market this afternoon: Tony Inzana of Inzana Ranch & Produce out of Hughson.  I have no idea where Hughson is, but given the 209 area code, I'm guessing he and his nuts are from the central valley. Riley walked up to the booth and, to my horror, stuck both hands into a bin of hazelnuts, rustling the nuts and rolling them in his fingers.  I had flashbacks to my first time at a market in Rome when I realized that you do not select your own produce; you tell the vendor how much you want and he or she selects for you.  Whoops.  Thankfully, the woman realized I was a foreigner and apt to make a major market faux pas.  We later became friendly as I frequented that market on a daily basis while getting groceries for the Nuzzo family. A quick glance at the man in the apron assured me that he wasn't bothered by Riley's hands in his goods.  So, I smiled at the man, walked over there and started talking to Riley about the nuts. ...