T
I
M
P
O
RT
E
R
(B
OT
TO
M)
In Marin / CURRENTS
Homemade Almond Joy
and Mounds Bars
YIELDS 10–11 BARS
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly packed
3 tablespoons unrefined virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
V teaspoon kosher or sea salt
10–11 roasted unsalted almonds
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or
broken into small pieces
BOOKS
Reading List
Cooked:
A Natural
History of
Transformation
by Michael Pollan,
Penguin Press, 468
pages, $27.95 . To
cook or not to cook? And how to
cook? Each option gets its own
element-related section: fire/
barbecue, water/stewing, air/bak-
ing and earth/fermentation. The
Berkeley author emphasizes the
pleasure of producing and prepar-
ing food, not just consuming it.
And the
Mountains
Echoed by
Khaled Hosseini,
Riverhead Books,
416 pages, $28.95.
A third novel from
the author of The Kite Runner. Set
in an Afghan village circa 1952,
it portrays a brother and sister’s
ordeal after the death of their
mother. Travels to Greece, France,
California and back to war-ravaged
Afghanistan. Compelling.
Mary Coin: A
Novel by Marisa
Silver, Blue Rider
Press, 322 pages,
$26.95. This poi-
gnant story ranges
from Tahlequah,
Okla., to San Francisco (and briefly
Marin) while building a fictional
profile of two women involved with
Dorothea Lange’s iconic Migrant
Mother photograph. JIM WOOD
Sweets You Don’t Have to Sweat
There’s no better way to steer your kids away from store-bought Halloween candy than to whip up a healthy homemade alternative. These vegan no-bake bars are easy and fun to concoct with the kids, and the Mounds bar recipe is great for anyone concerned about nut allergies. Check out Jackie Grandy’s blog Marin Mama Cooks for more ideas and photos of this Food52 recipe by
Kristin Rosenau. Those short on time can check out the healthy options already prepared at SweetE Organic
in Mill Valley. marinmamacooks.com; sweeteorganic.com JACKIE GRAND Y
Directions
1 In a food processor combine shredded coconut, coconut oil,
honey, vanilla extract and salt. 2 Line a small baking sheet with
parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, form balls of the mixture.
Drop balls onto baking sheet and mold each into a rectangular
shape. Press an almond on top to make an Almond Joy or leave as
is to make a Mounds bar. 3 Place the coconut rectangles in the
freezer for 15 to 30 minutes, or until solid. 4 Place the chocolate
in a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water,
stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted. Make sure to keep
the coconut bars in the freezer until then. 5 Insert a toothpick
into a coconut bar and dip into chocolate. Tap off any excess
chocolate, return bar to the parchment paper and remove the
toothpick. Repeat the process with the other remaining bars.
6 Place finished bars in the freezer for a few minutes to set.
RECIPE
FUTURE FUN If you’ve happened to catch any of AOL’s new On
Network originals, you’ll know the entertainment company is onto something, creating 15 unique miniseries, each featuring five-minute shorts
on a wide range of watch-worthy topics. October’s release features
Marin’s own Tiffany Shlain, a tech-lover whose resume includes a laundry list of accomplishments, from filmmaking to founding the Webby
Awards and cofounding the International Academy of Digital Arts and
Sciences. Her eight-episode series, The Future Starts Here, examines
humanity’s coevolution with technology — a phenomenon Shlain calls
“the participatory revolution” — and includes topics like motherhood,
robots and the creative process. Sign on and tune in to the premiere on
October 10. tiffanyshlain.com; on.aol.com CALIN VAN PARIS
