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Place butter, syrup and sugar in a small saucepan and place over very low heat. Warm gently until the mixture is bubbling. Remove from heat, add the flour and cinnamon, then return to the heat and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and add the rum. Stir well. Drop the batter, two teaspoons full at a time, on the parchment covered cookie sheet. Spread each one to a larger circle. The circles should be about 2 1/2-inch diameter. (Don't try to make them perfect; you wouldn't want people to think you bought them!) It is OK if it looks like there are very thin spots – almost bare – within the batter circle. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. When you remove them from the oven they will still be bubbling. Let the cookies sit on the tray for one minute. Remove the cookies with a spatula and place flat on a cooling rack. If you are doing this a day ahead, carefully stack the cookies with wax between and place in an air tight container or in a zip lock bag. At this point they are very fragile and they are susceptible to humidity.Filling
Remove three of the prettiest strawberries and set aside. Divide the remaining strawberries. Chop half of them into 1/4-inch dice. Put them in a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Slice the remaining strawberries and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon sugar and refrigerate until needed. Whip the cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until firm peaks form. Fold in the vanilla and then the diced strawberries. Cut each of the prettiest strawberries in half. Place one cookie on each plate. Top each with two tablespoons whipped cream mixture, then a few strawberry slices. Place second cookie on top and repeat with whipped cream, strawberry slices and a third cookie. Top this last cookie with a dab of whipped cream mix and one of the strawberry halves. Fresh mint would make a nice garnish if you have it. Serve.For more recipes and a glimpse of my garden, visit my Web site.
 A Home Recipe from GraceAnn Walden
I learned a lot about Iranian hospitality from Rosa. Her warmth, her cooking skills and her wicked sense of humor always made me feel good. She was like a wise older sister. We never cooked together, but she enjoyed me jabbering away about restaurants and chefs while she prepared dinner for her husband and herself. One day, she said, “You must learn the most important dish in an Iranian home: rice.” She explained that rice is the mainstay of the cuisine. If it is served as a fluffy mound it is paired with kabobs and called chello. If it is in an mélange of stew, sometimes with fruits and nuts, it is called pollo. Anyone who has dined in a Persian restaurant is familiar with the rice topped with melted butter served next to kabobs. Once you master cooking rice Persian style, it’s hard to go back to a cooker or the boil and steam method. It’s never a bit mushy or undercooked. The only downside is that you may find yourself having second or third helpings.
Yummy Seal of Approval: Ooba Sparkling Hibiscus Beverages It’s week two of Yummy’s Seal of Approval review of food products. Boy, do we have a doozey for you! The seal is clapping his fins off for Ooba Sparkling Hibiscus Beverages.
 That’s right, I’m drinking flowers.
The press release on Ooba (I even like the name) says that they are “three gently carbonated, lightly sweetened beverages as exotic and beautiful as the hibiscus flower…” Compare them to burp-producing mainstream sodas - they are a revelation. One plus is that they also provide a good supply of Vitamin C, a whisper of sodium (5 mg) and only 90 calories per serving. And most importantly, there are no artificial flavors or colors.
There are six flavors: straight hibiscus, and hibiscus with pineapple, orange, lime, vanilla and blackberry. My favorites were the hibiscus with vanilla, pineapple and blackberry. I no longer consume alcoholic beverages, but if I did I would use the lemon and lime as a mixer. The bottom line for me with this beverage line is that it’s neither overly-sweet or too carbonated, and the flavors pop out at you like a lovely hibiscus flower.
For all those reasons I am awarding Ooba beverages the Yummy Seal of Approval. Look for them in the Bay Area at Whole Foods and many natural foods grocers.
- GraceAnn
 Tools, Toys & Tips
With summer upon us, thoughts turn to grilling. I love to infuse my meat, fish and poultry with fresh herbs from my garden. The stainless steel herb grill grid is the perfect tool for that – just fil it with the herbs and place the food on top, then place it on the grill. Dishwasher safe. Regularly $30, on sale for $23.896 at Sur La Table - Susan
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Volume 1 Issue 21 
All the turmoil in Iran, which we have been following and agonizing over, made me think of the people I know locally who are Iranian. My heart goes out to them, their relatives and their native country. Because of what I do, most of the people I know in the Bay Area are in the restaurant business. But, when I lived on Telegraph Hill, I got to know an older woman by the name of Rosa Ata’i, who invited me into her kitchen. 
Au Pied de Cochon
