Vanilla Milk Stout - Part 1

After the relative success of my first brewing experience, I decided (perhaps naively) that I now had enough know-how to brew an all-grain batch of beer.  For those of you not familiar with brewing, beer is, in its simplest form, water, hops, and malt.  The easiest way to make your own beer is by using malt extract in either dry or liquid goo form.  The gourmet way, giving you the most control over flavor/sugar content/alcohol content/consistency/etc., is to make the malt yourself by soaking pounds and pounds of malts and grains in hot water.  This requires not only experience (of which I have little) but it also requires a piece of equipment known as a mash tun.  The crafty home brewer can build one out of a cooler which, as you can see by the image below, is what I did.  Here is just one of many instructions for building a mash tun.

Now equipped with all the necessary equipment, I have brewed a batch of Vanilla Milk Stout.  It smelled incredible while I was brewing it (and for several days later).  So I have high hopes for how it will turn out.  If successful, I will post an update, complete with recipe for anyone willing to try some all-grain brewing themselves.

While I may have to wait a month or two for the stout to finish, I'll grab another nearby drink and toast to all of you.
Gambe!

Mulberry Lemon Bars

As I mentioned in my last post, there are many opportunities in our town to forage for a variety of food items.  And the other day, some friends of ours invited us out to collect mulberries along a serene walking trail that runs through town.  And while I think we were invited mainly so they could borrow my height to reach the top tier of berries, at the end of the evening we had a great time, stained hands, and a bowl full of ripe, deep-purple mulberries.

Now I was forced into the uncomfortable position of what to do with these fresh delicacies.  I could freeze them, make jam, or throw them over cereal, but that wasn't filling my need to make the most out of all our hard work.  But you know what would... a kicked up lemon bar recipe.  Besides that, my wife LOVES lemon bars, so the bonus points wouldn't hurt either.

Unlike with most berries, you don't need to worry about the stems when you're putting mulberries in this type of recipe.  They don't pop off like they will with most berries and they will soften during the cooking process to the point that you won't even know that they are there.

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Here's what you'll need for the crust...
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

... and for the filling...
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4-5 lemons
1 cup mulberries
 powdered sugar for dusting

If your butter is refrigerated, set it out and let it come up to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350˙F.

Once the butter is soft, cream the crust ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined.  Press the dough into an ungreased 13x9x2 pan.  Bake until just firm and lightly golden; about 15-20 minutes.

While the crust bakes, combine 2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder in another medium bowl.  Zest the lemons, adding the zest to the dry ingredients.  Juice the lemons into a measuring cup until you have 1 cup of lemon juice.  Pour the juice through a strainer or cheesecloth into the dry ingredients, ensuring that the strainer/cheesecloth catches all of the lemon seeds.  Then add the eggs and mulberries and mix well until the ingredients are combined and the juice from the berries turns the mix a light purple.

Once the crust has finished baking, pour the lemon mixture on top of the crust.  Put it back in the oven and bake until the top starts to brown ever so slightly; about 20-25 minutes.

Let the bars cool on a wire rack.  Once cool, dust with powdered sugar through a sifter.  Then cut and serve.

These bars are bright, tangy, and slightly addicting.  They are also a great way to use up some berries, whether you gathered them from a secret wooded spot or from your local farmer's market.

Gambe!

Garden of Eatin'

Last week, my daughter and I went to Wisconsin to help my parents move into a new farmhouse and finish planting seedlings for their new produce sales business, Richards' Family Farm Market.  They both recently retired and I can't think of a better way for them to spend their retirement.

It had been a while since I got behind the wheel of a tractor.  It felt good to get in the dirt.  And Elaina loved her first planting experience.  She insisted on walking through the dirt with her shoes off.  She also got to see the neighboring dairy cows on a daily basis and even got to welcome a trio of baby goats into the world.

When we got back, I finally had the time and motivation I needed to get my own backyard garden planted.  And while I think I lost a couple of pepper plants to the heat, the garden is planted and looking good.  Here's what we get to look forward to this summer --

• Jalapeño peppers
• Red Chili peppers
• Red Bell peppers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Roma tomatoes
• Purple Heirloom tomatoes
• Early Girl tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Honey Dew melon
• Watermelon
• Blueberries
• Raspberries

We have also found local spots to gather Mulberries, Raspberries, Pears, and Persimmon.

It's not quite as bountiful as Grandma and Papa's vegetable garden, but I look forward to playing around with our fresh produce, and bringing the "fruit" of my labor to you.

Gambe!

Lichi Kombucha

Kombucha is one of the oddest beverages I have ever encountered.  A friend of mine introduced this tangy, effervescent tea to me a few years ago on his on-going quest to become the healthiest person in the world.

Sold at most health food stores and select grocery stores, G.T.'s Kombucha tips the scales on the tangy, almost vinegary, side of the Kombucha taste scale.  After I drank my first bottle, I was sure I would never have another drink.  But half way through my day I realized that I felt amazing.  I was a beam of sunshine, annoying others with my cheerfulness.  Now admittedly, this is strictly a single anecdotal account.  I prefer to remain skeptical of any claims of panacea.  But it was enough to keep me drinking it.  And the more I drank, the more I found the tart, fizzy tea refreshing and tasty.

So now, years later, another friend offered me a Kombucha mushroom or SCOBY.  With it I could now brew my own Kombucha for pennies on the dollar.  I also discovered that Kombucha doesn't need to be as vinegary as the store-bought product I had grown accustom to.  In fact, it can be mellow and sweet, not far off from a traditional tea.

If you don't have a generous, Kombucha-brewing friend like I have, you can still make your own.  You just have to grow your own SCOBY, which is no more involved than making a batch of Kombucha.  Check out a set of instructions I found at the blog Little Miss Cruciferous.

So now you have your mushroom and you are daring enough to not only try Kombucha, but make it yourself.  Let's do this!

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Here's what you'll need...
1 Kombucha mushroom
2 cups "Starter Tea" from the previous batch
5 grams loose leaf Lichi tea (you can use any loose black or green tea you wish, or 5-6 tea bags)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 quarts filtered or distilled water
white distilled vinegar (for sanitizing equipment)

You'll also need cheesecloth or a tea ball, paper towel, a rubber band, and a large container, at least 1 gallon.  The wider the container is, the better the brew will taste.

Clean the container and any utensils you plan on using by rinsing with vinegar.  Don't use soap, bleach, or tap water as it can kill your SCOBY.

If you are using loose leaf tea, wrap it up in cheesecloth or put it in a tea ball.  Bring your water to a boil.  Do not over boil or you'll boil out all of the elements (Oxygen and CO2) that the fermentation process needs.

Put in the sugar and stir until it is well dissolved.  Remove from the heat.  Add your tea and let it steep for 5-10 minutes.  Remove the tea ball and let the tea cool to room temperature.  If you don't let it cool, you'll kill the SCOBY.

Pour the tea into your fermenting container.  Add the starter tea.  If your last batch was sweet and not sour, then add a tablespoon of white distilled vinegar to prevent mold.  Add the SCOBY mushroom.  Place a paper towel over the top of the container and hold in place with a rubber band.

Put the container in a warm place to be undisturbed for 7-14 days.  The longer you leave the tea, the more sour it will get.  So first timers may want to drink it after 7 days.  Tang-junkies like myself will want to leave it for the full 14+ days for their brew.

Now you will find that there is a thick, white, slimy growth on top of your tea.  This is the new SCOBY!  You now have two Kombucha mushrooms.  You can either make a double batch next time or give one to a friend.  They make really bizarre Christmas gifts.  Finally, an answer to what do you get for the person who has everything.

Place one of the SCOBYs in a jar with two cups of your freshly made Kombucha.  This will be the starter tea for your next batch.  Don't put this in the fridge or guess what.... you will kill the SCOBY.

After your long wait you can now enjoy some homemade Kombucha.  So if you can take the tang....

Gambe!

Saturday Morning Crepes

Lazy Saturday mornings are the best.  Even better, homemade breakfast with the family.  These crepes are easy and you can make the batter the night before.  Add Nutella and strawberries... now we're talking.

The crepe batter sets up best if you let it rest over night so the bubbles can settle and your crepes are a good consistency.  This is a full recipe and it makes quite a few crepes, so halving might work just as well and is easy to do.

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Batter:
1 c all purpose flour
1 T sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 C skim milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Just mix the ingredients.  Voila... crepes!  The pictures show the batter just mixed, and then after it rests over night.  You might have to stir the batter lightly to recombine everything like I did this morning.  This recipe, of course, is for a sweet crepe.  But the batter is the same if you want to make a savory crepe.  Fillings could include mushrooms, spinach, chicken, cheese, etc.  You could even add dried or fresh herbs to the batter.

This batter needs to be stirred a little

Making the crepes is as easy as making pancakes.  Heat a pan and OIL IT!  Even if you have the best nonstick pan, it will stick!  You don't need a lot of oil.  I just get the tips of a brush wet and brush the entire pan.  Out of habit, I have used a 10" pan, so our crepes are a little thicker than traditional crepes.  Ours turn out the size of a taco tortilla.  ("Real" crepes are bigger than that, but use the same batter, so much thinner.)  Cooking the crepes goes quick, so make sure you have all your gear ready to go.  Drop about 1/4 cup of batter in the center of the pan, then tilt the pan in all directions so the batter covers the entire flat of the pan, but not the walls.  You will flip the crepe after about a minute.  It won't bubble like a pancake; if it does, it's probably too brown.  The color you are looking for is slightly browned... almost like champagne.   Which, by the way, would be great with these.  I think a pointed, rubber spatula works the best.  You want to go around the entire edge of the crepe to loosen it, then all the way under to flip it.  It will take a few trials to get the swirling, timing, and flipping so the crepes are about the same consistency.

Once you have your stack of warm crepes, it's time to fill them.  (I usually stack the crepes on a plate with a warm, damp towel over them to keep them warm and prevent them from drying out.)  We have always filled these sweet crepes with Nutella and added our favorite fruit.  Megan had the great idea of combing the Nutella with equal parts Greek yogurt.  It cuts the sweetness slightly, and adds a little tang (plus protein).  Since our crepes are a little on the smaller, thicker side, we put the spread in the middle and rolled it once like a taco.  With larger ones, you can tri-fold it into a triangle, or roll it and close the ends like a burrito.  That's it.  Serve with hot coffee or some bubbly!

Good for babies, too.

Japanese Shrimp Curry

Japanese curry is a cool variation on Thai or Indian curries.  It reminds me more of an American stew in terms of consistency and serving style.  I was introduced to Japanese curry by a few Hawaiian friends in exchange for introducing them to sledding.

One of the great things about this curry is that you can throw just about anything into it and it turns out fantastic, so feel free to experiment.  And what makes it so easy is S&B Golden Curry.  It is a bullion that dissolves into the water and boom, instant curry.

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Here's what you'll need...
1 - 3.5 ounce package S&B Golden Curry
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound raw shrimp, medium
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
4 ounces fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil

 

Prep work: Chop the onion and celery.  Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2" chunks.  Cut the tomatoes in half.

If the shrimp are frozen, defrost them by running them under cold water.  Peel them and devein them if necessary.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Once hot, add the onion and celery and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent; about 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes and the water and raise the temperature to high.  Once it comes to a boil, reduce the temperature back to medium and simmer the potatoes until fork tender; about 20 minutes.

Add the curry bullion and stir until the curry has fully dissolved.  Add the shrimp, mushrooms, and tomatoes and continue cooking until the shrimp turn pink and are fully cooked; about 4 minutes.

Serve over a hearty bed of jasmine or basmati rice.

Gambe!

Chicken Pad Thai

Like most of my cooking adventures, this one begins with something I tasted at a restaurant and decided I couldn't live without.  It's not the first time and it won't be the last time that I profess my love for a Thai restaurant in Calumet City, IL... Siam Marina.  While it wasn't the first place that I tried Pad Thai, it was where I first discovered how incredible it could taste.  So if you're ever in Calumet City, drive around to the back of the River Oaks Mall.  Everything on the menu is explosively flavorful.

But since I no longer live in the Midwest, I rarely pass through.  And no other Thai restaurant that I have visited has come close to Siam Marina's Pad Thai.  So I am begrudgingly forced to figure out for myself how to make a reasonable facsimile of their tremendous culinary accomplishment.

I've based this recipe on a version by Mark Bittman.  And I'll say it every time I post a stir fry recipe, the key is making sure ALL of your prep work is done.  Stir frying is hot and fast and you need to be able to just throw stuff in, stir for a minute, then throw the next set in.

Also, Tamarind paste is very hard to find if you don't have an Asian market nearby.  I found some at a health food store for this round of cooking, but I also buy it at www.buyasianfoods.com.

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Here's what you'll need...

8 ounces wide rice stick noodles

4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

5 tablespoons tamarind paste

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 eggs

1 small head Napa cabbage or purple cabbage, thinly sliced

2 cups bean sprouts

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (omit for a vegetarian version)

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1 carrot, peeled and finely grated

small bunch cilantro, chopped

2 limes, quartered

Prep your vegetables.  Chop the scallions and mince the garlic and place in a small bowl.  Thinly slice the cabbage and place in a separate bowl along with 1 cup of the bean sprouts.  Peel and finely shred the carrot and place in a third bowl, and chop the cilantro and place in a fourth small bowl.

Put about 5-6 cups of water into a tea kettle over high heat and let it come to a boil.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil.  Butterfly the chicken breast by running a knife through the middle of the breast, parallel to the counter, and cut until there is still a seam running down the side.  Open the chicken like a book.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot skillet and sauté on each side until cooked through; about 4 minutes per side.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside to rest.

While the chicken rests, put the rice noodles in a bowl with the boiling water and let it sit until the noodles are tender but not mushy; about 6 minutes.  After a minute, give it a good stir to ensure that noodles aren't sticking together.  Chop the chicken into small cubes.  Once the noodles are ready, drain them and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Toss with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to prevent sticking.

In a medium saucepan, combine the tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and red chili flakes and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Once it comes to a simmer, remove from heat and set aside.

In a large wok, pour in the remaining two tablespoons of peanut oil and put over medium-high heat.  Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the scallions and the garlic.  Cook until fragrant; about 1 minute.  Crack the eggs and add them to the wok.  Let them cook until the bottoms start to set; about 1 minute.  Then scramble them with a wooden spoon.

Once the eggs are almost cooked, add the cabbage and 1 cup of bean sprouts.  Stir well and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt; about 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken, noodles, and sauce to the wok.  Stir until everything is well combined and the noodles become warm.  Remove from heat.

Garnish with peanuts, carrots, cilantro, fresh bean sprouts, and lime wedges.

Gambe!

Cinnamon Apple Pie

For about a year and a half now, I have been on a mission to learn how to make, from scratch, everything that I know and like.  If I enjoy eating it, I want to be able to make it myself.  And with the completion of a few major projects, including the film I've been making for two years now, I have been able to jump back into my cooking.  I decided that next on my list of "from scratch" dishes to learn was apple pie.  After some trial, error, and a belly full of mistakes, I've found my quint-essential American classic.

The crust recipe is adapted from Alton Brown.  Really the only difference between his and mine is that I don't par-bake or "blind bake" my bottom crust.  As a warning, the same thing that makes the crust so good also makes it a PAIN-IN-THE-BUTT to roll into a nice looking crust.  I took four stabs at my most recent one before getting it to cover the bottom of the pie plate.  I don't know, maybe I'm just a pie crust idiot and none of you will have any problems.  But rest assured, even if you do have issues rolling, your patience will pay off as it is the best pie crust I have ever had.

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Here's what you'll need for the crust...
12 tablespoons cold butter
4 tablespoons cold lard
2 cup + more for rolling all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine kosher salt or table salt
about 4 tablespoons water

... for the filling...
3 Granny Smith apples
3 Honey Crisp or Pink Lady apples
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water

(Note: I know that I don't have 3 Granny Smiths and 3 Honey Crisps in the picture.  I put in what I had.  But not having the Granny Smith left the pie not quite tart enough.)

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and mix well.  Cut the butter and lard into small pieces and mix into the flour until the majority of the dough is coarse and mealy with large chunks of flour covered fat throughout.

Add water and mix, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough will hold it's shape when pressed together in your hand.

Evenly distribute the dough into two 1 gallon freezer bags and zip shut.  Squeeze the dough into tight balls, then flatten them slightly.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  DON'T SKIP THIS or you won't be able to roll it into anything.

While the dough chills, peel your apples and cut them into 1/4" slices.

After the dough has chilled, open one of the bags and flour both sides of the dough, but don't remove the dough.  Through the plastic, roll the dough into an 10" - 11" crust.  Remove the crust from the bag and place in your pie plate.  Trim any excess, leaving an inch or more to pinch with the top crust.  (Note: I did not leave enough hanging over in the image below.  Leave more than that if you can.)

Preheat the oven to 425˙F.

Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Once, melted add the apples into the pot and saute until warm; about 2-3 minutes.  Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and clove and stir until completely combined.  Remove from heat and let it cool completely.  You can throw it in the fridge if you like.

While your apples cool to room temperature, roll out your second pie crust just as before.

Once the apples have cooled, dump them into the pie crust, mounding them higher in the center.  Move them around a bit to make sure that they settle in densely.  Lay the second pie crust on top of the apples and pinch the edges of the two crusts together.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg together with 2 tablespoons of water.  Brush the egg wash on the top of the crust until it is all covered.  You won't use all of the egg, don't worry if you have egg wash left over.  Just throw out what you didn't use.  Cut about 6 - 2" slits into the crust to allow the steam to escape (otherwise you will end up with a balloon instead of a pie).  Place the pie on top of a cookie sheet or baking tray to catch any overflowing apple goo.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375˙F.  Put it all in the oven on the middle rack towards the front and bake until the top just starts to lightly brown; about 15-20 minutes.  Rotate the pie 180˙ in the oven and move from the front edge to the back of the oven.  Bake until the top is uniformly brown; another 15-20 minutes.

Let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes before serving to let the filling thicken up.

I couldn't resist putting the pie in the window to cool.  And apparently my daughter couldn't resist trying to get her little mitts on it before it was ready.

Gambe!