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Continuing Adventures in Fermentation
August 14, 2008 | permalink
I bottled the Buckwheat Mead on Sunday. It turned out to be, if I do say so myself, delicious. Actually, I don't need to just say so myself; I had some of my crew over the other night and served them some, and the feedback was extremely positive. Which is good, because there is a lot of it.
I intended to make bread tonight, but as I was wandering around the grocery store wondering what I was forgetting, I had a better idea. You see, Gentle Readers, it has been so long since the closet was void of something fermenting that it just didn't feel right. So I got a couple of gallons of cider and set about making some apple wine.
The process is even simpler than the mead; all you really have to do is add yeast to the cider and let it do it's thing. It took longer to sterilize the equipment than it did to get it going. Which is, you know, pretty awesome. Don't get me wrong; I really like the process of brewing, and making beer, even without drinking it, is something I find deeply satisfying. But I am getting a kick out of how easy mead and apple wine are to make. There is a lot of payoff for little effort.
Oh, I should clarify; I am not making a carbonated Woodchuck-like hard cider here, but a true apple wine. It will be flat, and according to my preliminary hydrometer readings, ought to end up at about 11 - 12% alcohol by volume. Not as strong as the last batch of mead, which ended up at about 15%, but a perfectly respectable beverage nonetheless. And, since it is starting with much less sugar in it than the Buckwheat Mead did, I expect it will also be a lot drier and also finish a little quicker; perhaps three weeks or so.
Rest assured that I will keep you updated...
Posted in Food and Drink(1) Comments
Turn On Me
August 1, 2008 | permalink
The first stage of fermentation of the (not-quite-yet-but-soon-to-be) Buckwheat Mead is complete; I moved have it out of the primary fermenter and into the glass carboy, where it will continue it's transformation.
In the strictest sense, this isn't necessary. Fermentation would continue if it was left in the primary container, and I would still end up with a good mead. However, transferring to a new, clean vessel allows one to leave behind the dead yeast and other solid by products that have accumulated thus far, and will leave you with a clearer end product, in terms of both visual clarity and taste. It also stirs everything up, and so in effect 'nudges' the yeast (which is slowing down at this point) into a second round of high activity. Additionally, it frees up the primary for the next batch of whatever you are making, which is important if you are doing your brewing in a small New York apartment like I am. And, of course, it creates a good opportunity to taste the mead in-progress.
And what did it taste like, you ask?
When the must was sealed into the primary, it was god-awful sweet, the kind of sweet that makes your teeth vibrate and your eyeballs itch, and totally overpowers any other flavor that might be present; in other words, completely undrinkable. Now, however, I would say about three-quarters of that sweetness has become alcohol. It is still sweet, but not unpleasantly so, and it is currently about as strong, alcohol-wise, as the test batches I made earlier this year, and it still has a bit to go before it is done. The flavor is emerging from behind the sweetness as well; it has these dark, bitter, molasses-y tones that are really interesting. I can't wait to see how the finished mead turns out.
Posted in Food and Drink & The Home Front(0) Comments
Honey-Wine
July 7, 2008 | permalink
Earlier in the year, I made a couple of small test batches of mead. Mead, if you are not familiar with it, is honey-wine, very old and very simple; in its base form, it consists of only honey, water, and yeast. I made a gallon of mead with clover honey, and another with orange blossom honey. They were delicious.
Both came out light and (unsurprisingly) a little sweet, but also crisp. There was a champagne-like quality about them, which was made more prevalent by the fact that both batches were slightly carbonated. Which was not certainly not a problem, but also not my intention; I bottled them both just a touch too soon, with the yeast still active. Oh, and did I mention that it's really strong? Stronger than wine, certainly. I neglected to take any measurements, so I can't know for sure exactly what proof it ended up, but it's strong enough to warm you as it goes down, and two glasses is enough to make me pretty tipsy. If I had to guess, I would put it at 18 or 20 percent.
This past week, having successfully done my trial runs, I started a big batch- 4 gallons. Which, for your reference, ought to yield me about 18 wine bottles worth of mead. I am quite excited.
I made it with buckwheat honey. I don't know if you have ever had it; it is very sweet, dark, and full of flavor. Imagine an equal mix of clover honey and dark molasses and you have it about right. It ought to end up giving me a very dark, rich, and seriously strong mead. Sort of the stout of meads, I would think.
I know what you are thinking, Gentle Readers. You are wondering how you can get your hands on some of this elixir. The truth is, at it's base, mead is really simple, and you probably have nearly everything you need in your house to make a gallon of mead right now. The batches I have made, including this last big batch, all follow the same basic recipe- combine 3 parts water to 1 part honey, add yeast, and let it sit and ferment for 6 weeks or so. It is a little more complicated in practice- everything needs to be sterile and handled right, so you don't end up growing a giant mold colony- but only a little, and certainly doable in your kitchen.
If anyone is interested, I will post detailed directions for making a batch yourself. And I will certainly let you know how this batch turns out. I should be able to taste it somewhere near the end of August....
Posted in Food and Drink & The Home Front(0) Comments
Black Bread (of the Sea)
May 23, 2008 | permalink
I recently (okay, maybe recently is a stretch... let's try, In the not too distant past) became obsessed with the idea of making a black bread. Not a traditional pumpernickel or anything simple that I could easily look up and learn from others; that just wouldn't be my style. I wanted to make it black by dyeing it with squid ink.
It was interesting, no doubt about it. It turned out very black, and the egg I brushed on, combined with the black salt, gave it a nice sheen. The picture is crap, and shows neither of those things, so I am afraid you will just have to take my word for it. The flavor... well, that was interesting too. A little fishy. No, not quite fishy. Ocean-y, maybe, is a better description. It wasn't overpowering, but even so, this is not a toasted-with-butter-and-jam kind of bread. But served with a cream soup, or a chowder, or hollowed out and used as a bread bowl for some kind of dip? Oh yeah. It would be excellent for that. You really should give it a try, Gentle Readers.
You can get cuttlefish ink at Despaña. I got the black salt at Williams Sonoma.
Also, be aware that the cuttlefish ink will stain, so don't mix this up in your favorite wooden bowl; I recommend glass.
Black Bread of the Sea
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Honey
- 1 Package Active Dry Yeast
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
- 2 Packets of Cuttlefish Ink (4 Grams Each)
- 3 - 4 Cups Flour
- The White of One Egg, beaten with a little Water
- Coarse Black Salt
Dissolve the honey in the warm water. Add the yeast and let stand for ten minutes, until nice and yeasty smelling. Whisk in one cup of flour, the salt, and the cuttlefish ink. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Turn out on a floured surface and knead, adding flour by the tablespoon as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a buttered bowl loosely covered in a warm place and let rise until doubled, which ought to be about an hour.
Turn the dough out on your floured work surface and knead until it is once again a firm dough. Allow it to rise for about an hour in the open air on a buttered stone or baking sheet for a round loaf, or in a loaf pan for something more, well, loaf like.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Just before putting the bread in the oven, brush with the egg white, sprinkle liberally with the black salt, and slit the top with a sharp knife. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Posted in Food and Drink & Recipes(3) Comments
Green Green Grass of Home
May 19, 2008 | permalink
Most of what I have been doing these last few months while I haven't been writing has revolved around making more of what I consume from its base ingredients. One of the things I have done do help me achieve this is to start a tomato and herb garden at home. It is, as you can see in the photo, thriving.
Some of it (the rosemary and the lemon verbena) are growing in earth in pots, but most of it is in an Aerogarden, which, if you are not familiar, is a small hydroponic system. It is pretty cool, I must say, and deeply satisfying to see the herbs grow. They grow quickly, too... It's been not quite six weeks since I got it, and you can see how far it's progressed.
There are some who may ask, 'My calamitous friend, isn't using some machine to grow your herbs sort of counter to the idea of making things for yourself?' Well, I did think about that. And what I decided was that I am not against technology in general, or using it to do things better- that is what it is for, after all. The garden uses little electricity, the plants produce oxygen as well as feeding me, and, since I am realistically going to be gone for days or a week or more with little or no notice (not yet being independently wealthy), the Aerogarden allows me to grow things that I might not otherwise be able to keep alive.
On top of that, it's just damn cool.
Posted in Food and Drink & The Home Front(3) Comments
24 Hours at Le Mans
April 1, 2007 | permalink
I've been reading a book called Candy Freak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America. It was written by the suitably named Steve Almond (who, it becomes clear, is the Candy Freak of the title), and weaves the story of his obsession with chocolate and candy with the history of the candy industry in the United States and the state of the industry today.
It is fascinating stuff, and well written- I have laughed out loud more than once. But I can only read it in very small chunks, so it is taking me a while to get through. The chief problem is that nearly everything the man talks about is something tasty to eat. If he is not writing about something edible, then it is about some machine or process that makes something edible. I have more than once found myself literally salivating while I read, and all I want when I put the book down is something sweet and chocolaty. The longer I read, the worse the urges become. I think if I tried to read too much all at once I would send myself into some kind of hyper-glycemic fit.
The other thing that keeps me reading in small doses is a little embarrassing, but for you, Gentle Readers, I will bare all. I feel a little dirty, reading it, and don't want anyone to see the expressions that are surely playing across my face as I read. You see, when Mr. Almond describes himself as a candy freak, he's not kidding. The descriptions of the candies and chocolates are almost pornographic. And I am surely his target audience- he is, if you will pardon the expression, hitting all the right spots- I am sure anyone watching me read would agree. Here is a passage, so that you can judge for yourself:
My friend had no such compunction [about opening them]. She unwrapped the [Five Star] Caramel Bar and took a bite. It was clear, simply from the way her mouth addressed the bar, that we were dealing with a different grade of freak. Her bite was smooth and concerted- there was obvious density at play here- though interrupted by two muted snaps, both of which caused her a quarter-moment of anguish, followed by a twinge of delight, registered as a flushing on her cheeks. She moaned. It was a lovely thing to hear.
Or this one, about a Caravelle candy bar:
More so, there was a sense of the piece yielding to the mouth. By which I mean, one had to work the teeth through the sturdy chocolate shell, which gave way with a distinct , moist snap, though the crisped rice (thus releasing a second, grainy bouquet), and only then into the soft caramel core. O, that initimable combination of textures! That symphony of flavors! And how they offered themselves to the heat and wetness of the mouth- the sensation of the crisped rice drenched in melted chocolate, chomped my the molars into the creamy swirl of caramel. Woe and pity unto thee who never tasted this bar!
You see? The whole book is like that. If that's not mouth-porn, then I don't know what is.
Posted in Food and DrinkStealing My Heart
November 28, 2006 | permalink
Sunday I had brunch at Max Brenner's, on Broadway just below Union Square. Gentle Readers, you need to get yourselves there and give this place a try. It was fantastic.
Now, I don't say fantastic just because nearly everything on the menu comes with some kind of chocolate in or on it, though that is surely reason enough. It was just all so damned good. I had what's called Max Brenner's Favorite Breakfast- eggs, cream cheese, and ham poached together in a little beaker, served with strips of baguette for dipping, and butter, chocolate paste, and peanut butter on the side, in case you wanted to add another flavor into the mix. Very tasty, as was the Chocolate Chai Tea that I had along with it. I can't wait to go back- there were a couple of other things on the menu I wanted to try, most notably the Peanut Butter Brioche French Toast.
Would you think less of me if I admitted that writing this made me salivate? Because it did.
Posted in Around New York & Food and Drink(0) Comments
If Things Were Perfect
November 17, 2006 | permalink
I can't believe that Thanksgiving is just next week. I swear it was six weeks away the last time I thought about it... and that only seems like a week ago, to me. I guess that's what happens when you get busy; the time just slips past. Though it seems to me that as I get older time slips past faster and faster. My theory is that this effect is a combination of encountering fewer new things (which catch your attention and break up the flow of routine), and the fact that each year is a smaller and smaller proportion of your life as you age, and so is allocated less and less of your brain power. That might all be a crock, but it makes sense to me.
Anyway, Thanksgiving-
I'm headed up to my Mother's place this year, with The Star and Rockette. We're leaving Wednesday afternoon, which is a little bit of a bummer, as it means I will miss the Wednesday Before Thanksgiving Gathering at the Edge Bar for the first time in years. The WBTG got started something like twelve years ago because The Director needed an event to take a date to. The girl is long gone, but the gathering still draws a good crowd. It's all people from our Off-Broadway days at the Public and the New York Theatre Workshop, people that I don't get to see very often anymore. Beer and darts- what could be more fun?
Despite missing the gathering, I'm looking forward to going upstate. My Mother makes a mean bird, and most of the family will be there. And of course, being a cook, I enjoy Thanksgiving on lots of levels. I had a conversation with my Mother yesterday, figuring out what I should make- I'll be making the bread for dinner, and a batch of fudge for dessert. Yum!
Never Fail Fudge
This recipe is not my original creation. However, it is so damn good and easy that I cannot, in good concience, keep it to myself. It was created by Durkee-Mower, Inc., the manufacturer of Marshmallow Fluff.- 5 Cups of Granulated Sugar
- 1 12 oz. Can of Evaporated Milk
- 1 Stick of Butter (or Margarine)
- 12 oz. Marshmallow Fluff
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 Cup Walnuts (if you like)
- 2 12oz. Packages of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Combine the first five ingreedients in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until blended. Gradually increase heat, still stirring, until you are at a moderate flame. Bring the mixture to a boil.
NOTE: This mixture is ridiculously hot! Don't use plastic utensils! (I know this because I melted a rubber spatula once while making this) Don't stick your finger in for a taste! (I know this because I burned myself) Also, don't mistake escaping air bubbles (Fluff is mostly air, after all) for boiling.
Boil for five minutes, then remove the mixture from heat. Stir in the chocolate, vanilla, and nuts. The chocolate will melt (and use up most of the heat; NOW you can have a taste) fairly quickly. Once you are thoroughly blended, pour the mixture into two 9 x 9 buttered pans and cool. Yield: Approximately four pounds.
I'm telling you, this is the good stuff.
Posted in Food and Drink & Holidays & Musings & Recipes & The Home Front(0) Comments
They Call Him Mister Chocolate
February 14, 2006 | permalink
I took advantage of the post-fashion free time and met Turtalia for lunch and chocolate yesterday. Well, to be completely truthful, we met for chocolate, and decided that we should probably have lunch first. Yes, it's like that.
For lunch we hit the Sullivan Street Bakery, which, shockingly, is on Sullivan Street (at Spring). It is not, as Turtalia warned me, a lunch place so much as a place with lots of tasty breadstuffs. (I personally don't see why that would disqualify it as lunch, but I am obsessed with the breads.) It was warm, tiny, smelled good, and everything looked soooo delicious. We settled on the Potato Pizza, which is actually much lighter fare than it sounds. There is no sauce or cheese involved; just thinly sliced and oiled potatoes baked onto thier fantastic focaccia bread. Tasty. We had the added bonus of entertainment- a UPS truck trying to extract itself from the clutches of the snow and slush with very little effectiveness.
The chocolate part of the afternoon was spent at Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven (350 Hudson at King Street). If you have never been, you must go. The chocolate is all made there by hand in their glass walled kitchen, so you can watch; and it comes in so many fantastic shapes, tastes, and colors that you might go into overload. We bought a bunch of various bars to tide over ourselved and our worthy loved ones until we get there again. Then we sat down and had some of the hot chocolate, which is why we were there in the first place.
I don't know how to truly describe the hot chocolate. Picture a chocolate bar melted in heavy cream and you have an idea, but that's still not it. It's so thick that you need a glass of water to go along with it, and if it cools too much it will begin to solidify. (Mmmmm, chocolate sludge....) And it comes in regular and wicked, which is full of 'Aztec Spices' like allspice, cinnamon, sweet ancho chili peppers, and chipolt chili peppers. If that doesn't sound good to you, then I think you should have your head examined.
Seriously, if you are a chocolate person and you haven't been here, you owe it to yourself to go.
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Peace Offerings
January 28, 2006 | permalink
I am about to start Fashion, and this season I have more, larger shows than ever before. In a preemptive apology for what I am about to put them through, I have made- by my own hand, from scratch- donuts for my crew. I think that the donuts, along with the alcohol that I will provide for them at the end of Fashion, will keep me in their good graces.
Posted in Fashion Week & Food and Drink & Working(0) Comments
Who Says Cooking Isn't Exciting?
January 14, 2006 | permalink
I had a bonafide culinary adventure today. It had it all... plans gone awry, certain doom, and the last minute save. Okay, maybe it wasn't really that exciting. Or maybe I'm more bored than I think I am. Anyway:
My mother and step-father came into the city today to see me and my sisters. It was my job to make dinner for everyone. As it was supposed to be rainy and crappy all weekend, I decided the other day to make chilli. I wanted to slow cook it all day, but I also wanted to have lunch with the family, so yesterday I went to Target and got a crockpot (I'd been coveting one for a while, and I finally had a good excuse).
This morning I put the rice (Texmati- delicious!) in the crockpot to get it started. Since I was planning on letting it simmer all day there was no need to cook it seperately... I just had to make sure that there was enough liquid for it to absorb. In went the corn, the pinto beans, and the lentils as well.
While that all heated up, I started the meat. I melted coulple of tablespoons of butter in a frying pan, added six diced garlic cloves, two chopped onions, and a pound and a hlaf of ground beef. While that browned, in went a generous sprinkling of cumin, paprika, majoram, red pepper flakes, and habanero hot sauce. Only the shaker lid of the hot sauce popped off, and a lot of habanero went in. Waaay more than I intended. But I thought that maybe it would be fine. So I proceeded.
Once the meat was brown (and smelling quite spicy, I might add) it went into the crockpot with the rice and two cans of diced tomatoes. Set to medium, and forget it, right?
Yeah, right. I putter around cleaning the apartment, and then I get all showered and dressed to meet up with the family. On the way out the door I give my now simmering chilli a taste. Oh. My. God. The burning. I couldn't serve it like that. If it was too spicy for me none of the rest of them were going to like it.
I spent a little time online trying to see if I could find some kind of magic cure for over-spiced food. You know- add a dash of sugar and lemon and spin around three times clockwise, or something. Nothing. I was doomed. My only hope of making it edible was to double the chilli. The crockpot (remember that I bought it for this, specifically?) was no longer sufficient for the task. Into my big stockpot it goes. Then a trip to the store for more meat. I added another pound and a half of ground chicken, and another cup and a half of rice. Still too spicy, and now tasting watery too. I was beginning to think that I was ordering pizza for dinner.
But I'm nothing if not stubborn. More cumin and paprika, more garlic, another can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato paste go into the pot. Simmer and stir, simmer and stir. Let it cook and resist the urge to taste it every two minutes. This was my afternoon.
It turned out to be delicious. It's still a little spicy, but not excessively so. Dinner was a big hit. And its a good thing that it is good, because I have a lot of it... I ended up with nearly three gallons of chilli. I'm going to be eating it for weeks. Anybody hungry?
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Was it Lonliness That Brought You Here?
August 21, 2005 | permalink
I made my first serious foray into the kitchen this morning. I went out yesterday to buy some more plants, to replace those killed by the subletters, and on the way back I stopped at the grocery store; not, however, the one I usually go to. They had duck eggs! And cornish game hen eggs! Like, right by the chicken eggs... I've eaten duck eggs before, but I've never seen them in a regular old grocery store. Needless to say, I couldn't resist. I bought four duck eggs and sweet italian sausage for my breakfast. The duck eggs (well, two of them, anyway... they are HUGE) I used to make an onion and chive omelette, and the sausage I cut up and cooked in an apple glaze.
If you've never had duck eggs before, they are richer and tastier than chicken eggs. Also, besides being bigger in general, the yolk is proportionally bigger as well- I'm sure this is part of why they are so flavorful. The white is not as thick either- it has a consistency closer to water than to chicken whites. Anyway, they are delicious.
Apple Glazed Sausage
- Six sweet italian sausages
- 1 1/2 cups apple juice or apple cider
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(Walking in the Fields of Mars...)
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