Root Beer The powdered herbs called for are available in the bulk section of well-stocked health food stores and sarsaparilla can be found in home-brewing stores. Read "About Homemade Soft Drinks" "About Homemade Soft Drinks" before getting started before getting started.
TIME REQUIRED: 15 minutes active; 2 to 3 days pa.s.sive 15 minutes active; 2 to 3 days pa.s.sive YIELD: 1 liters 1 liters 2 tablespoons sarsaparilla bark[image] to cup sugar to cup sugar teaspoon powdered burdock root1 teaspoon powdered licorice root[image] teaspoon brewing yeast teaspoon brewing yeast Pour 1 liters water into a medium saucepan and add the sarsaparilla. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes or so to infuse the water. Turn off the heat, and add[image] cup sugar, the burdock root, and the licorice root. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste, add extra sugar if desired, and then pour through a strainer lined with a coffee filter. Let cool to slightly warmer than body temperature. Stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Pour the strained mixture through a funnel into a plastic bottle, without leaving any head room. If the liquid doesn"t fill the bottle, you probably lost some to the strainer. Simply fill to the top with plain warm water. Fasten the cap and let it sit out in a warm place in your kitchen for 24 to 48 hours. When the bottle feels hard to the touch and begins to bulge, refrigerate it. The carbonation should last at least 1 week after opening. cup sugar, the burdock root, and the licorice root. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste, add extra sugar if desired, and then pour through a strainer lined with a coffee filter. Let cool to slightly warmer than body temperature. Stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Pour the strained mixture through a funnel into a plastic bottle, without leaving any head room. If the liquid doesn"t fill the bottle, you probably lost some to the strainer. Simply fill to the top with plain warm water. Fasten the cap and let it sit out in a warm place in your kitchen for 24 to 48 hours. When the bottle feels hard to the touch and begins to bulge, refrigerate it. The carbonation should last at least 1 week after opening.
Ginger Beer Sweet, spicy, and really refreshing, adults really love this. And it makes an excellent c.o.c.ktail mixer! You"ll probably find that the ginger beer ferments faster than the root beer.
TIME REQUIRED: 15 minutes active; 1 to 2 days pa.s.sive 15 minutes active; 1 to 2 days pa.s.sive YIELD: 1 liters 1 liters [image] to cup sugar to cup sugar1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger[image] teaspoon brewing yeast teaspoon brewing yeast Pour 1 liters water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and add[image] cup sugar and the ginger. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste, add extra sugar if desired, and then pour through a strainer lined with a coffee filter. Let cool to slightly warmer than body temperature. Stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Pour the strained mixture through a funnel into a plastic bottle, without leaving any head room. If the liquid doesn"t fill the bottle, you probably lost some to the strainer. Simply fill to the top with plain warm water. Fasten the cap and let it sit out in a warm place in your kitchen for 24 to 48 hours. When the bottle feels hard to the touch and begins to bulge, refrigerate it. The carbonation should last at least 1 week after opening. cup sugar and the ginger. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste, add extra sugar if desired, and then pour through a strainer lined with a coffee filter. Let cool to slightly warmer than body temperature. Stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Pour the strained mixture through a funnel into a plastic bottle, without leaving any head room. If the liquid doesn"t fill the bottle, you probably lost some to the strainer. Simply fill to the top with plain warm water. Fasten the cap and let it sit out in a warm place in your kitchen for 24 to 48 hours. When the bottle feels hard to the touch and begins to bulge, refrigerate it. The carbonation should last at least 1 week after opening.
Almond Milk [image]
Homemade almond milk is so easy to make and is so fresh tasting compared to packaged almond milk. It is great in smoothies, on Granola Your Way Granola Your Way or or whole-grain porridges whole-grain porridges, heated up for hot chocolate, or simply enjoyed as a beverage, sweetened with a little agave syrup or honey and a dash of vanilla extract. The more powerful your blender, the better the results. I make almond milk with an old thrift-store blender just fine, but I have to strain it well. No need to discard the spent almond pulp. Spread it out thinly on a cookie sheet and dry it in a 200-degree-F oven for 6 to 8 hours. Sprinkle it over yogurt or porridge or add to m.u.f.fins or cookies. You can freeze the dried pulp and use it over time.
TIME REQUIRED: 20 minutes active; 8 to 12 hours pa.s.sive 20 minutes active; 8 to 12 hours pa.s.sive YIELD: about 5 cups about 5 cups 2 cups (about 8 ounces) whole raw almonds Soak the almonds in 8 cups water overnight or for up to 15 hours in a bowl in the refrigerator. Puree the almonds, using all of the water, in batches in a blender and strain through a medium-mesh strainer. Pour into a jar or bottle, seal, and refrigerate. The milk will keep, refrigerated, for 5 days.
Chill and shake before serving. Sweeten and embellish to taste with vanilla, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, sugar, or agave syrup.
Horchata There are many variations of this drink, depending on the country of origin. I have heard that the original version came from Spain and is made with tiger nuts (sometimes called chufas), which are actually rhizomes rather than nuts. Some Central American versions contain different kinds of nuts and seeds, like pumpkin seeds. I"ve seen Mexican recipes that contain almonds and milk, instead of water. I settled on this plain rice version made with water, because horchata was probably originally a simple beverage made by people without access to refrigeration. Plus, it"s so creamy and delicious as is, why waste precious dairy?
Most versions contain sugar, but I think agave syrup is excellent here because it dissolves readily in room-temperature liquids. If you want to make this with sugar, you should heat the rice beverage after you blend it so the sugar will dissolve. Depending on your taste, you"ll want to use more sugar than the agave syrup called for here because it is generally 25 percent less sweet than agave syrup. This drink is wonderfully refreshing with spicy food.
TIME REQUIRED: 30 to 40 minutes active; 12 to 14 hours pa.s.sive 30 to 40 minutes active; 12 to 14 hours pa.s.sive YIELD: 2 quarts 2 quarts 2 cups long-grain white rice1 vanilla beanOne 2-inch cinnamon stick to[image] cup agave syrup cup agave syrupGround cinnamon for garnish (optional) In a food processor or spice grinder, grind the rice to as fine a powder as possible. A spice grinder will do a better job much faster, but you"ll have to do it in multiple batches. A good food processor with a sharp blade will do the job in about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and add 8 cups water.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and, with the dull edge of a paring knife, sc.r.a.pe the seeds into the watery rice. Add the sc.r.a.ped bean hull and the cinnamon stick. Stir, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 14 hours.
Remove the vanilla bean hull and cinnamon stick and process the rice mixture in a food processor or blender. Use whichever one has the sharpest blades and most powerful motor. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, such as a chinoise (the cone-shaped, very fine mesh strainers used in restaurants). If you don"t own one of these quite expensive implements, strain it through a regular strainer lined with a coffee filter. Stir and taste. It will be a little bit grainy, but if it"s unpleasantly so, strain again. The outcome depends so much on the efficiency of your particular appliances and strainers, so experimentation is necessary.
Measure the resulting liquid. You should have between 7 and 8 cups. Add water to bring the volume up to 8 cups. Stir in agave syrup to taste. Pour it into bottles or jars and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Shake before serving. You may want to add a little ground cinnamon to garnish each serving.
Hibiscus Tea [image]
Called jamaica jamaica (ha-MY-cuh) in Spanish, this ruby-hued drink is made from the flower of the hibiscus plant and is packed with vitamin C. Steeped in water and sweetened to tame its tartness, this is both refreshing and festive on a hot day, making it a great drink for a party. It"s commonly served in Mexico, unadorned, but at Carrie Brown"s Jimtown Store in California, where I first learned to make it, it"s embellished with citrus, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. The amount of sugar is adjustable to taste, and I encourage experimentation with a few sprigs of mint or lemon verbena, a shot of citrus, or a measure of bubbly water. It"s also great for a drink mixer with vodka or gin. Dried hibiscus flowers are widely available in Latin American groceries, health food stores, and specialty groceries (ha-MY-cuh) in Spanish, this ruby-hued drink is made from the flower of the hibiscus plant and is packed with vitamin C. Steeped in water and sweetened to tame its tartness, this is both refreshing and festive on a hot day, making it a great drink for a party. It"s commonly served in Mexico, unadorned, but at Carrie Brown"s Jimtown Store in California, where I first learned to make it, it"s embellished with citrus, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. The amount of sugar is adjustable to taste, and I encourage experimentation with a few sprigs of mint or lemon verbena, a shot of citrus, or a measure of bubbly water. It"s also great for a drink mixer with vodka or gin. Dried hibiscus flowers are widely available in Latin American groceries, health food stores, and specialty groceries.
TIME REQUIRED: 10 minutes active; 10 minutes pa.s.sive 10 minutes active; 10 minutes pa.s.sive YIELD: makes 1 gallon makes 1 gallon 2 heaping cups dried hibiscus flowers1 cup sugar2 plain organic black tea bags (optional) In a large pot, bring 1 gallon water to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the hibiscus flowers and sugar, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the tea (if using), and let it steep until it cools to room temperature. Strain carefully (it will stain!) and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Serve over ice, plain, or with one of the embellishments noted above.
Sources and Further Reading Following are sources for those items that I feel are essential to the kitchen as well as any difficult-to-find cultures and other items that I have talked about in this book. I always try to look locally whenever possible so as to support my community and lower my impact on the environment, but I recognize that it isn"t always possible to find some of the items here in all areas of the country. Following the sources for equipment and ingredients. I"ve included recommended books and Web sites for further information on some of the techniques in this book such as canning, fermenting, and culturing.
SOURCES.
ALEPPO PEPPER.
The Spice House www.thespicehouse.com BEER YEASTS FOR SOFT DRINKS.
The Beverage People www.thebeveragepeople.com Oak Barrel Winecraft www.oakbarrel.com BONITO FLAKES.
Eden Foods www.edenfoods.com Sushi and j.a.panese Market www.shop.sushiandj.a.panesemarket.com CAST-IRON PANS.
Lodge Manufacturing Co.
www.lodgemfg.com CERAMIC CLAY BAKERS.
Breadtopia www.breadtopia.com CHEESEMAKING CULTURES.
AND EQUIPMENT.
The Beverage People www.thebeveragepeople.com New England Cheesemaking Supply Company www.cheesemaking.com DOMESTIC OLIVE OIL.
California Olive Oil Council www.cooc.com The American Olive Oil Source www.oliveoilsource.com KOMBUCHA CULTURES.
Anahata Balance anahatabalance.com/store.html Cultures for Health www.culturesforhealth.com KOREAN CRUSHED RED PEPPER.
koaMart www.koamart.com PASTA MACHINES.
Chef Depot www.chefdepot.net PIZZA PEEL AND STONE.
Breadtopia-standard peels and Exo superpeel www.breadtopia.com Sur la Table www.surlatable.com Zanesville Pottery www.zanesvillepottery.com SEA VEGETABLES: KOMBU, NORI, WAKAME.
Eden Foods www.edenfoods.com Mendocino Sea Vegetable Company www.seaweed.net True Foods Market www.truefoodsmarket.com SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD CARDS.
Blue Ocean Inst.i.tute-searchable directory, downloadable guides www.blueocean.org/seafood/ seafood-guide Environmental Defense Fund-down loadable seafood and sushi guides and subst.i.tutions for red-listed species www.edf.org Monterey Bay Aquarium-searchable directory, iPhone app, and downloadable guides by region www.montereybayaquarium.org TORTILLA PRESSES.
Greenfeet www.greenfeet.com Mex Grocer www.mexgrocer.com VINEGAR CROCKS.
Barkingside Co.
www.barkingside.com Brew Beer www.brewbeer.cc Oak Barrel Winecraft www.oakbarrel.com Wine Guy Supply www.shop.wineguysupply.com VINEGAR MOTHERS.
Local Harvest www.localharvest.org READING RECOMMENDATIONS.
GENERAL.
Bubel, Mike, and Nancy Bubel. Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 1991.
Carroll, Ricki. Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2002.
Coyne, Kelly, and Erik Knutzen. The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City. Port Townsend, WA: Process Media, 2008.
Fallon, Sally. Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. Revised Second Edition. Washington, DC: NewTrends Publishing, Inc., 2001.
The Gardeners and Farmers of Centre Terre Vivante. Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation. Foreword by Deborah Madison. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 1999.
Katz, Sandor Elix. Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods. Foreword by Sally Fallon. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2003.
Morash, Marian. The Victory Garden Cookbook The Victory Garden Cookbook. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1982. (Out of print; find used copies on BetterWorldBooks.com, eBay.com, or Amazon.com) Prentice, Jessica. Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection. Foreword by Deborah Madison. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2006.
PET FOOD.
Billinghurst, Ian, DVM. The BARF Diet The BARF Diet. 4th Ed.: SOS Printing Pty Ltd., 2001.
Nestle, Marion. Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2008.
Pitcairn, Richard H., DVM, PhD, and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Dr. Pitcairn"s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats Dr. Pitcairn"s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. 3rd Ed. New York: Rodale, 1982.
CANNING BOOKS WITH CHARTS.
Devine, Lauren, and Judi Kingry, eds. Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Toronto, ON, Canada: Robert Rose, 2006.
Jarden Home Brands. Ball Blue Book of Preserving Ball Blue Book of Preserving. 100th Anniversary Ed. Muncie, IN: Alltrista Consumer Products, 2004.
Rodale Food Center, and Susan McClure, eds. Preserving Summer"s Bounty Preserving Summer"s Bounty. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1990.
HELPFUL WEB SITES.
Angelic Organics-Vegetable Storage Section www.angelicorganics.com Canning Processing Charts www.scribd.com/doc/13902942/Canning-Processing-Charts Fankhauser"s Cheese Page biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/CHEESE.HTML Lists of farms where you can pick your own fruit, with canning advice www.pickyourown.org Mother Earth News www.motherearthnews.com
Acknowledgments.
First off, there are a few people without whom this book would never exist. I have to thank Susan Fleming, who gave me the confidence to think book-size big when I first conceived of this concept as a series of blog posts (and for supporting me throughout the process). Thanks to Raquel Dadomo and Haven Bourque, for reading the proposal with critical, but constructive, eyes and helping me get it off my computer and over to Chronicle Books. Thanks also to my Aunt Mil and all my other cooking relatives, for giving me the curiosity to investigate how things work in the kitchen, and for sharing the family recipes! Thanks to Jeff Fleming and Alice Grubb, for sharing the plum harvest.
I"m grateful to Bill LeBlond and all the folks at Chronicle Books for seeing the potential of this book and letting me run wild with the idea, while helping me shape it into what you see here. Especially Sarah Billingsley, for being always on the ball, and super to work with; Peter Perez, for his marketing genius and great ideas; designer Suzanne LaGasa, for her excitement about the project, her talent, and willingness to listen to my vision; and copy editor Ann Rolke, for smoothing out the rough edges, while leaving the essence of the book intact.
Thanks to Michael Straus and Haven Bourque at Straus Communications, and Sara Ost, my editor at EcoSalon.com, for their flexibility and generosity in giving me the time and s.p.a.ce to work on this project. Thanks to the Cribari family, Eduardo Morell, and Rachel Cole, for sharing their specialized talents, knowledge, and recipes. Thanks to Emunah Hauser, for sleuthing out the sources.
Sara Remington, not only are your photos the most gorgeous ever, but you know how to make grueling work fun and put together a crack team of superpeople! I can"t think of anyone I"d rather work with. Thanks to Kami Bremyer, prop stylist extraordinaire, for channeling my style perfectly based on a phone call and a few snapshots; to Nani Steele, for making the food look irresistible; to Stacy Ventura, for keeping us all fueled and for making it all run. Thanks to all of you for making five days of intense cooking and shooting a total blast.
Thanks to the friends who came to the shoot and helped. Thanks to the parents and kids who modeled: Suzie Wong and Mia Shao; Day Darmet, Florence Raynaud, and Chance; Nishanga Bliss and Milo; Sonya and Benjamin Philip and Beatrice; the neighbor kids, Rajvi and Anvi; and to Cameron and Henry and Susan Fleming for the kid wrangling.
There"s a lot of cooking and eating that goes into a cookbook, which sometimes means eating the same thing over and over again, or being invited to dinner only to have to do dishes, not fed until 10 p.m., and served a bunch of dishes that don"t go together by an exhausted, cranky host. Thanks to all the friends and family who continued to accept invitations to evenings that sometimes amounted to "no-host dinners": Bailey, Marcia, Christina, Oliver, Nishanga, Mike, Celia, Paula, and my sisters, Valerie Long and Vicki Rogers. And thanks to Susan, for all the dishwashing.
Recipe testers are really the key to a cookbook that is a pleasure to use. I can"t thank you all enough for your efforts and great feedback: Parag Mody, Molly Watson, Juliet Gla.s.s, Bailey Foster, Vicki Rogers, Renee Perry, Megan Launer, and Susan Weber.
I am lucky to have the support and friendship of so many people. I hope I haven"t left anyone out.