strawberry rhubarb everything

start with fresh ingredients

The only way to learn canning is to do it yourself. It is terrifying and complicated the first time you try it. There is boiling water and detailed instructions (I am bad at instructions) and rubber gloves and special tongs and, of course, the risk of death.

jam is not good for you

On the other hand, there is EXTREME REWARD. You wouldn't believe the high-fiving we were up to in this kitchen when we heard the can pop, meaning it sealed, meaning we'd conquered canning. 

we baked our fruit for two hours to release the juices, bitches

Anyway, I 'm posting this blog to document my experience with canning, but I'm not going to even think about trying to explain how to do it. 

You'll have to figure that out yourself.

Here is a fabulous book to get you started: Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods, by Eugenia Bone.  

checking in on the progress

The main recommendation I have: find one recipe and stick to it. We had our fingers in so many pots (literally and figuratively). We were reading out of a book, a magazine from the grocery store, two online recipes, watching a video and checking the box the jars came in—too much. 

the nice thing about jam is that if you chicken out, you can still use your hot fruit for a pie or a compote that doesn't get preserved (just eaten right away!)

By the time we'd moved onto our second canning venture, it was pie. Well, it was pickled cauliflower, but you see my point.

you don't need much to get started: new cans and lids...

rubber gloves, and a good pair of tongs,

we cut costs by not investing in a "rack." jars can boil easily by placing upside-down lids at the bottom of the pot, as pictured.

It's important to follow the instructions, but, for example, this jam has a huge bubble in it. Bubbles are a no-no, but we ate it all and are still very much alive.

Rudi's Gluten-Free bread, toasted with butter and our homemade jam. So. So. So. Good.

I saved all the juices from the cooked fruit. It is very sweet.

And later, we made strawberry-rhubarb margaritas. See how the little lime juicer perfectly fits the glass? I dipped the rims in lime juice to get the salt to stick. Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and the frozen strawberry rhubarb syrup. And salt.

cold brewed coffee

It was one-hundred-and-thirteen degrees here last week. Iowa is a steamy, tropical, prehistoric nightmare of a place. Anyway, I had to make iced coffee.

Cousin Gabe, culinary extraordinaire, sent me this Bon Appétit recipe for cold-brew iced coffee concentrate. Click on it here if you want to make it, and you can follow my photos below.
I don't have much better to do this summer than make a complicated overnight recipe so I said, "yes!" to life.


"Is it especially delicious," you are asking me. "Is it even better than regular iced coffee?"


Answer: Yes. It is smooth and completely free of any of that coffee-y bitterness.


"Is it worth it," you are asking me. "Is it worth it to make this iced coffee that takes lots of time and also lots of coffee?"

Answer: Not really.

The recipe calls for a full 12 oz of (coarsely) ground coffee-- that's practically a whole bag. By the time I'd soaked it and steeped it and drained it all out, I had about half a container of the concentrate. I expect it to last for about 7 cups of iced coffee.

Let's call this a luxury item, and bookmark it under special occasions only. For example, if you have a houseguest for the weekend. Plan ahead though, because the coffee needs to sit for at least 15 hours. That is not the equivalent of one night's sleep, much to my chagrin on the morning I woke up ready to drink it.

First, grind 12 ounces of coffee. Keep it fairly coarse, which Bon Appétit recommends to keep the liquid clear. That's about 60 tablespoons of ground coffee, at 5 tablespoons to an ounce.

Pour seven cups of cold water over the coffee, making sure all the grounds get soaked. It will look disgusting.

Cover with cheesecloth and let sit for 15 hours.

This is the delicious, locally roasted coffee that I've been getting from the farmer's market. (Watercolor effect my own.)

The next morning, the coffee looked like a cross-section of earth.

Line a strainer (I have a nice fine one) with the cheese cloth and pour through. Expect to wait about 45 minutes for all the liquid to drain out. I hooked it over the edge of a large pot.

Last but not least, strain AGAIN through a filter. If you don't have one of these babies, line the same strainer with a coffee filter and do it like that. 

Remember: this makes concentrate, so you can dilute it with a little water (or milk) to make it the strength you like. 

Raspberry Mojitos

The master of ceremonies was the birthday girl's roommate. We hid behind the kitchen counter as the birthday girl came home from work, unawares. SURPRISE! Cheese and crackers and olives and raspberry mojitos.

Everything looks better in a pitcher.

The forecast said tornado watch.

The mojitos were dangerously good. They tasted of those natural raspberry pops I used to eat as a child. Know the ones I mean?

The recipe was adapted from the cocktail at the Hard Rock Cafe, where the party hostess works. She made an enormous batch, which you'll want to do, too.

• find a large mixing bowl and fill with equal parts:
• squeezed limes
• fresh mint leaves
• fresh raspberries
• "hand-muddle" which is a fancy way of saying: squeeze everything together with your hands.
  
• drizzle in a little simple syrup to taste (sugar dissolved into an equal quantity of hot water)
• soak in a bottle of Bacardi Razz (raspberry flavored rum) (we went there)(so good)
• fill a cup halfway with the stew. add a few ice cubes and top with club soda.

Shandygaff

shandy |ˈ sh andē| noun ( pl. -dies)

beer mixed with a nonalcoholic drink (typically lemonade).

ORIGIN late 19th cent.: abbreviation of shandygaff, in the same sense, of unknown origin.

It is 80 degrees in New York City. I had to wait around all day for my moving boxes to be delivered. When they finally came, I felt I deserved a treat. Roommate and I walked to the giant beer emporium where I know they have a large stock of Redbridge. I picked up a Gus's Dry Meyer Lemon Soda and mixed them together, half and half. Refreshing, delightful, and not too sweet. And yes, I am wearing my sunglasses indoors.

Cheers!

PARTY SNACKS

The tree is up and the wreath is hung and I already have one holiday party under my belt. Last weekend was the fourth annual Christmas Caroling night right here, in my Brooklyn brownstone. We had a piano delivered (ok, my neighbor threw his keyboard in his car and drove two blocks) but I like the sound of it, very Jazz Age. "The piano is getting delivered at noon and the bathtub gin should be here around three."

Usually I cook a whole bunch of food, but since I am hosting my ENTIRE (22 of us) family on Christmas day, I simply could not exhaust myself. This year we just did drinks and appetizers (and dessert, of course.) I relied on my tasteful friends to show up with a variety of wines, cheeses, and dips. Talk about holiday cheer: my brilliant cousin brought a gluten-free cranberry tart, and a dear friend adapted a artichoke-dip recipe, gluten-free. I felt like I was at TGI Friday's! In a good way!

I couldn't resist making a few things, and I enlisted the help of my industrious roommate. There are no pictures because we were pretty beside ourselves with party cheer and general industriousness.

Ginger Infused Cranberry Gimlets

-One bottle medium quality vodka (the liquor store guy recommended Svedka)

-One ginger root

-Cheese grater

Grate about 5-6 tablespoons of ginger. Pour vodka over it. Soak overnight.

Serve over ice with cranberry juice, sparkling water, and a dash of simple syrup. Or ginger ale.

Clementine Mimosas

-1 large box clementines

-Several bottles of champagne

-Lemon juicer

Cut clementines in half. Do NOT cut your finger. Squeeze juice. Pour some into each individual glass of champagne.

Turkey-Curry Meatballs

-One container ground turkey [warning! get the full-fat kind or else your meatballs will be dry]

-One small onion, diced

-A few garlic cloves, diced

-One egg

- 1/3 cup gluten-free rice crackers OR corn chips OR non-sweet cereal, OR breadcrumbs if you have such a thing in your kitchen

-1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce

-1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
-2 tablespoons curry powder

-Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. (Don't taste the raw turkey.)

Brown the onion with the garlic. Dump the turkey meat into a bowl. Add all ingredients, taking care to blend well, with your hands.

*WARNING* if you are making these the day OF YOUR PARTY, you will have yellow fingernails due to the turmeric in the curry powder. I don't have a solution for this, except maybe to get a manicure (red) or use a spoon (not as good for blending) or make them the day before.

Make little balls. If the balls are not sticking, add more bread crumbs or another egg.

Bake at 35o for about twenty minutes. Serve with toothpicks.

Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango

Adapted from here.

-1/2 cup basmati rice

-2 cups light coconut milk

-2 cups water

-1/3 cup sugar

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 large mango

-Cardamom powder, optional

Combine rice, coconut milk, sugar, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, add vanilla and cardamom. Slice mango and put on top. Serve in little cups, to your vegan and dairy-allergic friends!

Bottles of Joy

With last night's dinner I had a glass of this delicious wine. Let me not pretend to know how to describe it except that I know it is good because I like it. It is kind of dry and does not taste like old paint thinner, AT ALL. Also, they have it at the liquor store around the corner. Try it! You will agree with me.

And, this is the kind of soy sauce I like to use, as it has no added thickeners (like wheat). It's just pure tamari. I got it at Whole Foods. It also tastes good. Now you know, if you didn't before.

Coke Float

Listen, folks. It's going to be 91 degrees in NYC tomorrow. I'm talking hit the drug stores now to stock up on SPF 60 and coconut water.

Second choice - a caffeinated twist on the Brown Cow: coke float! Sometimes it's just the thing you need to get your engine running on a humid afternoon - a little caffeine, a little high fructose corn syrup, a little dairy. You won't be disappointed.

Serves 2, with second helpings and the potential for leftover ice cream (an unknown concept in my apartment.)

Guacamole Salad & Mango Sangria

My roommate (Glutenous Correspondent No. 1) is my dedicated entremetier and thus is in charge of all things salad. In my head I invented a dish that would be all the ingredients of guacamole, but with shredded cabbage - and diced, not smushed, avocado.

I dreamed. She executed.

These are the appropriate accoutrement to the spinach mushroom enchiladas shown in the post below.

Guacamole Salad

Bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Small head of green cabbage, sliced thin
Juice of 1-2 limes (to taste)
Half a red onion, diced
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced
Dash of salt

Toss.

--

Mango Sangria

Of course there's no photo, what are you crazy? One cannot drink and photograph at the same time. Well, one cannot drink, photograph, and bake enchiladas at the same time. I CAN'T ANYWAY.

1 bottle (cheap) red wine
1 container orange juice - or orange tangerine
cinnamon
mango
1 lime

Dice the mango and dump it, with a hearty shake of cinnamon, into a jug of half wine, half juice. Squeeze in some lime. Ice optional. Done and done. Cheers!