book review: All Hours - Crazy Good Food for Whatever, Whenever: A Cookbook by Kwame Onwuachi

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Knopf for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own. 

I’m not sure there’s been a cookbook in recent memory that I have wanted to try so many of the recipes. Using his favorite childhood dishes, flavors picked up while traveling, and nods to cities he’s lived in, Kwame has taken typical dishes and upped the anty. Some of the transformations that caught my eye were corn milk French toast (egg challah soaked in a sweet corn milk blend and drizzled with not only maple syrup but a Cap’n Crunch powder), lasagna using both spaghetti and alfredo sauce, mozzarella sticks influenced by saag paneer, sweet onion flatbread with black bean hummus, a stone crab omelette, and a coconut panna cotta with acai. 

While these combinations are unlike anything eaters typically encounter, the ingredients and methods are familiar. Other than meat or fish a cook may need to grab at the store, the bulk of the other ingredients can already be found in most kitchens. By mixing up and keeping handy the seasonings, spices, marinades, sauces, pastes, and pickled veggies from the Pantry section, the recipes will come together even more quickly. Even the slightly more advanced multi-page recipes feel approachable, and the book offers a great balance of quick 30-minute meals versus cozy, all-day Sunday cooking projects. 

Beyond the food, a great cookbook should be coffee table worthy, and this one certainly is. The photography and font choices feel incredibly fresh, while the stories at the beginning of each chapter and recipe are fun to read and provide a wonderful background layer. This book is packed full of nostalgia that will resonate with anyone who relates to these foods through their own life experiences. Kwame didn’t hold back on the recipes he was willing to share, and I highly recommend this one!

recipe: smoked whitefish brandade

The second recipe I tried from Gather Around My Table was a smoked whitefish brandade. Just like the cherry cornmeal torte, I would make this one again!

It did take some time for the different components. However, that was mainly because I made labneh from scratch from my homemade yogurt and I accidentally bought raw fresh cod instead of smoked cod so I had to poach the cod before I could start making this recipe. I was happy to have to do both these steps, though, because now I understand how to make labneh and poached cod! :)

Smoked Whitefish Brandade

Ingredients:

1 pound russet potatoes (2 medium), scrubbed

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup (4 ounces) labneh

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tbsp minced garlic

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/2 pound smoked whitefish, skin and pin bones discarded, fresh flaked (1 packed cup)

chopped fresh chives or scallions, for garnish

crusty bread or crackers, for serving

Instructions:

1) Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil and bake until cooked through and completely tender in the center, about 1 hour. Unwrap them and let cool until the potatoes are cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the oil, the labneh, milk, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.

3) Discard the potato skins and rice the potatoes through a food mill or ricer into a large bowl (I used a box grater). Add the labneh mixture, season with salt and pepper, and mix until well blended. Add the whitefish and fold until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe 1-quart baking dish and drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until the brandade is lightly golden on top and hot in the center, about 15 minutes longer.

4) Garnish the brandade with chives or scallions. Serve warm with bread or crackers.

Notes: 

To make labneh, mix 1/4 tsp salt into 1 cup yogurt. Wet and ring out a flour sack towel and line a mesh colander over a bowl with the towel. Spoon the salted yogurt into the flour sack towel. Put in the fridge for 12-24 hours while the liquid whey drains out of the yogurt and into the bottom of the bowl. It can be ready at 12 hours, but 24 hours will lead to a thicker, creamier spread. I forgot to do this ahead of time and wanted to make my brandade today, so I attempted a quicker labneh method hanging my flour sack towel with the salted yogurt in it from a kitchen faucet to weigh it down and make the whey drip out of it quicker.

 

To mimic the flavor of smoked whitefish, when I poached my cod I added half milk/half water to cover the fish and dropped three smashed garlic cloves, a bay leaf, and 1/16 tsp pepper. I heated this over medium heat until it gently simmered and kept it at this heat for about 10 minutes until the fish was an opaque color and the inside temperature was at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. When I mixed up the labneh, oil, garlic I added 6 or so drops of Liquid Smoke with those ingredients at that time. 

I baked my brandade at least 20 minutes longer than the recipe called for, but I still could not get the top to brown. I troubleshooted online and it said if there is too much liquid or oil on the top then it will just boil instead of browning, which is what mine was doing. I sopped off some of the oil and then added a sprinkle of bread crumbs to the top and baked for another 10 minutes. It still wasn't browning at all, but at this point it had been in the oven almost an hour and I was hungry!! So I called it quits. It may have been because I only had my salted yogurt mixture draining for about 5 hours so it maybe still had quite a bit of liquid in it which caused the brandade to just bubble versus brown. Regardless, it was still delicious. I got some homemade artisan bread out of the freezer and went back for seconds it was so yummy! I would like to try this again, but getting actually smoked fish from the store. I also wonder if I could try it with potato flakes instead of baking and ricing potatoes. That would cut down on some of the steps.

recipe: cherry cornmeal torte

This is the first recipe I tried from the cookbook Gather Around My Table and boy is it a keeper! With so few ingredients it was in the oven in no time at all. Yet, comes out looking like I spent hours on it. This will surely be my go-to recipe to whip together if I have unexpected guests. It's substantial enough to be served with just coffee or tea. And, I think has a rustic cozy look perfect for Fall!

I did have to look up what a "torte" is and how it compares to a cake. Apparently, it typically uses little to no flour, relying on ground nuts or breadcrumbs and whipped eggs. They don't rise very high, making them shorter and fatter than standard cakes. The author of this cookbook, Kay Chun, said this was inspired by the classic Italian olive oil cake. When cherries are in season, she pits, halves, and freezes them so she can make this cake year-round. She loves this most with cherries, but says other stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots are also terrific. The cherries I used were store-brought frozen whole cherries, and I didn't cut them in half. The mixed berries I get for my smoothies I think would also be nice in this (cherries, blackberries, and blueberries). So many options!

Cherry Cornmeal Torte

Ingredients:

Cooking spray, for greasing the pan (I just rubbed butter on the pan)

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cardamon

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature 

3/4 cup turbinado sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling (I used brown sugar)

1/4 cup California-style extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

6 ounces cherries, pitted and halved (I used 1 1/4 cups frozen whole cherries)

2 tbsp slice almonds (I used 3 tbsp)

Instructions:

1) Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper; lightly grease the paper.

2) In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cardamon, cinnamon, and salt and whisk to combine.

3) In a medium bowl, combine the butter and the 3/4 cup sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes (I used my stand mixer). Add the oil and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add one of the eggs and beat, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until well incorporated; repeat with the remaining egg (I just threw them both in at the same time and mixed like normal). Sift the flour mixture over the batter (I just threw it in). Reduce the speed to low and beat until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top using an offset spatula. It will look like there is not enough batter, but the torte will rise during baking. Arrange the cherries in a single layer on top, then scatter the almonds all over and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp sugar. 

4) Bake until the cake is golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

5) Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 30 minutes. Unmold the cake and cool until lukewarm or room-temperature. Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream (I just ate the torte plain and it was absolutely delish). 

Store the torte in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

recipe: lemon butter mochi

The second recipe I made from the cookbook, Mochitsuki, was lemon butter mochi. Butter mochi, in general, is a Japanese sweet that comes from northern Japan. In the cookbook, Kristin Morita, has many different versions of butter mochi using the base and mixing in other flavors such as cafe latte, pumpkin, guava, ube, snickerdoodle, strawberries and cream, and chocolate. Out of these I chose the lemon butter mochi since I was curious how closely it compared to lemon bars in US. 

My verdict is that I would combine parts of the ingredients and instructions of butter mochi and lemon bars next time to see if I could create the ideal dessert. I have not had success in mastering the cook time of lemon bars to get a fully cooked and beautiful bar. In that aspect the butter mochi was much easier to achieve because of the mochiko (rice flour). However, I found the lemon butter mochi a bit bland in flavor and missing the amazing contrast of a crust to the soft chewiness of the center since butter mochi is crustless. Therefore, I would use the lemon butter mochi recipe, but punch up the lemon flavor and add the crust of a lemon bar.

Below is the lemon butter mochi recipe from the cookbook, which is what I made but I will be tweaking as described.

Lemon Butter Mochi

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 45 minutes

Makes: 16 pieces

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mochiko

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup whole milk

zest and juice of 3 lemons (about 1 tbsp zest and 1/2 cup juice)

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp orange blossom water (optional)

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions:

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 9 inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray, then line the pan with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch hanging over the sides.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mochiko, granulated sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, melted butter, eggs, and orange blossom water (if using) and mix until well combined, scraping the bowl to ensure no dry lumps of mochiko remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the butter mochi cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar (if using) and cut into sixteen pieces. Leftovers can be stored, in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes:

The mochiko I bought is Bobs Red Mill sweet rice flour. Weee! is also a great source for Korean and Japanese products. I have a large list going of items I would like to purchase from this site. Once I do I will share all of my finds. They do have Mochiko as well.

recipe: chikara udon soup

Kirimochi, an ingredient I had not heard of, and the quick prep time drew me to make this udon soup from the cookbook, Mochitsuki. Kirimochi is typically made from a short grain white rice. However, the only kirimochi I could find when looking in stores in my area or online was this Eden Foods sweet brown rice mochi from Azure. Despite it being brown instead of white rice, it turned out to be a great find! I tested it out in both a toaster oven and frying it in a pan. Both turned out similar - crispy on one side, but not so much on the other. The advantage of the toaster oven was that it didn't require any oil. I do need to practice/experiment a little more to get it crispy on both sides. Yet my initial attempts still gave me a proper chance to see what it tastes like - crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. It's a bit of a strange texture, but not at all a bad necessarily - It adds an interesting element to a brothy soup. The udon noodles I used were ones I had on hand from a prior Vitacost order. Azure also carries them. The cookbook author, Kristen Morita, says that "some expert home cooks make their own broth from scratch, it's very common to use a store-bought soup base called mentsuyu." I could not find anything of this name, however did find Mizkan udon and soba broth concentrate, which seems to be the same/similar. The bottle says how much concentrate to add to water (just check the expiration and don't get one that is almost four months past like mine haha). So, with just these few simple ingredients (and a bit of green onion sprinkled on top) I had a warming flavorful soup in a very short amount of time! I'll definitely be keeping these ingredients on hand to throw them together in this way, or with other ingredients, to make varying easy soups.

Chikara Udon

Serves: 1

Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pieces kirimochi or refrigerated fresh Mochi

1 package frozen udon noodles (or packaged shelf stable noodles like I got)

3 tbsp mentsuyu (I bought something called a udon and soda broth concentrate)

1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tbsp chopped green onions (optional)

2 to 3 slices kamaboko (optional)

Instructions:

Line a toaster oven tray with aluminum foil and set the toaster oven rack to the lowest position available. If using a traditional oven, line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a rack in the highest position. 

Put the kirimochi on the tray and broil on high for 6 to 8 minutes, or until puffed and lightly brown on the edges.

While the mochi is toasting, bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the frozen udon noodled and cook according to the package instructions, usually about 2 minutes (my cook time was more aligned with typical pasta).

Drain the noodles and put in a serving bowl. Add the mentsuyu and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of warm water to dilute the mentsuyu into a broth, according to your preference. Top with the toasted mochi, along with the green onion and kamaboko (if using), or other toppings of choice. Serve immediately.

Notes:

I didn't get much of a noticeable browning (or even cooking) of the kirimochi in 8 minutes, so I moved the toaster over tray to the top rack and then saw some movement. But, it did take a decent amount of time. 

recipe: cottage cheese grasshopper chocolate pudding

This is the third recipe I made from the cookbook Cheesy by Farideh Sadeghin and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It might be a "healthier" dessert option to have in my back pocket, but there were a few drawbacks to it.

The pudding once done being blended is quite thick. The cookbook author did top her pudding with homemade whipped cream, which I omitted due to time and wanting to truly taste the pudding on its own. However, I do think the whipped cream is necessary to provide some lightness in contrast to the pudding. Sadeghin then topped the whipped cream with chocolate shavings. I substituted cocoa nibs, which would still work.

While it's a natural sugar at least, there is still quite a bit of maple syrup in each serving. And, despite this amount of sweetener, I still felt the end result needed more. 

It may be due to the cheap mint extract I used, my note regarding wanting more sweetness, or residual vinegar from the cottage cheese making process (the how-to for that is coming tomorrow), but there was an odd chemical taste to the pudding, with neither a delicious mint or chocolate flavor shining through.

I did use my Vitamix versus a food processor and it was a pain to get all the pudding out from underneath the blade. I have this same issue with my food processor so using that as directed would not have helped the issue. I may have felt better about the time involved had I made a full batch of pudding. For this small a serving I'm not sure the effort matched the success of the end result.

If I haven't talked you out of making this pudding ;) please see below for the measurements. The original as shown in the cookbook is on the left and what I made with the recipe cut in half is on the right in parentheses (who knows maybe my math was wrong and that's why the taste is off haha). I may try this again by adding a bit of milk to make it less thick or try it with yogurt (just stirring this with a spoon for easy cleanup!) Regardless, it was something fun to try.

 

Chocolate Grasshopper Pudding

Ingredients:

1 lb cottage cheese (1 cup cottage cheese)

1/4 cup maple syrup (1/8 cup)

3 tbsp cocoa powder (1 1/2 tbsp)

1/4 tsp mint extract (1/8 tsp)

1/8 tsp salt (a very small pinch)

Instructions:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ingredients and process until very smooth. Divide among four 6 ounce ramekins, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days.

recipe: sour cream and onion spiced nuts

I made a second recipe from the cookbook, Cheesy, and it is a keeper with some edits (see "notes" at the bottom). These are an upgrade to regular salted deluxe mixed nuts when serving a cheese board or snacks to guests. Or, something special to nibble on yourself.

Sour Cream and Onion Spiced Nuts

Ingredients:

4 oz raw almonds

4 oz raw cashews

4 oz raw hazelnuts

4 oz raw pecans

2 oz raw pepitas 

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

Toss the nuts and pepitas together in a large bowl. Drizzle with the butter and Worcestershire sauce and toss to coat. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until toasted 18 to 20 minutes.

While the mixture is still warm, season with the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature. The nuts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.

Notes:

The above recipe is as written from the cookbook. However, when I made it I used an unsalted deluxe mixed nut package that I got from the store, which I added pepitas to. This made it quick to put together and required keeping less different types of nuts on hand. I didn't use parchment paper as I rarely use it to save on waste. Without it, I had no issues at all with any sticking or cleanup. I toasted for 10-12 minutes longer than suggested (so 30 minutes) and I still don't think the nuts got toasted enough. The time on the recipe aligns with the normal toasting time it should take. So, I am not sure why mine weren't getting crispy and a darker tone. The one thing I can think of is that I felt like the nuts were too "wet" - next time I would cut the butter in half. In this same vein, I liked the flavor a lot but wanted it punched up more. So, I would double the spices and maybe even double the Worcestershire sauce amount.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for me in getting a better "toasting" on my nuts next time!

recipe: polenta with fontina and mixed mushrooms

When I was researching foods for my long term pantry this Spring I became curious what the difference between corn meal, polenta, and masa was. I discovered that they are all made from corn, however, are ground and processed differently which therefore makes each one useful in varying ways.

Cornmeal - A fine or medium flour that has a gritty/sandy texture best used for baking cornbread, dusting pizza peels, or making crusts for fried foods.

Polenta - A specific type of coarse ground yellow cornmeal and made into a creamy porridge dish, hailing from Italy, or letting it cool into a solid log, slicing it, and frying or baking it. The confusion comes because you technically could use corn meal to make polenta. However, standard corn meal is often fine or medium grind. So, if you plan to make polenta and were going to buy an item labeled as corn meal versus polenta, you would just want to check that the corn meal was a medium or coarse grind to ensure that your finished cooked polenta didn't turn out pasty. Conversely, if you have a package labeled polenta you can make cornbread from it. But due to the coarser grains, your finished baked cornbread will have a denser crumbly texture versus the softer cakelike texture you would get from the fine or medium grains of cornmeal.

Masa - Very finely ground and has been undergone a process called nixtamalization (soaking and cooking dried corn in an alkaline solution like a lime water) best used to make corn tortillas and tamales.

Because of this prior research, when perusing through Cheesy: 50 Boards & Recipes by Farideh Sadeghin, the first recipe that popped out at me to try was Polenta with Fontina and Mixed Mushrooms.

Polenta with Fontina and Mixed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Polenta

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup polenta

6 ounces shredded fontina (I used gruyere)

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream (I used whole milk yogurt)

salt

Mushrooms

3 tbsp unsalted butter 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced (I did not have access to mixed mushrooms so I just used one kind)

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine (I did not have this so I omitted, which I assume didn't give me a glaze, but the mushrooms were still great)

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Instructions:

To make the polenta:

In a heavy medium saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat, combine the milk and 2 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, slowly add the polenta, and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and creamy, about 30 minutes. Stir in the fontina, butter, and creme fraiche, and season with salt. Keep warm.

To cook the mushrooms:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until their liquid is released, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the wine and vinegar. Cook until the liquid has reduced and the mushrooms are lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

To serve, spoon the polenta into bowls and top each with some of the mushrooms.

This polenta was so easy to make and had a great flavor yet still allowing the polenta to shine through. I'll definitely be reaching for this recipe often this Fall when I want a cozy warming feeling just like I would get if I was craving macaroni and cheese!

recipe: beef and cabbage with wild rice

When the cabbage is bountiful in the garden and needs to be used up, this recipe of my moms for beef and cabbage with wild rice is the first recipe I reach for. The prep is a bit time consuming. Yet the flavorful result is so worth it!

beef and cabbage with wild rice

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried wild rice

6 eggs

1 pound ground beef

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all purpose flour

14 ounce can stewed tomatoes with Italian herbs 

2 tbsp ketchup

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 small head cabbage, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions:

1) Cook wild rice per directions. Hard boil eggs, once cooled peel and dice. Set both cooked wild rice and diced eggs aside. 

2) Brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Push ground beef aside and melt butter in corner of pan. Mix flour in with the butter, then combine the butter flour mixture with the ground beef. Add to the pan canned tomatoes, ketchup, water, and garlic salt. Heat to a simmer. Add cooked rice and chopped eggs to the pan and stir to combine.

3) Butter 9x13 casserole dish. Spread half of the shredded cabbage in the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with half the ground beef mixture. Spread another layer of cabbage and then remaining meat mixture.

4) Cover with an oven safe lid or aluminum foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5) Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. 

Notes:

- A small head of cabbage or half of a larger cabbage is all that will fit with the beef mixture in a 9x13 pan. If you're like me and LOVE cabbage, you can use up a whole head of cabbage by layering the mixture in a 9x13 pan as well as an 8x8 pan. 

- To reduce the amount of pans overall needed to make this recipe, you can use a larger stockpot when cooking the meat mixture and add the cabbage directly into that stockpot. Once removing any handles, or other non-oven safe materials, you can stick this stockpot directly into the oven for cooking. Additionally, if you don't want to use the oven at all, you can cook the cabbage in a pan on the stovetop with a little butter and then combine that with the meat mixture, then serve.

recipe: non-alcoholic Pimm's

I love reading books by international authors. It is not just about learning fun new words or immersing myself in places I have never been. Frequently, my interest is piqued by the food and drinks the characters enjoy. This was exactly the case while reading Awake Awake by Fiona Mozley. 

When the protagonist, Mary, and her friends started drinking something called Pimm's, I immediately turned to Google. I discovered that the Pimm's Cup, or a "fruit cup in a glass," is a popular British summertime staple. Looking at the ingredients -- orange, strawberry, cucumber, lemon, and mint -- it is easy to see why it is so refreshing! It is a signature drink at major events like the Wimbledon Championships, the Chelsea Flower Show, and the Henley Royal Regatta (all events that sound like ones I would want to attend)! 

Interestingly, Pimm's eventually migrated to the Southern US, landing in New Orleans nearly two centuries after its London inception. While it is traditionally made with gin, people also use base spirits like whisky, brandy, rum, vodka, and tequila. Intrigued, I mixed up a non-alcoholic mocktail version at home, and it was absolutely delicious!

Non-alcoholic Pimm's

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

Ice

4 fresh mint leaves cup 

2 orange slices, halved

2 hulled strawberries, quartered

3 slices English cucumber

1 lemon or lime slice

5 ounces sparkling lemonade (I used Aldi sparkling lemonade, but I have heard Schweppes Lemonade is also great for Pimm's)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 tbsp fresh orange juice (optional)

Instructions:

1) Cut fruit. Use part of the orange to make juice (if using).

2) Add desired amount of ice to glass. Add fruit saving lemon slice for rim of glass. 

3) Fill remainder of glass with sparkling lemonade. Top off with the balsamic vinegar.

4) Stir lightly and add lemon to rim.

Notes:

If using alcohol, it is wonderful to soak the fruit in a pitcher in the fridge for up to 12 hours before serving. You can also do this if you are using a flat lemonade and then adding something sparkling like a ginger ale at the time of serving.

I did not have any ice made. And it was 90 degrees so I figured it would just melt and water down the drink anyway. But, it was still amazing!

recipe: homemade yogurt by re-culturing

 It really is this EASY to make yogurt!

1. Add 1 cup powdered whole milk and 3 1/2 cups water to a pan (or just use 3 1/2 cups already liquid milk).

2. Increase temp to 180-195 degrees F on medium low. Keep it here for 10-20 min checking periodically with a thermometer.

3. Remove from heat and let cool to 110-115 degrees F.

4. To the 110-115 F milk, add a few spoonfuls from a store bought container of plain yogurt (or form your prior batch of yogurt) and whisk or stir. It's okay if there are some clumps.

5. Pour into 2 pint jars and place in oven with the light on for 6+ hours.

Master Your Temperatures

Do your own research to ensure you are hitting the correct temperatures but these are the reliable basics I use to make fresh yogurt every 7-10 days. 

The best part? My cultures have been going active and strong now for almost a year now! In fact, the culture seems to be getting stronger over time. It now takes only four hours for my yogurt to fully solidify, compared to the six hours it took when I first started. Some yogurt makers on Reddit state that their culture gets weaker over time, but I have not found that to be the case at all.

Accurate Temperature Control

Maintaining the correct temperatures is the absolute key factor in making yogurt successfully:

- The heat stage (180-195 degrees F) - Heating your milk to this range kills competing bacteria so your yogurt culture can thrive. It also unravels the whey proteins so they can bond with the milk's casein, giving you a thick, smooth texture.

- The cool stage (110-115 degrees F) - You must ensure you do not add your starter culture to the milk until it has cooled below 115 degrees. Anything hotter will kill the beneficial bacteria. However, also ensure you do not let it cool below 110 before adding the yogurt and getting it into the warm oven as it needs to stay warm in order to turn into yogurt.

Customizing Your Texture and Batch Size

If you want prefer greek yogurt, you can easily strain the final product through cheesecloth to remove the liquid whey. However, I find this standard recipe is already perfectly thick, creamy and satisfying without any extra work.

This recipe yields two pint jars, which is the perfect amount for me as one person. It provides just enough to enjoy throughout the week without forcing you to eat yogurt every single day to finish it.

Keeping Your Culture Alive

Feel free to adjust the amount of milk to scale the batch size to your personal needs. Just remember the holden rule of sustainability: make your next batch within 7-10 days. This timeline allows you to use a small scoop of your current batch to safely innoculate the next one. Waiting longer than 10 days risks spoiling your yogurt and permanently weakening your live culture. 

double chocolate walnut bread

This double chocolate walnut bread from Shiloh Farms is so delicious. It has a fully cooked, yet soft, crumb with a slightly crackly crust. This combo of textures along with the light dusting of nuts and chocolate chips on the top, the full experience of biting into this loaf is so yummy!

 

Double Chocolate Walnut Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

Equipment: 2 mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large), spatula, whisk, 9x5 loaf pan, measuring cups, measuring spoons

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup date sugar (or natural sweetener of choice)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup organic cocoa powder

3/4 cup almond flour

1 cup brown rice flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients (through vanilla) and mix well.

3) To this mixture, add sugars and whisk until incorporated.

4) In a separate bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

5) Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

6) Pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Top with additional nuts or chocolate chips, if desired.

7) Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out moist, but clean. (In my experience, the loaf needs to bake for much longer, even up to 20 min longer. However, check every 5 min with a toothpick for any baking after 60 min and remove from oven when yours is done).

8) Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for at least 20 minutes before removing from pan, allowing to cool completely before slicing. (This is another place that in my experience needs much longer - letting it rest even for a few hours before removing from pan or cutting).

Don't forget to save this recipe on pinterest!

nutty maple cinnamon granola

Even when other granola recipes cross my path, they rarely entice me to stray from my go-to granola. This is because it has the ideal balance of crunch (provided by the larger chopped walnuts compared to the softer and smaller crunch from chia seeds and hemp hearts), sweetness (just a hint of maple syrup), and a dash of spice (cinnamon). Mixing it up in five minutes before my shower, by the time I am out it is right on time to give the granola its first mix, and by the time my coffee is done, the granola is finished baking and ready to top my yogurt. 

Nutty Maple Cinnamon Granola

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment: large mixing bowl, large spatula/spoon, measuring cups and spoons, baking sheet (either half sheet or full sheet will work just fine)

Ingredients:

Dry - 

4 cups preferred oats (Old fashioned, also called rolled oats, provide a slightly crunchier texture and will possibly clump better. However, I use quick oats because I like the softer texture in the final granola and no clumps).

1 cup chopped walnuts (subbing pecans is also wonderful)

1 cup pumpkin seeds (with or without salt, either works)

1/2 cup hemp hearts

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup of something else (I switch this up depending on what I have on hand - sunflower seeds, wheat germ, coconut flakes)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (Don't throw out the cinnamon you have in your cupboard, however, when you replenish your cinnamon you want to be using ceylon cinnamon as it has the lowest coumarin content versus cassia and saigon. This article provides a quick summary of how you can quickly exceed the daily limit of cassia/saigon Cinnamon, potentially causing damage to your liver.)

Wet -

1/3 cup oil (If I feel like taking the time, I melt coconut oil. But, typically I just use grapeseed oil that is already in a "state" I can dump into the granola mix. If you do use coconut oil, mix your ingredients and get it in the oven quickly so it doesn't start hardening again.)

1/2 cup maple syrup (You can sub honey, however, anytime you heat honey over approximately 95 degrees, it significantly degrades beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and antibacterial compounds, reducing its nutritional and potential health benefits. So, I tend to use honey for room temp, or at least not boiling uses, and stick to maple syrup for everything else.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1) Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. 

2) Add wet ingredients to the bowl, no need to mix these in a separate bowl first.

3) Dump onto your baking sheet and loosely smooth the granola to cover the entire pan.

4) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turning with the same spatula or spoon you used for mixing, about halfway through. You want the granola medium brown and just slightly crispy. 

Notes:

Save some trees and don't use parchment paper. I have never had this stick to the pan even a little. 

If you want to add fruit, add it to the pan right when you take the granola out of the oven so it gently toasts it without burning. Or, just add it right before you eat the granola in cereal or on top of yogurt. This way it is not adding moisture into the granola during storage.

 

Don't forget to pin this post if you remember so you remember to try this granola recipe. It will surely be your "go-to" granola recipe as well!