Less Turkey, More Bull, with King George VI Pie

To celebrate the massive and incredible and stunning changes about to be Wrought in our World (I for one am still patiently waiting, for with the appointment of "20 Hawks, Clintonites and Neocons" to top posts before you could recover from your post-election hangover, it appears that the more things change, the more they stay the same) - in any case, to celebrate the nature of the change, I am doing Thanksgiving with good, old-fashioned, BEEF AND POTATOES, I'm done with election gobble-gobble, I mean, WHERE'S THE BEEF?

This Change is beginning to look like Halloween all over again. And therefore, for this Permanent State of Halloween we have found ourselves in, reminiscent of the ForeverNEver Irish-Brit conflict in an ironic way, ironic because it would not make money for the evil elite to have that conflict ever, ever end, how about some BRAISED BEEF with as much Irish beer and and whiskey you can muster up, spuds a la COLCANNON, and King George VI's very own special Pumpkin Pie, to celebrate America's new Thanksgiving of Bogus Change.

After all, King George has run yet another one of his "choicest boys" up the flag (you did know he had a penchant for this kind didn't you?) and into the deadliest cage of them all, deadlier than the Colorado ones of days of yore. There's more on that at my Black N Crispy political kitchen, if you can find it.

I would suggest for your listening pleasure preparing this All Bull Thanksgiving, Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares to You". It is arguably one of the 25 saddest songs in the world, in my book the saddest, and sing it for our Last Thanksgiving Supper, and for the blackbird in the white cage who could fly us away, if he himself only could do so for himself. This is because at precisely "7 hours and 15 days" into his "Co-Presidency", Americans were again cheated of any right for justice on real legal matters. See for yourself:

Mario Murillo: “There’s been talk about a close ally and friend of Obama as a potential Attorney General for the United States, Eric Holder, who is currently defending Chiquita Brands International in its defense against dozens of plaintiffs here in Colombia, working families who were targeted by paramilitaries who were funded to the tune of $1.7 million over the last several years. It’s a major scandal. And if this guy becomes the Attorney General under an Obama administration, then it’s going to be really hard to find justice in this case coming from the United States.”

Xyz_Recipe Girl: "Ummm, that would be any case that goes against PNAC, can you say Banana Republic in the new Administration and not get sued?"

COLCANNON - adapted from Irish Food recipes all over the world - traditionally served at Halloween - now spruced up for America's Final Harlequin Banquet.

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs of thin skinned medium sized potatoes
1 medium green cabbage
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup copped green onions
6 Tbl butter
Lots of Salt and Pepper

I like this best with cabbage, but have made it with kale, turnip greens, bok choy, brussel sprouts, spinach, and a goodly mix of all of the above, and still like it best with green cabbage.

METHOD

1. Wash spuds, with brush if not organic, leave skins on, place in cold water in large pan, best to be large enough to allow them all have their own place at the bottom, to cover by a third. Salt it liberally.

2. Cover and Bring to a boil then reduce to Medium heat.

3. After about 15 minutes (usually the halfway plus point) pour out 2/3 of the water, leaving the spuds in just a little bit of water, reduce the heat a teensy bit more, let the potatoes cook for about 10-15 minutes. You must keep the covered, cuz its the steam that does its magic here.

4. In the mean time, quarter the cabbage, cut into very thin slices and place in a pot with a bit of BOILING water and salt, and cook til soft, should not be more than 7 minutes. When done, drain immediately if not sooner, salt and pepper LIBERALLY, nad add 2-3 TBL of the butter.

5. Back to the spuds, when done, drain the water, put the spuds in a bowl, and remove the skins, mash in the bowl with a potato ricer.

6. Put the potato pan back on the stove, add the buttermilk and onions, bring to a boil, then add the mashed potatoes, and stir furiously.

7. Add the cabbage, and the rest of the butter if it is too stiff, else save the butter for adding to the serving bowl, mix well, until fluffy. Does not matter if chunks of spuds are in there.

Put in a heated dish and serve hot with the optional butter globbed in the center, and fresh pepper/salt, sprinkle with parsely. There is no better comfort food, political or not.

I forgot. You will want to do these spuds last, to keep them hot, it's easy and fast as a last minute dish.

BEER or WHISKEY BRAISED BEEF

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds really really good beef, like tri-tip chopped into largish stewing sized pieces
1 1/2 pounds carrots
3 large onions
4 Tbl all pupose flour
1 Tbl + 1 more Tbl cumin for marinating
4 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Basil
1 Tbl molasses
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock - no MSG
Parsley

METHOD
1. Cut tri-tip ino chunks a bit larger than for stewing, and marinate in balsam, salt, pepper and cumin.
2. Dice the onions and peel and cut the carrots into finger sized lengths, and not too fat across.
3. Heat the oil and onions in a large pan until fat and transluscent definitely NOT where they lose their water and give up the ghost, cuz they are going into the oven.
4. Remove onions to a large pan for the oven, placed for now on top of the stove burner, on low to keep warm.
4. Mix cumin and flour, salt and pepper
5. Coat the beef with the flour mix, and brown in the pan that did the onions, adding more oil if needed. Brown.
6. Add basil and a few Tbl guinness to beef in pot, cook for a minute or two, and add molasses with a few tbl of stock.
7. NOW remove to the place on top of onions in the oven pan.
8. Bring to low simmer, arranging carrots (no potatoes or anything else please) around the beef
9. Slowly add rest of Guinness and bring to low simmer.
10. Now lastly add remaining stock, and cover with foil.
11. Bake in a 325 - 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Serve with colcannon, very delicious COMFORT food both, and ya gonna be needing it in the days ahead, esp., mid 2009.

You will want to end with Irish Coffee and King George VI Pumpkin Pie - recipe is next. In the UK in the '60's and '70's they used to call this Gollywogg pie, as this pumpkin pie will include UN-CHIQUITA BANANAS, as indeed so I was slandered as a young girl, going to a top British school... but we shan't be as crude here, or shall we? Hmmmm!

Coconut Panko Oven Fried Chicken

This chicken is quick and surprisingly delicious, goes well with the coconut vegetable basmati rice.

Main ingredients

• 2 pieces of chicken breasts, skinned
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup panko - Japanese breadcrumbs
  
• 4 Tbl butter
• 1 egg
• 1-2 Tbl soy sauce
• 1 Tbl cornstarch
  

Spices

• Cumin - 1 Tbl
  
• Curry powder - 1/2 Tbl
  
• Oregano or cilantro flakes optional
  
• Salt, pepper to taste
  

Optional Gravy ingredients

• Chicken broth
• Coconut milk
• Cooking alcohol (wine, rice wine)
  

Baking pan, oven at 350-360 deg. F.

Dot butter in bottom of baking dish with fingers, flatten the dots out a bit til bottom is overed.

In a large flat-bottomed bowl, mix together cornstarch, spices, coconut flakes and panko. I sometimes add oregano or cilantro or even basil flakes here.

In a small bowl beat egg, add soy sauce, a bit of water to stretch if you have more than 2 pieces of chicken.

Dip chicken, one piece at a time, in egg mix, then roll in coconut-panko mix.

Put in pan and bake uncovered at 350 - 360 degrees for 25 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and continue baking 20- 25 minutes more.

Remove the chicken and add a suitable amount of chicken broth with coconut milk to the bottom of the baking pan, and a bit of alcohol of choice to reduce the butter etc., mix, add salt and pepper to taste, and that is your gravy.

If you want a more robust gravy, then add some pureed fruit (any fruit, I'm not picky, but aficioanados will tell you the pulpy ones are better, apricot, peach, grape, plum ... vs apple), more butter (or olive oil), rice wine vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, mustard, salt and chili powder... and cook 'til blended. This is really in the duck sauce family but goes great with this sort of baked chicken.

Coconut Vegetable Basmati Rice

I have not been posting, but I have been cooking up a storm, mostly for Buddha Kitty, who has been diagnosed with chronic renal failure. Well, that's what the blood tests say, of course, I always said starting a year ago, that by the time they get around to diagnosing his liver/kidney issues using blood tests my cat will be near death.

That, of course, is EXACTLY what happened, *fork* over a few thou anyways.

Interestingly, in this journey, Buddha Kitty has taught me a lot about homeopathics, holistic approaches, integrative medicine, asshole vs. sainted vets, and how owners must stick to their Cat's instincts, always.

He was losing weight dramatically; this meant getting and keeping food in him was a life-and-death challenge. His digestive system finally did get jump-started, *that's* a whole 'nother blog especially considering how many thousands of pet owners have furry loved ones with CRF after that bloody, terroristic pet food attack last year - and when it did, my beautiful cat began to eat.... and how! and what? What did he eat? eye-talian food!

Yep, that'd be prosciutto, bologna, chicken cooked with garlic, oregano, bit of cheese and tomato, more prosicutto, does he not like the dish? - put some tomato paste over it - for that matter, pour tomato soup with corn, fresh corn on the cob, aparagus, screw the rice, how about orzo instead. Fish? Cod? Okaaay but I prefer fillet of sole please... baked with a smidge of olive oil, garlic and basil... and frigging kale, which the sainted vet-author Carol Schwartz who wrote "Four Paws, Five Directions" about TCM for pets, has a recipe for CRF cats that includes kale, and asparagus, so dear folks, we ignore my sainted CAT's internal food taste machine at our own peril!

My beautiful, soulful Buddha cat, coming back from a CRF death ... on Italian food... yeah, yeah, he's got the science diet k/d out, also the modified diet kibble, he eats those too, plus about a tray of 20 different feline nutritional and herbal and other supplements, some prescription, others not, plus three difference kinds of cat vitamins and minerals... that he gets delivered through a feeding syringe twice a day, plus his sub-q fluids etc. etc. etc. But, make no mistake, he puts up with all of that ONLY if he gets fed pure Italian.

I kid you not. Sainted vet says (when I asked about the salty prosciutto) as long as he's eating we'll worry fine-tuning the "what" later, right now he's got to put on weight so whatever he's eating within reason, fine. Just watch the garlic and no onions and make sure he gets the canned and the kibble also.

Cat is now back to demanding food every two hours, demanding I get off the phone and pet him, demanding fresh-laundered, warm white towels for him to recline over, and looking at me with those magical aqua blue eyes from 10 thousand times 10 thousand years ago.

Back in action he is, a 6-7 on a scale of 1 to 10, better than the 1-2 he was mere weeks ago, proving for once and for all the kitchen is the medicine cabinet of first resort. You want to know what worked, it'll cost ya, not giving any of that away for free anymore.

I go back to where I left off, predictably with Mr. Coconut. I'll fix the vinegar and other sections in a bit, I am a busy, traveling person in a HURRY!

Coconut Vegetable Basmati Rice

SERVES 4

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Coconut etc.

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut cream/milk
• ½ cup shredded coconut (optional)

Vegetables

• ½ cup green peas (fresh, froze, whatever)
  
• ½ cup carrots - cut in strips, bit pieces
  

Spices

• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 4-6 cardamom pods
• 4-6 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)

METHOD

• Clean wash soak rice in water for 15 minutes, drain, set aside
• Heat oil in pan
• Add all spices stir for about 1 minute - don't let it smoke esp. if you're using cinnamon powder instead of a stick
  
• Add vegetables (green peas and carrots), and optional shredded coconut; stir fry for 4 minutes, keep the heat to stir-fry level.
  
• Add rice, salt, chicken broth with coconut milk
• Bring to a boil, cover the pan and turn down to low
• Simmer for 12-15 minutes

Serve with curry or yogurt. The picture does not do it justice, when I removed the cover to take the snap, the aroma was intoxicating. So the most accurate way to look at the picture is to imagine being suddenly intoxicated.

Fermented Wine: The Secrets of Vinegar

[This is a blog in progress. I am culling from several places the most amazing vinegary tales of culinary and medicinal triumphs. More importantly, I'm on the road, and need to have custom pickled things with me - or sent to me from my food storage stash - for my own health and wellbeing.]

After Codex, all our secret medicinal remedies will be pass on in the Green Language with poetry.

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got and home did trot

As fast as he could caper;

And went to bed and covered his head

In vinegar and brown paper.

Job's Tears

In Japan, an aged vinegar is also made from Job's Tears; it is similar in flavor to rice vinegar.

[edit] Kombucha

Kombucha vinegar, also referred to as probiotic vinegar,^{[citation needed]} is made from kombucha, a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. The bacteria produce a complex array of nutrients and populate the vinegar with symbiotic bacteria which some claim promote a heathy digestive tract, though no scientific studies have shown this to date. Kombucha vinegar is primarily used to make a vinaigrette and flavored by adding strawberries, blackberries, mint, or blueberries at the beginning of fermentation.

Sodium acetate is the chemical that gives salt and vinegar chips their flavor. It may also be added to foods as a preservative; in this application it is usually written as "sodium diacetate" and labeled E262

This is the well-known "fizzing" reaction between baking soda and vinegar. 84 grams of sodium bicarbonate react with 750 g of 8% vinegar to make 82 g sodium acetate in water. By subsequently boiling off most of the water, one can refine either a concentrated solution of sodium acetate or actual crystals.


Most meals start with onions, ginger and garlic. In this the fermentation month, I thought to pickle these favorites, plus the peck s of peppers that I never seem to finish.



However a big caveat:

"Pickled peppers and mixed vegetable-pepper home-canned products are commonly prepared by many households. These products also have been implicated in botulism deaths due to the use of untested recipes, under-acidified products, addition of too much oil, or lack of processing."

So we're not canning.

GINGER:

Uncle Phaed of course, gave us this recipe for pickled ginger.

A great way to keep ginger is to put whole roots in a jar and cover with dry sherry. Ginger will keep indefinitely this way. Just slice off as needed. Be sure the sherry continues to cover the ginger.

Pickled Ginger

1/2 cup fresh ginger -- sliced paper thin
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Stir all ingredients together in non-reactive stainless steel pan or glass
saucepan and bring to a boil.

Let mixture cool to room temperature and chill overnight. (Pickled ginger
keeps for several months in the refrigerator.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Pickled Ginger

2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound fresh ginger root

Combine sugar, vinegar (use ONLY rice vinegar) and water in 1-pint jar
with tight-fitting lid.
Peel ginger then cut it into long, PAPER-THIN slices using a swivel-bladed
vegetable peeler.
Place the slices in the pickling liquid. Refrigerate at least 2 to 3 weeks
before using.

Yield: 1 pint. If kept submerged in the liquid, this will keep indefinitely
in the refrigerator.

PICKLED HOT PEPPERS

chili and jalapeno

Chile peppers are usually preserved in salt and vinegar. Adding sugar or honey produces a more mellow tasting pickle. Adding spices gives additional flavour.

Salt a: Used to extract moisture from some vegetables, which would otherwise dilute the vinegar and cause the pickle to ferment, and the vegetables to toughen. Use cooking salt rather than table salt; the latter contains a higher iodine content which can discolour the vegetables (it makes them darker).

Salt b. Use noniodized canning or pickling salt. Noncaking materials added to table salt may make the solution cloudy.

Vinegar a: Use bottled vinegar's (malt, distilled, wine, cider, spiced etc); draught vinegar's are not strong enough. White distilled or cider vinegar's of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) are recommended. Use cold vinegar for crisp vegetables and boiling vinegar for softer ones. The vinegar should cover the vegetables by at least an inch (2.5cm). For a home-made spiced vinegar, boil 1oz (25g) of mixed pickling spice in 1 pint (600ml) of vinegar for 5 minutes. Strain when cold.

Vinegar b. Use a high grade cider or white distilled vinegar of 5 percent acidity (50 grain). White vinegar may be preferred with light-colored peppers or vegetables to retain color or if clear liquid is desired. Do not use vinegars of unknown acidity. For a less acidic flavor, add a small amount of sugar. This offsets the sharp acid flavor without affecting the pH or acidity of a product.

Caution: The acidity in a pickled product is as important to its safety as it is for taste and texture. There must be a minimum, uniform amount of acid throughout the mixed product to prevent growth of botulinum bacteria. Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients. Do not alter vinegar/water proportions in the recipe.

Spices: Use whole spices, powdered ones will make the vinegar cloudy. Mixed pickling spice consists of equal amounts of stick cinnamon, allspice berries, cloves, mace and peppercorns. Extras can include root ginger, celery seeds

Pre-cooking: Some recipes require the chile peppers to be blanched before pickling, some don't.

Pans: Use un-chipped enamel, aluminum or stainless steel pans. Copper, brass and iron pans will react with the vinegar, giving an off taste.

Sealing: Jars must be sterilised and well sealed. Metal lids will corrode on contact with the vinegar. Kilner jars, with their rubber sealing rings, are recommended.

Maturing: A minimum of 2 to 4 weeks maturing time is recommended. Crisp pickles will tend to soften after about 3 months.

Quick Facts...

• Use only fresh, blemish-free vegetables and up-to-date, research-based recipes when pickling peppers and pepper blends.
• Use pure, granulated, non-iodized canning or pickling salt, high grade vinegar of 5 percent acidity, and fresh spices.
• Process pickled peppers in a boiling water bath for the altitude-adjusted length of time specified in a tested recipe.
• For oil peppers, use only fresh vegetable oil in the amounts specified in tested recipes.
• Additional processing time and head space are needed to preserve pickled peppers in oil.

Pickled peppers and mixed vegetable-pepper home-canned products are commonly prepared by many Colorado households. These products also have been implicated in botulism deaths due to the use of untested recipes, under-acidified products, addition of too much oil, or lack of processing.

Ingredients:

4 pounds hot, long red, green or yellow peppers
3 pounds sweet red and green peppers, mixed
5 cups vinegar (5 percent acidity)
1 cup water
4 teaspoons canning or pickling salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic

Yield: About 9 pints Procedure:

Wash peppers. If small peppers are left whole, slash two to four slits in each; quarter large peppers.

Blanch in boiling water or blister in order to peel.

Flatten small peppers.

Fill jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.

Combine and heat other ingredients to boiling and simmer 10 minutes.

Remove garlic.

Add hot pickling solution over peppers, leaving ½-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process pints or half-pints for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Garlic Pickled Chile Peppers

• 500g (1 lb) Cayenne peppers
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 cloves of garlic cut in halves
• 900ml (1 1/2 pints) vinegar (garlic vinegar if available)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 8 peppercorns

Wash the peppers and place into hot sterilized jars. Mix the allspice with the celery and mustard seeds. Pack into the jars. Add the garlic. Place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns into pan and bring to the boil. Pour over the peppers and seal the jars. Makes about 1.5kg (3 lb)

Fresh Pickled Jalapenos

Using fresh Jalapenos peppers, blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. To prevent collapsing, puncture each pepper with a needle. Add the following ingredients to a pint jar packed with the blanched peppers before cooling occurs:

• 1/4 medium sized Garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon of onion flakes
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon ground Oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon Thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon Marjoram
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Cover with boiling brine solution prepared as follows: mix together;

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 9 tablespoons salt
• 2 pints water
• 2 pints 5% vinegar

Close containers and process for 10 minutes in boiling water, then cool. Note that the jalapenos must be hot when brine solution is added.

---

Easy Pickled Peppers

• 1 - 1 1/2 lb. fresh hot peppers (any kind you like)
• 1 good sized handful of cayenne peppers (optional - adds color to mix)
• 1 lb package of peeled baby carrots
• 1 or 2 heads garlic - peel and separate cloves
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
• White vinegar to cover

Put the carrots on to boil in the vinegar. Stab each pepper with a paring knife. After the carrots have cooked for about 10 minutes, add everything else to the pot. Simmer 5 (crisp) to 15 (soft) minutes depending on your taste. Pour mixture into old mayonnaise jars or what ever else large glass jars you have on hand that have a cover. Cover (not too tight) and let cool for an hour or so. Then refrigerate. You can eat these right away but if you way for a few days the vegetables (carrots and garlic) will get hotter.

Peppers. A variety of peppers work well for home canning. Common varieties are Cubanelle, Hungarian, yellow wax, sweet cherry, sweet banana and sweet bells. Thick-fleshed peppers with firm waxy skins and bright, glossy color, free from defects, give the best pickled products. Avoid peppers that are soft, shriveled or pliable, and dull or faded in color. As with all pickled products, the shortest time from pick to pack offers the highest quality pickled product.

Cut large peppers (Cubanella or bells) into jar-size pieces. Remove seeds and white inner core. Smaller varieties may be packed whole but must be slit to allow the vinegar solution to enter the hollow portion of the pepper. Make two small slits through the flesh of each whole pepper.

Pickling Chili Peppers

Chile peppers are usually preserved in salt and vinegar. Adding sugar or honey produces a more mellow tasting pickle. Adding spices gives additional flavour. Salt: Used to extract moisture from some vegetables, which would otherwise dilute the vinegar and cause the pickle to ferment, and the vegetables to toughen. Use cooking salt rather than table salt; the latter contains a higher iodine content which can discolor the vegetables (it makes them darker). Vinegar: Use bottled vinegar's (malt, distilled, wine, cider, spiced etc); draught vinegar's are not strong enough. White distilled or cider vinegar's of 5 percent acidity (50 grain) are recommended. Use cold vinegar for crisp vegetables and boiling vinegar for softer ones. The vinegar should cover the vegetables by at least an inch (2.5cm). For a home-made spiced vinegar, boil 1oz (25g) of mixed pickling spice in 1 pint (600ml) of vinegar for 5 minutes. Strain when cold. Spices: Use whole spices, powdered ones will make the vinegar cloudy. Mixed pickling spice consists of equal amounts of stick cinnamon, allspice berries, cloves, mace and peppercorns. Extras can include root ginger, celery seeds etc. Pre-cooking: Some recipes require the chile peppers to be blanched before pickling, some don't. Pans: Use unchipped enamel, aluminum or stainless steel pans. Copper, brass and iron pans will react with the vinegar, giving an off taste. Sealing: Jars must be sterilized and well sealed. Metal lids will corrode on contact with the vinegar. Kilner jars are recommended. Maturing: A minimum of 2 to 4 weeks maturing time is recommended. Crisp pickles will tend to soften after about 3 months. Garlic Pickled Chile Peppers 500g (1 lb) Cayenne peppers 2 tablespoons salt 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 3 cloves of garlic cut in halves 900ml (1 1/2 pints) vinegar (garlic vinegar if available) 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 8 peppercorns Wash the peppers and place into hot sterilized jars. Mix the allspice with the celery and mustard seeds. Pack into the jars. Add the garlic. Place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns into pan and bring to the boil. Pour over the peppers and seal the jars. Makes about 1.5kg (3 lb) Fresh Pickled Jalapenos Using fresh Jalapenos peppers, blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. To prevent collapsing, puncture each pepper with a needle. Add the following ingredients to a pint jar packed with the blanched peppers before cooling occurs: 1/4 medium sized Garlic clove 1/4 teaspoon of onion flakes 1 small bay leaf 1/8 teaspoon ground Oregano 1/8 teaspoon Thyme 1/8 teaspoon Marjoram 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Cover with boiling brine solution prepared as follows: mix together; 3 tablespoons sugar 9 tablespoons salt 2 pints water 2 pints 5% vinegar Close containers and process for 10 minutes in boiling water, then cool. Note that the jalapenos must be hot when brine solution is added. Easy Pickled Peppers 1 - 1 1/2 lb. fresh hot peppers (any kind you like) 1 good sized handful of cayenne peppers (optional - adds color to mix) 1 lb package of peeled baby carrots 1 or 2 heads garlic - peel and separate cloves 1/4 cup salt 1/4 cup black peppercorns 1/4 cup whole coriander seeds White vinegar to cover Put the carrots on to boil in the vinegar. Stab each pepper with a paring knife. After the carrots have cooked for about 10 minutes, add everything else to the pot. Simmer 5 (crisp) to 15 (soft) minutes depending on your taste. Pour mixture into old mayonnaise jars or what ever else large glass jars you have on hand that have a cover. Cover (not too tight) and let cool for an hour or so. Then refrigerate. You can eat these right away but if you way for a few days the vegetables (carrots and garlic) will get hotter. Grandma's Pickled Banana peppers Recipe By : Jerry Ziehm banana peppers 1 tsp. salt 2 tbs. good olive oil in each jar Brine 3 qts. water 1 qt. white vinegar bring to boil Place peppers, salt, oil in jars, pour hot brine to the top of jar, seal jars, water bath for about 5 min. (When I water bath I only boil about 2 min). Peppers stay very crisp. Also you can put a clove or two of garlic in each jar if you wish. Recipe yields about 10 quarts. Pickled Jalapenos Recipe By : Pacific Northwest Extension Bulletin 6 pounds jalapeno 5 cups vinegar 1 cup water 4 teaspoons pickling salt 2 tablespoons sugar 2 cloves garlic Wash peppers. If small peppers are left whole, slash 2-5 slits in each. Quarter large peppers. Blanch in boiling water. Flatten small peppers. Fill half-pint or pint jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Combine and heat other ingredients to boiling and simmer 10 minutes. Remove garlic. Pour hot pickling solution over peppers leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust lids. Use conventional boiling water canner processing. Process for 10 minutes at below 1000 feet, 15 minutes at 1001 to 6000 feet and 20 minutes above 6000 feet. Pickled Chiles Recipe By : The Goodness of Peppers by John Midgley (Pavilion Books Unlimited, London). 225g/8 oz. whole fresh chiles 350ml/12 fl. oz/1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar with 1 teaspoon salt sprig of bay sprig of rosemary 4 gloves of garlic, peeled up to 350ml/12 fl. oz/1 1/2 cups extra white wine vinegar Inspect the chiles for damage, discarding any that are bruised, lacerated or otherwise blemished. Snip off all but the base of their stems. Bring the vinegar and the chiles to a boil in a pan. Add the remaining ingredients except the extra vinegar and simmer for 6-8 minutes. With a clean spoon, transfer them to a jar previously sterilized with freshly boiled water. Pour in the pickling liquid with its herbs, top up with the additional vinegar to cover and allow to cool before sealing. The chiles will be ready within a month. This quantity will fill a medium-sized jar with whole chiles, preserved with herbs and garlic and up to 675ml /1 1/2 pints /3 cups of vinegar. Increase the vinegar quantity and dilute it with a little water if you want to preserve a larger quantity of chiles, or sweet red and yellow peppers, which should first have their caps, seeds and pithy membranes removed.

Garlic. If desired for flavor, use mature, fully-dried, white-skinned garlic, free of blemishes. Garlic contains a water-soluble pigment that may turn blue or purple. A blue-green color may develop in pickles made with stored red-skinned garlic. Immature garlic, garlic that is not fully dry, or red-skinned varieties may turn blue, purple or blue-green. Except in the case of a bright blue-green color resulting from abnormally high concentrations of copper-sulfate, such color changes do not indicate the presence of harmful substances.

Marinated Refrigerated Peppers

Remember, all pickled pepper products stored at room temperature must be processed, to avoid the risk of botulism toxin development during storage. The boiling water bath processing step can be omitted if pickles are stored in the refrigerator. Use the following procedure.

Wash peppers. Small peppers may be left whole with two small slits in each pepper. Core and cut large peppers into strips.

Sterilize jars, lids and screwbands. Pack peppers tightly into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

For each 6 cups of brine, combine 5 cups vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon pickling salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer five minutes.

Pour vinegar solution over peppers, leaving 1/8-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust headspace so that brine covers all peppers. Wipe rims.

Place sterilized flats on jars. Do not put on screwbands. Allow jars to cool. Put on screwbands and wipe jars. Refrigerate six to eight weeks for the pickled flavor to fully develop. Keep refrigerated and use within six months. This pepper product allows the peppers to marinate in a high acid solution, at a cold temperature, and in the presence of air. These conditions are not favorable for botulism toxin formation. It does not ensure against other types of spoilage.

Salsa

Most salsa recipes are a mixture of low-acid foods, such as onions and peppers, and acid foods, such as tomatoes. Use tested recipes to ensure proper acidification.

Use the amounts of each vegetable listed in the recipe. If desired, green tomatoes or tomatillos may be substituted for part or all of the tomatoes. Add the amount of vinegar listed. If desired, you may safely substitute an equal amount of lemon juice for vinegar in a recipe using vinegar. However, do not substitute vinegar for lemon juice. This substitution will result in a less acid and potentially unsafe salsa.

Spices do not affect acidity or safety and may be adjusted as desired. Do not thicken salsas with flour or cornstarch before canning. After you open a jar to use, you may pour off some of the liquid or thicken with cornstarch.

Chili Salsa

• 12 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (choose a meaty variety or
• squeeze out extra juice)
• 6 cups seeded, chopped chili peppers*
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  *Use mixture of hot and mild peppers to suit taste.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 pints

Procedure: Combine ingredients in large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot into clean pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water bath.

Table 4: Recommended process time for chili salsa in a boiling water canner.
Style of pack/Jar size	Process time at altitudes of:
	6,000 ft or less	Above 6,000 ft
Hot: Half-pints or pints	20 min.	25 min.

*Tomato Salsa (Using Paste Tomatoes)

Note: Paste tomatoes, such as Roma, are recommended for salsa because they have firmer flesh and produce thicker products. Slicing tomatoes will require a much longer cooking time to achieve a desirable consistency.

• 7 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
• 5 cups seeded, chopped long green chilies
• 4 cups finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup seeded, finely chopped Jalapeno peppers
• 6-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups bottled lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin*
• 3 tablespoons oregano leaves*
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro*
  *Optional; use only for desired flavor

Yield: Makes 13 pints

Procedure: Combine all ingredients except cumin, oregano and cilantro in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add spices, if desired, and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into clean pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Add pretreated lids and process in a boiling water bath canner.

*Source: Salsa Recipes for Canning; PNW395, a Pacific Northwest Extension Publication. Washington, Oregon, Idaho.

Table 5: Recommended process time for tomato salsa in a boiling water canner.
Style of pack/Jar size	Process time at altitudes of:
	6,000 ft or less	Above 6,000 ft
Hot: Half-pints or pints	20 min.	25 min.

Veterinary treatment

Pest fighter:

A teaspoon of white distilled vinegar for each quart bowl of drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks. The ratio of one teaspoon to one quart is for a forty-pound animal.

Vinegar along with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is used in the livestock industry to kill bacteria and viruses before refrigeration storage. A chemical mixture of peracetic acid is formed when acetic acid is mixed with hydrogen peroxide. It is being used in some Asian countries by aerosol sprays for control of pneumonia. A mixture of five-percent acetic acid and three-percent hydrogen peroxide is commonly used.^{[citation needed]}

Apple cider vinegar in particular is often touted as a medical aid, from cancer prevention to alleviation of joint pain to weight loss.^[20] Claims of its benefits go back at least to Hippocrates. In 1958, D. C. Jarvis made the remedy popular with a bestseller that has sold over one million copies.

Diet control

Multiple trials indicate that taking vinegar with food increases satiety (the feeling of fullness) and so reduces the amount of food consumed.^[13][14] Even a single application of vinegar can lead to reduced food intake for a whole day.^[15]

Cholesterol

A scientific study published in 2006 concluded that a test group of rats fed with acetic acid (the main component of vinegar) had "significantly lower values for serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols", among other health benefits. ^[7]

[edit] Blood glucose control and diabetic management

Small amounts of vinegar (approx. 20 mls or two tablespoons of domestic vinegar) added to food, or taken along with a meal, have been shown by a number of medical trials to reduce the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes.^[8][9][10] This has also been expressed as lower glycemic index ratings in the region of 30%.^[11][12]

Food Preparation

Getting the last drops:
When you can’t get the last bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the jar, try dribbling a little of your favorite vinegar into it, put the cap on tightly and shake well. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve been wasting.

Cooking fish:
Try soaking fish in vinegar and water before cooking it. It will be sweeter, more tender and hold its shape better. When boiling or poaching fish, a tablespoon of vinegar added to the water will keep it from crumbling so easily.

Cake icing:
Cake icing can be prevented from becoming sugary if a little vinegar is added to the ingredients before cooking. The same is true when making homemade candy.

Boiling eggs:
When boiling an egg and it’s cracked, a little vinegar in the water will keep the white from running out.

Keeping potatoes white:
A teaspoon of white distilled or cider vinegar added to the water in which you boil potatoes will keep them nice and white. You can keep peeled potatoes from turning dark by covering them with water and adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar.

Freshen vegetables:
Freshen up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and vinegar.

Fruit and vegetable wash:
Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to 1 pint water and use to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. Research has shown that vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables.

Frying doughnuts:
Before frying doughnuts, add ½ teaspoon of vinegar to hot oil to prevent doughnuts soaking up extra grease. Use caution when adding the vinegar to the hot oil.

Flavor booster:
Perk up a can of soup, gravy or sauce with a teaspoon of your favorite specialty vinegar. It adds flavor and taster fresher.

Meat tenderizer:
As a tenderizer for tough meat or game, make a marinade in the proportion of half a cup of your favorite vinegar to a cup of heated liquid, such as bouillon; or for steak, you may prefer to a mix of vinegar and oil, rubbed in well and allowed to stand for two hours.

Fruit stains:
Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands by cleaning them with vinegar.

Fresh lunch box:
It is easy to take out the heavy stale smell often found in lunch boxes. Dampen a piece of fresh bread with white distilled vinegar and leave it in the lunch box overnight.

Get rid of cooking smells:
Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.

Fluffy Egg Whites
Soak a paper towel with 1-2 Tablespoons of white distilled vinegar. Wipe mixing bowl and beaters or whisk with the vinegar-soaked paper towel, then dry with a cloth or paper towel prior to whipping egg whites.

Fluffier Rice
For fluffier and great tasting rice, add a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar to the boiling water before adding rice. Rice will be easier to spoon and less sticky.

Quick Tempura Dinner

This Spring calls for light fermented foods, so begins a month dedicated to the cuisine of Japan. Black, Red and White misos of various strengths, from strong MUGI (barley-rice) miso to medium soybean-rice miso - these pastes provide the bases for soups. For stock I used fish broth or bottled water. For the solids, I always have some seaweed, tofu, spring onions, carrots and radishes; added to that are one or more of mushrooms, spring potatoes, green peas and sugar snaps.

Tempura is a lovely, sophisticated fun addition. It's a great way to quickly cook shrimp, other seafood morsels and vegetables, and serve them instantly with various tempura dipping sauces. The trick is to prepare the seafood, vegetables and lay out the tempura batter components (never made batter until the oil is hot!). Once you have everything ready to go, the meal is prepared in mere minutes. When I prepare tempura the miso is on the lighter side, with less solids.

I call this LIGHT, yet it involves deep frying. Done properly there is very little fat and the seafood is super fresh, cooked in a flash. Not more than 3-4 minutes stove time and it's ready.

I call this QUICK, yet it has a lot of prep time. You can prepare all the batter mixes, dipping sauces, vinegar sauces, and vegetable bits ahead of time. If you just doing shrimp, other than making them straight, what else prep is there?

I never said this was not messy. Not only can it be MESSY, it rates no less than 5 black-and-crispy fire engines and/or ambulances if you do not have a start to finish oil management plan.


INGREDIENTS

This is a deep frying dish, so make sure you have 1-2 liters of fresh oil handy. It's not that you will be using all of this, but dish is not the "three turns of the pan" oil usage. The best way to stress this is to urge you to invest in a lovely large goblet of quality OIL. Your brain needs it!

ICE - just enough to cover the bottom of a large bowl
(You will put your batter bowl on top of this to keep your batter ice cold)

Optional Condiments on table: Pickled ginger, wasabe, soy sauce, salt, pepper, grated daikon (or other radish bits), sriracha sauce...

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Fancy

2 Tbl soy sauce
2 Tbl orange juice - or lemon juice w/brown sugar to sweeten
2 Tbl Mirin rice wine
2 Tbl brown sugar
1 Tbl extremely fine chopped spring onions
1 tsp sesame seeds (gomasio)

(This makes a different salad dressing - has no oil or vinegar)

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Fancy and Spicy!

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Mirin rice wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbl brown sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
2 tablespoons really finely minced scallions

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Regular

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2-3 Tbl soy sauce
2-3 Tbl Mirin rice wine
2-3 Tbl grated fresh ginger

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Traditional

1 cup dashi soup stock (dashi are bonito flakes, a most indispensable secret ingredient to add savory flavor in any kitchen - do not underestimate the taste-power of dried fish flakes, second only to MARMITE!)
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar

Tempura Dipping Sauce - Alternative

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2-3 Tbl seasoned rice vinegar (note: not rice wine!)
4 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
(Add some hot chili to this if you'd like)


HOT SPICY VINEGARY SAUCES

There are people who have not tasted Japanese foods but once in their lives, and upon being introduced to Tempura, say "Oh, just like Long John Silver's!". They will appreciate having a spicy, vinegary sauce to go with their Japanese Fish 'n Chips. - most people's metabolisms need and love to have a second spicy vinegary sauce to go along with this.

The Long John Silver Coca Cola Deep Frying Fast Foods OIL Clause:

Long John Silver's has a Nutrition Calendar with numbers for their battered shrimp. It is worth paying attention to this. You in your own kitchen will NOT be using their oil: "100% soybean oil with dimethylpolysiloxane, TBHQ and citric acid", which is also used in other fast food chains, such as MacDonald's. Neither will you be cooking it the way they do. You will be COMBINING with other prescribed items, and that is the secret to health.

Let's take a look at "100% soybean oil with dimethylpolysiloxane, TBHQ and citric acid":

TBHQ, or TERT-BUTYLHYDROQUINONE is used as an antioxidant for unsaturated vegetable oils and animal fats. It can be used in combination with BHA. It is added to a wide range of foods, with highest limit permitted for frozen fish. It is used to enhance storage life. For industrial use, TBHQ is used as a stabilizer and is added to varnishes, lacquers, resins, and oil field additives.

In high doses, TBHQ led to stomach tumors and damage to DNA for lab animals. Prolonged exposure to TBHQ may cause cancer. While this is for high doses and lab rats, I have trouble with the idea that something you can only handle with protective clothing, per the Material Safety Data Sheet, is going in my food. You can find TBHQ in a wide variety of fast food menu items, especially anything fried or cooked in oil.

Hmmm! What about Soybean Oil?

Soybean oil is very popular because it is cheap, healthful and has a high smoke point. Soybean oil does not contain much saturated fat. Like all other oils from vegetable origin, soybean oil contains no cholesterol.

Well, that's what it started out as, today it's been GMO'd, and:

Food use of soybean oil Soybean oil is also used by the food industry in a variety of food products including salad dressings, sandwich spreads, margarine, bread, mayonnaise, non-dairy coffee creamers and snack foods. The high smoke point of soybean oil allows it to be used as frying oil. Soybean oil is often hydrogenated to increase its shelf life or to produce a more solid product. In this process, unhealthy trans fats are produced which may raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Food manufacturers are now trying to remove trans fats from their product. For this purpose, scientists are breeding new varieties of soybeans containing oil that does not need to be hydrogenated.

Good gawd, will they NEVER STOP their madness?!

RULE: Properly deep fried foods are very healthy but if you eat a deep fried product prepared with messed up oils (from food industries that fund ever more crazy messing-up of our basic food ingredients) - it will KILL you sooner than later - but, do NOT throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak - proper deep frying is HEALTHY!

If you do not have wasabe, try making a Hot Mustard sauce, or have a chili fish vinegar sauce ( e.g., Sriracha sauce, which is an Asian (Thai) hot and spicy chile sauce with garlic for dipping) on the table. Sriracha is made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Be forewarned, it clocks in on the Scoville rating at around 2,000 units. I add some to a dashi-soy mix.

The fact is you really do need the VINEGAR and PEPPER to help digest the deep fried fat. There is nothing wrong with a good dose of fresh healthy OIL in your body as long as it is balanced.

A borrowed note on Japanese Vinegars:

I got these from LUNCH IN A BOX:

Sanbaizu (three-flavored vinegar) is one of the four main vinegar dressings in Japanese cuisine, made with rice vinegar, soy sauce, dashi (bonito stock) and sugar. The other vinegar dressings are:

Nihaizu (two-flavored vinegar) with vinegar, soy and dashi
Amazu (sweetened vinegar) with vinegar, dashi and sugar
Ponzu dressing with citrus juice, vinegar, soy, mirin, bonito flakes and konbu

• Sanbaizu #1 (sweet vinegar dressing)
  3 Tb rice vinegar
  1/4 tsp soy sauce
  2 Tb sugar
  1/2 tsp salt
  1.5 Tb dashi (bonito stock - instant is fine)
• Sanbaizu #2 (sweet vinegar dressing)
  1/3 cup rice vinegar
  1/2 tsp soy sauce
  1.5 Tb sugar
  1/4 tsp salt

TEMPURA BATTER - Beer and Straight up

1 egg
1 cup very cold Asahi beer or 1 cup iced water
3/4 cup mix of all purpose flour, and if you like, use less flour and make up the rest with a bit of baking powder, corn starch, spices such as cumin, parsley as you like

(I've settled on using 1/2 whole wheat flour and 2 Tbl cup kudzu root powder and 2 Tbl corn starch with cumin, garlic powder, CHILI PEPPER POWDER, and other dried herbs (parsley, basil, tarragon, depending...)

1/4 cup of the above flour mix for flouring shrimp and vegetables

Mix eggs and ice water or beer in a bowl, and 1/2 to 3/5 cup add flour to the egg mixture.

You want the consistency of heavy cream. The batter should be runny enough to light coat seafood and vegetables dipped in it. Test with the back of a spoon - it should be thick enough to coat the spoon.

What if you don't have BEER ... or an EGG...

Tempura Batter - Wolfgang Puck

1/4 cup rice flour (you can use all purp, or unbleached white, even wheat for this...)
3 cups soda water, plus more if necessary (Use regular bottled water...)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder (this is instead of the egg)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (some this ends up on the bottom of the oil pot as red dots!)

"The quantities here make enough to coat about a dozen shrimp and a dozen scallops, or other bite-sized pieces of seafood, plus an accompanying assortment of vegetables that you like. "

"First, make the Tempura Batter: In a small bowl, stir together the rice flour and 1/2 cup of the soda water until blended. Set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Stir into this mixture the remaining 2 1/2 cups soda water, salt, and cayenne; then, stir in the rice flour mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before use."

Puck makes a HOT CHINESE MUSTARD SAUCE to go with his tempura... as the alternative dipping sauce. What a great idea.

HOT CHINESE MUSTARD SAUCE modified from PUCK's original cuz his had hard to get ingredients.

2 tablespoons Chinese dry mustard (or Colman's English Mustard Powder)
Pinch turmeric
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons water (umm, I'd use soy sauce)
1/4 cup liquid from bottled pickled ginger

STOP!

We are not running a fancy restaurant where we buy bottles of pickled ginger just to harvest the juice. From Uncle Phaedrus Consulting Detective and Finder of Lost Recipes we offer his lost pickled ginger case file:

Pickled Ginger

1/2 cup fresh ginger -- sliced paper thin
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Stir all ingredients together in non-reactive stainless steel pan or glass
saucepan and bring to a boil.

Let mixture cool to room temperature and chill overnight. (Pickled ginger
keeps for several months in the refrigerator.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups 

Continued...

1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon chili oil
1 tablespoon toasted Asian-style sesame oil

While the batter is resting, make the Hot Chinese Mustard Sauce: In a bowl, dissolve the dry mustard and turmeric in the rice wine vinegar and water. Stir in the pickled ginger liquid, lemon juice, and sugar and whisk until well blended. In another bowl, combine the peanut, chili, and sesame oils. Whisking continuously, slowly pour the oils into the mustard mixture until emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.


That's it for all the best batter AND dipping recipes.

Optional:
Panko - Japanese breadcrumbs (do not use any other)

SEAFOOD

Large Shrimp with tails on, deveined. Get a bag of uncooked shrimp tails on and take out what you will be preparing, let them sit in the refrigerator to defrost.

After defrosting, you have to straighten the shrimp with your fingers, nick each side 2-3 times with a knife, and press the back of the shrimp without breaking the tail off, or else it will curl up when frying. Then stack them on paper towels to dry, coat in flour...

...if the oil is hot, NOW make the batter ... dip shrimp in batter, rain the panko on, and quick deep fry it.

Any variety of fish cut into small pieces will do nicely as well.

All the tempura cooks agree, if you drop a little tempura batter into the oil and the batter comes back right up it's 360 degrees F or over. If it it goes half way to the bottom and then back up (it does the bob-thing) it's about 340 degrees F and the right temperature for the carby veggies - a bit higher for the protein rich seafood.


HOW TO MANAGE THE HOT OIL:

Suggested Equipment:

Candy Thermometer with clip
Deep pot, dutch oven cast iron preferably
Wire basket
Tongs
LONG wooden chopsticks
Paper towels
Paper bag
Lotsa oil - if you do not have a 2+ qt (2 liters) bottle of good oil handy, fouggedaboudit.
Nerves of Steel (just kidding!)

RULES FOR COOKING IN HOT OIL:

I got these from a number of different sources:

• Be sure to choose a pan that's larger in circumference than the heat source to minimize the risk of flares. Many experts feel a Dutch oven made of seasoned cast iron is ideal.
• In Japan, they deep fry in a wok, but I usually use a pot, because it's more stable on an electric stove and I'm nervous around hot oil.
  
• If you don't have an electric deep fryer, invest in a wire frying basket - and a candy thermometer with a clip.
• Make sure you have a lid nearby. If the oil bursts into flames, pop the lid on. Oil fires will go out if you smother them. Have aloe vera gel around in case you burn yourself.
  
• Always use fresh oil if you can.
• Never fill your pot more than half full of oil.
• You need the oil deep, deep enough to immerse your food without touching it the bottom. A few inches, a lot, make sure you have a large bottle. You will need to top off during batches.
  
• Remember you'll need at least 3 inches between the surface of the oil and the top of the pot to allow room for the oil to bubble up.
• Get that clip on candy thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, a you can drop a cube of white bread into the hot oil. At 350*F (175*C) the bread fries to a golden brown in about 1 minute; at 375*F (190*C) it takes about 40 seconds.
• When the oil's hot enough, you'll see swirls forming at the bottom of the pot. I look for that, and then I plunge a wooden chopstick into the oil; bubbles should form all around the submerged stick.
• Do not let the oil smoke; this is a sign that it's too hot, can flash soon, and it'll give your food a burnt taste. Make sure you can quickly move then entire pot to a cold burner and regather your wits.
• On that note, make sure the vent is on, the doors to the smoke alarms are closed. There is nothing more nerve-wracking than a too sensitive smoke alarm that goes off if it hears you whisper "make me some dark toast, honey" when you've got a pot half full of near smoking hot oil.
• Make sure the cats are stowed. Especially when there is seafood around, they'll be circling the floor around your hot pots like sharks.
• To remove fried foods from hot oil opt for an Asian wire mesh skimmer, a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs.
• Placing a clean brown paper bag beneath the paper toweling will absorb the most oil from the freshly fried foods.
• Dispose of your used oil with care. Don't pour it down the drain: our sewage systems have enough to deal with without that. Let the oil cool completely, and then pour it into an empty bottle or jar and throw it away in the garbage.
• Really, COULD you re-use your oil? No, yes, maybe... Never more than once or twice, and then only if you are using a similarly flavored food, and it is finely strained to remove old food particles.

VEGETABLES

You do not want to use a vegetable or fruit that will release its water into the 350 degree hot oil!!!

Carrots, potatoes, daikon, yams, sweet potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, green onions, any root vegetable, mushrooms...

Cut these into thin slices - you might want to parboil the potato roots a bit first... dip in the seasoned flour, then into the tempura batter, then into panko (or just the panko) and deep fry in the hot oil. 2- 3 minutes, 4 at most.

Fry in batches, and remove with tongs, chopsticks, slotted spoon or basket, and put on a plate with paper towels - remove paper towels - and place in pyrex dish in warm oven on extremely low to keep warm while rest is cooking.

The prep is worth it. You can do large parties so well with this. When prepared properly, the tempura absorb much less fat than you would think.

From the moment they are lifted from the wire basket - they give off such delicious smells, are so appealing, and eaten so quickly - all gone so fast I have never managed to snag photographs.

OIL MANAGEMENT PLAN

My oil management plan is to cool the oil and strain back into a reserved oil bottle. I re-use the oil twice for Tempura within 5-7 days. Then I'm done with Tempura for the season. It's too addictive.

CLEANUP

I was kidding up there about the mess, cleanup is a breeze.

If you are disposing of the oil, cool and bottle it, as per usual, and place the bottle in the trash. The best way to cleanup lots of oil is with lots of soap,right? Nope, in fact, most cooks know that "a puddle of oil on your kitchen floor can grow bigger and even more slippery when mixed with soap and water."

Sprinkle salt and/or any remaining flour on the oily deep fry pot and wire basket. Let them soak, then add just a drop or two of dish-washing liquid, HOLD THE WATER!, then wipe with paper towels or a dry rag.

Now, wash as usual.

Manna - the most secret ingredient in the world

Manna from heaven. Some have a good idea of what that might have been and I agree with them.

Homemade Yogurt with Pomegranates

Mix 1/2 cup of pommy seeds with 1/2 cup of fresh homemade yogurt. A home run on all fronts.

Pomegranates:

Summary Features of Pomegranate

1. Most powerful anti-oxidant of all fruits
2. Potent anti-cancer and immune supporting effects
3. Inhibits abnormal platelet aggregation that could cause heart attacks, strokes and embolic disease
4. Lowers cholesterol and other cardiac risk factors
5. Lowers blood pressure
6. Shown to promote reversal of atherosclerotic plaque
7. May have benefits to relieve or protect against depression and osteoporosis


Homemade Live Plain Yogurt:

This is a picture of "Kefir Grains" - a commodity more precious than gold in my book
though it is merely a "gelatinous community of bacteria and yeast".

If you know how to use "Kefir grains" to ferment foods
(not just milk for making yogurt), it will give you a condition known as
WTMB - Way Too Many Birthdays, routinely, 120 of them.

Summary of live (probiotic) yogurt features:

Provide dual roles (protective and therapeutic):

1. They manufacture some of the B-vitamins including niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid and biotin.
2. They manufacture the milk-digesting enzyme lactase which helps you digest calcium-rich dairy products.
3. They actively produce anti-bacterial substances which kill or deactivate hostile disease-causing bacteria.
4. They do this by changing the local levels of acidity or by depriving pathogenic bacteria of their nutrients or by actually producing their own antibiotic substances which can kill invading bacteria, viruses and yeasts.
5. Some (such as the bifidobacteria and acidophilus) have been shown to have powerful anti-carcinogenic features which are active against certain tumors.
6. They improve the efficiency of the digestive tract and when they are weakened bowel function is poor.
7. They effectively help to reduce cholesterol levels when this is high.
8. They play an important part of the development of a baby’s digestive function and immune system. Bifidobacteria infantis is acquired from breast-milk and when it is in poor supply allergies and malabsorption problems are more common.
9. They help protect against radiation damage as well as deactivating many toxic pollutants.
10. They help to recycle oestrogen (one of the female hormones) which reduces the likelihood of menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis.
11. Therapeutically they have been shown to be useful in treatment of acne, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, migraine, gout (by reducing uric acid levels), rheumatic and arthritic conditions, cystitis, candidiasis, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome and some forms of cancer!

There's this helpful tidbit from Wiki:

In 2005, Mireille Guiliano released her best selling book, French Women Don’t Get Fat, in which she touts yogurt as her secret weight loss weapon.

In her novel, she campaigned for Americans to discover the benefits and pleasures of homemade plain, non-fat yogurt, as opposed to the sugar and corn syrup-laden ‘imposters’ found in most U.S. supermarkets. Her book was the first contemporary weight loss plan to center around making homemade yogurt.

You see where I'm going don't you?

I shall be marched straight to a CODEX jail subsidized by the AMA and the FDA and George Bush's GrandPop's IG Farbenverbunderen Global Big Pharma for ruthlessly promoting all this!

Apple Coconut Redux: Yogurt!

I made the title Apple Coconut Redux, because of some copy cats out there in the CHOW world. I don't make a zillion dollars ripping off other people's culinary knowledge, so I shall make it a bit harder for them. They are the gateway to the Corporate Plasticized Homogenized Food industry. Beware! They are out to make it illegal for the average person to own raw ingredients and cook!

I am addicted to Apple Coconut anything - fresh or fermented, raw or cooked, boiled, baked, grated, ground, toasted, roasted, squeezed, pies (oh yummy!), cakes, dessert, chocolatized, caramelized, cerealized, porridge, soup, salad, yogurt, ice cream, curries - and this time, we're taking on Apple Coconut YOGURT.

This is not the "take some live culture raw yogurt and add some coconut and apples and honey to it", nope, this is the real deal, where this apple coconut yogurt is produced by encouraging the Yeastie Beasties and Culture Vultures to do their thing, with Mr. Coconut and Ms. Apple right there.

If you suspect there might be some synergistic chaos and fusion magic from cre-arranging a taste-stage where cultures unite - YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!



Yogurt by definition is made with milk. Coconut can be fermented into making fermented coconut (kefir) and even coconut vinegar (we're not going that far!) So can apples be fermented (cider) and even apple cider vinegar (we're not going that far!) What we are doing is a double, then a triple witching fermentation making apple coconut yogurt, and umm, apple coconut milk yogurt yogurt.

EQUIPMENT, INGREDIENTS and REASONS:

To make yogurt you will need 1 quart of whole milk, about 1/4 cup whole powdered milk with no preservatives (ask me about brand names if you are serious), about 1/4 cup of yogurt starter culture with at least the following:

In addition, you will require a candy or frying thermometer that you can easily and quickly read 100, 115, 120, 190, 200 degrees F real well, and one you can clip to the side of a heavy metal pot or else you'll have to stand there over the stove and hold it at least 2 inches into the milk or other fluid, as you don't want it to touch the bottom of a metal pot (false high readings).

For the apple coconut part of this, you will need 1 cup of peeled cored, ground up ripe apple and 1 cup fresh unfiltered unpasteurized raw apple juice. Also, 1 cup of fresh coconut meat from a young coconut (the slippery stuff, not the old hard stuff) or 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut that you must reconstitute using 1/2 fresh coconut water or 1/2 coconut milk with no preservatives (ask me about brand names if you are serious). You will need a sweetener which I prefer to be HONEY. Have some vanilla and coconut essence on hand.

"The family that ferments, fandangos and flosses together stays together forever." I said that, 2008.

Lets Get Cultured...

You can culture the coconut separately and the apple separately or you can do it together. The difference is the taste and texture of the final product.

Fermenting Together...

INGREDIENTS

1/4 - 1/3 cup starter
2-3 tablespoons of finely grade fresh eating apple
2-3 tablespoons of fresh shredded coconut

Note: If you can't get fresh, then use store-bought but it will like have preservatives. I believe the preservatives in the yogurt ingredients are responsible for a slightly salty aftertaste, which can be alleviated in the final product by adding a bit of honey.

Note: if the only shredded coconut you can get is SWEETENED, then use less honey in the first step mix.

1-2 tablespoons honey.
1 pint of whole milk (note: many times I have run out of milk and sometimes use a mix of evaporated and whole milk; evaporated has a number of additives but it will still work. )
2 tablespoons of powdered milk

METHOD:
Prepare food thermos by cleaning and filling with hot water to heat thermos.
Stove burner between medium and medium low.
Take starter out of refrigerator to bring to room temperature, place in pyrex measuring cup at least 2 cup size.
Mix the apple coconut and honey you plan on using in a small container.

Pour milk into a deep pot and affix the candy thermometer to the side
Add the powdered milk and stir
Add the coconut apple honey mix and stir.
Keep stirring to prevent scorching until mixture reaches 200 degrees F.

Remove from heat and let cool to 120 degrees F.
Empty the thermos of the heating water
Quickly remove one cup of this mix and add to starter, stir well.
Quickly pour this into the thermos
Quickly pour the rest of the mix mix into the cup and then transfer into the thermos until all milk is in thermos.
Mix quickly and well then close thermos
Let rest for 6 hours
Open and pour into container and refrigerate overnight, or at least 2-4 hours.

It will have a very creamy consistency, a tart yogurt taste followed by a coconut taste and a sweet taste. The shreds of coconut add some perceptible texture, as this closeup I took sort of show:



Goes extremely well over APPLE COCONUT PIE! Or even Just Coconut Pie!

The Fermentation of Milk, a culinary enleavening experience in Two Parts

You can always count on my refrigerator harboring the odd pint of spoiled milk. I hang on to it, convinced one day I shall find a way of transforming it from "bad" to "wondrous life-saving elixir". Then someone comes by and points out the mold, the stale cheesy smell, and tosses it out. Then I start over. I am amazed at the flourishment of all sorts of life with regard to milk.

But I digress. Cow's milk is for children. Adults thrive on culture... fermented milk. Here's how to make two which feature interchangeably in XYZ recipes: YOGURT and SOUR CREAM.

A note on the equipment - you will need:

• A good candy thermometer that YOU can find the following temps easily 98, 100, 115, 120, 125, 190, 200 degrees F even when it's steamy and milky. Make sure it has a clip so you can clip it on the side of the container/pot or else you will find yourself standing over a pot of warm steaming milk for longer than you like holding it in 2 inches of fluid without touching the bottom of the pot. They cost around $5.
  
• A heavy (stainless steel preferably) pot.
• A funnel or a pyrex measuring container with a spout
• A food thermos, has a wide opening so you can get the yogurt out after it has incubated. Thermos brand thermoses has a nice one that holds over a quart for about $15.00.
  

YOGURT

For the longest time commercial yogurt sold in stores had no live cultures. It was packed with sugars and that corn syrup. People wised up and all of a sudden commercial yogurt companies had to bend to people pressure, and they put the live cultures in - well, we think they're still in there! Now they pose off as being the owners of a very special traditional knowledge...hey, lets make our own yogurt, and keep our own starter culture to pass around to family and friends - this way you can make sure it it isn't genetically engineered!

INGREDIENTS:

1 quart whole milk
1/8 to 1/4 cup powdered whole milk or 1/8 to 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup starter culture with AT LEAST:

• Lactobacillus bulgaricus
• Streptococcus thermophilus

It is said these two strains are the closest to what the Mongols used (kumiss) which came from the steppes, you know, home to those people who live to 120 zillion years.

For the starter culture use a good quality plain commercial yogurt. I recommend, if you can get it, Nancy's plain non fat Yogurt. You can be assured that your yogurt will turn out perfect and BETTER tasting (if you thought that was possible) than Nancy's. Nancy's is far better than Dannon or the others, in my opinion.

Nancy's yogurt has all the good stuff:

L. acidophilus

• Acidophilus produces enzymes that improve the digestibility and absorption of vitamins.
• Acidophilus suppresses the overgrowth of yeast infections following antibiotic therapy.
• Acidophilus, by balancing the bacteria in the gut, helps with dermatitis and acne.
• Acidophilus is able to survive digestive acids and enzymes to become a resident of the small intestine where it becomes therapeutically effective.

S. thermophilus

• Thermophilus produces high levels of the enzyme lactase, which assists humans in the digestion of milk based foods.
• Thermophilus helps form the body and flavor of yogurt.-that tartness you taste with Nancy's is the live culture!

L. bulgaricus

• Bulgaricus increases systemic immune response.
• Bulgaricus produces an antibiotic-like substance called Bulgarican.
• Bulgaricus produces lactase, the enzyme needed to digest milk products, thus helping lactose mal-digesters enjoy yogurt.
• Bulgaricus helps give yogurt its distinctive flavor and creamy consistency.

L. casei

• Casei is a highly prolific probiotic.
• Casei, being a probiotic, successfully survives digestive acids to take up residency in the intestines where it provides many health benefits.
• Casei significantly enhances lactose digestion.
• Casei reduces the risk of infection from E. coli, salmonella, shigella, lysteria and intestinal viruses.

L. rhamnosus

• Rhamnosus stimulates an immune response to invading foreign organisms.
• Rhamnosus suppresses rotoviruses and diarrhea-causing organisms.
• Rhamnosus is effective in treating colitis.

B. bifidum cultures

• Bifidum is known to make milk products more digestible to lactose-intolerant consumers.
• Bifidum eliminates yeast and intestinal virus infections Bifidum repairs and prevents intestinal inflammation.
• Bifidum contributes greater protection to breast-fed infants by stimulating the immune system.
  

I like the Springfield Creamery team because they were "the first to use live acidophilus and bifidum cultures in yogurt over 30 years ago." Casei immunitas closed, Dannon!

I do not recommend using Corporate Probiotics. Be careful. Those clowns are mucking around AGAIN in all sorts of ways, including genetically engineering our beneficial bacteria. Worse, they have stolen traditional processes and decided they can make it better with their "More is More" mantra ... NO! More is greed, gluttony and ... so George! Check out what HEALING CROW has to say about the "yogurt conspiracy".

METHOD

Take the 1/4 cup of starter out of the refrigerator and place it in a large (2 cup) pyrex measuring container, to bring to room temperature.

Take the 1 quart of whole milk and add the extra powdered milk or cream to it. Mix well.

(At this stage you would later add certain flavorings but if you try to do this now without ever having made plain you will screw up and likely make something that tastes like frog vomit.)

Heat the milk slowly to between 190 and 200 degrees. Keep at 200 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. You will notice that at around 190 to 200 it begins to bubble ever so slightly at the edges of the pot, it will steam but not boil. I keep mixing with a wire whisk constantly.

After 10 minutes of this, remove from heat, but keep the burner at the setting you had for 120 in case you have to warm it back up for whatever reason.

Let it cool to 130 degrees then remove one cup full and bring this to 120 degrees by placing it in a blow of tepid not cold water. (You want this cup to cool down a tad faster than the pot).

When it is at 120 degrees pour over the starter in your pyrex container. Mix gently but well. This mix has a mind of its own and will lump up just like that. Make sure it doesn't drop below 115 degrees so work fast.

While you were mixing the starter with the cup of milk, the rest of the pot milk is cooling - and should now be close to 120.

Pour this pot milk into the food thermos, and check the temperature. It should be at 120 degrees and not more. It's OK if it goes down to 115, but you only have these 5 degrees of separation to work within.

(If you pour the pot milk into the thermos when it's at, say 130 degrees, it will take forever for it to cool down to 120, even if you leave the lid open, it's a thermos!)

Now, add the starter mix you prepared to the thermos with 120 degree milk, mix well, and close it up tightly.

It will keep at between 115 and 120 which is perfect. You don't want it to drop below 98 degrees, and I think better firmer yogurt is made if you stay within 115 to 120. Other recipes will say heat to 190 degrees, or cool to 98 degrees as boundaries, but I say 120 and 200 are the only numbers you have to remember for perfect yogurt.

Let it rest for 6 hours.

Turn the stove burner off!

After six hours, open it up, and pour into a container, marking the date and time. Feed some to your cat - they LOVE warm freshly made yogurt - and NEED the probiotics too.

As for you, hands off, put into the refrigerator for a couple of hours, better yet overnight. You will likely find the taste less harsh than the original, and the texture more solid, less commercial.

If it didn't come out this way, then start over and follow the instructions to the T. I never failed on my first try and I made all sorts of mistakes so this is about as fool proof a recipe as you'll get.


SOUR CREAM

Most commercial sour cream I find in my local supermarket, with few exceptions, such as NANCY's, has corn starch to make it artificially thick and no live cultures. Nancy's sour cream:

• No additives, thickeners, or preservatives
• Cultured for 18 hours with acidophilus, bifidum, and four lactic cultures

It is a food group by itself. It is addictive. I can eat no other commercial sour cream. By comparison, other commercial sour creams taste like milk with corn starch and lemon juice. Even so, if you make your own sour cream it will taste better than Nancy's.

The process is far less involved than yogurt IF you start out with ultra-pasteurized (heated past 280 F to extend shelf life) heavy WHIPPING cream, (not HEAVY CREAM) According to "Whats Cooking America - What is Cream - Are you Confused?":

• Heavy Whipping Cream has 30 % butterfat
• By contrast Heavy Cream has 36-38% butterfat.
• Heavy Whipping Cream is Cream with enough butterfat in it to allow it to thicken when whipped.
  Does not whip as well as heavy cream but works well for toppings and fillings.
• Almost all whipping cream is now ultra-pasteurized, a process of heating that considerably extends its shelf life by killing bacteria and enzymes.
  

The issue of ultra-pasteurization is not just about the killing of bacteria etc. The process changes the protein structures and that is why you have to heat it up to 200 F if you do not start out with the (ultra-pasteurized) whipping cream - not all heavy creams are ultra- pasteurized.

• Pasteurized and Ultra-pasteurized: Creams will generally be labeled pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized. Ultra-pasteurized creams will remain fresh longer but pasteurized will provide a better flavor, will whip up fluffier, and will hold up longer.

If you don't have or want to start out with something that processed, then the method for making sour cream is exactly the same as yogurt where you have to heat to 200 degrees and let it cool back down to 120.

INGREDIENTS

1 Quart of heavy whipping cream - decide whether ultrapasteurized.
1/4 cup of starter culture - use Nancy's yogurt or your own yogurt as above

METHOD

Using Ultra-pasteurized:

In a heavy steel pot, heat the whipping cream slowly (stirring gently and constantly with a wire whisk to ensure even temperature distribution) to 120 degrees F.

Add the culture, and mix well. Do not let the temperature drop below 115.

Pour into a food thermos for six hours. Remove from the thermos, and refrigerate overnight. Actually you can use it after a couple of hours, but it sets better overnight.