Sooooouper soup!

My latest obsession is soup. No, I'm not canning it, but it is going in the freezer for lunch. Since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago, the pounds have secretly been hanging on. People still consider me skinny, but as my clothing gets tighter and tighter, it's hard to ignore what I know is the truth: I eat whatever I feel like, I don't exercise and I'm getting older. My big joke is that I'll be an adult by 40, and as I linger in the twilight of my thirties, there's not much time left. So I figure having soup for lunch will be a healthful and economical way to refuel. So far I've made three-bean chili (1 can each light and dark kidney beans, 1 can black beans, some TJ's frozen roasted corn, 1 small can sliced black olives, 1 can roasted tomatoes with jalapenos, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 small can goya tomato sauce, some frozen onions and some garlic. Season with cayenne, chili powder, cumin and liquid smoke.) Yes, I know it's a lot of cans, but darned if I am not broke and tired and need to use up some stuff in the pantry. It made about 5 servings. Four got frozen flat in ziplocs and are ready to go. Today I made split pea soup with smoked turkey necks I had laying around in the freezer. One dollar spent and everything else I had at home. The turkey neck meat was a bit rubbery for my taste, so I decided to toss them, but they did add some great flavor. Next up will be roasted tomato and pepper soup. I plan on slow-roasting the fresh tomatoes in the oven and roasting the red peppers on the stovetop. We'll see how that goes :)

Oodles of Noodles and the Bucket List

So I've been on a noodle kick. And it's actually so easy to make noodles. Like Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Noodles. Yum. With knock-off Ikea Swedish meatballs. Yummy Yum. For New Year's Eve dinner, I made homemade lasagna, bread, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. I was a bit disappointed with the Red Velvet recipe. I feel it was lacking in flavor. My regular Red Velvet recipe is Red Velvet IV , which makes a monster of a cake, just like at a diner, or for those without a healthy business-owning Greek population, The Cheesecake Factory. This thing never fails to impress. I don't use the icing, however, and prefer to use a more classic cream cheese frosting. Well the Whoopie pies didn't stack up against the flavor of my reg. cake. Also, I wasn't fond of how thick the "batter" is. It seems as though it should be slightly wetter. Any-hoo, there's still work to be done on that front. I also didn't use the filling for the Whoopie Pies, instead using a cream cheese/ butter/ 10X/ Marshmallow Fluff combo. This was highly successful, and wasn't cloyingly sweet. Definitely one to make again.

That brings me to my bucket list:

Things I'd Like To Can/Make in 2012

Lady Apples-They've been driving me mad, they're so cute and are begging to shine brightly in a glass jar filled with liquid. Need to get on this soon. Window is closing. But what in tarnation will I do with them?

Caramelized Onion Relish-Every time I see this, I'm like "Hells yeah!" It's in the bag, and not time sensitive, as onions are cheap and plentiful year-round.

Spiced Red Cabbage-This is something I actually eat quite frequently, especially, when I'm feeling Polish (which I'm not) with Pierogis.

Carrot Cake Jam- What a concept! Many moons ago, I made my niece carrot cake for her 5th birthday with crystallized carrot roses. It was a big hit. This jam just speaks to me. Pineapple, coconut, raisins, brown sugar and shredded carrots. Imagine it with cream cheese on a bagel!

Cocktail Cherries-Not sure about the how, but know it will def. be in July.

Grenadine-Haven't found the best recipe yet, but it will work out in the end.

Tomato Sauce-for sure this is the most ambitious project yet. Not 100% sure if it will happen, but a girl can dream. If I do it, I'm going big. There will be a case of maters in my sweaty, hot August kitchen.

Barbecue Sauce-Need to work on recipes first. They may or may not include smoked tomatoes...

Pickled Jalapenos-Quick and easy, a staple for a nacho-lover like me.

Salsa-See above. Need I say more.

Candied Ginger and Citrus Peels-For next Christmas' stollen?

Seckel Pears-If I can find them at a good price, they're mine. Mwahahaha.

Well, that's all I got for now. We won't put olives on the list this year, though I have lye just waiting for a use. (Pretzel rolls anyone?) Hopefully this list will give you ideas, too.

Canning: 2012 style!

At last we've made it to when I can talk about my canning. I've got pics and everything!!! So I made Pink Grapefruit Moscato Marmalade:

(macerating fruit before cooking)

It turns out I have a great talent for caramelizing things, so most of what I made did just that. It definitely is a bit overcooked, and I had a pectin crisis (i.e. none formed after 45 min. at a hard boil) but with a packet of powdered pectin, it was salvageable. To me it tastes overcooked, but I know what it was supposed to be. It's really not so bad.

Next was Candied Caramelized Kumquats.

No longer orange, but a soft shade of brown, these are bittersweet, just like the experience of making them. Please make sure you slit your kumquats before cooking. I pin-pricked them, but it turns out that method is ineffective in keeping their plump, oblong shape. Perhaps skewer next time? Half are ok, the other half are shriveled up. You can't see it though, since they are encased in caramel.

Last up, Southern Comfort Spiced Oranges.

These are a cross between candied and pickled. With some SoCo for luck. They're actually quite good. Which brings me to this: Old-fashioned oranges. No, not some old-timey heirloom cultivar. Oranges for old-fashion-eds. That's right. I had some not-quite-so-pretty slices after I finished packing the jars, when it dawned on me to chop them up and add the leftover kumquat syrup to wetten them up and voila, instant macerated, muddled oranges. Add one teaspoon of these babies and some bitters with your favorite bourbon. Add ice, top off with soda, and you have an awesome interpretation if I do say so myself. I used a recipe from a 1970s pickling book. It's called "Orangerie."

Here is the final pic (minus the grapfruit, which hadn't been made yet)

The Canning Graveyard

So 2011, it's been a year. I had to dispose of all canned items that were more than a year old, so that meant EVERYTHING. So sad. Here are some pictures of the condemned:

I would like to honor their memory by a series of letter:

Dear Fig Jam #1,

I'm so sorry things didn't work out between us. You see, I couldn't resist the calling of free figs, and thought that we could have a great partnership. I cooked you too long and you became a thick paste. I just didn't know what to do with you. I'm sorry. RIP.

Sincerely,

miukat

Dear Fig Jam *2,

Once again, I couldn't resist the dark, plump Italian fruit from my aunt's backyard. I thought things would be better this time around. I was wrong. Unfortunately, whereas your predecessor was too firm and unyielding, you, by contrast, were soppy and limp. I didn't cook you long enough, no doubt trying to overcompensate from my last relationship. It turns out I'm not a fig conserve kinda gal. I promise to resist the urge when it hits next summer....

Sincerely,

miukat

Dear Spiced Plum Sauce,

I really liked you. You were rich and flavorful, but in no time flat, were stiff and crystallized. Still, we worked through the hard times, and I used up as much as I could on sauteed pork medallions. My husband just doesn't approve of your fruity spice, and it's all I could do to m(eat) you in secret. Next time, I will restrict myself to sauces of the tomato family.

Sincerely,

miukat

Dear Peach Orange Blossom Jam,

From the beginning, we fought to stay together. From the tiny, hard fruits bore from our urban peach tree, we were not destined to succeed as a couple. I don't know why your lovingly diced flesh shriveled up in the jar, but it wasn't pretty. This is too hard. sniff.

Sincerely,

miukat

Dear Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme Jelly,

I thought we had something, and we did for a while. Then things started to change, I got busy, you started to withdraw to the back of the cabinet, and we just stopped seeing each other. What happened? You were great with meat. I just wish we had more time together.

Sincerely,

miukat

Wow. I feel emotionally drained. All my hopes and dreams gone down the sink. Here is the canning graveyard:

I hope this doesn't happen again. It was really sad and wasteful. To 2012 and 365 days of pickles!!! Huzzah!

So long 2011!

Whew! It's been a year all right. I had no use of my kitchen until about June, since I live in NY on top of a restaurant, and we had some issues in there, the living room needed updating, so I painted and decorated all summer, and I didn't start really getting back into the cooking groove until Thanksgiving. Well, there have been lots of lows, and a few highs, but I'm glad this year is over. Next year is shaping up to be great, and I look forward to seeing what it brings. (Hark, is that optimism I hear?!) I have recommitted myself to this blog and what it represents, and next year I will be eating/drinking things I've made myself everyday. First things first, I will kick it off today with an Old-Fashioned. How is it homemade, you ask? Well, I don't have a still in the craft room, if that's what you're thinking! Let me tell you about my morning and we'll get there.

I woke up this morning with the macerating citrus looking me square in the eye and telling me to can 'em up. Remember, I had kumquats, orange slices and grapefruit marmalade. There was also a can shortage. And a money shortage. Ugh. It was waaay to early to find canning supplies in this neighborhood, so I took a look at my dedicated canning cupboard to really see what I could do. Sadly, since I haven't done any canning in at least 2 years, I realized all my stock would have to go. My husband is Gourmet Foodie Enemy #1 because he only eats a handful of things, such as pizza, fried chicken, and pork (in all of it's glorious forms, as long as it's unadulterated with other things, such as an awesome mustard rub, sauerkraut and apples, spiced plum glaze...) No veggies, no pie, no fruit ('cept the occasional apple, orange or banana, when the sun is lined up with Venus and Aquarius is in the fifth house, yada yada yada) He's not eating any of this stuff with me, so I have to A) eat it all myself (which clearly didn't work out) B) gift it all to my friends (which is not an option because cans are expensive and you never get them back or C) throw more parties and use it up. I happen to be a fan of C, so hopefully that will come to fruition this year. If I ever finish sewing my slipcover....

Well, I'll be back with a new post, since if I wrote everything in this one post, you'd be reading forever!

I love the fruit market!

So I just came back from shopping (and by the way I'm brrroooooke!) I spent $10 on fruit for canning and I feel like a shopping champion. Grapefruits were on sale 7/$1 so I bought 7, and oranges were also on sale 7/$1, so I bought 14. My intention was also to candy some kumquats for cocktail garnishes, so when I didn't see them where they were supposed to be, I panicked. Then I realized they repackaged them in clamshells, so I ended up getting about 1 1/2 pounds. That's not much, but I think it will be ok for a tiny batch. The water bath will be going any way, so who cares? Lastly, I decided grapefruit marmalade is bo-ring, so I stopped at the liquor store to get some moscato wine to dump in there. Now we're talking! So the oranges will become "Orangerie", sweet/sour spiced orange slices, and that should take care of today's marathon canning session. Well, maybe the camera will get unearthed and I'll take some pictures...

Tortas de Aceite

So it's finally happened. I'm so smitten with these flatbreads I've taken it upon myself to make it happen at home. From time to time, I find Ines Rosales Tortas de Aceites in the supermarkets and it happened again this week. $4.99 later, I'm daintily unwrapping each layer of waxed paper, and stuffing my face full of the sweet, crunchy goodness. As I peruse the ingredients, I realize that this is something I could make myself. With that in mind, my Google-Fu springs into action. After about an hour, I make the stunning discovery that no one on the interwebs has decoded this secret formula in English. Sure, there are plenty of recipes out there, but most are reviewed and reported as being sub-par to the original crispity, crunchity Ines Rosales brand. So I turn to the dark side: I'm searching en Espanol. Within minutes, a little recipe pops up and the next half hour is devoted to translating. It even says in parentheses
"Typo Ines Rosales". Well, the recipe is from Spain, and they said they'll be like my fave brand so I translated and made a few adjustments. Recipe and results soon to follow :)

Christmas is over and a New Year is about to start!

Hello all my loyal readers (cough, cough)! I'm excited that the new year is so close. Oh the plans I have! So the Apple Pie Liquor, the Pomegranate Cordial and the Malted Milk ball cream liquor all went over super well. Next year, I'll need to make more cream liquor, since that was a real hit. I will be making pumpkin pie cream liquor, too. Also, I made some cinnamon chocolate popcorn as a last-ditch effort to spruce up some small gifts and that, too, was well received. Next time, I'd like to try a sweet and spicy caramel popcorn, or a mexican chocolate chile popcorn. Those would be great at cocktail parties. There are big plans for canning this year-Woo hoo! On the agenda this week is candied kumquats, and spiced orange slices. There will be some marmalades, soon, too. Also on the drawing board is pear relish, carrot cake jam, pickled red cabbage and apples, and much more. I'm hoping that this year will make this blog proud!

Bottling Days are Here!

Well, today I bottled up and started labeling my liquor. I think they turned out well, for my first try. I had the mint tea liquor, which I only made a small batch, but will continue to tweak the recipe a bit. The spiced pomegranate cordial is good, but is a bit strong, so it may be better in a mixed cocktail. The apple pie liquor turned out OK, but I liked my first batch better. TJ's was out of the other apple juice, so I only used one variety instead of two and it seems to have really mattered. Also, the caramel could have been darker. Lastly, I made Malted Milk Ball Cream Liquor. It's the bomb. Let is be said it could be drunk by the gallon. Here's the recipe:

Malted Milk Ball Cream Liquor

3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup malted milk powder
1 1/2 cups whiskey
1 tsp vanilla extract
Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup

Mix in a blender. Bottle. Good for 2 months (Allegedly. Don't think it will last that long...)

The Winter Bar

So I've been drinking now for a few months and have realized something. Summer cocktails are not for winter. I don't like the idea of a light, citrus-y gin and tonic when it's snowing outside, so I've been doing some research and have come up with some ideas for the winter bar. First off, I tend to be a brown liquor type of person rather than a clear liquor type of person, so right off the bat, my home bar is brimming with winter promise. A few winter staples: blended whiskey, bourbon whiskey, rye, brandy, dark rum, and spiced rum. I don't have all of these but a girl has to dream...

Next we have the liquors. I made apple pie liquor for the holidays, so that is a winner right there. Ginger liquor highlights the spicy holiday notes, and orange liquor is a must have. All nut liquors have a place in the winter bar, like Amaretto, Frangelico, Nocino. I have honey whiskey, but any honey liquor would add a nice flavor dimension to a winter cocktail, and I've been thinking of making gingerbread liquor to really liven things up. Don't forget the peppermint schnapps!

An interesting concept is the wine cocktail. Red wine cocktails rule the abbreviated days and help warm up the bleak winter blues. A full-bodied, oakey red such as Cabernet sauvignon would be a good candidate for a rich winter libation. Port is also nice to have on hand. Here's a nice recipe for a Suburban from a blog called Looka! Definitely one to try!

SUBURBAN

1-1/2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 ounce dark rum
1/2 ounce ruby port
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters

Combine with cracked ice in a mixing glass and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. No garnish.

Lastly we have the mixers. I have to say, tonic water is out for the time being, though I love the stuff, and have discovered Fever Tree tonic water, akin to the water of life in my opinion. Mmmm. Anyhoo, I'm thinking root beer, ginger ale, ginger beer, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, apple cider/juice, pear nectar, and well, anyone have any other ideas? Anyone? Bueller......

Bee's Knees.....Bzzzzzz

Here's a recipe for a gin drink called The Bee's Kness, yum. I've slightly adapted it for my taste :D

Bee's Knees

1 1/2 ounces gin (I used New Amsterdam)

1 tablespoon honey

2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine all four ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Before adding the ice, stir well to incorporate the thick honey with the other liquids.
2. Add ice and shake for 30 seconds.
3. Strain into a chilled glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 drink.

I've also found a Martha Stewart recipe for:

Ginger Sidecar

• Sugar
• 1 orange slice
• 2 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger
• 1 one-inch piece orange zest
• 2 ounces brandy
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• Ice

Directions

Place sugar on a plate. Run orange slice around the rim of a glass; rotate rim in sugar. Muddle ginger in a cocktail shaker. Add orange zest, brandy, Cointreau, lemon juice, maple syrup, and ice; shake. Strain into glass.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone !!!!

So technically, Thanksgiving was yesterday, but for me, it's tomorrow. Well, Second Thanksgiving, anyhow. Because we were going to my SIL's house for dinner on Thursday, I decided to make another dinner on Saturday. It's been awesome! I feel so free to decide what I want to make since no one will miss any traditional dishes since they already had them on Thursday. My theme is a Paula Deen Thanksgiving. Southern-style dishes will be featured. Here's my menu:

Apple-Bourbon Smoked Turkey and Gravy

Cornbread Dressing

Baby Collard Greens

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

String Bean Casserole

Pineapple-y Sweet Potatoes

Red Cabbage and Apple Cole Slaw

Cranberry Jell-o Mold

For dessert

Chocolate Chess Pie

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

Apple-Blackberry Pie with Cheddar Crust

Well on our way!

So Jenny and I worked on our apple pie liquor last night and it's coming along fantabulously! We bottled up 5 10-oz bottles (I settled on woozy bottles because they were in stock and cheap) , then we worked on our cute graphics and copy for the labeling. We're really excited about them. It's like we share a mind. There was a quick discussion of the picture, then we both started drawing it, and they were practically identical, except hers was of a much better quality.... I'm also working on recipes. Here's a few:

Bubbling Apple Pie

1 oz Apple Pie Moonshine

3 oz Sparkling wine or Champagne

Serve in a champagne glass. Garnish with cinn. stick

Hot Apple Pie

1 oz Apple Pie Moonshine

3 oz hot apple cider

Serve in a mug. Garnish with cinn. stick.

Pie a la Mode

1 oz Apple Pie Moonshine

1 scoop vanilla bean ice cream

Blend in the blender. Serve in cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of apple pie spice.

No name yet...

1 oz Apple Pie Moonshine

1/2 oz Canton Ginger Liquor

2 1/2 oz ginger ale

Stir. Serve on ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Scarlet Fever!

Well, it's true that when I was young, I developed scarlet fever after a severe bout of strep throat, and now, I have it again!!! The good thing is that while I may have hallucinations after a while, there will be no removing of my stuffed animals. I was browsing the Fever Tree website when I found an awesome recipe for a drink which I had all of the ingredients for!!!! It's a gin and tonic with a splash of Campari. Yum. Fever Tree tonic water is pretty good. It really does have a fresh, subtle taste compared to big brand tonic water. I hope I can source some more of their products. Especially the ginger beer, cuz I really want to work on my Dark and Stormy.

Apple Pie Season!

Well, it's almost time to try my apple pie liqueur! This weekend it's a date :D

Right now I'm drinking a pink gin cocktail and blech! Don't like it one bit. First of all, it's not pink. I know pink, not sure if you've noticed. So I added some maraschino cherry juice and a cherry, but it just wouldn't work. I think I'm going to reinvent pink gin with homemade grenadine. We'll see how that goes. Blech. And I like bitters, but this is so not good!

Is it ready yet?

Today I tried all the liqueurs that I made and I have to say, even after a few days, they are improved :D The apple pie knocked me over with fresh-from-the-oven aroma as soon as I opened the jar. I added some lemon zest to brighten up the flavors a bit. Also, I strained the mint leaves from the Moroccan mint tea liqueur, and added two packets of matcha green tea powder. Eventually, I have to buy some proper canning jars for the large batches. Probably quart sized. The pomegranate is also yummy, with cardamom. Eventually, it and the mint will need a sugar syrup for finishing. Yipee!

Apple Pie Liqueur

OK, so here we go. A little delay, but no bother. I've been wanted to make some homemade liqueur for a while now, and with the fall festivals and holidays coming, now is a good a time as any!

Apple Pie Liqueur #1

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups Trader Joe's Apple juice (filtered)
1 1/2 cups Trader Joe's MacIntosh apple juice
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 allspice
2 lemon zest strips (peel with a sharp peeler or knife)
8 oz Devil Springs Vodka 160 Proof

In a saucepan, mix the sugar with a bit of water. Cook without stirring until you get a good caramel color. Quickly add the apple juices (careful of steam and splattering) and bring to a boil. Put up in a quart canning jar, add the spices and let cool. Once cool, add vodka. Put lid on and taste every day until desired spice level. Remove spices. Whew! This baby packs a wollop! Gonna let it age for a while and see how it goes.

I also have started a Moroccan Mint Tea liqueur and a Spiced Pomegranate Cordial, which are also ageing happily away. Yum.

Hi y'all!

I just always wanted to say that. It's not like I'm in the south or anything like that. Maybe it's my affinity for pulled pork, Cheerwine and county fairs that made me say that. In any case, here I am writing a pickle blog. Well, I should be clear-I just mean something from a canning jar or bottle that I made myself, which includes, pickles, conserves, jam, liqueur, whatever it is that peaks my fancy. Every year, I feel a strong desire to swathe every fruit and vegetable handy in vinegar, sugar and spices. But then something happens...the season comes to an end, a long, cold winter ensues, the hustle and bustle of holidays creeps in, and I have no imagination for actually using my canned stuff. The HORROR! The truth of the matter is that I live with my husband who abhors all pickles, conserves, jellies, jams and anything that comes out of a canning jar, so for the most part, this will be a blog about cooking and canning.

So, to start, I love being in the kitchen. I feel quite at home there, and honestly think that cooking for 12 is a hell of a lot easier than cooking for one. As a matter of fact, cooking for two should be easier than cooking for one, but not if the other person doesn't eat anything that you do. I live in a sweltering apartment in a big city, (it's pretty much 90 in the winter because of the steam heat and 90 in the summer with no AC). My aspirations for lacto-fermenting things are pretty much on hold until we have a place with a cool area year-round. That is unless I can get my dad to rig my old igloo refrigerator cooler to become a friendly bacteria incubator at 72 degrees. Sourheads (fermented cabbages, that is) here I come!

Now for the nitty gritty, inventory. In my cupboard right now I believe I have a few pints of fig/lavender conserve, 3 jars of peach orange blossom jelly, one pint of sage, rosemary and thyme jelly, 2 quarts of dilly spears and two jars of seriously spicy Asian plum conserve. The hardest part for me is figuring out what to do with all this stuff.

As I type this, I want to consider something else. My refrigerator. What do I actually use and what for? I love pickled jalapenos. Definitely a couple of pints of those for me. No Mexican feast is complete without them in my mind, and though they only cost a few bucks in the supermarket, I might as well make my own. My dilly spears won first place in the county fair a few years ago, and I think that was my crowning glory, (well, except for winning a blue ribbon for my wedding dress...) but since I still have two big quarts of them, I'll have to sit on it for a bit. Salsa is a tough one. I definitely use it and want to make it from scratch, but I still haven't found a home canning recipe that I'd like to dip my tortillas in. Maybe I'll work on that for the fair this year. Gherkins are something I'd like to have a can or two lying around for those weird moments I crave liverwurst and rye, but I'll have to see if I can find them at the supermarket. Red cabbage with apples is a favorite, as are pickled beets, so I think I'm putting them on my list, too. Mustard, too. I almost created an apocalypse the other night when I realized there was no mustard for my weiners. At least 2 different kinds. And what do you know, here's a Jack Daniel's recipe that looks enticing. Tomato sauce. Here'a a big one. I would love to make some sauce, about 20 quarts if I can muster up the will-power. We'll see how that goes. And barbeque sauce. We definitely use that here.

It seems I have rambled on a bit, which is completely normal for me. It's nice to be here on my new blog about cooking and I'm sure I'll have lots to say tomorrow :)