Hot Cocoa Mix

I store powdered milk, only buying fresh when I need at least a quart.  I can't go through that much just in my coffee before it goes bad.  While nonfat powdered milk has a very long shelf life, at least a few years, the Nido powdered whole milk doesn't last more than a year.  I also had some cocoa powder that I couldn't remember when I bought.  It's an excellent time of the year for hot chocolate.

This is a super easy recipe that can be multiplied as much as you want.  I'm mixing enough for four mugs because that's my habit.  It's far cheaper than the packets and can be sweetened or altered to your liking.  I'm going easy on the sugar here.

If you're using a flavoring, the amount will depend on what it is.  Cayenne would only be 1/8 tsp.  You aren't supposed to taste it, just have that hint of something.  Other spices or espresso powder can be anywhere from a 1/4 tsp hint to full-blown mocha mix with 1 Tb of espresso.

I'm using granulated sugar.  If you are making this with nonfat milk powder, it helps to use powdered sugar.  The traces of cornstarch in it will help to thicken the final product.

*1 C milk powder
*1/4 C cocoa powder
2 Tb sugar, or to taste
add-ins such as cinnamon, cayenne (Mexican hot chocolate), powdered espresso, or vanilla powder

1.  In a bowl, stir together all ingredients until evenly mixed.  The cocoa powder tends to lump up.  The clumps are easily broken with the back of a spoon.  To give as a gift, layer the ingredients in a jar all the way to the top as a pretty display.  The recipient can mix it up.

2.  Transfer to a storage container with a tight lid.  Keep in a dry, cool place for up to six months.  (Or the exp date on the milk.)

3.  To use, add a generous 1/4 C mix to a mug.  Pour in 1/2 C hot water and stir until it makes a sludge and the lumps are mostly gone.  Thin with more hot water to desired consistency, generally 8-12 ounces.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π

Repurposing Leftover Fruit Syrup

I bought seven pounds of cherries when they were $3 per pound.  I attempted to make seven pints of canned cherries, but two didn't seal.  Those got frozen with the others I had set aside to freeze.

I wasn't sure how much syrup to make for hot pack pitted cherries (yes, I pitted seven pounds of cherries in one day), and ended up with more than a quart left over.  It was four quarts of cherries (including blanching the ones to be frozen).  I thought I would need far more per jar than I did.  It felt like a waste to just pour it out, so I went looking for other things to do with it.  Then I realized this is also a frugal way to make use of the syrup or juice in store-bought canned fruit and started a section topic post.

The first idea was to add lemon juice to cut the sweetness.  I have way too many overly ripe lemons on the tree right now, so that worked two problems at once.  Cherry lemonade is pretty good.

Next up was popsicles.  I had to go buy some popsicle molds for that one, but I think I'll be using those several times a year.  I actually bought two sets.  The one from The Container Store cost three times as much as the one from Home Goods, but it's higher quality and I expect it to last three times as long.  I want to experiment with unexpected things like freezing chai tea.

There was yet more juice to play with, so I made gelatin desserts.  The box of plain gelatin says one packet will set one cup of juice, so I just made two half-cup servings.  I did find that too firm, and will probably do 1-1/2 C of juice per packet in the future.

All of these projects can be done with the juice or syrup in a can of fruit.  It can also be used to sweeten iced tea if you opened something like pears or peaches.  Marinate chicken or pork in it.  A frugal home finds ways to use every bit of what has been purchased.

Stevia-Sweetened Lemonade

Steve the stevia plant is doing very well.  No idea why, since all of my gardening adventures involve planting something and hoping it ends well.  I tried making an herbal brew of basil, mint, stevia, and black tea.  It was delicious, but ended up far too sweet.  Then I thought that "too sweet" is never a problem for lemonade and gave this a try.

Given that the average person does not have an overgrown stevia plant in the front yard, I'm going to try to adjust this for granulated, store-bought stevia, based on my own experience making lemonade with erythritol.  Which now has been found to be not good for you.  Come on, science, I need a way to cut back on sugar naturally.  Cane sugar, in moderation, is turning out to be the least damaging sweetener there is.

*3-4 lemons
1 Tb stevia granules or *2 generous sprigs fresh

1.  To make the sweet base, combine 1 C water, stevia, and the peel of half of the lemons in a small saucepan.  Bring to a light boil, then lower to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature naturally.

2.  Juice the lemons, which should get you about 3/4 to 1 cup of juice.

3.  Strain solids out of the now-yellow water and combine with the juice.  Add enough cold water to make 4 cups, stir, and taste.  Add more stevia to taste and chill until ready to serve.

Makes one quart

Difficulty rating  π

Lemonade Concentrate for Freezing or Canning

I went out to get a lemon for a recipe and realized what a crazy lot of them I have at the moment, with several more ripening.  It was time for a preserving project.

I really like lemonade, but I don't like to make it.  So I decided to get all of that prep work over with and can however much I had enough juice for.  Lemonade can also be frozen with equal success, but I have a lot of stuff my freezer right now.

After researching recipes, it really isn't hard to make or can.  It's just a simple syrup made of lemon juice.  Because of the high acid, you don't even have to boil it that long.  Less than a minute will kill anything naturally occurring, and you're good to go.

When ready to use, you mix this concentrate with water or another liquid to desired strength.  That could be a single spoonful into carbonated water for a refresher, 5:1 or 6:1 with water for lemonade, into iced tea for an Arnold Palmer, or into a variety of liquors for an adult beverage.

I'm giving the recipe for a quart of lemon juice.  It's a ratio, so you can adjust as necessary.  You can also reduce the amount of sugar as far as half without impacting safety.  I went with 75% sugar and plan to supplement it with stevia when reconstituted.  If freezing instead of canning, you can use artificial sweetener.  Canning recipes can only use granulated sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

*4 C fresh-squeezed lemon juice
4 C granulated cane sugar

1.  If canning, prepare for a 5 cup yield.  Maybe a bit more, but you can do what I did and make a glass right then with the leftovers.  I found it amazingly smooth, because I don't normally strain it.  Get the water bath started, because you will have the mix ready by the time it is up to boiling.

2.  Wash the lemons well.  Peel off strips from a couple of them and stir them in with the sugar, to infuse their oils into it.  Juice your lemons.  I was saving the zest to dehydrate, so it took me quite a bit longer than it would otherwise.  I have no idea how many grocery store lemons it would take to do this project.  I had 10 and got about 5-1/2 cups of juice, but the largest one weighed almost 12 ounces and yielded 3/4 C on its own.  I'm guessing 16-20, or about 1/4 C each if they're juicy.

3.  Stir together juice and sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  It will feel thick from the sugar.  Boil for one minute, then remove from heat.

4a.  If freezing, allow syrup to cool to room temperature.  Strain out the peels any any large particles.  Pour into freezable containers with one inch of headspace.  Refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours, before moving to the freezer.  To use, defrost in the fridge overnight to thaw then reconstitute to desired strength.

4b.  If canning, strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into the hot jars to 1/4" headspace.  Pith will become very bitter if it is processed.  Wipe rims, center lids, and screw on bands finger-tight.  Process for 10 minutes for half pints, 15 minutes for pints and quarts.  Allow to cool 24 hours.  Check seals and wash jars for storage in case there was siphoning.  Refrigerate or freeze any failed seals.  To use, open jar and reconstitute to desired strength.  Refrigerate any unused portion up to 7 days.

Makes about 5 cups concentrate, each equal to about six cups of lemonade

Difficulty rating  :)

Smoking Bishop

I read A Christmas Carol every year.  It's short, and a good way to get in the mood.

Many of the foods mentioned aren't popular anymore.  I've made a few, like Christmas Pudding, just to see what goes into them.  This year, I decided to look up smoking bishop, which is mentioned in the last stave.  By the context, I presumed it was some kind of alcoholic drink.  Yep, it's a citrus mulled wine made with port, served steaming hot.  I like port and decided to tackle a small batch.

Because, as a party punch, you would generally make an entire bottle of this.  Well, two, since there's both wine and port in it. Hence the "bowl of smoking bishop" mentioned in the book.  I rarely have more than two ounces of port at a time, and even that much would be at a party.  So I just experimented with a cup each of the wine and port and expected to work on it all week.  I'm expanding the recipe here to a pint of each and assuming either more people or a more common four to six ounces to a glass.

I've never roasted a whole citrus fruit.  I guess it kind of makes sense for bringing out the natural oils.  I cook citrus to make marmalades and sauces, so why not stick it in the oven?  It does make this take longer than one might expect.  It's also better after sitting overnight, making it a good do-ahead for a party.  You can just bring it back to a simmer before serving.

Ideally, this would be served in old-fashioned, squat metal mugs.  There were even tin cups in the 18th century that could be held over the fire to heat the mixture.  The only squat cups I have that can hold hot drinks are from my china sets.  Since this is an English recipe, I went with the Royal Albert.  It was also to celebrate getting the rest of my china set of Lavender Rose as a holiday gift to myself.  I'll start working on serving pieces this year.

*2 oranges (Seville or another bitter one if you can find it)
*18 whole cloves
*1 cinnamon stick
*4 allspice berries
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 C water
2 Tb light brown sugar
*2 cardamom pods, cracked (optional)
*2 Tb lemon juice
2 C dry red wine, like a Cabernet
*2 C ruby Port

1.  Begin drink the day before.  Preheat oven to 350º.  If you did not get your oranges at a farmer's market, scrub thoroughly to remove the wax coating.  Poke small holes all around the oranges and insert cloves.  Roast until they're saggy and almost looking a little burnt, 45 minutes to an hour.  I have two oranges for my half-batch because the ones on my tree were very small this year.  Market-sized, you will be using two for a quart yield.

2.  While they're roasting, make the syrup base.  In a small saucepan, combine cinnamon stick, allspice berries (or 1 tsp ground allspice), fresh ginger, cardamom, brown sugar, and water.  Bring to a low boil and cook until reduced by at least half.  And yes, it does look like the first step of making chai.

3.  Add wine to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and add roasted oranges and lemon juice.  Once mixture has cooled to room temperature, strain into a glass or other non-reactive container with a somewhat wide opening.   Add the oranges back in (why you picked a wide-mouthed jar) and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

4.  Half an hour or so before serving, pour contents of the jar into a large saucepan.  Add the Port and bring to a simmer, just below a boil.  (And yes, that's a new pot.  I broke the Visions right after pouring everything into the jar.  Marshalls actually had a nice selection, but I liked the glass because it's non-reactive for canning acidic foods.  Maybe I'll hit up a thrift store for one.)  Serve steaming from a punch bowl (which I didn't because my bowl is too big), so you can show off the clove-studded oranges.

Serves 4-8 (not judging)

Difficulty rating  π

Orange Squash Base

I heard about squash drinks recently.  They're a thing in Britain and its former Empire.  There are dozens of flavors, some quite exotic.

So what is squash?  It's a thickened fruit cordial, much like grenadine, but it's intended to be mixed as a non-alcoholic drink.  I had most of a 2-liter bottle of seltzer water after the tempura and decided to make some with the fruit off my grafted citrus tree.  You mix a couple of tablespoons of the syrup into a glass of still or sparkling water for something lighter than a commercial soda.

All squash recipes start out the same way.  You make a sugar and water syrup and add at least some lemon juice.  Then you add whatever fruit juice you want it to taste like and cook it back down to a syrup.  It's a lot like making a failed fruit jelly, without the pectin.

If you own a juicer, the flavor possibilities are endless.  I have a basic citrus reamer with holes to catch the seeds and pulp, so we're going with Squash 101.

1 C sugar
1 C water
1/2 C fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 C fresh-squeezed orange juice
zest of one orange

1.  In a medium saucepan, heat sugar and water over medium-high until they start to boil and all the sugar is dissolved.

2.  Add in lemon juice, orange juice, and orange zest.  Return to a boil and cook until reduced to about 2 cups.  The color will turn to an amber and the syrup will be a little sticky.  Do not boil down until it appears as a thick syrup, because it's going to thicken even more as it cools.

3.  If desired, strain out the orange zest.  I left it in as proof it's homemade.  Pour into a bottle or other sealable container and refrigerate until needed.  Boiled syrups generally last about a month in the fridge.

4.  To use, combine 2 Tb syrup (one ounce) with 8 to 12 ounces of water or unflavored seltzer or tonic water, depending how sweet you like your drinks.  Stir to combine and enjoy.

Makes 1 pint, about 16 servings

Difficulty rating  π

Masala Chai

My recent adventures into Indian cooking led me to a chai recipe.  Plus, I had bought more green cardamom pods than I needed for the palak paneer.

The first result of my research was a language lesson.  Chai means tea.  Saying "Chai Tea" is like saying "La Brea Tar Pits".  Bit of redundancy.  What a person really means is "Masala Chai", or "Spiced Tea".

I also learned that, like any recipe based on a spice mix, the ingredients are a personal choice.  The majority are what one would consider sweet spices, but there are hints of savory and "spicy" in there too.  Kind of like putting cayenne in Mexican hot chocolate.  I admit that I'm sticking closer to the sweet spice side, but I'm also not putting in as much sugar as most of the recipes.  I couldn't find star anise and didn't feel like going to another market, so I'm subbing in whole allspice.  You can do things like that with a malleable, spice-driven recipe.

I'm also putting in the tea later.  Chai recipes generally have you boil the spices and tea leaves together for five minutes.  That sounds far too bitter to me, so I'm boiling the spices for five and adding the tea after all the other ingredients for another ten off the heat.  There's still a strong tea flavor because of the quantity used, but the bitterness of brewing too long is removed.

As for the tea, I did not find any recommendations on what blend to use, other than it should be loose leaf.  It must be a personal choice.  I would stay away from a scented one like Earl Grey.  Plain varieties include Orange Pekoe (Lipton), Assam, English Breakfast, and Ceylon.  Darjeeling has a more delicate flavor, if you want less "tea" in your chai.

1 whole star anise or *4 whole allspice
*4 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods
4 whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2" cinnamon stick, broken in a few pieces
2 C water
*2C milk
2 Tb sugar
2 Tb loose leaf black tea

1.  Crack open cardamom pods and star anise.  Add to a saucepan with remaining spices and the water.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture smells like the finished chai.

2.  Add milk and sugar and bring back up to a low boil.  Be careful not to scorch the milk by stirring frequently.  Remove from heat, stir in tea leaves, and cover.  Steep 5-10 minutes, depending how strong you like your tea.

Action shot

3.  Strain mixture into cups.  If you can find them, drop a cardamom skin into each mug.

4.  Chai can be served hot or over ice.  Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Makes 1 quart: 4 mug servings or 8-12 Indian servings.

Difficulty rating  π

Pumpkin Seed Horchata

Drinks have weird names now that not all Americans are familiar with.  Horchata, Chai, Kombucha (that one set off the spell-checker).  What happened to good 'ol tea?

After reading this article about horchata in the L.A. Times, I realized that I've made it before.  The grapefruit barley water out of the Tea book is a form of horchata.  So are almond, rice, and soy milk.  It's about suspending a starch or nut/seed in water in a way that it doesn't settle out completely.  You usually have to shake them some, but the suspension should hold for a couple of days.

The recipe in the Times is amazingly easy.  Pour water over seeds and spices, refrigerate overnight, and run through the blender with a little sugar and salt.  It takes more effort to strain out the chunks than anything else.  I'm posting a half batch, since this blog usually serves 4 and I only had enough cash in my wallet for 1 cup of pumpkin seeds.  I'm not putting $2.25 on a credit card.

A quick word about the sugar.  I only used half of what I'm posting, and it was just barely sweet enough.  What really came through was the spices, which is what I wanted.  If you regularly drink soda or sweetened espresso drinks, your taste buds will probably prefer the full amount.

1 C raw, shelled pumpkin kernels
1 qt water
*1 cinnamon stick
*3 allspice berries
1/4 C light brown or turbinado sugar (or to taste)
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1.  Combine pumpkin seeds, water, cinnamon stick, and allspice in a bowl.  Let sit at room temperature for two hours or in the fridge overnight.

2.  Add sugar and salt and run mixture through the blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth.  This will take 3 to 4 minutes.  You're creating the suspension, so the kernels need to be broken down as much as possible.

3.  Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.  I started with a food mill on the finest screen so I could push the liquid through, then used a regular strainer for a second go.  Discard the solids, or combine them with an egg white and sugar to make macaroons.  (Sorry, I'm always trying to avoid waste.)

4.  If too thick for your personal taste, add water.  Serve over ice, or refrigerate up to 3 days.  You may need to shake it a little to distribute the suspension if it sits a day.

Makes up to 1 quart

Difficulty rating  π

Fruit Syrup Soda

On one of my canning days, I made some jellies that didn't set up.  No problem, I just renamed them "syrup".  You can use them to garnish desserts, as sweet dips, stirred into plain yogurt, and to flavor drinks.

So I bought a liter of sparkling water and cracked open a strawberry-lavender.  Mmm, strawberry-lavender soda.  Way better than a Shirley Temple because you made the syrup yourself.

1 Tb failed jelly, or good jelly that has been microwaved until liquid
8 oz unflavored sparkling water

1.  In a tall glass, stir together syrup and water.  Add several ice cubes.  Stir and enjoy.

Difficulty rating  π

Watermelon Soup

Mini watermelons were on sale for a dollar, and it's still hot out.  Plus, after my last batch of cantaloupe soup, I was really in the mood for something fruity to go with a Mexican night.

Because I decided to throw in a cucumber, this soup starts to verge into the realm of watermelon gazpacho, which is just subbing in watermelon for the bell peppers and half of the tomatoes.

What I didn't realize until I cut it open was that it was a yellow watermelon.  They taste just the same as the red ones.  It was just a surprise, and I wouldn't use one for a party because it would be hard to convince guests to try it.

That is, unless you add alcohol to it.  This soup purées very smooth, and can easily be a base for margaritas or daiquiris.  Garnish with some fruit on a toothpick and you can get a lot of them out of one watermelon!

1 mini, or "personal" watermelon
1 large cucumber
2 limes
1/4 tsp salt

1.  Peel watermelon and cucumber.  Chop into 1" chunks.  Juice limes.  If desired, save peel for garnish.

2.  Working in batches, purée everything in the blender.  What I found worked best was to put the juice of one lime and a big handful of watermelon in first.  Once that is liquid, you can get half the watermelon and cucumber in that batch.  If spiking, put in half of the alcohol to whip with the fruit.  Repeat.

3.  Chill until ready to serve.  A double batch (or a full-sized melon) would fill a punch bowl.  You can make it fizzy with sparkling water, but I would recommend adding a little simple syrup to counteract the bitterness.

4.  Serve very cold.  Garnish with pieces of fruit, mint, ginger, cinnamon, lime zest, or whatever goes with your meal.

Serves 6 as a soup, 12 as a drink

Difficulty rating  π

Tea Party 2016

For the first time since I moved back to L.A., word of my tea party has spread.  I invited more groups of acquaintances, who responded in droves.  Well, at least too many to use real plates.  I had to break out the "Costco China", which is plastic plates so sturdy that I wash them and reuse until they crack, usually about four parties.

I had tried to time it so I could use one of my own cantaloupes as the fresh fruit.  I don't have any growing yet.  The only garden items in this year's tea were the lemons for lemonade, herbs in the iced tea, and all the bolted lettuce flowers for arrangements.

As usual, I pre-baked whatever I could get away with.  Unlike usual, I ended up with considerable leftovers.  I wasn't able to get an accurate estimate of the attendance and erred on the not running out side.  The deviled eggs and dates were the only things I got right.

My brother and his family were visiting and we were out longer that morning than I had planned, so I put them to work.  It was weird having three sous-chefs, but it definitely made it possible to put together everything in an hour.

It wasn't intentional, but this is a kosher-dairy menu.  That came in handy when my choir wanted to come.  I have no idea how many observe kosher or how strict.  My kitchen isn't, and the plates and utensils aren't, but most Reform will eat off a non-kosher plate that's clean.  There's clean, and there's kashered with boiling water and/or a blowtorch.  As long as I'm not subbing lard for butter, it's close enough.

I also made more options than usual, but most recipes are repeats.  That isn't a big deal when most of the guests have never had it.  The gathering is more about socializing anyway.

First Course
Cucumber Sandwiches
Tuna salad on buckwheat toasts
Deviled Eggs
Bleu Cheese Mousse on Celery
Date and Walnut Bites

Second Course
Scones
Drunken Scones
Assorted Jams
Devon Cream

Third Course
Lavender Iced Sugar Cookies
Apricot Hamantaschen
Lemon Loaf
Chocolate Cream Puffs
Fresh Fruit Salad

Drinks
Fresh Lemonade
Basil-Mint Iced Tea
Assorted Hot Teas

Orangeade

I picked a couple more fruits off the tree than I needed, and decided to make orangeade.  It's basically the same thing as lemonade, with less sugar.  Watered-down orange juice may not sound appealing, but it's very refreshing and light.  You can make it sparkling with some soda water, or into an adult drink with vodka.  You can freeze it into ice cubes to add to a punch bowl or iced tea.

I tried to edit the photo of the finished product, but it really does look too yellow.  That's mainly because one of the "oranges" I picked turned out to be a lemon.  Grafted tree.  Thought it was a Valencia.  I also cut corners and didn't soak the peel in the simple syrup.

Which brings up the subject of mixing up your citrus fruits.  Go ahead and use some lemon juice.  Or mix grapefruit into it. You just have to pay attention to how much sugar you use and adjust it for the ratio of fruits.

1 C fresh-squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
3 C water
1/4 C sugar, or to taste

1.  Wash oranges and remove the peel from one.  Cut them in half and ream (or squeeze) the juice.

2.  In a small saucepan, heat the rind, sugar, and 1 C water to a light boil, so that the sugar is completely dissolved.  Allow to cool slightly, remove peel, then combine with juice and 2 C water, to make 1 quart orangeade.  Chill and serve over ice.

3.  For quicker serve: combine syrup and juice in a one-quart container, then fill the rest of the space with ice.  Shake slightly and give it a few minutes to chill, then serve over more ice.  This will be slightly stronger than the regular way to make it, but two hours faster.

Makes 1 quart, about 4 servings

Difficulty rating  π

Eggnog

Yes, I'm aware it has been a whole week since I've posted.  Not only have I not had any time, I haven't made anything interesting.  I don't think you're interested in reading about last night's burritos (even though I did the pintos from scratch) or the basic steak and veggies I had before that.  But this is one of the adventurous recipes I was referring to before my roof sprang a leak and I worked six days in a row.  So, I literally just made this less than 10 minutes ago and rushed to post it.

I love eggnog.  I always have, and never understood why the adults "ruined" it by adding alcohol.  I didn't know that some people find eggnog gross, and only drink it because it's spiked.  To me, it tasted like drinkable ice cream.

Ok, so I was really nervous when I made this.  This is basically raw eggs and cream, not the pasteurized stuff you get in the market.  You can't use pasteurized eggs in this because the whites won't whip to stiff peaks.  I went grocery shopping today, so this is as fresh an egg as I can get short of raising a chicken.  Let you know later if I got sick.

To make this an anytime drink and fine to put in my morning coffee, I made this batch alcohol-free.  I'm going to add a little rum or bourbon later to a single cup (it's 11:30 am!), but nowhere near as much as Alton Brown's recipe calls for.  It's probably safer to drink with the alcohol in there to kill whatever lurks in raw eggs, but the American supply is generally safe if stored properly.

I put the custard in the stand mixer and did the whites with the hand electric beater, so this took far less time than Alton's 15 minutes.  Totally up to you.

4 eggs, separated
1/3 C + 1 Tb sugar
*2 C whole milk
*3 oz burbon (optional)
1 tsp nutmeg
*1 C heavy cream

1.  In a stand mixer, beat together egg yolks and 1/3 C sugar until pale and foamy.  Slowly add milk, cream, bourbon (if using), and nutmeg and beat on low until smooth.  If you have a splash collar for the mixer, use it.

2.  In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until foamy.  Add remaining 1 Tb sugar and beat to stiff peaks.

3.  Whisk together milk and whites until smooth.  Chill.  Before serving, stir mixture smooth again if the whites have separated.  Serve plain, or with a garnish of whipped cream and nutmeg.  Use within 2 days.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating  π

Blossoming Tea

That baker I was supposed to train fell through, so I'm still getting my tea time.  I made a batch of scones to go with the guava jam.

One of the stories I'm working on for NaNo involves a girl who works at a tea shop.  As research, I went to the one at the mall and ended up buying a couple of tins of blossoming tea buds.

These are simply regular teas and flowers that have been wrapped by hand into a little ball and dried.  As they rehydrate, they "blossom" into an anemone-like mass in the bottom of the tea pot.  It's kind of gross when you watch it, but fascinating.  The tea tasted wonderful, at least until I got halfway through the pot and it started to be bitter.  That happens to all teas.

The blossoming teas are rather expensive, about $2 per bud, but fun for a party or special occasion.  I'll probably give a few as gifts this holiday season because they're so unusual.

Sun Tea vs. Cold-Brewed Tea

I still have some Lipton

Another one of those things I never thought I would have to explain.  I'm always surprised when something I consider basic is foreign to someone.

The fastest way to make Iced Tea is to boil water, brew tea a little strong, and add lots of ice.  This is fine, but it lacks a depth of flavor.  For that, you need a longer brewing time.

I grew up with Sun Tea.  You add one tea bag for every pint of leukwarm water and set in the sun for 3 to 4 hours.  If you want to pre-sweeten the tea, you can do that when you pull the tea bags and the water is still warm, stir everything together, and refrigerate.  Any flavor of tea works, but we always used basic Lipton because it was the '80's and no one knew of any other tea besides Nestea, Lipton, and the green tea you got in Chinese restaurants.

Cold-brewed Tea takes considerably longer than Sun Tea.  It is also best to use loose-leaf teas instead of tea bags, so the leaves have plenty of room to expand and infuse the mix.  Use 1 Tb of tea per pint (or whatever is 1-1/2 times what you normally use).  Place cold, filtered water and leaves in a container, close the lid, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and as many as 24.  Strain out the leaves before serving.

So why plan a day ahead for Cold tea instead of the Sun version?  It's less bitter and contains less caffeine than any warm-brewed tea, as both qualities require heat to separate into the infusion.  There's less chance of any stray mold or bacteria from the leaves growing and becoming part of the tea.

Does that mean that Sun Tea is on its way out?  Not by a long shot.  It will always exist, for no better reason than it does not require any electricity or gas to make.  It is a solar-powered drink that you can make while camping, if the power goes out, or you're spending the afternoon on the porch and want something to look at besides a TV.  The bitterness is part of its charm, and speaks of that homemade quality.  It's just traditional.  As for the bacteria issue, that is why you don't leave it out longer than four hours.  If you brew it without any sugar in a freshly washed jar and use filtered or bottled water, the odds of a tainted batch are infinitesimal.  It also helps if you only make as much as you plan to drink in a few days.

Now that I've had my say, it's time for you to start thinking about which kind to serve at your 4th of July picnic!

Simple Syrup

As it gets warmer, I start to think about all the cold drinks I can make.  It's easier to open a bottle, but way too sugary.  My cousin showed me how to make Southern Sweet Tea, and I thought she should have frozen the tea into a popsicle, it was so sweet.

So how do you sweeten an iced drink just to your liking?  Stirring in sugar doesn't work because it never dissolves all the way.  You end up with a pile of it at the bottom.

Simple Syrup to the rescue!  This versatile staple can be used to moisten cakes before icing, as a dressing for fruit salad, and of course in any drink you can name.  It takes barely five minutes to prepare, is shelf-stable, and keeps pretty much indefinitely when covered because it contains only sugar and water which has been boiled.  You can put it in any old ketchup bottle from the dollar store and have it ready at a moment's notice.

You can also flavor the syrup.  Drop in a cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, or even a savory herb like rosemary while it's boiling, then strain it out when you place the syrup in the bottle.  Think of all those flavored syrups you get at coffee bars.  That's basically what they are, just more concentrated and usually containing corn syrup.

I'll give amounts for the sake of a recipe, but it's just a 1:1 ratio.  Make as much or little as you want.

1/2 C sugar
1/2 C water

1.  Bring sugar and water to a low boil in a small saucepan.  Stir lightly and continue boiling until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Don't go away and forget about it.  If the water boils off, you're going to start making candy.

2.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  If it cools too quickly, it may form crystals.  Pour into a bottle or jar and store in a cool place.  Refrigerator is ok.  You'll notice that the syrup has the faintest amber color.  Perfectly normal.

3.  To use, 1 tsp of syrup is equivalent to slightly less than 1 tsp of sugar.

*For fun, dissolve 1 C sugar in 1/2 C water and boil to make a double-strong syrup.  Allow to cool, refrigerate slightly, then drop in some more sugar.  It makes cool crystal formations, kind of like rock candy.  Cute demonstration of super-saturation if you have any kids in a chemistry class.

Makes about 2/3 cup

Difficulty rating  π

Frozen Banana Mocha

I make these at work all the time with our super-powered blender.  It started one day when I thought I'd make myself a chocolate-banana shake, then decided I also needed some caffeine.  The result was pretty awesome.  It can also count as breakfast on a hot day when you are running late and need something you can have in the car.  (What, no, I'd never do that.  All of my breakfasts are nutritionally balanced.)



2 C ice cubes
1/2 C whole milk
1/2 C strong coffee or espresso
2 Tb chocolate syrup
*1 very ripe banana

1.  Place ice cubes in blender.

2.  Add remaining ingredients.

3.  Purée until banana is blended and ice has broken down, about 30 seconds.

4.  Pour into glasses, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy.

Makes about two 12 oz servings

Difficulty rating  π

Ginger Lemonade

Near the end of Passover, I broke down and bought a 12-pack of Pepsi Throwback, the one made with sugar instead of corn syrup.  I was really craving junk food.  If you can find it, kosher-for-Passover Coke is also sugar-based.  I don't drink that much soda, so this felt like a huge investment, but that's the only size it comes in.  Writer Smurf drinks the stuff; I'll have it on hand whenever they visit.

This made it obvious to me that I needed to find an alternative drink that felt like junk but wasn't.  This drink is inspired by one of Jamba Juice's new fresh-squeezed creations, an apple-lemon-ginger-ade.    They need to update their website; I was going to give a link.  I don't have a power juicer, so we're skipping the apples.  You don't really taste them in the Jamba drink anyway; they are just in there for natural sugar.  What you get is a bright lemonade with a strong ginger bite.  It just tastes good for you, especially on a hot day over ice.

This is almost identical to my regular lemonade recipe, with just a few alterations.  At the last second, I decided to sweeten with honey instead of sugar.  That's the golden color.  If you use sugar, it will look like regular lemonade.

Marisa over at Food in Jars gave me the idea of using quart jars to store and serve drinks.  They aren't doing anything else yet, and I finally got the fish stock smell out of them.  Canning jars are meant to be used and reused, or there's no point in investing in them.

4 lemons
2 Tb freshly grated ginger
4 C boiling water
*1/3 to 1/2 C honey, depending how sweet you like it

1.  Grate a palm-sized piece of ginger root on a microplaner or the smallest holes of a box grater to get the fresh grated ginger.  Peel off outer yellow rind of lemons with a vegetable peeler and place in a heatproof bowl with the ginger and honey.  Pour the boiling water into the bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.  Allow to cool to room temperature or cooler.  You can speed it up in the fridge.

2.  Squeeze the juice from the lemons.  You should get about 1 C.  Refrigerate until the mix cools.

3.  When everything has cooled, stir lemon juice into bowl.  Pour through a fine-meshed sieve into serving container and keep chilled until ready to serve.  Discard solids.  If it sits, you'll have to shake or stir it to redistribute the pulp and ginger bits.

Makes 5 cups, about 4 to 6 servings

Difficulty rating  π