beXnlog

Essentially Excited

2008-05-08T22:01:00.003-05:00

I cannot wait for my Vegan Essentials order to come in next week! In it are two things i've been salivating to try: vegan marshmallows from Sweet & Sara (go Asian Americans!) and vegan cheeses from Sheese (we ordered the smoked cheddar, medium cheddar and the blue) and Teese (mozzarella). Too bad they're out of stock of Chocoreale, which i learned about from the Urban Vegan. We love our Nutella so it's good to know there's a delicious animal-ingredient-free version out there.

If all goes well, i'm so roasting the marshmallows over our trusty grill to make s'mores! I'll report back on the vegan cheeses soon!

Lastly, check out this website Vegans of Color!

Bibiscotti

2008-05-02T10:58:00.005-05:00

I'm going crazy and eating 5-10 biscotti per day. This is what happens when you bake your own and suddenly have 60 pieces instead of a tiny container that cost $4.00 from the store. Well, except in my case the count was closer to 120 since i made two batches in one week. I gave a lot away, brought some to work and shared it amongst 3 offices, and even saved a few pieces for be!

I had never made any biscotti before, so in my research i found that biscotti is divided into two types: with butter and without butter. Traditionally, biscotti is made without butter, resulting in a crunchier, harder cookie. The ones containing butter make a crumblier, softer cookie. I used this recipe and followed it closely, except that i cut my slices 1/2" thick instead of 3/4". I also couldn't find Dutch-processed cocoa so i used regular, and instead of instant espresso powder i used regular espresso grounds.

The first batch was insanely delicious. I love crunchy cookies and these were perfectly nutty, roasty and chocolatey. The chocolate flavor was from the cocoa as well as ground up bittersweet chocolate, but i missed having actual chocolate chunks. For the second batch, i did the same as the first except i added an additional cup of chocolate mini chunks to the batter. As you can see in the biscotti to the right, the second batch ended up darker and denser. The chunks were too small to affect the crunch or texture of the batch, but it did affect the flavor immensely - much more roasty and toasty, with a stronger espresso-like flavor.

Next up, i'll try the same recipe but with larger chocolate chunks, settle on a good lavender citrus biscotti recipe, and perhaps try a regular plain almond one. Some people are stupidly hilarious; recipe comment sections occasionally contain a complaint about the cookies being "too hard" and "not sweet enough," when that's the whole point of biscotti!

Short is Better Than Nothing

2008-04-28T12:43:00.002-05:00

1) KOV non-dairy frozen dessert! Check it out at your nearest natural food market! (Currently only available around Philadelphia.) Two great flavors: Chocolate Garden Mint and Ginger Sesame.

2) If you can't make your own, the next best kettle corn is surely Ike & Sam's. Beats the others hands down! Thanks P!

3) I love Gardenburger Riblets. The BBQ sauce is incredible!

4) Any good soy yogurts out there? Silk is not bad. So Delicious was too thick for my liking.

5) For some bizarre reason, we can't get chocolate to temper. I'm thinking it might be due to warmer temperatures. I really want some salt choc. I'll write about that once i snap off a piece from a good batch.

Sad Monday

2008-04-28T12:37:00.003-05:00

I just got the confirmation that Giant Foods is no longer selling Dreamy Tofu! Back in the '80s, it was the only decent brand of soy ice cream around. A pint of smooth whiteness swirled with peanut butter or raspberry (and other flavors which i'm forgetting), shunned by most not only because it was soy, but also because it was store brand (Super G) and not name brand. Apparently it hasn't been sold for years, but since i haven't been around Northern VA much i didn't notice. Poor Dreamy Tofu - this is my ode to your deliciousness.

The Sweet Tea Line

2008-02-28T18:33:00.003-05:00

I love stuff like this! Check out the Sweet Tea Line, which i saw on A Full Belly's post about Barbecue and Sweet Tea. Like i've always said, we didn't grow up with sweet tea in Northern Virginia!

Cilantro Storage Test Method

2008-02-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

This is not an official test as i did not compare 2 or more methods at the same time, with the same cilantro batch in the same refrigerator. What i did was check out one of the recommended methods from the comments from my original 10/13/05 post.

As the anonymous poster suggested, i put the cilantro (with roots on) in a glass of water in the refrigerator with a spoonful of white sugar. I covered the cilantro with a gallon-sized plastic bag and sealed it with a loose rubber band (not airtight). It's been on the bottom shelf of the fridge for about 2 weeks now and it's still doing very well! I've been picking off cilantro leaves as needed, and weeding out the spoiled slimy ones.

So far this method has worked very well so i'm curious to compare it to the aluminum foil one. I will certainly post the results once they're in!

THANKS anonymous poster!

Unified Democratic Party Petition

2008-02-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

Last night be created an online petition. Please check it out and sign here!

To: The Presidential Campaigns of Senator Clinton and Senator Obama
Feb 7th, 2008

As evidenced by the primaries of the past weeks it is clear that the Democratic Party and the nation are excited by the two top Democratic Candidates. We the undersigned ask that whomever wins the Democratic nomination for President in this 2008 primary election pledges to ask the second place candidate to be their Vice Presidential running mate. This Democratic ticket would be the ultimate change ticket for this country. It would signal to the world and the to the people of the United States that the Democratic Party is ready to lead; that it is ready to put aside political and personal considerations and do what the country needs. It would mean hope and experience would be on the same ticket. It would mean that the Democratic party would be united and energized and more important than it has ever been. We ask that both Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama see past the political advisors and pundits and listen to the people that have signed this petition as well as the millions of Americans that would benefit from such a union.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Pad Thai #1

2008-02-03T23:01:00.001-05:00

To me, Pad Thai always seemed to be something one did not attempt to make at home. Unless you grew up with it, the closest one could get to making it was from a microwavable packet or perhaps with one of those pre-measured complicated kits. I don't really know why it never occurred to me that i should try (especially since an average order of Pad Thai runs $12-13 in Philadelphia!) but when i came across Chez Pim's Pad Thai for beginners i was immediately inspired.

We headed out to the Hung Vuong Supermarket in South Philly for ingredients. We found everything we needed after two small snags: there were SO MANY kinds of dried rice noodles we got overwhelmed but chose a Thai brand that seemed to be the right width; and in the pickled jarred things aisle, it was difficult locating pickled turnip but eventually found it. We picked up the recommended Healthy Boy Brand thin soy sauce (instead of fish sauce), palm sugar, tamarind pulp, fried tofu puffs and bean sprouts. I already had crushed Thai chiles, pressed tofu and the fresh ingredients.

Luckily, a few months ago i resurrected by carbon steel flat bottomed wok with a harsh scouring and multiple doses of seasoning with grapeseed oil. I've been cooking with it often and the bottom has turned into a shiny black but the sides are still silvery blue. It's great - the hot steel cooks green vegetables with a great smokey char that a nonstick can't produce. Hopefully in the next few months the whole inside will be seasoned glossy black!

Chez Pim's detailed directions were excellent. The sauce was perfect - super flavorful with a wonderful balance of sweet/sour/salty/deep/hot (i used 2 t Thai chile powder) and the step by step instructions made so much sense. She includes helpful vegetarian suggestions; instead of chicken or shrimp i used fried tofu puffs cut in half with a little bit of pressed tofu cut into slim rods. I didn't add any vegetables besides the recommended bean sprout and scallions.

Overall, the 2 servings i made were shockingly delicious. I was so surprised that my first attempt came out so well! My only criticism was about the rice noodles - they were a bit too al dente so next time i'll soak them in the hot water a little longer. But besides the noodles everything was perfect. The mixture of flavors was great. The crisp bean sprouts, the chewy crispy tofu, the flavorful noodles, the peanuts, the squeeze of lime ... all i can do is thank Chez Pim for the excellent directions! And make more tomorrow!

I cooked up another batch of the Pad Thai sauce to have a jar in the fridge for my attempts later this week. I'll soak the noodles longer next time but besides that, it was totally delicious! Also, up later this week: Pad See Ew, be's favorite Thai noodle dish!

Blogging Yaay

2008-01-22T21:31:00.000-05:00

OMFG this is so awesome!

1) Monday, January 21st, 12:30pm: O calls us with emergency news. Our favorite gelato joint, Capogiro, has Sea Salt on the menu! We head over and blog about our experience. Here's mine.

2) Tuesday, January 22nd, 12:15pm: O calls me at work to say that "Kmart" left a comment on our ilovecapogiro site about how they actually made Sea Salt from my request! See my original lament.

3) Tuesday, January 22nd, 12:20pm: I read owner/chef Stephanie Reitano's musings on boredom at Capogiro's official site under the "News & Updates," which totally verifies the truth about Sea Salt and the power of blogging!

SALT - Our friends at www.ilovecapogiro.com wanted to remind me of this flavor. I've made salt gelato before, always paired with Margarita sorbetto in the summer. They must have missed it. This version is just for you, made with Maldon Sea Salt and it's incredible with something sweet like warm bread pudding.

Click here to read her whole post, which contains very excellent suggestions on assorted pairings, as well as information on a PICK ME flavor contest!

BOEMs

2008-01-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

At our house we tend to get obsessive about things. I've been known to play certain songs in endless repeat loops, eat the same meal for days and wear the same outfit for years (with frequent washings, of course!)

Right now we're all about the Moro, or Sicilian blood orange. From our January 2006 trip out to California we knew winter was the prime season for these amazing things. Our last few days have gone exactly like this:

Sunday, 1/13/08, approx 2pm: walk to Reading Terminal Market. Check produce stands for blood oranges. Hit the jackpot at Iovine's, which has 1 giant bin and a smaller display priced at 3 for $1.00. Buy 6 blood oranges.

Sunday, 1/13/08, approx 4pm: eat 4 blood oranges and lament we did not purchase more.

Monday, 1/14/08, approx 5pm: run to Iovine's and buy 30 blood oranges. Cashier does not even bother to count.

Monday, 1/14/08, approx 7pm: eat 4-5 blood oranges each.

Tuesday, 1/15/08, approx 1pm: give 1 blood orange to P, who agrees on its incredible deliciousness and intensity.

Tuesday, 1/15/08, approx 1:30pm: be runs to Iovine's during his jury duty lunch break and purchases 32 blood oranges, now priced at 4 for $1.00

Tuesday, 1/15/08, approx 3pm: i offer to get P some blood oranges and call be to get the update.

Tuesday, 1/15/08, approx 4:30pm: be goes back to Iovine's and buys another 32 blood oranges.

So, if my math is right, we have purchased 100 blood oranges in the past 3 days. 20 are for P (and she ate 1), and right now i'm counting 57 left on our kitchen table and countertop. That means we've already consumed 22 blood oranges between the 2 of us!

These blood oranges are small and don't look special save for a slight reddish tinge - but this certain crop is so intense and savory. Some of them have very strong raspberry hints, too! I love these things. They're the perfect balance of sweet/sour, light/dark, bitter/sugar, plus you can't beat the color nor the tuff name. Definitely check them out since they won't be around much longer! be is ALREADY fretting that we don't have enough and is planning to get MORE tomorrow!

Perfect Cold Weather Meal

2007-11-02T23:21:00.000-05:00

I don't know why i'm such a wimpling these days. It's not really THAT cold but lately i've been fucking freezing. And when i'm cold i want two things (in addition to blankets, knee hi socks and snuggly cats): fried foods and soupy foods.

This has meant deep fried mini spring rolls (premade, we just deep fry), grilled cheese sandwiches with Red Leichester, mustard and black pepper; and pan fried Trader Joe's bean & cheese taquitos.

For the soupy side, i've made 2 pots of jook (rice porridge or "congee") and they sure hit the spot. It's a good way to use up some greens, PLUS i like to eat it with deep fried bread aka yu ja gue, thus fulfilling both the FRIED and the SOUPY at the same time!

Jook 707

1/2 cup white rice
1/4 cup shelled raw peanuts with skins on
6-7 cups water
1 t sea salt

1 scallion, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 handful cilantro, chopped
2 thin slices ginger, cut into thin shreds
some jarred pickled chile Chinese mustard greens or other vegetable

1 T veg oil
1 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb choi sum
2 thick slices fake ham, cut into thin slabs
a few dashes of soy sauce

store bought yu ja gue

1) Put the rice, peanuts, 6 cups of water and salt into a heavy 3-4 qt pot. Heat on medium high until boiling. Stir occasionally and let boil for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to low, partially cover and let simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally, especially near the end of the cook time. The rice should be broken up and have the consistency of loose oatmeal/porridge. You can use a whisk to break the rice up even more. If it's too thick, add 1 cup of water.

2) Meanwhile, wash the choi sum well in 3 changes of cold water. Slice off the very end of the stalks, then cut the stalks into 1.5" lengths and set aside. Cut the greens into 2" pieces and keep separate from the stalks. Heat up the oil over medium high in a stainless steel pan or wok. When hot, add the garlic and the stalks. Stir around until they start to turn bright green and get a little charred. Add the greens and stir around until slightly wilted. Add 2-3 T water and quickly cover. After a minute or two, life the cover and stir. Check the greens for doneness (if a fork goes in with a little bit of resistance, and the stalks are still crisp). Add the fake ham and flavor with a few dashes of soy sauce.

3) When the jook is almost done, preheat the oven to 350. Heat up the yu ja gue (frozen or refrigerated) for a few minutes until hot and crispy. It's pretty oily so use a baking sheet. Each person should get 1 stick, 2 if very hungry. Usually the package contains 3 double sticks, which you can separate into 6.

4) Once the jook is done, add the scallions, cilantro, ginger and pickled vegetables to the pot. Stir around for a minute. Remove from heat.

5) In each serving bowl, place a scoop of the choi sum & fake fam. Ladle on the jook. Each person should have a stick of yu ja gue in one hand, and a Chinese soup spoon in the other. Dip the yu ja gue into the jook and eat some alone with the spoon.

Serves 4-6 depending on how large the bowls are!

I know most people eat jook kind of plainish, but this is how i like it. Usually it's served very plain and each person chooses which additions they want in their bowl. I think the peanuts are imperative, as are the cilantro and ginger. It would still be good without the choi sum but note the fake ham adds a nice saltiness.

Vampires Lunch

2007-10-29T15:13:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Halloween:

Look no further for the best gummies ever! Seitenbacher Natural Foods Factory has a line of gelatin-free gummi fruits with cute names like "Smooch Lions" (apple flavored) and "Roses for You" (rose scented), but their very best product is none other than black currant and black pepper flavored "Vampires Lunch." I love these things!

As you can see, they come in ultra dark-red colored blood drop and skull & crossbones shapes (although i would've preferred a fat bat to the skull & crossbones). They taste exactly as they're described, with a strong black currant flavor ending with a tiny kick of black pepper at the end - not enough to discourage the anti-savory-fruit people, but just enough for you to notice something.

Most importantly, they contain no animal derived gumming agents, instead using fruit pectin to create a nice firm chewy gummy. Unlike some other vegetarian gummies, these are not pasty, powdery or grainy. They aren't as hard as some gelatin gummies but definitely firmer than those squishy gummy bears.

So where to get them? We've only ever seen them at Essene in Philadelphia, so try your independent natural market first. You can also order them online direct from Seitenbacher. Note the "Sunhats" gummies with vitamins are not as good. Totally stick with the Vampires Lunch and you can't go wrong. I always want to eat the whole bag in one sitting, without sharing!

Knitting Marzipan!

2007-09-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

You gotta check out these pics of "knitted" marizan cupcakes! A great combination of two loves, knitting and food.

Then here's a tutorial so you can make your own!

From VeganYumYum, thanks dude.

Tornado Potato, I Want

2007-09-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

OMFG does anyone know if i can get this in New York, Philadelphia, Washington or anywhere up and down the Eastern seaboard? Even though i have yet to taste it, i already know it's the best street food, ever.

Via Adam <- DJ <- Serious Eats <- superlocal.

Aussieness

2007-09-17T16:49:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Shaptowicz, we scored two awesome Australian food items this weekend! The first was a jar of Pear Vanilla Ginger jam from Jam Lady Jam. It was so unbelievably delicious; slices of real pear with gingery vanilla goodness. All we could think about was the poor sad state of American jam products after eating this. Next was a box of Tim Tams, Dangerous Liasons Black Forest Fantasy flavor. I love the cherry/dark chocolate combo in these yummy cookies. Too bad we can't get either of these things here!

I'm a food hoarder due to my Taurus ascendant, but i'm trying to break away from "saving" food items and just eating them while they're fresh and delicious. Hence, i'm stuffing my face with Tim Tams and having pear jam sandwiches. Poor be better start eating too or he'll miss out!

Sharps

2007-08-24T14:59:00.001-05:00

Q: What's the coolest thing in the world?

A: Sharpening knives in the old skool manner!

I must admit my poor knife collection was suffering from a severe bout of dullness. Some even had nicks from cutting who knows what, amongst the usual soft edges that mushed tomatoes instead of slicing them.

The knife sharpening tool i purchased years ago was a hand-held bar with two ceramic rods held at the correct angles to run knife blades across. This thing didn't work that well but it was better than nothing, plus my knives weren't in that bad a condition yet. But after years of chopping and slicing, my chef's knife was useless and the smaller knives had lost their original edges. I thought back to my mother's old sharpening stone and how i used to watch her as a kid, sharpening her knives on the stone with a little water. I had a few discussions with assorted people about sharpening stones and finally, just recently, bought a $2 stone from Chinatown.

This afternoon i spent a good amount of time sharpening all my kitchen knives. It took a few tries to get the angles correct, but overall it was a super-satisfying activity. I loved drawing the blades over the stone, the noise it made, the visual difference it gave the knives. When i tested them, they certainly stuck into my thumbnail instead of sliding off; not bad for a first attempt! I felt like i was in a 1980s knife commercial, slicing paper, tomatoes and canned goods with the utmost ease.

I'm encouraging everyone to get a real sharpening stone and get those baddies back to their usual selves!

Need! Now!

2007-08-04T11:38:00.000-05:00

B A C O N S A L T !

From Seattlest:

Vegetarian and kosher certified? Like artificial bacon bits? Yes, this product strongly resembles a fine-grained version of same, and is probably manufactured in a similar manner. But granting the equivalence, Bacon Salt is far better than any artificial bacon bit product I've ever had. There's a care to the flavor balances I don't get from the ordinary fake stuff. If this is nothing but an artificial bacon bit, it's the best artificial bacon bit I've ever had. This stuff has punch and character. There's real personality here.

I so have to try all three varieties immediately!

Snapelove

2007-07-29T17:51:00.000-05:00

I have so much to say about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, both good and bad, but my main issues with the book revolve around Severus Snape. I won't say any more for those who have yet to read the book/series, but i'll just leave you with a link to this Snape awesomeness!

Harry Potter and the Testing of Patience

2007-07-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter is so on the brain. It's all we've been thinking about at work, home, over IM and in our sleep - for the past week! We're definitely taking part in the events tonight in Philadelphia, and certainly staying up all night to get a head start on finishing the book. As decided, we're turning off all phones, TVs, radios and computers, as well as not venturing out of the house until we're done, in case someone ruins the end of the book by blabbing "X died!" or "X lives!"

In preparation for this weekend, i'm going to run the oven to make vegetarian Shepherds Pie. (It's a large dish that equates to many servings since we won't have the desire to cook while in the middle of reading!)

I assume by Sunday morning we all should be done with the book, so i plan to make Egg in the Basket, which i thought was called "Toad in the Hole," along with fake sausage for breakfast.

Throughout Sunday afternoon over our HP7 discussion, i'll make some nice little sandwiches to eat with scones, little cakes and tea. I'm intrigued by lemon curd so perhaps i'll make a batch of that for the first time.

Sadly for be, i'm not into pumpkin juice and pretzel "wands" dipped in frosting, nor those horrific Bertie Bott's beans (of which apparently rotten egg is worse than vomit... ugh!)

I CAN'T WAIT!

We Don't Eat Jook?

2007-07-17T23:40:00.000-05:00

Some silly person got to my site by Googling, "Asian Americans don't eat jook."

WHAAAAAT?

I was just hankering a big steaming bowl of House Special Jook from Buddha Bodai in Manhattan Chinatown. Since it's hard eating that from Philadelphia, i was wondering if be would eat a bowl or two if i made a pot of jook. You can get the yu ja gue (super deep fried giant bread sticks) in frozen form from Chinese markets; throw in some cilantro, fake ham, pickled mustard greens, peanuts, hot oil, whatever and EAT UP.

Unfortunately, we're in the middle of summer so i don't want to use the stove/oven for anything but kettle corn, so a pot of rice simmering for hours is out of the question. So poo on that weird jook-hater.

PS: I just found out that we prematurely snipped three of our giant Thai Dragon peppers! You're supposed to wait until they turn bright red, but we snipped them when they were light green and about 3.5" long. I sure hope the plant produces enough red peppers for my crushed chile experiments later this summer!

Pad Thai Twice

2007-07-09T14:05:00.000-05:00

be and i have finally found some delicious Thai noodle dishes in Philly! Granted, we haven't been to every single Thai restaurant around, but Pad Thai on 2nd near South is: 1) within walking distance from our house, 2) run by extremely friendly folks, 3) very good about vegetarian-friendly adaptations, and 4) open late; so i don't see why we would go anywhere else. Their dishes are a few dollars more than other Thai restaurants around (ie: pad Thai is $12 instead of $10) but i think the quality of the food definitely makes up for it.

We first ate at Pad Thai Friday night around 10:30pm. As we are noodle lovers, we each ordered our favorites: vegetarian pad Thai for me, and pad si eew with fried tofu for be - i know it's anti-family style to have 2 noodle dishes but we just can't help it. We also ordered Thai iced teas and som tum (green papaya salad) sans fish sauce.

First off, the Thai iced tea hit the spot: strong, sweet and creamy without any flavor overwhelming the others. If you've had it with cavity-inducing sweetness or so much milk it weakens the tea, you know what i mean. Also, it was served in a good large glass.

Next, YAY for papaya salad! What is up with Philly and all the Thai restaurants making som tum with cabbage? Is it because green papaya is hard to find? Because Philadelphians are weirded out by green papaya? Is it traditional and i don't know it? Is it like how banh mi are called "Vietnamese hoagies?" Som tum is "Thai coleslaw?" Thankfully, Pad Thai makes it with shredded green papaya with no cabbage in sight, so we're glad. Make sure you order it HOT. It's strong on the lime. So addictive and crunchy. One of my favorite salads, and one of the only things be admits is better "very hot."

Finally, our noodle entrees were both excellent. I abhor overcooked, saucy noodles and find it sad that so many restaurants (Chinese, Thai, Italian) serve noodles soft and sauce-laden as most Americans prefer. Pad Thai's noodles were cooked just right, with a great bite and flavored very well. be's pad si eew contained slightly-smoky Chinese broccoli and chunks of fried tofu (he's not eating shrimp these days) and sprinkled with black pepper which smelled amazing. My vegetarian pad Thai included the same chunks of fried tofu but you can also order plain tofu. Our portions were quite large so we had enough for leftovers the next day. Overall, we enjoyed everything immensely.

So immensely, that we went again Sunday night! We were tempted to order the same exact dishes, but be changed his mind last second and chose a red curry dish with fried tofu instead of pad si eew. Like Friday, everything was tasty but even better since we requested the som tum HOT. The red curry dish was richly flavored and delicious. be says the jasmine rice was very good, too. Unfortunately, the leftover rice wasn't included in his to-go container so he cried a little at lunch today.

Verdict: we have found our regular Thai place in Philly! (I must add, however, that Tamarind on South at 1st is also quite tasty. We went there once for dinner and another time for Thai iced tea. They offer tasty mock duck dishes which Pad Thai does not, but unfortunately only cabbage som tum.)

Sweet Tea time

2007-07-06T09:25:00.000-05:00

I agree with Southerners about iced tea served in the North. Now, i don't consider myself a Southerner even though everyone north of Maryland considers Virginia "the South." I also surely didn't grow up drinking sweetened iced tea, save for Lipton iced tea mix! But the Southerners are right to say that "iced tea" should be homemade and pre-sweetened. Most restaurants in the Northeast offer unsweetened, tannic iced tea that needs 14 packets of sugar to sweeten, half of which doesn't even fully dissolve.

I love sweet tea. It's so refreshing and delicious. I've been making a version adapted from here online. It's very simple although i changed it for 3 main reasons:

1) My iced tea is never cloudy so i don't find the baking soda necessary. It's always a beautiful clear deep brown so i don't know how it could cloud. Some people say baking soda takes out the "bitterness" in tea. I don't get this either since my cheapy Lipton bags haven't brewed up bitter, even with such a long steep time!

2) 2 cups of sugar for 2 quarts of liquid, even the 1.5 cups minimum the author listed was TOO SWEET. I love sugar. I can handle sweet - ask anyone who knows me how much candy and dessert i can chow down - but the amount of sugar listed was so sweet, i couldn't even taste the tea! I first made it with 1.5 cups, which was drinkable but barely. The next batch was 1 cup = totally good! For the third batch however, 1/2 cup of sugar was just right for me. It's still sweet but the tea taste shines through more clearly. For special occasions i'll use 3/4 cup, but for regular batches i think 1/2 cup is good.

3) Sweet tea = good use for crazy mint garden bounty.

be's Philadelphia Sweet Tea

6 black tea bags (i used Lipton*)
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups water
a 2 cup glass measuring cup (helpful)
fresh mint sprigs and a little extra sugar (optional)

Boil 2 cups of water. Pour the water over the tea bags in the glass measuring cup. Let steep for 15 minutes. Lift out the tea bags (don't squeeze them) and compost/discard. Pour the strong tea into a 2 quart pitcher. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add 6 cups of cold water and stir. Refrigerate until cold and serve. For sweet mint tea, i like to crush a few mint sprigs with a little sugar in the bottom of each glass and pour the cold tea over it.

* I don't use my good black tea for this because it's not necessary. With a cold beverage, all the aroma of good tea is dulled, plus think of all the sugar you're adding! I hear that Luzianne brand tea bags are the way to go, so i'll be sure to make a batch once i get somewhere that actually stocks it! Lastly, i don't want to deal with "cold brew" and "family size" bag complications. Who doesn't have some regular black tea bags laying around?

Kettle Corn Batches #1 - 3

2007-07-04T01:21:00.000-05:00

Kettle corn is not the same as caramel corn. First of all, the sugary coating is ultra thin and barely visible. Second, it's popcorn that's barely sweet, barely salty and well balanced with both flavors. Caramel corn explodes in a thick sweet crunch and leans more towards the realm of candy than a popcorn snack. Now, i love caramel corn, especially with a buttery toffee coating and peanuts, but kettle corn is utimately the superior choice. The addictive crisp, the toasty corn, the not-quite-sweet and not-quite-salty flavor that satisfies both cravings... just thinking about it makes me salivate!

I read a LOT of recipes online. They ranged from overly simplistic to totally wrong - stuff like no mention of salt, steps like cooking butter and brown sugar into a syrup and pouring it onto popped corn (like faux Cracker Jack!), and the insistence of special machines, (not to mention one site that claimed it couldn't be made at home!). Of the ones that sounded decent, 3 echoed similar ratios. I tried a half-batch of that first.

#1: 1/4 c popcorn kernels, 2 T canola oil, 2 T white sugar, salt; 3 qt steel pot, large electric stovetop burner on 6.5 heat.

I shook that pot constantly, but unfortunately the sugar burned a bit at the bottom. The batch was 65% surprisingly excellent and much like what i recall real kettle corn to be like, although the remaining 35% of the batch was coated in burnt sugar and not delicious although still edible. be and i ate it shockingly fast and wanted more immediately.

#2 (a few hours later): 1/4 c popcorn, 2 T canola oil, 1.5 T white sugar, salt; 3 qt steel pot on small electric stovetop burner on 6 heat.

Now THIS batch hit the jackpot! By lowering the sugar and heat slightly, i experienced no burnt sugar. I did get splatted once in the face with hot oil, but i guess that's part of the danger. be and i ate this batch even faster. Even O who hates popcorn liked this!

#3 (a few more hours later): 1/2 c popcorn, 4 T canola oil, 3 T white sugar, salt; 8 qt heavy steel stockpot on large electric stovetop burner on 6 heat.

My attempt to make a larger batch was successful, although even more dangerous! Since the pot was so large and heavy it was difficult to shake, so we ended up trying to stir it while using the cover as much as possible. be got hit by oil a few times, i freaked out and O says he wish he had a video camera. I saw a tiny amount of kernels with almost-burnt sugar but picked those out. I think if it was left on the heat any longer it would've totally burned. Verdict: still excellent. Too bad i have to save it for the beach tomorrow. Would rather eat now.

be's Insanely Addictive and Dangerous Kettle Corn

1/4 c popcorn kernels
2 T canola oil
1.5 T white sugar
fine-grained salt

Pour the oil and popcorn into a 3 qt steel pot. Heat over medium. When you see the oil start to sizzle, add the sugar and stir it with a wooden spoon. Cover and shake every 2-3 seconds until you hear the first pop. (A glass cover really helps here.) If possible, crack cover slightly and stir again with the spoon, otherwise constantly shake the pot using oven mitts. Even if you do stir it again, keep shaking. When the kernels are popping like crazy, lift the pot off the heat and keep shaking. Once the kernels are all popped (this will take <1 minute), immediately dump into a large bowl and shake on salt. (One person can sprinkle the salt while another shakes the bowl to coat evenly.) Makes 2 medium servings.

Tips:
1) Be very careful of splattering hot oil and sugar. Hot sugar keeps burning if it touches your skin. Use the cover at all times.
2) Once a majority of the kernels have popped, it's impossible to stir with the spoon so it's up to the shaking.
3) To take off unfortunate burnt sugar, first cool the pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Pour out the burnt sugar water and cool pot again, then wash as usual.
4) When you pour out the popcorn, it may seem slightly sticky at first - this is when you must salt it - but as it cools it will break apart with shaking. We like to toss it over and over in a large metal bowl.
5) Get all the ingredients and supplies ready. Once it starts popping, you have about a minute until it's time to salt it. A second person is very helpful here.
6) To clarify, "shaking" is moving the pot quickly back and forth over the heat. I don't mean for you to lift it off the stove entirely, until the kernels are going crazy and lifting it off won't make a difference anyway.

Good luck and happy eating! I know i'll make 1,000 more batches by the end of the year.

Popcorn 24/7

2007-07-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

I've always loved popcorn. It was such a treat when the teacher would lug in an air popper and pass out handfuls on brown paper towels once or twice a year. (Yeah, i'm that old for popcorn to make a school day totally awesome...)

In my teenage years i'd down an entire bag of Orville Redenbacher's microwave popcorn a few times a week. I really didn't mind the way it coated the back of my throat with a layer of undissolveable grease. It was salty tasty addictiveness. I even loved the complicated 2-part microwave caramel corn, the bright orange fake cheese sprinkles and the chewy bagged popcorn. (I did draw the line at the movie theater "butter." Even as a kid i knew that sure wasn't real butter! Maybe i would've pumped it on if they accurately called it "oily topping?")

During the last few years, we made a few batches of air popped popcorn in be's two ancient machines circa 1982. The popcorn was good but needed a lot of butter for the salt to stick, even the small-grained specialty popcorn salt. Occasionally i'd pop a bag of Newman's Own microwave popcorn which i found much more palatable than Orville Redenbacher's.

Then we discovered the large bags of popcorn at Nuts to You at O's housewarming party this past spring. We snagged a bag whenever we could, but found some bags to be spectacular while others not as crisp. They all beat microwave and air popped, though.

Suddenly, our popcorn epiphany hit in June. The Rices gave us a bag of real kettle corn - slightly sweet, slightly salty, super crispy fresh and possibly the most addictive food ever. It was nothing like the fake kettle corn i had tried from bags, all of which seemed more like Fiddle Faddle or light-caramel corn. Just before the kettle corn, i came across a bulk food aisle at a natural foods store and bought a tiny bag of popcorn kernels to try making regular popcorn on the stove.

Three nights ago we found a few directions online and i popped my first real, stovetop batch of popcorn. Not to be braggy, but shit was amazing! When compared to microwave, pre-bagged or air popped, it's just leaps ahead in terms of crispness, freshness and flavor. I made another batch last night and will probably pop a batch every night for the rest of my life. It's so delicious and i'm looking forward to trying different toppings (chile garlic popcorn! cinnamon popcorn! 5-spice popcorn!) and maybe even kettle corn, if that's even possible to make at home.

be's Stovetop Popcorn

1.5 T canola oil
1/3 c popcorn kernels
fine-grained salt
1 T melted butter (optional)

Pour the oil in a 3-4 quart pot. Dump in the popcorn, cover and heat over medium-high. Using oven mitts, pick up and shake the pot every 5 seconds or so. Within a few minutes (our first batch took <1 min) the kernels will start popping. Keep shaking and lifting the lid ajar until all the kernels are popped, about a minute or so. You'll hear the kernels stop popping. At this point, immediately take off the heat and dump into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt while stirring or shaking popcorn to ensure an even coating. (If you're using melted butter, add it also at this point.)

Tips:
1) Use the freshest popcorn kernels you can find. Older kernels will lose their water content and won't pop.
2) You really don't need the butter. The oil makes it possible for the salt to stick, plus butter will make the popcorn soggy and softer.
3) The oil and popcorn measurements are just estimates. I didn't measure either and all my batches have ended up great. Just note that a larger amount of popcorn equals a larger pot, more oil and more time to make.
4) 1/3 c kernels is enough for 2 jumbo servings or 3 regular bowls worth of popcorn. 1/4 c makes enough for 2 bowls worth.
5) I used a 3 quart steel pot on an electric stove on the "7" setting on the large burner. Cast iron will be too heavy to shake. A stock pot is probably too big.
6) After kernels have started to pop, you want to keep the lid mostly on so the popped corn doesn't escape, while allowing enough steam to escape so the fresh kernels don't absorb the moisture. (But even if you leave it on, it will still be so great!)

Next up, besides the flavor combos, are: popping corn over the charcoal grill, the great kettle corn stovetop experiments, and real caramel corn. This is going to be a great snack summer!

Rice Visit

2007-07-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago we were graced by a rare A&L visit. We hit Capogiro, Horizons, Honey's Sit 'n Eat and Brown Betty among numerous other fun stops.

As always, Capogiro and Horizons did not disappoint. ("Oh my god" was the most-uttered phrase at Horizons).

The next day we shared a chocolate cupcake and a pineapple cupcake from Brown Betty, a very cute & sunny cake shop in Liberties Walk. Honestly, the cupcakes didn't look spectacular - pretty simple and perhaps plain - but upon tasting we all found them to be deliciously moist and flavorful. The cake part of the chocolate cupcake was so rich and dense without being pasty and fake-tasting like some other "super chocolaty" ones. The icing wasn't crazy sweet and matched nicely with the tasty cakes. I can't wait to go back to check out more desserts, especially that Sweet Potato Pot!

Before our cupcakes we had a brunch at Honey's Sit 'n Eat in Northern Liberties. I had heard about the numerous vegetarian options and that the food was good. We unfortunately arrived at prime brunch time so our wait was very long (almost an hour!) but we were finally seated at a large table in the cavernous, breezy place. The food mix was mainly American diner with a good chunk of Southern and some Jewish; we were all very excited and couldn't decide on what to order. be chose the vegetarian chicken-fried steak, i settled on an egg & biscuit plate, A got pancakes and L got another breakfast plate. L's brother L got the chicken fajitas while S got the whitefish salad on a bagel. Sadly, they had already run out of vegetarian sausage patties but the adorable tiny Mason jar salt & pepper shakers on the tables made up for that.

Overall i liked Honey's. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst. My breakfast was quite tasty although the grits a tad bland - nothing butter & salt couldn't fix. (I liked the biscuits at Honey's better than the sky-high ones at Morning Glory, although Geechee Girl's are my favorite in Philly so far.) be's mac n cheese was quite good, not quite casseroley but definitely creamy and satisfying. However, the latkes were fried ultra-hard to dark brown triangles and be's veg chick steak was so crispy and oily he could barely finish it. I'll definitely still give Honey's another try; perhaps an earlier visit will reap vegetarian sausage patties and a less-insane fry cook!

The Rices gifted us with very noteworthy items!

1) a loaf of crusty, tasty, tangy sourdough bread from Cenan's Bakery in Vienna, VA
2) a jar of "Aloha Rose" pineapple rosemary jam from Crackpot Gourmet
3) an insanely addictive bag of real kettle corn from Colonial Kettle Corn

I love the way all the products were from small VA companies. All i know is that the next time i'm in VA, i'm stocking up on bread, jam and a carload of kettle corn!