LEMON BARS

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

Base:
1 c (5 ox) AP flour
1/4 c (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
8 T unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 c (7 oz) granulated sugar
2 T AP flour
2 t cream of tartar
1/4 t salt
3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
2 t grated lemon zest
2/3 c lemon juice (4 lemons)
4 T unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 T confectioners sugar


Methodology:

Combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt, and stir in the butter.  Press into a greased 8"x8" baking pan and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven, but leave oven on.

Add all filling ingredients but the butter to a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.  Once the filling begins to thicken, remove from heat and whisk in the butter, mixing until smooth.

Strain the filling onto the base and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Dust with confectioners sugar, slice and serve.

***edited to add note: these turned out extremely sour, and the topping was quite liquid-y***

HALF-SOUR PICKLES

Ingredients:

4 kirby cucumbers, halved lengthwise
3.5% of water kosher salt*
1/4 t mustard seeds
1/4 t celery seeds
1/8 t dill seeds
1/8 t whole black peppercorns
3 garlic cloves, bashed and quartered*
1 t kefir
5 stems fresh dill
Cold tap water to fill pint jar


Methodology:

Place salt, kefir and spices in jar, and add about 1 c water.  Swirl to combine and dissolve salt.  Add cukes and dill stems, and fill jar completely with water, leaving 1/2" headroom at top.

Ferment 10 days in the fridge, and enjoy!

*8/8/18, edited to add: these turned out delicious, but too salty.  Reduce salt to 3.5% of actual amount of water that fits into the jar, rather than 3.5% of total volume.  The garlic flavor was also quite prominent, so reduce that a bit.

*9/18/18, edited to add: made a second batch following the above recommendations.  Also omitted the kefir.  The saltiness was corrected, but the pickles did not seem to sour, so must make sure to always include leftover brine or kefir.

CHU CHEE CURRY WITH SHRIMP

Chu Chee Ta-leh

Ingredients:
1 can full-fat coconut milk (don't shake the can, refrigerate 20 minutes if possible)
3 T Chu chee curry paste

500g medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 bell peppers, diced

2-3 T fish sauce
1 T palm sugar
8 fresh kaffir lime leaves, minced
2 small fresh birds-eye chilis (optional)

30g fresh Thai basil

Methodology:

Skim off the thick coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk and bring to a simmer in a large skillet or wok.  Reserve the remaining coconut milk.  Add the curry paste to the skillet.  Reduce the heat and simmer on low for 10 minutes, until the oil separates from the cream, stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp, bell pepper and remaining coconut milk.  Cook until shrimp are pink on one side, then flip, about 2 minutes.

Add fish sauce, sugars and kaffir lime and simmer 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and stir in half the basil, reserving the rest for garnish.

Serve with steamed Korean short-grain rice, recipe below.



Korean short-grain rice:
from Maangchi

Ingredients:
1 C short-grain rice
1 C water

Methodology:
Scrub and drain the rice 3 times in cold water to remove excess surface starch.  Drain well.  Add to small pot with 1 C water.  Let rice soak in water for 30 minutes.  

Bring pot to boil over medium-high heat with lid on and cook for 10 minutes.  Stir, return to heat with lid on for additional 5-8 minutes, fluff and serve.

CILANTRO SALAD

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks


Ingredients:

Shallot oil:
1 1/2c neutral oil
10-20 shallots, sliced in 1/8" rounds

Salad:
1 bunch cilantro, very fresh, chopped
3 sprigs of mint (optional), sliced
3 sprigs of Thai basil (optional), sliced
1/8 head red cabbage, finely shaved

Dressing:
1/4 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. fish sauce
1/2 t. lime juice
1/2 t. rice syrup (or sugar)
2 T. shallot oil

To finish:
1/4 c. peanuts, toasted and smashed
Toasted, ground sesame seeds


Methodology:

Fry the shallots in the oil over medium heat, until they are toasted and deeply golden, 15-20 minutes.  Watch them carefully toward the end, as they scorch quickly.  Drain the shallots on paper towels and strain the oil into a jar.  Store the oil in the fridge.

Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk the dressing and toss with the salad to combine.  Top with peanuts and ground sesame seeds.  

WHOLE CHICKEN SOUP

Parts of the recipe from this nytimes recipe. 

It's best to start this the day prior to serving it. 

Ingredients:

For the broth:

1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs, broken down into pieces

2 carrots, cut into chunks

1 large yellow onion, cut into quarters

3 celery stalks, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1" ginger, peeled and smashed

12 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs thyme

8 peppercorns

1 star anise

2 bay leaves

For the soup:

1 large carrot, cut into small dice

1/2 celeriac, cut into small dice

1 yukon gold potato, cut into small dice

Chicken from the whole chicken, chopped

Dill, finely chopped

Chives, finely chopped

Methodology:

Place all the broth ingredients in a large pot and cover by 1" with water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to gently simmer for 1.5-2 hours. 

Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the pot and cool on a baking sheet.  Using two forks, tease the chicken meat from the skin and bones.  Place the meat in the refrigerator.  Return the bones and skin to the pot and continue to simmer, reducing, for another half hour.  Strain the broth and cool, then refrigerate it.  Discard the solids.

---- The next day ----

Skim the chicken fat from the top of the chilled broth and store for another use.

Pour the chicken broth into a pot and bring to a simmer.  Add the carrot, celeriac and potato, and simmer until they're cooked, about 15 minutes.  Add as much chopped chicken as you want (I don't usually use all the meat) and heat until warm. 

Serve over spaezle, sprinkled with dill, chives and freshly ground black pepper.

FRENCH 75 COCKTAIL

From wikipedia: The drink dates to World War I, and an early form was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris—later Harry's New York Bar—by barman Harry MacElhone. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun.

Serves 2


Ingredients:
Ensure all ingredients are very cold before mixing.

1 oz lemon juice = 2 T, 1 T per glass
1 oz simple syrup = 2 T
2 oz gin = 1/4 c
4 oz champagne = 1/2 c

Mix lemon juice, simple syrup and gin directly in serving flutes.  Top with champagne and enjoy!

BUTTERMILK GRANOLA

Adapted from Serious Eats.

Ingredients:

Grains, group 1:
340 g rolled oats
40 g wheat germ
30 g flax seeds
15 g chia seeds
225 g buttermilk
115 g butter, melted
1/2 t salt
200 g sugar
___________________

Nuts, group 2:
120 g pumpkin seeds
70 g almonds
60 g pecans
1/8 t kosher salt
___________________

Fruit, group 3:
115 g dried apricots
85 g dried cherries
55 g dried blueberries


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine group 1 ingredients, let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine group 2 ingredients on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, tossing once.  Cool, chop into desired size.

Reduce oven to 300°F.

Bake group 1 at 300°F for 1 hour, tossing every 20 minutes.

Add groups 2 and 3 to group 1 on baking sheet, tossing carefully to combine.  Cool, store in a jar on the counter.

Please note all amounts are variable.  The only important relationships are between the dry grains and the buttermilk/butter/sugar/salt.  However, I often add considerably more oats without upsetting the balance.

SOAP SCENTS

Cedar Citrus Blend:
7g cedar essential oil
1.5g lemon e.o.
4g orange e.o.
2.5g litsea cubeba e.o.

= 15g total


Origins Face Wash Blend:
7g rose petals fragrance oil
2g lavender e.o.
2.2g + 10 drops geranium e.o.
13 drops anise e.o.
20 drops bergamot e.o.
20 drops orange e.o.
11 drops lemon e.o.
17 drops litsea cubeba e.o.
6 drops cardamom e.o.
10 drops Naturally Loveable blend

= 15g total

MAK-KIMCHI

"Easy kimchi" from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi

Ingredients:

Full      1/3         1/4      Recipe
10lb     3.3lb      2.5lb    Napa cabbage (baechu)
1c.       1/3c.      1/4c.    Salt

Porridge:
3c.       (1c.)      (3/4c.)  Water
1/2c.    (1/6c.)   (2T.)     Glutinous rice flour (chapssal garu)
1/4c.    (1T+1t) (1T)      Sugar

Sauce:
1c.        1/3c.     1/4c.    Fish sauce
1c.        1/3c.     1/4c.    Garlic, minced
1c.        1/3c.     1/4c.    Onion, minced
1-2T.     1-2t.      1/2-1t. Ginger root, minced

1c.        1/3c.     1/4c.    Gochugaru chili pepper flakes

Vegetables:
30         10          8        Scallions, diagonally cut into 1" pieces
2c.         2/3c.     1/2c.   Daikon radish, julienned
1c.         1/3c.     1/4c.   Carrot, julienned
4            1 1/2     1         Cucumber, cut into quarters and then 1/4" slices


Methodology:

Remove the tattered outer leaves from the cabbage(s) and cut cabbage into quarters, vertically.  Remove the wedge of core from each quarter and slice into bite-sized pieces (about 2" wide).  Soak in water, and then transfer into (a) bowl(s), layering cabbage and salt until both are exhausted.

Turn cabbage pieces every half hour 3 times, for a total of 1.5 hours salting time.  Rinse 3 times in clean water.  Drain.

Meanwhile:
Mix the water and glutinous rice flour in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil until bubbles form, about 5 minutes.  Add sugar and continue cooking and stirring until the porridge becomes translucent.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  (If making less than a full recipe of kimchi, make a full recipe of porridge and save for future recipes; the ingredients don't scale down in this case).

Combine the garlic, onion, ginger and fish sauce in a food processor and process until fine and semi-smooth.  Add the gochugaru and mix to combine.  Add to the porridge, once cooled. 

Add the sliced vegetables to the porridge mixture.  Add the porridge mixture to the salted napa cabbage and mix until homogeneous.  

Pack into your storage container, (pressing down to submerge the cabbage under the brine as much as possible), and seal tightly.  Ferment on the kitchen counter, opening occasionally to relieve the pressure and tasting after the first week to check if you like the flavor.  Once it's fermented to your taste, place in the fridge.  Keeps indefinitely.

PESTO ALLA GENOVESE

Ingredients:

1 c basil (24g)
1/8 c pine nuts, toasted carefully in a skillet over low heat
1-2 garlic cloves, toasted in their skins, with the pine nuts
1/4 c parmigiano reggiano, grated
1/4 t salt
3 T olive oil

Methodology:
In a mortar:

Grind the garlic cloves and salt to a paste using the side of a knife.  Chop the pine nuts and add them, the garlic paste and the cheese to the mortar and grind to a rough paste.  Finely chop the basil, add it to the mortar and mix thoroughly with the pestle, until the basil pieces are very small.  Add the olive oil in increments, mixing thoroughly.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Larger batches should be made in a food processor.  In that method, all ingredients should be added at once and processed until desired fineness.

LENTIL WALNUT BURGERS

From the original Moosewood Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. dry lentils

Group 1:
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms
1 green pepper
1 celery stalk
1 small carrot
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion
1 c. walnuts
2 T. butter or olive oil

Group 2:
1 t. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. dry mustard

1/4 c. rolled oats
5 T. tomato paste
2 eggs, beaten
Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes


Methodology:

Cook the lentils in 3 c. of water, bringing to a boil and then gently simmering for 20 minutes.  Check for doneness, and add additional water to keep the lentils just submerged if necessary. 

Dice all of group 1 finely and sauté in the butter until they are soft, but not yet browned. Season with group 2.

Combine the sauté with the oats.  Mash moderately.  Add the tomato paste, eggs and Worcestershire sauce.  Mix well.  Form into patties.  Chill 1 hour, or wrap in foil and freeze.

Fry in butter or oil, on both sides, topping with cheddar cheese.  Serve on a burger bun.