Maybe one day I'll write up a post of the many combinations of sour cream, heavy cream, buttermilk, whole milk, and the ingredients that thickens the sauce and/or cheese. But that day is not today. Here is how to make sour cream from scratch if you happen to have run out of it or just wanted to make a party chip dip. This will be thinner than store-bought sour cream because it lacks thickeners such as carrageenan, a seaweed extract.
No lemons? Substitute lemon with an equal amount of white vinegar.
Ingredients
1 c (8 oz) heavy cream
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 c (2 oz) whole milk
Directions
Like the crème fraîche, you'll want to use a clean pint size mason jar.
To the jar, add the heavy cream and lemon juice. Give it a stir to mix together. Add milk. Cover with a lid and shake a bit. Remove the lid and cover with cheesecloth, secured with a rubber band around the rim. Let sit on the counter for up to 24 hours, or overnight.
The mixture should have thickened.
Why this process requires the cream to 'breathe' while the crème fraîche does not. I have no idea. Maybe you don't want extra 'flavors' in the crème fraîche.
Remove the cheesecloth and give the mix a stir. Cover with a lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Homemade Crème Fraîche
I'm not sure why people buy $4+ tubs of this at the grocery store. It is heavier than heavy cream and thinner than sour cream. It'll whisk up like heavy cream but will have a much different taste and texture. This is different than making sour cream from scratch.
1.5 c heavy cream
0.5 c low fat buttermilk
Pour ingredients into a clean pint or quart mason jar. Cover and shake the jar a few times. Let sit on kitchen counter for 8 hours; then refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
To use with fresh berries:
Whisk desired amount until it has thickened to stiff peaks. Add 1 tsp granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Spoon this over fresh blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
1.5 c heavy cream
0.5 c low fat buttermilk
Pour ingredients into a clean pint or quart mason jar. Cover and shake the jar a few times. Let sit on kitchen counter for 8 hours; then refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
To use with fresh berries:
Whisk desired amount until it has thickened to stiff peaks. Add 1 tsp granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Spoon this over fresh blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
Ginger Salad Dressing
This recipe tries to replicate the house-made ginger salad dressing that one can usually find with a Japanese restaurant's entree or bento salad. It comes together fairly easily; though you will have to procure or make-from-scratch a couple of the ingredients.
Yes, there is such a thing as toasted sesame oil and you can buy it in any grocery store that also stocks Asian goods. In the Portland or Seattle areas, Whole Foods and Uwajimaya definitely carries both oils. Read the ingredient label since not all brands carry pure sesame oil--where it is the only ingredient. You could also make it yourself by using toasting white sesame seeds before grinding it into an oil; though that takes special kitchen equipment to extract the oil from the seeds. That is too much trouble. Just buy the stuff.
Making your own sushi ginger is fairly simple, if you can get your hands on fresh young ginger. Sometimes
Ingredients
50 gm pickled sushi ginger
1/4 c toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
Directions
Purée until smooth using an standard electric blender or immersion blender. Serve over fresh greens or roasted vegetables.
Yes, there is such a thing as toasted sesame oil and you can buy it in any grocery store that also stocks Asian goods. In the Portland or Seattle areas, Whole Foods and Uwajimaya definitely carries both oils. Read the ingredient label since not all brands carry pure sesame oil--where it is the only ingredient. You could also make it yourself by using toasting white sesame seeds before grinding it into an oil; though that takes special kitchen equipment to extract the oil from the seeds. That is too much trouble. Just buy the stuff.
Making your own sushi ginger is fairly simple, if you can get your hands on fresh young ginger. Sometimes
Ingredients
50 gm pickled sushi ginger
1/4 c toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
Directions
Purée until smooth using an standard electric blender or immersion blender. Serve over fresh greens or roasted vegetables.
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