Strawberry Rhubarb Simple Syrup

It wasn't until I had a rhubarb infused hard cider at a cider fest earlier in the year that I started to appreciate the culinary aspect of this plant. Behold! Strawberry-rhubarb syrup for cocktails and soda drinks. I saw this recipe on my RSS feed from Smitten Kitchen. It is a very simple recipe that smells fruity and has a tangy sour-sweet taste. 

Also this was my first time using rhubarb in a recipe. Should you happen to buy the stalks fresh, trim and discard the ends as you would with a stalk of celery. Then chop or dice as normal.

Yield: 3 cups

Usage: 2 tbsp per 6-8 oz of chilled sparkling water or sparkling wine

New York Styled Bagels

Fresh baked bagels from a hot oven is definitely the way to go for future bagel eating. Simply, wow. The dough is airy and soft like a pillow. Its underside is a nice golden brown color and when you tear the bagel apart, it has that classic bagel-tearing-texture. How else to describe it..? I've never been to New York and I've always been skeptical of bagels sold west of New York state. The style has less to do with the ingredients in the dough than how the dough is prepared, specifically the boiling time of the bagels. This recipe was adapted from the Sophisticated Gourmet blog.

New York Style Bagels from Scratch

Ingredients

3 1/2 c all purpose unbleached wheat flour (minus 3 tbsp)
1 1/4 c warmwater (or whey), heated to 115 F
3 tbsp Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten
1 1/2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1 tsp sea salt
plus more flour for kneading

Kitchen Notes: Green Tea & C Electrolyte Drink

This is certainly a cheaper option to Gatorade or coconut water and is a good mix of sea salt, sugar, and potassium. There are many ways to feel thirsty and not have water quench it. For today's recipe write-up, I will assume that this vampiric thirst is due to the dry 90+ degrees (Fahrenheit) weather in the Pacific Northwest; also I just ate a heavy protein-dense sandwich for lunch.

Onto the recipe...

In a 1-quart mason jar add the following:

1 packet of Emergen-C (any flavor) or Trader Joe's Effervescent Orange
8 oz filtered water

Swish the liquid around in the jar until the powder dissolves, then add:

8 oz fruit juice (something high in potassium, like Trader Joe's Cherry Cider or Blueberry Juice)

The type of fruit juice used offers different ratios of vitamins and trace minerals.

Brew 8 oz green tea (from leaves or a tea bag), remove tea bag and dilute with another 8 oz of filtered water. Or brew 16 oz of green tea and add that to the jar.

Add 1/4 tsp sea salt -- the type of salt does matter for its trace minerals. Himalayan sea salt will have a higher concentration of trace minerals as will Hawaiian Black Salt; but don't go breaking the bank on this ingredient. Most salt labelled as "sea salt" will work. 

If you are concerned about the lack of iodine in sea salt, you could add food items such as fish, dairy, eggs and seaweed to your diet.

In total, you should have 32 oz of water consisting of:
1 c fruit juice
1 c green tea
2 c filtered water
1/4 tsp sea salt

According to MyFitnessPal, each 8 oz serving contains:

36 calories
sodium 128.8 mg
potassium 117.5 mg
magnesium 15 mg
Vitamin C 416.8 mg

Enjoy and stay hydrated!

Read more?
Magnesium-rich foods [PDF]
WebMD: Minerals by Function and Source

Sun-dried Tomato Fromage (homemade cheese)

This recipe ratio comes from Portland Oregon author Claudia Lucero's book, One Hour Cheese. Fromage simply means "cheese" in French; not to be confused with "frommage" which is an Icelandic lemon dessert or bits of leftover cheese whirled together to make a cheese spread. Fromage made from scratch involves very simple ingredients. I made this because I had cartons of both whole milk and buttermilk just past the Sell By date.

Sun-dried tomatoes and fromage cheese

Like the book title suggests, this batch of cheese comes together rather quickly; depending on how long you let the curds drain. While I have fresh herbs in the garden, I used sun-dried tomatoes as my mix-in.

Materials

cheesecloth, enough to line a colander with two layers
a plastic or metal colander
a large bowl to catch the whey
candy thermometer or digital temperature gauge


Ingredients

1 qt whole milk
1 c cultured buttermilk (vs homemade buttermilk)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
(optional) finely chopped fresh herbs
(optional) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

Directions

In a large 5-quart (or larger) heavy-bottomed pot, heat milk over low heat until the milk reaches 170 F. Turn off the heat and whisk in buttermilk and lemon juice.

Let this sit for at least 5 minutes to curdle.

While the dairy is curdling, line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth. Set the colander over a 5-quart mixing bowl.

Slowly pour curds (white stuff) and whey (liquid stuff) onto cheesecloth. Let drain for 1-3 hours.

If you want to speed up the draining process, as soon as most of the whey has drained out, gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and layer them like you are wrapping a package. Take a heavy object (a pot with bowls in it) and place that on top of the cheese to help press out the liquid.

Unwrap the cheese and place into a sealable container. Mix in the salt, herbs, and/or sun-dried tomatoes. If you are opting out of the herbs and tomatoes, at least add in the salt. Cheese spreads don't quite taste right without it.

Pack cheese into the container and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

Kitchen Notes: Cornish Game Hens

I can't believe the price of a game hen these days. Today's price is what whole 4-5 lb chickens costed at the supermarket several years ago. When they were on sale, you used to be able to buy them for 2 for $5. Now each is nearly $5.

Cornish Game Hens also called rock hens, Cornish hens, or poussin, aren't full sized chickens. Despite the name, it's not a game animal (not hunted) and the bird is a hybrid, and commercially bred as food. Also, while hens typically refer to female chickens, a Cornish hen can be male or female. The USDA describes these birds as an immature chicken less than five weeks of age and less than two pounds. These are usually 22 oz at the grocery store and are always in the freezer section. 

I found them randomly at my local Costco, also in the freezer section. Buying at bulk retail would drive the cost down to $3/hen, but who has room in their own freezer for six birds?

It's been a while since I last roasted one.

Read more?
Modern Farmer - The Cornish Game Hen is a Liar