Blood Orange - Lavender Shrub

On Saturdays in San Francisco there’s a booth at the Ferry Building farmer’s market that, among other things, sells "shrubs"- which are pretty much fruit vinegars or "drinking vinegars". I always like to stop by and at least peruse. The different liquids in the bottles have bright jewel-like tones, and the little sips they give as samples upon request are fruity and bracing.

The Bojon Gourmet has a lavender kumquat shrub recipe in the archives that looked so nice to me... I always have lavender available to make tea (love, love, love lavender, lavender as tea of course, lavender in caramels/syrup/shortbread/ganache/whatever sweets, lavender kombucha is my go-to for that beverage ...).  All I really needed was more kumquats. I’ve been buying them and snacking on them- slightly sour and bitter little citrus eaten whole. So, I  took my Saturday morning walk to the market, hoping one of the organic farmers might have some, but there were NO kumquats to be found at any of the booths.
At all.

Lots of other citrus was piled high though: many mandarins, navel oranges, tangelos, grapefruit, Eureka lemons, Meyer lemons, sweet limes... So I decided to go with blood oranges instead, with their deep red interiors, blush of red on the orange skin, and fruit punchy-orange flavor.
With a few changes, this would be my adaptation.
I’ve kept the Meyer lemon juice (sweeter, fruity and less acidic than regular lemons), and upped the vinegar and lavender.
(By the way, recently I read an interesting article on some of the Meyer lemon history- more specifically  about Meyer... Dutch transplant and Marco Polo/Indiana Jones of the USDA.)

When it's finished, shrub is great for mixing into a drink (ice cold sparkling water or maybe some vodka... or a bit of both... maybe champagne or sparkling wine...) though sipping a shot of just the fruit infused vinegar is also kind of nice (honestly, at the very least for this particular version, I think sipping it neat is my preference).
And why wouldn’t that citrus, honey, and apple cider vinegar combination also be good for you- especially end of winter or beginning of spring?
Citrus, with its vitamin C, local honey for allergy-fighting purposes (due to the inclusion of small amounts of the regional agricultural allergens, it kind of inoculates you), cider vinegar with many reputed benefits- though right now we’ll go with probiotics via fermentation from the raw and unpasturized organic version.
(And this would be my reason for opting for a marinating method instead of one involving heat- my hopes of keeping any good stuff going.)

 

The taste is tart and sweet, fruity... there's a slight spiciness from the vinegar, with a bit of a perfumed finish that you may not be able to quite identify.

Citrus is best organic or pesticide free here (and always, actually) as you use the whole fruit, but at the very least make sure you wash it before cutting, please.

And as a little side note, Mom used to make blackberry and elderberry shrub many years ago and we thought it wasn’t that great- mostly it was just plain weird. She’d say something like, “Come on guys, THIS is what they drank before soda!”
Not that we were soda drinkers at our house, we didn’t really have it around, but maybe that was supposed to lend some draw and mystique. Needless to say, we weren't all that impressed.
But yes, it was a Colonial form of fruit preservation. "Shrub" even sounds Colonial.
Shrub.
(Though I'd bet sparkling water, if it even existed in Colonial America, if it was "manufactured" or imported somehow, likely wasn't available to everyone.  It was invented/discovered in 1767 by an English chemist named Joseph Priestly- who also invented the eraser. It's better with sparkling water than still- I think we only had it with still water those many years ago.)
Anyway, sorry Mom, I like it now.
And I'll likely be experimenting with more.

Blood Orange-Lavender Shrub
makes about 3 cups (750 ml)

1 slightly generous lb (1/2 kilo) blood oranges (better, likely juicer, if they feel heavy for their size)
1 1/4 c (300 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 cup (240 ml) mild local honey
1/2 c (120 ml) Meyer lemon juice
1/4 c (8 g) dried lavender buds (food grade)

Remove a thin slice from the top and bottom of each orange, to get rid of that extra bit of pith. Cut the blood oranges in half, pole to pole, then slice thinly and add to a clean, large glass jar (at least a quart, though more space would make things easier). Add the vinegar, honey, Meyer lemon juice, and lavender. Muddle everything together well with a very clean wooden spoon to dissolve the honey and extract juice and oils from the pieces of blood orange. Cover tightly and let the mixture sit 2-3 days (perhaps tasting it after the second day), shaking it at least once daily, giving it a good jostle to redistribute everything. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, moderately pressing on the orange peels to extract as more of the liquid, and pour the mixture into a clean jar and refrigerate. Use as desired.
The finished shrub should last several weeks refrigerated.

*Shrub can also be used as a marinade for meats, as part of a sauce for finishing, or in a vinaigrette.

Lavender Hot Chocolate

A riff on ganache hot chocolate from four or so years ago (just because ganache hot chocolate is the best and I needed some today).
AND it's so cold here right now. I might as well make this and have it for a few days. 
The hot chocolate "mix" can be made vegan/dairy free if you use coconut milk instead of cream. Coconut milk is so-so-so good as a cream replacement, adding that thick and creamy need that would be otherwise sadly missing.  I don't generally think you can detect the coconut either, as chocolate is a pretty strong flavor. Then when you make yourself a cup of chocolate, use you favorite nut/seed/grain milk.
Use another type of sugar if you choose: maple syrup, for instance... or don't use extra sugar at all (really, it's NOT required).

Making another type of ganache is another option. You could forego the lavender and add a touch of peppermint oil. Orange oil might be nice, too... or zest an orange directly into your cup of chocolate. 

My preference for hot chocolate is (usually) thicker, richer, and in smaller portions.  It seems like more of a treat that way, too. An afternoon pick-me-up, or a small evening dessert.

To me, the amount of lavender called for here lends a very mild lavender flavor. Add more lavender if you'd like the flavor more pronounced.

Lavender Hot Chocolate
serves 5-8 (recipe makes about 18 T ganache)

1/2 c plus 2 tsp (130 ml) heavy cream (*coconut milk if vegan)
1 T (3 g) dried lavender buds (food grade)
5 oz (140 g) good dark chocolate (50-60% or so)
2 T (30 g) granulated sugar (optional)
fine sea salt (a pinch)

Hot milk, preferably whole (if you're going all-out... *or your nut/seed/grain milk of choice)

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, bring the cream and lavender flowers to a gentle simmer. Turn off the heat, cover, and let steep 7 minutes. Strain the lavender from the cream and return the cream to the pan along with the chocolate, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir over low heat, until the chocolate and sugar are melted and the mixture is blended.

Place 3-4 T (45-60 ml or 60-80 g) chocolate ganache in a cup along with a splash of hot milk. Stir until smooth and add milk to taste (maybe 6-8 oz. or 180-240 ml). 
Alternatively, whisk ganache to taste into a pan of hot milk.

A dollop of whipped cream on top is optional.

Refrigerate any extra ganache in a covered container. Try to use within a week.

Vin de Pamplemousse

This is quick little post I wanted to document while there's still time.
It's an infused wine (like vin de pêche - and both wines are made seasonally for obvious reasons) made with winter citrus fruit, namely zesty grapefruit, that will be very refreshing when it gets a bit warmer outside.
Since not all citrus is easy to find year round, I thought I'd better post this while everything is available.
Of course, while I'm able to put it together right now, it's not ready to drink for over a month. Everything needs to infuse and perhaps ferment a bit.

I can promise the scent is intoxicating.
(It's not the vodka, I promise that, too- it's all that fruit.)

It'll be nice as an aperitif...

I can honestly say this is 100% not my recipe. It belongs to Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.
The recipe is in her beautiful book Near & Far, however, I also found the recipe posted online- so I figure I can safely and honestly direct to that location for your benefit.

This is the first time I'm making it, so I'm not tweaking it.
The problem is that by the time it's finished, it'll be too late to gather the ingredients- so if there's any interest at all in something like this, now is the time to make it.

Please be attentive, if possible, to purchasing organically grown fruit in this instance. Obviously, citrus fruit is sprayed and the chemicals are absorbed by the skin. You're using the whole fruit here, including the peel. At the very least, and certainly for all the fruit you end up using, please wash with soap and warm water.

I'll start by giving you a shopping list:

3 Ruby Red grapefruits
2 blood oranges
2 lemons
1 Cara Cara orange
vanilla bean
cane sugar
vodka
4, 750 ml bottles of rosé wine

If you don't have the book, the recipe can be found here.

Now just to wait.
I'll look forward to a sip in April.

Hot Toddies and Such

I wanted to go over a few more "fortified" cold-weather beverages here, beverages that can warm you from the inside in more ways than one (Irish Coffee has been covered).

A simple, Hot Toddy base has just a few ingredients, and you can dress it up from there to taste.

a shot of whiskey or bourbon= 1 oz = 2T = 30 ml
1T (15 ml) honey (or to taste)
boiling water

In a glass, mix the whiskey and honey, just to dissolve the honey a bit.
Top off with boiling water (6-8 oz or 177-236 ml) and stir to combine.

Add spices and citrus as desired:
Lemon slice
Orange slice
Cinnamon stick
A piece of fresh peeled ginger
A few whole cloves
A couple allspice berries

Let the mixture infuse with the spices a couple minutes prior to drinking. 

Hot toddies can be especially nice when you're feeling a bit under the weather.

Some other ideas:

Make it a Whiskey or Bourbon Cider- omit the honey and add hot cider to the bourbon along with spices as desired.

Hot Buttered Rum:
Now, I have no clue where the idea to add butter to a warm drink came from.
I'm hoping there was never anyone who said to themselves. "Gosh, a nice mug of warm butter sounds good right about now."
It has the potential to become a very slippery slope. One mug of butter leads to another, and then...?

Anyway, to make an individual hot buttered rum, blend 1 T (14 g) softened butter with 2 T (36 g) packed brown sugar along with a nice dash of cinnamon, a grating of nutmeg, and a touch of ground cloves if desired (plus a bit of salt if you're using unsalted butter here).
Place the compound butter in a mug, add about 4 T (60 ml) rum, and top off with boiling water. 
Stir and enjoy!

Granted, it's a little more decadent, more like dessert in a glass than a hot toddy, but sometimes that's what you need.

Vietnamese Coffee Granita

A simple dessert, only two ingredients, thought up while my sister and I were sitting at a local Vietnamese restaurant, Mai Lee, waiting for our takeout order. We usually pick up a curry dish, either chicken or vegetarian, and happy to report that the 5-spice pork was recently a winner for us, too. Love the green papaya salad. And though we haven't had one in a while, the mango with coconut sticky rice for dessert is fantastic- highly recommended.

While waiting, it is imperative for any of us to order a Vietnamese coffee. The coffee is not difficult in itself to make, but it's a treat we've reserved for sitting at the bar and waiting.

We're supposed to have a hot weekend, so I thought I'd give the idea a try.
This granita is creamier than the normally strictly icy but melt-in-your-mouth versions of most coffee granitas, but really, how bad can any sweet and icy coffee be on a hot day?

Serve dessert as is, or maybe turn it into something a bit more Italian with a little whipped cream and a chocolate-covered espresso bean or two.
But no matter what, a demitasse spoon will always make it last longer.

Vietnamese Coffee Granita
serves 6-8

5 c (1 L plus 200 ml) strong black coffee (In this instance I prep a strong French press brew.)
1 can (14 oz/379g) sweetened condensed milk

Mix the hot coffee and condensed milk in a large bowl and let cool. Pour the mixture into a large, flat freezer-safe pan (like a 9x13 inch), and place in the freezer until frozen solid (overnight may be best), giving a quick whisk or two during the process to make sure everything stays mixed as well as possible. 

Scrape the frozen coffee with the tines of a fork until it is completely broken down into icy flakes. 
Spoon into glasses  or dishes and serve as desired. 

French Press

Just thought I'd put up a little something about coffee today.

I'm not saying that nobody knows how to use a French press, not saying that no one knows how to brew a cup of coffee.

As far as the drip coffee maker goes, I'm not a huge fan. I try to use it only when there's a large group and a lot of coffee can be made all at once.

The following is just how I like it done.
I don't like it lukewarm, weak and watery, I like it hot and strong. Sometimes black, sometimes with a splash of something to add a bit of creaminess along with a deep nutty shade of brown (it used to be half and half or whole milk, but I've had to make a few changes and I'm leaning towards favoring coconut-almond milk for coffee purposes).

Since dealing with more than one electric grinder that has broken, I prefer a hand-crank grinder. Whether or not it's the actual case, I like to think I'm converting others to it.
Work a bit for your coffee!

My most favorite way to brew coffee is with freshly ground cardamom.
Though not in any way Turkish or Scandinavian, we've always, always had cardamom in our house as far back as I can remember. The little white pods had a place in the tiny jar on the spice rack.
I knew my mother used them when she made homemade bread. But it was only years later I found it was because Grandpa Rudy had instructed her she needed the crushed seeds from one pod in each loaf of bread.
Where he got that bit of wisdom, we'll never know. He died when I was three.

As far as the cardamom goes, it adds a warm and interesting flavor, and this way you can have a makeshift Turkish coffee without going completely Turkish.
On any particular morning, I can easily brew a nice pot when getting myself set for the day and be able to grab a little thermos as I run out the door. Depending on where I'm working, it sure beats whatever else might be brewing.

Sometimes a nice cup of coffee can be comforting- just that and nothing else- especially when one is trying to concentrate while wrestling with tedious paperwork.

... Although it definitely makes for a nice afternoon break.

I give you my numbers and proportions here so you can adjust to your own equipment.

17 oz/ 0.5 l beaker
4 heaping T freshly ground coffee (about 30g), medium grind
3-4 green cardamom pods, pods crushed and seeds practically powdered
Just boiling water (filtered if possible) poured over the top

Give it a stir

Brew 10 minutes
Plunge
Enjoy!

Dirty Chai

A dirty chai is deeper than a regular chai latte due the the addition of espresso... yes, the espresso gives it something more than just depth.
I know it has at least one other name, though I can't recall right now.
Besides, dirty chai is what I call it, and it seems to work most of the time.
(And if that doesn't work, I'll order a chai latte with a couple shots of espresso.)

I think of it as a treat- great with a book on a cold day.
It's one of the things I tend to sample around town, and I certainly prefer some to others.

This dirty chai is similar to the masala chai recipe I have somewhere here, but I wanted to add a little more kick with a few of the spices since the espresso adds it's own type of strength to the drink. I wanted to make sure the spices were strong enough to stand up to it.

Those more robust spices include black pepper, clove, a bit more cardamom from the pods, and some nice fresh ginger.
Fresh ginger is wonderful, and much more intense than the powdered version, but it became apparent that milk and cream curdle in a very bad way if brought to a boil with fresh ginger.

It's an enzymatic reaction, and that enzyme in ginger needs to be killed if you prefer your beverages to be liquid.

There's less likely to be curdling if the ginger is brought to a high heat prior to adding it to milk.

So, because I (unfortunately) found I'm not a fan of cheese/spice/tea/coffee texture (more so if the spices cannot be easily removed), the ginger will not be added as the other spices are in this particular recipe.

It's written for part half and half (light cream) and part whole milk. If you'd like it a little less rich, skip the half and half and use all milk.

You may ask whether there is an easier way to do this- there are three things on the stove to create one drink! Well, I'm awful at doing things the easy way, so, no.
(Saying that reminds me of Tina Turner, "We never, ever do nothin' nice, an' easy."
Not that I'm exactly Tina Turner...)

Dirty Chai

serves 4-6

8 green cardamom pods- cracked, seeds removed and pods reserved

1, 1 1/2 inch long cinnamon stick (about 1/2 a regular-sized, bottled stick)

5 black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1/4 t (1 g) fennel seeds

1 c (250 ml) half and half (light cream)
1 c (250 ml) whole milk

1/8 t (generous pinch or two) freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 t (generous pinch) kosher or sea salt (anything but iodized)
fresh ginger, a generous nutmeg-sized knob, thinly sliced

1 1/4 c (310 ml) water

5 t (enough for 5 cups) loose black tea
3 T (45 g) raw sugar

8 shots fresh, hot espresso

Grind together cardamom, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, clove and fennel in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Bring the half and half and milk to a simmer over medium heat in a heavy saucepan along with the ground spices, nutmeg, cardamom pods, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently about 3 minutes to infuse the spices into the milk, stirring occasionally.

While milk infuses, bring the water to a full rolling boil in a small saucepan along with the ginger. Boil about 3 minutes,  remove the pan from the heat, add the tea, and let steep for 5 minutes.

Pour the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into the milk and spice mixture, discarding the tea leaves.  Pour the milk and tea mixture back through a fine mesh strainer into the small saucepan that previously held the tea (rinsed, of course, if any tea leaves remain). 
Add the sugar and warm the tea and milk over low heat 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar and incorporate everything together. Add the espresso, stir, and serve.

Hot Chocolate

This serves as a little break- I know there's no orange here and I've broken my own rule already.  But, it's a break with purpose. I can personally think of a few reasons to have hot chocolate right now...

Hot chocolate is certainly an important topic, and I've not written about it yet. Yes, there's a cold version, but it's not the same as the warm. Winter is a better time to be discussing and making hot chocolate anyway, you have to admit. It's not that you couldn't drink it year round, but it's more understandably more soothing when you can be warmed at a time you are in want of warming.

Hot chocolate is a very good thing. Well, maybe I shouldn't be lumping it all into the "very good" category. Maybe hot chocolate isn't something to be diplomatic about...
But anyway, if I have a choice I think I prefer this type- the type made with a ganache instead of cocoa powder and sugar. It's creamy, rich and thick, and sometimes creeps up to the line of pudding/custard territory. It's a special treat.
As far as percentages go, my preference is dark, and I (very luckily) have easy access to a good 72%- so that is what I use. Use whatever good chocolate you can find, but since you're not doing much to alter the chocolate you start with, make sure it's a chocolate you would want to eat (the stress is on "good" here, folks). After all, if you wouldn't want to be eating it as is, why would you want to drink it?

If your chocolate base is prepared, which doesn't take too long, you're ready to go. All you need is hot milk. 

I like 3-4 T of ganache with about  3/4 to 1 cup (180-240 ml) of milk, but it's really up to whoever is making it whether they want to be lighter with the chocolate or add with a heavier hand. 

Just remember that more can always be added, but it's a bit more difficult to take it away. 

Then again, I guess you could always add milk to correct the terrible error. 

Dark Hot Chocolate

serves 5-8 (recipe makes about 18 T ganache)

5 oz (140 g) dark chocolate (60-70%)

1/4 c (58 g) sugar

1/2 c (120 ml) heavy cream

Small splash of vanilla extract, if desired

Hot milk, preferably whole milk

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate along with sugar and cream, stirring frequently until smooth (it should only take a few minutes). Add vanilla if using and whisk to incorporate. 
Place 3-4 T (45-60 ml or 60-80 g) chocolate ganache in a cup along with a splash of hot milk. Stir until smooth and add milk to taste (maybe 6-8 oz. or 180-240 ml). 
Alternatively, whisk the ganache into a pan of hot milk.

A dollop of whipped cream on top is optional.

Refrigerate any extra ganache in a covered container. Try to use within a week.

Turkish Coffee

       

Turkish coffee is strong coffee made from very finely ground coffee boiled in water. Frequently it's boiled with sugar and cardamom.

Cardamom and coffee, mmmmmm.

I know there's something to be said for authenticity, but I'm neither Turkish, nor do I drink (or make) this often enough to warrant the purchase of the appropriate accoutrements.

However, I think it can be fabricated well enough at home with what's available to me. Besides, I was able to grind the coffee to the appropriately lovely, powdery fineness when I bought beans. Finer than FINE, more than ESPRESSO, it's... TURKISH.

Well, the grinder at home wouldn't grind finely enough.

When the finished coffee is poured into cups, there should be creamy layer foam on top of each serving (but if there's not, it's certainly still drinkable). This is the reason why stirring should not occur while the coffee brews- so that the foam remains intact. Slow pouring (as well as pouring high above the cup- which constitutes a little coffee theatrics) will help to ensure foam. Carefully removing foam after the first boil and spooning it into cups will also ensure foam for each cup of coffee...

But foam isn't as easy to come by as it may seem (and to be perfectly honest, it's not really one of my strong points).

Turkish Coffee

serves 4

6 t very finely ground coffee (Turkish)

2 whole cardamom pods, crushed, seeds removed and crushed finely in a mortar and pestle

4 t sugar

1 1/3 c cold water

Stir coffee, water, and sugar together in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Place the pan over medium low heat, and cook without stirring.

When the coffee boils and froths, carefully remove the pan from the heat so as not to disturb the foam, and let it settle a bit (do not stir). After about 30 seconds, return the pan to the heat and re-boil over medium low heat. 

Once again, remove from the heat and let the coffee settle (do not stir). Boil a third time in the same manner, remove from heat without stirring the mixture and let it settle. 

Boil the coffee a fourth and final time, remove from heat, and let the coffee settle. Pour the finished Turkish coffee a little at a time into each of four demitasse cups, alternating several times to distribute the coffee and foam evenly. Let the cups sit a minute for the grounds to settle before serving.