Homemade Vanilla Creme Fraiche and an updated Favorites 2012 List

A dear old friend, who I nicknamed SBR suggest to me that I compile an updated favorites list. Sarah is a friend who I met freshman year in college. We lived in the same dorm together. I remember it being instant friend chemistry. Maybe though, I gave her no choice in the matter. I decided we were to be friends and I did not give up until she caved. She will probably laugh reading that. She has an awesome sense of humor. Very witty and smart. And a great laugh. I was so sad when she transferred colleges and went to MSU. We kept in touch all these years however, and now facebook makes it super easy to keep updated on each others lives. She is my friend who encouraged me to start a blog! This blog!

 We worked our way through our freshman year together doing jello shots at the local frat bar and hoping not to get stuck in the dorm elevator, which I believe we both did. She introduced me to a lot of the early 90's music I came to love; Morrisey, Concrete Blond, Widespread Panic and the BoDeans. I taught her how to use the dorm room washing machines.  She had a red toyota corolla, and in the days of cassette tape mixes, hers ruled supreme.  In the last few years, with an active pulse on things worth following, she has turned me on to Bon Iver and Suri's Burn Book. In case you have not read this pop fluff, it is really funny.  I laugh out loud reading it on occasion. Don't judge too harshly, we all have to have a little entertainment, right?

I thought about what would be on my favorites list for a few days.  It is somewhat intimate to share my favorite things. It could even be possibly more intimate than sharing my innermost struggles and thoughts. Because after this you will know that I drive down highways playing my music loudly, often repeating a song over and over until I cannot even hear a bit of it ever again. My post breakup (like three days after) song was Fleetwood Mac "Gold Dust Woman." Followed shortly by albums by Florence + Machine and Goldfrapp. But don't think I am a music gal by reading all these bits of info; really I am a food gal who like music. But not concerts. I am not fond of large crowds for the most part.  I have learned to tolerate airplane bathrooms though. And my hypochondria is more under control. Or rather I don't worry about my hypochondria as much, because I am less attached to worrying these days.

Anyway, here is a list of things I am currently pondering, as well as a recipe Creme Fraiche. It is so easy, so versatile you will be wowing your dinner guests in no time flat. I make mine with crushed vanilla beans. This goes great for both the savory or sweet route. Whipped vanilla creme fraiche is as outstanding on smoked salmon as it is over lemon curd.  And if you have not tried fermenting in your kitchen, this is an easy way to start your own version of kitchen chemistry.

Creme Fraiche:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbls buttermilk
1/2 tsp. crushed vanilla seeds

A note about your cream. Try to find cream that is not ultra pasteurized. If the cream is ultra pasteurized, it usually says so on the carton. This will help the fermentation process along.
Mix the buttermilk, vanilla and cream together in a mason jar or something of the like. Let it sit on your counter for 24-48 hours or until it is thick like sour cream.  Stir once or twice to mix in the vanilla bean. Put in the fridge after it has thickened.
You can whip this like whipping cream or spoon it on dishes. I love mine over granola, lemon curd, mixed with fresh fruit, jam, whipped for spring pea puree appetizers. Last week I made a hazelnut crust pie with rhubarb, lemon curd and topped it with creme fraiche. It was really tasty.
The vanilla seeds I buy locally. If you cannot buy yours locally, maybe consider buying online. I use this packet of crushed vanilla seeds all the time in my baking. It does not spoil if you keep in the fridge and is an invaluable part of my pantry. And, much more cost effective than using a whole vanilla bean or vanilla extract. Plus for you gluten free folks, there is no fear of gluten like in vanilla extract.


Favorites List Spring 2012:

Pandora Station: 

Miles Davis

I thought my years of working in a jazz club in chicago might have burned out my taste for jazz, but turns out nothing can touch my love for Miles, especially while in the kitchen

iPod Artist in high rotation: (thank you Sarah for introducing me to Keane!)

Keane

Guilty Pleasure:
Vans Gluten Free Waffles

 

I eat these with butter and maple syrup. Emphasis on the butter. Sometimes I get tired of making food, and need someone else to do it for me. And, because I bought my first toaster oven a week ago, I can now toast waffles. Living off grid for so many years meant no electricity extras. Now I have PG&E to thank for my new kitchen gadget! I love splurging on ready made waffles!

New Food I am experimenting with:
Coconut Sugar


I have found sugar allergies on the rise with clients. I think it could be related to the bleaches and chemicals that make sugar white. Refined white sugar comes mostly from beets and corn. "Natural" sugar comes from sugar cane. I like coconut sugar because if you are allergic to sugar, this is usually a safe bet and has no chemical bleaches

My favorite new cookbook:
The Preservation Kitchen: by Paul Virant. I am in love with Aigre-Doux! 


 


This sour/sweet preserved preparation is new to my repertoire. I included it in my first CSK offering and it got good reviews. It is a mixture of honey, champagne vinegar and white wine made into a syrup and then processed with fruit or vegetables. I have been using meyer lemons because they are in season and local right now.

Favorite New Dish I am loving:
Raw Kale Caesar by Tartine
Eating a caesar salad with raw kale rocks. It just does.  I would come to your house and make this for you if I could, and turn you into a believer. It is about a thousand times better for you than romaine!


 



Supplement I am focusing on these days:
Turmeric and alpha lipoic acid in my antioxidant complex. Turmeric and its active components curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and I am really noticing the emerging science behind inflammation and chronic disease. Alpha lipoic acid helps raise glutathione in the body which is the "master antioxidant". It also helps regulate blood sugars, is fat and water soluble and great for eye health, brain function and detoxification.


Favorite Face Cream:
Weleda Cold Cream Lotion

Weleda Cold Cream

  This dense cream is great for sensitive, dry skin. My danish skin is so sensitive and this cream really adds good layer of moisture. It has no petro-chemicals or parabens!



Food I am buying in bulk at the co-op

 

Organic Valley Pasture butter. Because cows that eat grass instead of grains make butter that is better for you. More CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and Omega 3's than standard butter.

My favorite drink these days:
Dave's Enlightened Synergy Raspberry Chia Kombucha



 I like this drink for a couple of reasons. First it is filling, so I use it as a meal replacement or a tie-over to my next meal if I am hungry. Also there are 4grams of fiber per serving. And lastly, chia seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Raspberry is my favorite flavor. I am drinking one right now as I type this...

The book every woman in the US should read according to my nutrition mind:



The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Nakazawa.
According to this book 1 in 9 women be diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in their life. The underlying reasons for the extraordinary jump in the last decade, is a toxic brew of external factors that have simply pushed the capacity of our immune systems to the brink collapse. Chronic inflammation from overly processed foods, vitamin deficiencies, xenoestrogens from the constant barrage of chemical exposures in plastics containing petrochemicals, bpa's, flame retardants, voc's..the list goes on and on. If there has ever been a reason to green your life or green your diet and home, this book will convince you. It brought me to tears quite a few times. There are poignant personal stories as well; women's journeys through medical mazes to get a diagnosis (sometimes it took 10 doctors for people get an answer) and the massive evidence that modern medicine for the most part, is not equipped with trained doctors, medicines or diagnostics to help. Extremely eye opening.

Favorite Mindless Blog:
Unhappy Hipsters...not because it is the most brilliant writing, but because every picture on the site is a house I would want to live in, and sometimes it makes me laugh.

Favorite book that has helped my soul this year:
Ok, a tie! So both books:




Elizabeth Lesser's book Broken Open. Oh how I loved this book. She is very human in this book, writing about how the worst disasters in our lives can be the very biggest gifts with great big bows on top.




Pema Chodron's book: When Things Fall Apart. Great for any kind of sadness. I would just grab it off the shelf and read a paragraph when I felt sad. It is lovingly used now, that the pages are dog-eared.


Ok that is it. Don't forget to pass along to me all your lists because you all have big things to share with world and I want to know all about it.
xoxox

Vulnerability is the beauty I am leaning on these days

Yesterday on facebook my friend had a quote up. I skim past most quotes on facebook, but this one touched on a thought that has been with me lately. "Let go or be dragged"- zen proverb. I thought about the myriad of moments in my life I have watched pass by me, as I chose to be dragged. Like when I chose security over love. Pretty house over passion. The idea of a "successful" life while I sat on the sidelines choosing never to really play. I am not suggesting that we have to choose one over another, but I am sharing with you that I did. It started in earnest, this particular examination, when I met with a well known chef in San Francisco to discuss some farm to table dinners I am organizing. In his early 30's, he reflected back to me some big things I felt I had abandoned in myself while being a stay at home mother. And now I look back to an entire decade that is now gone as I watch myself at 40. I cried walking away from meeting with that chef. His youth not yet spent. Judging myself at that moment, I was feeling big parts of my "prime years" now gone. I don't know exactly why that moment with that stranger hit me so hard. I imagine it might have been because he is in the food world and that hits close to the bone. And logically, I know the could/would/should line I take is of no use. And yet, I am still noticing the new grey hair I have, or how much older I now look in photos. I have checked in with most of my girlfriends about this. They all seem to have bits of this in their own version as they approach mid-life. And then one night at dinner with a friend, I hit upon how my lack of vulnerability in order to stay safe and protected has held me back from my own life and my own beauty. And couldn't a life broken open be the perfect avenue to be mid-life and vulnerable. Vulnerability is the beauty I am leaning on these days. Beyond the impermanence of physical beauty and beyond the regrets. It ushers in a timeless moment that now I can embrace. Surely I will tremble with trepidation while feeling vulnerable, but I know through and through I will be living fully while I do it.

M and I went to San Francisco recently to film a mother's day ad for wantful.com. Dare I say M was in all her glory. It was a super fun day, all in part to my sister who works for wantful. Thank you aunt Danielle for making it happen!

Food Swap!

Kevin and his bread

They tasted just as divine as they looked...

Me at my lacto soda station

Matt putting in his request for Cindy's pie

Spectacular tartine bread made by Matt!

Cindy, my midwife came with pies. They were hot ticket items!

Kevin talking about his freshly baked bread!

Poppy drinking raspberry rose soda

homemade teriyaki sauce, vegan chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies...

Matt..he is the guy who made the tartine bread, and an old, good friend of mine!

Maya made caramel poporn

Jilan in her element!

A few weeks back I hosted our town's first food swap. I rented out the local cooking school for the day and invited my closest friends. What ensued was a day of extreme fun, love, sharing and celebration of homemade food. These photos were mostly taken by my close friend, photographer and blogger Jilan. Her photography blog is amazing! Thank you Jilan for documenting the first swap. I brought raspberry rose and blackberry ginger lacto-fermented soda. After swapping with others, I left with 25 year old sourdough starter, preserved lemons, tomato sauce, salsa, fennel flatbread, tartine bread, caramel popcorn, thumbprint cookies, a upcycled wool potholder and local corn meal. I had to have some conversations with the county health department before this movement could move forward, however. Turns out, publicly swapping food is illegal. But, an open dialogue with health department officials has lead to a clearer understanding of how these swaps can go forward and be legal, local and beneficial for all involved.

Food swaps are happening all over the country. A great resource is Food Swap Network. On that site there are listings of food swaps all over the country, how-to guides for throwing a swap and instructions for how to attend a swap. After attendees register to attend, they bring items to swap, then tour, taste, mingle and explore items others brought to swap. You write your bid on a piece of paper, and then swapping is negotiated between parties. Kind of crazy and a bit chaotic, but good fun and quite exciting. I highly suggest starting your own food swap where you live! It was so exciting to go home with a basket of treasures made by my friends and a wonderful way to make new ones.   The next food swap here is already planned for April! I will be sure to let you know how it went. xo

How To Make Your Own Lacto-fermented Soda

This is how I store the fermenting soda...in a warm place with a towel for extra warmth

Bottled soda, fermenting soda and ginger bug

You can see my temperature strip and airlock in place

Ginger "Bug" Notice it is cloudy and bubbles on top. This bug is 6 days old

Lacto-fermention is a type of fermentation that has been around as long as people have been preserving food. Food can be fermented by molds, yeast, bacteria alone or in combination with each other. Keifer and kombucha are examples of fermention by mixtures of bacteria and yeast. Lacto-fermented soda however is primarily a bacterial fermentation driven by a genus of bacteria called lactobacillus. I have not been able to find any studies about the variance of lactobacillus strains found in lacto-fermented foods, but some strains that seems to be predominant is lactobacillus plantarum, casei, acidophilus and paracasei. In our germ phobic social environment we live in, I have been delighted to enter into this world of home chemistry and rich cultural history associated with fermentation. If you go to pubmed.org you can find many studies that show the link between longevity and fermented foods. Two wonderful resources for fermentation is:
Nourishing Traditions
Wild Fermentation

Nourishing Traditions is one of the most important nutrition books and movements of this past decade. If you do not own this book, you might want to. The philosophy of Nourishing Traditions is based on Weston A. Price, a dentist who touted the wonderful effects of nutrient dense foods and the importance of the right kind of fats in our diets. The Weston A. Price organization has lists of local chapters on their website. My local chapter of Weston A. Price offers classes locally, which was my first introduction to the world of lacto-fermentation.

The bottom line is the more beneficial bacteria you have in your gut, the healthier you will be. Fortunately, doctors are finally catching on to this well known nutritional fact. 15 years ago, my dear friend's uncle was a GI doctor. When she mentioned probiotics to him, he laughed. I would guess he does not laugh about the importance of beneficial bacteria these days. Better late than never, huh? I am looking forward to the next big development doctors will realize affects peoples health.

Lactobacillus strains have been linked with improving the immune system, lowering the amount of candida yeast in the intestines and improving the absorption of nutrients. Foods can be lacto-fermented by using a whey starter from yogurt or from a  ginger root starter. Both of these starters contain lactobacillus bacteria. Root vegetables, especially ginger root, contain naturally high amounts of lactobacillus, so are a good option for creating a culture instead of whey. I like to use ginger root starter because it does not require a culture that I need to search out and buy. Fermenting vegetables like sauerkraut is made by pounding vegetables and adding salt to inhibit pathogenic bacteria from growing until enough lactic acid is produced that then kill harmful bacteria. Adding whey directly to fermented vegetables eliminates the need for salt however. Lactobacillus from whey or ginger root, feed on sugars present in the food and produce lactic acid that produces a rather acidic environment that is inhospitable to harmful bacteria. Lactic acid is so powerful against harmful bacteria found in foods, that a mixture of citric acid and lactic acid has been used to treat raw surface meat to prevent contamination from e coli 0157 and salmonella in meat packaging plants. Lacto-fermentation is an anaerobic process, and works in the absence of air. Lactic acid effectively eliminates putrefactive anaerobes and butyric-acid-producing bacteria. Food becomes safer to eat after proper lacto-fermentation! And although it may sound complicated, all you need to get started making this soda is cane sugar, ginger root and a jar with a lid. Ok, enough science..lets get started.

To make Ginger Bug you will need:
1 large piece of organic ginger root
Bag of organic sugar (anything except white commercial sugar or honey)
A quart sized Mason Jar with a lid

Fill mason jar with filtered water. Chlorine from tap water can inhibit lactobacillus growth.
Add to the Mason jar EACH DAY:
1 Tablespoon roughly chopped ginger root
2 Teaspoons organic sugar

Each day after the addition of ginger and sugar, stir well, put lid on and keep in a warm place.
In about 3 days, the bug will start getting slightly foamy and smell fresh, sweet and gingery. If it smells at all unlike what I described, throw it out and start over. My starter really gets going after 3 days. It is ready to use day 5-7. The warmer the place, the faster it happens. The top of your fridge is a warm place. I keep mine on my stove near where the pilot light is lit. 80-85 degrees is a good temperature zone.
After your bug is ready to use in 5-7 days, it will have bubbles on the top, the liquid will be cloudy and it will smell clean, fresh, slightly sweet and gingery. You can store any extra ginger bug in your fridge, feeding it every week or so to keep it going. The cold of the fridge will slow it down so you won't need to feed it everyday.
I love drinking ginger bug on its own..I pour a splash into sparkling mineral water. If M has a belly ache, I pour her a little glass. It is perfectly fine to add more water to keep the jar full if you have taken some bug out over the 7 day period.  I have kept mine going on the counter for a couple of weeks feeding it every day.

How to Make Soda:

1 gallon purified water
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
6 cups fruit
1/4 cup grated ginger (optional)
zest of lemon
juice of lemon
pinch salt
1 cup of ginger bug
1 rubber cork
1 airlock
1 thermometer
ph strips
funnel
5 grolsch type bottles

About your soda equipment. I have a local home brew store that I bought my bottles and supplies. I bought a gallon of apple juice at the health food store, then poured it out when I got home and used the jar with the airlock and rubber cork I bought. Cultures For Health sells a jar ready to go that I really like. Midwest Supplies also has airlocks and rubber corks that are inexpensive. For my thermometer, I bought one that sticks on the outside of my jar, the kind used for reptile aquariums. You should be able to get it at any pet store. It is not absolutely necessary, but I like to know that my brew is in the target temperature range. I bought pH strips at my local health food store to make sure my brew is acidic enough since I am letting others drink my soda. You don't have to do this either. I like my brew pH 4.5 and under. Then I really know lactic acid is being produced!

A word of note: each soda batch I a have made has fermented at different rates. I think it is dependent on the kind of fruit you use, the ambient temperature in your house and mother nature. Don't stress about the variations. It will work out. If at anytime you brew smells weird, throw it out. If it does not smell weird and you see bubbles come up through the airlock, everything is fine. As far as flavors, I have made these soda flavors so far:
olallieberry ginger
blackberry ginger
ginger ale
raspberry rose (I added 2 tbls. of rose water after the fruit was cooked and it was cooling)
blueberry

In a sauce pan, add 2 quarts filtered water, sugar, salt, lemon zest, juice and fruit.
I vary on fruit. I am making raspberry rose right now, but before that it was blackberry ginger. Whatever makes you happy! Add grated ginger if you want ginger ale type soda.
Bring to boil and then simmer for an hour. This lets the sugar and flavors release into the water.
After it is done cooking and you like how it tastes, strain the mixture into a bowl and let it sit until you can pour it into your gallon glass jar without it cracking from being too hot. I wait until it is around 100 degrees. I use a funnel to do this.
Add the rest of your water to fill up the gallon. Let the brew cool down to body temperature, or between 85-90 degrees, and then your last step is adding a cup of your ginger bug to the gallon jug. If you add the bug before it is cool enough, it will kill the bacteria.
Stir the bug in the gallon jug, and put the airlock and rubber cork on. Wrap with a towel and keep in warm place for 3-4 days.
In 12-24 hours rapid fermentation may take place. This does not always happen for me. It seems to work out fine if it doesn't. Rapid fermentation is when you see a bubble come through the airlock about every 5 seconds. My brew usually starts bubbling in 48 hours. This is when you want to taste it. The longer the brew sits and ferments, the less sweet it will become. Generally I see a bubble come through the airlock about every 20-30 seconds when it is fermenting. When you taste your brew and it is not too sweet, it is time to bottle. This happens anywhere between 3-4 days for me usually.
Use a funnel and pour soda into grolsch type jars. You can buy grolsch beer and use them after they have been emptied and clean. It is important to use sturdy jars because carbonation can cause your jars to explode. The flip top bottles prevent this from happening and you can use them over again many times.
Keep bottles on counter for a couple of days to build up carbonation. Test one to see how it is going after a day. When you have achieved carbonation you are happy with, put the jars in the fridge to slow down the carbonation process. They will keep in the fridge for quite a long time, just like beer! And if you make some soda..tell me how it went for you!