homemade ginger ale

For a long time I didn't think I liked ginger. I liked ginger ale (which, let's be honest, often tastes nothing like actual ginger), but at our house we never ate anything with ginger in it so I stayed away from it until I went to college. I only found out I liked the "real" taste of ginger when I tried it pickled along with sushi, another food I didn't try until college. (Shockingly, sushi wasn't readily available in Bamberg, South Carolina.)

After discovering I actually liked the taste of ginger I continued to drink, say, Canada Dry, but I also wanted to find a more gingery ginger ale. I tried Blenheim and it certainly tastes like real ginger, but it also has a cough-inducing kick to it that doesn't exactly scream "refreshment." So I went back to the standard supermarket varieties until recently, when I realized I could make my own.

For my birthday this year my sister, who is pretty much the best gift giver on earth, sent me a SodaStream along with a very thoughtful Pinterest board of soda and cocktail recipes to go along with it. For the past few months I've just been making seltzer water, but I'm a big cocktail fan during the summer, and since I'm not in school I have the time to make things like homemade soda. I gave it a shot and the results were well worth the minimal effort.

This recipe for ginger syrup also comes with a nice perk--you end up with candied ginger along with the syrup! Once you've strained the ginger and spices out of the syrup, toss the candied ginger (it's just been boiled in syrup, after all) with sugar and let it sit out for a few hours to dry. Voila--crystallized ginger!

ginger syrup for ginger ale
adapted from FormerChef
makes about 3 cups of syrup, enough for about 9 liters of ginger ale (don't worry, it keeps for awhile!)

ingredients:
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar (or raw sugar, if you prefer)
2 c water
2 tsp cardamom pods
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp peppercorns
3 star anise pods
4 oz peeled and sliced ginger, about 3/4 c

instructions:
Stir together the brown and white sugars and water in a small pot. Toast the whole spices in a skillet until they begin to brown; remove from heat. Add the spices and ginger to the sugar-water mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the mixture boils, turn it down to a simmer and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep until mixture cools. Pour into jars and refrigerate.

To make ginger ale, use about 1.5 tbsp syrup per cup of seltzer. The syrup will keep in the fridge for at least a month, and I've read that if you add a bit of vodka to it it will keep indefinitely.

This will vastly improve any ginger ale-based drink you want to make. The buck, your basic ginger + spirit (e.g., gin buck, whiskey buck, tequila buck) is a good place to start. Here are a few other cocktails to try your new concoction in:

- bourbon & ginger: bourbon + ginger
   ale + peach
- pear haymaker: vodka + ginger ale +
   lemon juice + pear
- the operator: white wine + ginger ale +
   lime juice
- tequila grapefruit splash: grapefruit
   juice + ginger ale + tequila +
   Campari + triple sec

a time for baking, a time for blogging.

Although I have done less blogging (ahem, no blogging) over the past few months, I have baked more than ever. I started making muffins, scones, granola bars, and various other breakfast-y items for the divinity school's weekly coffee hour back in September, and I've tried dozens of recipes, from walnut date bread with brown butter (YUM) to blueberry-buttermilk "biscones" (yum) to chocolate oatmeal flaxseed muffins (un-yum).

As much as I love whipping up three or four new baked goods each week, I keep going back to one scone recipe that consistently delivers. No matter how you embellish them, these scones are divine--rich but delicate, with a crumbly brown exterior and a soft, light interior. You can make them sweet and/or savory, add dried fruit, chocolate, nuts, or cheese, break them open and spread them with butter and jam or eat them as-is.

The scones pictured here have about 1/2 cup of oats replacing the same amount of flour, with about 1/3 cup of blue cheese and 1/3 cup of chopped dates mixed in. If that combination doesn't appeal to you, here are a few other options for mix-ins:

sweet:
1/3 c white chocolate chunks + 1/3 c dried cranberries
1 c fresh blueberries + 2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 c chopped pistachios + 1/3 c chopped dried figs

savory:
1/2 c grated parmesan + 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 c chopped cooked bacon + 1/3 c gruyere, topped with cracked black pepper
1/3 c grated cheddar cheese + 1/3 c diced apple (okay, this one straddles the line a bit)

simple cream scones
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
makes 8 scones

ingredients:
2 c (10 oz) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar (for sweet scones only)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
1/2 - 1 c mix-ins (optional)
1 c heavy cream

instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Whisk together the flour, sugar (if using), baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in any mix-ins you are using.

Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cream. Using a rubber spatula, stir together just until combined. If there's a bit of excess flour, incorporate it into the dough using your hands, but try to handle the dough as little as possible! (If you knead it too much, the scones will be tough.)

Lightly press the dough into a round cake pan and cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until they are light brown, 12-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through if you remember.

Transfer the scones to a wire rack and let cool for as long as you can stand it (at least 5-10 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature.

P.S. - If you don't want to bake eight scones at once, these freeze well. Once you've cut them into wedges, just place them on a baking sheet and freeze until firm (at least 3-4 hours). Transfer to a freezer bag, and they'll keep for at least a month.

cookies for breakfast (or lunch, or a snack...)

I have a gigantic sweet tooth. I like to think I come by it naturally (my sister has the same condition, if you can call it that), but no matter the source it's there. My regular winter breakfast is oatmeal with almond milk, cinnamon, and a sliced banana, so I even start my day with something a little sweet.

These cookies are kind of a grab-and-go version oatmeal, akin to granola bars. Most of the "breakfast cookie" recipes I've seen include some measure of white flour and a fair amount of sugar, and although I'm certainly not opposed to either of those, I try to hold off on having them until after lunch. The only added sugar in this whole recipe is 1/4 c of maple syrup, which comes out to 1 tsp per (pretty large) cookie. Calling them "cookies" might be a bit of a misnomer, but I just like thinking that I'm eating dessert for breakfast.

These go great with tea or coffee, or they're delicious alone. You can also make any number of substitutions to this recipe; if you prefer different sweeteners, fats, grains, seeds, spices, or dried fruit, feel free to give them a shot. If you want more of a "real" cookie taste, chocolate chips would be a great addition (clearly, since the original recipe uses them).

breakfast cookies
adapted from 101 Cookbooks
makes one dozen large cookies  

ingredients:
2 medium bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c peanut butter
2 c rolled  oats
1/4 c wheat germ
1/4 c flax seeds
1/2 c dried coconut
1/4 c dried dates, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together remaining ingredients; add to banana mixture and mix together until thoroughly combined (you can use a spoon or your hands, although it's a bit sticky).

Scoop dough into 1/4-c. portions and place on cookie sheet. Press down a bit to make them as tall or flat, neat or messy as you'd like. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes (longer if you'd like them to be crunchy rather than chewy).

The cookies will last a few days in an airtight container, or freeze them for up to a month and pop one into the toaster for a quick, healthy breakfast.

the best thing about the super bowl (no, it's not the commercials)

I couldn't care less about professional football, but I love the Super Bowl. Any event that requires that you have a drink in hand and consume copious amounts of chips and dip gets an A+ in my book. 

But what to make? In my opinion, this is one of the only times during the year when it's perfectly acceptable to throw together sour cream and Lipton onion soup mix and call it an appetizer. But why would you want to do that, when there are so many other options out there? Well, maybe you're having 20 people over to your house and you just don't feel like whipping up a dish with the same number of ingredients as there will be guests.

So, I've come up with a few suggestions depending on your level of commitment and concern for nutrition. I'm dividing these recipes into "classy" and "trashy". This might sound a bit elitist, but honestly I would be happy eating any of the dishes from either category. I'm a little embarrassed that I like some of the trashy recipes, but hey, everyone (okay, almost everyone) wants that kind of food every once in awhile.

"classy" recipes:

apps: 

hot buttered soft pretzels: I've always wanted to make soft pretzels, and King Arthur Flour's recipes consistently deliver.  

yoghurt-spinach dip, 'borani esfanaaj', in the persian manner:  this wins the prize for the longest name. (food52)

spicy maple cashew popcorn:  I like to add bacon to this, and you can substitute whatever nut you have on hand. (Cooking Light)

mains:

"real" texas chili con carne:  I'm not even a big chili fan, but this looks fantastic. (Serious Eats)
caramelized pork banh mi:  an amazingly flavorful sandwich that's worth the prep.

desserts:

jacques torres' chocolate chip cookies:  my roommate made these once, and they were the best chocolate chip cookies I had ever tasted. (Martha Stewart)

the baked brownie:  probably my favorite brownie recipe, by the famed Brooklyn bakery. (Brown Eyed Baker)

"trashy" recipes:
apps:
sausage balls:  I loved these as a kid, which may help explain my childhood physique. (Paula Deen)
ranch oyster crackers:  a family friend used to make these for Christmas gifts, and they are addictive. (allrecipes.com)
italian sausage and cheese dip:  "the ultimate Super Bowl dip"? We shall see. (Better Recipes)

mains:
mexican chicken casserole: starts with a layer of crushed doritos. Enough said. (jam hands)
party ham sandwiches: if you've ever been to a tailgate in the South, you've had these. Don't let the ingredient list throw you--they are delicious. (Southern Living)

desserts:
homemade kit kat bars:  I have yet to try these, but they're on my list. (Serious Eats)
compost cookies:  these straddle the trashy/classy line, as the recipe is from Momofuku Milk Bar, but the ingredient list includes 1 1/2 c of snack foods (I use potato chips and pretzels). (Live! with Kelly)

really, really easy lime bars

           

I can't help myself. Whenever I'm invited to any event that includes food, I immediately volunteer to bring dessert. Even when I have one free hour between the time I volunteer and the event.

Last night was one of those times. As I always do, I considered making brownies, but since it's summer and all, I thought something cool and citrusy would be better-suited to the weather. I found a few lemon/lime bar/pie recipes that looked interesting, but in the end I pretty much made up my own based on what I had in my apartment and what was easy. (In this case, "easy" meant only one cooking method [oven] and no pastry blender required for the crust.)

Overall, I was very pleased with the results. The bars' only less-than-appealing feature was their 1970s avocado green color, which resulted from my addition of two drops of green food coloring. So, I recommend skipping the food coloring, and if you want to give the bars a little color just top each of them with a small twist of lime.

really, really easy lime bars
makes 16 bars
per bar:  188.9 cal, 7.3g fat, 27.0g carb, 0.4g fiber, 3.8g  protein, 5+ weight watchers

ingredients:

1/2 c butter, softened

1/3 c sugar

1 c all-purpose flour

1/3 c old-fashioned oats

1 14-oz can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

5 large egg yolks

1/2 c lime juice (fresh preferred, but I used bottled)

Powdered sugar, for serving

instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8 x 8" baking pan.. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a mixer on medium speed. Add flour and oats and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Press mixture into pan, and place in oven (once it is preheated, of course). Bake crust for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another medium bowl (or the same one, if you feel like washing it first), combine condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice. Mix on medium speed until combined. Pour over partially baked crust and bake for 20-25 minutes more or until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

Cool on counter for half an hour, then move to refrigerator to chill. When ready to serve, sift powdered sugar on top and cut into squares.

Farmers market stir-fry

One of my favorite things about living near my office is coming home for lunch every day. It only takes me about five minutes to walk to my apartment from work, so I have 50 minutes of preparation + eating time at my disposal each day. Yes, I know...I am the luckiest person in the world.

Unfortunately, I often underestimate the amount of time it will take me to prepare a dish (tip:  do not lug out your food processor on your lunch break). I have found one method, though, that never takes me over my time limit:  stir-frying. It's quick, can be made healthy quite easily, and is a suitable cooking method for almost any food. Case-in-point: this particular stir-fry took me all of 40 minutes to prepare, photograph, and eat. And it was delicious!

My farmers market loot from last weekend

This recipe incorporates almost all the vegetables I bought at Charleston's farmers market last weekend. You can use any produce that's in season and whatever protein you want. If at all possible, don't omit the pickled vegetables; their sweet acidity contributes an important layer of flavor to the dish. I originally made them as part of this banh mi recipe, which I highly recommend.

farmers market stir-fry
serves one
per serving (as written):  283.6 cal, 7.3g fat, 46.7g carb, 7.4g fiber, 13.5g protein, 8+ weight watchers (unless you enter each ingredient separately...then it's only 6!)

ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 sliver fresh ginger, minced

kernels from 1 ear of corn

2 radishes, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 scallion, sliced

8 medium shrimp

about 1 tsp soy sauce

about 1 tbsp rice vinegar

sriracha to taste

diced fresh jalapeno to taste

about 1/4 c pickled carrots and radishes (recipe below)

instructions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add ingredients from garlic to white part of scallion. If you're using a slower-cooking protein then shrimp, add that as well. Cook 5-10 minutes, stirring and tossing with abandon (that's the fun part, until you toss a little too enthusiastically and send corn kernels flying all over the place).

Add shrimp if using. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha, and stir to coat mixture evenly. Cook a minute or two longer, until all liquid has dissolved. Empty into a large bowl, cover with rest of sliced scallions, jalapenos, and pickled vegetables. Enjoy your lunch (or dinner, or late-night snack, or maybe even breakfast)!

pickled carrots and radishes
adapted from food52
makes about 1.5 c

ingredients:
1/4 lb carrots, julienned
1/4 lb radishes, sliced thin
1/2 c water
1 c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

instructions:
Mix all ingredients together. Let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour or as long as overnight. I used mine up in about three days, but they would have kept longer.