Happy New Year, everyone! 2013 marks the return of Harmonious Belly. It’s been six months (just about) since I wrote my last post and I am hopeful that that long of a break will never happen again. So what have I been up to?

Well, my book – Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens – was published in December. Between the time I submitted my original manuscript in late June, there were bouts of additional editing. I enjoyed the process, and have learned a lot about book publishing during it all. It was released on December 4, 2012.

After it was released, I gave a number of interviews, which was a lot of fun. Some were on the phone, some were in person. I spoke to bloggers and reporters. Here are a couple of links:

Food Guide Unlocks Borough’s Culinary Door [Queens Gazette]
Blogger Pens Foodie Guide to Queens [DNAinfo]

I still plan to go on food explorations throughout Queens, but these days I’m cooking a lot more at home, and feeding myself more nutrient-dense foods.

Also, in August, I started working as the Editor of QueensNYC.com, a newish website all about Queens – food, real estate, evens, and news. I’ve learned an awful lot about blogging, writing, and Queens.

But back to the food. This weekend I tried my hand at making homemade ghee. This is essentially clarified butter that is cooked a little longer so that some of the milk solids brown and caramelize. That is what gives ghee the classic nutty flavor. It has a higher smoke point than plain butter, too, and can sit out on the counter without going bad, but I will likely keep mine in the fridge anyway (ideally, I like to keep my counters relatively free of stuff).

I used this recipe from Nom Nom Paleo. I started with a pint of raw butter – look at how beautiful and yellow it is! If I hadn’t had the raw butter I would have used something like Kerrygold - using grass-fed butter is important to me.

Then I turned on the heat and let it go for about 15 minutes at a very low temperature. The butter melted completely in that time and started to separate into fat and milk solids.

Then I turned up the heat a little to get more separation going. There was mild bubbling and frothing going on. I scraped the bottom of the pan and felt that some of the milk solids had fallen to the bottom of the pan, as was expected, and they were a beautiful amber color.

I turned off the heat and removed some of the remaining milk solids with a big slotted spoon, discarded them, then poured the liquid through a sieve lined with a couple layers of cheesecloth. Here is what remained in the sieve.

And here is the end result! Sure, there is a little bit of froth, still, but I’m not worried about that.

It’s dark now but will lighten up as it cools. I have a whole pint to use. My understanding is that it will keep for a year in the fridge (I’m sure I’ll use it up before then). I tasted it and it is delicious – love the nutty flavor.

I’m really excited to use my ghee in cooking! I plan to make black eyed pea curry soon, so the ghee will be perfect for that. A lot of Ethiopian recipes ask for a spiced ghee called niter kibbeh, which I’d like to try next time. I adore Ethiopian food, and it is not available really here in Queens, so I’d like to try my hand at making it myself.

Overall, I would say that making ghee is pretty easy. The whole process took about a half hour from the time I put the butter in the pan to the time I strained it into the jar. It’s definitely worth giving it a try.

Last I left you here on the blog was at my exit into book authorship, about to embark on researching and writing the Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens manuscript. I thought I would be blogging here during that time, but that obviously did not happen. I’m sorry for abandoning the blog for a spell – I was unprepared with how my life would be consumed by the book; it was pretty much all I thought about for months.

I spent time traveling around Queens, pounding the pavement on my way to restaurants, shops, and markets, while stopping in at places that looked intriguing but were not on my “official” itinerary. I stopped cooking and at 99.9% of my meals in Queens. I ate constantly, sometimes to a gut busting capacity. Some of the things I ate I normally only indulge in occassionally, but during this period it was no holds barred.

I developed tastes for new things, as well as relished the things I already loved, especially traditional dishes from various countries – Colombian cholados and pandebonos; Mexican chicharron preparado; German krainerwurst; Thai pork larb; Bolivian salteñas; Japanese sashimi; Vietnamese iced coffee; Bosnian cevapi; Peruvian spicy ceviche; Taiwanese bubble tea; Korean kimchi stew; Uruguayan pastries; North African brik. I could go on and on and on.

I turned in my manuscript on Friday, June 22, dazed by all the editing I had done that day, and so happy to have completed it. It topped out at about 108,000 words; no doubt the copy editors will trim it down. I’m back to eating mostly at home, and it has been wonderful to be back in the kitchen. I’ve enjoyed a lot of raw vegetable salads, pastured eggs and bacon, kombucha and kimchi, sprouted wheat and almond flour pancakes, raw cheese, yogurt, and cream. My CSA started up, which has been awesome, and the fresh fruit has been incredible – last week we got sweet, tart, and almost creamy raspberries and this week lots of plums and cherries. The veggies have also been just excellent, too.

I look forward to spending more time here, and sharing recipes and stories with you. Thanks for waiting, and here’s to a livelier Harmonious Belly!

So, I’m writing a book. And here’s the cover!

A month or so ago, I was approached by a mid-sized publisher to write a book about the food of Queens, where I live. It’s in guidebook format, so it will be a great way for locals and visitors alike to get to know the restaurant scene, specialty shops, artisanal food production, and more in the borough of Queens. There aren’t too many print publications like this when it comes to Queens, so I’m happy and honored to be working on this project.

I’ve been enjoying the writing immensely, and tasting all sorts of dishes from various cultures has been just fantastic. Queens has a lot of immigrants who bring their traditional food practices with them, which is a total bonus for someone like me that is interested in traditional foods from cultures other than my own.

Some of my favorite recent dishes came from Nepali restaurants – at the last one I was at there was a spicy potato dish called achar, which was flavored with fenugreek greens, sesame seeds, and lemon juice, and spices. It is simply amazing and I want to learn how to make it myself. I also recently discovered braso, a Filipino dessert consisting of  a sweet egg custard sandwiched between two thick layers of soft yet sturdy meringue. Just so good.

I’ve also enjoyed gathering with friends and sharing meals with them. It feels great to be able to share this experience with them, and I am so grateful for the time they are giving me.

I am sure I will write more about and certainly mention this project over the next few months. I look forward to sharing more news about the project as it progresses, too!

Not long ago, my friend Sarah launched a service called Nourishing New York, where she provides traditional foods for purchase. I thought it was a wonderful project/business and wanted to learn more about it, and share it here. I hope you enjoy learning about Nourishing New York, and please give Sarah some of you business if you are local and so inclined.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Sarah Milcetic. I’ve been living in Astoria, Queens for about 8 years and I live with my husband, 10 month old son and our pack of cats. We had up to five cats at one point when we were fostering. My education is in Psychology, Environmental Science and Web development. I’ve been working from home for almost 5 years, creating websites for small businesses and individuals (designedbysarah.com).

I’m also very passionate about sustainable and non-toxic living, which I write about – among other things – on my personal blog (arealhousewifeofnyc.com).

Tell me a little about Nourishing New York. Why did you call it that? Why did you start it?

About a year and a half ago I joined a meetup.com group called the Traditional Community Kitchen. Through the group I learned about eating nutrient dense foods, prepared in traditional ways. I slowly started incorporating these foods and methods into my diet.

I have several friends who are interested in adding some of these same foods to their diets but have either been intimidated to get started or haven’t found the time yet. Since I’ve been feeling really passionate about traditional foods and I’ve always loved to cook and be in the kitchen, I thought I could spend a little more time in the kitchen and make extras of the foods I’m already preparing for my family.

I decided to use the name Nourishing New York because the recipes I use are based on recipes from Nourishing Traditions. I was originally thinking of Nourishing Astoria but didn’t want to exclude anyone outside of Astoria.

What products do you offer?

Right now I’m focusing on broths and ferments. I feel they are two of the most important aspects of a traditional diet and provide huge health benefits. When I first learned about traditional foods I thought fermenting seemed a little out there and didn’t understand the benefits of having the proper balance of bacteria in your body.

Some of the fermented foods I’m making recently are daikon radishes, carrots, sauerkraut, ketchup, mayonnaise and beet kvass. I also am offering seasoned meatball and sausage mixtures. In the future, I plan to expand to other foods such as kombucha, nut butters and treats like homemade chocolate from raw cacao.

What are your products made of?

Most of the produce comes from a certified organic family farm on Long Island and the animal products come from local, organic family farms. Anything that I can’t find from these farms, I purchase from local organic markets such as Sai on 30th Avenue or FreshDirect. Right now I’m using distilled water but just purchased a water filter from Doulton, which removes chlorine, flouride, etc from tap water and I will be switching to filtered water as soon as I install it.

How much do they cost?

The prices depend on the cost of ingredients, and range from $3 for a 7 oz jar of diakon radishes to $10 for a quart of chicken bone broth and $13 for a pint of ketchup made with tomato paste packed in glass (no BPA!). Most products also have a $2 refundable jar deposit.

How do you distribute your product and how can people purchase them?

Right now I am accepting cash and asking that customers come by to pick up their purchases in Astoria. I may offer delivery services in the future.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about Nourishing New York?

I offered one class on how to prepare chicken bone broth and it was great. We all had a lot of fun. I had one batch of broth ready to come off of the stove when everyone arrived and we set up another one. We also made and tasted a few dishes that incorporated the broth. I hope to do more events like this as well so that those who are interested in learning to make traditional foods themselves can get some experience.

Thanks, Sarah, for a great summary about your new venture! If you are interested in Sarah’s products, you can contact here here. Follow her on Facebook, too!

Photo credits: © Sarah Milcetic

If you’ve been watching my Harmonious Belly Facebook page over the past couple of months, you know that I’ve been doing a lot with water kefir. It’s been really interesting, a lot of fun, and yields a very tasty beverage. I’ve gotten some positive feedback on the water kefir drinks I’ve created, so I must be doing something right. I thought I’d share a little bit of what I’ve learned. I tend to take a simple approach to making this probiotic beverage, and some of my practices may be controversial, but they have served me well so far.

1. I bought my kefir grains from Cultures For Health. They arrived dehydrated and I rehydrated them with water and organic sugar. It was very easy to do this. Instructions come with the kefir grains.

I had heard that water kefir grains were more crystaline than dairy kefir grains. I was under the impression that they were hard, like actual crystals. Turns out they are soft, and you could crush them with little effort between your fingers. From a visual standpoint, though, they do look like bits of crystals.

2. I use regular old tap water to make my water kefir. NYC has some of the tastiest water in the country – we drink our water at home pretty much exclusively from our tap. NYC water also contains both chlorine and fluoride, which some people really don’t want to ingest. I have not run into any problems with them from a robust fermentation standpoint.

Most literature on water kefir says to avoid water with these things added to it. If I could easily and practically avoid them, I would. You may prefer to get rid of the chlorine (not much can be done about the fluoride), and that is done by boiling the water and letting it sit overnight. I’ve also read that you can just let it sit out for 24 hours and the chlorine will evaporate.

I could put my water through a Britta or PUR type filter, but I really hate that everything involved with a filter like this is plastic-based. I really don’t want to add more plastic to my life. Plus they are not cheap. So, after taking all things into account – convenience and cost being the primary issues – I decided to experiment with plain tap water. I have had great success – my grains are healthy, not slimy and  they have no off odor or color. I check them each time I make a new batch of kefir.

3. I use organic sugar aka “evaporated cane juice.” I tried sucanat because I’d heard it was better because it was higher in minerals. I did not like the taste at all. I much prefer the lighter tasted of the evaporated cane juice, and I think it melds better with the fruit I use in the second fermentation (see below). Sucanat or rapadura can also cause a sort of slick membrane to develop on top of the kefir. This is neither a bad thing, nor will it damage the kefir liquid, so you can just discard it.

My preferred proportions are 4 cups water, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tbs kefir grains.

4. I always do the first fermentation simply – just water, sugar, and kefir grains – with nothing added beyond that. It’s possible to initially ferment the sugar water along with fruit of some sort, but I prefer to leave the fruitiness to the second fermentation. I really like having a sort of blank canvass with which to work on a second fermentation. I don’t like to complicate things at this point.

5. Consequently, I like to do two fermentations. I do the first fermentation in a 1/2 gallon mason jar with an old tea towel secured with a rubber band covering the jar opening. It sits on my kitchen counter for a couple of days; in the summer with the heat, that timing will no doubt speed up. This yields a flat, sweet beverage. I could just drink that, but I really want something fizzy and fruity tasty in my water kefir. That means I must do a second fermentation.

I do the second fermentation with fruit or fresh fruit juice. I take the flat water kefir, and strain out the grains, pouring the liquid into a big glass Pyrex bowl. I currently use a stainless steel mesh strainer – the grains have not suffered, though at some point I want to get a mesh strainer (this means mail order and I just haven’t had time to sit down and place the order). I only let them spend time in the strainer for about 10 seconds, and then I transfer them to a glass or plastic bowl.

I add fruit juice or whole fruit (berries are great, as are small pieces of organic citrus, peel and all) to the container I use for the second fermentation. This is a large (33 oz) swing top bottle. I add the strained water kefir to that bottle, cap it, then put it somewhere warm. The probiotics in that flat kefir will go to town on the fruit sugars and add more interest to the beverage. And by capping it, it traps the gas and makes things bubbly and fizzy.

On the average, the second fermentation takes 2-3 days. I’ve found that raspberries ferment the fastest. I’ve also used ginger, lime, blueberries, grapefruit juice, and tangerine juice. All have yielded a very tasty drink.

To tell if the second fermentation has created enough carbonation, I take the bottle and hold it over the kitchen sink, then open it. A loud pop is a good sign! I like to open it over the sink in case it has fermented to the point of overflowing when the pressure is released. I expect the second fermentation will speed up when it gets warmer.

6. I strain out the fruit chunks into smaller swing top bottles. This helps the kefir retain its fizziness. Putting the kefir into regular Ball-type canning jars I find lets the beverage go flat again. I like the 8.5 oz Italian swing top bottles for single servings. A batch of kefir fills about 3 of those small bottles.

The way I strain out the fruit is to use a small, fine mesh strainer – about 4 inches in diameter – sitting in a narrow mouth funnel, which fits easily into the opening of the small swing top bottle. This fine mesh strainer keeps out most citrus pulp, which can get kind of, for use of a better term, slimy in the kefir. I find that to be really unappealing. It’s also aesthetically displeasing, at least for me.

The spent fruit at this point is not really useful for anything except composting.

7. If you let the kefir go too long in the first fermentation, you’ll get a kind of kefir vinegar. It smells quite sour. You might even find a gelatinous “mother” starting up, floating on top of the liquid. I love vinegar, but haven’t felt inclined to keep any of the kefir vinegar.

By the way, in my experience the kefir does have that fermented odor – a bit sour, and earthy. It is not a neutral aroma.

8. If you don’t like the way the kefir tastes, smells, or has an off-color, throw it out. Really. I’ve thrown out a couple batches over the last couple of months and felt no guilt about it. One of the batches I had let go way too long – 6 days! Basically, I had forgotten about it. Oops. It happens.

Making water kefir is one of my favorite fermentation projects. It lets me be creative and I get a delicious fruity probiotic drink out of it. For those of you that are trying it out, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Feel free to ask questions in the comments – I’m happy to be a resource for you.

Basic Water Kefir Recipe

1/4 cup organic granulated sugar or evaporated cane juice
4 cups water
2-3 tbs water kefir grains

1/2 gallon mason jar

Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar into 1 cup warm water. Stir until all sugar has dissolved and there are no granules remaining. Add this to your mason jar, and fill it up to the 4 cup line with cold water. You do not want the sugar water to be too warm.

Add the water kefir grains. Cover the opening to the jar with a piece of fabric or several layers of cheesecloth. Secure with a rubber band. Set on your counter where it’s out of the way.

Allow the kefir to ferment for a couple days in cold weather, 1 day in hot weather. When the kefir is ready, it will smell sort of sour, and may have changed color. It is now ready to drink on its own or to use in a second fermentation.

Resources:

Cultures for Health water kefir grains (their FAQ is also helpful)
Tibicos, the other name for water kefir grains

I’m currently in the middle of a giant project – happily, it’s food-related – so I’ve taken an unexpected baby break from the blog. Once the project is done, I’ll talk a little more about it. Right now, though, I want to tell you about a recent meal I had here in Astoria, at Taverna Kyclades.

Taverna Kyclades is a staple Greek restaurant here in the neighborhood that is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike – in the evenings, you’ll see lines to get in, snaking down the block; we ate there at 1pm and were seated right away. It’s very close to my apartment, and after this meal I just had I’m kicking myself for not eating there sooner. The food was fantastic – so fresh and clean tasting. I had heard rumors that the use of olive oil was excessive, but I thought they used the perfect touch for everything.

The meal was shared among three of us, which means we got to taste a variety of dishes. We ordered two appetizers and two main dishes. The appetizers were a platter of dips – taramasalata, tzatziki, and skordalia – and grilled octopus. We chose grilled calamari and fried sardines for our main dishes, and they came with a side of horta and a side of lemon potatoes. Everything was excellent. My favorite dish of the whole meal, though, was the octopus. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did.

The octopus was tender yet meaty, a texture I did not expect. Wonderful! There was a little olive oil, which added nice flavor. The meat itself was very mild but not devoid of flavor. I would eat this again in a heartbeat.

The spreads were also lovely. We all remarked that the taramasalata was light, not heavy and gloppy like it can be. I loved the salty little roe present in the spread. The tzatziki was more cucumber than yogurt, and the skordalia, a garlicky potato spread, was smooth and perfectly garlicky.

We ate it with some semolina bread, which was no doubt baked nearby.

The grilled calamari was gorgeous – I loved the char it acquired. It was served in large tubular pieces, not the little rings you get when it’s fried. The calamari was toothsome yet not really rubbery, like it can get. I liked it a lot.

We also ordered fried sardines, which came whole – gutted and no heads – and fried so that there was a very thin crispy outer coat. We scraped the meat and skin off the skeleton – I ended up eating some of the bones but they didn’t cause me any discomfort. The tails were nice and crispy, yum yum.

We were given four big lemon slices and we used them all – lemon is so perfect on sea food.

Along with the main dishes, we had a choice of horta (dandelion), lemon potatoes, or rice. We chose the horta and lemon potatoes. Excellent choices. The lemon potatoes were savory and lemony, and some had a beautiful crust on them. The horta was great – not bitter at all like you might imagine dandelion greens to be. Great also with lemon.

 Other lunch menu items include fried whiting, chicken and pork kabobs, and saganaki. Broiled or fried filet (of which fish I do not know) is also available for lunch. Dessert is not served at lunch. So, if you find yourself in Astoria and you are looking for some excellent Greek food, look no further than Taverna Kyclades!

Taverna Kyclades
33-07 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria, NY 11105
(718) 545-8666

http://www.tavernakyclades.com/

I’ve talked a little bit about this over social media, but wanted to write about it here – the next Queens Swap is this weekend!

We – myself, and my friends Judith and AJ – will be holding it at Sweet Afton, one my favorite Astoria institutions. It’s a wonderful gastropub that serves one of the best burgers in the neighborhood (they use a blend of meats from Pat La Frieda), and they were the first to bring fried pickles to the area, which have been a smashing success. I also love their cocktails – last time I had the spicy margarita, it was really spicy!

They also are one of the few places in town that tap a cask ale – a naturally fermented beer.

The space is also beautiful, made from reclaimed materials. It’s dark and cozy, with lots of wood.

We’re grateful to the guys behind Sweet Afton for lending us the space for a few hours. The swap will take place on Sunday, February 19 from 4-6:30pm. As usual, homemade, home grown, and personally foraged foods are welcome. I’ll be bringing some water kefir soda – probably raspberry, blueberry, and lime-ginger – and some almond shortbread. Maybe something else, but for now it’s the kefir and shortbread.

So, if you are in the NYC area – especially in Queens – I encourage you to sign up and come swap. It should be a really good time. Here’s an easy way to register, too:

See you on Sunday!

Well, turns out I totally spaced on Harmonious Belly’s second birthday! It was February 8. A lot has happened in this past year – a layoff sprurring on lots of writing, preserving, and food experimentation. My garden was awesome this past year (no blight, hooray!). And a little guy entered my life (I love you, Linus) and captured my heart, while my beloved girl passed on (RIP Marina).

I developed collaborations with entities like the Queens Swap, the Queens Harvest Food Co-op, the Traditional Community Kitchen, and the Vanderbilt Republic, among others. And I was interviewed and featured in various places around the intertubes.

So happy birthday, little blog! Here’s to many more collaborations, learning more, nurturing old friendships and creating new ones, and lots of delicious food! Paid work would be nice, too, universe.

At the end of January, I met up with my friend Autumn (of Autumn Makes & Does) to chat about food, Queens, and urban gardening for her Alphabet Soup podcast, which is “a podcast about food & words.” I had a great time talking with her and we explored many topics, including the secret fruit trees of Queens, my years as a vegetarian, preserving produce with lacto fermentation, water kefir, creativity, my love of teaching.

We also ventured into commentary about social and political issues as they relate to food. It was a nice, relaxing time, and I think we both enjoyed ourselves. The podcast is a little over an hour.

I hope you get a chance to listen. I was struck by how much – at least to my ears – I sound like I’m from the West coast still, after 10 years in New York. I wonder what my friends from high school would think of my accent. I’m still amused by my story about becoming a vegetarian, too.

Check out the podcast here:

Episode 9, Meg Cotner (here’s the mp3 audio file)

You can also listen on iTunes.

Thanks so much, Autumn. I had a blast!

As you would know from my Harmonious Belly Facebook page, I’ve embarked on a cheese making project. It’s one of those things I promised myself I’d explore in the new year, and I’m really glad I kept that promise. It, among all my recent projects, has been the most humbling.

I’ve made what can only be described as beginner’s mistakes. But I have developed a certain appreciation for the trips and falls I’ve made, and forgiven myself for them – it’s been a big learning experience.

Now, I’ve only attempted to make cheese twice now – a batch of ricotta and a ball of fresh mozzarella. Both are fresh cow’s milk cheeses, and both are what I originally considered to be beginner cheese making projects – in my mind, that meant “easy.” Perhaps for some people it is easy, but for me it wasn’t – in that I did not attain the desired result. The cheeses were certainly edible, but they didn’t take the form or texture that I desired.

So, here are some of the things I’ve learned so far during cheese making.

1. Make sure your dairy thermometer is properly calibrated.  This is crucial – specific temperatures are called for at different points in the mik heating process. I double check and recalibrate mine (if needed) each time I start the cheese making process. I do it by dipping it in the boiling water in which I sterilize my slotted spoon and butter muslin. I calibrate it to 212F.

2. Be aware that your cooking vessel for the milk may have cooler and warmer areas in it. I discovered that my stockpot – a cheap ass piece, to be honest – is cooler by the edges than in the center. How did I discover this? My milk started to boil in the center while it was still relatively placid on the edges where my thermometer was! It’s not good that the milk boiled (only for 30 seconds or so) and I believe helped contribute to a more rubbery texture in my ricotta. So, check the temperature in the hottest part of the pot.

3. Don’t knead the curds too much for fresh cheeses. This is my biggest mistake – both my ricotta and mozzarella came out with a firmer texture  than I wanted (a way firmer texture with the mozzarella) because I handled the curds too much and too roughly. The more you work the curds, the firmer the cheese will be. I want my mozzarella to be soft and My mozzarella was like a big cheese rock (it will work ok for grating). Being gentler is my goal for next time.

4. Rennet is magic. It really is. I was so impressed how it separated the curds and whey while making mozzarella. Mine is vegetable rennet and it is doing a fine job.

5. 30 minute mozzarella is not 30 minutes at first. The first times you make cheese it will take longer, so give yourself a generous few hours from start to finish. You’ll need to take time to sterilize certain tools, get used to the recipe, and complete new tasks during the project. I expect after I’ve done it for a half dozen times, I’ll have shaved off quite a bit of time during the process.

6. Raw milk is wonderful stuff to work with. Even though I handle the curds more than I should, the raw milk is a dream to work with.

I am sure I will learn more as I progress over the months. Once I get ricotta and mozzarella down, I will feel better moving on to chevre and cottage cheeses. I also need to get a mesophilic starter to facilitate making the chevre, which I am sure I can find at Brooklyn Kitchen.

I look forward to sharing further adventures – flops and successes – with you as I move through this project!