Our 800-year old friend and neighbor

I’m sitting here at the kitchen table at Andrew‘s family’s cabin in Big Bear, reflecting on the year that’s drawing to a close.  We’re gearing up to celebrate the 18th annual Big Bear New Year’s Eve bash.  I’ve been present for three of them and consider this time up here to be one of the best weeks of the year.  It’s a time to gather with friends–some of whom we haven’t seen since last year’s party–cook big meals, enjoy our friend’s amazing home brew, and read and relax in front of the fire.  I’ve also been considering lately what it is about preserving and pickling that I appreciate so much.  I think the idea that something can last longer and take on great flavors in the process is a pleasure both in the kitchen and in life.

This year’s party is a little smaller and mellower than some in the past and definitely includes more children–we’re all enjoying the presence of “the next generation” in Knox (9 months) and Jillian (18 months)–and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I can only imagine how it feels for those who’ve been coming since the 90s to see how it’s evolved over the years.  Back in the day, most of the time was spent downstairs in the game room, shooting pool or playing foosball for hours on end; nowadays we sit around the table on our laptops or take a midday nap after a mug of vin chaud.

I started pickling (and blogging) nearly two years ago and had a blast this fall and winter making different kinds of conserves, pickles, and infused vodkas for holiday gifts.  Paging through one of my trusted pickling sources, Ellie Topp’s The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving, I discovered conserves, which are basically fruit preserves with nuts.  I decided that they would make great gifts and got to work doing some of my holiday shopping at the market.  Apricot Grand Marnier with Almonds was a particular favorite, with Maple Blueberry with Walnuts coming in at a close second–though I opted for pecans instead that my mom had sent me from South Carolina.  The apricot recipe called for two pounds of dried apricots, the blueberry two cups of frozen or fresh.  I appreciated how simple they were to put together, yet how delicious and complex they seemed spread on some toast in the morning.  Earlier in the fall I’d made some classic garlic dill pickles to which I added some chipotle I happened to have on hand for that extra kick.  And courtesy of a good blogging friend we had a Buddha’s Hand that was a perfect citrusy addition to a bottle of Tito’s.  All found happy and appreciative homes, and I confess to holding on to one or two for our own enjoyment.

Apricot conserve about to be processed

This past year has brought many changes for us and our friends–some good, some not so good–as will the next.  By the end of 2012, Andrew and I will have been married on the grounds in Big Bear and we will once again welcome our friends to come play in the snow.  Rather than making any resolutions and promises of changes to be made, my mind is drawn to thoughts of gratitude for how things are.  I love that Andrew’s friends are now my friends and vice versa.  I am grateful that certain friends are getting the care they need and feeling healthy and that others have found a home in the most unexpected places.  I appreciate the simple pleasures of homemade gifts and the ability to find ways to make good things last.

Today I’m guest posting over at Eating Rules as part of October Unprocessed.  Click through to check out my Easy Kimchi Recipe and read about all the fun of wilting cabbage and spicing it up.

Sometime in the beginning of the summer, I was flipping through a back issue of Saveur magazine when I stumbled upon a delicious cocktail, the Maple Rye Sour.  The recipe is apparently based on the Prospect Park Sour, created by Brad Farran, at the Clover Club in Brooklyn.  I’ve yet to try the original but I was certainly eager to try this adaptation.  Anything with a base of rye whiskey is a friend of mine.  But as I read on, I felt like I had to wait.  Maple syrup, rye, Luxardo Amaro Abano–Amaro means “bitter” in Italian, and refers to a kind of herbal Italian liqueur–are all in the mix and don’t exactly suggest “cocktail by the pool.”  And so I waited.  Patiently.  In all honesty, the summer seemed to fly by so I hardly gave it much thought until we turned the corner on September and I started to feel that familiar autumnal tinge in the air.  Of course in Los Angeles that’s usually replaced quickly with a familiar Santa Ana which makes it feel more like summer than summer does.  But I digress.

We invited another couple over to dinner one Saturday–it happened to be just after the official start of fall–and I decided this would be our house cocktail du jour for the evening.  It’s got a terrific and complex flavor and surprisingly isn’t as “heavy” as I’d imagined, yet it was perfect for a night with a slight chill in the air.  The citrus blends so nicely with the maple and rye, and amaro brings out the earthiness.  I’d like to experiment a bit with the ratio as I felt the maple was too subtle.  I’d waited all that time, after all, I deserved a bit more of that woodsy goodness.  Maybe I should jump in a pile of leaves after for added effect.  That might have to wait awhile.

Maple Rye Sour

(Thanks to Betsy Andrews of Saveur for this interpretation.  Note: she prefers Rittenhouse Rye.)

2 oz. rye whiskey (I used Bulleit)

About 1/2 oz. each, fresh lemon and orange juices

1/4 to 1/2 oz. maple syrup, depending on your preference and affinity for Vermont

1/4 oz. Luxardo Amaro Abano liqueur

In a shaker, combine your ingredients and shake as long as it takes you to retrieve a freshly chilled cocktail glass from the freezer and to hum a verse or two from Autumn in New York.  Strain into your glass, garnish with a twisted orange peel and put on a scarf.

Hard to think about pickles when I’ve got all this amazing house-made guanciale to wrestle with. Thanks Skillet Diner in Seattle for the worthy distraction.

I’m imagining some of you thinking, “how does that even work?” or “are those even pickles?”  To my mind, since you are still packing them in a vinegar-salt-sugar brine, that equals pickle.  And as Linda points out in her introduction to this section of the book, “This is a very effective way to preserve not just vegetables but also herbal flavors that weaken or die in canning and drying.”  So not only is this a fast method for pickling, it can also make for a more dynamic pickle when pressed for time.  You just transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator several hours before you’d like to eat them and there you have it.  Pickle pleasure, with little ice crystals to boot.

For my first batch, the texture after pickling was not exactly to my liking but my guests didn’t seem to mind.  It’s entirely possible they were just being polite, or perhaps they recognized an adventurous pickler and were able to adjust their expectations accordingly.  In any event, there were few left by the end of the evening so it couldn’t have been that bad.  I chose to experiment with the vegetable selection, as I had some zucchini and yellow squash on hand, along with one of my favorites, radishes.  What I found is that the zucchini and squash didn’t have a lot of crisp left in them after they thawed, but that’s also with the fact in mind that they’re not necessarily the most crispy vegetables to begin with.  So choose your fricklin’ vegetables carefully!

I’d like to try it again with carrots and also see how cucumbers fare.  I used a bunch of radishes, and about three each of the zucchini and yellow squash.  I sliced them up into rounds and poured them into a large bowl.

 Toss the slices with your coarse salt and let stand for several hours.  In another bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups cider or white vinegar and chopped fresh dill or other herbs of your choosing.  I like to include mustard seeds and tarragon, maybe some coriander or celery seeds–play around with it and see what you favor.  Pour this mixture over your vegetables and mix well.  Refrigerate it for a few hours–Linda suggests 8 to 10–and then pack them into your jars and freeze.  Again, you’ll want to transfer them back to the refrigerator to thaw about eight hours before you’re ready to eat.  Also, don’t forget to leave enough room at the top of your container as food expands when it freezes.

Renee, the New Look of Dior, Place de la Concorde, Paris, 1947; © Richard Avedon, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

Like Dior in the late 40’s, we’re trying out a new look here at I Make Pickles.  I figured since we’ve been so quiet, we needed to return with a bang–or at least a bit of a twirl.  The silence has not been for lack of pickling and preserving, but rather due to a major move, among other such life-changing experiences.  When last we met my engagement was still relatively hot off the presses.  Since then, we’ve also purchased a house, which in case you haven’t heard, can be a lot of work.  I’m realizing that on some level it never ends.  Not that I mind, really.  I still pinch myself as I walk through our home.  It’s just, to say the least, been an adjustment.

Now as many of you know, I’m no stranger to cocktail hour, my cocktail of choice usually either a Martini or Manhattan (you can be sure that I never missed a cocktail hour while in escrow).  Over the years, I’ve worked on perfecting my Manhattan recipe–aka The Matty-hattan–at home and as many a dinner guest will attest, I’m darn near close.  First what’s key is Carpano Antica Formula, an aged sweet vermouth so delicious you can even drink it on its own.  Next you want to use a nice rye, like Sazerac, or High West.  If you decide to go with bourbon–no reason why not–I suggest Bulleit, Maker’s Mark or Buffalo Trace.  Another critical ingredient is the bitters.  Oh, who am I kidding, each ingredient is critical.  Fee Brothers has a spicy “old fashion” variety that I prefer.  Add these ingredients to a shaker full of ice and stir.  Some say shaking will cloud up your cocktail so why take the chance?  No one likes a murky Manhattan.  Strain into a chilled martini glass and enjoy.

You’re probably wondering, aren’t you missing a garnish?  I’m glad you asked.  This needed its own paragraph.  Of course it’s the Maraschino cherry but I would do everything in my power to avoid using the super-sweet bright red monsters you find in the ice cream sundae section.  Luxardo makes a fabulous gourmet Maraschino cherry that’s rich and dark and the perfect addition to your libation.  But even better is a homemade variety I tried courtesy of Kara Newman that’s incredibly simple.  As she states, and I agree, “The only hard part is waiting out the full two-week maceration period.”  All you need is about a pound or so of cherries–I’ve used Rainier or Bing, basically whatever I find at the farmer’s market.  But the best would be to seek out sour cherries, which are harder to find but well worth it.  I would check out some Middle Eastern markets or ask the farmers if they have them.  The other ingredient is Luxardo Maraschino liqueur.  Wash the cherries and pack them into a pickling jar–I use the wide-mouth quart size which should hold all but the few you eat during the process.  Pour the liqueur to cover and seal them up.  Keep the jar refrigerated for two weeks and give them a light whirl every couple of days to ensure proper coverage.  We’ve found in our house they just keep getting better and better and are at their peak somewhere in the three to four week range.

So back to your shaker of Matty-hattan… Many recipes will have you measuring out maybe two ounces whiskey to a half to one ounce of vermouth and adding a dash or two of bitters.  Try it out and keep tasting to see what your preference is, eventually you’ll get to a point when you can just eyeball it, like I do.  Or maybe that’s just my taste.  A little trick that adds an extra bit of beauty to your beverage is stirring with the spoon you used to pluck your Maraschino cherry.  This is especially good with the syrup from the Luxardo gourmet variety, but just as pleasurable with your own. Remember to enjoy responsibly, and by responsibly I mean with good friends, preferably sitting in mid-century modern furniture.

It didn’t go wrong entirely, but clearly something just wasn’t right.  After doing a bit of research online I discovered that the tough outer skin was to be removed after soaking.  This would have been much easier to do after a leisurely soak rather than after three hours of cooking; the instructions on the bag just said to cook them until soft.  This was also where I found out they would take about three hours to cook, not the one hour I was anticipating.

We went on to enjoy our broiled salmon sans side of fava beans, but what to do with them?  On the same webpage I’d consulted, I discovered a recipe for a pate that sounded like they perfect way to deal with the soft nutty buggers–and the perfect way for me to introduce myself to our immersion blender.

While not exactly something pickled, after having spent the afternoon peeling the unpleasant skins off their backs, I felt it deserved a blog post.  And I threw in some spices traditionally used in pickling just for good measure (and flavor, of course).

You’ll need to do this in a few stages since the blades can only handle so much at a time.  I started off with just olive oil as I blended, but realized the texture was still a bit dry and stiff.  Andrew suggested water; about a teaspoon added to each batch as you puree should give you the right consistency.  Next I clipped some fresh rosemary from the garden and chopped it up finely.  I used my trusty garlic press to mix in two medium-sized cloves and went to the spice rack for celery seed and ground coriander (and a last minute surprise addition of some cardamom).  Of course I was generous with the salt and pepper, not just to bring out the flavors but also because I just can’t stop using our new grinders.  We now have a handsome pair of Peugeot salt and pepper mills, from our friends at Sur la Table, and they’re as fun to use as they are pleasing to the eyes.  They’re not cheap, but the grinding mechanism comes with a lifetime guarantee.  Really.  Till death do you part.

Tomorrow we’ll be celebrating Christmas as many Jews do, with dinner and a movie.  “Traditionally” it’s Chinese, but as I’ve done for many years, I’ll be savoring every last bite at the home my good friend and fabulous cook Wendy.  As our party has grown to nine, we were asked to bring an appetizer and I think a fava bean pate will surely amuse our bouches.

Fava Bean Pate
1 bag dried fava beans*
Olive oil
Fresh rosemary
2 medium cloves garlic
Celery seed
Coriander
Fresh ground salt and pepper
Cardamom (optional)

Ignoring the instructions on your bag of fava beans, soak for about an hour, softening the skins enough to peel.  Cook for up to three hours, or until very soft.  Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree until smooth, adding olive oil and water as needed to maintain moisture and give it a spreadable texture.  If you’re able to puree the whole batch at once, add the garlic then; otherwise, mince using a press or however you like it.  Chop up 5-6 sprigs fresh rosemary very finely and mix in.  Add about a tablespoon each celery seed and coriander, or to taste.  And be generous with the salt and pepper.  The cardamom gives it just a hint of sweetness; add a dash or two if you so desire and see if your guests can identify the “secret” ingredient.

*Ours was a pound, which is plenty, unless you’re making pate for fifty.

photos by Andrew Wilder

Tsukudani (Pickled Nori)
1 1/2 oz. yakinori sheets
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. mirin
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar

You take the yakinori and soak it in water for about five minutes, then drain out the excess water in a tea towel.  It’s going to look like a big slippery lump of coal, which is not exactly appetizing but keep pressing on.  The taste makes it all worthwhile.

Add it to a saucepan, along with the soy sauce and other ingredients and warm it over a medium flame.

Keep stirring occasionally as it simmers, for about fifteen minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates.  Be sure to chill it before serving.

This is great in many ways–that night we ended up serving it on some cod we’d broiled (and I added it to my baked yam as well).  For a couple of post-Thanksgiving meals we served it as an appetizer, spread on crackers with a dollop of non-fat greek yogurt on top.  Now this is seafood.

photos by Andrew Wilder

I suppose I’m a bit of a masochist; early this morning I couldn’t turn away from NPR’s coverage of the results as I eked my way to downtown Los Angeles from the westside in horribly gridlocked traffic, even as the soundbites of Republicans’ smug victory speeches and thoughts of regressing back into policies that got us into this mess continued to enrage me.  I probably should not have been behind the wheel in such a state, driving under the influence takes on a whole other meaning in this context.  The influence I believe that’s in question here is not necessarily a certain politician–though there are many I could single out–or even a particular party–as both have had a hand in many of the difficulties, I’ll admit–but rather these extreme groups that perpetuate lies and foster peoples’ fears.  Our country in many ways is in dire straits and I think the last thing we need right now is to be lied to.  Another thing we don’t need is a Congress that’s unable to move anything forward, which is what we’ve gained it appears.  The biggest frustration from this election for me is not as much what the left lost, though that is still smarting, but more how the right came to gain it.  Stoking fear has become their greatest political strategy and it worked to elect you know who for two terms and it’s worked again.

Are you satisfied “Tea Party?”  Is this what you had in mind?  I’m so tired of hearing this rallying cry of “take our country back”; I’d like to know just where you think it’s gone.  I’d personally like to take our country back from the Koch Brothers and Karl Rove, etc., but that’s for another post.  Enough with this constant evocation of the “Founding Fathers” and “What would they say if…”  Don’t try to tell me what they would say until you’ve actually paid some attention to what they said.  The Constitution is available for free as an iPhone app, but I’m sure you can also find some documentation on it elsewhere.  Check out your local public library, if it’s still open.  (Speaking of Founding Fathers, many credit Ben Franklin for what has become the American public library system–information for everyone!)

If you take the time to actually look at what’s been accomplished in the last 21 months–as Rachel Maddow did–you’ll see what this Administration and Congress stands for, which is not all that different from what many across this country have been saying they wanted.  And whether or not you watch/like MSNBC or Rachel Maddow, the policies speak for themselves.  In all the rhetoric, in all the debates and mud-slinging, I’d yet to see any plausible or sensible ideas put forth from the other side on how to deal with the myriad problems we’re facing.  And to me it’s clear that undoing what’s in place–as some on the right have been saying they’re fired up and ready to do–is just going to stall progress and put us on a far worse road than even they themselves believe we’re on now.

So my question to this new majority of the House:  What have you actually won, and at what price?  What do you plan to do with your victory?  If it has anything to do with really helping our country, I hope, humbled as you say you are, you intend to listen to and agree to work with your colleagues on the left, despite your differences.  I hope you try to do something that actually benefits the people for whom you’re supposed to be working, rather than the special interests who’ve spent so voraciously to get you there.

Renegade Pickles (aka Cucumber and Radish Pickles)
Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients:
2 cups rice or rice-wine vinegar (I used a combination of the two… not on purpose)
1 cup water
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. coarse salt
2 Tbsp. red chili paste
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
3-6 Kirby cucumbers, sliced and/or quartered
6-8 breakfast radishes, trimmed and quartered
fresh cilantro
extra-virgin olive oil

Stir together the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, chili paste and coriander seeds in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.  Pour the hot liquid over the vegetables and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  I like to throw everything into a mason jar and store it that way; make sure the lid is tight and maybe give the jar a turn or two every few hours.

When ready to serve, drizzle with olive oil and toss with your cilantro leaves.