Pancakes have always been a frustrating and disappointing experience for me. Most of my life I have been completely unable to cook them without burning the outsides or leaving them raw in the middle. After making pancakes every Saturday for three months, I can honestly say everything I knew about pancakes was wrong.  If you are like me, you grew up making pancakes from a box, not a recipe. Box pancakes are generally easy to make because there is only one way to make them; but as soon as you enter the world of personal, customized recipes everything changes. All the tricks (like, don’t flip it until the bubbles stop closing) lead me astray the more creative I got with my cooking, to the point where I nearly abandoned pancakes entirely. I think it actually took me three months of regular pancake making to gain any confidence in making or adapting them. So, let me first share a few of tips about making pancakes, then go over 3 of my favorite pancake recipes.

• You don’t need bubbles to form if you are making thick cake-like pancakes, and you need the top of the pancake to be almost dry and dotted with tons of holes if you are making incredibly thin pancakes.
• “too hot” doesn’t make the pancakes look weird, too much grease does. Having your pan too hot just burns the pancakes. This explains why the first pancake always looks weird. I’ve found the best way to handle that problem is to use well seasoned iron skillets, seasoned to the point where you don’t need to add additional grease (there is butter in the batter for these recipes). If you must add oil to the pan, try to towel most of it away, leaving the thinnest coating possible.
• sugar AND butter are used in the recipes to help caramelize the pancakes, making them a nice golden brown. If you want to remove or adjust one of these you will need to compensate with the other or your pancakes will be pretty gross (over cooked on the inside, or underdone on the outside)
• you don’t have to line everyone up and serve them right away. Put them on a plate in the oven on the lowest temperature and they will be fine for at least a couple hours (I promise!)
• I strongly, strongly recommend serving your pancakes with sour cream and real maple syrup. The combination is incredible.

Basic Pancake Recipe: (this is an unsweetened, slightly salty pancake recipe, fluffy and wonderfully golden)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) melted butter

Method:

• sift dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl
• in a small bowl, beat 1 egg and mix in 2 cups of milk and the melted butter
• add all the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and quickly mix them together well (it can be lumpy, just make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients hugging the bowl)
• using a ladle measure about a half cups worth of batter into a hot well seasoned pan. Flip when it fluffs up a little and the pancake seems a little stiffer. You can lift a corner and peak underneath if you are uncertain when to flip it.

NOTE: for thinner crepe-like pancakes add about a 1/4 cup more milk, mix well and flip when the tops are dry.

Chocolate Corn Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup corn flour (do not use polenta or coarse cornmeal)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 oz of unsweetened chocolate, cut coarsely
• 1 egg
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) melted butter

Method:

• sift dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl then add the 2 oz of chocolate
• in a small bowl, beat 1 egg and mix in 2 cups of milk and the melted butter
• add all the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and quickly mix them together well (it can be lumpy, just make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients hugging the bowl)
• using a ladle measure about a half cups worth of batter into a hot well seasoned pan. Flip when it fluffs up a little and the pancake seems a little stiffer. You can lift a corner and peak underneath if you are uncertain when to flip it.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 Tablespoons of molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) melted butter

Method:

• sift dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl then add the 2 oz of chocolate
• in a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 3 Tablespoons of molasses before mixing in 2 cups of milk and the melted butter
• add all the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and quickly mix them together well (it can be lumpy, just make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients hugging the bowl)
• using a ladle measure about a half cups worth of batter into a hot well seasoned pan. Flip when it fluffs up a little and the pancake seems a little stiffer. You can lift a corner and peak underneath if you are uncertain when to flip it.

NOTE: Because of the molasses these pancakes will cook faster than most pancakes. Flip them a little earlier than you think you need to, they burn quickly. Also, be careful about adapting the quantity of buckwheat. Too much will make the pancakes sandy and bitter. Buckwheat also absorbs a liquid quickly, meaning you might need to add extra milk if you add extra buckwheat.

This recipe: Left, Other Recipes: Right

Ingredients (makes 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 cup of pomegranate juice
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 Tbs pomegranate molasses (look in the international aisle of the market)
• 2 heaping Tbs of dried hibiscus (easily found in herb stores or Mexican markets)

Method:

• in a heavy bottomed sauce pot combine all ingredients and bring to a vigorous boil
• remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes
• strain and pour into a bottle, refrigerate.

It is also completely customizable. You can use any kind of rolled grain you like, any kind of nut, and any kind of fruit. You can get roasted sweetened nuts if you prefer a sweeter muesli, or sweetened dried fruits, or even chocolate chips. Or you can keep it simple and make muesli all about a collection of single ingredients. You can serve it with milk or with yogurt, and on a particularly cold morning you can even add a 1/2 cup of it to a cup of hot water and turn it into a porridge. If you are running out the door and don’t have time to eat you can throw a cup of it in a jar, order a small cup of milk when you get your coffee and eat it at work. During the summer you can add fresh berries and it becomes simply decadent. It is sort of a genius food. And it really only takes as long to make as it takes to measure the ingredients. Below are two recipes, one featuring my favorite combination of ingredients, and one fully customizable.

Ingredients (makes 1.5 quarts):

• 1 cup oat flakes
• 1 cup rye flakes
• 1 cup spelt flakes
• 1/3 cup dried fig cut in pieces
• 1/3 cup dates (I use rolled dates for ease)
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces
• 1/3 cup pecan pieces
• 1/3 cup almond pieces
• 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• mix all ingredients in a large bowl, store in a large airtight container.

Ingredients (customizable, makes 1.5 quarts):

• 3 cups of rolled grain flakes (oat, barley, spelt, rye, kamut, quinoa, etc)
• 1 cup dried fruit (fig, raisin, cranberry, cherry, mango, apricot, date, banana chips, etc)
• 1 cup nut meat (pecan, macadamia, cashew, pistachio, almond, walnut, etc)
• 1 cup of seeds (sunflower, sesame, pepitas, etc)
• mix all ingredients in a large bowl, store in a large airtight container.

I have to admit that I love this time of year. Spring is right around the corner, and here in California the rain storms are raging and the citrus is still booming. All around me people are griping about the cold and impatiently awaiting Spring days and the long stint where we won’t see a drop of rain for at least 6 months. But as we get closer and closer the end of the season, I begin to lament the loss of the rain, which I love, and Meyer Lemons, which are possibly my favorite citrus. So, as it pours outside, I sit inside thinking of things to bake to keep my house warm and trying to find new ways to use my favorite lemon. That’s more or less how this cookie was created. It is a combination of some of my favorite sweets and favorite ingredients: salty, chewy, Meyer Lemon, olive oil, and it only uses one bowl!

The key to this cookie is the salt. You could replace the Meyer Lemon with a regular Lemon if you need to (but hopefully you don’t!) and you could replace the olive oil with something else in a pinch, but if you don’t use a coarse ground salt you will end up with a completely different cookie. I use Celtic Grey Sea Salt in mine, but you could use any coarsely ground salt, from Kosher Salt to Pink Himalayan. The only other important detail about making this cookie is that you have to emulsify the sugar, oil, zest, and egg very well or the oil will separate out of the dough.

Ingrediets (makes 3-4 dozen):

• 1 cup white sugar + extra for dusting
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• zest from 1 Meyer Lemon
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

• preheat the oven to 375F
• in a large bowl combine sugar, olive oil, and zest. Blend well with an electric mixer.
• add 2 eggs and blend until well emulsified (don’t skip this step!)
• sift in 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• blend well using the electric mixer
• in a small bowl measure out about a 1/2 cup of sugar. Using a small spoon or lightly floured fingertips, pull out Tablespoon size pieces of dough and roll them into balls, dipping them into the sugar then pressing them flat on a baking sheet.
• bake at 375F for 12 minutes.

There are only a few things you should know about how mustard works before you get started. First, buy mustard seed in bulk. Stores that sell spice jars full of mustard seed are ripping you off. You should be able to find mustard seed in bulk for around $5/lb on average and you can make countless jars of mustard from a 1lb bag.  The cheapest place to find mustard seed in bulk will be at a feed store (someplace that caters to farmers) or a garden center that focuses on home vegetable gardening.  Mustard seed is commonly used as a cover crop, just make sure you are getting seeds without any chemicals or processing. If that isn’t an option, try a health food store or any place else that sells spices in bulk (like a home-brew shop). If that fails, look online. Second, the flavor and heat in mustard is activated by soaking it. The longer you soak the grains the more intense the spice becomes. When you refrigerate the mustard it will stop gaining heat and flavor. Last, there are two main kinds of mustard, brown (sometimes called black), and yellow (sometimes called white).  Brown mustard is a smaller grain and has a mellow bite to it. It takes a little longer for heat to come out, but the flavor comes out quickly. Yellow mustard is sharper, it has a much more intense heat to it that activates very quickly. Depending on the kind of mustard you prefer you may want to use only one kind of mustard grain.  I prefer a well rounded mustard, so I use a 50/50 ratio with my seeds.  Either way, this recipe is set up to give you the most basic version of mustard to play with. Once you become familiar with the process and the seeds you can experiment and do just about anything. Try different types of vinegars, grinding different ratios, adding fruits or herbs, horsradish or honey.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup vinegar (preferably wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar)
• 1/4 cup water (plus a little more if soaking more than 2 hours)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Method:

• add all ingredients to an 8oz jar
• soak for 2 hours to 5 days, depending on how hot you like your mustard (I soak mine overnight, 3 days is the maximum I can handle)
• refrigerate once it reaches a heat you like

We aren’t where we were 10 years ago when these major chains were starting to dominate the market and push small indies out. We are way past that. Those indie stores are now gone and unlikely to make a comeback, and there are a lot of places that only have Borders and Barnes & Noble left. There are a lot of communities that depend on these stores for jobs, books, and culture. Keep in mind, this isn’t just the collapse of a major chain that we should all go dance in the streets with wild shouts of “HOORAY! DOWN WITH CAPITALISM”, this is the collapse of a huge part of the book industry and this particular collapse is a clear representation of the problems bookstores, especially independent bookstores, are facing all over the country.

Almost weekly I get another newsletter talking about another bookstore that is closing down. And where is our business going? Just like Borders, indie business is going to Amazon. As much as I want to be hopeful when I sell a kid a Beatles record and see a copy Naked Lunch in his hand plastered with a Borders sticker that next time… next time he will buy our copy. It’s actually pretty likely next time he will buy it from Amazon. Recently, Bookshop Santa Cruz did research that showed that even people who consider themselves loyal to independent bookstores buy 4 out of every 10 books from Amazon. Last year, Verso Digital presented statistics that showed that of people who say they shop in independent bookstores, 26% only browse in independent bookstores then buy their books online. Customers ask me daily “Isn’t it cheaper to buy online?”. It’s hard to recognize that we, as independents, have a new enemy. There is still a lot of animosity left over from when Borders and Barnes & Noble took over the book market years ago, and even in writing this and knowing that Borders isn’t and hasn’t been our main competition in years, I still feel a little conflicted about the announcement that Borders is filing for bankruptcy.  Because of this, I feel the need to reiterate (to myself as well), this isn’t a victory for independent bookstores everywhere, this is a loss for booklovers everywhere, and hopefully a victory for a bookstore somewhere. Hopefully mine.

Ever since I began pickling cauliflower I have wanted to pickle Romensco Broccoli. It tastes exactly like cauliflower but you get the exciting experience of eating a fractal vegetable. Romenesco Broccoli is an Italian heirloom variety that you can sometimes find at specialty health food stores for a lot of money, but, more often than not, you can find them at a farmers market for the same cost as regular cauliflower.  It has the added benefit of being bite-sized, so when you cut the florets off the stalk you end up with perfect little fractal trees the exact right size for pickling.

If you have never pickled before there are a few things you will need to know before you get started. Pickling is a high acid canning process. This is the safest method of canning food and has no risk of botulism as long as you follow the directions. Botulism spores exist naturally on many foods and are harmless as long as they don’t grow.  As it grows it produces a neurotoxin that is extremely dangerous and almost always deadly. Luckily, botulism can only grow in a low acid airless environment. The acid levels in pickles combined with the processing time will prevent any spores from surviving every single time. However, it is extremely important that you follow the vinegar to vegetable ratios in any pickling recipe or you will no longer be canning a high acid product. Different vegetables have different acid levels and water contents, and each recipe you find is created specifically for the vegetables in that particular recipe.  Do not add or remove ingredients unless they are dry spices (this means you don’t get to add garlic, onions, or peppers unless the recipe specifically says you can).  Also, you should only follow recipes from people you trust and food writers who are aware of traditional and contemporary canning techniques.  Most food writers will be aware of the risks and safety of canning processes and will build their recipes off of existing recipes tested by the FDA, as is the case with this one. One way to know if someone is aware of the safety precautions is when you see the vinegar in the recipe. It should always be  a vinegar at 5% acidity. This is the standard acid level most vinegars are diluted to (it will be listed on the label) and it is the acid level all safe recipes are written for. Do not ever substitute a vinegar that has a different acid level or you may be making an unsafe product.

Ingredients and equipment:

(makes 4 pints)

• 3 small heads of Romenesco Broccoli or cauliflower
• yellow or brown mustard seeds
• red pepper flakes
• whole black pepper
• sea salt
• apple cider vinegar diluted to 5% acidity
• steaming or blanching pot
• a large stock pot or canning pot with rack
• canning tongs
• 4 wide mouth 16 oz canning jars

Method:

• thoroughly wash 4 jars and lids and allow to air dry
• using a sharp knife carefully remove the florets from the stalks. Do this by holding the cauliflower upside down, working from the bottom toward the tip. As you get closer to the tip and the florets get smaller, cut off the tip and quarter it
• cut each of the stalks into bite sized pieces
• lightly steam the cauliflower, just enough to soften it a little bit, but not enough to cook it all the way through. Alternately, if you do not have a steamer, blanch the cauliflower by dumping handfuls in boiling water and immediately spooning it out to drain
• meanwhile, add 2 teaspoons of mustard seed to each jar along with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
• when the cauliflower is ready remove it from the pot and allow it to cool
• meanwhile heat up 4 cups of vinegar and 1/4 cup of sea salt, kosher salt, or pickling salt until it begins to simmer and the salt has completely dissolved.
• when the cauliflower has cooled to a manageable level begin packing it into each jar leaving an inch of headspace.
• ladle the vinegar solution over the packed cauliflower continuing to leave 1 inch of headspace in each jar. Firmly secure the lids (do not over tighten, part of the canning processes is allowing air to escape as it expands in the water bath which creates the vacuum seal).
• process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. store in a cool dark place for up to 18 months. allow to cure for at least 1 month (preferably 3) before opening.

All photographs by Janina A. Larenas.

The main problem is that to make a delicious cup of hot chocolate you need to use solid chocolate and sticky dark brown sugar. Chocolate melts so easily as you handle it that when you try to grate or shred it (even using a food processor) it quickly turns to goo. Keeping the chocolate cold enough made the process slow and tedious, and using dark brown sugar means you need to find a way to stop it from sticking, clumping, and turning into a giant rock by the time you give the gifts. Well, as luck would have it, laziness solved these problems for me. Over the last year I’ve been making a lot of hot chocolate for my neighbors and the idea of hand grating chocolate every time was too much for me to bear. I took to cutting the chocolate with a knife (and not even a very sharp knife) and found that as you try to slice pieces off a block they quickly crumble to tiny meltable pieces. Couple that with my desire to have a thick hot chocolate (using cornstarch) and both problems were immediately solved. Below you will find the method and recipe I’ve developed for quickly and cheaply making 20 orange spice hot chocolate mixes, with real solid chocolate, whole spice ingredients, and delicious, sticky brown sugar, all for under $5 each.

Ingredients:

• 20 4 oz. jars
• 4 10 oz. bars of unsweetened or bakers chocolate
• 5 vanilla beans
• 1/2 cup of dried orange peel (you can get this at most bulk spice stores or brewing shops)
• hot paprika
• dark brown or muscovado sugar
• cornstarch

Method (makes 20 2-serving jars):

• wash and dry each jar and lid
• in each jar add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons of dark brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

• using a small spoon stir the cornstarch into the brown sugar until it is evenly mixed and sandy looking. The cornstarch serves as a thickener for the hot chocolate and will coat the brown sugar while it sits in the jar so it doesn’t clump.
• add 1 teaspoon of dried orange peel and a quarter of vanilla bean (scored lightly down the middle) to each jar

• using a knife cut 2 0z. chocolate for each jar. Most bars of chocolate will be segmented making it easy to tell how much you are cutting. If not, lightly score the chocolate into sections before starting. This will be a lot easier than you think once you start. Try to cut it as if you were cutting cheese, about that thick. The chocolate will crumble as you cut and if any large pieces slip by you can easily cut them into smaller pieces afterward.
• add the chocolate to each jar and seal
• include a label for instructions: Add two cups of milk, mix well, and heat slowly. Makes two cups.

Photographs by Rosey Lakos.

Equipment:

• 4 bowls (nesting bowls are perfect)
• iron skillet around 9 inches
• egg beaters
• cake rack (optional)
• large plate

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup dark brown or muscovado sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup all purpose or cake flour
• 1/4 cup corn flour (masa harina)
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• nutmeg
• coarsely ground sea salt

A note on the ingredients: if possible, I strongly recommend using whole nutmeg. It is surprisingly easy to find and use. If you don’t have a microplaner you can use the sharp edge of a pairing knife to scrape away at it; trust me, it’s easier than you think. Also, it is incredibly important that you do substitute iodized table salt for sea salt. I prefer Celtic Gray Sea Salt or the Pink Himalayan Sea Salt. The flavor is complex and mellow. You can also use kosher salt or pickling salt. If you do not have these options, leave it out entirely. It will still be delicious.  The same goes for the corn flour or masa harina. This flour has become increasingly easy to get your hands on and you can often find it at a corner store that sells a lot of Mexican food supplies or a health food store. If you cannot find it, you can use 1 cup of flour instead of 3/4 and it will work just fine.

Method:

• melt the 1/2 cup butter in the iron skillet
• zest the first orange into the smallest bowl adding 1 tablespoon of butter from the skillet and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.
• then juice the orange into the iron skillet and add 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar.  Heat on low until the sugar is well dissolved. If it doesn’t appear to dissolve after a few minutes, don’t worry about it, remove it from heat and it will work out in the end.
• slice the second orange as thinly as possible and place them around the pan, starting at the outside and working in. Remember as you layer them that they will come out upside down. If you have a LOT of slices (it will depend on the size of the orange versus the size of the pan) you might want reorder them until they all fit, starting over with the middle. Don’t worry about getting the sauce on them, just be careful not to burn your fingers.
• take the largest and smallest bowl, separate the egg whites into the largest, and the yolks into the smallest with the zest, nutmeg, and reserved butter.
• lightly beat the yolks until the zest is well distributed and set aside
• in the smaller of the two medium bowls sift 1 cup of sugar, in the larger sift 3/4 cup of flour, 1/4 cup corn flour and 1 teaspoon of double-acting baking powder
• beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry.  This means you want to see peaks beginning to form, but smaller rounded peaks instead of stiff, tall thin peaks.  “Peaks” are what form when you turn off the beaters and lift them out of the egg whites.

now you will fold in the rest of the ingredients into the egg whites one at a time.  Folding basically means you are very very gently and slowly adding something to something else, usually the something else has air beat into it that you are trying not to deflate.  So as you do this, try your best to be patient, and gentle.  Pay less attention to how even it is, and more attention to how careful you can be.  By the time you get to the flour it will be more batter like and less fragile, so you will be able to stir it a little more thoroughly at the end.

• fold in the sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time by sprinkling it over the egg whites and gently turning it over on itself.
• next fold in the egg yolks
• last, fold in the flour, still being as gentle as possible, but making sure everything is well distributed
• pour the batter over the orange slices slowly and evenly so you don’t disturb the way you laid them out earlier
• place the skillet in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned and the center springs back when touched gently.  I got a little nervous as this was making because I could smell the sugars caramelizing.  When I checked on it, there was a lot of chaos going on around the edges of the skillet, but that seems to be perfectly normal. Don’t fret! It will all look lovely at the end. If you have a shallow skillet, you might want to place a cookie pan on the rack below it to catch any dribbles.

• when ready remove it from the oven and flip it over onto cake rack- if you do not have a cake rack let it sit in the pan for about 15 minutes then flip it onto a plate. To do this, use oven mitts and place the plate or rack on top of the skillet, holding it together, then flip it over and set it down.  Let the skillet rest for a couple minutes before removing it to help coat the cake.  Once you remove the pan sprinkle the top with sea salt (about a teaspoon) and another 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg then serve!

Photographs by Rosey Lakos at roseylakosphotography.com.

The secret is in the base, which is made with cornstarch and toasted sesame oil (for texture), vinegar and soy sauce (for the sour) and white pepper and chili paste (for the spice).  You throw these things in a pot with cold water, mix it up and heat it. It is really that simple. After that, you can do whatever you like, adding any or all of your favorite textural ingredients. A quick bit of research led to some things that are considered “standard in American hot and sour soup”, but traditionally it is a regional dish made with whatever a region’s primary crop is. I am a huge fan of recipes based on regional growing, it means you can adapt to things you grow in your own garden or pick up at your local farmers market.

This recipe is is intended to be used as a baseline for hot and sour soup. Feel free to add more vinegar if you like it more sour, more soy sauce if you like it more salty, and more chili paste if you like it more hot.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 3 Tablespoons of rice vinegar (use apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar if none is available)
• 3 Tablespoons of soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch (rice starch, or potato starch)
• 1 Tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of white pepper
• 1 teaspoon of chili paste
• 4 cups of cold water
• 1 egg (uncooked, scrambled)
• thinly sliced tofu, meat, and/or vegetables

For my soup, I used very thinly sliced locally made tofu, locally grown carrots,  shitake mushrooms and chives, and thinly sliced chili peppers from my garden as a garnish.  I included some mung bean sprouts for my guests… begrudgingly. If you do so, serve the soup over the bean sprouts, do not cook them.

Method:

• in a saucepot add the vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, oil, pepper and chili paste and mix well with 4 cups of cold water. It is extremely important that you dissolve the cornstarch in cold water or it will clump.
• simmer over medium heat adding your thinly sliced vegetables etc. It is important that they are sliced thin since they will not be cooking for long. This will insure that they are perfectly cooked as well as seasoned.
• bring to a low simmer and pour the egg in. Return to a simmer and serve!

Photographs by Rosey Lakos at roseylakosphotography.com.

Below is a very basic recipe for making pudding. The recipes that follow are all built on this same recipe, with only slight variations to the ingredients. You will notice the method is virtually the same for each. I prefer my pudding a little less sweet than most commercial puddings, if you like yours pretty sweet use a 1/2 cup (or more!) instead of a 1/3 of sugar.

Rosemary Vanilla Pudding
(Makes 5 8oz Jars)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 1/3 cup of cornstarch
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/3 cup of dark brown or muscovado sugar

(variation: replace 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of heavy cream or sour cream, folded in at the end)

Method:

• cut the vanilla bean in half and remove the seeds using the back of a knife or a spoon
• add the bean and seeds to a heavy sauce pot with the rosemary, sugar, and most of the milk (reserve 1 cup)
• begin heating the mixture over medium heat
• mix the remaining cup of cold milk with the cornstarch until dissolved, then slowing whisk it into the heating mixture
• stir constantly, about 5-10 minutes, over medium heat until thickened
• (for the variation, this is when you will add the heavy cream / sour cream)
• remove the rosemary and vanilla bean, retrieving it with a fork so you don’t burn your fingers
• immediately pour into 8oz jars (about 3/4 full) and screw the lids on (otherwise a skin will form), if planning to serve immediately after chilled, pour into decorative cups or dishes and cover the tops with plastic wrap, pushing it down on top of the pudding to prevent the skin
• chill and serve!

Lemon Pudding
(Makes 5 8oz Jars)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 1/3 cup of cornstarch
• zest from 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup of white sugar

(variation: replace 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of heavy cream or sour cream, folded in at the end)

Method:

• add the zest, sugar, and most of the milk (reserve 1 cup) of to a heavy sauce pot over medium heat
• mix the remaining cup of cold milk with the cornstarch until dissolved, then slowing whisk it into the heating mixture
• stir constantly, about 5-10 minutes, over medium heat until thickened
• (for the variation, this is when you will add the heavy cream / sour cream)
• immediately pour into jars and screw the lids on (otherwise a skin will form), if planning to serve immediately after chilled, pour into decorative cups or dishes and cover the tops with plastic wrap, pushing it down on top of the pudding to prevent the skin
• chill and serve!

Chocolate Lavender Pudding
(Makes 5 8oz Jars)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of cornstarch
• 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate, cut to pieces
• 4 sprigs of lavender, or 2 tsp loose lavender in a cheesecloth sack
• 1/3 cup of dark brown or muscovado sugar

(variation: replace 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of heavy cream or sour cream, folded in at the end)

Method:

• add the chocolate, lavender, sugar, and most of the milk (reserve 1 cup) of to a heavy sauce pot over medium heat
• mix the remaining cup of cold milk with the cornstarch until dissolved, then slowing whisk it into the heating mixture
• stir constantly, about 5-10 minutes, over medium heat until thickened
• (for the variation, this is when you will add the heavy cream / sour cream)
• immediately pour into jars and screw the lids on (otherwise a skin will form), if planning to serve immediately after chilled, pour into decorative cups or dishes and cover the tops with plastic wrap, pushing it down on top of the pudding to prevent the skin
• chill and serve!

Fruit Pudding
(Makes 5 8oz Jars)

This is an excellent pudding to make if you have a few old pieces of fruit at the end of the week.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of cornstarch
• 2 cups of fruit, blended until smooth
• 1/4 cup of white sugar

(variation: replace 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of heavy cream or sour cream, folded in at the end)

Method:

• add the pureed fruit, and 1 cup of milk to a heavy sauce pot over medium heat
• mix the remaining cup of cold milk with the cornstarch until dissolved, then slowing whisk it into the heating mixture
• stir constantly, about 5-10 minutes, over medium heat until thickened
• (for the variation, this is when you will add the heavy cream / sour cream)
• immediately pour into jars and screw the lids on (otherwise a skin will form), if planning to serve immediately after chilled, pour into decorative cups or dishes and cover the tops with plastic wrap, pushing it down on top of the pudding to prevent the skin
• chill and serve!

Photographs by Rosey Lakos at roseylakosphotography.com.

The easiest and least time consuming way to handle a lot of fruit is to pickle or preserve it in a syrup. It is as simple as cutting the fruit in quarters, layering them in jars, and covering them with the prepared liquid.  After that you can choose to store them in the refrigerator or process them in a water bath.  Below are two of my favorite recipes for this process:

Fruit Pieces in Honey Vanilla Syrup:
(use for stone fruit, pome fruit, berries or grapes)
(makes 6 8oz jars)

Ingredients:

• fruit
• ½ cup white sugar
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• ¼ inch vanilla bean, sliced open
• 2 cups water
• jars

Method:

• cut the fruit into ½ inch slices and layer them gently into a jar, leaving about an inch of head space at the top
• in a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, honey and vanilla bean. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved
• pour the solution over the fruit, tapping the jars on the counter to release air bubbles. Leave about a ½ inch of headspace on the top.
• seal the jars and process for 15 minutes in a water bath
• store for up to 18 months
• Serve over ice cream, yogurt, cake, etc.

Pickled Fruit:
(use for stone fruit, pome fruit, berries or grapes)
(makes 6 8oz jars)

Ingredients:

• fruit
• 2 cups of vinegar with the standard 5% acidity (preferably cider vinegar or wine vinegar)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise

Method:

• cut the fruit into ½ inch slices and layer them gently into a jar leaving about an inch of headspace at the top
• in a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and spices and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
• pour the solution over the fruit, tapping the jars on the counter to release air bubbles. Leave about a ½ inch of headspace
• seal the jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes. Processed pickles will keep for up to 18 months.
• serve with cured meats or cheese

Next we have my personal favorite, the crumble.  A crumble is often confused with a crisp, a betty or a cobbler. So before we get into the recipe, lets go over each of these. A crumble is a crustless pie with a crumble topping made from sugar, butter, and flour (or oats). A crisp is similar only made with brown sugar, while a cobbler is made with a biscuit topping. A betty is a completely different dessert made from layering a spiced breadcrumb crumble with several layers of fruit, alternating between the two, then baked. Of these, the crumble is by far the easiest. It is my favorite because you can make it with a single piece of fruit, or 20 pieces of fruit.

Ingredients:
(use for stone fruit, pome fruit or berries)
(makes 1 9”x9” crumble)

• fruit
• lemon juice (for some fruits)
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• (pinch of salt if using unsalted butter)
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

Method:

• sift flour sugar (and salt) into a medium mixing bowl
• cut in the butter with a knife and fork or pastry cutter (you can make a pastry cutter by removing the top and bottom of a can), then mix it with your hands until it begins to stick together
• cut the fruit into thin slices (about ¼ inch to 1/8 inch) and layer into 9×9 pan
• if using drier, sweeter fruit like apples, pears, peaches, add juice from 1 lemon. Omit from watery fruit like plums or berries.
• sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the fruit
• bake at 425F until the top is golden brown, usually about 30 minutes
• serve with ice cream or in a bowl with some milk poured over it.

Last, and definitely the most time consuming and labor intensive is fruit butter.  To make a fruit butter you truly need an overabundance of fruit, as you will cook it down to about a ¼ of what you start with.  After trying several different methods of making fruit butter I have settled on what I find to be the easiest and the most freeing.  Traditionally you should cook the fruit on low heat over the stove for about 6-8 hours stirring constantly, then run it through a fine mesh sieve or food mill, jar it, and process it.  The entire process takes somewhere around 12 hours of active participation. So, now I use a crock-pot (slow cooker) and a blender. It still takes almost 12 hours depending on the volume and the type of fruit, BUT, it is passive participation. In fact, I often set it up and go to work, or go to sleep, and blend it and can it when I get home or wake up in the morning. It is basically fool proof. Plum butter is one of my favorite kinds of preserves. Thick with an almost velvety texture, it is bursting with intense, flavorful, tart fruit tastes and warm caramel sugary flavors that compliment each other remarkably well. It is especially delicious on cream cheese, or sandwiched between cookies!

Fruit Butter
Ingredients:
(use for stone fruit, pome fruit, or berries)

• fruit (lots of it, depending on the size of your slow cooker)
• sugar
• cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, orange zest (optional)

Method

• peel and core your fruit, removing all the pits or seeds (depending on your fruit). If using berries with large hard seeds (blackberries, raspberries, etc.) blend and strain them first
• fill your slow-cooker to the top with the fruit and turn it on high. Keep it covered until it begins to simmer, then remove the lid.
• stir occasionally. If left unattended for a long period of time, turn it down to low and cover with an upside-down colander to keep anything from falling into it. Turn it back on high once you are home.
• the mixture will start to brown and reduce. Once reduced to about 1/3 to ¼ of the original quantity, check the consistency. It should be pasty with small pockets of liquid around the pulp.
• add ¼ cup of sugar, stir it in well and taste it. Slowly add more sugar until it is as sweet as you like it.
• pour the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon into jars and process in a waterbath canner for 15 minutes.

Photographs by Rosey Lakos at roseylakosphotography.com.

Herbs are best picked for preserving projects when they are flowering. This is the point where the plant is filled with the most oils, and basically screaming to be noticed. You can use as much or as little herb as you like, and let is stand for anywhere from a week to a month, using whatever vinegar you prefer. Below is a list of general guidelines for making a vinegar infusion, but once you have tried it a couple times you should experiment with whatever you can get your hands on, it is nearly impossible to screw this up! You are really just getting stuff and putting it in stuff. It is that simple.

• Vinegar infusions can be used for a variety of things, such as making your own salad dressing or dipping sauces, mayonnaise, or for adding extra flavor when sautéing food. My favorite use is for caramelizing onions. I strongly recommend using white or red wine vinegars as they have the mellowest flavor,
• When possible, pick herbs while they are flowering, feel free to use the flowering ends of herbs or the woodier areas you would normally be pruning. You can use anything you have ever cooked with. This season I did lavender, lemon verbena, nasturtium, basil, oregano, fennel and citrus leaves. But you can also use ginger, jasmine flowers, honeysuckle, sage, garlic, even berries or fruit.

• clean the herbs as well as possible without using water (if you can)
• some plants (usually flowers like jasmine, honeysuckle, or nasturtium) will have bugs. You can either not pick them, or decide not to be squeamish about it.  You can always strain the vinegar through a paper filter later!
• Generally speaking, you want to loosely fill the container with whatever herb you are using for your infusion, don’t crush or pack it in.

• Fill each container enough to cover the herbs so no part is peeking out.  It is okay if it floats to the top, it will sink back down within a couple days
• If you are reusing jars, check for nicks in the lids that might rust. If you see any, cover the jar in a couple layers of plastic wrap first
• Store the jars in a cool dark place. I mean it, dark place. Keeping it in a window because it is pretty is going to ruin the flavor, color, and general integrity of your infusion. If you don’t have a cupboard, keep them in a brown paper bag or under a thick towel.

• Turn the jars upside down a couple times each day for the first couple of days to make sure every part of the herb is covered.
• Start tasting your vinegar about a week in- never directly smell vinegar or it could burn you, it is extremely acidic! Let it sit until you are satisfied with the infusion for up to a month.
• When it is ready, poor the vinegar into a bottle and seal it with a cork or a drizzling insert. You can use any kind of bottle, old soda bottles, old oil, soy sauce bottles or salad dressing bottles, just make sure they are clean.

Photographs by Rosey Lakos at roseylakosphotography.com.

One of the most important parts of a wine spritzer is having good soda water.  Good soda water is not based on brand alone, but the wise decision to buy appropriately sized bottles. You don’t need a 2 liter bottle of soda water for 1 bottle of wine, and using the same water over several days will only lead to a flat disappointment. Buy only what you will use in a day, or buy bottles small enough that you can open new ones on a daily basis. There are a variety of different types of soda water, make sure you are using “Soda Water” or “Club Soda”, as anything else will have a lot of minerals or sweeteners in.  Do not use Tonic Water.  One more time. Do not use Tonic Water. Tonic water has sweeteners and Quinine in it that do not mix very well with wine.

A classic wine spritzer is just white wine mixed with soda water, well chilled and refreshing. Depending on your wine choice, it can be incredibly dry or mildly sweet.  My general rule for making spritzers is 50/50, but you can always adjust it to be a little more boozy or a little more bubbly.  Generally, the idea is to give yourself something a little along the lines of a session beer, something tasty and refreshing you can drink all day without fear of a bad hangover in the morning.  From this base there are a couple of quick delicious things you can do to add a little flavor or color:

• Add frozen black berries or raspberries: as they melt they will float to the bottom of the cup and slowly release juice into the spritzer
• Muddle a few sprigs of fresh lavender or other herbs in the bottom of the glass
• Add a splash of Campari

All of these variations will give you a very dry fresh tasting spritzer.  My personal favorite is the lavender, which is just subtle enough to not taste soapy, but strong enough to compliment the wine.

A classic variation is to use St. Germain, sparkling wine and soda water. St. Germain is an elder flower liqueur that tastes remarkably like a lychee. It is incredibly sweet and should only be paired with a very dry sparkling wine like Cava. I generally use about 2/3 Cava, 1/3 soda water, with a splash of St. Germain. Depending on how sweet you like it, you can add more or less St. Germain.

From there, you can go just about anywhere. One of my favorite ways to make wine spritzers is with a variety of sparkling juices: pomegranate, blood orange, grapefruit (pairs well with a splash of Campari too), raspberry, anything you can imagine. And if the fruit juices are too sweet, you can add soda water to the mix to cut the sweetness of the juice. And once you get into new flavor combinations a whole new world opens up!  Below are two of my favorite recipes for wine spritzers: Blood Orange with Basil and Ginger Mint.

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of white wine
• 1 bottle of blood orange sparkling soda
• fresh basil

Method

• in the bottom of a glass or pitcher muddle a handful of basil leaves with a wooden spoon
• fill the glass or pitcher half full with wine and half full with blood orange soda
• add ice and serve!

Ingredients:

• Stones Original Ginger
• Soda Water
• White Wine
• Fresh cut ginger
• Fresh mint

Method:

• in the bottom of a glass or pitcher muddle the cut ginger and mint with a wooden spoon
• add a splash of Stones Original Ginger (for a sweeter drink add more)
• fill the rest of the glass or pitcher with half wine and half soda water
• add ice and serve!

Photographs by Rosey Lakos at roseylakosphotography.com.

A traditional shortcake, or shortbread, is basically just a slightly sweet biscuit.  They are incredibly forgiving and flexible as long as you get the butter part right.  You can use a lot of liquid and make what is considered a “drop biscuit”, or you can keep them as dry as possible and roll them or pat them out.  You can cook them in the oven, on the stove or in a campfire. They are old school bread based on immediate need and meant to be cooked in any circumstances.  So, even though it’s easier with frozen butter and a cheese grater, a sifter and a baking sheet, you can basically make it work with whatever  you’ve got, and if you’re stirring and everything is getting dry and frustrating, add more liquid! It will be fine.

At this time of year California is well into a good strawberry season, but for the rest of the country you are just beginning to see the first ones. The first strawberries of the year are usually a little hard, a little white,  and a little… well… bland.  But! It’s not the strawberry’s fault, or the farmer’s fault, it’s just the way of the early spring berry, and there is an age old way of combating this problem: the tiniest bit of sugar. With the smallest bit, you can turn hard juiceless berries into amazing juicy awesome berries.  Contrary to what you might think, the sugar isn’t meant to sweeten them, it’s meant to draw out it’s own juices and coat them with themselves,  just like a nice bowl of freshly cut summer strawberries . With this method, you really don’t have to wait to have amazing Strawberry Shortcake.

Equipment:

• cheese grater
• sifter
• baking sheet
• biscuit cutter or can with both ends removed
• hand mixer

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 a decent size wedge of brie (you can use more or less depending on how strong you want the flavor)
• 4 Tablespoons of butter
• 2 Tablespoons of sugar
• 3/4 cup of milk (keep an extra 1/2 cup on reserve just in case)
• butter to melt and brush on the top of the biscuits (optional)
• strawberries and enough sugar to dust them with
• heavy whipping cream
• honey

[nggallery id=24]

Before getting started, put the butter and brie into the freezer.  The brie doesn’t need to be entirely frozen, so it’s okay if you put it in just before you get started.  In order to grate the butter, it does need to be frozen solid, so if you don’t already have frozen butter, you may need to cut it in.

Method (Strawberries):

• cut the strawberries into quarters lengthwise and place them in a container with a lid
• dust the strawberries with the tiniest amount of sugar- you want to just barely coat the top
• close the lid and turn them around a few times, leaving them to sit out at room temperature until you are ready to use them

[nggallery id=25]

Method (Biscuits)

• preheat the oven to 450F
• sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl
• using a cheese grater, grate 4 T of frozen butter into the flour
• using a wooden spoon or something similar, toss the butter flakes with the flour before you move on to the brie
• using the cheese grater, grate about half of a large brie wedge into the flour/butter mixture, tossing it occasionally to coat it with the flour (you want about a cup’s worth of grated brie)
• make sure the butter and brie shreds are well coated with flour and make a well in the center where you will pour the 3/4 cups of milk (all at once!)
• if you need to cut in the butter, I strongly recommend using your biscuit cutter or your can with both ends removed.  Dip it in flour and just chop away until it resembles coarse cornmeal
• stir it up quickly and aggressively- as the Joy of Cooking notes, too little stirring will mean the baking powder won’t mix in properly and you will get brown spots on your biscuit. It’s not the end of the world, it’s just not pretty.  However  too much stirring will stop the butter from making the biscuit flakey- also not the end of the world, just means it isn’t perfect. It will still taste good on either end of the stirring spectrum
• add more milk if needed, but don’t stress out too much. Too much or too little milk, it will work out
• dump the dough out onto a floured surface, dip your hands in flour and pat it out until it is about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
• using your biscuit cutter or can, punch out as many biscuits as you can- do not twist the cutter! Bring it straight down and straight up so the edges remain flakey and tearable
• pat the remaining dough together once and cut as many more as you can (usually makes about 4-5 total, more or less depending on thickness. Place them on a baking sheet as you go
• at this point, you can either stick them in the oven or melt some butter to brush on the top. If you decide brush on some butter, don’t be afraid to add a little spice! Add some saffron or lavender, maybe even a little black pepper or red chili flakes. Experiment!

Method (Honey Whipped Cream)

[nggallery id=26]

• once you stick the shortcake in the oven it’s time to make the Honey Whipped Cream.
• you want about a cup of heavy cream and about a Tablespoon of honey. It’s easiest if you have it in some sort of squeeze container, but if not, you can just drizzle it in as you mix it with a spoon, or pour the honey into a creamer.  Taste it as you go and add more if needed.
• you want the whipped cream to be pretty thick since the biscuits will be hot, bordering on butter
• once you take the biscuits out of the oven, split them open and put a spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom part, then a spoonful of strawberries, then another spoonful of whipped cream, and close it up. Ready to serve!

[nggallery id=23]

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking

Photographs by Rosey Lakos at roseylakosphotography.com.