Meg Cotner – Page 7 – Harmonious Belly

July 13, 2013July 14, 2013

Hello Again, and Changes Around Here

A beautiful sunrise off of Coney Island.

For a while—really, months—I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with my sweet little Harmonious Belly blog here. The good news is that I’ve decided to start writing here again, but with some changes, including more content about food in and around NYC. Read on for the rest of the story.

Content started to fall off around February 2012 when I was contracted to write Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens—an amazing, awesome, fun project. During my research, I was eating a lot of conventional food, with no stomach space for things like raw milk, fermented foods, or really any home-cooked meals. I ate out all the time so that I could authoritatively write about what I was recommending, and I feel good about that.

After I submitted the book manuscript to my editor in June 2012, there were additional edits and such through the fall, plus I took on a full time editorial position that consumed my life, writing six to eight stories a day along with other various and sundry related tasks (I did very good work there and am proud of it). With this blog, there were a couple of sputtering starts, but that was it. I just couldn’t get momentum going.

Lately, I started to really miss writing here. But my current interests when it comes to food didn’t fit the limitations I had put on this blog at its start. Yes, I still like writing about local, sustainable food, as well as traditional foods such as raw dairy, pastured meats, and lacto-fermented sauerkraut, but my interests have expanded to a broader idea of “traditional food.” I love getting to know food from cultures other than my own—learning about the history, any cultural aspects, and of course, eating it. Writing my book really opened up my eyes to a much wider world of food.

So, I’ve simply decided to make some changes in the focus of this blog. From the About page:

During my book research travels, I ate plates of the incredible bandeja paisa (a huge Colombian breakfast platter that includes, among other things, chicharon, avocado, and plantain), ramen in a pork broth with cha-su (barbecued pork) and menma (a fermented bamboo condiment), morkovcha(a Russian-Korean carrot salad), Dongbei cuisine (beautiful food from northeastern China), wontons in spicy sauce, chicken momos (Tibetan or Nepalese dumplings), naeng myun (a cold noodle dish from Korea) on a sweltering day, butter mamon (a sweet, buttery, and slightly salty Pilipino sponge cake) and much, much more. I continue to explore the vast foods of NYC and beyond and write about them, and have decided to do so here on Harmonious Belly.

So, look for content—words, images, and video—on interesting things I’ve eaten at places old and new; festivals, markets, and specialty shops; food I’ve cooked and/or grown at home; and traditional, nutrient-dense foods, as I’ve written about before. I also look forward to sharing some of the awesome work my colleagues are doing. I’m happy about the expansion of subject matter and look forward to writing again here on Harmonious Belly!

January 5, 2013January 5, 2013

Happy New Year’s Ghee

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.

raw-butter-pre-ghee

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.

ghee-milk-solids-separate-from-butterfat

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.

ghee-frothing-milk-solids

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.

ghee-remaining-milk-solids

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

homemade-ghee-finished-product

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.

June 28, 2012June 29, 2012

I’m Back

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!

March 19, 2012

My Newest Project

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!

March 15, 2012March 29, 2012

Get To Know Nourishing New York

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.

Continue reading “Get To Know Nourishing New York”

March 5, 2012March 4, 2012

How To Make Water Kefir

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.

Continue reading “How To Make Water Kefir”

March 1, 2012March 1, 2012

Lunch Yums at Taverna Kyclades

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.

Continue reading “Lunch Yums at Taverna Kyclades”