Traditional Food and Drink – Page 6

October 14, 2011October 14, 2011

Casu Marzu – I Ate It

This is the infamous casu marzu cheese. It’s a cheese with quite the reputation, and I am here to tell the tale of my time with it.

Casu marzu is a traditional Sardinian cheese most notable for its extreme fermentation due to the presence of the larvae of Piophila casei, a cheese fly. The cheese starts out as a pecorino but turns into something quite different, thanks to this fly. It lays its eggs and the larvae go to town on it, digesting the cheese and breaking down its fat.

The worms are apparently unhappy when disturbed, and it’s reported that they can launch themselves up to 6 inches, presumably in the direction of the person who is doing the disturbing.Thankfully, I did not encounter any of these creatures. My friend kept looking for the worm but it was nowhere to be seen. However, I am still alive, so the cheese wasn’t toxic; the little worms were just hiding.

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October 12, 2011October 12, 2011

Eating Marrow from the Beef Shank

As I mentioned before, one of the reasons I purchased a beef shank was for the marrow bone. Well, this beef shank did not disappoint. There was a nice sized marrow bone right down the middle of the shank, and by the time it was done braising, the bone slid out effortlessly.

I had read a lot about marrow but for some reason it was hard to visualize what it was exactly, except that it was very rich and good on toast. The best description I’ve heard is that it’s like “meat butter.” But it’s not uniform in its look or texture, like butter is. It was mottled in color – a mix of bits of white, brown, and grey colored fat. It’s a little gelatinous, too, and as I spread it on bread (sprouted sourdough toast), it eventually melted into the toast like butter.

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October 11, 2011October 14, 2011

Braised Beef Shank

Recently, I’ve been craving beef an awful lot. It’s been a strong craving, and when I feel a tug toward a food so intensely, I go with it. I figure my body is telling me it needs something in that particular food (it also happens with orange juice from time to time – obviously that’s about vitamin C). I had recently eaten a burger at Bareburger, then another burger at Sparrow, but it wasn’t enough. So, I decided to take out the big guns – a substantial beef shank I had in my freezer.

I actually ordered it earlier this year through my CSA but was holding off on cooking it – it was a large piece of meat and I was feeling a little intimidated by it (this is my past vegetarianism rearing its head). I originally bought it because I knew 1) I could learn about braising with it, and 2) that there would be a big marrow bone in the middle. I’ve been wanting to try marrow for a while, and though I’d kill two birds with one stone in cooking this shank.

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October 10, 2011October 9, 2011

Naturally Fermented Ginger Ale

Last week, I wrote about the ginger bug I created – this is the starter for naturally fermented ginger ale. It’s made from ginger, sugar, and water, it ferments rather quickly – really, in a matter of days. I let mine ferment for about five days (I fed it twice during that time). The next thing to do was to make the ginger ale itself!

It’s a pretty simple process. I chose to make a half batch, since it’s essentially a test batch; I’ll often make smaller batches of something I make for the first time. I started by combining 3/4 cup organic sugar and a 1 inch knob of ginger root (grated) with four cups of water. I also set aside the juice of one lemon.

I put the water in a pot, grated the ginger into it (I prefer to use a microplane for this task), and added the sugar. I brought that to a boil and let it cook for 15 minutes, uncovered. Then I let it cool to room temperature.

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October 5, 2011October 11, 2011

Bareburger – Grass Fed Burgers in Astoria, Queens

As I eat more and more real food, I find myself craving more meat; I’ve sure come a far ways from the vegetarian days of my youth that consisted of a lot of soy. I still eat plenty of meatless meals, but meat is taking more of my attention these days. And since I’ve learned to braise tough cuts of meat until they turn into silky, flavorful meals, it will be even easier to eat meat on a budget.

I also attempt to be as thoughtful as possible when I’m buying meat. We do not cook conventionally-raised meat in this house, and instead we gravitate toward grass-fed and wild meats. They are better for everyone involved – the animal, the human consumer, and the environment – and in my opinion, these meats are just plain tastier. Sometimes I eat conventional meat, but it’s not as often as it used to be, and it’s always outside the home.

When I was a kid, I loved hamburgers; as an adult, I love them, too. I’ll admit – I like consuming meat that is ground up, including sausages. So, I’m fortunate to have a burger place that recently opened up near my apartment that serves organic, grass-fed burgers: Bareburger.

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September 23, 2011September 30, 2011

Strained Yogurt

Sometimes I find myself with very runny yogurt. Like, watery runny – sometimes yogurt just does that. Non commercial yogurt can be kind of temperamental, and since there are no gums or stabilizers involved, consistency is not always guaranteed. Runny yogurt can also be the result of user error, or wonky cultures, or temperature fluctuations. There are a lot of variables.

Since I’ve been eating raw yogurt, I have gotten used to yogurt with a looser texture. But sometimes this texture is even too runny for me. Early on, I just got kind of bummed out and ate it anyway (a shame to waste a whole quart of it).

However, these days I recognize that really runny yogurt is an opportunity for a truly delicious solution: strained yogurt.

Strained yogurt is everywhere in my neighborhood. Living in the most intensely Greek part of Astoria, Queens, I am surrounded by Greek culture, including Greek food culture. Dishes like souvlaki, donner pork, galaktoboureko, and frappes appear on diner menus, and no one considers this odd or unusual. Most people I know have a container or two of Fage yogurt hanging out in their fridge.

A couple weekends ago, I got my hands on some raw yogurt that was really runny, so I automatically took out my straining setup and poured the yogurt in it. This setup consists of a tall plastic container and a strainer lined with three or four layers of cheesecloth that I set on top of it. I put the yogurt in the strainer, then place the container lid on top of everything. I set it in the fridge on the bottom shelf and put it out of my mind until the next morning. Continue reading “Strained Yogurt”

September 9, 2011September 8, 2011

Hellgate CSA Week 13

This week was marked by a huge fruit share – awesome. Summer veggies are still with us, but fall arrived with some amazing crispy apples and succulent pears. In total, we got:

2 pounds of tomatoes
1 eggplant
1 pound green beans
1 pound peppers
1 bunch leeks
1 head lettuce
1 pound plums
2 pounds peaches
1 pound nectarines
2 pounds apples
2 pounds pears

I’ve been enjoying the tomatoes in quesadillas, with patties of turkey sausage (from the CSA), and I’ve also eaten them with the eggplant and peppers for a delicious saute (punctuated with home grown basil). I’ve been snacking on the apples and pears. The nectarines turned into a fruit crisp, the recipe for which I’ll post next week – it’s all naturally sweetened, with sprouted flour in place of the white flour.

I may end up making another shrub with last week’s peaches – needless to say, things got crazy last week, so no Week 12 will be posted.

Here’s to continued good eating!