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?

food-lovers-guide-to-queens-meg-cotner

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.

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!