culinary adventures
I was inspired to many cooking experiments this week by a combination of my love for my new cast iron skillet, a couple days to chill around home, and the acquisition of some free souring milk. Here are the dishes I made!
- Two iterations of champandongo, a Mexican dish from Like Water for Chocolate. It has ground beef and ground pork, both of which I happily found at the market, with lots of cumin and onions and bits of tomato, almonds, candied citron (an unusual, seasonal ingredient I happily visited the Spice Terminal for). Both times I think it was tasty, although the I slightly preferred the second. I crumbled rather than grated the queso fresco, and I softened the tortillas over cream (rather, yoghurt) in the bottom of the pan rather than frying them in oil before using.
- Skillet cornbread! It was so beautiful, and I baked with my new skillet! I used a recipe with honey and rosemary, both of which I like and have in good quality.
- YOGHURT! Yes, I made it myself for the first time, encouraged by reading about the abundant variety of ways dairy has been consumed in my new book Milk. Conveniently, I easily acquired a just-past-date half-gallon of raw Jersey milk on Sunday... I innoculated it with some of the drinkable yoghurt I bought from the dairy farmer who's started at the market, I let it sit overnight in the oven with the pilot light, and I drained it for 3 hours for a thick consistency. So satisfying!!
- Hopefully tomorrow, some pancakes with the rest of the milk.
(I have a blog. Who knew?! No, I am still not making the time to read blogs or find my way around LJ's new look. But maybe I'll write something down once in awhile...)
- Two iterations of champandongo, a Mexican dish from Like Water for Chocolate. It has ground beef and ground pork, both of which I happily found at the market, with lots of cumin and onions and bits of tomato, almonds, candied citron (an unusual, seasonal ingredient I happily visited the Spice Terminal for). Both times I think it was tasty, although the I slightly preferred the second. I crumbled rather than grated the queso fresco, and I softened the tortillas over cream (rather, yoghurt) in the bottom of the pan rather than frying them in oil before using.
- Skillet cornbread! It was so beautiful, and I baked with my new skillet! I used a recipe with honey and rosemary, both of which I like and have in good quality.
- YOGHURT! Yes, I made it myself for the first time, encouraged by reading about the abundant variety of ways dairy has been consumed in my new book Milk. Conveniently, I easily acquired a just-past-date half-gallon of raw Jersey milk on Sunday... I innoculated it with some of the drinkable yoghurt I bought from the dairy farmer who's started at the market, I let it sit overnight in the oven with the pilot light, and I drained it for 3 hours for a thick consistency. So satisfying!!
- Hopefully tomorrow, some pancakes with the rest of the milk.
(I have a blog. Who knew?! No, I am still not making the time to read blogs or find my way around LJ's new look. But maybe I'll write something down once in awhile...)