Jam! (Berry Christmas)

To totally ruin the surprise: I have decided to preserve summer and give it out at Christmas. The first endeavor: strawberry jam. I wanted to make a jam that did not have any added pectin, and since strawberries are notoriously low on pectin (the natural gelling agent in plants), I did a bit of research before settling on a recipe. First, I had hoped to amp the pectin content (and the tartness) by adding some currant juice, but alas they are not yet in season around here (and strawberries are about to go out of season). So instead I settled on Darina Allen's Mummy's Strawberry Jam from her recent Forgotten Skills of Cooking: The time-honored ways are the best - over 700 recipes to show you why. 

So I began with 10 pints of strawberries (which weighed approximately 1 lb. each)

Mummy's Strawberry Jam

4 lb. unblemished strawberries

Juice of 2 lemons

7 c granulated sugar - not superfine or jam sugar (warmed in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes)

Put the strawberries and lemon juice (which add pectin the equation) in a stainless-steel saucepan and cover with the warmed sugar. Cover and leave on counter overnight (this pulls out more pectin from the strawberries). 

 After 24 hours, the lemon juice, strawberries and sugar should look like this. As the strawberries begin to give up their juice, they also reduce dramatically in volume, so I consolidated pans. 

Bring the strawberries to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. mash some of the berries with a potato masher (or the side of a spoon, as my potato masher is still packed away in a box). 

Continue to boil until the jam reaches a set - about 30 minutes. (Or an hour when you have more than doubled the recipe). Jam is set when it reaches 220F - enough water has boiled out and the pectin will allow the mixture to gel. Another way to check if the jam has reached a set is to put a plate in the freezer to cool (do this at the beginning of the process), place a teaspoon of the jam on the center of the plate and return it to the freezer for a minute. Push the edge of the jam on the plate towards the center of the pile. If it wrinkles, the pectin:water ratio is reasonable and the jam will set upon cooling. Of course, being the geek I am, I did both. 

Then I canned the jam via the boiling water method. I have a handy book called The Farmer's Wife: Canning and Preserving Cookbook that I use to ensure that I am not just preparing a nice home for Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Another source is the National Center for Home Food Preservation. At any rate, success! 

(On a related note, the extra jam - now sitting in my fridge - is excellent on pain au levain.)

13 Things@Coe: Blog comments

Prompt: Why do you think commenting is important in online communities? What might this mean for students who share their writing online? Write something about who you're following and the tags you've used.


I believe that commenting is important in online communities for the obvious reason that it provides the opportunity to begin a discussion on a topic that people are interested in and provides the space for thought-out responses/reactions/questions/criticism of a said prompt (be it textual, auditory, visual). 


An area that I think is important in this venue for discussion is helping students translate the etiquette of face-to-face discussions to the realm of online discourse. Too often I read comments on online writing in which the commentators feel that the traditional rule of 'treat others as you would want to be treated' is thrown out the window. This is not so much the case for class discussions, but rather longer pieces of writing (often topical on current events) in which there is more distance created between the writer (or subject of the writing) and the commentator. Too often I feel that some find this as an opportunity to throw etiquette out the window, which is inexcusable. Take for example this recent news article on a sculpture placed in the Krasl Art Center's sculpture biennial in St. Joseph, MI. Granted it is touching on a number of hot button issues: the role of public sculpture, artist's intention versus audience reception and censorship (just to name a few), but the comments by some individuals overtly cross the line from critical reaction to downright hostility, and in the process stop the discussion in its tracks (and discussion on these issues is very important!). For the sake of full disclosure, the curator is a close friend of mine, so obviously I am personally involved in the situation in a manner that I might otherwise not be - but perhaps this is why I am thinking so much about issues of etiquette in online discussions.


But I digress to the topic of tagging. I divided my tags thus far into two categories to reflect the two themes of this blog: Adventures in Cooking and 13 Things at Coe. The thing I was struck by in reading/commenting on my fellow 13 Thingers' blogs was how similar all of our reactions are to this endeavor and web 2.0. 

13 Things@Coe: Wikis

Prompt: Write about your impressions of (or experiences with) wikis, and how you think they would useful for your department, classes, clubs, etc. Do wikis seem more/less/differently useful than Google Docs? Do you see yourself using this tool?

According to Wikipedia (which I assume is an appropriate source on the history of wikis, "'Wiki' (pronounced [ˈwiki] or [ˈviki]) is a Hawaiian word for "fast"."Wiki" has been backronymed by some to "What I Know Is"."

I have used a wiki, aside from my mad skills of looking up pop culture facts on Wikipedia (which I suspect is one of the areas of greatest veracity on the site), in my recent job search. There is a wiki that keeps track of the job market in academia, run by those in the 'rat race' (so to speak), to keep each other informed of status of various searches (e.g. conference interview requests have gone out, offers made, etc.). In some ways it was helpful to be kept in the loop, but in others it was all the more nerve-wracking.

In terms of use in the classroom, I have not personally used a wiki, but a colleague who teaches courses on photography uses it as a means of keeping track of sites of interest (artist websites, critical reviews, gallery exhibitions, sites of cultural import, etc.) while using different computers and then as a means of disseminating those texts to her students. The students can also add to the 'list of bookmarks' and the websites are discussed in class. I might experiment which such ideas in an upcoming class, as I think it might be quite helpful in collecting 'thinking packets' (as opposed to course packets) as we move further into the brave new world of the digital age.

And I do see them as useful in a different way than Google Docs, providing a means to keep tabs on changes - especially when the site is being collaborated upon by a large number of individuals. 

A riff on Peruvian rotisserie chicken (et al)

My brother and sister-in-law were in town this past weekend, so I decided this was a good excuse to put my bread (pain au levain and Reinhart's soft rye made with the mother) on a test run for others, paired with some other culinary-overachieving items. Main item on the list: a riff on DC's riff on Peruvian chicken (loosely based on the recipe found on Serious Eats).

As you probably surmised by this point, I thrive on planning ahead, steady work and a big finish (perhaps a holdover from my recent dissertation exploits, or the marathon training), so step one: brining the chicken, sourced from Cooks Illustrated, for 4 hours, followed by 24 hours of skin-drying time in the fridge (have to have crispy skin!).

After the brining, and after my brother and Sara arrived with the Aji panca and huacatay from Jungle Jim's, it was time to make the marinade paste:

Peruvian chicken paste, Brutto ma buono style:
(marinates 4, 3-4 lb. chickens)
4t minced garlic (yes, I cheated. My garlic was looking sad)
3t cumin
4t pepper
4t salt
8T huacatay paste
4T Aji panca paste
8T Olive oil
Juice from 2 limes

Mix ingredients together and spread over exterior of chickens, as well as between the skin and breasts. Place in Ziploc bags and marinate in fridge overnight.

To go with the chicken, I made two sauces - again riffs - that showcased the aji panca and huacatay. 

Aji panca sauce
(based on this recipe)
2T Aji panca paste
1/2c mayonnaise
1/4c sour cream
1T ketchup
2 green onions, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
S/P to taste

Place ingredients in blender and let marry in fridge overnight. 

Aji de huacatay
5T huacatay paste
2T aji panca paste
2T olive oil
1/4c sour cream
3T plain yogurt

Mix ingredients in blender and let marry in fridge overnight.

The chicken was rotisseried (the process of which caused much amusement), served with the sauces, pain au levain and a salad of mixed greens (Hot-Kiln Farms, GCFM), strawberries (Hersberger Produce, GCFM), sliced red onion, walnuts and a shallot balsamic vinaigrette. Success.

The fruits of the market

So the Geauga County Farmers Market has officially opened, and strawberries abound. But first, the fruits of my shopping and labor from the 5 June market. Greens were the theme of the week:


From Hot-Kiln Farm, I got some Tatsoi, with which I decided to make some Brown Butter Pasta with Tatsoi, recipe courtesy of Backyard Farming. Wunderbar.

I also scored something that resembled Mizuna from Hot-Kiln Farms (which is run by a couple of ceramicists - double bonus!) which I sautéed with smidgen of bacon and onion, finished with a dash of red wine vinegar. 

I found some baby zucchini at the Hershberger Produce stand, which I used to riff on SmittenKitchen's zucchini strand spaghetti, this time quickly sautéing them and a smashed clove of garlic in some olive oil, S/P and finishing some whole wheat spaghetti from Ohio City Pasta. Add some Parmesan and bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice and you are pretty close to heaven. 

The adventure in greens was rounded off by some garlic scapes purchased from Endeavor Farm and turned into Dorie Greenspan's garlic scape pesto. 

I also had some extra parsley from the lamb (see below), which I turned into a pesto, based on that found in Sidewalk Shoes' blog (to which I added more Parmesan). I froze all of them in mini muffin pans, transferring the frozen flavor bombs into a bag - heaven is only a quick thaw away. 

On to the meat:
I was craving some oxtails with my pain au levin, so I stopped by Sand Farm's stand to pick up some oxtails, with which I made my version of my grandfather's recipe (i.e. I am slightly updating his solidly-1950s, pressure cooker recipe):


Braised oxtails, AERS-style
2# oxtails
Flour, dill, marjoram, basil, oregano, S/P (all dried) for dredging
Olive oil - enough to coat the bottom of your braising dish (mine is cast iron)
2 c beef stock (homemade, based upon Ruhlman's chapter on stocks in The Elements of Cooking)
1 c red wine (I used a Barbara d'Alba)
1 c V8 (to channel my grandfather, but some variation of a canned tomato would work too)
Carrots, Onions, Potatoes - chopped robustly and as much as you see fit. (I used 2 large carrots, a bag of pearl onions that were skinned and 4 small red skinned potatoes)
Dried mushrooms - as much as you see fit (I used about 1.5 c)


Begin heating some olive oil in braising pan. Dredge oxtails in flour and dried spice mixture. Preheat oven to 300F. Heat stock on stove to reduce by about half (to concentrate flavor). Brown oxtails in cooking oil. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with wine and return oxtails to pan. Add vegetables and pour the reduced stock and V8 over the mixture. Cover and place in oven for about 3-4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Serve with (more) red wine and bread. 


Of course I got so distracted upon finishing the braise, that I forgot to take a picture, so this one from a winter version (sans mushrooms) will have to suffice:

Finally, I purchased some lamb sirloin from the Great American Lamb Company stand, and made a version of SmittenKitchen's lamb with pistachio tapenade. The leftover tapenade is also wonderful spread on pain au levain with chèvre from Mackenzie Creamery. 

A mother starter and her progeny: pain au levain

A light at the end of the tunnel!

...after 24 hours (day 7, total), the seed culture was sufficiently fermented and ready to (finally) be converted into the mother starter:

At this point, the seed culture is chock full of wild yeast and bacteria, but is incredibly weak from all the acid buildup and the perpetual breakdown of proteins and starches. How to remedy the situation? Feed the bitch. Ratio of seed culture: flour: water (in grams): 113:340:255. The mother is mixed, kneaded for 2 minutes (again, refer to Reinhart for specific details).

It hangs out in an oiled bowl for 4-8 hours, until it doubles in size, has a 'pleasant acidic aroma' and looks like this. 

At this point in time, the mother is ready to begin doing her job ('fertilizing' some dough). 

...and moves into her new home, a state-of-the-art Gladware container. 

Now arrives the moment of truth, the litmus test on whether this week of coaxing the mother into being was worth the effort: a loaf (or two) of Pain au levain (which is just French for 'leavened bread.'). As Peter Reinhart mentions, Pain au levain "is generally considered to be the gold standard for wild yeast breads, though opinions do vary widely - and are strongly held." (Thus the adventures in mother starters.) Pain au levain is not really one specific recipe, but rather a genre of breads consisting primarily of white flour, supplemented with whole wheat, rye or multigrain flours, made with wild yeast starter (although some do supplement further with commercial yeast. Not here). I will experiment with Reinhart's recipe from Artisan Breads Every Day. And - shockingly - this is another multi-day affair.

Day 1: Sourdough starter

71 g (1/3 c) mother starter

142 g (1c + 2T) unbleached bread flour 

85 g (2/3 c) whole wheat flour

151.5 g (2/3 c) H20 @ room temperature

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring for 2 minutes. Dough should be tacky or slightly sticky. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 30 seconds. Place in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 6-8 hours until it increases to about 1.5 times original size. Put in fridge overnight (or up to 3 days). 

After 24 hours, the starter should look like this:

Day 2: Make the dough

All of the sourdough starter

312 g (1 c + 6 T) lukewarm water (around 35C)

454 g (3.5 c) unbleached bread flour

17 g (2 3/8 t) salt (or 3.5 t coarse kosher salt)

Cut the starter into 10-12 pieces, add water and mix for about 1 minute to soften the starter. Add the flour and salt and mix for another 3 minutes. let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Knead by hand for 3 minutes, adding more flour or water as needed to make a soft, supple and tacky (but not sticky) ball of dough. Form into a ball. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then stretch and fold: "either on the work surface or in the bowl, reaching under the front end of the dough, stretching it out, then folding it back onto the top of the dough. Then do this from the back end and then from each side, then flip the dough over and tuck it into a ball." Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. Repeat two more times. Form the dough into a ball, place it into a clean, lightly oiled bowl large enough to allow it to double in size and cover tightly. Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours and then refrigerate overnight (or up to 4 days). 

Day 3: Baking Day

Remove the dough from the refrigerator 4 hours before you plan to bake. After 2 hours, shape it into a boule or 2 smaller ones (as I did). Let it proof for 2 hours (seam side up). Preheat oven to 500F about 20 minutes before baking, place shelf in bottom third of oven. Just before baking, transfer dough (seam side down) to a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat and score with a lame or serrated knife.  

Place in oven, pour 1 c hot water into a steam pan below dough. Reduce heat to 450F. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate pan 180 degrees, continue baking for 15-25 minutes. Finished loaves should be a rich caramel color in crust, sound hollow when thumped and have an internal temperature of about 200F. Cool on rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Enjoy the hell out of it. 

13 Things@Coe: Cloud Computing

Prompt: Can you see yourself using Google Docs and calendars? Have you used this function already? For what?


While I can see the benefits of the concept of cloud computing, particularly Google Docs, at the moment I think it needs a few more tweaks before I could see realistically using it in my professional career. Two important things that I think are missing (at least by my cursory glances at the available options, menus, etc.):


1) More formatting. At the moment the formatting abilities seem a bit elementary. This would become all the more important if collaborating on a document that needs to adhere to specific style guidelines (e.g. Chicago, MLA). At the moment I foresee a mess of tweaking necessary if a group were to be working on something for publication (in print or online) that needed to fit a style. For example, at the moment footnotes are (imho) distracting comment call outs in the margins - they are quite disruptive to reading process (and I realize that I am old-fashioned in my reading processes). Furthermore, if you remove the 'show footnotes' option, you have no idea that they even exist. So the options are distracting or absent. This will not fly in my (albeit small) world. Also, the options for working with images are limited as well - another important issue in the universe of Art History. (Of course Word is sorely lacking in this realm too - so if anyone has any suggestions of other programs that effectively allow one to work/write/think with images and text, email me.) Finally, it is quite chaotic (formatting-wise) if one needs to re-download the document into a program such as Word. Again, there would be a mess of formatting work that would be necessary at the end. 


2) Ability to keep track of editing changes. This would be particularity important (again, imho) in the process of collaborative writing. In my own collaborative efforts, it has been of the utmost importance (for the editor(s), as well as the collaborators) to see who changed what, when. Again, in my cursory glances, I did not see this as an option. 


...but all of these criticisms, lie in the fact that 'cloud computing' is in its beginning stages, and I suspect that all (and more that I have not yet even begun to think of) will be remedied as it finds its footing. 


Google Calendar, on the other hand, is quite handy. Although it did scare me some months back when Hal (...er, I mean Google) read an email in my inbox, recognized in the text that it was a request for a meeting, and asked me if I wanted to add it to my Calendar.