Stock

A late Saturday afternoon - a hot mug of tea on my left, a vinyl of Shubert filling the room (99 cents well spent). I have some stock simmering on the stove and laundry being done in the basement. While it seems like this part of my day should have come a few hours ago, I am contentedly writing on the couch facing the (non functional but still pleasing) fire place.

I get way too much into cooking for my own good, but to the right: quick pickles I made this morning. I had grated too many carrots (on a food processor) for borscht I made earlier this week, added in a tomato and the pickling brew. Now I wait.

Below: collected all the vegetable scrapes I had made this week for a vegetable stock. Forgotten scallion and beet stalks: it'll be different every time. I don't eat meat and don't like buying stock or flavoring cubes so this is satisfying.

Dream: I was a passenger on a small plane, ten rows forty passengers plus the pilot and one or two crew members. We were dropping in altitude and I suddenly realized we were landing in a snowy mountain, in an area that looked like a not well kept ski trail. There were a couple of cars trying to drive down too, one we simply and passed over and the next fell off of the trail. A van did a full flip off the side into the woods. The stewardess was announcing to the pilot each time the stair-like trail made a dramatic dip "and DESCEND". Then there was a small red flag and sharp 90 degree turn to the left to a trail that went up slightly. Which we made, butt was terrifying because if we had not we would be dead. I think in the end we landed safely.

lemon

I have so many things to write about/which is sometimes a problem because I really like doing things in chronological order!

anyway, today I went to the liquor store and bought Everclear. The cashier just said "everclear...nice" and I said "it's getting cut, not planning to kill myself" "that's good" she said, nodding her head.

in a few weeks ill have some limoncello. anybody know what to do with ten rindless lemons?

cranberry tincture

Once I started reading Moscow-Petushki this winter, my mind turned to making an infusion – specifically, one with cranberries. You could also make it with other things i.e. black current or lemons or something more complex like oхотничья. My mother sometimes makes a nastoyka by simply cutting up horseradish root and putting it in vodka. Julia told me her brother puts apple pie filling in drinking spirit and that the result is very effective.

You would think a recipe with four ingredients would one have only one or two versions, but I’m almost tempted to make a flow chart because everyone seems to combine the ingredients in a different order. Most of the contention comes with the timing of the sugar and water. From what I gather, if you make the quick version and only have it sit for a few days, you can put the water and sugar in early on. Otherwise, put it in later.




You will need:

-A 3-liter vessel (I used a Carlo Rossi wine bottle)
-1 liter of cranberries, fresh or frozen (~600-800g)
-1 liter of spirit (95% 190 proof. They sell at liquor stores, I think Everclear is the most easily available brand. This stuff is prohibited in some states, including my home state of Massachusetts. If this is the case, you could just get vodka and omit the water)
-300-500 g of granulated sugar (1.5-2.5 cups – one recipe didn’t use any sugar.)
-1-1.4 liter water (depending on how strong you want it. A few recipes said to make the sugar-syrup with ~700g of water and then at the end fill the 3 liter vessel to the top. Some recipes said there’s enough water in the cranberries: a version that results in something quite a bit stronger. A few recipes underscored the importance of using quality water. )
-Scrim aka cheese cloth aka gauze
-A strainer
-A funnel

1. In one recipe the guy picks his own cranberries on a bog and then freezes them for a bit to make them drier. In another, someone adds a bit of sugar to the cranberries and waits for them to ferment a bit – ‘to the first foam’. Either way, you have to press them so that the skin splits. Some people cut each cranberry individually with a knife, others just chop it up in the food processor, though this potentially makes it more difficult to strain later. One woman actually said that you have to poke each cranberry individually with a needle, preferably multiple times, which seems a bit neurotic. I just smooshed them with a wooden spoon.
2. After this you cover the cranberries with spirit. Some say put the sugar and/or water in at this step, though this makes the end result weaker (for more details, look up Mendeleev). If you only want to wait a few days, you can add the sugar and water now. If you are willing to wait longer, put off

   first strain

   the sugar and water, and let the cranberries sit for a while in the spirit: time indications ranged from a couple weeks to a few months. Some say to mix it occasionally
   during this step. I kept putting off the last steps so mine sat around for five months.
   
3. Once you have waited, strain.

4. cranberry spirits, water, sugar water

   If you have not put in the sugar and water, you can do so after straining. Or, don’t strain, add the sugar and water, and then wait until all the cranberry stuff drifts to the bottom. Then pour the clarified drink, bypassing the need for cheesecloth. (Mine didn't really need to be strained with the cheesecloth; it got a couple cranberry seeds and that's it. Also I ran out of white sugar and used brown sugar, but I don't think that makes a difference.
5. Enjoy! Be careful, it’s stronger than it tastes. I'm ready for spring fling
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   

main references
http://sadoved.com/domashnie-zagotovki/napitki-i-nastoiki/3240-klyukovka.html
http://forum.homedistiller.ru/index.php?topic=195.0

dyed dress

I started looking for housing at the start of the year, but bad luck seemed to want to be my friend. He followed me around, staying loyal as one person after another turned out to be unreliable. I finally shook him off Saturday - with just a week to move-in day. Hopefully he got the hint and won't be dropping by any time soon.
From what I've observed from afar (Bard is small, I've seen them before) - they are a very touchy-feely couple. They have a fondue pot and a waffle maker. Zoe wrote to me "There is also a small room off of the living room, which we are designating studio/creative space. You are free to utilize it for artsy things."Jono graduated last year with a chemistry degree and wants to become a nurse, but is currently working in one of the Bard offices.

I've been going to Walden Pond a lot, and finished reading Everything is Illuminated.
Yesterday, Yulka and I went to Watch City Brewery in Waltham. A year ago we went to the microbrewery and got food. The fare was good, but it demanded beer, so we decided we would go there again once we were legal. (check) 

I had a white dress (from my high school graduation. we all had to wear white, the boys all had identical white tuxedos).
Sasha said something about pastel for the wedding so...
blue fading into a teal tint at the bottom.

Almond Flour Cake

It was my Mama's birthday yesterday so I  made a fancy cake. Almond flour is not cheap, but...it's make of almonds, so it's delicious. I found it in the gluten-free section of the supermarket. This cake is not 'airy' or 'light', but it is really good. I made it yesterday and it is very much gone by now.

  

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter 
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups almond flour, divided use
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar

(Be careful when separating the eggs. If you get even a little bit of yolk into the egg whites, it is very unlikely that your egg whites will peak.)

recipe from midgelet with my commentary in italics

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. (image 1)

Beat in the egg yolks, then stir in 1 cup of the almond flour.
Set aside.
(I also added a teaspoon of lemon zest and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Even though I've never made this cake before, I figured it might be a good idea to offset the sweetness with some zest, and while I have nothing to compare to, I didn't regret it)(image 2)

In a separate, very clean mixing bowl of an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment and whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Slowly add 1/4 cup of sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
(If you are having issues getting the whites to peak, add a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Also, you do not really need to wait to add the sugar, you can do it while beating the egg whites--I've made meringues way too many times) (image 3)

Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites and the remaining 1 cup of almond flour into the egg yolk mixture, alternating whites with the almond flour. (image 4)

Pour the batter in a 9-inch pan (with 2-inch-tall sides) lined with a circle of parchment paper.
(I just used a bundt pan, and buttered it instead of using parchment. It came out pretty easily) 


Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack and run a clean butter knife around the edges to loosen before inverting

CranAppleSauce

Note Osya left yesterday. He's trying to convince us that he's responsible enough for a kitten. By 'us' I mainly mean Папа. The night before he said no, because he had asked Osya to replace the trash bag and Osya hadn't, so now he's trying to prove otherwise.

(the note reads: I'm more responsible. Cleaned table took dishes out and put dishes in under 35 min. Didn't miss bus. More to come.)

clearly

a) written in a half-asleep state <3

b) More to come is almost a threat.

~

Sima's been playing angry birds with his stuffed animal angry bird, which consists of him throwing it at me, me not doing anything, him making a blowing-up noise and then telling me weather or not I'm dead (depending on how close the bird got to me.)

~

Mama calls me: did you pick up Sima (aka did I come up when the bus came)

Me: yes

Mama: there's a chicken in the fridge. you can do what you want with it

Me:...

Mama: with the exception of doing nothing. you can't do that.

                 so she outclevered me

~

 Yesterday was the first night of Hannukah, so I made apple sauce. I added a tiny bit of sugar because of the cranberries and granny smith apples used.

1) peel and chop the apples.

2) put about half an inch of water in a pot. put the apples and whatever else in as well (i.e. cranberries.) the initial water is just in there so the apples don't burn until they get warm enough to seep out their own juices. mmm, gory.

3) let them cook on high until they get mushed enough, then put them on low. closer to the end, add the spices and sugar.

apples are mostly water, so I strained my apple sauce (before I put the spices in, after I put the sugar in) and ended up with pink cider.

Yum.

 We went over to Innka's+

(latkis and fried dough and the whole thing)

very satisfied, especially compared to last year when I spent Hanukkah at Botstein's house.

Wontons

 x

Mama bought some wonton skins, so I just make wontons out of random things I found. steps;

1) fry the stuff together.

I used parsley, bean sprouts, mushrooms, scallions, fresh ginger, lemon zest, soy sauce, sesame seeds and sesame seed oil.

 I ended up having to make another batch once I realized there wouldn't be enough filling, and I used what little I had left of the bean sprouts, a carrot (I just used a potato peeler to cut it), an egg and the rest was the same.

2) put a spoonful of stuffing onto the wonton skin

Sima helped me with this part

3) close the wonton. use water as glue.

I put water on two adjacent edges, took one corner and attached to the corner across, and stuck together the sides. You can make other shapes, but I stuck with the simplest one.

3) you can make soup or steam or fry them

 I fried, used safflower oil because I figured it can get to a high temperature and that might be better. Also, it's a new thing in the house so I just wanted to use it, dunno if it actually makes a difference.

Additionally, I made miso soup and Mama made Jasmine rice. 

The sauce was soy/sesame/honey/ginger

and that was dinner.

Вишнёвые Вареники or Sour Cherry Dumplings

Shimon destemed them and I pitted them.

Dough: 
3 cups flour
3/4 cup very cold water
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
sour cherry*- 700 grams (I think about two cups?)
1 cup sugar
 




pit the cherries, cover them with sugar and let stand overnight. Strain the resulting syrup.

Keep the syrup to dip the dumplings in....it's also just good for anything that requires syrup, like flavoring sparkling water to create soda.

 Mix the flour and salt together. Then, stir in the cold water until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. For me, this required a bit of kneading and a tiny bit more flour.
Let the dough sit for half an hour, covered with a damp towel.

Roll out the dough. It has to be pretty thin-about 3mm or a tenth of an inch.Use a glass to make dough circles.




 Put the filling into the center of each circle. Don't put so much filling that you can't close the dumpling.











Pinch the edges together, you can use a fork for this.
It talks about some sort of braid decoration for the edges in the recipe I was using, but I have no idea what it is. For those who do know what a braid is though: it just says you need to make the edges thinner if you intend to do that.

You can freeze them for storage. To cook, put them in boiling water and wait for them to float up. Make sure they don't get stuck to the bottom of the pot.

 Eat with sour-cream or with the syrup made earlier. Or both.

* This is the first time I've bumped into fresh sour cherries in the US, Mama got them at an Italian market. I suppose normal cherries would work, though it would definitely taste different. (so yes, it's my first time, that's why they turned out a bit lumpy)

the instructions I used:
http://www.gotovim.ru/recepts/sbs/varenvishn.shtml

Cinnamon and Bleach

Ося and I finished making cinnamon buns yesterday (Margaret and her little sister did too, so baking continues to stem from her.) Next time I think I should leave them in the oven more (and just generally follow instructions more-we started at 10, so instead of waiting for an hour and half for the dough to rise, I stuck it in the fridge and let it rise overnight. I think that part worked fine, actually.)




I also bleached a pair of jeans I found at the freestore. The photo is a bit misleading, the dark blue is the same, and the light parts are less intense is some parts then it seems.
I bleached them in the bathtub, but I thought it was going to work much faster, because all the instructions I found made it sound like it was super easy to leave it on for too long-which it isn't, I had to bleach them twice because the first time it barely showed up.

I finally met up with my friends- Kostya just came back from Russia yesterday, Yulka had a gymnastics competition.