Whisk

Harvest Time

2009-10-20T22:00:00.002-05:00

Although 'Whisk', the radio show, made its finale several months ago now, I am looking forward to continuing 'Whisk', the food blog, into the months to come. I will be sharing food and cooking ideas, recipes, tips, and inspirations as I stumble upon them in my own practice.

I'd love to hear questions and I'll answer if I can, or if you have your own food ideas please share! In the meantime, carve a pumpkin for Halloween!

Sunday, August 2, 2009...Sustainable Sustenance

2009-08-02T16:27:00.006-05:00

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Growing Versus Mowing--Fred Meyer, director, talks about the Iowa City organization, Backyard Abundance. You can attend garden tours organized by Backyard Abundance to see examples of flourishing backyards in the area and get ideas and tips on how to transform your own yard into a productive and abundant landscape. Fred also recommends the Johnson County Hortline available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9-11 am--Call 319.337.2145 to speak with Master Gardeners who can answer lawn, garden, and landscape questions.

Casey Kohrt and Christopher Munoz have a prime example of an abundant backyard:

Upcoming Event-- Backyard Abundance's next event is a tour of Mary Crooks' garden scheduled for next Saturday, August 8 from 3-5pm. Mary lives at 1482 Valley View Dr. in Coralville. Check it out and get inspired!

School Food--University of Iowa graduate student, Adam Perkins, and the general manager of the IMU Dining Services, Richard Geer, comment on the 1/3 acre garden run by UI students that is providing fresh, locally grown produce to the University's retail food outlets. To get involved in the garden project contact Adam at adamfredperkins@gmail.com.

Sunday, July 19, 2009... Alternative Diets

2009-07-16T14:05:00.017-05:00

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Living Without-- Iowa City local lady, Lindsay Vaux, talks about her experience living with Celiac Disease which prevents her from eating gluten. Try one of her favorite gluten-free cookie recipes:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets (or line them with foil for faster clean-up). In a large bowl, stir together the first four ingredients until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated into the batter. Roll teaspoons of the dough into balls and arrange about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the balls to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, making a crosshatch pattern. Bake cookies in batches until puffed and pale golden, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for at least 2 minutes. They may still be soft and crumbly when you transfer them onto a rack or plate, so do this carefully (I used a pie server to avoid breakage). As the cookies cool, they will get firmer. Store in an airtight container.

(from http://www.adinnerparty.net/2008/11/chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-madness.html)

Gluten Evolution -- After searching high and low for gluten-free bread that tasted like, well, bread, Anna Sobaski started her own company called Breads from Anna.

Rabbit Food -- One of the most common diet decisions is that of vegetarians. Dave Burt, an owner of Iowa City restaurant The Red Avocado, talks about creating exciting vegan menus and pleasing a variety of palates.

Food-Free Diets -- Carina speaks with friends in Iowa City who have embarked on a variety of fasts for a variety of reasons.

Sunday, July 5, 2009...Sweets and Treats

2009-07-06T09:18:00.006-05:00

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Candy Stand- Katie McGowan and Josh Eklow venture into Iowa City's pedmall to set up a free candy stand and get a sense of peoples' tastes or aversions to different sweets.

Koolee Time- Josh Eklow, a koolee aficionado, gives us a look into the koolee scene in Iowa City and the proper way to drink this sweet icey beverage.

DIY Pie- Carina demonstrates step-by-step how to make a peach-raspberry pie with help from assistant and professional taster, Micah Merrifield.

Try it at home with this recipe:

Peach-raspberry Pie:

oven preheated to 425 F

filling:

6-7 cups fruit (more peaches than raspberries as the berries tend to overpower the flavors)

1/2-3/4 cup sugar

3 1/2 T quick tapioca or cornstarch for thickening

1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 t almond extract

-toss all gently in a large mixing bowl, let stand for 15 minutes

crust:

1 cup flour

1 stick butter (I use salted and omit any additional salt in filling)

dash sugar

about 3-4 T cold water

-blend in a food processor until just combined, adding the water as it blends to get it just moist enough but not wet.

-make this recipe twice: once for bottom crust, once for top crust

-roll out dough after chilling for 30 minutes; flour area generously so it doesn't stick

-place bottom crust in a 9 in glass pie pan, leaving edges overhanging

-fill with fruit mixture

-dot top of fruit with 3-4 T butter cut into thin slices

-roll out top dough and cover fruit, use water to glue two crusts together

-use thumb and index finger of one hand and index finger of other to create a crimped/fluted edge

around pie

-cut steam vents in top crust

-brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar

-bake at 425 for 30 minutes then lower oven temperature to 350 and slide a baking sheet underneath pie

-bake another 25-35 minutes or until the fruit juices start bubbling through vents

-let cool completely to set the juices and serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Sweet Market Picks- Visit Jonathon and Erin of Hoard's Apple Mountain Bakery for a taste of their 100 year old pie recipe. Try Regina Miller's almond croissant or pan au chocolate just down the aisle.

After sampling some of both I think I'll be back for more!

Sunday, June 21, 2009...Spirited Summer Sips

2009-06-21T13:06:00.009-05:00

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Drinks with Heart - Flaunting the first licensed distillery in Iowa since prohibition, Cedar Ridge Vineyards: Winery and Distillery offers a variety of spirits including Clearheart vodka, gin and rum, as well as a few select liqueurs.

Infused Booze - Drinks are getting a savory touch at the Motley Cow Cafe, 160 North Linn Street, with infusions of rosemary, basil, cucumber, and chile. We stopped by to sample their concoctions and spoke with the infuser herself, Kate Raw. You can stop by the Motley Cow and try classy cocktails such as the french 75, sazerac, el fantasma, the getaway, the green party, gin gin mule, kentucky mule, or a basil mojito. They also mix up a mean martini and their gimlets are the best in town.

Summertime Wine - Carina talks with Robert Morey, the wine guy at the downtown New Pioneer Co-op, about wine basics and great summer wine deals including his favorite rosés. Check out the malbec and muscadet he recommends!

Endangered Cocktails- Iowa City cocktail aficionado, Liz Crooks, talks about her chapter of LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails).

Try out her recipe for a delightfully refreshing Duffytown Pony:
1.5 oz gin (she prefers Hendrick's)
.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
ginger ale
Angostura bitters
-pour gin followed by lime juice into a tall glass filled with ice cubes

-top with ginger ale and a dash of bitters
-garnish with a lime wheel

A few other classics to mix up at home:

Dry Martini:
-fill martini glass with ice and water to chill thoroughly
-fill shaker with ice and pour in 2 oz gin (or vodka) and 1 teaspoon dry
vermouth
-shake vigorously
-pour out water and ice from glass and strain contents of the shaker into
the chilled glass.
-a properly made martini should have ice crystals floating on the top
-garnish with green olives or a lemon twist

Between the Sheets:

-pour into a shaker filled with ice:

1 oz brandy

1 oz light rum

1 oz Cointreau

1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

-shake vigorously and pour into a chilled cocktail glass

-garnish with a lemon twist

Rusty Nail:

1 measure Scotch whisky

1/2 measure Drambuie

-serve over ice in a tumbler, garnish with lemon twist

Classic Champagne Cocktail:

1 sugar cube

1-2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 measure brandy

4 measures chilled Champagne

-put the sugar cube into a champagne glass and saturate with bitters

-add brandy, then fill the glass with champagne

Sunday, June 14, 2009...Cultured and Fermented Foods

2009-06-16T10:30:00.017-05:00

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Plastic-Free Yogurt--Jeanne Haegele from Life Less Plastic, talks about her quest to live with as little plastic as possible. She offers tips for food shopping and eating out, and shares her recipe and process for making yogurt at home. Here is Jeanne's list of everyday items with little or no plastic packaging.

And below is Jeanne's yogurt recipe, which she found on the Ruby Glen website:

Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients
4 and 1/4 cups milk, cow or goat
1/3 cup powdered milk (this is optional but will make a thicker yogurt)
One envelope of yogurt starter (you can purchase this at Whole Foods or your local health food store. You may also be able to find it at those vitamin stores in the mall or around town)

Instructions
--Before you begin, find a way to incubate your yogurt during fermentation. I use a cooler and it works very well. Some people use a thermos or simply place their yogurt on a heat vent or in the oven (sometimes the pilot light keeps the oven warmer than room temperature).
--Also before you begin, wash 1 quart-sized canning jar or another container that will fit the volume of milk you're using.
--Pour your milk into a cooking pot.
--Heat the milk up to 185 degrees.
--Remove from heat and allow the milk to cool down to 110 degrees. The cooling takes approximately 20 to 40 minutes.
--If you want to speed up the cooling process put the milk outside if it's cold out (and if you're confident critters won't get to it) or fill your sink with cold water and place the pot of hot milk in the water and stir and stir.
--After the milk reaches 110 degrees add the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved very well.
--Pour this mixture into your container
--Put the lid on and put it into what ever place you are planning to incubate it.
--Leave it there for 10 to 12 hours. Try not to disturb the jar to much. When the yogurt is firm (or at least somewhat thicker) it is time to remove it and put it in the refrigerator. Usually 12 to 24 hours. If you make and incubate the yogurt during the day it can refrigerate overnight and be ready for breakfast the next day. (Note that my yogurt isn't usually what I would call firm before I put it in the refrigerator, but it firms the rest of the way up overnight)
--If you would like flavored yogurt you can add fresh fruit or a little bit of flavored jam when serving.

For more information and tips for homemade yogurt, you can check out this article, "They Do the Work, You Reap the Yogurt," by Harold McGee, The New York Times.

Wonder Drink - Carina spoke with Abbie Sawyer, a kombucha home-brewer. This pro-biotic tea has grown in popularity over the past few years. Abbie recommends a recipe for kombucha from Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon.

Homemade Kombucha: (makes about 2 quarts)

3 quarts filtered water

1 cup white sugar

4 organic black tea bags

½ cup kombucha from a previous culture (or a few teaspoons apple cider vinegar)

1 kombucha starter

--Bring the 3 quarts filtered water to a boil. Add sugar and simmer until dissolved. Remove from heat, add tea bags, and allow the tea to steep until the water has cooled completely.

--Remove the tea bags.

--Pour the cooled liquid into a 4 quart pyrex bowl and add ½ cup kombucha from a previous batch.

--Place the starter on top of the liquid.

--Make a crisscross over the bowl with masking tape, cover loosely with a cloth or towel and transfer to a warm, dark place.

--In about 7-10 days the kombucha will be ready. It should taste sour and slightly fizzy.

--Transfer to covered glass containers and store in the refrigerator.

--When the kombucha is ready the starter will have grown a second spongy pancake. This can be peeled apart and given away for others to start their own batches. They can be store in the fridge in glass or stainless steel containers, never plastic.

You can also purchase commercial brands of kombucha such as GT Dave's Organic Raw Kombucha and their Synergy line which is 95% kombucha mixed with 5% juice. GT's is currently on sale at the New Pioneer Co-op for $2.59. It is usually priced at $3.69 per bottle.

Taste of Sourdough--Iowa City restaurant Taste on Melrose is kicking off the summer with a weekly sourdough pizza special. Learn about their signature crust and inspirations!

Taste is located at 1006 Melrose Avenue and is open for "pizza and pinot" nights Sundays and Mondays, 5 until close. Lunch is served Tuesday-Friday 11:30 until 2, and dinner Tuesday-Saturday, 5 until close. Call for more information or reservations: 319.339.9938

Market Pick - This week you can find many pizza toppings including one vendor's offerings of lion's mane, shiitake, goat's beard and yellow, brown and pink oyster mushrooms. You can also check out a variety of fresh herbs - like basil, cilantro and parsley - as well as green onions and garlic scapes. For some extra crunch, you can find bunches of spring greens for a salad on the side.

Sunday, June 7, 2009...Summertime Sizzle

2009-06-05T10:15:00.005-05:00

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Brisket Bill --- Barbecue enthusiast Bill Losh tells us about barbecue competitions across the country and shares some of his secret tips. You can visit his website at www.n2que.com

Peach BBQ Sauce:

48 fluid ounces peach slices in light syrup
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions:

Puree peaches
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat to low boil, stirring occasionally
Continue to simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently
Sauce may be thin, so at the end of cooking time, if necessary, add sufficient water/cornstarch mixture to give sauce consistency of commercial barbecue sauce

Tomato BBQ Sauce:

1 1/4 cups chili sauce
3 cups ketchup
1 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar

Combine in Large pot, simmer.
Will last in Refrigerator for awhile

BBQ Baked Beans:

1 Can of Bush Baked beans with Onions
1 Tablespoon Yellow mustard
Some BBQ Sauce to taste
Dash of Worchester sauce
Tablespoon Dried onion Flakes
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
½ Green bell pepper (diced small)
½ Red Bell Pepper (Diced Small)
½ Yellow onion

Rehydrate the dried onions in a tablespoon of water let sit for 5 minutes or until soft.
Dice the Peppers
Dice the Onion
Sautee the onions and peppers in small amount of oil until soft.
Now add all the rest of ingredients
Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes
Or put into a crock pot and let stew for a couple hours If you do in Crockpot do a double batch or more.

From the book BBQ Sauces, Rubs, & Marinades for Dummies by Traci Cumbay and Tom Schneider

Lemon Rub:

4 Teaspoons Lemon Pepper
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Oregano
2 Teaspoons Thyme
½ Teaspoon salt

Instructions:
In a small bowl combine all ingredients use on fish, chicken.

Teriyaki Marinade:

1 Tablespoon fresh minced Ginger
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Minced shallot
½ Teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar.

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large freezer bag or plastic bowl with lid and mix.
Refrigerate or use right away.
Add chicken or beef or even Pork to bag or bowl, let marinate fastest 30 minutes but 6 hours to overnight is much better

IC Loves BBQ --- The sights, sounds and flavors of Iowa City's two independent barbecue restaurants, Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack, 1940 Lower Muscatine Road, and The Pit, 130 N. Dubuque Street.

Market Pick --- This week we spoke with two meat vendors at the Iowa City Farmer's Market - Lois Pavelka from Pavelka's Point, Inc., in Mount Vernon, Iowa, who is regionally famous for her lamb and Jay Coffland who owns Heritage Point Farm in Center Point, Iowa, who sells a varity of beef cuts including hamburger, steaks and Korean style ribs.

Spring onions are also prevalent at the market right now and great for grilling!

Plus, tips and recipes for BBQ and grilling, and the sweet sounds of blues and soul tunes.

Salsa Verde recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Combine in a small bowl:
1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley (leaves and thin stems only)
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, chopped very fine
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

(other herbs can be added such as tarragon, chervil, chives, basil, cilantro , mint, rosemary, thyme)

Mix well and taste for salt. Let the sauce sit for awhile to develop the flavors. Serve with grilled meat, fish, or vegetables.

Coming soon!

2009-05-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

WHISK can be heard on 89.7 KRUI on Sundays from 4-5 pm, beginning June 7, 2009.