In Chinese supermarkets, you can often find a set of little bottles of flavored, sour "yogurt" in the refrigerated section. It's very artificial and filled with sugar, but very tasty. It turns out that cultured buttermilk reminds me of that.
I got into researching buttermilk when I read in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian that you can make cheese using buttermilk. It was a fascinating idea which lead me to wonder if you can make your own buttermilk as well. It turns out that you can!
Just to clarify, in the previous post, I made butter, which made old-fashioned buttermilk as a by-product. Old-fashioned buttermilk is not the same as cultured buttermilk, which is what you buy in the stores. Cultured buttermilk is milk or cream that has been invaded by a kind of bacteria, kind of like how yogurt is made. In fact, yogurt is made exactly the same way except it is invaded by a different bacteria. As long as the bacteria culture is alive, you can use the old batch of cultured buttermilk to make a new batch of cultured buttermilk.
To make cultured buttermilk from cultured buttermilk, use a 1 to 3 ratio. One part buttermilk to 3 parts milk. Mix together and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours at least. The process should not take longer than 36 hours. You know it's done when it tastes sour and tangy and when it coats the side of your glass. When it has the flavor and consistency you like, put it in the fridge. If you don't plan to use it right away and don't plan to drink it, you can also freeze the buttermilk.
Honestly, I didn't think I would particularly like the taste of buttermilk. However, when I tried it, I found that I couldn't stop sipping! I experimented a little by mixing a little bit of juice into a little bit of buttermilk and it was great! This is a very happy discovery for me indeed.
What's more, adventuring into this territory has opened up many other avenues of exploration. For instance, you can make sour cream or creme fraiche by adding 1 tablespoon of cultured buttermilk to 1 cup of cream and let stand for 24 hours or until desired consistency. Stir and refrigerate for 24 hours after for best flavor. I think technically, sour cream is made from light cream and creme fraiche is made from heavy cream. I never really was clear on the difference between the two.
From your chilled creme fraiche or soured cream, you can then go on to make cultured butter the same way you'd make regular or sweet cream butter. If you don't have or want to use buttermilk to inoculate the cream, you can also use yogurt with active cultures. Just make sure the yogurt doesn't have any thickeners, like pectin, in it.
Buttermilk can also be used as a cheese starter. Generally, you add the starter to the milk, let it sit for about a day and then add the coagulating enzyme, otherwise known as rennet. If you don't want to use rennet, I think you can just let the milk sit until it clabbers, or forms lumps. For more information on making rennet-less cheese, check out this link:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/cheesedragoona.htm
This is really fascinating stuff to me and is an amazingly awesome welcome into the world of cultured diary!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Making butter
It turns out, making butter is really, really easy and really, really worth the effort! All you need is heavy cream and a jar. Make sure you don't fill the jar more than halfway with cream, screw on the lid nice and tight and just shake, shake, shake! After a while, it turns into whipped cream. Just keep shaking! Eventually, it starts to separate. The fats clump together to become butter and the liquid can be poured and saved to make baked goodies. The liquid is known as old-fashioned buttermilk and is not the same as cultured buttermilk, which is what you get at the supermarket. Once the butter has separated, pour the buttermilk into a separate container and fill your butter jar with cold water. Shake some more, then pour out. Fill the butter jar again with cold water, shake and pour out. You're trying to squeeze the rest of the buttermilk out of the butter, otherwise the butter will sour very quickly. Once the water pours out clear, you're done!
I have to say, homemade butter tastes soooooo much better than store-bought butter. After having it smeared on a nice slice of whole wheat toast, I said to my hubby, "I don't think I could ever settle for store-bought butter ever again!" In the future, I may consider making it in my mixer though all that shaking was rather fun. I guess it will depend on how much butter I plan on making. Lol! Also, the old-fashioned buttermilk tastes really good too! I could definitely just down a glass of that at the end!
The next thing I might want to do research on is letting the cream sour a little before making it into butter. I read that doing this gives the butter a nice flavor that some creameries feel is important. I'm not sure if they add yogurt or buttermilk or just let it stand.
Anyways, it's totally worth it to make your own butter. Try it!
I have to say, homemade butter tastes soooooo much better than store-bought butter. After having it smeared on a nice slice of whole wheat toast, I said to my hubby, "I don't think I could ever settle for store-bought butter ever again!" In the future, I may consider making it in my mixer though all that shaking was rather fun. I guess it will depend on how much butter I plan on making. Lol! Also, the old-fashioned buttermilk tastes really good too! I could definitely just down a glass of that at the end!
The next thing I might want to do research on is letting the cream sour a little before making it into butter. I read that doing this gives the butter a nice flavor that some creameries feel is important. I'm not sure if they add yogurt or buttermilk or just let it stand.
Anyways, it's totally worth it to make your own butter. Try it!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Banning pedestrians from using headphones
I saw this in the NYTimes and thought, what a waste of time this is:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/us/26runners.html?ref=nyregion
Apparently, some lawmakers think it prudent to ban pedestrians from using headphones while crossing streets. The justification is that distracted pedestrians are a danger to themselves because they aren't paying full attention (in some cases, any attention) on where they are and what's around them. Pedestrians often do not follow traffic rules and add the fact that they're distracted, they are particularly vulnerable to accidents.
Personally, I have walked many streets with headphones on. It's true that I can't hear and my ability to sense danger when crossing a road is dampened. However, I can still see. I still look both ways before I cross and never cross if I see a car coming. Isn't that what we're taught as children? If an adult just so happens to forget that crossing streets have inherent dangers or chooses to ignore the inherent dangers because they're listening to a really rockin' song, then I agree with this quote from the article:
“At some point, we need to take responsibility for our own stupidity.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/26/us/26runners.html?ref=nyregion
Apparently, some lawmakers think it prudent to ban pedestrians from using headphones while crossing streets. The justification is that distracted pedestrians are a danger to themselves because they aren't paying full attention (in some cases, any attention) on where they are and what's around them. Pedestrians often do not follow traffic rules and add the fact that they're distracted, they are particularly vulnerable to accidents.
Personally, I have walked many streets with headphones on. It's true that I can't hear and my ability to sense danger when crossing a road is dampened. However, I can still see. I still look both ways before I cross and never cross if I see a car coming. Isn't that what we're taught as children? If an adult just so happens to forget that crossing streets have inherent dangers or chooses to ignore the inherent dangers because they're listening to a really rockin' song, then I agree with this quote from the article:
“At some point, we need to take responsibility for our own stupidity.”
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Banana cake
I neglected to eat some bananas before they got really ripe so I made banana cake! It turned out quite delicious. The trick is to use really ripe bananas and to cut the sugar in half.
The recipe I used is from Peg Bracken's I Hate To Cook Book. It is not exactly a cook book for healthy eating, but there are couple of recipes in there that have never failed to please. The banana cake one is one of them. I believe the recipe is called Maui Bread.
The cake is really good fresh out of the oven, and almost never lasts the week. It's good sliced and toasted with some warm butter smeared on too. My hubby was quite pleased. :-)
Friday, January 14, 2011
Bald eagles are making a comeback!
In a world of bad news, there is some good news. Our conservation efforts to keep the bald eagles from extinction appear to be working! All those people trekking and climbing to the birds' nests to check on their eggs and taking headcount must feel pretty good because for sure, there must have been times that their efforts felt futile.
Check out the article here:
http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/24012/celebrating_the_return_of_the_bald_eagle
Check out the article here:
http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/24012/celebrating_the_return_of_the_bald_eagle
Fly repellent
I never knew that a bag of water can repel flies, but apparently it does! Wonder if it works for mosquitoes too.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/scare-flies-away-with-water-with-this-chic-version-of-the-popular-latin-american-bug-repellent.php
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/scare-flies-away-with-water-with-this-chic-version-of-the-popular-latin-american-bug-repellent.php
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Magnetic Yellow Cards for Cyclists to Warn Dangerous Drivers
I saw this article on Treehugger.com:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/magnetic-yellow-cards-for-cyclists-dangerous-drivers.php
The article got me thinking about cyclists, drivers and pedestrians sharing the same road. Now I can't say that I'm a cyclist considering I don't own a bicycle and I can barely ride one. However, I have ridden bicycles traversing streets, sidewalks and a modicum of dirt and sand. I have also driven a car regularly for a short period of my life. Most of all, though, I've been an avid pedestrian, the least armored mode of transportation. As a pedestrian, I have very strong, negative feelings towards certain behaviors in cyclists and drivers. When I ride a bicycle or drive, I do realize that pedestrians irritate me as well, but however I may scream in the car and rage on a bike, I never ride or drive in a way that may scare someone or put someone in danger. Safety comes first.
Now that cycling as an actual mode of transportation is becoming more and more of a reality, there is a lot of friction where we are all expected to share the road. The truth is, cyclists, drivers and pedestrians all think they own the road and many don't care to follow the law. Yes, it irritates me to no end when a driver drives 40 miles an hour in the left lane, just as it irritates me to no end when a pedestrian cuts me in front of me to walk slow. In both cases, if they crash into me or I crash into them, they would most likely suffer the same amount of hurt or damage as me. So though these things irritate me, I can learn to live with that.
What I can't stand, is the near-death experiences when a car stops smack in the middle of the crosswalk forcing me to walk into moving traffic, or when a cyclist nearly clips me from behind speeding down the sidewalk. In my experience, neither the cyclist nor the driver are apologetic about putting someone in danger when they are doing something illegal. What infuriates me more than the act itself, is the apathy and the self-righteous attitude in the perpetrators. I get the feeling that they couldn't care less about anybody but themselves. It's a terrible feeling to think that so many people would not give a second thought to running down or running over a human being.
I'll admit that as a pedestrian, I will often cross against the light if I don't see a car coming. So yeah, sometimes I'll break the rules, but I never do it when I think it would inconvenience someone or put someone in fear of mortal danger. While waiting for the lights to change, I'll stay out of bike lanes when I see them and I always try to remember to check before I open a car door curbside.
In my opinion, there needs to be mutual respect and compassion. I know, it sounds corny, but it's true. Education on how to share the road is important, but it will only go so far as long as each group keeps trying to "own the road" or blame the other for the friction. The truth is that none of us as a group is innocent here. We cannot keep laying the blame on someone else's doorstep and think that there won't be a push back. If cyclists want drivers to drive safer for cyclists, then cyclists need to reign in their fellows for behaviors like riding side by side in the middle of the road at a leisure pace. If drivers and pedestrians want cyclists to stop running red lights and speeding through intersections, then maybe they should stop running red lights themselves and look before turning. If pedestrians want drivers and cyclists to stop whizzing past within inches of them, then maybe pedestrians should stop jumping into the way of traffic assuming cars and cyclists won't run them over. So yeah, education is important, but more important is mutual respect that we all have to use this limited space and we all have somewhere we're trying to get to.
Going back to the article, I don't think some of the comments wishing death and hurt to a group is helpful. Just as the sentiments about kicking the car isn't helpful. In fact, it's downright saddening to see that such speech inevitably comes up when it comes to articles about cyclists sharing the road. I also think the magnets are a waste of time and resources. I just don't see people changing their habits because of an anonymous note stuck to their car. Most likely, this friction will continue for a while. Without self-reflection, there can be no change because you can't change someone who doesn't want to change.
In the end, I don't think tensions are necessarily going to get worse or better. There will be a lot of shoving, name-calling and such, but eventually, we might learn to all get along somehow. Maybe we'll reach a tenuous or uneasy way of sharing the road and that's the best we can do.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/magnetic-yellow-cards-for-cyclists-dangerous-drivers.php
The article got me thinking about cyclists, drivers and pedestrians sharing the same road. Now I can't say that I'm a cyclist considering I don't own a bicycle and I can barely ride one. However, I have ridden bicycles traversing streets, sidewalks and a modicum of dirt and sand. I have also driven a car regularly for a short period of my life. Most of all, though, I've been an avid pedestrian, the least armored mode of transportation. As a pedestrian, I have very strong, negative feelings towards certain behaviors in cyclists and drivers. When I ride a bicycle or drive, I do realize that pedestrians irritate me as well, but however I may scream in the car and rage on a bike, I never ride or drive in a way that may scare someone or put someone in danger. Safety comes first.
Now that cycling as an actual mode of transportation is becoming more and more of a reality, there is a lot of friction where we are all expected to share the road. The truth is, cyclists, drivers and pedestrians all think they own the road and many don't care to follow the law. Yes, it irritates me to no end when a driver drives 40 miles an hour in the left lane, just as it irritates me to no end when a pedestrian cuts me in front of me to walk slow. In both cases, if they crash into me or I crash into them, they would most likely suffer the same amount of hurt or damage as me. So though these things irritate me, I can learn to live with that.
What I can't stand, is the near-death experiences when a car stops smack in the middle of the crosswalk forcing me to walk into moving traffic, or when a cyclist nearly clips me from behind speeding down the sidewalk. In my experience, neither the cyclist nor the driver are apologetic about putting someone in danger when they are doing something illegal. What infuriates me more than the act itself, is the apathy and the self-righteous attitude in the perpetrators. I get the feeling that they couldn't care less about anybody but themselves. It's a terrible feeling to think that so many people would not give a second thought to running down or running over a human being.
I'll admit that as a pedestrian, I will often cross against the light if I don't see a car coming. So yeah, sometimes I'll break the rules, but I never do it when I think it would inconvenience someone or put someone in fear of mortal danger. While waiting for the lights to change, I'll stay out of bike lanes when I see them and I always try to remember to check before I open a car door curbside.
In my opinion, there needs to be mutual respect and compassion. I know, it sounds corny, but it's true. Education on how to share the road is important, but it will only go so far as long as each group keeps trying to "own the road" or blame the other for the friction. The truth is that none of us as a group is innocent here. We cannot keep laying the blame on someone else's doorstep and think that there won't be a push back. If cyclists want drivers to drive safer for cyclists, then cyclists need to reign in their fellows for behaviors like riding side by side in the middle of the road at a leisure pace. If drivers and pedestrians want cyclists to stop running red lights and speeding through intersections, then maybe they should stop running red lights themselves and look before turning. If pedestrians want drivers and cyclists to stop whizzing past within inches of them, then maybe pedestrians should stop jumping into the way of traffic assuming cars and cyclists won't run them over. So yeah, education is important, but more important is mutual respect that we all have to use this limited space and we all have somewhere we're trying to get to.
Going back to the article, I don't think some of the comments wishing death and hurt to a group is helpful. Just as the sentiments about kicking the car isn't helpful. In fact, it's downright saddening to see that such speech inevitably comes up when it comes to articles about cyclists sharing the road. I also think the magnets are a waste of time and resources. I just don't see people changing their habits because of an anonymous note stuck to their car. Most likely, this friction will continue for a while. Without self-reflection, there can be no change because you can't change someone who doesn't want to change.
In the end, I don't think tensions are necessarily going to get worse or better. There will be a lot of shoving, name-calling and such, but eventually, we might learn to all get along somehow. Maybe we'll reach a tenuous or uneasy way of sharing the road and that's the best we can do.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Writing is good for you!
I've always said that writing is cathartic. If I'm feeling frustrated, depressed or am working through something stressful, it always helps to keep a journal. I admit that I don't keep a journal regularly, but I can't deny its therapeutic effects on my mental state and emotional health. Here's an article that supports my assertion:
http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/73/upside-of-writing/
http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/73/upside-of-writing/
Funny article
Some interesting theories as to why thousands of birds fell from the sky dead in Arkansas.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/compost/2011/01/why_5000_birds_fell_out_of_the.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/compost/2011/01/why_5000_birds_fell_out_of_the.html
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Winter eczema
If you have eczema, you'll know what it means to literally scratch yourself to ribbons. Even as your patch of eczema is scratched to the point where the area is swollen, weeping and bleeding, you still gotta scratch that patch! Winter is the worst time for eczema because the heat sucks the moisture out of the air, making it a perfect eczema environment.
So for eczema sufferers, moisture is important. Use a humidifier and moisturize often. When my eczema was really bad, I used to slather on lots of moisturizer and cover the patches with tights for my legs, cotton gloves for my hands and cotton socks for my feet. I would sleep like this to not only keep the moisture in, but also in an attempt to keep me from scratching in my sleep. If I could prevent scratching, the patch has a chance to heal, otherwise, it's just a never-ending cycle of scratching and suffering.
For me, my eczema can be triggered by specific things such as asthma or certain foods. I won't talk about the asthma here since I rarely get asthma attacks, but I will talk about food triggers. I am not actually allergic to sugar and dairy, but if I overindulge, it can trigger eczema. Generally, I don't worry about my diet since I think I eat pretty moderately, but if I know my eczema is getting bad, it helps to cut back on sugar and dairy. This just for me personally. Others may or may not have food triggers, but it's good to notice these things.
As for moisturizer, it's now cold enough that coconut oil alone isn't enough. I need intense therapy! I now have an eczema patch on the back of my left wrist. It's not bad and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm sorry to say that I did scratch that patch and I broke skin, so I need to be more aware and careful. I recently made a batch of my favorite lotion to help with my winter eczema. It's made with aloe water to promote healing and has a few drops of glycerin to help pull more moisture from the air to the skin. I also made a lotion bar, which is made with wax and oil. I put the lotion on first and then rub on the lotion bar to help seal in the lotion. It's the same concept as moisturizing and then covering up with cotton gloves. Of course, for the worst cases, I think the cotton gloves are the most helpful. In the worst of times, I wore the cotton gloves during the day - even to work. To help distract you from the itching, you can add some peppermint oil to your lotion. The minty feeling doesn't make the itch go away, but it helps keep your mind off the itch.
So far, this is working for me. Of course, winter has only just begun so things could still get worse. Wish me luck!
So for eczema sufferers, moisture is important. Use a humidifier and moisturize often. When my eczema was really bad, I used to slather on lots of moisturizer and cover the patches with tights for my legs, cotton gloves for my hands and cotton socks for my feet. I would sleep like this to not only keep the moisture in, but also in an attempt to keep me from scratching in my sleep. If I could prevent scratching, the patch has a chance to heal, otherwise, it's just a never-ending cycle of scratching and suffering.
For me, my eczema can be triggered by specific things such as asthma or certain foods. I won't talk about the asthma here since I rarely get asthma attacks, but I will talk about food triggers. I am not actually allergic to sugar and dairy, but if I overindulge, it can trigger eczema. Generally, I don't worry about my diet since I think I eat pretty moderately, but if I know my eczema is getting bad, it helps to cut back on sugar and dairy. This just for me personally. Others may or may not have food triggers, but it's good to notice these things.
As for moisturizer, it's now cold enough that coconut oil alone isn't enough. I need intense therapy! I now have an eczema patch on the back of my left wrist. It's not bad and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm sorry to say that I did scratch that patch and I broke skin, so I need to be more aware and careful. I recently made a batch of my favorite lotion to help with my winter eczema. It's made with aloe water to promote healing and has a few drops of glycerin to help pull more moisture from the air to the skin. I also made a lotion bar, which is made with wax and oil. I put the lotion on first and then rub on the lotion bar to help seal in the lotion. It's the same concept as moisturizing and then covering up with cotton gloves. Of course, for the worst cases, I think the cotton gloves are the most helpful. In the worst of times, I wore the cotton gloves during the day - even to work. To help distract you from the itching, you can add some peppermint oil to your lotion. The minty feeling doesn't make the itch go away, but it helps keep your mind off the itch.
So far, this is working for me. Of course, winter has only just begun so things could still get worse. Wish me luck!
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