Limoncello

I'm in the process of making a limoncello which should be ready on 8/27. At this point it's simply mellowing out, but here's how I've put it together:

1 1/2 cup decent vodka (I used Skyy, which isn't that decent)
8 lemons
1 cup Sugar
1 cup water
A mason jar
A middling amount of upper body strength
The passage of time

1. Peel zest from 4 lemons avoiding the white pith if possible
2. Pour vodka into the mason jar and add the zest
3. Seal and label jar
4. Let sit for two weeks, shaking daily

Musical interlude…

5. Strain out and discard zest
6. Creat simple syrup by combining sugar and water in saucepan and heating until sugar dissolves
7. Let syrup cool completely
8. Squeeze remaining 4 lemons, removing seeds, and add juice to the syrup
9. Add lemon syrup to infused vodka and let it mellow for 6 weeks

Extremely long musical interlude…

10. Realize that you are too poor to afford an airplane ticket and the only way you are getting back to Italy is by closing your eyes and downing the entire mason jar in one gigantic swig OR slightly chill and take little sips out of a thimble glass like a mystical fairy

I'd imagine that, should this recipe produce something ingestible, it will make for a refreshing summer libation. I for one will be thinking fondly of my trip with Sam to Capri while I drink. Salut!

Rubs

I've been working on some dry rubs for grilling season. Here is one that I think is closest to primetime:

2 parts ground coffee
2 parts fresh ground black pepper
1.5 parts salt
1 part brown sugar
1 part cumin
Cayenne pepper to taste

I've tried this on pork tenderloin, flank steak, and chicken and been happy with the results. This is best on a grill because a little smoke wakes this up. I'm still experimenting with marinade times, but longer is often better.

http://www.diena.lv/lat/multimediji/dienatv/dzive/video-martins-sirmais-gatavo-svaigu-sieru-un-salatus

This will be my project for the next EOW gathering.

Easy Strawberry Jam

I was still 20 feet away from the stand when I knew that strawberries had arrived with a vengeance at the Bloomingdale farmer's market. There were only about a dozen quarts of red goodness left, but had out-perfumed the nearby flower stand and staked an olfactory claim to nearly half of the block-long market. It wasn't long before my bag was 2 pounds heavier.

I am not much a strawberry enthusiast, and I soon realized that consuming that many strawberries before they went bad would be nearly impossible. I decided to look for an easy recipe for jam. Here is what I did:

1) The recipe said to hull 2 pounds of strawberries. I am not exactly sure what that means, but I think it involved paring knife surgery on each berry. It was Monday night and I wasn't in the mood for that level of patience so I just cut the tops off.

2) Crush the strawberries. I just used my hands to do this and it was pretty fun. It also really lets you control how lumpy the jam will be.

3) Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice (about 1 big lemon) and 4 cups of white sugar and stir. Honestly, you could probably get by with 3 cups of sugar, particularly if the berries are already fresh and sweet.

4) Pour mixture into a saucepan and dissolve sugar over low heat. Once the mixture is no longer grainy, crank up the heat and boil it. The juice should get to 22o degrees. Use a candy thermometer if you have one. I found the last few degrees to be a challenge for some reason.

5) Once at 220, turn down the heat to maintain that temp and put a small sample of the mixture on a cold plate. Run your finger through it and if it stays apart, then you are most likely going to have the right consistency. I just read about this tip, so I don't know yet whether it is true.

6) Turn off the heat and pour jam into warm, sterilized jars. To sterilize, fully wash the jars of any major junk and then use a no-rinse sterilizer (these are available at brewing supply stores). Just follow the instructions on the sterilizer. In a pinch, Josh or I probably have enough to share.

7) Seal and refrigerate.

UPDATE:  Just tried the jam with a little fresh ricotta and bread and it was delicious and just the right consistency.  I'll definitely be doing this one again and freezing it for the winter.

Croissants c/o DCist

A rather involved but tasty-looking approach to croissants.

http://dcist.com/2009/06/croissants_get_the_butter.php#comments

This leads me to think we should consider having some EOWC meetings during the brunch hour, to bring DIY to the AM. And yes, a good bloody mary counts as DIY.

Other blog/newsletter suggestions?

Is there a way to aggregate a list of members' favorite DIY/cooking/culinary blogs and newsletters?

ie: my friend Mike's blog from the DC Homebrewer's club

Beef Jerky Recipe

OK - I finished the beef jerky last night...and then promptly ate nearly all of it with a friend. It only takes two days to make, so I will bring a batch to the next meeting. Here's the recipe (again from my fabulous new DIY cooking book):

Ingredients
1 lb. Top sirloin or flank steak
2 tblsp. Soy sauce
2 tblsp. Brown sugar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tsp. Crushed black pepper (optional)

Directions
1. Go to the supermarket and get either 1 pound of top sirloin or flank steak. Try to get your butcher to slice it into 1/8"-1/4" slices against the grain. When they tell you that they won't do it, bring it home and throw it in the freezer for 30 minutes, which will make it easier to cut yourself.

How to Cut Beef Against Grain -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

2. After you've sliced the beef, lay it out between two kitchen towels to soak out as much liquid as you can. Then, with the beef still between the towels, tenderize it with anything you have available.

3. Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, kosher salt (and red and black pepper if desired) in a large bowl and then toss the beef slices around in it with your hands, making sure to cover all of the meat.

4. Place the slices as flat as possible on a rack (like the one from your grill or oven) and place the rack on top of a baking sheet with aluminum foil on it. Put the whole thing in your refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 24 hours.

5. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees. If, like most modern ones, your oven only goes down to 170 degrees, that's ok.

6. Put the beef tray in the oven for 3-5 hours, checking on it after 3 hours. If you put the beef in the oven at 170 degrees, keep the door ajar with a wooden spoon while it is drying. The beef should not be raw, but slightly stringy when you pull it apart.

7. Curse yourself for only having made 1 pound of beef jerky.

Notes: I found the beef jerky to be a bit salty. I know that beef jerky is supposed to be salty, but I wonder if I should have used a little bit less salt or if the soy sauce I used was some weird organic crap from Whole Foods. Anyway, would be interested in hearing what people think if they make this.