The Most Amazing Soup!

Have you ever eaten something that was EXACTLY what you’ve been craving? You know the dance; you’re hungry, don’t know what you want. You think of all your options at home or even from a restaurant or takeout. Two hours later, you still haven’t pin-pointed what it is you want. You end up eating something else, but it’s a bit depressing. You might even go through this same cycle for a few days afterwards.

And then, there’s the chance that you are in touch with yourself enough to know what you want, and you eat it. It’s more than just the physical or sensory satisfaction, there’s something else. There’s the spiritual or soulful satisfaction that you are listening to your body and you give it what it wants, or even needs.

Last night (a night of rest), I got back in the kitchen and made the most amazing soup ever! I had a craving for some sort of vegetable soup, and found this gem of course, on the Cooking Forum. I think what really threw this recipe over the edge was that I used 1 ½ pints of my homemade Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce instead of the canned tomato sauce called for in the recipe.
It was sublime.

This is also a really great option for using all those yummy summer veggies that are starting to ripen!

Jamie's Minestrone
Yields: 8 servings
NOTE: This original recipe would make a HUGE amount of soup, so I halved all the ingredients called for and had plenty

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
5 carrots, sliced
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cups water
4 cups tomato sauce (I used homemade pasta sauce)
1/2 cup red wine (optional)
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can green beans
2 cups baby spinach, rinsed
3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup seashell pasta
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping (I think Gruyere would be amazing!)
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.

3. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.

4. Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

E-mail Conversation

Me: So, what do you think about buying a nail gun?

Hubs: I am not a fan of nail guns (I will caveat this prejudice may be a result of witnessing their poor use in home construction, see Hurricane Andrew).

Me: You're funny!

Hubs: Funny as in "ha-ha" or funny "strange"?

Me: Does it matter?

Sweetness, I was only joking

On top of laying tile in a bathroom remodel, I’m still able to throw a fabulous meal together, dust the furniture, bake cookies, iron underwear, and twirl around the house in my stylish shirtdress and conservative sling-back heels. Bling!

HAH!

We still have to eat around here, even if a good portion of the house is in chaos and life is all about waiting for things to dry. Actually, I believe that all major projects shouldn’t begin without a good meal. It helps if you’re not already cranky from hunger.

Believe it or not, hubs is becoming quite adept at using my pressure cooker. I sent him instructions on how to throw this pot-roast together and he did a spot-on job of it. See, we’re all learning new things around here!

3 Envelope Pot Roast

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix - the dry mix
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix - "
1 pkg. brown gravy mix - also dry

Mix them all together in a bowl.

With 2 tablespoons of olive oil, brown pot-roast on all sides on med-high heat. You can brown the meat in your pressure cooker pot and save on making another dirty dish. Take pot roast out of pressure cooker, place on plate, and sprinkle about 1/2 to 2/3 of the dried mix (you are supposed to use the entire amount, but most find that too salty) on both sides of the roast. Place pot roast back in pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water. Put lid on, wait for pressure to come up, and cook per time for your make of PC for a pot roast.

When finished cooking, remove pot-roast and add a slurry of cornstarch and water to the gravy and thicken.

**Note: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, simply follow the same instructions except place pot-roast in a dutch oven with one cup of water. Cook in 300° oven for approximately 90 minutes, or until it reaches your desired tenderness.

This pot-roast was actually VERY good and had a very good flavor. We served it with some good-ole’ fashioned mashed taters, and beans. It came with high reviews from the Cooking Forum. Yum!

Pray the Anger Away

Wanna know what we’re fighting about? The plastic, crapass miter box you can buy at either Home Despot or Lowes. We’re doing the baseboards now and hubs says, “I don’t know how the Amish do it, but my last name isn’t Yoder!” We sweated, cursed, and called it a night when things got ugly. “I wonder how the Amish deal with crap like baseboards?” Hubs replies, “They pray the anger away.”

We deal with it by drinking heavily. Seriously, a miter saw is in the works TODAY. Nothing fancy, schmancy, but mid-to-upper range. I don’t need something that will build a barn.

Divorce in the Making

Remember that bathroom remodel I was talking about earlier? Well, we have all of the supplies, gutted the bathrooms, and then waited for the tile guy to show up.

Well, we waited and waited.

The jerk had the nerve to flake out on us two days in a row and didn't show. Good thing we didn't give him any money! Why is it that contractors feel that if a job isn't big enough, it relieves them of the testicular fortitude to tell you they don't want to do it? Instead, they'll "commit" and flake out without a phone call. This is after you've taken off time from work. The sad part is, this isn't the first time I've had to go through this with a contractor.

GRRRRrrrrrr!

So that means we are DOING IT OURSELVES! Both bathrooms. Should I hire an attorney now? I see many marital spats on the near horizon.

FC, how far are you from Orlando??? :-)

Meet Barry the Turtle!

Meet Barry the Box Turtle! On occasion, I’ve heard some serious scurrying going on under the bushes & plants in the garden (can turtles scurry?). I never thought much of it, as we have quite an assortment of critters in our yard, to include Mr. Burns the garter snake, lizards, birds, squirrels, rabbits and whatever else comes out at night. But the other day, I found this little guy underneath a huge porterweed bush while I was hacking back my over-aggressive Joseph’s Coat.


At first, I started leaving him (her?) some veggies and salad to munch, but I later found out that box turtles are really carnivores (Hmmm…so who’s been eating the veggies I left?). Now I know what’s been happening to my earthworm population! Over the past year, I must have “relocated” close to 100 earthworms to my garden and never can find any when I dig. The soil is perfect for them, moist, lots of organic matter, poop (cow, not mine), leaves. Little monster!

Till then, he’s free to roam around and chill.

Florida Farmer's Market

I’ve had a little time off this week, so I took the time to visit one of our local farmer’s markets. Now, this market is held on WEDNESDAY of all days (why not Saturday when most people have off?), which makes it hard for me to get out there more than a couple of times a year. I’m usually in and out of there by 9 a.m., as it gets to oh…150° after 10 a.m. and I’m a dripping ball of sweat.

This is Barefoot Bill. He NEVER wears shoes. Ever. Even if the temperature outside is icy and frigid, Bill is Barefoot. Hence the name. But, Barefoot Bill sells only what he grows and it’s 100% organic.

I met this lady shucking some yummy looking purple zipper peas. I asked her how to cook them and she said, “First you shuck them. Then you throw them in a big ole’ pot with some fat-back or some salt pork. A ham bone is good and so is bacon. Then you add some water and simmer them for about an hour till the gravy gets good and thick. They’ll be real good ‘bout then.”

And that’s exactly what I did. And they were VERY good. I made a big pan of cornbread and some fried (sautéed) cabbage to go with them. YUM! That’s what we had for lunch.

The rest of the farmers market is a flea market, where you could buy all sorts of things like scary, creepy baby dolls.

Or this kick-ass wine bottle (which I did) for $1.

But basically, I was there for the tomatoes. I made and put up a big batch of Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce. Enjoy!

Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce

8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes -- (about 9-12 tomatoes or 4 lb/2 kg)
1 cup chopped onion -- (250 mL)
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2/3 cup red wine -- (150 mL)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (5 % strength) -- (75 mL)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil -- (125 mL)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley -- (15 mL)
1 teaspoon pickling salt -- (5 mL)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar -- (2 mL)
1 6-oz/156 mL) can tomato paste

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt, sugar and tomato paste in a very large non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim (head space). Process 35 minutes for pin (500 mL) jars and 40 minutes for quart (1 L) jars in a BWB.
Yield: "8 cups"

Note: If you don't can or preserve, this sauce is great on it's own right away. It also makes an excellent base for a quick pizza.

Quiche Me, Dahling!

Like Chinese food, I like the IDEA of eating quiche, but I don’t like to make it. I don’t know why that is, but I think it has something to do with the eggs. It just sounds so high-maintenance, like soufflés or custards. Eggy things that need tempering and beating and folding. And then I’m disappointed and always think, this is just an egg dish. I spent all that time and high expectation on an egg dish! Bah!

BUT, (there’s always a but!) sometimes I think all that extra effort is worth it. Like homemade ice-cream or this dish. My Jedi Masters promised it to be good, and deliver they did!

SALMON QUICHE WITH WALNUT CRUMB CRUST
Recipe source: The Cooking Forum (Thanks Annie!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Pastry:
Easy - doesn't require rolling, just press down with fingers and back of a spoon into a 24 cm (9.5 inch) pyrex flan dish or pie plate.

1 - 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped – I used a food processor

Mix these ingredients in a bowl, cutting in butter with two knives until crumbly then press into a pie dish, including up the sides. Bake in pre-heated oven for five minutes. Then remove from oven. Meanwhile mix the following ingredients in a bowl:

Filling:
3 eggs beat till frothy
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can salmon (7 3/4 ounces) – Or use some fresh, baked salmon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Pour the filling ingredients into the pie crust - bake in oven approximately 45 minutes or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.

**Note: The crust for this was AMAZING; however, I felt the quiche "needed something" like maybe some dill or a sour cream dill sauce.

In Memory of Olive

Read here about Olive, the world's oldest blogger.

So sad, but incredibly inspiring. I am amazed at the stories of other people's lives, especially our elders who have witnessed so much in their time. I think everyone over 80 should have a blog. We need to hear their stories!

Yellow Prism

We finally bottled the Banana Grigio a few weeks ago. I woke up the next morning to see the morning light coming in through the windows. Isn't it pretty?

Holy Guacamole!

I have fruit envy. I get especially jealous around this time of year, and well into the fall, of other people’s fruit trees. I can only imagine what it must be like to have an over abundance of cherries, plums, apples, or even avocadoes. Can you only imagine what it would be like to have too many Haas avocadoes?!! I can hardly process that thought. How can one have TOO many avocadoes? Boggling.

But, you know the grass is always greener. I’m sure there are people in other places who dream of growing citrus, Meyor lemons, papaya, and mango in their back yards. Florida has avocadoes too, but they’re not the same as Haas…not as rich and buttery. I wish I could swap; I don’t even like mangos. Sigh.

Last night hubs and I made fajitas on the grill. I my opinion, no fajita is complete without guacamole. It’s so easy to make, yet it’s a personal thing. Some people like it lumpy, some smooth. Some want it with jalapenos, some not. Some say tomatoes are a no-no, others wouldn’t call it guacamole without it. In all cases, you need slightly soft, fresh avocadoes; they should have a little give when you squeeze them.

Fresh Guacamole

3 ripe Hass avocadoes
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup minced red onion
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ to 1 fresh lime, squeezed
1 small jalapeno, minced (rib and deseed if you don’t want the heat!)
Salt
Pepper

Cut avocadoes in half, stem to core, and remove the pits. Scoop flesh out with a spoon and mash till lumpy in a bowl. Add tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice (to taste), jalapeno, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with a spoon; keep refrigerated.

Dig in with some chips!

Gilroy Wuz Here!

Any of you who may be on “low cholesterol” or “low fat” diets turn away right now. I beg you. I will not be held responsible for your health, nor your downfall.

The following recipe combines the holy trinity of artery clogging, heart disease inducing, cardiologist cringing ingredients: butter, cheese, and mayonnaise.

See that? That’s my garage with two sets of toilets, two granite vanity sink toppers, two sets of faucets, some tiling, and one Lowes stock item bathroom vanity cabinet (the other is on back order). Do you know what that means? It’s a REMODEL boys and girls!

Wanna’ know how to wrap the Lowes Specialty Bath and Plumbing guy right around your finger? You bring him a pan of homemade lasagna, garlic bread, and homemade chocolate, chocolate cookies.

He’ll do ANYTHING for you!

Gilroy Garlic Bread
This is another dandy from the Cooking Forum
Supposedly, this won the Gilroy Garlic Festival cooking contest (wherever that is)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temp
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon (generous) dried oregano, crumbled
1 1-pound loaf French bread, halved lengthwise

Thoroughly combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Refrigerate. Bring to room temp before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 375*. Spread garlic butter on cut side of bread, wrap each half in foil. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate.) Place bread on baking sheet cut side up. Bake 20 minutes. (I baked about 10 minutes, then followed with a few minutes under the broiler) Remove foil from bread.

*Note: the butter spread made quite a bit and I had a lot left over. Save the rest in the refrigerator for future use.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by Cooking in Cleveland! As with all tags, there are rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on the blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

A few random things about me:

1. I'm a certified rescue diver.
2. When I was 12, I was attacked by a feral cat that jumped up on my face (think of the egg-hatcher things in the movie Alien) and bit me. I had to get 12 stitches.
3. I have a bad habit of chewing my lips when I'm anxious. I do it almost all the time.
4. I'd rather have cheese than chocolate.
5. I have a birthmark, about the size of a silver dollar, behind my right knee.
6. I'm terrified of clowns.

O.k., I am tagging:

Gina at Lindsay's Luscious
SJ at I Asshole
Sol at Memories in the Baking
That cute guy, FC, at Pure Florida
Dances, at Dances in Garden
Jojo at Goings on at Jojo's

Monday Mumblings

I am so sore this morning! We did about 2 hours of yardwork on Saturday and my hamstrings are really bitching today. At this time of year, it’s all I can do to keep up with the weeds; everything grows so fast! But I must admit it’s worth it. I get so much joy from the garden and all the butterflies. We planted several caterpillar host plants just for them. Sometimes there are so many butterflies flitting around, you have to control yourself from swatting at them.

I started another batch of wine this weekend; a red this time. It’s an oaked cherry wine that is supposedly ready for drinking in 6-8 weeks. We’ll see about that! So far, all I’ve made is fruit wines (my Banana Grigio is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l), so I’m a little nervous about working on my first red. I’m crossing my fingers cuz that “organic” cherry juice cost me an arm and a leg even with the coupons!

Made more Hippy Muffins, got my hair cut, shopped a little, made dinner yesterday and I’m whipped! I feel like I need another day or two off; good thing Friday’s a holiday!

You Know You're a Floridian If...

Here's a few good ones, courtesy of Vitiamin Sea:

1. Socks are only for bowling.

2. You never use an umbrella because you know the rain will be over in five minutes.

3. A good parking place has nothing to do with distance from the store, but everything to do with shade.

4. Your winter coat is made of denim.

5. You can tell the difference between fire ant bites and mosquito bites.

6. Anything under 70 degrees is chilly.

7. You've driven through Yeehaw Junction.

8. You know that no other grocery store can compare to Publix.

9. Every other house in your neighborhood had blue roofs in 2004-2006.

10. You know that anything under a Category 3 just isn't worth waking up for.

11. You are on a first name basis with the Hurricane list. They aren't Hurricane Charley or Hurricane Frances. You know them as Andrew, Charley , Frances , Ivan and Jeanne, Wilma too.

12. You dread love bug season.

13. You know what a snowbird is and when they'll leave.

14. You think a six-foot alligator is actually pretty average.

15. 'Down South' means Key West .

16. Flip-flops are everyday wear. Shoes are for business meetings and church, but you HAVE worn flip flops to church before.

17. You have a drawer full of bathing suits, and one sweatshirt.

18. You get annoyed at the tourists who feed seagulls. (arrrgh!)

19. A mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.

20. You know the four seasons really are: hurricane season, love bug season, tourist season and summer. (What about Christmas?)

21. You've hosted a hurricane party.

22. You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee , Withlacoochee and Micanopy. (Don't forget Econlockhatchee)

23. You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.

24. You were 25 when you first met someone who couldn't swim.

25. You've worn shorts and used the A/C on Christmas and New Years.

26. You recognize Miami-Dade as ' Northern Cuba.

And I'll add some of my own...

27. You don't actually PAY to go see a live alligator (same goes for seashell souvenirs).

28. You don't make u-turns on any Florida interstate grass median. They may LOOK solid, but you know better.

29. "Full sun" on any plant growing description really means "Florida shade/partial shade"

Hippy Muffins

Doesn’t that sound like the name of some retro punk band? Or maybe the title for another cool foodie blog? But still, it also conjures up images of a middle-aged, pudgy woman who wears mom jeans, Keds, a size too small sweatshirt, and a bad perm. Go figure.

Anyway, I’m always looking for healthier, convenient options for breakfast and these are PERFECT. Grab and go. Best of all, they actually TASTE good! They have wheat germ, low fat yogurt, nuts, veggies, and only 170 calories per muffin. Eat up you hippies!

Hippy Muffins
Recipe source: Martha Stewart Living (originally titled "Carrot-Zucchini Yogurt Muffins")

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/3 cup packed, dark-brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 large zucchini, peeled and grated
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat standard 12-cup muffin tin with the cooking spray. Whisk together flours, pecans, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl, stir together carrots, zucchini, yogurt, egg yolks, molasses and orange zest. Fold flour mixture into carrot mixture, just until combined. With a whisk or a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until shiny, stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into carrot mixture.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling to the brims. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

**I have frozen mine in a gallon sized ziplock bag and grab one for breakfast during the week!

Acting As If

I can really be a strange duck at times. For example, you’ve heard of the concept of projection when it comes to picturing something you want, right? Like, if you want, let’s say to fit into a certain outfit for a special occasion, you should picture yourself wearing that outfit, how it feels, and what you would do in it while you’re working your way towards your goal. I’ve also heard it being called “acting as if”.

When the summer temps start to creep towards triple digits, I “act as if” its fall. I start making fall crafty type things, usually for Halloween, thumb through my Martha Stewart October and November issues (I’ve kept every October and November issue for the past 10 years), and I bake and cook fallish type food. Maybe in some way, I think that by doing this, it’ll get here sooner.

Can I get a quack? Thank you very much!

Now I know most people don’t even want to think about heating up the kitchen in the summer, but it makes me happy. I can dream can’t I?

Harvest Pork Roast

4-5 lb. bone-in pork roast
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ cup all purpose flour
1 cup apple cider
2 T honey
2 T cider vinegar
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried rosemary (or use 1 T fresh, minced)
½ cup dried raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” chunks

Preheat oven to 325. In an oven-proof dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season pork roast with salt and pepper. Place pork roast in a large bowl and evenly coat with the flour. Place pork roast in dutch oven and brown on all sides. When browned, take dutch oven off stove. In a measuring cup, mix apple cider, honey, and cider vinegar with a spoon. Pour apple cider mixture into dutch oven, add onions, bay leaf, rosemary, raisins, and cranberries. Place lid on dutch oven and put in the oven to cook for approximately 3 hours (or until done). 1 hour before the roast is finished cooking, add the sweet potatoes to the dutch oven. Cove and cook for the last hour.

Random Thoughts, Or Why Keeping Chocolate On Your Desk Is a Bad Idea

Lisa turned to me and asked, “Can I use your husband?” Sure, no problem. Go right ahead!

On Saturday, dear hubby got to climb on top of 12 different women. He made the painful mistake of returning early to pick me up from a women’s self-defense class I was taking and was used “for practice”. He naively found himself in a room filled with riled, empowered women, ready to stomp, elbow or flip something. Anything.

Poor dear. He never knew what hit him.

I’ve decided that keeping a jar of chocolate on my desk at work, supposedly for my coworkers delight, is a bad idea. It does no good to eat salads for lunch and get up with the chickens in the mornings to walk when I end up snarfing down 8 chocolates throughout the day.

I could have eaten a whole candy bar.

Take Two

I feel kinda bad. I offered to submit a tasty strawberry recipe to Cooking In Cleveland's food blogging event and all I did was give a pictorial for something out of many reader's reach. It was a nice gesture, but kinda over-the-top, soooooo I wanted to make it up.

I'm submitting another recipe for a very simple and bright Strawberry Salad. There's really not much to the salad, per se, but its charm and zing is in the dressing. I think the dressing would be perfect for just about any salad!

Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette
Recipe source: Southern Living

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (I forgot to add these)
1 avacado, sliced
1 head of lettuce, your choice (I used iceberg, but romaine would be good too)
Cinnamon Vinaigrette

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of Cinnamon Vinaigrette, tossing to coat (I omitted and preferred to let guests put their own dressing on). Serve with remaining vinaigrette.

Cinnamon Vinaigrette Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup rasberry vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Combine olive oil and remaining ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Chill at least 2 hours; shake well before serving.

Kisses Like Strawberry Wine

In honor of Cooking in Cleveland's food blogging event, I'm entering my Strawberry Wine as a submission. Enjoy!

A few people have been asking me about making wine. To catch you up, I taught myself how to make homemade wine a few months ago and it’s been so far “so good”. The thing about making homemade wine is the fact that you won’t know if you’re really any good at it for some time, so this isn’t a hobby for the impatient. That’s perfect for me because I’m impatient as hell!

It doesn’t really take elaborate equipment, but it does take time to make something decent. If you can read and follow a recipe, then you can make wine. I knew before I started that I wanted to make Strawberry Wine. GOOD wine though, not “Grandpa Jaja’s Elderberry Hooch”! I wanted to make wine that would be decent to serve at the dinner table or give as a gift, so I started researching and reading and asking questions.

Most of the ingredients are right at hand, but unfortunately you won’t be able to simply reach into your pantry and whip up a batch of wine without a considerable amount of research and preparation. Once you get the hang of it, it’s no more troublesome than canning or preserving, but with a longer shelf-life. And once you get started, the possibilities are endless!

So, I’m not going to bore you with details regarding the recipe, as most homemade wine ingredients like tannin powder, potassium metabisulfite, and pectic enzyme have to be purchased from a wine hobbyist vendor. But I will give you a pictorial of what it was like and what the end result looks like!

If you’d like to take this further and possibly give Strawberry Wine a try, go to Jack Keller’s website and search for his Strawberry Wine recipe. I used his recipe when I made mine and he’s a very reliable source.

Ok, first, you get a big ol’ cheesecloth bag full of strawberries and you add it to your primary fermentor (a food-grade plastic bucket). You then pour some simmered water with your required amount of sugar over the strawberries, add the rest of the water, other ingredients and wait 24 hours.

Then you use what’s called a hydrometer to test your potential alcohol level. Yeast turns sugar into alcohol, so therefore; the more sugar you add, the higher the alcohol level will be in your wine. Typical table wine is around 12% total alcohol, so you can use your hydrometer to adjust your sugar levels appropriately.

Then you “pitch the yeast”. See the dry yeast on the surface? It’s no different than a packet of bread yeast, but it is NOT bread yeast. You’ll end up with hillbilly hooch if you use bread yeast. Use wine yeast, it’s important!

Then you wait. Primary fermentation can take anywhere from 2 days to 6 months, depending on a whole bunch of factors. Mine took about 4-5 days.

Then you check your potential alcohol level (called a specific gravity) again, and when it’s at the right spot, you pour your wine “must” into a secondary fermentor, which is usually a glass jug. Add an “air lock” to prevent air from oxidizing your young wine and wait again.

Notice how cloudy it is? It takes some time for all the sediment to settle to the bottom or “clear”. Once this is done (anywhere from 2 months to 2 years!), you siphon your wine off the sediment into another glass jug, stabilize it so it won’t referment (more additives), sweeten if need to, and bottle.

See? Isn't it purdy?

Now, the truth is, that glass next to my bottle isn't my Strawberry Wine. For the most part, young wine really doesn't taste what it supposed to and it needs time to age. My lovely Strawberry Wine should be tasty come around Thanksgiving, but from the tiny tastes I made before bottling, it should be a huge hit!