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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!
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)
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.
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
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
