water kefir

I took a fermentation class a few weeks ago and she gave us water kefir grains.  They're not the same as milk kefir and they're supposed to make a carbonated beverage that can be mixed with juice.  Or, as one site said, can be like a light lemonade.  That appeals to me, as we're pulling into a hot summer.

First ferment:

Warm up 1 quart water with 1/4 c. sugar to dissolve sugar.

Drain grains and put into quart jar.  When the sugar water is room temperature, add it to the jar.  Cover with cheesecloth, thin cloth towel, or coffee filter and rubber band it.

Leave it on the counter 24-48 hours.  The grains want to be refed every 48 hours.

Second ferment:  
Strain.  (Save kefir grains for another first ferment.)

Put the strained kefir water into a bottle, like the old Grolsch bottles with the flip top lids.  She suggested 2/3 water kefir and 1/3 flavoring such as fresh juice, whole fruit, crystallized ginger, mint).  I think I want to try it with cucumber pieces and watermelon juice.

Close it and keep it on the counter for 24-48 hours.  Then put in fridge if storing for longer.  Be very careful opening it as the pressure can build.

Longer-term storage:
for the first ferment, just put into the fridge for up to two months or so.  Some molasses will help revive the grains.     

**
I have now made it with strawberries, cherries, lime-cucumber, watermelon, and calamondin.  All good.

In the heat here I've been warned to do a second ferment in flip-top bottles for no longer than 12 hours.  So ... I'm putting the in the shower for a 24 hour ferment and no explosions yet (knock on wood).  The 12 hour secondary ferment made it slightly effervescent (drinking lime-cucumber now); when fermented longer (with strawberries) it was so bubbly it exploded a third of it all over my kitchen when I opened it and it tasted like a carbonated soda.  But better. 

lassi love

Mango lassis are popular in Indian restaurants and for good reason: super yummy! I think of it as dessert after a light meal or a meal itself if I'm not really hungry.

I find that little cools me down in hot humid weather like hot tea or a mango lassi. Hey, those Indian people knew what they were doing.

There are lots of recipes on-line and they mostly revolve around yogurt and fruit. Can add milk, sugar, cardamom, ice. Look, if it tastes good, then you've made it right.

I think it's best if the mango is at least mostly thawed - better flavor. My yogurt is really thick (made it myself and strained it) so I added milk. No sugar or cardamom though. I add ice for substance.

The Magic Bullet is perfect for this.

Almost out of mango so next time I'll use raspberries and then other fruit (bananas are good). I might also try to grind some almonds into it.

Somali tea

This is really chai-esque. It's super yummy and I'm very excited because I just got

and that makes it even easier to make. Yay!

My Somalian friend Asha made this once and I modified her instructions to make the perfect tea for me. The point? You can add and mix it up however you like. But I tell you: I never would have gotten through the bar exam preparation without this!

Put into tea kettle:

1/2 mug of milk
1 1/2 mugs of water (she says should be equal amounts of milk & water)
2-3 teabags (I use one reg and two decaf)
5 or so cardamom pods
a stick or two of cinnamon, broken into pieces
a hunk of ginger chopped (mine's always frozen, so not very well chopped)
4-5 cloves
sugar or honey (I put in about a teaspoon but most people like it sweeter)

Heat it all up together. Let it simmer, turn it off, heat it up again. Stir so it doesn't boil over or burn. Enjoy!