Yogurt @ MindSay 
Last week, my co-workers and I engaged in another round of brewing. We did two batches, this time. One is a repeat of a previous effort: Haz-Map Ale. This is the brown ale with hazelnut extract and pure maple syrup. Delicious. The new one is Oatmeal Cookie Stout... an oatmeal stout brewed with raisins and brown sugar. Can't wait until we bottle, but that's not until early October.
I really like the idea of making food and drink that most people don't. It's fun and challenging. One thing I've always wanted to do was make my own cheese. But first I thought I'd try something a little easier: yogurt.
So yeah. Making my own yogurt. Not as easy as some sites I've seen have indicated. My first batch was utterly inedible. Way too sour and the consistency was all loose. So that one went down the drain. Second batch... still tart, but nowhere near as bad. Consistency was very thick (but then, I strained it with cheesecloth... perhaps a bit too much) but a little grainy.
One of the things I've been doing is using powdered milk in addition to the fat-free milk I've been using. This is mainly because I read that it can help thicken the yogurt, which may not be very thick when made with skim milk. But maybe it's the powdered milk that's giving the grainy texture. So tonight we'll try again, but will omit the powdered milk.
There are more variables in this than one might think from a casual investigation into yogurt-making. So many of the sites make it sound so freakin' easy. And I'm sure once I get the technique down, it will be easy to replicate in future batches. But for now, I'm still experimenting.
Next year, I want to start roasting my own coffee. Fun!
In other news, the cat situation is slightly improving. Rikku still spends most of the day hiding, but I've seen her and Tucker in the same room without trying to kill each other. And this weekend, she began actually being affectionate with me.
Another month and she might even start liking Tucker.
Well, nonetheless I am staying away from tomatoes.
Last night I went to a frozen yogurt place. I hope you can't guess what I am about to say next. They had three flavors. Plain, espresso and....TOMATO! I heard some customers asking about the flavor. The lady serving said it wasn't even available yet. Um, don't ever make it available!
Anyhow, I had the plain flavor, with strawberries added. It was the worst yogurt I've had ever anyway. I can't even find the name of this place. I tried to google it. It's right by the Beverly Center Mall, but not inside. I almost got ice cream inside the mall, but it was a bit more of a walk.
That's about it on tomatoes. I'm sort of grossed out by them.
From Revcathian
Here is the recipe for Hummus:
2 cups dried chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 2 medium lemons
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Combine chickpeas with water and soak for 8 to 10 hours. Drain well. Combine the drained chickpeas and 1 quart fresh water in a kettle over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until chickpeas are tender. Drain well. Puree the chickpeas in a blender or food processor. Add the tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and cumin; blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until serving time (will keep about five days). From The What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook, by Don Colbert, MD
Note: when I am in a hurry, I use two cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans.
AND
Labneh (or Laban) is a Lebanese soft fresh cheese made from yogurt. It is eaten within a week or so of preparation.
Basic Ingredients: 1 quart yogurt, 1 tsp salt
Equipment: sterile handkerchief or cheese cloth, two bowls, whisk, strainer.
Instructions:
1. Assemble ingredients: yogurt, salt, sterile handkerchief, two bowls, whisk, strainer.
2. Stir up a quart of yogurt to a smooth consistency, pour into bowl.
3. Add one teaspoon of salt.
4. Whisk to mix thoroughly.
5. Place a sterile handkerchief in a strainer suspended over a medium sized bowl (larger than a quart). Pour in salted yogurt.
6. Lift the four corners of the cloth to make a "sling" and suspend over the bowl to catch the whey which drips through. You can use a strong rubber band looped around the four corners and over a faucet to suspend the cloth. (Some people let the whey go down the drain, but I do this process in the refrigerator because it is just too hot in Louisiana for leaving cheese out.)
7. Suspend over the bowl to catch the whey which drains off. It can be suspended in a refrigerator to ensure freshness.
8. After about 24 hours, the whey has been drained off, remove and open the cloth.
9. Now you can mix in herbs, minced vegetables (about 2 tablespoons or so), form into a ball and store in the refrigerator. thanks to David Fankhauser
The texture is somewhat like creamcheese, but it has a bit of a tang to it. Very nice.
Hey all…
I wonder why…
If we can put a man on the moon and get him home safely…
If we can have telephones the size of a credit card tucked in our pockets to use any time we wish…
If we can hang a television on our walls that are only inches thick…
If we can cook a meal in seconds in our fancy schmancy convection and microwave ovens…
If we can make a hybrid vehicle that can get 100 miles to the gallon…
So on and so forth…
Then why can’t they make a yogurt cup that when you pull the foil off of the top it doesn’t explode and spew dairy culture all of your clothes? No matter how careful you pull that little tab back…sploot…a money shot that a pro would be proud of. Grrrrrrr.
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