Stollen - German Christmas Bread

For those of you who have never had Stollen, let me properly introduce you. World, meet Stollen.

I know there are probably hundreds of cultural and ethnic variations of this holiday dessert but in its simplest form it is just a Christmas quick bread with a batter much like a muffin or quick bread you are already familiar with.  In the U.S., we can usually find Stollen in high end grocery stores around Christmas and in January, you may see them discounted. If you are tempted, just take one home and try. They are truly delicious.

What makes this type of "quick bread" special is that the main ingredient is quark. I have posted the recipe recently and to make it at home is really quite an easy task so give it a try. If you are American or live in the U.S., I should say, it will be very difficult to find, which is why I highly recommend making it yourself.

I suppose a thick Greek yogurt or Kefir cheese might work as a substitute but if you have even the slightest bit of curiosity, then quark should be on your bucket list of things to do in the kitchen before you forget...  It takes about two to three days to make quark ahead of time but don't let that stop you from exploring two new things at the same time: Quark and Stollen. I promise you, you will not be disappointed so double up and make two batches while you are at it!

This recipe was provided by my mother-in-law who is from Austria but I had to make a few tweaks in order to work with what I had in my pantry. Oddly, I had just made quark, but I didn't have currants so I used dried cherries, for instance. Her recipe called for ground hazelnuts, which surely, would be divine, but I only had almonds, so I used those instead.  I didn't have rum extract so I used vanilla. Go with your best guess substitutes and if you have any questions, just leave a comment.

Stollen Ingredients:

• 500 g soft white wheat ground yesterday (all-purpose or pastry flour is just fine)
• 200 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 250 g ground almonds
• 500 g quark
• 125 g raisins
• 125 g currants or dried cherries
• 125 g butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp rum flavoring or vanilla extract.

Baking:
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This was amazing and did not last the week even when we tried very hard to eat just one piece. :) I make two at a time because I usually make about 1000 g of quark at a time.  If you do make two, these freeze very well so just wrap up the extra stollen tightly and securely in plastic wrap, then put it in a large gallon freezer bag and freeze until you need a Christmas pick-me-up.

When you are ready to eat it, take the wrapped stollen out of the freezer bag and plastic wrap and let it defrost on a plate in the fridge or kitchen counter until you are ready to serve. This is where the quark shines... The quark is what will keep it from getting dried out and it will stay moist on the kitchen counter even if left out overnight loosely covered with foil or a clean towel.

Hope you like it and I'd love to hear from you if you do decide to try it!

How to Make Quark

This year was an amazing year in regards to my culinary education.  I usually make New Year's Resolutions and for 2012, most of my resolutions centered around exploring new things and improving upon my limited knowledge of other things. This year, for me, was all about documenting my experiences with the things I personally enjoy the most, which are gardening and cooking.

On the list were things like:

1. Learn how to make cheese.
2. Learn about raw diets and improving health
3. Grow better beets.
4. Improve my techniques for propagating roses.
5. Practice acceptance and tolerance.

So, it's clear some of those items are lifelong ambitions. I'm ok with that. I recognize the importance of learning new things, improving old skills and practicing a wide range of objectives I am neither new to or good at, but one of my passions is food and as such, this gives me quite a wide canvas with which to practice, practice, practice.

I made quark for the first time this year and after seeing how easy it was, it is really hard to imagine why this lovely, creamy, soft cheese isn't available here in the U.S.  At least, I've never seen it in a store and the closest thing I have seen is what the ethnic groceries call "farmer's cheese". No idea yet whether this is the same, but something tells me it is not.

Quark (pronounced just like it looks) is the European's version of  "philly" cream cheese. In fact, when you are in Germany or Austria, they may not know what cream cheese is but if you say "Philly", they know exactly what you mean.  They look similar but they are not at all the same ball of cheese. 

Americans have not been properly introduced to this delicacy, so I am happy to do the honors if this is new to you, too.  Trust me, you will love this cheese if you have any cheese loving qualities in your heart at all. It is not only easy to make at home but it can be eaten sweet or savory, as well.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 gallon of organic cultured Buttermilk (as fresh as possible; check the dates!)
2. 1 gallon of organic whole cow's milk (as fresh as possible; check the dates!)

How to Make Quark:

1. Let milk come to room temperature and then combine the milks into a large stockpot that can hold your milk. You can use more or less of the two milks above. Those ratios don't have to be exact. This ratio is a bit overkill and lazy, however, it works well. Regardless, I try to use at least a 1-4 ratio of buttermilk to milk.  Use a pot with a lid so you can keep it covered while it does its magic.
2. Let milk sit at room temperature overnight or up to 48 hours. It shouldn't take that long but since this is a mesophilic culture, it means that this culture requires "meso" or medium temperatures to culture properly. In cheese language, that means not too hot or cold, so warmish room temperatures are ideal. In the winter in Minnesota, it can take almost two days if my kitchen is on the cool side.
3. Once the whole pot has cultured, it will look almost solid, like a good set jello mold and it is ready.  You are supposed to cut the quark with a long knife or spatula in a grid pattern. This creates the "curd" and allows it to separate from the whey. Curds and whey? Little Miss Muffet was probably making quark... Not entirely necessary but kinda fun in a messy kid sort of way.
4. Strain the quark to drain off excess whey.  Here, you can make it as dry or as soft as you like. The longer you strain it, the dryer in texture. Too dry, it gets a tad crumbly but some Germans like it this way. Too wet and the cheese will weep a bit, pooling whey in the cheese, which some Germans also like. It's up to you so test it along the way to see what you prefer.  And in case you didn't know better, save the whey! It is very nutritious and you can use it to make bread, soup, stock, broth, or feed your plants. Seriously, it is just as valuable as the cheese itself.  You can even drink it.

What to do with it?

1. Make German Cheesecake, duh?!
2. Make Breakfast quark - German equivalent to yogurt with fruit preserves or fresh fruit. They love pineapple. Interesting and true.  This is pineapple, quark and condensed milk for sweetness. Super yummy.
3. Add chives, onions, salt and pepper and serve it with baked potatoes. You won't go back to sour cream... ok, maybe you will want this AND sour cream. :)
4. Spread it on toast with some jelly. By now, you know what to do with this... if not, figure it out because it is some righteous cheese. 
5. Make Stollen!!  oh yea!  one of my all time favorite Christmas classics, unplugged! I will post my recipe for that in my next post hopefully because my first try rocked my world and the secret ingredient was in fact, my homemade quark!  This is even better for Christmas than my Dad's favorite Christmas raisin bread.

If you don't know what any of this is... then open your mouths, your bellies and your minds, American friends because you are about to be blown away by this little cheese with a million purposes. All good eats, no matter who you are. Unless of course you are allergic to dairy then we have to find something goat-y for you... I made a chevre cheesecake last week and that was pretty darn easy and awesome, too, so stay tuned and by all means, let me know how this works for you.

Makin' Bacon

Vegetarians, you better look away...

I make no excuses or apologies for what I'm about to display, which is a total fondness and affection for the grass-fed hog that was raised just for my family this year. Well, not just for my family because we purchased a whole hog from Wacholz Farms with some friends of ours so we ended up with half a hog, or about 80-90 lbs of fresh processed pork products.

I love pork. I do not have an issue with consuming meat but I consume smaller and smaller quantities of it and am becoming more particular about the "particulars" of the meat I do consume.  I want to consume with care, care for the animals that are raised, care for the environment, care of the locality and last but not least, care for my own health and well being.

I began to research organic and sustainable farms local to my area or within state boundaries. Granted, I live in the "Heartland of America" where my neighbors all bring something beautiful to the table (pun intended) but I wanted to first explore the abundance of Minnesota.  I will make the time and have the interest aplenty to begin this endeavor and so I embark on finding the products I use often, locally.

That it what inevitably led me to Cazzi. At the time, I wanted to find grass-fed, all natural meat. It could have been beef, chicken, lamb, pork, I was just looking to see what was available. I came across a website that I found to be very helpful, Minnesota Grown.  From there, not only did I find Wacholz Farms, but I fell down the rabbit hole and was convinced that my mission not only had viability but everything I was seeking beyond grass-fed hogs was within driving distance.

Since my car is more efficient than a commercial truck and my interest more than just a passing fancy, I felt rather elated at the possibilities of not only obtaining such quality products, but I would also get a chance to meet some pretty quality people along the way who not only think like I do, but are deeply passionate about what they do. It's a happiness circle!! Any and all kinds of grass-fed, natural meats, organic produce and dairy, grains, all of it could be found locally within my own reach if I just put forth the effort to become acquainted with all our farmers have to offer.

So, props to you, Cazzi for growing us the best dang pig I think I have ever had the pleasure of eating.  Our processing was done by Nick's Meats, who helped us figure out what cuts to choose and whether or not to smoke it or make sausages, etc. It is so well packaged, no chance of freezer burn which is an added plus, so kudos to the pride of our processor, as well.  We share recipes and ideas with our friends who have the other half of Wilbur and I have already put us back on the list for next year's hog. It's that good.

Now, for the bacon bits (lol!):

• Roughly 10lbs of pork belly (yep, bacon is from the belly of the pig)
• 100% Maple Syrup (should have been from Minnesota but I couldn't wait so will get some this weekend at the Mill City Farmer's Market)
• Sea salt

Sprinkle each of the belly pieces liberally with salt on both sides.  Drizzle maple syrup liberally all over that. Allow the bellies to cure overnight in the fridge uncovered and up to 5 days, repeating the process of adding additional salt and syrup each day.  The bellies should cure on a sheet pan with a grate or rack so the liquids can drain cleanly from the meat as this is the point of curing, to remove excess moisture from the bacon.   This means it will store better, keep longer and not get all gooey slimy when you do go to use it from the fridge.

Once the bacon has cured, wash off all salt and syrup and then pat dry with paper towels to dry the meat again. Let sit out to dry at room temperature or back in the fridge until completely dry to the touch.

We used a bullet style smoker, but if you wish to have a smoked bacon, you can cold smoke it with apple or hickory woodchips, whatever you like for an hour. That was plenty of smoke flavor. You can experiment but keep in mind that unless you vacuum pack it or seal it right away in the fridge, your whole fridge will be "smoked". :) Speaking from experience. But that smells so good, too, just keep it in mind if you have sweets or other stuff you don't really want smoked in the fridge at the same time.

It's ready to slice and because it is cold smoked, you still need to cook it but oh the joy of having homegrown, homemade bacon at a fraction of the cost for an abundance of flavor and humanely raised pork.  That, is priceless.  And what a treasure to trade come deer hunting season...  I'm unemployed at the moment, but I feel so rich!! :)

Mmmmmmascarpone!

Mascarpone Basic Recipe:

- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. In a heavy bottom saucepan or double boiler, bring heavy cream to 190 degrees F. I use a candy thermometer but if you dont have one just keep an eye on it. It will take about 15-20 minutes with gentle heating. The cream will start to form tiny bubbles on the surface just threatening to simmer. We dont want a boil. The first sign of bubbles means you are ready for the next step.

2. Add the lemon juice to the heated cream, while continuing to heat. Stir gently for about ten more minutes and you should start to see the cream thicken like a pancake batter. The cream will curdle slightly and it may be so slight you wont notice, so use the thickening as a sign that the cooking process is complete. Remember, do not boil, so turn down the burner slightly if you start to see more than a gentle simmer. 200 degrees is too high, as a gage. The cream should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It continues to thicken as it cools so dont fret if you are unsure, just proceed, fearless.

3. Let cool thoroughly. After the mixture has cooled, it is time to strain. Strain what you ask? Well, we have just made "curds and whey", Little Miss Muffet.  And our "curds" are just the tiny sort whereas the curds in cottage cheese are much larger. I use a very cool yogurt strainer which I use for ricotta and now for mascarpone. Well worth the investment, but you can use triple layers of cheesecloth lining a bowl. You line the bowl with cheesecloth or even a sprout bag, pour the cream in, gather up the ends gently and secure shut with a rubber band or ponytail holder. You then rig the mixture up over a pot or bowl using a chopstick that is threaded into the banded end, so it kinda looks like a hobo stick. Balance the chopstick over the edges of a suitable pot or bowl so the bag hangs inside the bowl or pot, even over the sink if you dont want the whey. The idea is to strain the mixture so do whatever you have to do to accomplish this, so that the liquid drains out and the cream stays in the "bag".

This was not hard. Didnt even take terribly long. I made it while watching Masterpiece Theatre last night. I was not sure I was doing it right. What else is new, right? That is the fun of it for me. If you are trying something for the first time, your only goal should be to observe and enjoy the process of learning something new. It looked too runny to become what it was supposed to be, but left overnight in the fridge, magic happened.

This morning, I had enough strained mascarpone to fill the two jars you see in the picture.  I had the larger Weck jar and the smaller completely filled. In the bottom of my strainer, the first runny bit had also thickened significantly so I was able to restrain that batch and I bet I get a second large Weck jar full.  For my batch, I made used 5 cups of cream from a half gallon carton of heavy cream.  The rest of it, I made Creme Fraiche or what to me is the ultimate sour cream, but that... is another post. (1/2 c. Yogurt + heavy cream, left on the counter overnight to set. Ok, too easy to actually post...)

Cream and lemon juice? Are you kidding? This stuff costs a fortune, for no darn good reason! But we have lost touch with our food... Where it comes from, how it is made, what it takes to provide nutrition our bodies can process and utilize efficiently. Any time you can ask yourself, "hm, wonder how I can make this or grow this at home?" then you are heading back home... Heading back to the garden, back to the kitchen and back to the very basics we have nearly forgotten.

If you miss out on something so pure, so good, so easy, you can't say I didn't beg you to try it just once. 

Hopped Up Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:
- 6 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 Konig's Pilsner plus water to equal 3 liquid cups

I started experimenting with a Pullman loaf pan when my nieces and nephews were here and wanted sandwich bread.  What I noticed about the request was that it didn't have to be uber soft, like typical American white bread, it just had to be square, for making sammies.

So, I complied with this request. We started making mayo and our version of Miracle Whip, when they needed that and this fascinated them to no end. So much so that every time they come, it is one of the first things we do together. Or they do and I watch. I want them to be self sufficient cooks when they are older and not just be able to cook, but be able to think they can replicate anything they really love. It's all about the palate and what I find with kids is that they love to try when THEY can make things. Veggies aren't that gross when kids make them for themselves. Nothing is weird, nothing is yucky. In fact, cooking with children is the fastest way to get kids to expand their minds and their palates.

This pullman loaf pan sorta scared me at first. I mean, why should I have to enclose the bread? Will it come out? But, the truth is this method of cooking bread couldn't be any easier and the top helps to make the bread perfectly square. My niece, who just graduated from high school, is about to venture into the world as a young adult and she, definitely, needed to know how to make bread. She has a tight budget to watch as she prepares to pay for college, so she'll need all the budget saving tips you can get and nothing can stretch a dollar like knowing how to cook and feed yourself. You can get a 25 lb bag of flour from Costco for about $6 and at least 25 loaves of bread.  At max, you could get around 7 loaves at the grocery store.

Prep:
Mix all ingredients until incorporated and then put the dough in a covered container to rise. I use a rising container that holds 4 qts. This batch of dough fills it by half. So in an hour or two, it is usually doubled in size and should be punched down then put in the fridge or freezer until ready to use. I keep it in the same rising container and once a week, I start a new batch.

Method:
For the method itself, I simply take my refrigerated dough from the fridge when I'm ready and put the whole batch in the Pullman loaf pan. I slide the top on nearly all the way but leave a little room to peep at it so I know when it is nearly to the top. In the summer, set a timer of max 2 hrs, because this bread tends to rise faster of course because of the warm temperatures but also because of the extra activity of the yeast in the beer. It will poop out the sides even if the top is thoroughly on and that is how you get Cheeza. But that is another story for another time. 

Bake:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Slide the top off and use a slim butter knife just to loosen the edges of the bread from the pan and it will pop right out. You really should try to get the bread out of the pan while it's warm if you can or the bread bottom and sides will get a tad soggy as it cools off. Not to worry. If you have no choice but to leave it like that, just leave the bread to sit out for an hour or so once it is out of the pan and it will dry right up.  I cut the bread in half, put it in a bread box and that will last us all week or more. If I need to store it, I just wrap it well in wax paper and plastic wrap and freeze it.

Rangpur Habanero Pico de Gallo

(Xni-Pec)

• Any chili you have, de-seeded (yes, important)
• White or yellow onion, finely diced
• Citrus of any kind
• Tongue of steel and gut of iron

This, basically, is a really freakin hot salsa...  In Mexico, my hubby and I have often requested this version of salsa. I tried to wiki it but there isn't an entry, surprisingly. However, if you google it, you will see loads of recipes, sites, articles etc. This salsa is traditional in the Yucatan Peninsula region of Mexico and it delights and surprises the Mexican staff when we ask for it because most Americans want a "Pace" version of salsa, no heat, etc. But, we think of salsa in a different way. Maybe it's my Southern roots, but salsa isn't salsa unless it has a bit of a kick. I once saw a Tabasco billboard here in MN that was hilarious. It read "Dear Minnesota, Ketchup is not a spice. Love, Louisiana"  I JUST LOVE THAT. To me, Tabasco is Mother's Milk and not only do we use a good deal of it at my house, but we keep the institutional size on hand and a spare in the pantry.  For emergencies.

These chilis I use are nothing short of dynamite, though, and have more heat, typically, than even the habanero although they are close relatives. The bevvy shown above though are from my perennial chili "trees" because as long as they don't get too cold, chili plants will live for years and years. Even before the greenhouse came into my life, I would cart these kids indoors for the winter and put them under a cheap fluorescent shop light you can get for under $10 at the hardware store.  They loved it and didn't care one bit that they were indoors. My hubby put in a shallow ebb and flow tray, put the whole thing on a timer and they produced peppers the whole winter. Semi-hydroponic. Inside. In the living room. (Yes, hubby is very tolerant and quite an enabler so when he gets a bit huffy when it gets a big jungle-like, I just have to point out his brilliant handy work and feign total innocence. It's his problem after all, that he is such a genius... :)

To make the salsa, simply mix everything together in a bowl, squeeze in your citrus juice and mix well. I cover it with plastic wrap, put it in the fridge so the flavors can marry and then keep it until it runs out. It keeps amazingly well, for weeks, if covered well and stirred occasionally.