Umamimart » Yogurt

Skankynavia: Kærnemælkskoldskål (Danish Dairy Delight)

Anders — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:43:09 +0000

Let’s start this post by trying to pronounce its title. Easy, no? The Danish language is in a league of its own.

Imagine a gurgling sound, the deep noise of a drunk blond viking with too much mead in his mouth. While Americans speak with the front of their mouth, Danes create the words way back in the mouth coming almost from the throat. You can actually keep a conversation going in Danish for very long without even opening your mouth more than a few millimeters.

Give up, huh? Well, phonetically the title spells: kæɐ̯nəˌmεlˀgsˈkʌlˌsgɔˀl and as usual when our modern, depraved brains give up, Google steps in and pronounces it for us.

So back to the actual subject of this post: kærnemælkskoldskål. Kærnemælk means buttermilk and koldskål is the name of a classic Danish dessert. It’s perfect for those long warm evenings when you sit outside in your garden having dinner under the trees. During the early summer months in Denmark, it often doesn’t get dark until 1am, and then already at 3:30am the sun is peeking back up from the horizon. Kærnemælkskoldskål is also great after a meal or as a cooling afternoon dishy snack. It’s available pre-made in all Danish supermarkets, and if you’re not in Denmark you can easily make this dish yourself.

Most Danes are very much into dairy products, even the government recommends you drink half a liter of milk per day for good health and so most Danes like this dish a lot. It’s not really considered a fine dining experience, just more like an everyday dessert for the whole family–therefore it might be frowned upon if you served it for guests. But of course, only in this country. For everyone else it would be considered a nice, simple and light dessert that can easily be “dressed up” to look like a classy work of art.

You can serve it plain or as most do with kammerjunkere which are sweet vanilla flavoured biscuits. Watch this (lame) Danish commercial for kammerjunkere:

You can buy these biscuits, make them yourself, or actually just use any that you can find–it’s the combination between the lemon sour dairy koldskål and the sweet biscuits that really does the trick. But you can also sprinkle granola and/or freshly sliced fruit on top for extra delight.

Let’s make it!

KÆRNEMÆLKSKOLDSKÅL

INGREDIENTS
for 2 people

4 pasteurized egg yolks (I’m missing an egg in the picture, there should be 4)
4 spoons of sugar
Half a stick of vanilla or two teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of shredded organic lemon zest
1/2 liter of buttermilk
1/2 liter of yogurt
2-3 spoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

METHOD

1. Start by parting the eggs–you want only the yellow yolks.

2. Whip the yolks with the sugar and vanilla.

You want a fluffy light eggnoggy looking texture.

3. Wash your lemon–you want it to be organic to avoid any poisonous pesticides getting into your dessert.

4. Shred a good teaspoon full of zest. This gives the dessert a certain bite.

Introducing Danish organic “old days” kærnemælk (buttermilk) from Osted Dairy:

[Is this kind of packaging available in the US? It's a sustainable and carbon-fingerprint light design. Very flexible and strong, it keeps the milk safe while avoiding annoying old school paper cartons. It takes up very little space in the trash can when folded and when burned it turns into non-toxic fumes.]

5. Pour a half a liter of the sour milk into the yolk mix while stirring elegantly with a spoon.

Introducing yogurt:

Same packaging as the kærnemælk. While I really do like the technical and environmental side of the design, the aesthetics (label/logo/info layout) is just a mess and very un-sexy. It’s probably designed by the dairy farmer himself, DIY-countryside style. It could be much much nicer to look at though.

6. Shake it well and pour half a liter in as well while stirring.

Yellow marble.

7. Add the lemon zest.

Introducing organic mini kammerjunkere–mini biscuits with vanilla:

Kærnemælkskoldskål gets so much better when you add crunch and contrast.

Sliced fresh Danish strawberries.

8. Drop a bunch of each into the bowl and decorate with a leaf. Serve chilled with a glass of Asti wine.

Happy August!

Making Natto in North America

yoko — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:10:42 +0000

Natto is the one of those foods that elicits strong reactions. I get overwhelmed with a sense of joy and excitement, but the response I hear from most people (who aren’t from or aren’t descendants of the eastern regions of Japan) is pure disgust.

I remember how clueless I was junior year in college when I stocked up on natto and brought it back to my fridge that I shared with four other UC Santa Cruzers. As I was innocently devouring a package of natto, my roommate barged in yelling “Oh my god! What is that smell?!” My answer to her was, “Are you talking about your pet rat?” as I gestured my chopsticks (all stringy with natto strands) to point at the corner of the room where her pet rat resided. She shook her head and inched in closer to me to inspect the contents of my bowl.

It never registered to me that cold food could smell — and up until that point, I never suspected that natto even had a smell.

That was my first lesson in how natto could offend people. From that day forward, I could not eat natto so long as I lived with roommates.

Natto is fermented soybeans that were traditionally made in kotatsus in Japanese homes in the Kanto (Tokyo) region. It’s like yogurt in the way that you start with a culture. In the case of natto, the culture used is bacillus subtilis and the medium is soybeans which are left in a humid, warm environment for 24 hours. The result is a mixture of stringy, luscious soybeans that are kind of like a soft cheese in texture with an aroma like no other. Some describe it like smelly French cheese… while my roommates told me it smelled like feet.

Natto is getting some attention because of its health benefits. Eastern regions of Japan have less incidence of osteoporosis. Plus, that sticky stuff apparently contains some enzymes that thin the blood, therefore, preventing heart attacks, strokes and certain types of cancers. I guess they even sell natto in pill form and call it “Nattokinase” here in the west.

My love for natto was evident from my early days — soon after I exited the womb. But our bond strengthened exponentially when I moved to Tokyo where I could indulge in my love for it with no shame or judgment from my peers. Plus they were regularly priced at a dirt-cheap 30-cents a serving. I would eat a package every morning before dashing off to work. It was like my daily cup of coffee.

So when I came back to the U.S. last month, I braced myself for an environment that would challenge my love affair with natto. It’s not that expensive here in California at about $2.00 for three servings, but that’s still about twice the amount I was used to in Tokyo. Plus, it’s not readily available, say at the local 7-11 or Safeway.

I concluded that the only way I could rely on a steady and affordable supply of natto was to make it myself. My experience with making yogurt for four years, gave me the confidence to try my hand at natto as well.

Here’s how I made it:

1) Gather together the following ingredients and supplies: 1 lb of soybeans, a store bought pack of natto, water, glass containers, foil

2) Soak soybeans overnight in plenty of water.

After one night:

3) Drain the soybeans.

4) Steam the soybeans until you can smush them between your thumb and pointer finger.

I used my rice cooker which also can act as a pressure cooker. I ended up steaming the soybeans for 40 minutes.

5) While the soybeans are steaming, sterilize the glass containers you will use to ferment the soybeans in. I set my oven to 250 degrees and placed my glass containers in there for about 30 minutes.

6) Break out the store-bought package of natto.

7) Once the soybeans are done steaming, combine them with the store-bought package of natto.

8) Mix well then place the beans into the sterilized jars. Cover the jars with aluminum foil. Poke holes in the foil so that the soybeans can “breathe” during the fermentation process.

9) Okay, the beans are now ready to ferment. The basic idea for creating an ideal environment is to keep the beans in a humid, warm climate at about 40 degrees celsius (think mid-August Tokyo in a small room on the fourth floor with no windows and air conditioning). So I decided to keep the jars in my Crock-pot filled with a little bit of water on the “warm” setting. People also seem to use ice boxes filled with hot water bottles.

10) Wait for 24 hours.

The suspense got the best of me and I took a peek inside after 12 hours:

And the next morning they really seemed all mature and grown up.

Look at the stringiness!!! I was a very proud parent.

11) But the wait was not over. These beads of joy must be aged for umami in air-tight containers for a few days to one week in the refrigerator.

12) I finally got to indulge today over rice and I experienced a deep sense of pride and accomplishment. With a dash of soy sauce and Japanese mustard mixed into my home-made natto, I knew I had achieved nirvana for my taste buds and wallet.

13) To complete the cycle, freeze a portion of the natto to use as the starter for the next batch of natto.

ReCPY: Aloe Yogurt

Moto — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:30:00 +0000

I am going to start ReCPY, sharing easy (and sometimes moderately difficult) recipes like Paystyle’s Happy Hour, every week.

When you go to Japan, you will encounter many kinds of yogurt like these. Among them, aloe yogurt is always a favorite to many. Aside from soothing sunburns, aloe is actually edible, and although it’s flavorless, the texture is quite fun.

I was browsing around various food blogs the other day, and found a recipe for home made aloe yogurt at No Recipes. This guy is a genius. I think he is a Japanese-American, and like many of us, he misses some of the favorite foods from Japan. His site is pretty cool, too. Kayoko, UM needs to get picked up by the media soon! I want to be FAMOUS like Susan Boyle and have a mental breakdown…

Anyhow, I’ve tried to make various Japanese food items that are impossible to get in the States, such as pucchin purin, or strawberry shortcake, but I never thought aloe yogurt was so easy to make.

Luckily Western Beef is very much a Latin-flavored grocery store where everything is cheap, and aloe is only 99 cents per pound.

The aloe is huge and it was pretty easy to get the meat out. It was like fillet-ing fish. But it’s super slimy and very translucent. You can’t compare this slime with anything else. Natto, okra, are nothing compared to this.

Be sure you don’t leave any skin because is tough and bitter. Cut it into small cubes. Put in a pot, and add 1 cup of sugar and juice of 1 lime. I used three aloes (only the thicker parts, I didn’t bother to cut the top part since it’s are harder to skin) for this recipe. It’s amazing how much water aloe contains. In the beginning, it’s a big piece of slime, almost disgusting, but as it cooks in low heat, it becomes very watery and less slimy. When it’s very translucent, it’s done. It doesn’t lose its slime completely, but you can see the difference.

Once it’s cooled, pour it over plain yogurt, and OMG, it is aloe yogurt. It’s the easiest (if you don’t mind the slime) healthy yogurt topping recipe. I totally forgot to bring it to work today, although I told Ayagwa to bring yogurt…

Tomorrow there will be a moment of “OMG, it’s aloe yogurt!!!” at my office.

*Yamahomo likes cooking and baking. He prefers staying in kitchen all weekend long than being outside.

Homemade Yogurt: The Old School Persian Way

Paystyle — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:06:00 +0000

Last month Yoko posted a story on a homemade yogurt she made from Bulgarian cultures, which I found really interesting because the method employed was totally different from the way I remembered my mother and grandmother used to make it. That prompted me to pay a quick visit to the internet to check the “official” word on the how-to of yogurt. What I found were a number of sites that described the process in very technically precise terms, and thereby requiring various forms of gadgetry (from thermometers to beakers to incubation bulbs and so on), all of which I regarded as completely unnecessary when compared to my childhood memories of the way it was done.

I decided to check back with my mom to see if my memory was in fact serving me correctly, since I don’t recall them using anything more complicated than a pot and a blanket (I’ll explain in a minute). It turns out I was right. Moreover, it made me really proud that they were able to make such wonderful yogurt that served as the sensorial reference point for so many wonderful childhood memories, all without the insane gadgetry and obsession with precision that too often replaces the necessary soulfulness and love in the kitchen. Armed with my enthusiasm and renewed pride in family and culture (no pun intended), I set out to make yogurt myself the way my ancestors did. Well almost, since I’ll be using a stove and electric blanket. But you get the point.

First grab a pot and fill it with milk, any kind of milk you prefer; lowfat, nonfat, and whole milk will all produce yogurt, though flavor and body will of course vary depending on which milk you use. I used a 2% lowfat in this case, because that’s what I had around at the time. The amount of milk you use is up to you, as it will correspond with the amount of yogurt you’ll end up with.

Bring the pot just to a boil, and when you see it’s starting to boil, turn if off and allow it cool just enough so that when you stick a finger in it your finger won’t burn. The process of bringing it just to a boil will kill any unwanted bacteria in the milk that could potentially interfere with the work of cultures you’ll introduce to it. And of course you’ll want to keep your finger impeccably clean so that you won’t undo the process by contaminating the milk. Eventually you’ll get a sense of how long it takes without using your finger, so your finger can resume its dirty duties.

Once the milk has cooled a bit (but still warm), pour a little (like half cup or so) into a small bowl, and add a spoonful or two of store bought yogurt and mix it in until smooth. This yogurt that you’ll be mixing is your starter culture. You can buy any type you like, so long as it’s unflavored and contains live active cultures–this should be indicated on the packaging.

Therefore beware of pasteurized yogurt that doesn’t have live cultures, as you’ll definitely fail. Pour the mini mixture back into the pot and gently stir it around so that it mixes with the rest of the milk. You’re dealing with live organisms here, so you want to be gentle so you don’t destabilize the mix.

Place the lid on the pot, or pour it into a container with a tight lid. Wrap the pot or container with a blanket and place it in a warm corner of the house, and leave it there undisturbed for about 4 to 5 hours. I used an electric blanket so I could maintain a steady level of heat, but you can also use a regular blanket and place it near a heater. The whole purpose of this is to maintain the warmth (generally between 78-110 degrees) for a long enough time that will enable the cultures to do their work, and thereby coagulate the milk into yogurt.

After 4 or 5 hrs, the yogurt should be done, and at this point you can refrigerate it. It should yield a slightly tangy yogurt with a thick consistency almost like that of sour cream. If however after this time it seems like it’s not yet coagulated (and assuming heat maintenance wasn’t too much of an issue), you can leave it for a few more hours, as it may just need a little more time.

An alternative to the blanket technique is to preheat the oven to its lowest setting, and once the oven has preheated, turn it off and place the covered pot in the oven for several hours, the whole purpose still being to maintain a warm environment for the bacteria. The yogurt came out great the very first time, turning out exactly as I remembered it, without any thermometers or the like; the wisdom of the ages was my only guide.

The most technologically advanced tool I used was my stove top to heat the milk, and perhaps the electric blanket. Of course you can get as technical as you like and can control the outcome with greater precision, but personally I prefer the old school way, as it takes me back to my childhood. It’s also quite in keeping with the more soulful ethos of cooking that encourages us to interact with the food we eat. Plus it’s pretty darn cute to look at it all wrapped up in a blanket in the corner of the room.

This further proved to me how much my elders, and by extension the elders of other non-Western cultures, have been not simply practicing but in fact living by the principles of the “Slow Food” movement before anyone knew to even call it that! What has become a recent revolutionary idea in the Western culinary world has been a way of life for thousands of years for many of us. It’s nice to sometimes slow down in such a fast paced city.

Homemade Yogurt: My Bulgarian Babe

yoko — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:59:00 +0000

I start every weekday with a serving of homemade yogurt over seasonal fruit. Ever since my boss gave me some cultures in a little plastic baggy over two years ago, I have been hooked. I have kept the cultures alive and well. It’s funny, I’ve found that the cultures have become a part of me. I know now where its favorite part of the fridge is (far from the central cooler), and I try not to leave it alone while on vacation for too long.

Its impermanence reminds me that food is a true gift of life.

Here’s how to nurture your cultures.

Get culture from a friend or family member. Mine hails from Bulgaria.

My cultures came in a plastic baggy, and I was informed to keep them at room temperature for the rest of the day (my boss gave it to me in the morning).

When I got home, I transferred it into a reusable plastic container.

It’s so simple, just combine with whole milk (cultures do not thrive in a low- or non-fat environment). Make sure to combine the two ingredients into a glass jar.

If the lid is aluminum or some other plastic material, make sure it is aerated. Since I don’t have a fancy lid, I just use saran wrap and secure it over the lip of the jar with a rubber band. I then poke four or five holes with a toothpick or wooden skewer through the wrap.

Store in a cool dry place for 1 day (winter may take a little longer). I usually make my yogurt before I go to work at 7am or 8am. I get home around 8pm and find it ready by then.

Skim a spoonful or two off the top of your fresh new yogurt and store in a non-aerated plastic container (this will be your starter culture for your next batch).

Eat the remaining contents of the glass jar.

Itadakimasu!

The Japan Yogurt Files

Kayoko — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:01:00 +0000

Whenever I travel anywhere, I always check out the yogurt aisle at the grocery store. Countries are doing really bizarre things with yogurt, which fascinates me. I like to consider myself a bit of a yogurt connoisseur- as I’m sure Sonja would as well. Best yogurt I’ve ever had was in India, out of a ceramic pot.

Here are some of Japan’s offerings at the moment. All in all, the yogurts had a deep cream essence (which you can never seem to get in the US), not so sweet, with a runny texture.

Pear yogurt, from 7-11.

Ume (plum) yogurt, also from 7-11. There was actually a plum inside!

Black sesame yogurt- this was pretty nasty. It went down the drain after one bite. Japan is super hot on black sesame anything right now.

Strawberry yogurt- very basic, but I loved this container design.

Aloe yogurt- seems to be the norm in Japan. This was light and refreshing- very nice!

I guess I forgot to take a pic of the yogurt I had the most, which was this drinkable kind that I got a 7-11 every morning (along with a rice ball). The unflavored yogurts in Japan were the best.

Daily Ration 12

Sonja — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:12:00 +0000

Blood orange/blutorangen/orange sanguine/arancia sanguigna yogurt. Migros, Geneva, Switzerland.

Packaging Whore: White Cow Dairy Yogurt

Kayoko — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:20:00 +0000

There’s a Murray’s Cheese right inside the Grand Central Terminal Market, so I took a gander at their yogurt section the other day on my way home from work. This brown cardboard wrapping caught my eye- no logos, just the expiration and yogurt flavor stamped onto it. Love it. 2 cute glass jars are snuggled inside this brown wrapping, and I was thoroughly convinced that, yes, it is totally ok to spend $5.99 on 2 little cups of yogurt. What a sucker- Hideko would kill me.

According to their very minimal website, White Cow Dairy is a, “Traditional, fresh dairy foods made with the milk of a grass and grass-hay herd of homegrown cattle on a 4th generation new york state family farm in East Otto, Cattaraugus County.”

There’s nothing I can’t pronounce in the ingredients, which is pretty rare these days.

The yogurt is delicious. I got the maple, but there’s also orange-lemon and plain. It’s creamy, and subtlely sweet, not tart like maple yogurt can be. Each spoonful is luxurious- like velvet in your mouth.

The expiration date is clear and prominent- muy importante.

One suggestion I do have for White Cow Dairy is that they should collect these little bottles once people are done with them. When I asked the Murray’s guy if they take back the bottles, he was like, “What am I gonna do with them?” Idiot. No, but seriously, people should return these bottles and White Cow should reuse them- it would probably lower costs and really, what are we gonna do with them? In an ideal world, I would bottle my own jams, but… that’s never gonna happen.

They only sell White Cow Dairy yogurt at Murray’s in NYC. I suggest you give it a whirl the next time you are in the neighborhood (preferably on a payday).

Dairy Delights in Switzerland

Sonja — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:56:00 +0000

Fondue making…and breaking.

Type is moitié-moitié, half Gruyère and half Vacherin, a quite chewy cheese. Sautéed fresh porcinis and a little garlic was added with white wine. It was a separated failure! You want to get a creamy emulsion, not separated cheese and oil layers. It still tasted good though.

They call this bit “la religieuse” meaning the nun. The crust of the cheese after all the fondue has been eaten up by greedy mouths. Unfortunately failing to scrape it up in the preferred one piece.

Out with the nun, in with tête de moine-Monk’s head cheese

Have you ever had this cheese before? It’s quite sharp but most notable is the special device you use to grate it. A round disk with a rod through the center that passes through the cheese. Hmm maybe it’s hard to describe without a picture. But I found it packaged which shows you the shape that it gets from the special device.

Yogurt Roundup-
1. Birchermüesli- my favorite flavor

Subtly sweet, raisins, fruits, nuts and oats

Emmi brand “at the bottom” flavor is not as good…not enough large pieces.

2. Lychee Pomelo

IRL it is a beautifully creamy light rose color. The taste is excellent, lightly fragrant and tiny pieces of pomelo and a genuine lychee flavor.

Hmm I guess I forgot to take pics of the fig, pineapple, apple flavors…

Best lunchtime snack

Purée of abricot and pear, with raspberry coulis at the bottom and this absolutely delectable whipped cream on top. Lucky kids!

Do you remember my post on Malakoffs, the most umami of the umami?? I used the recipe from the link and made it…basically grated Gruyère, kirch, egg, flour, baking soda, pepper and scooped onto egg-white brushed toast.

I love frying…very satisfying for some reason. Check out the induction cooktop. It gets hotter than my gas range!

So deliciously unhealthy. My toasts became too brown for some reason. Should you not fry with sunflower oil?? Swiss dairy products are so scrumptious…make sure to eat your fill of cheese when you’re there.

Fridgin’ Out

Kayoko — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:10:00 +0000

I know, this “what’s in your fridge” shit is so tired! But I’ve been wanting to blog about these specific food finds, so I’m just gonna bite it and start the “Fridgin’ Out” column. What a DORK.

Here’s this funky herb concentrate stuff that I got at a little Argentinian bakery in Jackson Heights called Terma Serrano. Mariana, whose family is from Argentina, urged me to get this– she says you add it to soda water. It reminds me of an alcohol-free version of digestives like Fernet Branca or Cynar, or coca cola. It’s an interesting, bitter, herby flavor.

Fridge Lifeline: at least a year.

I know I was all about Greek Gods yogurt a few weeks ago, but I was too broke, so got the Erivan stuff instead. Easier on the wallet at $2.50 for one of these bigger tubs. And it’s really runny, no thickeners, so it’s not so heavy. I love it! This is my second tub in two weeks.

Fridge Lifeline: one week.

I picked up these little packets of Otokomae “Johnny” tofu when I went to Mitsuwa a month ago. So creamy, milky and delicious- and love that picture of “Johnny” on the front. I haven’t eaten this one cause it’s too cold out for cold tofu (don’t waste this by cooking it!). I hear that they sell this at Sunrise market in Manhattan, so get on it!

Fridge Lifeline: Another month?