Read Dharma Feast Cookbook Online
Authors: Theresa Rodgers
Dharma Feast Cookbook (39 page)
| Y OGURT |  |
This produces a low lactose, naturally low-fat yogurt. It may not be as thick as commercial yogurt but virtually all the lactose has been digested by the bacterial culture, meaning no further digestion of lactose is required by us and there’s little chance of any intolerance or ill effects.
| 1 quart (1 liter) skim milk | P REP TIME 30 MINUTES (WITHOUT FERMENTATION TIME) |
1 tablespoon Ultra Dopholus or 1 tablespoon Ultra Bifidus or 2 teaspoons of each | Bring milk to a simmer and remove from heat. Stir often to prevent teaspoons of each scorching. Cover and cool until it has reached room temperature. Can be put in the refrigerator to cool down. It’s important that the temperature drops below 120°F (48°C) or the heat will kill the bacterial culture you are about to introduce. Remove ½ cup of cooled milk and make a paste with the Ultra Dopholus or Ultra Bifidus or both. Mix the paste with the remainder of the cooled milk and stir thoroughly. Pour the milk into a container, cover, and let stand, following heating instructions in next paragraph, for at least 24 hours. The fermentation should not be less than 24 hours. The source of heat during this 24-hour fermentation is critical. It is important to get the temperature between 100–110 °F (38–43°C) before you proceed with the fermentation. Too high a temperature will kill the bacterial culture and will prevent the proper conversion of lactose. Too low will prevent the activation of bacterial enzymes and will result in incomplete digestion of lactose. An electric yogurt maker controls the temperature perfectly but the amount you can make at one time is limited. A temperature-regulating electric warming tray is ideal. Use a mouth thermometer to set it properly. An electric crock pot (set low) or a heating pad may be used also. If you have a gas oven, the pilot light usually keeps the temperature within the correct range. Turning the oven light on (replace regular stove light with a 60 watt bulb) also creates enough warmth. Allow the yogurt to remain in the heat for at least 24 hours to insure that all lactose is completely digested. Remove from heat and refrigerate. (from |
| K OMBUCHA |  |
This fermented tea has been around for centuries all over the world in various forms. It’s a probiotic drink that aids in digestion and was described to us as “effervescent wonderfulness.” It’s filled with antioxidants which remove free radicals and has been shown to boost the immune system. We feel that kombucha is such a good thing that we’re willing to use it even though it has sugar. (Though during the process of fermentation, the sugar is broken down by yeast and converted into carbon dioxide, acids, and other substances.)
To make kombucha a “mushroom” or starter culture is required. (It isn’t really a mushroom—it’s a symbiotic combination of good bacteria and healthy yeast.) Traditionally people have gotten one from a friend. If you don’t know anyone who makes kombucha, check at a health food store to see if anyone makes kombucha. People are often happy to help others get started. Or you can order one online (see Note below).
| M AKES ABOUT 1 G ALLON | P REP TIME 55 MINUTES (WITHOUT FERMENTATION TIME) |
1 gallon filtered water 2 cups white sugar (do not substitute honey) 3 tablespoons loose organic black tea (preferably Assam) 3 tablespoons loose organic green tea (preferably Sencha) 1 kombucha mushroom starter (see Note below) About a cup of kombucha from a previous batch | Bring filtered water to a boil. Add sugar, stirring, and simmer until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add teas. Steep until water completely cools. (This usually takes all day or overnight.) Strain to remove tea leaves. Put cooled tea into a 4-quart clear glass container (do not use metal, plastic, colored glass, crystal, ceramic, or porcelain). We find that a gallon glass jar with a wide mouth works best. Others prefer a large glass bowl such as a punch bowl because it has a very large surface area and a shallower depth. Add 1 cup kombucha from a previous batch to the tea. (If this is your first batch, add the liquid that comes with your starter mushroom.) Put kombucha mushroom on top of tea. Cover jar with a lint-free cotton dishtowel or 4 layers of cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band around top of jar. If using a bowl, put several perpendicular strips of masking tape across top and then cover with a clean, lint-free dishcloth; secure cloth to bowl. The container must be covered to keep out dust and insects such as fruit flies. Set container in a warm (80–85°F), dark place away from contaminants for 7–10 days. If the room is cooler, it may take up to 14–21 days or longer, and you don’t end up with optimal metabolites. Avoid putting jar where temperature will be below 73°F. Do not move container. If mushroom sinks to bottom of jar, leave it there. A new one will form on the surface of the tea. |
Check after 7 days. You are looking for the liquid to be fizzy and mellow rather than sour and for there to be no taste of tea left. It should be acidic and not sweet. How long it takes depends on the temperature and your personal taste of how sour you prefer the kombucha to be. One suggestion is “It’s ready when it stops smelling as strong as it smells in the first few days.”
When it is ready, remove the kombucha mushroom(s) or culture, which grows and covers the surface of the tea. As it grows, it thickens considerably and is composed of layers, one on top of the other, that can easily be peeled off. Each can be used to produce kombucha.
Rinse mushroom(s) under cold running water. Do not allow them to touch metal—sink, tap, wedding rings, etc. Gently wipe off brown tendrils so you have a clean, fresh mushroom. Lay right side up on a glass plate or in a glass container.
The original mushroom can be reused dozens of times unless it turns black or kombucha doesn’t sour as it should. In that case mushrooms from that batch should be thrown away and a new one used for the next batch.
Using a glass measuring cup as a ladle, pour mature kombucha through cheesecloth or a German cotton tea filter into glass bottles or jars. Even after filtering it may have some sediment, which is yeast. Drink it or discard it, whichever you prefer. Cover and refrigerate.
Store the new mushroom refrigerated in a covered glass container with a small amount of kombucha around it. If you give one away, put it in a jar with kombucha liquid for their first batch. It can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Adults drink 1 or 2 ounces, once or twice a day; up to 4 ounces total. Increase your water intake. Children can drink 1 ounce once or twice a day, up to 2 ounces total, but only if they want to drink it.
Note
–A “mushroom” is necessary for making kombucha. If you can’t find one locally, you have several online options: (1) go to the Worldwide “Kombucha Exchange” at
www.kombu.de
(choose English, German, French, or Spanish language). Mushrooms are often available for the cost of shipping or free for pick up; (2) order a starter kit including mushroom from Laurel Farms at
www.laurelfarms.com.
Can be shipped to U.S. or Europe; (3) order mushrooms, supplies, and kits from
www.kombu.de
(choose from many languages). These can be shipped in the U.S. or to Europe; (4) look for one on craigslist.com. You can also get more information on making kombucha online.
Tip
–Make sure all utensils, containers, and your hands are clean so that you don’t pick up a contaminant.
| S AUERKRAUT |  |
This is probably the most recognized German dish, especially if you picture it with lots of sausages, a big Humpen of beer, sweaty Lederhosen, and thousands of people crowding you at the Octoberfest. If you want to eat a more modest version here is the recipe. Tika’s grandmother bought fresh, raw sauerkraut in “Reform Houses,” the precursor to health food stores in Germany. She would literally walk miles to buy it. In Germany, it is traditionally prepared with caraway seeds and cloves.
| M AKES 1–2 PINTS | P REP TIME 45 MINUTES (WITHOUT FERMENTATION TIME) |
1–2 heads savoy cabbage Fresh garlic (optional) Caraway seeds (optional) Filtered water 1–2 tablespoons sea salt | Chop or grate the cabbage as thickly or finely as you wish. Include a few cloves of chopped garlic and a few teaspoons caraway seeds if desired. Place cabbage and any additional ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle with salt (1 tablespoon per head of cabbage). Stir well and then mash cabbage down with clean hands or a pestle-like instrument like a wooden citrus reamer. A potato masher also works well. Try to create as much juice as possible so that the cabbage, once in a jar, will be covered with its juice. This takes 5–10 minutes. Transfer cabbage to a sterile wide-mouth quart jar and mash it down as much as possible. Place a smaller jar, filled with water, into this jar to keep the cabbage submerged beneath the juice. Use a jar that is as close as possible to the size of the larger jar’s opening. If you have more juice than you need, remove some so it won’t overflow. Leave the jars on the counter covered with a towel to keep out insects and dust for at least four days. Occasionally press the second jar down to keep packing down the cabbage. Or remove upper jar and pack the cabbage daily. The more packed the cabbage is, the quicker the fermentation. Start tasting it after four days. If any mold has formed spoon it off. It won’t affect the submerged cabbage. When it tastes strong enough, take out the weighted jar and transfer the sauerkraut to a smaller covered jar. Refrigerate. Use part of the juice from this sauerkraut to start your next batch. If making a larger quantity, a good ratio is 5 pounds of cabbage to 3 tablespoons of sea salt. Use a gallon-sized food-grade plastic bucket or a ceramic crock for the cabbage and then fit a plate or a 1-gallon jug filled with water inside to weigh down the cabbage. If cabbage is not fresh the fermentation will take longer. Also, the larger the quantity, the longer the fermentation takes. |
| K IMCHI | |