Could This Be the Perfect Iced Coffee?

For some reason yesterday, I suffered from "link blink" (someone, I thought it was Linda - but now I cannot find her reference, referred to this as the act of getting caught going from one link to another until a ridiculous amount of time has passed).  But I did stumble upon a great site for Cold Brew Coffee (it also has fantastic photos, illustrating the process).  There are actually lots and lots of versions out there: feel free to google.
Cold brewing of coffee relies on time to flavour the water (instead of heat, which is applicable for standard hot coffee).  It apparently imparts more coffee flavour and less bitterness.  Essentially, you need to soak ground coffee for hours and then filter it.  You can do this in a plunger/french press (a common brand name rhymes with "snowdum") or just in a jar (in which case you need to use a coffee filter from a dripolator to filter out the ground coffee).  Actually, I've left out the third version: buy a specifically made cold-brew coffee maker!


As usual though, I cannot possibly follow a recipe straight up, so I've tweaked it a bit (original copyright Christy Jordan):
Tools:
A plunger coffee maker OR
A jar, a sieve, two coffee filter papers (or some muslins) and a bowl
A spoon or chopstick
Ingredients:
1/2 cup freshly ground coffee (not instant! never instant! never, ever, ever!*)
1 litre of tepid filtered water (my plunger actually only holds 750mls)
1 tbs chicory (optional)
Method:
1- Grind coffee (or just use ready ground coffee from a packet - it's not my preference but sometimes needs must).
2- Place 1/2 cup of freshly ground coffee into plunger or jar.
3- Add 750mls of tepid filtered water.
4- Stir the coffee grounds (a chopstick is ideal for this).
5 - Cover and let sit over night (12-15 hours is ideal).
6a- If you are using a plunger: plunge the coffee.
6b- If using a jar: place strainer over bowl and line strainer with coffee filter/muslin.  Pour over half the coffee and let it strain through; it may take some time.  Remove used filter (and coffee) and replace with a fresh filter.  Pour over remaining coffee and let it strain.  
7- Decant the coffee into the jar in which you will store it.  
8- Add the chicory (optional).
9- Store in fridge (make sure it's well sealed) and use within two weeks**.


Making Iced Coffee:
Mix 1:2 coffee concentrate to milk (adjust ratio to your preference), add ice and, if desired, sugar (or other sweetener) and maybe, if you're feeling decadent, some ice-cream.  Enjoy!


Notes:
1- This concentrate can also be used to make a hot coffee.  Just use 1:2 concentrate to hot water (adjust to your pref.) and then add sugar, milk, etc. as you would normally.
2- For mocha, just add some chocolate! Either powered or syrup (or even real chocolate that you've melted). If you're going to use real chocolate, try to buy at least 70% cocoa chocolate (preferably fair trade and thus slave free).
3- Instead of chicory, you could substitute vanilla extract (or anything else that takes your fancy).
4- If you don't want ice-cubes making your iced coffee weaker, just freeze some of the concentrate as ice cubes!
5- The used filters and coffee grounds will go really nicely in your compost bin.
6- Some recipes suggest using milk instead of water - I'm a bit concerned about the potential for the concentrate going off, but feel free to try it if you want (let me know how it goes).


* If you're an instant coffee drinker, this is a waste of time, just make a paste and then add milk and ice - but I'd strongly suggest you leave the dark side and come and try some real coffee (I don't even use instant when cooking! Life's just too short).
** It's likely to to be used well before that, but the research I've read suggests this is the comfortable maximum for which you can leave the concentrate.  Other sites suggest it will keep for up to a month in a fridge.  Personally, as it's so little work, my preference would be to make a batch every few days; thus avoiding the potential for any nasty moulds to grow.

Gnocchi

It is FANTASTIC with sweet potato! Try adding in some sage (chopped finely and mixed with the sweet potato).  You could also make it with half potato and half sweet potato (I tried this the first time I did it - personally, I wouldn't bother with this - it doesn't taste enough of the sweet potato).  The only thing is to make sure you don't add too much flower - keep a light touch and be parsimonious with flour... otherwise you end up with hard little gnocchi that are inedible (yes... I speak from experience!).
For a sauce you can try lots of things - but a burnt butter sauce is great (http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=781795).

Home Made Yoghurt

Once again inspired by Julie (I'm starting to sound like a groupie!), I've started making yoghurt.  I bought an EasiYo, which is really just a big thermos, and have successfully made yoghurt a few times.  Using the EasiYo sachets is too easy for words (pretty much just add water and wait), so of course I've found a way to make it more complicated!  I did this for a few reasons, mainly that I don't like powder in packets* (note the hypocrisy of this: I'm going to mention powered milk below!) and also I prefer to keep my ingredients organic (I know, I can get organic EasiYo sachets - that's what I started my yoghurt with - but I've not seen the organic starters at my local supermarket).  I was using these directions, but then found that, by using UHT milk, I could avoid the need for re-pasturisation of the milk (right after I'd coughed up for a candy thermometer; guess I'm really going to have to make marshmallows now).  
I suggest you look here for the post from which this information was taken (It's very comprehensive: I'm just reproducing the directions now as I've made a few small changes and I want to keep the information for easy reference for myself).  


Ingredients:
1 litre organic UHT milk**
1/2 to 1/3 cup powdered milk (the more you add, the thicker the yoghurt)
3 tablespoons of plain yoghurt (with no gelatin)
Method:
1- Mix yoghurt with a splash of UHT milk until it makes a smooth paste;
2- Add paste to remainder of milk then put it into the container for the EasiYo;
3- Shake the container to mix the milk and paste;
3- Add boiling water to the thermos and leave it on bench overnight;
4- When yoghurt is set, put it in the fridge***;
5- As soon as you open the new batch of yoghurt, get at least 3 tablespoons and place in another container - this yoghurt will be your "starter" for the next batch.
(original Copyright Julie from Towards Sustainability).


* I may change my tune on this VERY soon - check Julie's post for information on special yoghurt cultures. 
** UHT milk = already partially sterilised, so there's apparently no need for re-pasturisation.  If you cannot access UHT milk, follow these instructions for making yoghurt.
*** The longer the yoghurt is left out of the fridge, the tarter it will be.

Garlic Infused Oil

After hearing Nigella wax lyrical (again) about the pleasures of garlic oil, I've decided to give it a go.  There are so many recipes out there that it almost seems redundant to give my version, but I'm going to note it down anyway (even if only for my reference).
This version is inspired by this wonderful post at 64 sq foot kitchen!  I've tweaked it ever so slightly though as I discovered that there is a potential problem with botulism if one uses fresh garlic. 
Allotment Vegetable Gardening suggests that if one heats the oil to 180 degrees (350F), it should reduce the potential problem (I hope!).  It's also possible to use a cold infusion method or heat the oil on a stove.  I've chosen not to use these methods - cold infusion won't overcome the potential botulism issue; and stoves, heat, oil and small children don't really mix.  We do have a fire blanket and extinguisher in the kitchen, but I'm not too keen to use them :)
I'm going to make a very small batch, with my purple home-grown garlic and see how it goes. (Afterword: make sure you read the final verdict - I need to change the process a bit).

Ingredients:

1 small head of garlic

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon of peppercorns
Method:
1- Heat oven to 200 (or even 220 - botulism doesn't sound like something I wish to experience) degrees centigrade.
2- Slice garlic head in half horizontally.  There's no need to peel the garlic, just make sure the dirt is rubbed off.  As you can see from my photo, rubbing off the dirt actually caused the head to break into cloves, so I worked with what I had.

3- (In theory) Place the garlic head, cut side down, into an oven-proof container, and place the peppercorns and sprigs of thyme around the garlic.
4- Pour over olive oil and cover the dish (with a lid or foil) - except I forgot to cover it; but, as it was in a cup-type dish I didn't have to worry about anything splashing out.

5- Cook in oven for approximately one hour (until garlic is soft and squishy).

6- Strain oil and decant into sterilised container*. 

7- Label the bottle with the type of oil** and the date made (you can obviously, do a "use-by" date, but I find it easier to just use the date created instead);
7- Store the oil in a cool, dark place for up to one month.
9- Enjoy in salad dressings (and pasta and with bread and croutons and aioli and... anything else you can!).
(original Copyright Warda from 64 sq ft Kitchen)


Final Verdict: So how did it go?
Well... I cheated a little: I strained it through paper-towel (couldn't bring myself to swipe some of Ziggy's play muslins).  

As you can see from the "after" picture, the garlic burnt itself to almost nothing - oil tasted great, but there was none of the yummy roasted garlic for which I'd hoped (see ** below).  I'm not sure if it's because I forgot to cover the container with oil or the temperature (I suspect the latter more than the former).  Next time, I'll roast at a lower temperature (I'll try 150 degrees), strain out the garlic, pepper and thyme, and THEN heat the oil to 200 degrees.  
And finally, about a day or two later... The Man knocked the bottle, it broke and the oil spilled all over the floor... is there any point in crying over spilt (extra-virgin, garlic infused) oil?


* Sterilisation:
Warning - I'm  no expert, this is just what I do!  Feel free to search for a better source of information.   
a- wash the screw top lids and glass jars/bottles with warm, soapy water; 
b- rinse with fresh water;
c- place into pot of boiling water and boil for at least 5 minutes (you might need to move the bottles a bit to ensure that there are no air bubbles);
d- remove jars/bottles and lids with tongs (be careful that the boiling water doesn't run down the tongs and onto your arms - yes, I speak from experience...); and
e- place upright on bench, ready for immediate use.
I've also read that it's possible to take things straight from the dishwasher - but the timing is never right for me - or to use an oven to sterilise. The one time I did this though, some plastic on the lid just burned and it didn't sterilise... alas I had to throw out a jar of Red Onion Jam.
** Instead of garlic, you could use chillies; rosemary; sage; thyme;  etc.
Another bonus of using Warda's method to make garlic oil is the garlic mash that's left over! I love garlic mash... mmm... Just remember to store the mash in the refrigerator for up to one month (and yes, on this too, I speak from experience).

Welcome!

Dear Reader:

Welcome to my first ever blog post. I've been tossing around the idea of starting a blog for a while now and pretty much decided on impulse to start one right now (and I mean RIGHT now). I'm considering it part therapy and part hobby - percentages to be decided as we go along.

The only thing I have fixed is the title; which is fortunate because it's one of the first things you need to enter when setting up a blog. My chosen title, obviously, is "POST IMPERFECT"... I've been reading blogs for a while and have been struck by how I often feel both inspired and somehow diminished after reading them. Inspired because some of the lives about which I am reading are truly inspirational - or at least founded around some central passion - and diminished because my life was not nearly so filled with passion or, as it happens, the simplicity I crave.

You know how some people have it all worked out or at least, portray the concept of having it all worked out? I'm NOT one of those people. Although it is a little early for a mid-life/existential crisis, I find myself trying to work out what's important to me as though I was a clichéd middle-aged man buying a sports car. I sometimes find myself feeling somewhat diminished by the "perfect" images some blogs present: it's not a harsh criticism - the blog world is out there to allow us to make what we wish and writers don't need to present a warts-and-all autobiography if they don't desire to expose themselves completely. But sometimes I wonder why I can't have that "happy" life with the wonderful everything. Maybe some people do and, for those who recognise and appreciate that, I admire their luck (or is it a talent?). But I'd like to know about some of their sadder or more difficult days too. That way, I could learn from them in more ways than one. So some of my posts may well be "imperfect"... or maybe the act of talking to the wild world out there might enable me to make some changes, whatever they may be, for the better; so this might be the beginning of my life post its (current) imperfections!

I try to live by two simple rules (which, of course lend themselves to many sub-categories - but enough of complexity): respect living things and respect the environment. I hope this will come through in my musings. I look forward to writing, and maybe even reading comments from others, as my story unfolds.