Giant Puffball

Last Sunday I went for a mid morning walk, usual route, but I detoured a tiny bit, because I noticed a small manmade path across the street from where I usually stop at the marsh.  I'm so glad that I did, because I found a Calvatia Gigantea or the giant puffball.

I couldn't decide if I should walk home with it or walk home and drive back.  I opted to just take it.  It was heavy.  I normally don't have a camera on me during my walks, but I brought one this time to take photos of the marsh in the fall.

I decided to save the mushroom for Monday, since that was Thanksgiving and I was going to my parents' place for dinner.  The plan was that the mushroom would get eaten and I wouldn't have to freeze it.  I was hoping it would still be white on the inside, but once I sliced off the root area, I saw the yellow turning brown fleshiness and spores forming.  Giant puffballs are easy to tell apart from other mushrooms, but they are only safe to eat when they are young and the inside is white.  Once it starts turning yellow, and then darker, it is poisonous.  Sadly I didn't get to taste my amazing find, but now that I know where it grew, I plan on returning to that spot next year.

Probiotic Salsa and other fermented foods

I've been making sauerkraut for a while.  It reminds me of my childhood.  My gran used to make it, among other things.  In our kitchen, there was a barrel of kraut, and another with pickles, a smaller one with half pickles.  I don't know what those are called in English, but basically it's something between a cucumber and a pickle, no longer a cucumber, but not quite a pickle yet; they're delicious.

I make flavoured sauerkraut, with various herbs, spices, and veg.  I've also been making kimchi (Korean), curtido (South American), and salsa.  Salsa is a great alternative to the other options for those who don't like cabbage, but like probiotic foods.  I've got an idea for hot sauce, and I'm in the process of growing a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast to start making my own kombucha.

I have a Facebook page dedicated to my sauerkraut and other fermented foods, it's under the same name as this blog.

www.facebook.com/MetalPorkchop

Salsa

Salsa in the making

Napa Kimchi

Caraway Bay Kraut, Napa Kimchi, Apple Fennel Kraut, Curtido

Loads of beneficial bacteria, vitamins, minerals, and taste!  Great for your digestive tract, and once that's balanced and healthy, everything else works better too.  Some of my customers swear that they've been able to cut down or cut out their GI meds.

Sweet Sour Cream Soufflé

These are so fast, easy, and inexpensive to make, but they look and taste amazing.  I first came up with the idea when I had most of a 500ml container of 30% sour cream close to expiry.  I'm not a huge sour cream fan, I love it in mashed potatoes and on my burrito, but not much otherwise.  Though I have to say with age, I have started to like it more.

So all I do is leave the sour cream in a sieve over a bowl with cheese cloth, in the fridge over night, to remove moisture and make it firmer.  The next day, I take some raisins and soak them in Earl Grey tea, then drain.  I beat 2 egg whites separately, then 2 yolks with some sugar.  I don't measure, but use your judgement, and decide how sweet you want this to be.  I don't like mine too sweet, because the raisins are very sweet.  You can always taste test.  Add a tablespoon or 2 of flour to the egg mixture.  If you're using more than one container of sour cream, then increase the flour, but don't use too much, or your soufflé won't be as fluffy.  Grate one lemon's worth of rind, and add it to the yolk mixture, mix in the drained raisins, then fold in the egg whites.  Butter your dish or ramekins, dust with some flour and fill 1/2 to 2/3 full.  The first time I made these I had French butter cookies, and I placed cookies at the bottom of half the ramekins.  If you have a good cookie that doesn't have too much going on, try this out, the cookie ends up being a moist bottom "crust".  

In these photos, I ended up sprinkling the raisins on top and then covering with more batter.  Either way works.

Soufflés don't stay puffed once they leave the oven, so if you're making these for guests, don't take them out until you're ready to serve.  It's best to time it out, so that they don't stay in the oven too long, because they do end up burning.

I had these in at 325 for about 35 minutes.

The ones which don't get eaten right away are still very tasty, but once they collapse, they are more dense, and almost like a light fluffly cheesecake, especially the next day.  This is one of my best dessert experiments.  Bon Appétit!

Lose the Soy in Your Diet

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/170-scientific-reasons-to-lose-the-soy-in-your-diet/

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/studies-showing-adverse-effects-of-isoflavones

I cut soy out of my diet back in 2007, mainly because it's overly genetically modified and processed.  I don't miss it, because I wasn't crazy about it in the first place.
As this article points out, soy, in its many forms, can be found in loads of foods, even ones you wouldn't expect, like chocolate.  Not all chocolate has soy byproducts as an ingredient, but if you look at the list of ingredients, often times you will see soy lecithin listed.

Be sure to check out the link for a detailed list of scientific reasons why regular consumption of soy is not healthy, even if your health practitioner still seems to think so.