What's cookin', good lookin'? Part II

[gracie920101]

I made yoghurt.

I feel like this doesn't really count ... 'boiling the jug' is hardly cooking ... but other than that it was left overs.

I've always wanted to try my own but it's so easy to just pick up a container at the store

 

[KimGordon67]

I've always wanted to try my own but it's so easy to just pick up a container at the store

I'm trying to get my plastic consumption down, and I get fresh milk delivered to the door (in a glass bottle). It's a bit time-consuming, and probably no cheaper than buying it in the shop, but it sort of pleases me that I can do this

 

[seela]

I'm trying to get my plastic consumption down, and I get fresh milk delivered to the door (in a glass bottle). It's a bit time-consuming, and probably no cheaper than buying it in the shop, but it sort of pleases me that I can do this

I love making my own! You can get different results by using different kinds of milks and different cultures of yogurt to get things going. My absolute favorite is Bulgarian yogurt, but for some reason they don’t sell it in big containers here, so it makes sense to make my own. It’s so easy and it feels good to make something so simple by yourself. I totally understand your point about it pleasing you to be able to do this.

My top tip is to put it in the oven with the oven light on for excellent non-drafty and perfectly warm conditions. Of course people live in different climates, so for many finding a warm and controlled place isn’t the issue. For me, especially in winter, the oven trick is an absolute must. Won’t work otherwise.

 

[KimGordon67]

I love making my own! You can get different results by using different kinds of milks and different cultures of yogurt to get things going. My absolute favorite is Bulgarian yogurt, but for some reason they don’t sell it in big containers here, so it makes sense to make my own. It’s so easy and it feels good to make something so simple by yourself. I totally understand your point about it pleasing you to be able to do this.

My top tip is to put it in the oven with the oven light on for excellent non-drafty and perfectly warm conditions. Of course people live in different climates, so for many finding a warm and controlled place isn’t the issue. For me, especially in winter, the oven trick is an absolute must. Won’t work otherwise.

I use an Easi-Yo kit to make mine in. (Sometimes I actually just make it using the Easi-Yo sachets.) How do you make Bulgarian yoghurt?

 

[KimGordon67]

Tonight is chicken larb, with some capsicum and avocado on the side, served on lettuce.

 

[seela]

I use an Easi-Yo kit to make mine in. (Sometimes I actually just make it using the Easi-Yo sachets.) How do you make Bulgarian yoghurt?

Oh, I didn’t even know there’s a machine for making yogurt. What’s in the sachets? What do you use if you don’t use them?

Yogurt cultures from around the world vary a little. At least here the yogurts you can find easily are Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish and some generic non-country specific ones.

I make yogurt by buying yogurt from the store, then using some of it as the starter seed for my own yogurt. I mix it up with warm milk and let it sit in a container under a cloth over night or until it’s desired consistency and flavor. I always place my container in the oven like I mentioned.

So I make Bulgarian yogurt by buying Bulgarian yogurt and using that as the seed. Then with next batches I use a dollop of the yogurt I’ve made before. You can vary the texture and flavor by using milk with different fat content and different kinds of cultures as well as leaving it so it’s yogurt thing for a different amount of time before placing it in the fridge.

 

[KimGordon67]

Oh, I didn’t even know there’s a machine for making yogurt. What’s in the sachets? What do you use if you don’t use them?

Yogurt cultures from around the world vary a little. At least here the yogurts you can find easily are Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish and some generic non-country specific ones.

I make yogurt by buying yogurt from the store, then using some of it as the starter seed for my own yogurt. I mix it up with warm milk and let it sit in a container under a cloth over night or until it’s desired consistency and flavor. I always place my container in the oven like I mentioned.

So I make Bulgarian yogurt by buying Bulgarian yogurt and using that as the seed. Then with next batches I use a dollop of the yogurt I’ve made before. You can vary the texture and flavor by using milk with different fat content and different kinds of cultures as well as leaving it so it’s yogurt thing for a different amount of time before placing it in the fridge.

The Easi-Yo is basically a big thermos, and then a smaller plastic container that you use to actually make the yoghurt in. You put boiling water in the thermos, and then the plastic container sits inside that. The powder is (I'm guessing) a combination of milk powder, culture, and probably a few others things - a lot of them are flavoured, but I just use the plain unsweetened ones. You mix the powder up with water, pop it in the thermos bit, and 12-24 hours later - voila!
When I'm not using the powder, I put a bit aside from each batch to use as the culture for the next batch, as I'm imagine you do. However, I find after doing that half a dozen times or so, it gets a bit .... watery? So then I start again with a batch made with the powder.
I flavour mine as well - at the moment it's got pureed pear in it. Often it'll be pureed tinned mango, but I also frequently have a surplus of fruit (apples or pears usually), so I'll puree them to flavour the yoghurt.

 

[seela]

The Easi-Yo is basically a big thermos, and then a smaller plastic container that you use to actually make the yoghurt in. You put boiling water in the thermos, and then the plastic container sits inside that. The powder is (I'm guessing) a combination of milk powder, culture, and probably a few others things - a lot of them are flavoured, but I just use the plain unsweetened ones. You mix the powder up with water, pop it in the thermos bit, and 12-24 hours later - voila!
When I'm not using the powder, I put a bit aside from each batch to use as the culture for the next batch, as I'm imagine you do. However, I find after doing that half a dozen times or so, it gets a bit .... watery? So then I start again with a batch made with the powder.
I flavour mine as well - at the moment it's got pureed pear in it. Often it'll be pureed tinned mango, but I also frequently have a surplus of fruit (apples or pears usually), so I'll puree them to flavour the yoghurt.

Interesting. I've always just used a pot and a bowl. I can see the benefits of using a thermos. It's easy to control the temperature that way and I'm sure as a whole the results are more uniform using a powder than what happens doing it the way I do. I'm fine with the result varying, I don't think I've ever ended up with something unpleasant or inedible, but having a consistent result is always nice.

Do you add the pear to the yogurt when it's ready to be eaten or do you add it in the thermos? This is fascinating, I never heard of such a gadget before and it never occurred to me that there would be one! I lead a very sheltered life.


Today I made a batch of sima which can only mean that the spring has sprung!

 

[IrisAlthea]

Breaded filet of sole on toast with shrimp, rhode island sauce and roe. Basically danish stjerneskud without the boiled sole. Torbjørn Risager playing in the background.
Stupid pandemic, we will have some Denmark anyway!

The Easi-Yo is basically a big thermos, and then a smaller plastic container that you use to actually make the yoghurt in. You put boiling water in the thermos, and then the plastic container sits inside that. The powder is (I'm guessing) a combination of milk powder, culture, and probably a few others things - a lot of them are flavoured, but I just use the plain unsweetened ones. You mix the powder up with water, pop it in the thermos bit, and 12-24 hours later - voila!
When I'm not using the powder, I put a bit aside from each batch to use as the culture for the next batch, as I'm imagine you do. However, I find after doing that half a dozen times or so, it gets a bit .... watery? So then I start again with a batch made with the powder.
I flavour mine as well - at the moment it's got pureed pear in it. Often it'll be pureed tinned mango, but I also frequently have a surplus of fruit (apples or pears usually), so I'll puree them to flavour the yoghurt.

My friend does basically the same but puts the container in her big stock pot with water the right temperature and wrapped in towels. She’s considering getting a thermos though.

Today I made a batch of sima which can only mean that the spring has sprung!

Mmm!

 

[MeekMe]

:sigh: I wanted korokke (Japanese style croquettes) but ended up with something of a weird meat patty, mashed potatoes and roasted beets. What it should have been was korokke, roasted beet and arugula salad with a miso soup of whatever was around. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the focus or energy to tell someone else how to cook it. so gave up half way and said, “just turn the potatoes into mash, forget the salad just eat the beets, and take the meat mixtures and just make patties because I can’t guide you through this.”

I’d really like to be cared for the way I care for others when they are sick.

 

[seela]

:sigh: I wanted korokke (Japanese style croquettes) but ended up with something of a weird meat patty, mashed potatoes and roasted beets. What it should have been was korokke, roasted beet and arugula salad with a miso soup of whatever was around. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the focus or energy to tell someone else how to cook it. so gave up half way and said, “just turn the potatoes into mash, forget the salad just eat the beets, and take the meat mixtures and just make patties because I can’t guide you through this.”

I’d really like to be cared for the way I care for others when they are sick.

I hope you’ll feel better soon.

 

[KimGordon67]

Interesting. I've always just used a pot and a bowl. I can see the benefits of using a thermos. It's easy to control the temperature that way and I'm sure as a whole the results are more uniform using a powder than what happens doing it the way I do. I'm fine with the result varying, I don't think I've ever ended up with something unpleasant or inedible, but having a consistent result is always nice.

Do you add the pear to the yogurt when it's ready to be eaten or do you add it in the thermos? This is fascinating, I never heard of such a gadget before and it never occurred to me that there would be one! I lead a very sheltered life.


Today I made a batch of sima which can only mean that the spring has sprung!

Here's the Easiyo site! (Although I bought mine secondhand from the local thrift shop for $5.)

I only use the powder to make the 'base' batch - then I use a few spoons of yoghurt from that batch as the culture for the next one, and so on. But as you say, results can vary, and I find that the culture gets 'weak' after half a dozen or so batches, and the yoghurt gets pretty watery.

It only stays in the thermos 12-24 hours. Then I add the stewed and pureed pear or apple (and often a little bit of maple syrup for a tiny bit of sweetness) when I refrigerate it. Tinned mango is definitely the best, but I have this thing about using what's available, and I get a weekly box of vegetables that inevitably has more fruit in it than I can eat. Adding the fruit is my own invention - the Easiyo powder comes in a whole range of different flavours, but I only ever get the plain unsweetened one.

 

[seela]

Here's the Easiyo site! (Although I bought mine secondhand from the local thrift shop for $5.)

I only use the powder to make the 'base' batch - then I use a few spoons of yoghurt from that batch as the culture for the next one, and so on. But as you say, results can vary, and I find that the culture gets 'weak' after half a dozen or so batches, and the yoghurt gets pretty watery.

It only stays in the thermos 12-24 hours. Then I add the stewed and pureed pear or apple (and often a little bit of maple syrup for a tiny bit of sweetness) when I refrigerate it. Tinned mango is definitely the best, but I have this thing about using what's available, and I get a weekly box of vegetables that inevitably has more fruit in it than I can eat. Adding the fruit is my own invention - the Easiyo powder comes in a whole range of different flavours, but I only ever get the plain unsweetened one.

I control the consistency of the yoghurt (in reality I don’t really control it, it is what it is, I’m easy like that and enjoy surprises ) by boiling the milk a different amount of time to remove water and adding more or less of the culture. Have you tried using a little less liquid to make yours if it becomes watery? Or is watery merely a flavor thing, not a consistency thing?

I just made a batch of my own overnight inspired by this conversation! I haven’t had yoghurt in a while, been making another similar product instead - viili. But now I have yoghurt and I’ll have mine with lingonberries and a bit of vanilla. Maybe honey depending on how tart it became. Yum.

 

[seela]

Oh and the sima I made turned out wonderful! I’ll have to make another batch for Mayday.

 

[KimGordon67]

I control the consistency of the yoghurt (in reality I don’t really control it, it is what it is, I’m easy like that and enjoy surprises ) by boiling the milk a different amount of time to remove water and adding more or less of the culture. Have you tried using a little less liquid to make yours if it becomes watery? Or is watery merely a flavor thing, not a consistency thing?

I just made a batch of my own overnight inspired by this conversation! I haven’t had yoghurt in a while, been making another similar product instead - viili. But now I have yoghurt and I’ll have mine with lingonberries and a bit of vanilla. Maybe honey depending on how tart it became. Yum.

I haven't thought about boiling the milk down - I'll give that try. I'm OK with it being quite runny, because I use it to put on fruit, but eventually it's just not really a pleasing consistency.

 

[seela]

I haven't thought about boiling the milk down - I'll give that try. I'm OK with it being quite runny, because I use it to put on fruit, but eventually it's just not really a pleasing consistency.

I suggest simmering the milk at a temperature just below boiling, like 90C or so. Sometimes when I've accidentally let it really boil, like proper rolling boil, it has ended up tasting a little, well, boiled. So if you can keep it just below boiling it'll still be enough to remove the water but not develop the boiled milk flavor.

I usually boil my milk for 5-10 minutes.

 

[IrisAlthea]

Pasta with a sauce made with shrimp, garlic, pernod and cream.

 

[seela]

Chicken meatballs with steamed broccoli and carrots and ssamjang.

And I’m making lemon-white chocolate biskvier for dessert. They look so bad.

 

[gracie920101]

A neighbor passed tomatoes and green beans over the fence. (Great neighbor! Also passes fresh eggs once in awhile!)

Bacon (always done in the oven) and tomatoes sandwiches for lunch.

I snapped the beans and added small red potatoes plus a couple of chopped slices of bacon. I'll add a small thyme and butter-basted steak for dinner. Simple dinner.

 

[ultramarineblue]

:sigh: I wanted korokke (Japanese style croquettes) but ended up with something of a weird meat patty, mashed potatoes and roasted beets. What it should have been was korokke, roasted beet and arugula salad with a miso soup of whatever was around. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the focus or energy to tell someone else how to cook it. so gave up half way and said, “just turn the potatoes into mash, forget the salad just eat the beets, and take the meat mixtures and just make patties because I can’t guide you through this.”

I’d really like to be cared for the way I care for others when they are sick.

I have felt this exact way.

 

[Anastasia1999]

We had barbecued chicken, sausages and pork belly, aubergines, salad and spicy potato wedges. It was lovely.

 

[IrisAlthea]

Chicken meatballs with steamed broccoli and carrots and ssamjang.

And I’m making lemon-white chocolate biskvier for dessert. They look so bad.

Mm, biskvier! My mother in law makes them by putting two bottoms together with the buttercream between them, kind of like an oversize macron. Then she dips half in chocolate. Easier than the usual way to get them to look reasonably good. I think it gets the proportions wrong though - for me that trumps looks.

We had lightly sugar and salt cured cod, cooked in the oven served with bacon, a parsnip and potatoe mash and tomatoes.
It’s not often that we cook that involved meals for both lunch and dinner.

 

[gracie920101]

We had barbecued chicken, sausages and pork belly, aubergines, salad and spicy potato wedges. It was lovely.

Sounds yummy except for the aubergines. I have tried so many times to eat them and I just can't tolerate the taste. They are so versatile I would really like to enjoy them but ICK! Bleh!

 

[Orchidea73]

Salt-baked sea bass and green beans.

Sounds yummy except for the aubergines. I have tried so many times to eat them and I just can't tolerate the taste. They are so versatile I would really like to enjoy them but ICK! Bleh!

I love eggplants. It's among my most favorite food. Try one of these recipes. You might like one of them, and are easy to prepare. https://www.pastagrammar.com/post/5-delicious-eggplant-recipes-a-full-course-eggplant-meal

 

[Anastasia1999]

Sounds yummy except for the aubergines. I have tried so many times to eat them and I just can't tolerate the taste. They are so versatile I would really like to enjoy them but ICK! Bleh!

I sliced them lengthwise into thin slices, add salt and pepper and dried herbs, brush them with olive oil and throw them on the barbecue. They are delicious.