Cognac is one of the most recognizable high society drinks. It is really not hard to imagine important looking people in an antique furnished room, sitting on leather couches, discussing important things and drinking cognac from nice rounded glasses that they delicately warm in their hands. Well, drinking brandy I should say, although this dispels […]
Usual Food
Flower candy
The simple candy that I made was so perfectly crystalline it practically begged to be decorated. It needed something to be trapped inside it, something that would make it even better and would shine from the inside. And what better way to do this than to capture some real flowers together with their subtle taste […]
Japanese chestnut pumpkin
During my stay in Japan, I discovered a chestnut tasting pumpkin. It was fabulous! When I tasted it for the first time I could not believe what I was tasting. But the next bites reassured me that my senses were indeed working and I’ve immediately fallen in love with the taste. To my surprise, the […]
Simple hard candy – how to make it at home
In my piece about fudge I explored one end of sugar/water mixtures used for fudge making. These mixtures are said to be at the soft ball temperature since you can freely knead the sugar mass if you cool it down. At the other spectra of useful sugar/water mixtures is so-called hard crack temperature, used for […]
Fudge and sugar crystals science
OVERVIEW Besides heavenly taste, fudge is a great example of crystals and the crystallization process. It shows how the main thing in creating a sweet is the process, not the ingredients. When you put in the basic ingredients (primarily sugar) and follow the procedure, everything is great. But if you miss a step in the […]
Wartime beer or How to make beer during wartime or zombie apocalypse
Making beer today is fairly simple – you can use a starter kit and basically brew any kind you like. With relatively little knowledge or work you can make excellent beers. But how to make a “wartime beer”, without any starter kits or buying ingredients? The idea of making a Wartime beer But what if you […]
Sea salt harvest
First, some background about sea salt harvest. Salt (sodium chloride) is an integral part of our diet, despite its bad reputation in relation to cardiovascular disease – which is, by the way, been questioned. Anyway, salt – in the right amount – is essential for human body and it is THE spice for preparation of […]
Basic beer brewing
Beer is a favorite refreshment for a lot of people since the ancient times. Basic beer brewing at home and micro breweries are in fashion and everybody is talking about their favorite artisan beer. Beside being a great refreshment and a wonderful drink to discuss important ideas while enjoying it, it is a great way […]