Better Breakfast Cereal

This is going to make your mornings better. Combine entire boxes of healthful cereal into your biggest bowl, add extra oats, oat bran, ground flax seeds, and freeze-dried berries. Now you have plenty of breakfasts ready to go.

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I’m going to share with you a bigger, better, crunchier breakfast cereal. Also more nutritious. Some of you aren’t going to be interested in this concept at all, and that’s cool. For some of you, this is going to be a game changer. Because all of the the components are dry, your are rewarded with weeks of quick breakfasts, and you can easily scoop some into baggies for simple travel breakfasts.

A large jar filled with homemade breakfast cereal

I had been making my own dry cereal breakfast blends for months before things started to get more interesting. I started making it in increasingly larger, and larger batches. We eventually got to the point where I like to cherry-pick boxes of favorite cereals, dump entire boxes into the most massive bowl I can find, and add quick oats, oat bran, ground flax, and freeze dried fruit. After that, give everything a good toss, and transfer to two XXXL glass Weck jars. The big-batch thing is the magic. Especially if you’re at all lazy, but still want a great breakfast.
Closeup photo of better breakfast cereal

A Custom Blend: Choosing Your Cereals

I’m including the recipe down below for what I think of as my “base” cereal recipe. That said, I encourage you to use it as a jumping off point. Try not to get hung up on whether you can track down the exact cereals I use. My cereals of choice are oat flakes, shredded wheat, plus some sort of dense nugget cereal. Broadly speaking, a mix of sugar-free / whole grain / high-fiber cereals is what you’re going for. Said another way, a mix of textures, and nutrient diversity.

two bowls filled with breakfast cereal

Better Breakfast Cereal: Variations

This is the berry version (photos above and below). But there are times I do a tropical version, swapping out the berries for freeze-dried bananas, pineapple, and apples. Big flakes of toasted coconut is also a good add. You can also introduce fresh fruit when you add the milk, along with anything else you have on hand that might be a bonus.

A Big, Crunchy, Better Breakfast Cereal

More Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes

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Shaker Lemon Pie

The defining detail of this lemon Shaker pie is the use of whole lemons for the filling. Thin slices of lemon including the peel, pith, and flesh are macerated in sugar and then turned into a vibrant, flavor-packed, custardy filling. Pair this with a flaky all-butter pie crust and you’ve got something special on your hands.

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If you told me I could bake just one kind of pie in life, it would be this one. A flaky crusted Shaker lemon pie made with whole Meyer lemons sliced razor thin, macerated in sugar, and then chopped into a fragrant marmalade chunk. I love this pie for its simplicity, but have found over the years there are some details to fixate on to make it extra special.

shaker lemon pie with a wedge cut out in a glass pie dish

Shaker Lemon Pie: Whole Lemons

The Shaker lemon pie is attributed to the Shaker communities of the 19th century. Shakers continue to be celebrated for frugality and minimizing waste as well as their excellent design, craftsmanship, and agricultural acumen. The defining feature of the lemon shaker pie is the use of the (almost) the entire lemon – peel, pith, and flesh. The seeds get a pass. The Shaker’s weren’t unique in the use of the whole lemon. You see the use of whole citrus in a number of Sicilian cakes and pies as well.

Why I love This Pie:

The Shaker lemon pie is a fun pie to make and the payoff is big. You are rewarded with a pie that is intensely lemony with added dimension from the interplay between tart chunks, sweet custard, and buttery flakiness of the crust. It’s quick in the sense that it doesn’t require much active time. Especially if you’re comfortable shaping pies and working with pie crust dough.

What Kind of Lemons for a Shaker Lemon Pie?

The short answer here is very thinly sliced lemons of just about any sort. Make sure your slices are whisper thin, that should counter any bitterness you encounter (see photo below). You can use grocery store Lisbon or  Eurekas or other common lemons, but I nearly always bake this pie with thin-skinned Meyer lemons. They’re perfect for this pie. If Meyer lemons are hard to come by where you live, opt for the least pithy lemons you can find. I’m hoping to try a version at some point using pink variegated lemons – for a pink lemonade Shaker pie. I’m imagining the blushy pink flesh would make a real beauty of a pie.
frozen lemon halves in a bowl

The Details: Texture

A lot of the Shaker lemon pies you see leave the lemon slices whole – wagon wheel style. The slices lose structure, collapse and soften as they macerate in the sugar (photo below), but I prefer to cut the lemons into chunks at this point. This results in more of a marmalade texture. I like the mouthfeel and also find the pie easier to slice later on.thinly sliced lemons macerating in a metal bowl with sugar

Shaker Lemon Pie: Pro-tips

Here are a few pro-tips for this pie.

  • Glass pie dish: Number one tip, but don’t let this hold you back from baking a pie today. If you love pie, eventually you’re going to want to score a glass pie dish (photo below). It allows you to see the base of your pie take on color as it is baking.

    lemon pie cooling on a table
  • Mandolin: Use a mandolin to slice your lemons. Carefully! Using the safety guard.This results in uniform slices, thinner and more consistent than you’re able to slice by hand.
  • Work with confidence: Just keep going with the process. I think people are intimidated by making pie. I’m here to tell you that even when it is bad it is good. Just keep moving forward when you’re making a pie. And don’t give up. I was making this pie recently and assembled and shaped the whole thing before realizing I forgot to add the eggs to the filling. After a moment of having a crushed spirit I took the pie apart, dumped the filling, remixed it with the eggs, and re assembled the pie. It wasn’t as pretty, it had more rustic vibes than usually, but it was one of the best pies I’ve baked in a while! Pictured here.

    a shaker lemon pie with crust turned under in a glass dish

What Kind of Pie Crust is Best?

I’ve baked lemon Shaker pies using a range of crusts over the years. I went with a homemade rough puff pastry crust for a while, but eventually switched to this pie dough. It’s simple to make and results in a super-flaky all-butter pie crust. It bakes up beautifully golden thanks to a sugar-crusted egg wash prior to baking. I haven’t tested a Shaker lemon pie using store bought puff pastry, but I suspect you could get away with it? If you try, please leave a comment.

partial lemon pie being held at waist level by man

Shaker Lemon Pie: The Filling

The filling is what defines a Shaker lemon pie. You use thinly sliced whole lemons and let them macerate for hours in granulated sugar. After that, you add a few whisked eggs and anything else you’re inspired by. That’s your filling. It sets up beautifully as the pie bakes, and you are able to slice defined wedges after the pie cools. I like to keep this pie filling straight-forward for the most part, and typically bake it without other additions, but there are a few variations I’ve liked in the past.

  • Candied ginger: add a small handful of well-chopped candied ginger to to the filling along with the eggs.
  • Lime zest: Add a bit of lime zest to the lemon sugar mixture prior to macerating. I particularly like using Market lime zest here.
  • A hint of lavender: I used TART Lavender Vinegar in the crust, and also allowed the lemons to macerate with a bit of lavender. Just until the flavor was nicely developed. Removed the lavender sprigs and baked. So nice! The key is introducing enough flavor, but not too much.

shaker lemon pie cooling near a window

What else can I do with the Lemon Shaker Pie Filling?

If you’re not a pie person, and if you love the filling – it should taste amazing prior to adding the raw eggs – there are endless ways to incorporate it into other things. Let’s talk it through.

  • Lemon Shaker Ice Cream Pie: Blind bake a pie crust and allow to cool completely. You can either fold some of the lemon-sugar (without egg) mixture into softened ice cream, or layer it into the pie crust. Top with toasted almonds, toasted coconut, and freeze.
  • Lemon Shaker Parfait: Alternate a bit of the lemon-sugar mixture with yogurt, whipped cream, or ice bream in a tall champagne flute. Refrigerate, freeze, or serve immediately.
  • Waffles: Use the filling in your favorite waffle recipe, offsetting the eggs called for.
  • Lemon Shaker Crumble Pie: Arrange pie dough in baking dish for the bottom crust. Add the lemon filling as you would the original recipe. In place of the traditional top crust, add a good amount of streusel topping. Freeze for 15. Bake until golden topped and cooked through.

shaker lemon pie with a wedge cut out in a glass pie dish

More Lemon Recipes

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All-Butter Flaky Pie Crust

Most pages about pie crusts are going to point you to their “best ever” pie crust, but I’m taking a slightly different approach. I’m going to share a few of the inspirations that have impacted my pie baking over the years along with the pie dough recipe I currently use and love. Pie baking is a journey, and there are a few places I’d recommend jumping on or off along the way.

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For a long time I used a different method for making pie dough than the one I’m going to share today. The process was all by hand, there was a lot of smearing and folding, and it was great – beautiful pie crust every time. This was in San Francisco where my kitchen tended to stay quite chilly. Summer temperatures rarely cracked 60°F. It was a pie makers dream – cold marble countertops year round. I’ve had to switch up my game since living in Los Angeles. My kitchen is always too warm, and when it comes to pies, I was struggling a bit. I’ve since realized the less I touch the pie dough in the process of making it, the better. So, here we are. This is my go-to pie crust these days. It’s a hot mash up of everything I’ve learned about pie dough over the years and delivers a beautifully golden, super flaky, all-butter pie crust. It’s easy to make, I use my electric mixer with the paddle attachment to smear butter into flour quickly, and it makes less of a mess than doing it all on a countertop (which I still love to do on occasion).

pie crust in a glass baking dish

Pie Dough: Details & Inspiration

My goal in this post is to provide you with direction that will result in you feeling more confident making pie dough and beautiful pie crusts. Or, if you already feel confident, perhaps you’ll learn a new technique. Every cook needs a great go-to pie dough recipe, one you love and can use across a wide range of pies in your life. For a long time, and while living in San Francisco I often used Pim’s One Pie Dough To Rule Them All, inspired by Judy Rodgers and the The Zuni Cafe cookbook. I still love this dough. For many years, I used it as a jumping off point, often playing around with different types of flour ratios, introducing rye flour, or farro flour, or semolina. If you want to make a beautiful pie crust 100% by hand and have a bit of time for the fold and chill series – this recipe and technique will do you right. It disappears from the internet now and then, but seems to be here pretty reliably.all-butter pie crust in a glass baking dish with edge turned under

When I came to Los Angeles, I met Nicole Rucker. She’s a force. She’s queen of the pie scene (and so much more!) and her pies are everything I want – technicolor flavor, juicy and bubbly, with shatteringly flaky, rustic, butter crusts. And so golden. The color of her crusts are swoon-worthy. She wrote a book in 2019 (Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers) and her approach to pie crusts caught my attention. There were two techniques that Nicole used that were unusual. She added a bit of vinegar to her pie dough. She also diluted her sugar into a hot water and vinegar solution, chilled it, and proceeded with the dough from there. Here’s what she says:”the addition of vinegar adds a layer of tenderizing magic that shortens the production of gluten strands.” And by incorporating the vinegar into the hot sugar mixture, you’re creating a syrup that thoroughly permeates the dough. Double win.

In Dappled, Nicole has you make her pie dough on a counter top. It tends to be so warm where I am, and we rarely use air-conditioning, so I’ve been incorporating Nicole’s wet sugar and vinegar move, but use my electric mixer with the paddle attachment to make quick work of things. To be honest, I haven’t looked back. The paddle attachment does a fine job of smearing the chunks of butter into the side of the bowl. I drizzle just enough icy liquid into the flour and butter, as the mixer is running, and everything quickly comes together. Then just a quick shape, wrap, and chill before it’s all set to roll out and assemble the pie. The recipe and technique included below is my current gold standard. It’s unfussy, contains the kitchen mess to one bowl, and delivers a banger of a pie crust. I’ll break it down into basics.

pie baking in oven with deeply golden crust

Electric Mixer vs. Food Processor for Pie Crusts

A lot of people use a food processor to cut the butter into the flour in their pie dough. It actually does a great job of this. That said, I like to use the stand mixer better. I feel like it is gentler and better mimics the motions of making pie dough by hand. The electric stand mixer smears and tumbles the flour and butter, it isn’t cutting and slashing the way a food processor does. And because of this it seems to leave more long thin pockets of butter in the dough as you roll it out resulting in a tender, shard-y crust that crackles as you slice into it.

Basic Pie Crust Steps

  1. Mix sugar, vinegar, and salt into hot water and chill.
    cubes of butter on a pie of flour in a bowl
  2. Smear butter cubes into flour using electric mixer with paddle attachment.
    cubes of butter coated with flour in a bowl
    shards of butter coated in flour in baker's hand
  3. Slowly drizzle chilled water mixture into dough until it comes together.
    pie dough coming together in the the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment
    pie dough in a mound on a marble countertop
  4. Mold pie dough into ball.
    pie dough shaped into a ball on marble counter
  5. Cut in half. This recipe yield two 9-inch crusts.
    two discs of pie dough wrapped in plastic wrap
  6. Flatten into discs and wrap in plastic wrap.
  7. Chill for 2 hours before using.

What type of vinegar to use in pie crust?

The short answer is: one that tastes good.  I’m including a list of vinegars I tend to reach for when I’m making crusts like this. Most often it’s a great tasting white wine vinegar, but I like to play around.

  • Apple cider vinegar: Reliably good, apple cider vinegar is something a lot of people keep on hand, and it works well in pie dough.
  • Katz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar (agro-dolce) 5.5% acidity: first choice for pie crust related vinegar in my kitchen.
  • Camino Red Wine Vinegar: I don’t always grab this one for pie crusts, but I have, and you should grab a bottle if you can. It’s wonderful, and makes everything it touches more wonderful. You should just know about it in general.
  • TART Lavender Vinegar: For a whisper of lavender in your crust this is the way to go. Or to reinforce lavender notes in your filling. For example, I baked a Lemon Shaker Pie using TART Lavender Vinegar in the crust, while also allowing the lemons to macerate alongside a bit of lavender. Just long enough for the flavor to develop nicely. Removed the lavender spring and baked.
  • Brightland Parasol: I love the citrus notes in this one. It’s a vinegar fermented with chardonnay grapes and Valencia and Navel oranges, 5% acidity.

How To Roll Out Pie Dough

Let’s just walk it though here step-by-step. After the pie dough has chilled for two hours, it is time to roll it out. Lightly flour the your counter, rolling pin, and your hands. If at any point in the process the dough is sticking, dust with more flour. Start from the center of the dough and roll out in all directions, turning the dough regularly as you go. Roll the dough a couple inches larger than your pie dish. I’ve found that if you start having cracks and fissures at the edges of your dough as you’re rolling, you can often use the rolling pin around the perimeter (like you were going around a roller skating rink) and that closes the gaps nicely. It might also help to let it warm up for another couple of minutes in case it is too cold.

If you’re new to pie-making, you might want to roll out the pie dough on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper. This allows you to easily transfer the dough to the refrigerator if you need to chill it a bit mid-roll. Chill for 7-10 minutes and proceed. 

I’m sure you can tell, this recipe and my technique will likely continue to evolve little by little over the years. That’s part of what is great about cooking and baking. And wherever you land on pie making, I encourage you to make your own crust. It’s night and day from most store-bought doughs. I hope you love this pie dough as much as I do!

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Walnut Olive Miso Magic Sauce

A chunky, walnut olive miso creation worthy of its name. You combine toasted walnuts, olives, miso, a dusting of oregano, and a dollop of tahini into a blockbuster condiment of sorts.

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While, in my book, this will forever be the original magic sauce, this chunky walnut olive miso creation is worthy of the name as well. It works its magic by making everything it goes on more delicious in a deep, savory, nutty, umami way. You combine toasted walnuts, olives, miso, a dusting of oregano, and a dollop of tahini into a chunky condiment of sorts. The tahini lends just the right hint of creaminess.

walnut olive miso sauce in a small white bowl on a marble counter

Walnut Olive Miso Magic Sauce: Ideas

When I say this boosts everything, I mean pasta and crackers, salads and soups, tarts and toasts. You think something is good? A dollop (or more!) of this will make it better. Some ideas:

Variations

This is the sort of thing that is also quite flexible. You can make it with hazelnuts, or pine nuts, or even toasted almonds. I even make it with green olives and then stir it into farro for a quick meal. Delish! You can experiment with the type of miso you use.

More Sauce Recipes

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A Lesson in Juicing

I inherited a professional juicer, juiced everything in sight, and learned some things in the process.

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Let’s take a deep dive into all things juicing. I quite like my juicer(!), and I love the possibilities it lends to expanding the culinary palette. I enjoy the way it makes me think about ingredients in new ways. Fresh juice is invigorating – straight up, blended, or as part of whatever I’m making. That said, I’ve learned somethings over the years and will share some of that here.
A waring centrifugal juicer on a counter

My dad gave me this centrifugal juicer forever ago. It’s a workhorse and although I’ve had my eye on one of the macerating juicers for a while now – I haven’t made the move (yet!). We’ll talk about the different types of juices down below.

The Foundation of Good Juicing

There are a couple keys to getting great juice out of your kitchen. The first (and most important) thing is to use vibrant, healthy produce. Use the best quality produce you can get. It’s important to seek out organic or sustainably grown fruits and vegetables. If that’s not happening, wash it gently, but thoroughly. The second is to get your hands on a decent juicer. We’ll get into the different types and considerations down below.

And while were on the topic, a blender and a juicer are entirely different beasts. I know this seems obvious, but the blender does chop-chop, and the juicer separates all the fibers and solids from the juices. The juicer produces essences that are incredibly intense, alive, and bright. The flavor is main-lined. In both cases beyond fruits and vegetables, you can experiment with grains and nuts (see below).

My perception is that nearly everyone seems to think using a juicer is a royal pain. Primarily the clean-up part. And that is partially true. It seems most convenient to juice in batches, set aside what you might use in the immediate future as well as the forthcoming day or two, and then freeze any juice beyond that immediately. Not as perfect as freshly juiced, but still better than no juice.
A kitchen counter after a juicing session with jars filled with different juices

A Juicer Can Work With Lots of Ingredients!

Before I dive into all the things I’ve used my juicer for, one thing I’ll add is this: read your juicer’s instructions before diving in. What works in mine might not work in your model. There are a range of different types of juicers, and a range of ways they extract juice.
Lessons in Juicing

Juicing Nuts & Seeds

  • Almond Milk: Soak 1 cup / 5 oz almonds overnight, covered, in filtered water. Drain. Add three cups water, and ladle into juicer. This produces a full-bodied almond milk. If you like it a bit thinner, go with 4 cups water. The flavor really sings when you season it with a touch of salt and sugar. Just go with your taste buds, until it tastes good to you. Makes about 3 1/2 cups. Also, be sure to keep the meaty by-product of making the almond milk, just scrape it out of the juicer. Salt it a bit, and it’s a great homemade almond butter.
  • Oat Milk: Soak 1 cup / 3 oz rolled oats (not instant) overnight, covered, in filtered water. Drain, add 3 cups water, and ladle into juicer. Makes about 4 cups. Note to self to try a version with toasted oats. I could imagine experimenting with it as and ingredient in custards, puddings, french toast, and the like.
  • Pistachio Milk: Soak 1 cup pistachios / 5 oz overnight, covered, in filtered water. Drain, combine with 3 cups water, and ladle into juicer. This was my favorite non-fruit juice by a stretch. Really nice. I kept trying to combine it with little accents like orange blossom water, or citrus zest, but in the end I liked it best straight. Makes about 3 1/2 – 4 cups. And like the almond milk be sure to keep the meaty by-product of making the pistachio milk, just scrape it out of the juicer. Salt it a bit, and it’s a great pistachio butter.
  • Sesame Milk: Had high hopes for this one but it really didn’t work. The un-hulled seeds never broke down in the juicer.

Lessons in Juicing Ingredients in the process of being juiced

Juicing Fruits  & Vegetables

Fennel Juice: Trim the root end, but use all the rest of it. 1 large bulb = ~1 cup juice.

Carrots: 1 lb = 1 cup juice. You know, it’s just occurring to me as I’m typing this to try a carrot soup with pure juiced carrot. Use it to make the silkiest, brothy carrot soup ever.

Celery: Lob off the root end and use the rest. And I didn’t bother stringing. 1 medium bunch = 1 1/2 – 2 cups juice. I’m enjoying using the celery juice as a component in all things brothy. The fennel juice as well, but to a lesser extent.

Cucumber: Juice it all. And leave the skin on, it lends a nice color. 1 large (8 oz) cucumber yields about 1 cup of juice. Super cooling.

Cilantro: 1 big bunch, leaves and stems = 1/3 cup juice. I threw a couple serranos (deveined and deseeded) into the juicer here as well for a spicy version. You just know it’s going to be good swirled into yogurt or creme fraiche and spooned into a bowl of roasted tomato soup!

Dill: 1 large bunch (stems and fronds) yields about 3 tablespoons juice. Equal parts dill juice + olive oil and a pinch of salt has been great over greens, savory pancakes, and eggs this week. I imagine like the other intense herb juices, it would be welcome as a vinaigrette component, drizzled over gratins, and tarts as well.

Lessons in Juicing A rainbow of juices in jars

Ginger: 8 ounces unpeeled yields about 3/4 cup ginger juice. Freezes quite well. I’ve been using in teas, broths, citrus juice (grapefruit-ginger is my favorite), dipping sauces, etc.

Grapefruit: 1 large = 1 cup juice. I could live on this during the winter.

Pomegranate: I’m not sure I’d recommend using a juicer here. Mine definitely wasn’t happy. That said, the resulting juice is electric – straight-up incredible. Juice the seeds only, but review your juicer’s guidelines before an attempt. 1 large pomegranate = ~ 1 cup of seeds = 1/3 cup fresh juice.

Sidebar: Pomegranate Juicing Tips

In the comments Elise weighed in about juicing pomegranates, “…regarding pomegranate juicing, my parents have a huge pomegranate tree which produces a gazillion poms every fall. My mom juices most of them. The fastest way is to cut them in half horizontally, and put them in an orange press. This is what we do when we are overwhelmed with the number of pomegranates to juice. What my mom usually does however, is to carefully extract the seeds from the pomegranate, and place them in a blender. Pulse a couple times, just enough to break through the arils, but not enough to pulverize the hard tips of them. Those harder pieces tend to sink to the bottom of the blender. She pours out the juice through a strainer to catch any remaining hard bits. Works great!” Thanks Elise!

Jane also has this insight, “Gently squeeze and massage the whole pom until it feels softened. Avoid breaking the skin. Cut a 1″ hole in the blossom end and just suck out the juice. I grew up in Florida also doing this with oranges.”

Juice Combinations

Here are a few juice combinations I love. I’m also going to include a bunch of the amazing juicing recipes you posted to the comments. I’ll put those in the recipe section down below. 

Pistachio Milk: 1/2 cup pistachio milk, 3/4 teaspoon honey or sugar, 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, tiny pinch of ground clove. But like I said up above, this is really good straight.

Spicy Carrot: 1/4 cup carrot juice + 1/4 cup almond milk + 1/16 teaspoon cayenne + 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice + 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt + 2 tablespoons celery juice.

Pomegranate Almond: 1/4 cup pomegranate juice + 1/4 cup almond juice + 2 drop rose water + pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice + sweeten to taste.

Cucumber Celery: 1/4 cup cucumber + 1/4 cup celery + 1/16 cayenne + pinch of salt.

More Juicing Recipes

What To Do With Juicing Pulp?

Juicing leaves you with a lot of pulpy, fiber-rich, by product. A lot of people like to mix this into their muffin and quick bread batter. I’ll add that you can freeze it until you’re ready to use it. There were also some great suggestions in the comments.

  • Rita shares,”…I was also wary of the waste of all the pulp. But you can use it as a filling for wraps, etc. if you add a little nut mayo and seasonings. You can wrap it in a raw cabbage or collard leaf. It’s delicious!”
  • Jonc says,” I use the pulp from the Omega 8006 to make baby food.”
  • My sister has an actual juicer and saves all her “pulp” to make to most amazing veggie burger patties! they are sooo good and nothing goes to waste. I guess if you have chickens or a great compost those are perfect uses for the pulp too.” Love these ideas shared by Kari.

What Kind of Juicer To Buy?

Broadly speaking. There are a number of considerations when deciding which juicer to buy. There are juicers that are centrifugal (like mine, pictured at the top) and others that are macerating. And then there are the high-powered blenders (for example: Vitamix). Blenders turn whole fruits and vegetables into milks and smoothies – different thing from the juicers altogether. The macerating juicers are able to really get an amazing amount of juice from ingredients, leaving you with a dry-ish pulp. Each option comes with a range of price points, but broadly speaking masticating juicers seem to be larger and more spendy. A lot of you have juicing opinions -here’s a list of some that might be helpful.

  • A lot of people love the Brevile. Brittany cites, “I’m obsessed with my breville juicer.” Julia weighs in with, “ received a Breville as an engagement gift and fell in love! The clean up is easy peasy and the combo of pink grapefruit, lemon, lime and orange is heaven in the winter.”
  • Daniella weighs in, “I love our juicer! We just got the Breville one over the holidays and we’re obsessed. Ours is really quite easy to clean up as well. I don’t mind it at all! I’m really liking juice better than smoothies… no seeds and no jammed blender anymore!”
  • A counter point from Jonc, ”I have an Omega 8006 juicer. Love it to death. We also have a Vitamix 5200. Love it to death. Had a breville. Don’t use it anymore.”
  • Then there is the Vitamix camp. This is a bit of a different beast because you’re blending, not really juicing perse. Eadie states, “I’m in the vitamix camp, love my vitamix for all the nutritional reasons (fibre, extra nutrients otherwise lost in the pulp) and generally begin my day with a veggie based smoothie.”
  • Angela says, “After spending some time with my VitaMix, I “moved up” to an Omega juicer and really love it – love making nut milks as well as fruit and vegetable juices. I mostly use it for green juices to drink, but have made some really exquisite compound vegetable sauces by cooking any particularly succulent, seasonal vegetable in it’s own juice and then pureeing.”
  • Sun mentions the Nutri-bullet, “Nutri-bullet, which creates ‘smoothies’ – not “juice” specifically. This gadget is about 1/2 the size & we use about 1/3 of the quantity of fruits/veggies. I still miss some of our “juice” blends but for those wanting a quicker option, here ya go.”
  • Jack LaLane represent in the comments as well. Julie shares,”I have a Jack LaLane juicer that will juice a “rock” Love it!”
  • Ellen says, “I love my Hurom Slow Juicer. It does an excellent job of extracting juice from fruits and veggies, leaving behind very dry pulp, especially compared to the Jack LaLanne juicer that I had prior to investing in the Hurom.”
  • Rita, “I have an Omega VRT and I love it. It’s very much like the Hurom juicer. Super easy to clean, I leave it on the counter and use it at least once or twice a day.”
  • Related, Josh G says, “My wife and I use the Hurom slow juicer and it is amazing. It has approximately 5 parts and is super easy to clean. From chopping to cleaning its altogether 15-20 mins. It has become part of our day and a great energy shot in the mornings.”
  • I love this note from SA, “…next time you’re in Turkey, or anywhere in the Middle East, find a hand cranked heavy duty juicer at the flea markets. They work absolutely best with pomegranates. By the way, by juicing only the seeds of a pomegranate, you lose most of the nutrition they carry. Like an orange, all the good stuff is in the bitter peel. So actually juicing like an orange is the way to go anyway.”

So, as you can see, people are passionate about their juicers! If you’re in the market really dive in and research how you imagine using it. I’ve read good things about the Nama J2. If I was looking to purchase something on a budget, I’d have a closer look at the Tribest Shine. I’ve also noticed the Hurom Slow Juicer has a new “easy clean” model (2023). So, set a budget, think about how it will work within your lifestyle, and go from there! You can keep en eye out for refurbished models at a discount or wait for sales that seem to come around a few times per year.

Lastly. if you’re a juicer, this is a plea to let me know what you use yours for the most. You’ve already proven to me that a good chunk of you don’t allow your juicer to collect dust! Adding a note here (years after the initial post!) – your hundreds of suggestions in the comments are amazing. I’ve threaded some back up into the post, but keep them coming!

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Heather’s Quinoa

A one-skillet quinoa recipe – quinoa, corn, chopped kale and pan-toasted tofu tossed with a big dollop of pesto and finished off with a few roasted cherry tomatoes.

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This quinoa recipe is an odd bird of sorts, but it was so well received that I thought I’d share it with you. Heather, my sister was on her way over for lunch. Wanting to avoid a trip to the store, I committed myself to throwing lunch together using whatever I had on hand. 
Big plate of quinoa with tomatoes, pesto, and pepitas
Now, I rarely combine tofu with Italian-style sauces, but this (and a few other questionable culinary moves) came into play as I reached for ingredients from both fridge and freezer. Working toward a nutritious, somewhat balanced, in-the-realm-of-healthy main course here’s where I ended up. In a sentence – a skillet of quinoa, corn, chopped lacinato kale and pan-toasted tofu tossed with a big dollop of pesto and finished off with a few roasted cherry tomatoes.

Roasted cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet
I’ve cooked this many times in the years since, and it’s a great late-summer recipe that comes together quickly, especially if you keep a few of the components on hand. For example, I like to keep big jars of roasted tomatoes at the ready. Toasted pepitas are often in a bowl on the counter. And at some point during any given week there is leftover quinoa.
pepitas toasted on a baking sheet

Heather’s Quinoa: Variations

There are infinite ways to switch this up. If I have paneer cheese on hand, I like to swap that in for the tofu. You brown the paneer in a skillet, the same way you would tofu, and it gets nice and sizzly. So good.

And while you can certainly swap in a wide range of grains here – rice, millet, etc. – I love it with quinoa. You see it pictured here with tri-color quinoa, but I often make it with the white variety. Th recipe calls for three cups of cooked quinoa, if you’re not sure how to make it, here’s a page with my preferred method of how to cook quinoa.

Pepitas are my go to for crunch. Seconds choice is toasted cashews (chopped  just a bit).

Big plate of quinoa with tomatoes, pesto, and pepitas
If you want to make this even more substantial, you can add in a couple hard boiled eggs, sliced into quarters, around the perimeter. 
Big plate of quinoa with tomatoes, pesto, and pepitas

I hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. The first time I made this was in 2008, and we still make it regularly. Especially when it is peak pesto season and cherry tomatoes are abundant. 

More Quinoa Recipes

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Hand-Rolled Pici Pasta

Pici is one of the most charming pasta shapes. It is a quirky favorite requiring a short list of simple ingredients hand-rolled into long, slightly irregular strands. Pici love forever.

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Pici is a Tuscan form of spaghetti-style pasta typically made from flour and water. Arguably one of the most charming shapes in the pasta kingdom, it is shaped by hand and is quirky, irregular and purposefully imperfect. Three of my favorite qualities in both people and cooking. If you’re intimidated by the thought of making fresh pasta, it’s a great shape to start with.

Strands of pici pasta on an baking sheet
How it works. To make pici you combine flour(s), warm water and salt, mix it in tough a dough, and knead it into a smooth ball of pasta dough over the course of a few minutes. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes or so, lob off a hunk of it and then section that into little strips of dough to be rolled into long strands using your hands. There are process photos below to demonstrate the shaping process. But, if you can make a skinny snake shape with Play-Doh, you can make pici.
Pici on a white plate with garlic, tomatoes, breadcrumbs and chives

Pici: Let’s talk Flour Types

You can find pici made with semolina flour, 00 flour, all-purpose flour or a blend of all of these. Over the years I’ve made it with all of the above, experimenting with different ratios, typically coming back to the recipe I’ll share today. It combines equal *weights* of semolina flour and either “00” (or all-purpose flour). This dough is a pleasure to work with. Rolling it out is a breeze. You end up with delightful strands of hearty, tender, slurp-able, sunny-shaded yellow pasta noodles. 
A single strand of pici on a marble countertop
Pici made with 00 flour results in a much softer, looser, tender pasta dough (pictured below). The noodles picture below were made using 350g “00” and 175g warm, salted water. They are pale in color, lacking the yellow of the semolina flour. They can be a bit fussier to roll out. If you go this route, keep extra flour at the ready to counter any stickiness. Alternately, use spritzes from a spray bottle of water if you need to add moisture to your dough a bit at a time.
Pici pasta tangled on a marble countertop
Generally speaking, my advice? Once you get a feel for the dough play around with the ratio of flours. More semolina is going to give you more heartiness and structure. More 00 or unbleached all-purpose flour will deliver a softer, more refined dough. I like a good amount of semolina in my pici dough, especially if the weather is cooler and I’m pairing it with a hearty sauce. The ratio I use most often, and the one reflected in the recipe below is equal *weights* of the following: semolina flour, 00 or all-purpose flour, and salted water. And I just want to emphasize that we’re talking equal weight, not volume.
A hand holding strands of pici pasta

Pici is traditionally made without egg, but many people make it with egg dough too. For reference, 93 year old Giuseppina Spiganti’s pici is featured in Pasta Grannies. She uses 00 flour and one egg in her pici dough. Missy Robbins references an egg dough for the pici in Pasta, also made with 00 flour. Paul Bertolli makes pici eggless in Cooking By Hand. And Jodi Williams and Rita Sodi use a blend of 00 and semolina flour with no egg in Via Carota. The pici I encountered in Siena was most often made from flour and water only. I most often go the no-egg route for pici. But, there are definitely times when I have some straight-forward pasta dough on hand, made with egg, and decide to shape some pici. Guess what? It’s all wonderful.

How To Make Pici: Step by Step in Photos

The great thing about pici is you don’t need any special equipment to make it. It’s a fantastic family activity – everyone loves to hand-roll this pasta. Precision isn’t what it’s about – the charm of pici is that they are perfectly imperfect. The one thing I would be mindful of is this. Err on the side of thinner versus thick pici. They will swell a bit when cooking, and when they are too thick the texture is off and timing can be tricky when cooking. Also, broadly attempt to make them the same-ish thickness. Don’t obsess over it, but you want them to cook in the same amount of time.
pasta dough on a marble countertop
Above: pici dough rolled out about 1/4-inch thick and cut into strips.
Hands rolling a strand of pici pasta
Use hands to roll pici. Start in the center and work outward.
Hands rolling a strand of pici pasta
If your dough is being cranky, i.e. not wanting to stretch, set that noodle aside for a few minutes to rest while you move on to another. Come back to it.
Hands holding pici
How long? I tend to make my pici on the longer side. My intention is to be able to arrange them across my largest baking sheets (dust well with flour to prevent sticking), but more often than not they hang over.
Many strands of pici pasta on an baking sheet
If you’re not going to cook the pici right away, coax any overhanging noodles back onto the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to one day. You can dust pici well with flour, and arrange into nests, but arranging pici like this is a safer bet if you’re concerned about your pasta nest clumping together when you go to cook. 
Hands holding up a piece of piece pasta before cooking

Pici: Sauce Pairings

I love pici with this mushroom ragu. Especially in the winter and fall. You see it served traditionally with meaty ragu-style sauces and mushrooms. I don’t do the meat side of things, but lean in hard on the mushrooms. In summer, I’ll lighten things up a bit with whatever looks great and in-season at the farmers’ market. Here are a few recent pici sauce pairings we’ve enjoyed. I’ll add more over time. Some, not at all traditional, but super tasty nonetheless!
Pici on a white plate with garlic, tomatoes, breadcrumbs and chives

  • Pici with Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Breadcrumbs (pictured above): Toss halved cherry tomatoes in some olive oil and roast in a 375F oven until blistered. Rip some good sourdough into tiny shreds, toss with some garlic and olive oil, and bake until crisp as well (while you’re doing the tomatoes) – crush these with something heavy, and make them your breadcrumbs. Gently saute 4-5 cloves of chopped garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium low heat in your largest skillet. Just to soften, not to brown. Remove from heat and stir in some crushed red pepper flakes, good black pepper, and zest of one lemon. Cook the pici until tender and add to skillet along with a ladle full of pasta water and some freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Stir until well coated and then turn out onto a platter. Top with roasted tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and whatever herbs you have – in this case I snipped some chives from the garden.
  • Pici with Chopped Mushrooms and So Much Garlic: Sauté sliced mushrooms in a skillet over high heat in some olive oil + butter and salt. Once deeply browned stir in 5 cloves of chopped garlic and remove from heat after 20 seconds or so. Remove just the peel from a (Meyer) lemon and slice into thin slivers, add this to the hot pan with tons of freshly ground black pepper, and a handful of freshly grated Pecorino cheese. Add pici to skillet along with a ladle of pasta water, stir well until pici is coated and serve topped with chives.

Pici tangled on a flour-dusted counter

More Pasta Recipes

Favorite Pasta Sauces

Other Favorite Italian Recipes

 

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Turmeric Chickpeas with Garlic Tahini

A quick lunch. And a compelling reason to always keep turmeric chickpeas on hand!

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This was a quick, clean out the refrigerator lunch, and a compelling reason to always keep some of these turmeric chickpeas on hand. Turmeric Chickpeas with Garlic Tahini – simple, filling, and all-around good.

Turmeric Chickpeas with Garlic Tahini in a Bowl

With the tahini under-dressing and the broccoli situation, we’re not that far from this Curried Sheet Pan Broccoli. But here there’s no oven involved, and there’s the special chickpeas, and then whatever other green things you might have at the ready in your refrigerator. The whole thing is pretty loose, I mean you can toss pretty much anything on top of the tahini sauce, and it’s a yes.

More Chickpea Recipes

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Homemade Labneh Recipe

How to make labneh, lots of ideas for how to enjoy it, different strainers you can use to make it, and a labneh recipe.

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I’ve been straining yogurt, aka making labneh, quite a lot lately. Labneh is an Arabic yogurt cheese often made by draining yogurt. But I started making it more often after receiving a package from Jaipur, India. The package was cloth-covered and hand-stitched at the seams. My address was in massive black penmanship. It was the most intriguing package I’ve received via post in recent memory, sent by my friend Melissa. (Some of you might remember) I met her after sitting down for lunch at the Anokhi Cafe. Melissa runs the cafe, and we hit it off from there.
labneh in a white bowl on a marble countertop

Special Equipment: A Good Strainer

I remember Melissa telling me about her favorite strainer. She described it as an unattractive plastic piece of crap, but one that does a fantastic job on the yogurt front. She sent me one (pictured below)! And she was right, this strainer has a very fine, double lining, which allows the liquid whey to flow from the yogurt leaving a thick silky white yogurt cream behind – perfect for spreading, rolling, and blending. It is a Krishna brand “Marvel/Super Delux” and hard to find online for some reason.

If you don’t have a friend who will mail you one like the strainer pictured below, no worries! Multiple people in the comments love this Cuisipro Yogurt Cheese Maker. For example, in the comments, Patrice is a pro and has some great insight related to this strainer, “I’ve been making labneh for about 25 years and I absolutely LOVE it! I have two of them because I often have more than one batch straining. Oh, and I never use Greek Yogurt for my labneh… the texture just seems not right. My favorite at the moment is the Brown Cow yogurt which I get at Whole Foods. I love all of the suggestions for using labneh. I use it just about anywhere that cream or sour cream is called for, but of course, just as a dip (lots of herbs and sea salt) is as good as it gets!”

Lee said, “made my first labneh this week using the cusipro-donvier strainer that I purchased from Amazon. It was no muss, no fuss and the container fits easily in the refrigerator and cleans up very easily. We had kalamata olive bread slathered with it with chopped arugula and some Za’atar I made. It was marvelous !!!”

And many people simply use a traditional handkerchief or fine cotton cloth, a clean pillowcase, or a couple layers of cheese cloth. Nitza mentions, “ I just use a colander lined with a paper coffee filter and a bowl underneath to catch the liquid. I’ve also used my “Pour over” ceramic coffee filter (with #2 or #4 filter paper) and the mug catching the drippings. I leave it in the fridge at night, have it in the morning or later.” All in all a bit more messy, but they’ll all do the job!

yogurt being strained into a bowl to make labneh

What To Do With The Whey?

Before we brainstorm ideas related to labneh, let’s talk about whey. The liquid that drains off the yogurt in the labneh process is whey. And it is a wonderful, nutritious by-product and ingredient. Don’t throw it out. You can do all sorts of things with it. You can keep whey in the refrigerator for a week or so. And beyond that, it freezes well.

Some ideas:

  • I like to use leftover whey from the ricotta making process as well. It can be used as a base for soup, like a broth. Just season and spice it to your liking. I especially like to make it spicy and then float stuffed pastas or dumplings in it and top with lots of chopped herbs.
  • In the comments, Linda mentions, “I use the whey from making goat cheese for the liquid in bread and quick bread recipes.”
  • Norma suggests to us, “use it in cornbread and pancakes, soups and smoothies.”
  • Love this suggestion from Arti, “We mix yoghurt back into the whey ( to the desired thickness) and add salt, some finely chopped cilantro and green chillies to get a lovely spicy buttermilk. However it’s tasty even without the chillies if you don’t like the spice.”
  • Kate suggests a drive down the fermentation lane, “make lacto-fermented kimchi, salsa, mustard, and many other things. Just search for “lacto-fermented recipes” and lots of options will pop up.”

labneh smeared into a piece of sourdough and topped with an egg and other ingredients

Ways To Enjoy Labneh

Ok, let’s do this! There are a million ways to enjoy labneh. Some traditional, others not so much. I’m going to share all the things I made with my last round of labneh. Then I’ll jump into some of your amazing ideas. And beyond that, I’ll highlight a few ideas from favorite cookbooks and authors.

  • The above open-faced sandwich was on of the first things I made – a fast A+ lunch. Thin toasted bread, a layer of labneh, pan-fried hedgehog mushrooms, poached egg, shredded radicchio and tarragon, sea salt.
  • Smashed a few threads of saffron with brown sugar in a mortar and pestle added a bit of labneh, and used it to fill pitted dates.
  • Spread across a shallow bowl, drizzled generously with olive oil, fragrant Mexican oregano crumbled across the top, served with toasted pita wedges.
  • Shaped into small balls, rolled in za’atar, drizzled with lots of olive oil.
  • Served a dollop alongside an asparagus frittata with loads of fresh herbs and a drizzle of lemon olive oil.
  • Slice of rye toast, bit of salted butter, layer of labneh, layer of jam.
  • I’ve made it with less salt and used it as a beautiful frosting. It kind of ends up being in the realm of a cream cheese frosting. Sweeten the labneh with honey, sugar, sifted powdered sugar, etc – whatever your preference.

Labneh Ideas: From the Comments

There is so much great inspiration and knowledge in the comment section down below. I’m pulling a few to highlight here, but dive in for more ideas. And keep adding as well! Please give a shout in the comments if you make labneh or strained yogurt and do interesting things with it!

  • Nina mentioned, “One of our favorite ways is spreading on rye bread (plain or toasted), topping with thinly sliced cucumbers or radishes. It is simple and wonderful. Great after a trip to the gym, especially in summer time.”
  • If you have access to goat milk yogurt, Ioanna enthusiastically weighs in, “goat Labneh is heavenly! If you can find goat yogurt or make your own, you need to strain it a lot longer and you’ll have the traditional goat Labneh (here we strain it in a special cheesecloth bag hung over the sink). It is then either shaped in small balls dipped in olive oil or in logs. It is very tangy, and usually saltier, blended with a generous amount of olive oil before degustation.” Sheep milk is fair game as well.
  • Megan C notes that she likes it as an alternative to ricotta in lasagna.
  • Another person in the comments mentioned this, “by adding onions, yellow chilli powder, corriander leaves, saffron threads, roasted chick pea flour, sugar, salt, cardamom powder & garam masala to it. Shape them into thick roundels & shallow fry on non-stick pan till golden brown on both sides.”

Labneh Inspiration from My Cookbook

  • In the comments Gemma mentioned, “there’s an amazing recipe for spiced labneh in the Moro cookbook. It uses fenugreek seeds, green chile, garlic and nigella seeds. It’s incredible, I recommend you seek it out! I usually make it that way but sometimes shape some into balls and roll them in something (cumin seeds/rosemary and garlic) and keep them covered in olive oil in a jar in the fridge.
  • Colu Henry caught my attention in Easy Fancy Food with her Lemon Curd Labneh Popsicles. She calls them, “a tart, lemony answer to a Creamsicle.”
  • In the NOPI cookbook Yotam weighs in with a smoked labneh! If you have a stovetop smoker (or a smoker donabe), this is one to try. The smoked labneh is served with baby carrots and mung beans along with crisp pita. Flavors like mint, caraway and thyme also represent.
  • If it’s peak summer and you’re reading this, take the recipe on page 73 of Suzanne Goin’s The A.O.C. Cookbook for a spin. It’s heirloom tomatoes with marinated labneh, purslane, and green harissa.
  • There’s a labneh cheesecake in Sami Tamimi’s Falastin. It features roasted apricots, cardamom, orange blossom water, and orange zest.
  • Diana Henry wrote a book years ago, Crazy Water Pickled Lemons: Enchanting Dishes from the Middle East, Mediterranean, and North Africa. I’ve been making a labneh-centric recipe (Bulgar and Spinach Pilaf with Labneh and Chili Roast Tomatoes) from it for the better part of twenty years. She has you bring all the components of this Turkish dish together over bulgar, but I’ve  enjoyed it over couscous, stuffed pastas, and orzo.
  • And, Carla Lalli Music includes a beautiful fruit compote with labneh, maple syrup, and olive oil in Where Cooking Begins.

Please let me know any other labneh faves in the comments below! Let’s keep this going.

labneh smeared into a piece of sourdough and topped with an egg and other ingredients

More Yogurt Recipes

 

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Green Bean Salad with Peaches

This green bean salad with peaches can anchor many summer meals. It features caramelized onions, toasted nuts, dates, a jolt of serrano pepper and a unifying oregano-garlic drizzle.

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If you’re looking for the perfect side situation for all your summer meals, this green bean salad with peaches could be it. Plenty of caramelized onions, peach chunks, and toasted nuts make this salad seem a bit decadent. And then the heat of a serrano chile pepper along with a drizzle of strong oregano-garlic oil levels up the flavor in unexpected ways. Basically, it’s what I’ll be making with all my green beans in the coming weeks. It’s peak summer deliciousness.

green bean salad with peaches, nuts, caramelized onions in a pink bowl

Green Bean Salad with Peaches: The Ingredients

Here are a couple pointers as you’re sourcing ingredients for this recipe.

  • Green Beans: Look for tender green beans. I used green beans here, but I also look forward to making it with the beautiful yellow string beans we are starting to see at the market this time of year. Either will work beautifully. If I have extra time, I like to trim the tops and tails from the beans, cut them into bite-sized segments, and (extra credit) split them in half along the length. See photo above.
  • Nuts: You see toasted pine nuts used here. Toasted almond slices are also wonderful along with the peaches, and I can imagine toasted walnuts or pecans working well if you shifted into a late summer version of the salad. You could swap in roasted tomatoes for the peaches, etc.

ingredients for green bean salad arranged in small bowls

  • Peaches: Aim for ripe, flavorful peaches that aren’t overly soft. You want them to maintain structure when tossed with all the other ingredients.
  • Fresh oregano: You can also substitute fresh marjoram if that is what you have.

two peaches on a marble counter

The Garlic-Oregano Oil

This is the magic component here. I have you make more of this oil than needed because you’ll never want to be without it. It’s perfect drizzled on just about everything. Drizzle on grilled vegetables, quesadillas, tacos, baked pastas, fresh pastas, bean dishes, green salads. I could literally go on forever.
green bean salad with peaches, nuts, caramelized onions in a pink bowl

More Salad Recipe

Spicy Sesame Coleslaw

Coconut Corn Salad

Quinoa Salad

Cucumber Salad

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Summer Fruit Salad

– more salad recipes

 

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