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Yesterday — 17 May 2024Main stream

The Easiest Way to Liven Up Your Cold Brew

✇Lifehacker
By: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
17 May 2024 at 13:00

For coffee enthusiasts like myself, a quality cup is always a good beverage option. In the morning, it is the only choice. Winter tries to push tea into my life, but coffee is always there to right my ship. And summer? Well, we might as well change the name to simply “cold brew season.” Now that I’ve switched out my sweaters for my cold-brew-season wardrobe, it’s time to focus on how to zhuzh up my favorite bev. My advice to you: Try making your brew with whole spices.

Set up your cold brew materials

The truth is, the best way to make a better cold brew is to buy great beans. Good coffee is not cheap—I can’t bring myself to tell my Folgers-sipping parents how much I spend on beans—but you’ll be stunned at the difference in the quality of your cup. (I’m a Café Grumpy girl, myself.) Once you’ve found a bean and roast you like, it’s time to begin the overnight cold brew process. 

If you’ve spent the money on good beans, go get yourself a coffee grinder, too. I know, I know, you can buy them pre-ground, and I love that. However, you’re about to enter a realm where you can use your beans for espresso, drip, and cold brew. Those all do best with differently sized coffee grinds. Plus, a great coffee grinder will last you for years. 

Spice up your cold brew

The whole notion of cold brew is that it's a slow extraction process with no heat. The components—ground coffee and water—sit together for 12 to 24 hours in a chilly place—your fridge, ideally. The resulting chilled beverage features a smoother texture with less acidity and fewer bitter notes. Since your coffee grinds are sitting there imbuing the liquid with their flavors, this is a great time for other such things to do the same. Specifically, hunks of complementary and flavorful spices.

1. Set up your brewing container

Brewing cold coffee in your fridge overnight does require some sort of container apparatus, but I just use a basic French press to take care of business—it has a reusable filter and plunger and makes my life easier. (You could also use a nut milk bag in a jug, or a container designed for the job.)

2. Grind the coffee

Set your coffee grinder to the coarse or medium-coarse setting. You’ll need to filter out the pieces at the end and that’s much harder to do with fine particles floating around. Grind as much coffee as you need and add it to the filter, bag, or French press. 

3. Add the water and spices

Add as much cold water as you need for your cold brew ratio. Now for the fun part: Add whole spices. Depending on your batch size and how you like your concentrate (do you add milk too?), you may prefer quite a few of everything—like four cinnamon sticks and a tablespoon of cloves—or a smaller amount. When you dilute it later the flavors will mellow out considerably. Give the mixture a stir, or a light plunge, to mix things around. Put the lid on and set it in the fridge to brew for 12 to 24 hours. Strain the mixture when it’s ready and prepare it as you like. 

I've found that baking spices work well. Try whole cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, black peppercorns, or add in some citrus peel. If you’re not sure where to start, check the packaging. Many coffee roasters will write the flavor profile on the label of that particular blend. If you see “floral, citrus, silky” on the label, add some strips of lemon peel to bring out those flavors. If you see “candied pecan and milk chocolate” then I could see cinnamon going quite nicely.

I added star anise and cloves to a medium roast I had and the flavor was present and playful, but not crowding out the basic elements of the cold brew at all. So go ahead, take your time and enjoy trying out some different combinations; there’s no need to rush. Cold brew season is only just beginning. 

Cocktail of the week: the Mandrake’s Hibiscus – recipe | The good mixer

✇The Guardian
By: Jouzas Jonauskas
17 May 2024 at 11:00

An Aperol spritz/cosmo hybrid that’s equal parts refreshing and bubbly

A glorious combination of classic ingredients that is equal parts refreshing and bubbly – think a fruity yet refined Aperol spritz/cosmopolitan hybrid with a sparkling edge. Enjoy with friends on a sunny afternoon and embrace those fragrant citrus flavours.

Jouzas Jonauskas, head of food and beverage, Waeska Bar, The Mandrake, London W1

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© Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink styling: Seb Davis.

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© Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink styling: Seb Davis.

Air Up: scent-flavoured water bottle becomes latest playground craze

✇The Guardian
By: Zoe Wood
17 May 2024 at 08:44

School must-have is setting pressured parents back £30 but could help keep kids off sugary drinks

From loom bands to fidget spinners, playground crazes are usually cheap and cheerful, but the latest must-have is an expensive drinks bottle that comes with scent pods that trick your brain into thinking water is cola or fruit juice.

The growing popularity of Air Up, with the cheapest bottles starting at about £30, is a dilemma for parents.

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© Photograph: Stephen R Johnson/Alamy

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© Photograph: Stephen R Johnson/Alamy

Before yesterdayMain stream

The Best Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Any Mom Who Likes to Cook

✇Lifehacker
By: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
8 May 2024 at 18:00

Just a quick public service announcement: Mother’s Day is this Sunday. If this fantastic holiday snuck up on you again this year (I’m in the same boat), it’s not too late to grab a thoughtful gift. Here’s a list of gift ideas for the chef, baker, coffee connoisseur, and everyone in between. While you may not have time to get something engraved or monogrammed, these gifts still say “You deserve to do more of what you love.” 

End-grain wood cutting block

Maybe you’ve watched your mom slowly wear down that thin plastic cutting mat, or you’ve seen her eyeing the blocks at Home Depot. Anyone who cooks a lot at home deserves to have great tools to work with, and a good cutting board can sometimes fall by the wayside. Hardwood cutting boards are a thoughtful way to step up from the worn out plastic ones, but the end-grain cutting blocks are a real treat for the knives. Prized among chefs for their durability without damaging a knife’s edge, end-grain wood boards are a worthwhile investment. (They’ll last a while too, if you care for them correctly.)

Bread banneton

It’s 2024 now, and anyone who hates sourdough bread-baking has long since given up, but there are some home cooks who found a new best friend (and they feed and discard it every day). For the mothers who love their “mother,” a bread banneton will be a practical gift that everyone can benefit from when the pain au levain comes out of the oven. 

Chef’s notebook

It might not seem like much, but a notebook is indispensable in the kitchen. Whether it’s for jotting down new ideas, modifying recipes from the internet, or making a quick shopping list, sometimes all you need is a place to write everything down. (As tempting as it might be, the kitchen isn’t always a hospitable place for a computer.) Stone The Chef’s Notebook isn’t just any old stack of papers. It has conversions and measurements in the back, lined and blank pages (for those sketches), and it’s water- and grease-proof. 

A good set of knives

This might just be my mom, but that wonderful woman manages to cook up a storm with the dullest knives I’ve ever seen. While avid cooks may just need to sharpen their knives, it’s important that said knives also don’t suck. Instead of resorting to the mysterious knife block gift set—half of the set never gets touched anyway—choose a set with fewer, more useful blades. This set from Wüsthof includes only the important knives—a chef’s knife, utility knife, and a bread knife. 

Espresso machine

Coffee-loving parents who have been fussing around with the same irritable drip machine or espresso pods are long overdue for an upgrade. Having an espresso machine used to mean dealing with a noisy, bulky contraption, but they’ve since become more compact and intuitive. Treat them to a miniature coffee shop in their kitchen. 

New cookware

A new set of pots and pans is always a good idea. It may come as a surprise to your mom that the bald spot of scraped off non-stick coating in the middle of her pots is a sign they should be replaced. Treat her to a set of cookware that’s made to last.

A mortar and pestle

Fast and cheap electronics aren’t for everyone. In fact, cooking can be a meditative time of doing things purposefully with your own two hands. A medium-sized mortar and pestle is a great size for small jobs like grinding popcorn spices, and making larger recipes like guacamole. For the mom who enjoys making recipes from scratch, try a quality mortar and pestle.

Picnic accessories

Some folks aren’t makers—they’re enjoy-ers. For parents who like to get out and enjoy the good weather with some snacks, picnic accessories are just the thing. This charcuterie board packs up like a suitcase with hidden cheese knives, and the compartments provide a tidy way to keep snacks organized, and elevated away from little buggies that try to share the blanket with you. 

The vendors listed here offer quick or expedited shipping so you can get your gift to Mom on time. Just make sure to check the two-day shipping option during checkout. 

Orange Juice Iced Coffee Is a Warm Weather Thrill

✇Lifehacker
By: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
8 May 2024 at 12:00

As soon as the temperature breaches 70°F in New York City, iced coffee season begins. It’s almost like an unofficial mid-spring holiday to signify the summer to come. This season I’d like to recommend a simple spin-off that’ll knock your flip flops off. It’s orange juice iced coffee, and you should make one immediately. 

I stumbled upon this chilled treat when I was in Bangkok last fall. I thought it was a funky original idea from one coffee shop, but then I couldn’t stop seeing it. Orange juice iced coffee was everywhere. I admit, my first reaction was revulsion. But the more I saw it, I figured, how bad could it be?

My partner and I bought one to accompany our chili-packed lunch from a food court stall (which also sold strawberry juice iced coffee), and sipped away. We drank the whole thing. Though strange at first, I couldn’t believe how great it tasted. I can only describe it as fun to drink. In the humidity of Bangkok, this icy drink provided me with the cooling thrill I was looking for. Maybe it was just the caffeine and sugar, but I felt alive. The black coffee is bitter but the orange juice sweetens the drink without making it heavy like creamer can. In fact, the whole drink stays light and refreshing until the last sip. If you’re a fan of the orange and dark chocolate flavor match up, this is absolutely the drink for you.

How to make orange juice iced coffee

I use a light roast black coffee in mine, but I’ve seen folks use dark roast and espresso to match their preferences. The orange juice is totally up to you. I used Simply Orange, but any brand or fresh-squeezed is going to work just fine. The procedure is as complicated as I can handle in the morning:

1. Fill a glass with ice and add the orange juice. 

2. Top it off with black iced coffee and add a straw. 

The ratio is up to your preference. I used equal parts OJ and coffee, but if you like it sweeter, use more juice. Do you like to really taste the coffee, then add more of that or try a stronger brew. Drinking it is the second part of the journey because you can keep it a layered drink and use the straw to pinpoint exactly what you’d like to sip. I usually start off sipping different layers, and then halfway through the drink I’ll mix it together. 

The iced coffee celebrations don’t end with orange juice. Your caffeinated beverage explorations are only limited by your supermarket’s juice aisle. I haven’t tried other juice combinations yet, but there are a ton of nectars and juice-ades out there to try. If you’ve tried a different juice/coffee combo that you love, drop it in the comments, I’d love to hear about it.

My Favorite Meals for When I Need to Save Money

✇Lifehacker
By: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
6 May 2024 at 16:00

Groceries are damn expensive now, even the basics. Honk if you walked out of the supermarket with one measly bag of food that cost $50. Food shopping is one of those instances where I get mad about it (nothing will stop me from complaining into the void), but in the end, I have to find a way to cook smarter.

Make proteins work for your budget

Though eating meat will make your grocery bill climb quickly, you don’t need to go without. I eat a variety of proteins, and I think that's the key to both decreasing my spending and keeping meals interesting. When buying meat, I recommend dividing it into smaller quantities, so you can use one item—say, a bag of shrimp or a pound of ground turkey—for two or three different meals. Then use the accompanying ingredients to bulk it up. The following recipes include seafood, meat, and plant-based options. All of the recipes are scaled for two servings, so divide or multiply the measurements as needed.

Air-fried tofu with beet salad

Air fried tofu is experiencing major popularity in my household these days. I like to use this recipe for coating firm tofu in nutritional yeast and air frying it until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The beet salad is a simple preparation and always leaves me convinced I should be eating more beets.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ red onion, thinly sliced

  • 3 tablespoons white vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 container firm tofu, drained

  • Neutral oil to coat

  • Nutritional yeast to coat

  • Sprinkle of salt

  • 1-8 ounce pack steamed and peeled beets, quartered

  • 3 cups of spring mix (or any salad greens)

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Add the sliced onion to a deep salad bowl along with the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix it around to coat the onion and let it “pickle” in the liquid while you prepare the meal. 

2. Slice the drained tofu into four thick planks. Dab them dry with a paper towel. Spray or drizzle a neutral oil to coat the tofu and sprinkle them with salt. Pour nutritional yeast onto a plate and press the tofu into it until completely coated. Air fry the planks at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crispy on the outside.

3. Add the beets and spring mix to the bowl of onions and toss with the olive oil until coated. Plate the crispy tofu alongside the salad and serve.   

Khao Tom Goong (Thai shrimp and rice soup)

This soup is great for any time of day, so don’t hesitate, even if it’s 8am. I’ll buy a pound of raw, deveined frozen shrimp from Trader Joe’s for about $12 and use it for several meals, including this one. It’s filling, satisfying, and you can use leftover rice to keep the preparation quick.

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil

  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

  • 8 raw, tail-on deveined shrimp, thawed (if frozen)

  • Pinch salt

  • Dash fish sauce

  • 1 cup chicken broth (or any broth)

  • 1 cup rice, cooked

  • Garnish with chopped cilantro, fried garlic, and sliced ginger

1. Heat the oil in a medium pot with the garlic on low heat. Once the garlic starts to gently sizzle, add the shrimp. Sprinkle in the salt as you flip the shrimp. After a minute or so, when the shrimp is halfway cooked, add a dash of fish sauce and the broth. 

2. Add in the rice and allow the soup to come up to a simmer for two minutes. Serve the soup topped with plenty of fried garlic, cilantro, and ginger.

Frozen dumplings and broccoli

This recipe is barely a recipe. Besides adding sauce to the broccoli, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: dumplings and broccoli. Somehow, I find it to be a meal I always look forward to. It’s vital that you use frozen dumplings you actually like. Once again, I frequent Trader Joe’s for the affordable frozen gyoza, but if you can, I recommend stopping by an Asian supermarket for well-priced, delicious dumplings.

Ingredients:

  • 1-16 ounce bag frozen pork gyoza (substitute any filling)

  • 2 cups fresh broccoli florets

  • 2 tablespoons Bachan’s Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce (substitute soy sauce)

1. Place a steamer basket in a large pot with a half-inch of water in the bottom. Add the frozen dumplings to the steamer and cover the pot with a lid. Steam the dumplings over medium heat for five minutes.

2. Open the pot and dump the broccoli florets over the dumplings and replace the lid. Steam the contents for another five minutes. The broccoli should be cooked but slightly crunchy, and the dumplings will be cooked through. Toss the broccoli with the sauce (or leave it on the side for dipping). Plate the dumplings with the broccoli on the side. 

Pantry pasta

When you’re looking for a recipe that sticks to your ribs without breaking the budget, pasta is a reliable ally. This is a simple recipe where any protein can substitute in, and the “sauce” is butter. You can use any bean to pair with your pasta, but I use peas here because I always have them in the freezer. If you’re looking for a red sauce pasta idea, try my dairy-free vodka sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

  • Cooking oil to coat the pot

  • 8 ounces ground turkey

  • 1 shallot (or quarter-onion), minced

  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 4 mushrooms, chopped

  • ⅓ cup frozen peas

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • 4 ounces any pasta, boiled (I like rigatoni for this)

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter

1. Add oil to a medium pot, enough to coat the bottom, and heat it over medium-low. Add the ground turkey and break it apart into small hunks while it cooks. When it’s halfway cooked through, add the shallot, garlic, salt, and mushrooms. 

2. Cook the mixture until the shallot has softened and the mushrooms are plump. Add the peas and garlic powder. Stir and allow the peas to heat through. Add the cooked pasta with a spoonful of the pasta water, turn off the heat and add the butter. Toss gently until the butter melts. Serve in bowls.

Hot chicken sausage and veggies

As I mentioned earlier, I find it easier to stretch protein when it’s presented in smaller bits. It’s more of a mind game, and I play it on myself. Serving a three-ounce steak will look meager on the plate, but chop it up and mix it with things and you’ve got a hearty helping. You can use any sausage you like, but I like chicken sausage for this because it doesn’t feel as heavy as pork. 

Ingredients:

  • Cooking oil to coat the pan

  • 2 links of pre-cooked chicken sausage

  • 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

  • 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

  • 4 mushrooms

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce

  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 cup cooked rice

1. Slice the sausages in half lengthwise. Then cut them across into half-inch wide chunks. Peel and slice the onion into strips. Deseed the pepper and cut it into strips about the same size as the onion. Quarter the mushrooms. 

2. Coat the bottom of a medium pot with a neutral cooking oil. Heat it over medium-low heat and add the sausage pieces and veggies. Sauté everything until the onions begin to sweat and soften. Add the garlic powder and salt, and stir to incorporate. Stir in the hot sauce and soy sauce to coat. Serve the hot chicken and veggies over rice. 

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