That looks like a roll of red sweet candy.
Because it is.
And we all know, that red and blue candies are the best kinds.
Homemade fruit roll-ups (or fruit "leathers") are incredibly easy to make. I followed the idea behind a few recipes but decided on my own fruit and measurements and made about four of these bad boys. Most of the recipes I found were a boiled concoction of water and apricots with a little bit of sugar. Here's the recipe I made up on the spot:
1 container of strawberries, chopped into quarters
2 white peaches, pitted and chopped into small chunks
About half a cup or so of apple sauce
About a quarter cup of lemon juice
Gratuitous amounts of strawberry daiquiri malt beverage
Two spoonfuls of pure cane sugar
(Using organic ingredients makes you cooler btw, so try it)
Boil until mushy and reduced, and mash with wooden or plastic spoon. Blend with a stick blender until silky, silky smooth.
Ladle onto parchment paper squares (at whatever circular dimensions you desire), about a quarter of an inch thick.
Place in a dehydrator overnight (about eight hours)*
*An oven placed at the lowest temperature (125-150) will do the same trick. Might even be faster.
Makes about four eight inch circles that peel off of the parchment paper easily.
No fake plastic stuff like the ones you buy in a box, and taste just as darn good.
Mine have a candy-like flavor from the lemon juice and the alcohol (which boils off, duh) and are perfectly tart like fresh strawberries.
My most recent grocery shopping trip, at the Las Vegas farmer's market at Azul, that somehow became color coordinated.
From left to right: Cucumber (some variety which now escapes me), edamame, green tomato, green tea with jasmine. Bottom: corn sprouts**
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During my recent trip to Colorado, and due to my politically driven diet, I have been OBSESSED with fresh local foods. I had doubts that sustaining a diet consisting of local foods in Nevada would be possible, but I have been pleasantly surprised.
Disappointed by Henderson's "farmer's market" many years ago, I lost faith that other farmer's markets in the area could have potential. But when my boyfriend started working at the farm of a local master gardener, I had the opportunity to visit and see the plethora of food that she was able to grow and sell. When I brought home my first bunch of cute carrots, I was hooked.
(I miss that pseudo-sidecut... >_>)
Since then, I have been seeking as many locally grown and produced items as possible. It started with a jar of the most delicious honey I've ever tasted, and coffee from local shops. From there it spread to herbs, teas, fruits, dairy, and vegetables at farmer's markets.
I'm still searching for a local meat vendor (I haven't bought meat in almost half a year!). I did, however, purchase some Colorado venison and elk jerky while I was there for a week, and it was amazing, so I have hope that I can find something out here as well.
Here is an excellent source of information about Nevada's growers and markets:
Other favorite locally made products: artisan breads and pastas. AKA CARBS. LOTS AND LOTS OF CARBS. mmmmmm
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**If you've never had corn sprouts, I suggest you find a way to get ahold of them. They are the most fantastic green I've ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth.
Today I'm makin' dough.
(The edible, non-spendable kind...)
;)
About a week ago, I made my first attempt at ever baking bread. In this case, it was a simplified recipe for naan. Naan is a traditional Indian flat-bread, that I fell in love with in Redlands, California a few years ago. Unfortunately, like most of my kitchen adventures, the recipe didn't yield the results I was hoping for, and instead, I stumbled upon the perfect mix for a pizza dough.
Try the same recipe!*
*Food Network is for cheaters.
Final, delicious, cheese pizza finale.
In the past year or so I've taken up several hobbies in place of taking pictures. Among them, bicycle riding, some resurgence of painting, and cooking. A thorough lifestyle change has brought cooking to the foremost of these ventures, and I've approached it with the utmost enthusiasm. Every week I find myself in the kitchen baking, cooking, roasting, frying, grilling. I spend more time in grocery stores reading labels than I do my college textbooks.
A part of me missed shooting nature photography and I figured shooting food was very similar. In order to shock my muscle memory back into remember how to take pictures again, I started shooting with a film camera. Unfortunately, errors in my photography education (which is completely non-existent), and issues with the camera have yielded most unrewarding results. Needless to say, I've spent a fortune on film and developing, so I picked up my T2i, with great apprehension, and gave it a go. Very pleased with the instant gratification that digital provides, and happy with my ability to still compose and color coordinate.
Still absolutely love that film feel, though. I will be working hard to improve my understanding of it.
So as for now, I guess you could say I'm back.
Above: Mâche rosettes, clover sprouts, red beets, sprinkle of cheddar cheese. (Digital, Canon T2i)
Below: Home-made naan turned pizza flat-bread. (Film, Nikon EM)
(I have decided to start posting to Blogger instead of Livejournal, due to the mounting DDos attacks that have basically rendered the site useless...)
