strawberry milk

strawberry milk

Did you know drinking buttermilk is a thing? I wasn’t aware until a few years ago when I took a baking class and remarked to the teacher that buttermilk is pretty amazing in baked goods for something that smells so rancid and he told me that his mother drinks a glass of it warm every afternoon. Like, by choice. I may have said something polite but as I didn’t get the nickname Deb No Poker Face Perelman for nothing, I doubt anyone missed how revolted I actually was. I have little doubt that I acted equally maturely in high school everyday when I friend of mine would get not a normal drink, like ice tea or lemonade with lunch, but strawberry milk. You know, the bright pink stuff that smelled like a melted Jolly Rancher. Why on earth would you drink strawberry milk if you could have chocolate milk? And yet, inevitably, here we are.

a tumble of overripe strawberries
sliced with sugar

It turns out strawberry milk when homemade under the bossy guidance of Gabrielle Hamilton is unbelievably good, like a milkshake but one (if you mom is as awesome as I am, obviously) you can pass off as breakfast. Hamilton’s method has you macerate strawberries in sugar until all of their liquid is drawn out and they’re very syrupy. She insists that you use the best strawberries (i.e. the kind that are in season now) and says “don’t compensate with [rhymes with bitty] berries with more sugar, please.” Then, you take this glassy red bowl that smells like cotton candy, sunshine and joy itself, blend it until smooth, mix it with a combination of milk and buttermilk and let it steep overnight. In the morning, any of that remnant yogurt flavor of buttermilk is gone, leaving you with an ice-cold pitcher of slightly thick, creamy, lightly sweetened deep pink happiness.

very very macerated

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© smitten kitchen 2006-2012. |
permalink to strawberry milk | 69 comments to date | see more: Drinks, Photo, Snack, Strawberries, Summer

15 Snack Recipes That Keep Hanger at Bay — Recipes from The Kitchn

Hanger is a word used to describe the feeling you get when your rumbling tummy leads to a cranky mood. It’s worse than the pout you might make when you’re just hungry, though. This is a full-on, hulk-level need for food.

While we generally plan for our afternoon post-lunch slump, hanger can strike at any time if you’re unprepared. Here are 15 delicious snacks to keep you full between meals and defend against hanger.

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The Global Quilt of My Iftar Table — The Ramadan Table

Today Islam is no longer a religion that is just in the Middle East or Arabia. Generations have moved north, south, west, and further east. There are converts around the world; my husband being one of them, and with each person choosing Islam as their faith, another layer of culture and customs is added to the religious holiday, bringing more vibrancy, diversity, and color.

Ramadan for me has changed so much from when I was younger and celebrated the month with my parents and siblings in London. While the iftar I share with my family is totally different from the Muslims breaking their fast in Scandinavia or Latin America, it’s also very different from the iftar I shared during my childhood. Today, my iftar table tells the story of my family and our connections to all corners of the world.

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This Is Joy the Baker’s Favorite Pint of Ice Cream — My Favorite Pint

Joy Wilson’s blog, Joy the Baker, can be described in two words: inspired and attainable. Part of what makes her recipes so lovely is that they all look and sound exciting, but they aren’t overly complicated or fussy. She’ll walk you through the hard parts. As a result, her recipes are able to feel homey and new at the same time.

So, I had to know: What is the queen of all sweets’ favorite pint of ice cream? Like you’d expect, her answer is pretty perfect.

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The 10 Best Trader Joe’s Snacks to Eat Outside This Summer — The Kitchn Goes Grocery Shopping

It’s a well-known fact that Trader Joe’s has the best snacks. So when the urge to eat outside overtakes you this summer, you don’t need to think twice about heading over to Trader Joe’s for all your bites and nibbles. But how do you choose which snacks to go with? What won’t melt or spoil during the trek over to the park? There are so many options! Don’t worry — we have your back.

Here are the 10 best things you can pick up at Trader Joe’s to eat outside this summer. These snacks are totally portable, easy to munch on, and great for sharing. Did your favorite snack item make the cut?

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This Is Olympic Runner Shalane Flanagan’s Favorite Pint of Ice Cream — My Favorite Pint

Shalane Flanagan is an Olympic medalist and all-star marathon runner. In fact, she’s one of three women competing in the marathon at the Rio Olympics this coming August. But just because she’s an athlete doesn’t mean she doesn’t love to eat. In fact, she even has a cookbook coming out this fall for athletes.

Here’s what Shalane has to say about her favorite pint of ice cream. If this runner can have a scoop, so can you.

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5 Literary Lessons on the Perils (and Possibilities) of Eating Outdoors — Go Outside (If You Want To)

With Memorial Day behind us, the season of the picnic has arrived. From now through Labor Day, most of us will at some point decide to pack up a meal in a hamper or a cooler, head out to a park or a beach or a forest, lay out a blanket, and enjoy our meal en plein air. What is it about picnics that makes perfectly mono-lingual people speak French? And why is it that picnics are so enduringly appealing?

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charred eggplant and walnut pesto pasta salad

charred eggplant and walnut pesto pasta salad

Pasta salads get a bad rap but I find that the more I think of them as room temperature summer dishes and the less as mayo-slicked bowls of suspicion and dread, the more inviting they become, not only for cookouts and picnics, but (ahem) a gorgeous Tuesday night.

ready to grind
walnut pesto

Two things help a lot, first, I like starting with a salad dressing we’ve loved and building it from there. We talked about this walnut pesto [pesto di noci] for the first time way back in 2009; it’s from Jody Williams and it’s a longtime staple on crostini at the shoebox wine bar Gottino in the West Village. Don’t be put off by its unassuming appearance — this combination of toasted walnuts, olive oil, thyme, parmesan and a dab of minced sundried tomatoes is a triumph of flavor, I’m not surprised Frank Bruni once called it one of the best crostini in town and likened it to “crunchy peanut butter for grown-ups.” [But oh, I think it’s even better.]

1/2-inch slices

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© smitten kitchen 2006-2012. |
permalink to charred eggplant and walnut pesto pasta salad | 27 comments to date | see more: Eggplant, Grilling, Pasta, Photo, Salad, Summer, Vegetarian

17 of the Most Delicious Vegan Recipes We Know — Recipes from The Kitchn

If you’ve been a lifelong omnivore, going vegan is no easy feat. But if you find yourself deciding that a vegan way of eating is for you, you’re going to need recipes. These 17 vegan recipes are so surprising and delicious that going vegan might just be easier than you think.

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This Is CEO & Founder Maxwell Ryan’s Favorite Pint of Ice Cream — My Favorite Pint

Maxwell Ryan founded Apartment Therapy Media 12 years ago, when blogs and websites and this whole “internet thing” were relatively nascent. He was originally a teacher at a Waldorf school in New York, where he found that design and the home space had a great impact on his students. He took this passion and created a space online that would help people live better lives. In other words, none of this would be possible without him.

Here’s what Maxwell has to say about his favorite pint of ice cream and where you can find it.

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