Witch's Brews & Biscuits

Witch's Brews & Biscuits In my crazy kitchen, I'll share all my experiments and more than a few spectacular failures.

09/05/2025

So, I've been running an experiment with sourdough discard. A couple of weeks ago, I was cleaning out my fridge and found two quart take-out containers and a couple of half quart ones with discard in it. I make sourdough bread pretty regularly but with this summer's heat, that's not been an option. Plus, I haven't really used my discard like it should be used. So, I pulled out some of that discard, fed it, and then let it do it's thing. It was very happy. Over the last five years or so, my starter has survived on neglect and thrived. It ain't gonna die. But here's the thing, I still haven't made bread with that happy starter. That's where the experiment came in. I took a portion of that starter and put it in my dehydrator on the lowest setting available. After it was extremely dry, I blitzed it in my spice grinder and stored in an airtight jar. Waited a week, re-hydrated it, and it's off to the races again. What started with 50grams of dry weight out of 278grams of dry weight, its now almost 500 grams of re-hydrated and fed starter that is ready to make some pretty amazing loaves.

So here's the plug, I am offering one ounce bags of MY Sourdough Starter for sale at $5 each or five ounce bags for $20. Just asking if you are interested.

Today was a busy day. Two batches of biscotti. One was pistachio-cranberry and the other was anise. And then Wonton soup...
08/21/2025

Today was a busy day. Two batches of biscotti. One was pistachio-cranberry and the other was anise. And then Wonton soup. All of it homemade right down to the wontons.

First off, ignore the AI generated photo. I could not find an actual picture of the three items I'm presenting today. ...
05/28/2025

First off, ignore the AI generated photo. I could not find an actual picture of the three items I'm presenting today. So, I'm asking, just roll with it. When I get to Fossil Farms, I'll actually present you with REAL PHOTOS. So, here we go...

What is the most unusual animal based protein you have ever tried? I'll go first: I've had ostrich, wild boar, and bear. Admittedly, the bear was quite a bit gamey but loaded with fat. Understand, it was eating enough to get ready for it's winter nap. I kinda liked it and think I would do it again. The wild boar burger - gamey and a bit dry. Boar tends to be very lean since it's incredibly active. Boar does not taste like pork and is more like venison in both taste and texture. I'm a bit mixed because it was dry but I fully intend to give it a go again. Now the ostrich. I expected it to taste like the dark meat of turkey at the minimum. Nope. It tasted like lean beef. Tender but if you overcook it, it can go from raw to not on a cold day in a very hot place. I also found out that my niece was very allergic to it. It was done with a very quick, hot sear with butter and herbs in the pan in a classic French style. I have to get creative the next time I try to make this and that depends on whether I can find it or not.

This week's posts are going to have the intent to get you thinking about what you have in your spice cupboard. What I h...
05/28/2025

This week's posts are going to have the intent to get you thinking about what you have in your spice cupboard. What I have discovered is that, generally, Americans have the basics - salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and maybe a few other odd herbs. You can build wonderful flavors with just the basics, but you can travel the world from your kitchen with a few unusual ones. Want to go to Italy? That's easy - Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Calabrian Chili Peppers, maybe some Anchovy Paste, and a bronze cut pasta. Asian? There you need warm spices like Cinnamon, Ginger, Coriander, and Star Anise, but you also need spices that are light and floral like Cardamon and Lemon Grass. Of course that would lead into Indian Cuisine and their colorful spices like Turmeric and Saffron. I haven't even touched on Africa or even South America. The point, I guess, is that Food is Culture and Everyone Eats. So let's start traveling via our Spice Cabinets.

It's Memorial Day, and that means BBQ and potato salad! I grew up with potato salad that was heavily mayo-based and gene...
05/26/2025

It's Memorial Day, and that means BBQ and potato salad! I grew up with potato salad that was heavily mayo-based and generally flavorless. Also, it wasn't very healthy. What if I told you that you can have potato salad that's full of flavor but healthier? (Side note: since it's not mayo-based, it can sit on the picnic table and not be buried in the cooler. That doesn't mean it's shelf-stable; you still have to keep it in the fridge prior to service.)

So, here's the healthier potato salad.

3 # Red Wax Potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 # Fresh Green Beans, trimmed and blanched

Dressing:
1 Shallot, finely diced
2 Tbsp Vinegar (I suggest using rice, sherry, or white wine vinegar for a subtle and light flavor)
1/4 Cup EVOO
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. If you've never blanched veggies, it's really simple. Boil heavily salted water in a large pot and have an ice bath on the side. Take trimmed green beans, boil for 2 minutes (not a moment longer), and use a spider strainer to scoop them out and drop them into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. The green beans should be bright green and crisp tender.

2. Make the dressing. Dice shallot and add to vinegar. Allow to sit for about twenty minutes. This will mellow the sharp flavor of the shallot. Add EVOO, Salt, and Pepper, then whisk. Set aside for later.

3. Boil potatoes for approximately 7-9 minutes in heavily salted water. The water should taste briny, and it's about the only time you can really season potatoes. Potatoes should be cooked through but not crumbly.

4. Drain potatoes and allow to cool for about five minutes. Drizzle dressing over the potatoes, add the green beans, and gently fold until incorporated.

5. Find a bowl for presentation. If you have vintage Pyrex or Tupperware, you just won. Game, Point, Match!

If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it and I want to see your pictures. We are here to learn and share.

05/25/2025

I'm Back! I'll start with regular postings over the next few weeks and presenting to you some new recipes. See you all soon!

Wow! As a kid that grew up on well water and all the quirks around that. I expected this schmutz from the farm's well. ...
10/27/2024

Wow! As a kid that grew up on well water and all the quirks around that. I expected this schmutz from the farm's well. This was from my home tap on NYC water. Ya know, the absolute best water on the planet. The water that makes NYC Bagels NYC bagels. I know that the city tests the water so the only explanation that I can find is that my building has really cruddy and deteriorating plumbing. Just so you all understand, my building is less than ten years old and I won't drink tap water unless its minimally filtered. I know more than a few people that have gotten sick on a compromised water supply. Frankly, my NYC tap water, in my apartment, has always tasted funky. Well, here's the reason. I have a ton of sediment in my tap water and the only reason why I finally know is that my beloved husband got me an evaporative water distiller. (I also got an All-Clad 7qt Slow Cooker, a Lodge 5qt Double Dutch Oven, and a new pair of Bluetooth earbuds since my current ones are starting to die as a series of anniversary gifts.) If you want to also know the biggest reason why I wanted the distiller is that I bake homemade bread and the tap water has fluoride and chlorine in it. Those will kill your yeast and its had some pretty negative consequences on my young, four year old, sourdough starter. I also have a humidifier, a CPAP, and a kettle. Distilled water gets very expensive after a while or you just don't use it at all and risk gunking up the monkey works. So thank you Baby. I know that you worry that I don't drink enough water and I think this will help.

As for everyone else, this is a Vevor 1.1 gallon water distiller that he got for me from Amazon. If you are worried about your water, get this one. The reviews are great and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

10/25/2024

I just want to say how amazing my husband, Lester Cook, is. Spent most of the day filming content and he was the director, camera man, and production manager. I still have some content left to finish but I'll starting video editing tomorrow and break the clips into bite size pieces to share on TT/IG/FB. I don't think that I could have gotten that much work done without him. I may be creating the content but he's making sure I stay on task to earn a few buck. Thank you Babe! I couldn't have done it without you.

Remember these little nuggets of happiness? Well, the initial week of soaking in water with the usual number of fresh wa...
09/21/2024

Remember these little nuggets of happiness? Well, the initial week of soaking in water with the usual number of fresh water changes called for, they are starting to darken and smell like olives. I’m thinking I should starting brining them today with weekly changes to the brine. Yup, gonna do it.

Lester Cook did a wonderful thing tonight. He strutted right out of his comfort zone and made this beautiful dish! Ravio...
09/19/2024

Lester Cook did a wonderful thing tonight. He strutted right out of his comfort zone and made this beautiful dish! Ravioli with asparagus, blistered tomatoes, capers and fresh basil. Tutti a tavola alla mangiare!

09/15/2024

It is better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in a war. - Miyamoto Musashi

Can you identify these little nuggets of joy? Washed, rinsed with vinegar and waiting for the water bath in prep of a 3...
09/13/2024

Can you identify these little nuggets of joy? Washed, rinsed with vinegar and waiting for the water bath in prep of a 3-6 month cure. I can’t wait.

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