Translated from Old French as โsour wine,โ vinegarโs name hints at its origin story. Though touted in recent years as a piquant culinary trend, vinegar has served as a food staple and preservative since as early as 5,000 B.C., when the Babylonians relied on vinegar to preserve food transported over vast distances.
The โWe can pickle thatโ skit from Portlandia had it (nearly) perfect: Just about everything in your kitchen can be pickled. Quick pickles make the preservation process even easier and provide instant gratification and snackification.
Quite possibly one of the worldโs favorite ingredients, butter is more than just an accoutrement to melt into the crevices of a dry piece of toast or a steaming pile of mashed potatoes. Not only does it elevate common dishes to new heights, but it also takes on sweet, savory, salty, even sour flavor profiles when turned into compound butter and transfers the goodness across the culinary spectrum.
As a young adult, Alexander Baur enjoyed German pretzels. His father is German, and his mother is of German descent, so he lived in the European country for 15 years. He and his wife, Julia (whoโs also of German descent), now live in Reno. And when she was pregnant, she had strong cravings for โฆ you guessed it: pretzels.
Trek through the beautiful alpine forests in the Sierra Nevada region and youโre sure to encounter majestic Douglas fir trees. Not only do these beauties stand tall, providing cover and refuge to little critters, but also, their evergreen needles are intact year round, can be harvested in winter, and offer a memorable essence when used in libations.
While winter always brings a plethora of apple-filled treats, from pies to ciders, another smaller variety of the beloved fruit demurely rests beside the kings of the orchard, plentiful in winter and begging to be used: the crab apple.