Connections at the biological level

I think many people take for granted that their food and drink will always just be there for purchase and consumption without ever really understanding the components or the processes that make bread, beer or cheese. Indeed, most may never even consider how each item comes to us in so many delicious forms. Likewise, few of us know the huge part played by the microscopic community: bacteria, yeast, molds and a myriad of chemical compounds.

One of the strangest contributors to this soup may be Kefir Grains. You may have never heard of them; that's okay, it was only a few months ago that I really learned about them. They are not grains in the same sense as wheat, barley or rice are called grains. Actually they look more like cooked cauliflower tops than kernels of grain. They are alive but they don't crawl, make noise, or otherwise resemble 'living organisms'. They are a complex commune inhabited by several different yeast, bacteria, fungi, proteins, fats and others stuff who thrive on lactose - or milk sugar. Kefir is pretty much like yogurt; varying in thickness and tartness depending on how active the grains have been at digesting the milk.

Here's where the synchronicity comes into play. Kefir grains help to culture milk, the first step in cheese making; fluid kefir can be used as a milk or water substitute for many bread recipes; and if the grains really get working overtime, they can create low levels of alcohol, creating a milk-champagne.

I received a small Kefir colony last night from a friend, almost ceremoniously. With an understanding that I would now be responsible for another being not unlike adopting a kitten or something, feeding and housing them. Well, maybe that's a little dramatic, and No I did not make a pledge or swear on a Bible to nurture and care for the grains. But none the less I will be treating them as a 'presence' in the kitchen.

My immediate plans are to try them out in a cheese application; hopefully ending up with a hard cheese. We shall see.

Peace,
Cheesey-boy

Magical Moments

With each of the three mainstays (Bread, Beer and Cheese) there are similarities, yet so many nuanced differences that always keep me interested in finding good examples of each.

What I'm getting at is that with each you have a choice of raw ingredients, choices in the manufacturing methods and to some degree choices in the waiting period.
The combination of ingredients, which are now more easily available, allows us a nearly endless palette from which to create our Bread, Beer and Cheese.

To me, no matter how much attention to detail I put into it, I often find myself thinking of the process as a bit magical. After all is said and done, enjoying the final product is only part of the enjoyment that I get out of making bread, beer or cheese.

Over the weekend I made a 1lb. Havarti cheese. I am a newbie to cheese making (at least in an organized way) so this was my first Havarti. Unlike a batch of muffins or loaf of bread, it will be many days before I can sample the cheese and see if it resembles the Havarti style. Patience is needed for both cheese and beer making.

One of the magical moments with each batch of cheese is when the milk first begins to setup, called either the curdling point or the flocculation point. It is the point in time when the fluid milk shows its first signs of becoming a solid. It's similar to the magic of watching yeast make dough rise, or a different yeast making beer ferment and bubble.

So I guess I'm talking about the awe-factor that comes with the creation process; my own mad-scientist moment for sure.

Peace,
Cheesey-boy

Jumping In the Deep End

And away we go!
My passion for these three foods is not such an unusual thing. I suspect there are many who find it comforting to sample fresh baked bread, artisan cheese and hand-crafted beers.
I will share my experiences and viewpoints, as best I can, hoping they will inspire others to bake it, make it, or brew it, themselves.

Peace.
Cheesey-boy